It's very disappointing to see the changes. I realise they had to change the look so she can fit in with the other Disney Princess line up. The "sparkles" being added to the dress is very disappointing. It's quite different in colour and style to her original dark green outfit. In fact, it's more like the "Princess" dress the Queen made Merida wear and Merida hated the dress and ripped it. She's also being seen without her bow, something that all the original images of Merida showed her with.
With the image in that article, Merida looks VERY different. The face is different, the hair is difference, she is now thinner (both in the face and the body), all the detailing has been added to the hem of the dress. On the sleeves and albows it is now much more pronounced. When she was riding through the forest, I don't think she was wearing sparkles.
Merida is such a fantastic characater and Princess. Not the usual "girly girly" like Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora. She is a very strong character and didn't need a Princess to rescue her, she helped herself and her family.
If this is what Merida will look like now, at least we will get to save money on merchandise because we wouldn't buy anything where she looks like this.
