swantranslations

[swantranslations]

Historical Izumi Kyoka and his OCD

TW: Detailed depiction of OCD symptoms

The following excerpt is taken from Kazuyasu Toda’s The Greatest Japanese Literary Icons' Not-so-great Episodes (日本偉大文豪的不偉大故事集 = 偉大なる日本文豪の残念なエピソード集). The author Kazuyasu Toda (戶田一康) is a current assistant professor in Applied Japanese at the Taiwan Aletheia University. 

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To many fans of Bungou Stray Dogs, it may come as a surprise to learnt that the real Izumi Kyoka is not a woman (or more importantly, a bishoujou?), but a man in fact. However, the historical Izumi Kyoka was indeed far from the typical masculine guy.

Detailed in Minakami Takitaro’s [1] essays, not only did Izumi Kyoka suffer from severe germophobia, he was also extremely faint-hearted.

For instance–

When Takitaro first visited Kyoka’s home and was invited to his library, he kneeled and bowed to Kyoka, to which Kyoka returned the same gesture. The way he bowed was peculiar though:

He bowed with his fingers pinched together, making two circles, and the back of his hands pressed against the floor. 

Taikitaro was shocked by the reason behind such an odd gesture– it turned out that Kyoka was so terrified of germs that he refused to touch his own home’s tatami directly!

Aside from this incident, Takitaro had also recorded multiple surprising episodes during his time with Kyoka.

At Kyoka’s house, anything with an opening, such as vases and smoking pipes, was covered by sleeves handmade by Kyoka’s wife. This was said to prevent any flies from residing there. 

Kyoka also refused to eat anything not cooked by himself or his wife, and he wouldn’t eat anything raw. Whenever he was required to stay in a hotel, he would take the food provided by the hotel back to his own room, then cook it again to ensure it was thoroughly cooked. Even alcohol must be boiled before it is drunk. It was also said that if he was to travel by train, he would bring an alcohol burner with him and cook udon at his seat [instead of eating what’s provided to passengers]. 

It was not just germs that Kyoka was scared of. 

The thing that he was scared of the most was thunder. As soon as it looked like a storm was coming, Kyoka would immediately get so anxious to the point of getting a stomachache. And when the storm hits, he would scream in abandonment and run behind the curtains, shivering. This is the reason why the curtains at Kyoka’s house were always closed regardless of season; apparently, when he needed to visit someone else’s home, the first thing he would ask about was whether they had curtains installed.

The second item on Kyoka’s “list of terror” was dogs. 

To protect himself against the attack of stray dogs, he would always bring a large cane with him whenever he went on a walk. But, Kyoka also did not dare to actually fend off dogs with his cane. On the contrary:

He was concerned that his cane would attract the attention of dogs, and make dogs suspicious of him. 

So whenever a stray dog approached, Kyoka would be alarmed and hide the cane in the sleeves of his kimono, then turn around and run without looking back.

Kyoka-sensei, this is definitely clinical!

But as a renowned literary icon, Kyoka had turned the daily horrors in his life into a major theme of his works. Allow me to introduce you to a famous quote from him:

To me, it is apparent that two great powers are present in this world. If I must categorize and give names to them, I would call them Kannon-riki (the power of Avalokiteśvara [2]) and Kijin-riki (the power of spirits). And humanity is at the complete mercy of these two powers. 

Kyoka believed that Kijin-riki is one of the powers ruling the universe, which manifests in the forms of monsters, thunder, and illnesses. 

On the other hand, Kannon-riki is the force of “goodness” that fights against the evil spirits. In Kyoka’s writing, such power is represented by figures such as the gorgeous mother who passes away early, the gentle girl young boys look up to, and the mysterious beauty who belongs to the other world.

This theory of Kyoka puts the universe into a clean dichotomy, which reminds the author of the great world-building of Star Wars.

Last but not least, although it is unclear whether Kannon-riki is related, Kyoka’s home was filled with the trinkets of a certain animal. 

Kyoka is well-known for being a lover of rabbits. His home was filled with rabbit-shaped trinkets made from clay, wood, paper, quartz, and glass. Drawings of rabbits also decorated his paperweight, cologne bottles, and even his cane. 

Maybe this is the true demonstration of “kawaii is justice”?

Perhaps the most adorable author in the history of Japanese literature is Izumi Kyoka after all!

