Category: Reviews

Media Review – Sparks of Tomorrow (Nijuuseiki Denki Mokuroku – 二十世紀電氣目録-ユーレカ・エヴリカ-)

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Originally, I had planned to do a larger post reviewing several alternate/fantastic historial anime that have come out recently. That post is still in the works, but I’ve been so smitten with Sparks of Tomorrow that I knew I had to give it a little feature before it finishes airing!

The Japanese title (Nijuuseiki Denki Mokuroku – 二十世紀電氣目録-ユーレカ・エヴリカ-) actually translates to 20th Century Electricity Catalog Eureka Evrika but oof, what a mouthful! Sparks of Tomorrow feels much catchier to my ear and is far easier to type, so that’s how I will be referring to it from here on out.

The official website has a great summary, so I will be helpfully borrowing from it.

──A little while ago.
Kyoto in the early 20th century, having evolved differently from the history we know today. In a world where only steam engines had advanced, the city was shrouded in smoke.
With challenging art backgrounds reminiscent of Impressionist paintings and intricate animation, it depicts the dreams of boys and girls shining in an era of upheaval and innovation.

In a nutshell, it’s the story of Sakamoto Kihachi and his attempts to bring his older brother Seiroku’s vision of a modern electrical world to Japan. There’s the mystery of what’s happened to his brother, but I don’t want to delve to deeply into that and spoil anything. There might potentially be a budding romance between Kihachi and Inako, but right now there’s more focus on friendship, discovery, and some general slice-of-life situations. But everything comes back to electricity and the promise of the future.

I shared the primary character designs on Instagram and Facebook a while back, but they’re absolutely worth sharing again because they’re so cool. I love how distinctly Meiji-era they feel, but with enough funky steampunk vibes — especially on the male characters — to remind us that this is definitely an alternate history and not accurate. I’m quite inspired to try reproducing some of these outfits, honestly.

 

I really appreciate all the little bits of Meiji-era life in Kyoto and the details that are included in not only the main characters, but also the backgrounds. Whether it be the sake brewery Inako’s family owns, bolts of yuzen-dyed fabric drying high above the shopping street, or the girls sharing anpan at lunch, these little glimpses add so much richness for any fan of (recent) historical Japan. Addo in the fact that Inako has multiple kimono that we see throughout the show’s progression so far and it all comes together to make me very happy. I hope we’ll get to see more variety on the other girls too, aside from their school uniforms!

 

Another neat feature I’m really enjoying is the use of alternate art styles to help evoke eras or feelings. When Kihachi is imagining the hopeful future that electricity will bring, everything looks like Taisho or early Showa advertising paintings, and when we’re getting a bit of backstory about some characters, the style shifts to looking like nearly woodblock prints. I have my fingers crossed we’ll see more stylistic choices like this as the series evolves.

If you’re a fan of steampunk, mystery, science, Meiji-era fashion, alternate history, friendship, and adventure all rolled up together I can’t recommend Sparks of Tomorrow enough! I can only hope it keeps being as engaging as the first few episodes were!

Watch Sparks of Tomorrow on Netflix here!

Decorté Kimono eau de Toilette collection

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When did I become a fragrance blog? No complaints, it just amuses me. I’ve been so incredibly lucky to receive a lot of these from the creator or manufacturer, and today’s collection of kimono-themed eaux de toilette from Decorté are no exception. I’ve been wanting to try them for eons, but was unable to afford the full set. I saw a box of travel sizes online so I reached out to Decorte asking if it was still available for purchase somehow. They were kind enough to just gift me the whole travel pack, for which I am very grateful!

I love the idea of a kimono-themed collection, and these are absolutely perfect because they’re all light, airy fragrances that won’t linger on fabric for too long. These would also be fantastic for someone who wants to start wearing perfume but is looking for something delicate and not overwhelming.

Also, how adorable is the packaging? The sample set are tiny version of the full-size, but those are even more charming as instead of a paper label they have a ribbon tied in the back to evoke the feeling of an obi! I love the art design of the whole line, and how it all matches the gentle feel of the scents themselves.

Of course, those scents are the most important part. I have been rotating through them for about six weeks now, and I’d love to share my thoughts and feelings, as well as Decorté’s own descriptions.

Kimono Yui

A transparent floral that invigorates with the freshness of orange water and pink pepper. Brightly energizing with a vivid facet of citrus sudachi, a fragrant invitation to a gentle feeling of happiness.

Kimono Yui was the first fragrance I tried out of the set, and it was a fantastic welcome to this line especially for June in California. It’s bright, fresh, clean, and absolutely perfect for summer. If I were to imagine a kimono for Yui, it would be a crisp usumono with water and fish motifs.

