Reviewing Monster High's Valentine and Spelldon 2-Pack

Yeah, okay, Monster High content doesn't really pick up views and I feel like I'm trying to take the lazy way out of blogging when I post Monster High, but can we just take a moment? Monster High is the favorite child of my collection right now. Not because I've lost interest with AG as a whole, but because I've lost a lot of faith in the direction AG is going today. Monster High, on the other hand, has put out some amazing releases in the past 12 months. I'm in a stage of my life where I can say I'm a huge Monster High fan. Just let me be really dramatic and excited about this set for the remainder of this post.

Today I'm reviewing Monster High's Kieran Valentine and Spelldon Cauldronello 2-Pack.

It was genuinely 11 months ago when rumors of this set started circulating online. I feel like I've been waiting forever, and I guess 11 months *is* kind of an impossibly long time to wait for a set that might not even come. So this feels very full-circle for me, and of course I have to write about it. What else am I supposed to do when I get a grail?

I'm actually prewriting this intro a few days before the dolls are expected to arrive, because that's how excited I am. 

For some very brief lore, Valentine is the one-off antagonist in Monster High's 2012 movie "Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love?" He's an emotional vampire, which is like a regular vampire but more powerful and feeds off emotions (specifically love in Val's case). Valentine was unintentionally popular, so he was released in doll form for the 2015 San Diego Comic Con. His SDCC doll's diary establishes Valentine's redemption arc, and also mentions Spelldon. Spelldon is the son of Circe (and brother of the MH character Casta Fierce), and was initially proposed as a secondary character for the MH franchise, but never made it past the sketch phase. After the SDCC release, both characters disappeared from Monster High media until MH's 2024 Pride comic, which was the first time MH fans got to see Spell. They have become popular enough that we finally got a set for them! I could genuinely write essays about these characters. In fact, I did a project on Valentine in my AP Lang class earlier this year (and got a 100), so I actually have written essays about them. 

In Monster High canon, these characters are a couple. I ask that Just Dolling not become a platform for hate comments to be spread. Personally, I think these characters are lovely and find their relationship to be very positive and appropriately written---it's teenager-y in the best ways. (I actually find all of Monster High's couples to be portrayed in such positive ways, which can be so rare to find in media that depicts teenagers.) Plus, they have the most wholesome and silly dynamic.

I think I've yapped enough, so let's get into it!

After a few somewhat crappy days and one shipping delay, they finally arrived!

Ignore the weird blue thing with the face in the background of some of my photos. That's Starnold, a thing I made to be as intentionally weird as possible.

The box presentation was great. This is the box style that Monster High uses for their G1 (2016-2015) reproductions, which are very affordable and widely available releases. True to the trend, this set sold for $55, although it was a Mattel Creations exclusive. I was definitely willing to pay 3x that price, so the price tag was a really nice surprise. 

This is the back of their box. It has some information about their characters.

Here's Valentine's section. Vampire aging mechanics make no sense in MH, but yeah, Val is 1602 and that's the same as being 16 to vampires. 

And here's Spelldon's section! It's especially nice that they have Spell's bio since he's essentially a new character.

I unboxed the dolls with my mom and didn't take any pictures of that process. Here's the review. 

The set has a ton of accessories, and while I'm not normally a big accessories person, I'm actually thrilled for this set. First, the set came with this cool beaker stand. The test tubes are molded into the stand, but the potion bottle comes out. 

The little details are so perfect, I don't think there's anything for me to say. 

There's also this black rose. (That has eyes, because why not?) It has a handle so it can be held by the dolls. 

These safety goggles were included. I find these so funny because, yeah, if they're making potions, they should have safety goggles. Anyway, these are really solid plastic pieces, and I love that they have colors that correspond to the dolls. Purple is Spelldon and pink is Valentine.

Cute potion book! It's a solid plastic piece with a printed cover.

The back has some cool molding.

It does open...

But sadly, there's nothing inside.

True to Monster High G1 tradition, a hairbrush was included! I hate these plastic doll hairbrushes so much, but they are iconic. This one, though... I'm not really sure whose hair they had in mind when adding a brush to the set. Spelldon's hair is short and curly and Valentine's hair is still relatively short...

Diaries! A hallmark of G1 Monster High, and these are new stories!! Old MH had diaries for each character that were written from the character's POV, and although Valentine did have one in his SDCC release, these cover a whole new plot. They're very cute. Of course, by the time I'm writing this, I've read both diaries. They get my stamp of approval.

One of my favorite things about the diaries is the section that's like "don't read my diary." I thought Val's was funny because... well... stealing hearts is what he does in the movie. 

Spell's is just perfect. 

Somehow, Val's did get a little bent in box, but I'm really not a perfectionist when it comes to these.

We're finally to the dolls! Valentine was the one I was just slightly doubtful about when seeing the leaks. Since he has a movie rendering, a previously released doll, and several iterations of illustrations, I felt like there was more needed to be kept in mind for his doll? Having him in person, though, I'm definitely satisfied. My phone camera does a poor job of letting the details stick out. I was very hesitant about the quality of the outfit, but it's actually very tasteful irl. 

He did come to me with very stiff joints. That's not terribly uncommon for MH dolls, so it's not much of a complaint, but yeah, his wrists wouldn't move at all. After taking these pictures, I dropped his hands (MH hands are removable) into hot water, and now the joints work properly. No big deal. :)

Something that blew me away right off the bat was his shoes! It's not often that Monster High paints doll shoes, so plastic with a highly detailed printed artwork was awesome to see. 