—-------

Afterword by the author: 

According to the profile of psychiatrists, it is almost undoubtable that Izumi Kyoka suffered from severe OCD. But if you assume that his life was a complete tragedy clouded by his mental illness, Kyoka-sensei from the afterworld might ask in confusion with a rabbit plushie in his hand, “Am I really that tragic?”

Because of his belief that the world is balanced by two equal powers, he was known to be a rather peaceful person. His wife used to be a Geisha; not only was she a beauty, she was also incredibly smart and capable. With the support from her and fans like Minakami, Kyoka was able to create a unique stream of literature completely detached from the mainstream. When he got tired from writing, he was able to enjoy his wife’s special brew of tea, and laze around on the lounger at home. Because of such horrors' presence in this world, the happiness brought by the peace of his daily life was further strengthened. The author is quite convinced that Kyoka had lived a blissful life… right, little rabbit?

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[1] Minakami Takitaro 水上瀧太郎(1887-1940) was a novelist and essayist whose notable works include Osaka no Yado (大阪の宿, An Inn in Osaka) and Kaigara Tsuiho (貝殻追放, Seashells Exile).  His pen name was based on two characters from Izumi Kyoka’s novels, and he was known for being the “top fan” of Kyoka’s work. 

[2] Avalokiteśvara is the Sanskrit name of the Buddhist deity of compassion, and Kannon is their equivalent in Japanese Buddhism. 

—-------

Translator's Disclaimer:

The above article is a direct translation of the chapter on Izumi Kyoka from the book by Kazuyasu Toda, and it does not reflect the translator's view on Izumi Kyoka or his mental illness.

[swantranslations]

Fling Posse - バラの束 (Bunch of Roses) English Lyrics

Composer: MCU/LITTLE/KREVA Lyricist: MCU/LITTLE/KREVA Arranger: KREVA

Lyrics:

シブヤ バラの束

Shibuya and a bunch of roses

我がのまま 花を咲かす

Following my heart and letting flowers bloom

バラッバラが Just ワンバランス

The chaos that comes with it is just another kind of balance

鮮やかなカルチャーがある 

Here we have the most vibrant culture

この街のストーリー 

The story of these streets

時を越え認め合う集合知

Is the collective consciousness that crosses the boundary of time

I know you and you know me 

I know you and you know me

バラッバラの束 

The spilling bunch of roses

まずはボクだよね？

I have to be the first one, right?

いや俺だ俺っ！

No, it has to be me!

いや、ここは小生...

No, it should be my turn instead…

OK！ 順番なんて何でもyeah！

Okay! The sequence of appearence doesn’t matter!

スリル満点のゲームに万券をbet

Betting thousands on the game of maximum thrill

気が付きゃかねがね金がねぇ

Though I had lost all of my money before I realized

けれど幻太郎が立て替える

But I am sure Gentaro will help me with that!

そうはさせません

Well, I simply can’t let that happen

踏み倒すのは言葉尻

This is the cue of your disappointment

この街に思いは迸り

The memories carried by these streets are overflowing 

Hotなリリック 生まれるマリアージュ [1]

This marriage born from burning rhymes

ボクらにしかない味がある

Tastes uniquely like us

何がある？ わかんねぇ

What is ahead of us? Who knows

未来にサイ投げる

Roll the dice into the future

今を省みず繋いでくゲーム

We don’t have to overthink this game that ties us together

愉快ですね 泡沫の宴

The banquet of bubbles sure looks pleasant

夢も現も宇田川の標的 [2]

The sign of Udagawa is there in both our dreams and reality

誰もが握るハンドル

Each one of us has our hands on the wheels

単独でも

Even when we are alone

最高な3人のバンドル

We are still the best trio

シブヤ バラの束

Shibuya and a bunch of roses

我がのまま 花を咲かす

Following my heart and letting flowers bloom

バラッバラが Just ワンバランス

The chaos that comes with it is just another kind of balance

鮮やかなカルチャーがある 

Here we have the most vibrant culture

この街のストーリー 

The story of these streets

時を越え認め合う集合知

Is the collective consciousness that crosses the boundary of time

I know you and you know me 

I know you and you know me

バラッバラの束 

The spilling bunch of roses

毎度 一瞬一瞬に勝負かける性分

Winning the game in the blink of an eye every time is just my nature

大丈夫 奪い取るまるごと

It’s okay, I will take everything that can be taken

博徒の物語は徒花 [3]

The tale of the gambler is impermanent in nature

色鮮やかな仲間 同胞

We are colourful partners and a family

さぁさぁ一緒に走ろうよいっせーのせ！

Two, three, let's run together, go!