Kimono Tsuya

A vibrant floral musk that enchants with rich Japanese magnolia and rose essence, brightened by green citrus, and deepened by warm musk. Energizing, a fragrant invitation of welcome and warmth. Kimono Tsuya leaves a compelling trail that wraps the senses in warmth and reassurance.

This is a lovely, floral-forward fragrance with more of a presence than any of the others. It’s still what I’d consider a delicate perfume, but it’s more noticeable by others and seems to linger a bit longer than her sisters. “Leaves a compelling trail”If I had to rank them, Tsuya would be my lowest ranking but it’s still lovely and wearable — just less my vibe than the others.

Kimono Urara

A playful fresh floral homage to the sacred water lily, Kimono Usara is a lightly aquatic floral with sweet melon and Fuji apple top notes and a sandalwood base. Stimulating, a buoyant statement of energy and vitality. Kimono Tsuya persuades by enveloping the wearer in a sense of joy and well-being.

Urara is the “happiest of the fragrances, if that makes any sense. It’s bright and bubbly, fresh without being overly fruity or fake (which is a good thing, as I have life-threatening allergies to artificial melon fragrances). The aquatic base helps keep it from being cloying or candy-like. It smells like a picnic in the park near a lake, perfect for late spring through summer.

Kimono Rin

A woody floral that exalts the bold scents of Japanese candied plum and voluptuous jasmine, with a vibrating undercurrent of Patchouli. Sensual, a fragrant evocation of mystery. Kimono Rin leaves a compelling sillage that speaks to confidence and calm.

Kimono Rin is what I would call the most deep or rich fragrance of the bunch. It’s still not heavy or overpowering in the least, but it’s the one that feels the most suited to autumn and winter. That said, I think it might be my favourite of the bunch but that’s no surprise seeing as how I tend to be drawn to woody, warm scents. I can’t wait to wear this one more when it gets cooler out!

Kimono Kihin

A modern floral chypre that celebrates the opulence of Japanese iris. Brilliantly harmonizing top notes of blended citrus with a rich heart of Japanese iris and jasmine, the base complements with warm sandalwood and musk. Kimono Kihin leaves a trailing wake of mystery that speaks to grace and intelligence.

This one might be tied with Rin for my favourite. Again, unsurprising as it’s described as warm and musky. I’ve also come to learn that I really love iris as a perfume note. It’s more woody and spicy than floral, which makes sense as it’s typically derived from the rhizome(root) and not the blossom. Kihin is is another one that’s made it into my regular rotation and will definitely become even more frequent as autumn rolls around and I head back to California.

Overall, these are all absolutely lovely and definitely feel like they’d mesh well with kimono. I’m considering doing themed coordinates for each, the same way I did for Oshiroi by Meleg, focusing both on the fragrance notes and the vibes. What do you think, would you like to see kimono ensembles for these?

You can purchase the entire Kimono fragrance lines as well as other Decorté products directly from Decorté’s website, or from Ulta’s website if you are in the US.

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me. 

Review – Sakura Signatures Fidget Toys

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“Don’t play with that!”
“Put that down!”
“Stop fidgeting!”

Those of us on Team Neurospicy have heard these lines all through our lives. Thankfully people are becoming much more understanding of things like fidgeting, and focus disorders in general. Enter the fidget toy. Designed specifically to fill that need, they’re available in all sorts of fantastic permutations and designs, catering to every type of movement. And nowadays, with the advent of things like 3D printing, making them has become more accessible than ever. Which also means making designs to cater to every aesthetic!

Enter Sakura Signatures, a small business designing and making all sorts of fantastic fidget toys and other custom products. They make a variety of products, but of course I was drawn to these.

First off, how adorable is this takeout bento packaging?! If you purchase two fidgets, you can select a third one for free and get them packaged like this. Since I wanted a few different mechanisms, I had to go for it.

For my bento, I selected three different designs with three different fidget methods. The matcha whisk is a nice loud ratcheting spinner, the bao is a quiet magnetic slider, and the tuna maki is a soft clicking key button. I love that they offer multiple styles and volumes, for all your fussbudget needs. You can also choose to get them on a keychain, like I did, or without the chain. I’m just very prone to losing things so I knew being able to attach them to a keychain or zipper would be best.

If you would like to see these in action (and really, isn’t that the most important part?) here’s a video of me testing them all out. Ignore the giggle. I just really enjoyed them!

@kimono_tsuki

Check out these absolutely precious fidget toys from @sakura_signatures! fidget fidgettoy kawaii matcha bao sushi

♬ original sound – Kimono Tsuki 着物月 – Kimono Tsuki 着物月

The dumpling is my favourite, due to the mechanism and the general quietness of it, but they’re all going to get a ton of use. If you’re like me and need to play with things to focus, and want something that suits your style and would not look out of place as an obi-kazari, be sure to check out Sakura Signatures. Personally, I’m really hoping they bring the Advent Calendar back for next year.

