Z Yang

8/10

While I overall enjoyed Z’s stories, I wasn’t a fan of the character. It felt like she complained a lot, had trouble being serious even with her favorite hobby, and she wasn’t always a good friend. I also think her parents babied her a bit. I’m always a fan for dolls that aren’t White, and Z being Asian American qualifies as diverse. But her character bugged me more than anything, so unfortunately, I had to dock points for this. In addition, AGSM (American Girl Stop Motion) was a real hobby and fan creation on YouTube for a long time. American Girl picked up on it, and started creating their own and squashing the fans that were doing it individually. The release of Z made it seem like they wanted to acknowledge its popularity, while at the same time, claiming it as their own. Now, by 2024, they aren’t really making any more AGSM, and have moved toward creepy animated videos.