フリーダム！ 飛び出す既定路線

Freedom! Going off the pre-written route

ほらチッチェー余計なことは置いといて

See, let’s put aside the unnecessary things 

いくぜシブヤ まだまだカマすんだ

Come on Shibuya, I know you can still keep up

玉響でも認め合おう [4]

Although it is short, we still managed to find each other

君を傷つけない人であろう

I will become the person who doesn’t hurt you

目指そう 狙おうここがカルチャーのセンター 

Our target is right here, the center of culture 

いつでもwelcome たっくさんの現場 

We welcome you anytime, we have countless live performances here

最強のメンバーで最高が連鎖 

We have the strongest members and the best chemistry 

すれ違うだけじゃない交差点から 

At the crossroads that is not just for narrowly missing each other

思い思いの愛を叫んだら 

If you shout out the love in your heart

カラー混ざり合い豪華絢爛

The mixture of colours is magnificent and grand

シブヤ バラの束

Shibuya and a bunch of roses

我がのまま 花を咲かす

Following my heart and letting flowers bloom

バラッバラが Just ワンバランス

The chaos that comes with it is just another kind of balance

鮮やかなカルチャーがある 

Here we have the most vibrant culture

この街のストーリー 

The story of these streets

時を越え認め合う集合知

Is the collective consciousness that crosses the boundary of time

I know you and you know me 

I know you and you know me

バラッバラの束 

The spilling bunch of roses

みんな言ってみてよ そう！（そう！） [5]

Everyone say together, yeah! (Yeah!)

つまらないバトルもうよそう（そう！）

The boring battles are over (Yeah!)

俺らposseが独走（そう！）

Us Posse is leading the charts (Yeah!)

粋なライムを直送（そう！）

Delivering pure rhymes into your hands (Yeah!)

この場を言葉で清掃（そう！）

Clearing out the field with just words (Yeah!)

やめにしよう 蛙鳴蝉噪（そう！）

Putting an end to the meaningless quarrels (Yeah!)

想像しよう

Let’s imagine

新たな世界

A new world

どんなオリジナリティーも 

Any kind of originality 

揶揄われない

is respected

笑われない世界で笑わせたいんだ

I want to make you laugh in a world where we won’t be laughed at

シブヤ バラの束

Shibuya and a bunch of roses

我がのまま 花を咲かす

Following my heart and letting flowers bloom

バラッバラが Just ワンバランス

The chaos that comes with it is just another kind of balance

鮮やかなカルチャーがある 

Here we have the most vibrant culture

この街のストーリー 

The story of these streets

時を越え認め合う集合知

Is the collective consciousness that crosses the boundary of time

I know you and you know me 

I know you and you know me

バラッバラの束

The spilling bunch of roses

 

君もバラの束

You are also part of this bunch of roses

皆で今 花を咲かす

Everyone is now making flowers bloom

バラッバラ達が固まる

Connecting broken souls together

仲間だからやれる 我武者羅な

We are able to go full force because we are partners

未来へのストーリー

Our story into the future

照らす光で包むように

As if we are surrounded by light

R. E. S. P. E. C. T

R. E. S. P. E. C. T

渡すバラの束

This bunch of roses is for you

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[1] マリアージュ (Mariage) is the French word for “marriage”. Aside from referring to the union between people, it can also refer to the harmony or synergy in other things like visual art or cooking. 

[2] 宇田川 (Udagawa) is a district in Shibuya, which hosts the Shibuya center street.

[3] 徒花 (Adabana) refers to flowers that do not bear fruit, which symbolises something that looks beautiful and yet doesn’t have any true value. It is closely connected to the Japanese philosophy/aesthetic of 物の哀れ (Mono no aware). 

[4] 玉響 (Tamayura) literally translates to “the sound of jade clinking”, which refers to something short-lived yet resonating/sincere.

[5] Every line in this verse ends with the sound “sou” which means “correct (or similar affirmatives)” in Japanese, thus the chanting.

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Translator's note: Fling Posse's relationship is just... I don't have the word for it. When I heard the line "I want to make you laugh in a world where we won’t be laughed at" I was like legit tearing up because that is exactly why I fell in love with FP;

While other groups in this series are often united by their responsibilities or pain, the members of FP are united by their happiness. They have all experienced pain individually before meeting, they chose each other because they bring each other joy and freedom, and they would fight to death in order to protect this happiness. They are so precious to me....