 I purchased this item myself and chose to review it.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me. 

Tokusen.Store – Shop Feature

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I have been wanting to try out Tokusen.store and their incredible selection of imported products for a long time now. They had a booth at the Asiasie Festival I went to recently and I figured it would be the perfect time to grab a variety of things to try. I then managed to haul them across the border in my suitcase and have been using them all regularly since I settled back in here in California and I am very excited to share the experience with you!

They pride themselves on bringing small-batch, proudly crafted products from Japan to Canada (and the US) and making sure these ingredients are accessible to everyone.

Our mission is to select the best local products from Japan, to promote the know-how of its artisans and to make their work accessible to all.

Our vision is that it should be natural to enjoy Japanese know-how right from home, in Canada.

To offer our customers a superior quality product, we select our products according to a value system rooted in Japanese culture:

源 · Gen Terroir as a guarantee of quality.

雅 · Ga The elegance of the product.

道 · Dō The way forward through hard work.

I decided to choose their Origin Box Set, Aka Yuzu Kosho paste, and Ramen Shichimi spice blend to try out and share, and here are my thoughts about each product.

White Dashi (origin box)

Dashi is a stock typically made with kombu and katsuobushi. This is a blend of concentrated dashi and light shoyu, and it imparts a beautiful umami and smoky flavour without feeling “fishy”. Until now I’d been using concentrated dashi granules but this product is an absolute game-changer. The granules still have their place in my pantry, both for their budget-friendliness and their shelf-stability, but when I need a more elevated and well-rounded flavour I will definitely be using this.

Yuzu Ponzu (origin box)

This is a delightfully crisp and clean blend of soy and yuzu citrus. It added a fantastic brightness to salmon I made and will definitely bring a summery vibe to noodles and fried foods. You can use it as part of a dressing or marinade, or a dipping sauce all by itself. It’s far more versatile than I was expecting, and has become a quick favourite.

Tamari (origin box)

A perfect balance of light and deep flavours; fantastic as a dipping sauce all by itself or a small splash at the end for adding a bit of umami.

Haizakura (origin box)

A rich, aged soy, well-balanced and well-rounded. Fantastic in  marinades or as dipping sauce for stronger flavours.

Usukuchi (origin box)

A very light but flavourful soy, perfect for dipping or using in lighter dishes. Perfect in tamagoyaki, for adding depth but keeping the omelette light and airy.

Ramen Shichimi spice blend

Hold on to your tongues here! This is a potent blend of shichimi spices with a potent dose of togarashi/capiscum that brings the heat. Use it sparingly, but defintely try it out in things other than just ramen. I put a pinch of it in the yuzu marinade I made for salmon and it was such a great balance with the clean citrus!

Aka Yuzu Kosho Paste

Oh look, more heat. Can you tell I like things spicy? This is actually a bit less potent than the ramen shichimi above but still brings a fantastic lightness to anything you use it in, thanks to the combined pepper and more yuzu.

A few things I have cooked so far using these wonderful products:

Ponzu-marinated salmon, tamagoyaki, teriyaki chicken and rice. I used a bit of the shiro dashi and usukushi shoyu when making the rice in both dishes and it adds an incredible depth of flavour without being overpowering.

Overall, I am incredibly impressed with the products Tokusen.store has chosen to focus on and bring to our doors. I will be stocking up every time I’m back in Canada, because they’re Montreal-based and the shipping is a lot more affordable. However you look at it though, if you’re in North America they’re going to be more accessible than ordering direct from Japan. I cannot recommend them enough and can’t wait to see what new products they bring to their storefront for us.

 I purchased this item at a discounted price for honest review purposes.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me. 

Peony Ikebana feat. Forest Decor

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When Forest Decor reached out to me about a collaboration, I admit I was a bit stumped (pun absolutely intended). Their products are lovely, but not exactly in my realm of expertise. I was about to thank them politely for the offer but refuse when I saw this raw edge three-candle holder and my brain reimagined it as a vessel for ikebana with the help of this set of three tiny kenzan!

My original intention was doing a much more structured arrangement with one flower in each hole, in an ascending diagonal, but then I found these gorgeous, blousy, riotous peonies and knew that order and rigidity were not the way to go. In the end the uneven natural chaos of the flowers is much more complimentary to the raw edge of the olive-wood used for the holder, and I’m very happy I “listened” to the flowers instead of fighting nature and forcing the whole ikebana into something it didn’t want to be.

The only issue (such as it is) with using this gorgeous piece as a vessel is that the holes are very tiny and don’t hold much water, so it’s a very ephemeral arrangement. But peonies are very ephemeral blooms, so it all worked out in the end.

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.This post contains affiliate link(s). If you choose to purchase, I receive a small rebate or commission which goes to the continued maintenance of this site.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me.