>>9434877>>9434887>>9434908>>9434938Soul and Soulless are all in perception.
Something which is soulless is something that seems shallow, cynical, corporate board room designed, or like a simple cash grab. It doesn't exist because of the work and vision of a designer, or to give kids something fun to play with: it exists to push a product and nothing else.
Something with soul is the opposite. Its a product, but it seems to have been created with heart, an artistic vision, and a desire for fun. Things like Amateurishness or lack of polish are often attributed "Soul" because they are not found within perfectly optimized and focus tested soulless products.
The reason toys could be considered soulful instead of soulless are myriad but include
1. Strange designs and ideas which contrast with soulless homogeny.
2. They come from the viewer's childhood, and thus carry less cynical memories
3. Knowledge of the design process which make it seem more "amateur" or "Seat of their pants" in origin.
4. Direct contrast with newer, more corporate iterations (Original star wars vs current trilogy)