Also can we all appreciate Gentaro's line "I will become the person who doesn’t hurt you" because ahhhhhhhhhhhhh I am foaming at my mouth

[swantranslations]

Historical Dazai Osamu’s time as a student, and the origin of his pen name 

TW: mention of suicide attempts

The following excerpt is taken from the book The Greatest Japanese Literary Icons' Not-so-great Episodes (日本偉大文豪的不偉大故事集 = 偉大なる日本文豪の残念なエピソード集). The author Kazuyasu Toda (戶田一康) is a current assistant professor in Applied Japanese at the Taiwan Aletheia University. 

ISBN

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If one mentions Dazai Osamu, the first thing that comes up for most people must be the concept of “double suicide”. 

In Dazai's life, there were four unsuccessful suicide attempts and, finally, the fifth successful one; among these five, three of them were double suicides including the very last one. 

Therefore, many may imagine Dazai to be someone troubled by complicated romantic issues, which led to the multiple double suicide attempts.

While convoluted love problems were indeed part of the truth, they were far from the entirety of the truth.

The first time Dazai attempted to take his own life was during his third year of high school, right before the term final. When he first entered high school, Dazai had outstanding academic performance. However, due to his passionate involvement in publishing literary zines, plus his unhealthy habit of frequenting the hanamachi [1] and hiring geishas, his marks at school had dropped significantly. He would have been forced to repeat his year, but in the chaos caused by his suicide attempt, he was somehow able to graduate high school on time.

Dazai was someone who cared deeply about how he appeared in front of people since a young age, which is something rather evident from his autobiographical novel Oshare Douji (おしゃれ童子, The Stylish Child). 

“‘Refined and elegant,’ the philosophy of this young man can be summarized by these two phrases. No, not just his philosophy, everything about his life and all his life's purpose can be summarized by them.”

Something as embarrassing as being unable to graduate and laughed at by classmates, was something that Dazai's personal philosophy would never allow to happen.

Ordinary folks might think that was not something that warrants death, but to someone who was deeply sensitive and cared so much about how they appear to other people, not minding what others think about them was downright impossible.

And so Dazai, who miraculously graduated high school, had entered the Tokyo Imperial University (the current University of Tokyo), majoring in French.

Why was he able to get into the Tokyo Imperial University, if he got poor grades in high school in the first place? The truth is, French was an unpopular subject at the Imperial University at that time. It was said that anyone who attended the entry exam would be able to enter. 

This means that to Dazai, as long as he was able to get into the Tokyo Imperial University, he didn't really care much about what he was going to major in. Caring more about the prestige of the school instead of what was to be learned there… it was indeed a very Dazai-esque choice. 

Dazai had never learned French, and he had no interest in learning the language either. He barely attended any lectures in the four years of his studies, and it was absolutely impossible for him to graduate due to him barely fulfilling any credits. In the fifth year of his university studies, he wrote home, lying to his elder brother and mother, “I will definitely graduate this year!”, then proceeded to ask for more money. Mori Atsushi [2] has written about this period’s Dazai at length in his short essay Seishun Jidai (青春時代, The Adolescence):

Dazai’s close friend, Dan Kazuo, was deeply concerned that if this continued, Dazai would be kicked out of the university. Therefore, he asked for a favor from his friend Nakamura Chihei, who worked at Miyako Shimbun [3], to fabricate a job offer letter addressed to Dazai and have it sent to his family's house. Dan had also asked Mori Atsushi to write a letter to Dazai’s family, claiming that Dazai had successfully graduated from the Imperial University. 

What they have done in the name of friendship was absolutely an act of fraud, and according to Mori’s record, the incident ended with:

But it was a bit too late. Dazai's family had already received the notice [of terminating Dazai's enrollment] from the university. Dan Kazuo's efforts were all in vain, and every one of us was immensely embarrassed. 

Around this time, Dazai attempted to hang himself in Kamakura Yama, which also ended in failure. 

Although, the reason why Dazai had to go to such lengths to deceive his family was less about how he appeared to others, but rather to gain money from his family.

Dazai was known to be a great spender, yet incredibly sensitive and had basically zero living skills. He wouldn't have managed to keep himself alive without the subsidy from his family.

But where did he spend all his money? Most of them went to entertainment. According to Mori, the reason why Dazai spent so much on going out, was to “get rid of his northeastern accent and master the Tokyo accent”!