I was initially underwhelmed with the top. The designers had to give Val a new outfit because all of his previous appearances have been in the same outfit, which was already used for his SDCC doll. But seeing it closer, I think it's really cute. The vest, which looked cheap and busy in the stock photos, is actually really well crafted. The button-ish fixtures are metal, and I love to see that kind of care in a doll's outfit. I'm honestly always impressed by the details Monster High dolls have, but they do take shortcuts sometimes. I don't think that was the case with this set. I do debate myself over whether I think they should have included the roses on the mesh shirt or not, but I think it works. I didn't take any pictures of the details on his pants, but they're nice as well, albeit simple. The material is thick and almost like a brocade. I like it--- it feels very true to Kieran Valentine. 

The vest is actually satin (with a lace overlay on the front)! I was definitely expecting it to be lower quality, but yeah, satin fits his character. I'm really happy about that.

And much to my surprise, the vest and the mesh shirt are separate pieces! The cravat is its own removable piece, too. I definitely thought the top was going to be one piece, so again, I'm very impressed. 

I took this picture mostly to show off his earrings. They're not all that special, but I thought they were important when I was taking pictures. In his original design, he had gold earrings, and I think gold earrings on this doll would have been nice too, just to break up all the red. I digress. 

And here's a really good one of his face. That's definitely important. His face sculpt is definitely the same one that was used for his SDCC doll, and that's cool because, from my understanding, it's unique to him. One of my favorite things about Monster High's G1 boy dolls is that they're all just a little bit ugly, and I mean that in an endeared way. I can appreciate a doll with a unique face, and there's just something about MH's boy dolls that I find fun.

This version of Valentine's screening is quite a bit different from his SDCC doll, which was another thing I was slightly hesitant about. SDCC Val had much thicker eyebrows and a simpler look. However, I'm glad they gave this one a little bit of eye makeup. I think that suits him really well. I still wasn't sold on the eyebrows, but after taking these pictures and washing his hair, I really don't think they're bad at all.

Finally moving on to Spelldon! From the moment I saw the in-box leaks, I could tell you he was perfect, no notes. I still feel that way. Maybe it helps that the only media we have for him is the comics, so there were fewer expectations. Still, this doll knocked my socks off.

First thing first, look at his cool undercut!! The flocking is actually painted green. Such a neat little detail that shows the care put into this set. This was not a detail originally presented in the comics. 

So then, I wanted to focus on Spell's outfit. His bomber jacket has me blown away. It's kind of a windbreaker material, but the faux zipper and the pin?? Hello??? They make such nice touches.

The shirt (actually a tank top) is nicely done. His color palette is the same as his sister's, so I think the shirt is the best tie-in to Casta Fierce's design. It matches her doll's dress, like, perfectly. And I am obligated to mention that I need Casta Fierce in my collection now.

Also I have to point out that the little details of his necklaces are painted. It adds such a nice touch, and also how cool is it that he's wearing so much jewelry?? 

I think one of the things that makes me the happiest is that his nails are painted!! I'm kind of shocked that they did this. He's one of two MH dolls I can name off the top of my head that comes with painted nails, although there may have been more. The painted nails were a nice detail I noticed in the comics, and I was fully preparing myself to do some doll nail-painting on my own. Val has also been shown in the comics with painted nails, so I'm a little sad and surprised they didn't do his nails too, but I can always add that myself if I want. Anyway, I also love that Spell's nails are purple rather than, like...  black. It gives him more personality. 

His belt is also painted and has details in its mold!

I saw read that the designs on his pants were hand drawn by the design team to make it look like they're Spell's doodles. I actually remember a lot of kids drawing on their jeans when I went to an arts school, so the idea lands.

His shoes are painted as well! How cool?? The soles of his shoes look like tombstones, and I love that little detail. 

Spelldon gets his own face sculpt, and I think it's so cute. The smirk is a very unique expression. His screening is gorgeous as well--- I love that they gave him eye makeup. I know I pointed that out for Val as well, but Spell's is definitely more noticeable, and I think a little detail that just brings out his style so much. Monster High definitely has a reputation for more alternative-style details, and that comes out so much with Spelldon. I just think he's really freaking cool! 

They also nailed the hair. American Girl is great at curly hair, but they must be Mattel's one exception, because Mattel can never seem to get curly hair to actually curl for Monster High or Barbie. So whatever they did for Spell's hair, I hope they do for future curly-haired dolls! Spelldon is black-coded, so his curly hair is important for representation. I'm really happy they made it work, and with less gel than they put in Valentine's hair. Not to mention, his hair blend is super pretty. I honestly just expected his hair to be black with the colored streaks, but it's purple! 

These are his piercings on one side. I'm honestly so obsessed with Monster High's funky random piercings. It really adds to the aesthetic, and builds so much personality for the dolls. Ugh I love it.

This is his other ear. I love the asymmetry! 

Spelldon is super tall, and it's not just the hair. I think the height comes from his boots, but I’m too unbothered to check for sure. The height difference is accurate to the comics, so I approve. However, since he’s tall, his stand clip sits right at the top of his stand and is just a little bit wobbly. That’s only a problem because I’ve been moving these dolls around so much.

This was taken right after I washed Val’s hair! It’s still a bit wet in this photo, but without the gel, he definitely looks like himself. I’m a big fan of his wispy comic hairstyle, and I think MH did great with the layers. Definitely beats the awkward-length bob that his original doll has. 

I don't think I need any crazy closing statements summarizing my feelings on the set. They were grails and still managed to surpass my expectations, and I'm definitely still feeling excited about these dolls after days have gone by. Although I'm a bit burnt out on new doll releases, I'm eager to see what else Monster High puts out in the future. 

That's all for now. Have a great week and remember to eat your veggies! Bye! <3