Based on Ibusa Masuji’s [4] Dazai Osamu, Dazai’s pen name originated from his struggle to pronounce his birth name, Tsushima Shuuji. When read with a northeastern accent, the family name “Tsushima” sounded closer to “Chishima”. But the sound of the name “Dazai” was unaffected by the accent, which helped him mask his original accent. In essence, Dazai was ashamed of his northeastern accent, and wanted to learn the posh Tokyo accent instead. Although one can sympathise with how he felt, but was that level of effort really necessary? Mori had also recorded such an episode:

After he was convinced that he had mastered the Tokyo accent, Dazai visited the top bar in Ginza and conversed with the hostess there. When he asked her, “Do you know where I came from?” The hostess simply smiled and said, “You must be from the northeast!”

Although he had broken the bank and studied the Tokyo accent diligently, his northeastern origin was still easily guessed by the hostess…poor Dazai!

The epigraph of Dazai’s short story Nijuuseiki Kishu (二十世紀旗手, A Standard-bearer of the Twentieth Century), was likely his most well-known quote:

I am sorry for being born. (生まれて、すみません。)

Dazai was someone who cared deeply about other people's opinion and tried very hard to act cool; yet on the other hand, he lacked basic living skills and was incredibly sensitive. Perhaps, it was only logical for someone like him to grow pessimistic in life. 

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[1] Hanamachi 花街: A hanamachi (i.e. a flower town) is a district where geisha live and work in Japan. 

[2] Mori Atsushi 森敦(1912-1989): A novelist who also participated in the establishment of the literary zine The Blue Flower alongside Dazai, Dan, Nakahara, and more. Notable works include Tsukiyama (月山, The Moon Mountain). 

[3] Miyako Shimbun 都新聞: Established in the Meiji era, a newspaper in the Tokyo area. Has since rebranded as the current Tokyo Shimbun. 

[4] Ibusa Masuji 井伏鱒二(1898-1993): A renowned novelist whom Dazai used to study under. Notable works include Kuroi Ame (黒い雨, The Black Rain). 

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Disclaimer: The above article is a direct translation of the chapter on Dazai from the book by Kazuyasu Toda, and does not reflect the translator's value judgment on Dazai Osamu or any other literary figures involved. 

[swantranslations]

POP UP PARADE Shou Tucker & Nina Chimera

"I hate perceptive brats like you."

JPY 6,800 ≈ USD 45.09

Preorder Period: 2025/03/28〜2025/04/23 (JST)

Website

[swantranslations]

Thank you so much for your addition! I've just looked further into this thanks to your pointing;

Tachihara was awarded as the first winner of the Nakahara Chuuya prize in 1939, right before Tachihara's own death in the same year (Nakahara passed away in 1937). The timeline of things is murky, so it's hard to say whether Dazai made his statement in regards to this, but it definitely is an important bit to note!!

Thank you so much ❤️

Everything historical Dazai Osamu has said about Nakahara Chuuya

I got sucked back into bsd so I thought at least I should make some (more) actual contributions to the fandom. Enjoy!

1. Origin of "slug" nickname

I've covered this one before, but since this post is a compilation I'll cover it again;

As recorded in Inose Naoki's biography of Dazai (Picaresque: Dazai Osamu ピカレスク-太宰治伝), this was said after their initial meeting:

「なめくじみたいにてらてらしてとても付き合えたシロモノじゃない」

"He's like a shiny sticky slug, I really don't want to get into situations where I need to hang out with him"

They have since continued to hang out many times, evident from Dan Kazuo's account in Dazai's biography.

Source

2. In Dazai's Nostalgia (郷愁/Kyoshu)

「私は中原中也も立原道造も格別好きでなかつたが、津村だけは好きであつた。」

"I personally am indifferent towards both Nakahara Chuuya and Tachihara Michizou, but I do have a liking towards Tsumura alone."

Tsumura here refers to Tsumura Nobuo (1904-1944), he's often brought up together with Tachihara as modern-romanticist poets in Japan.

3. After Chuuya's death

According to Dan Kazuo's record, Dazai has commented the following upon Chuuya's death:

「死んで見ると、やっぱり中原だ、ねえ。段違いだ。立原は死んで天才ということになっているが、君はどう思う？皆目つまらんねえ」

"Looking back at it after their death, [the superior one] was Nakahara after all, isn't it? People praise Tachihara for being a genius after his death, but what do you think about it? To me it's laughably pointless."

which revealed Dazai's surprisingly positive view of Nakahara, considering their conflict filled relationship.

If you ask me why Dazai kept on comparing Tachihara and Nakahara, no I have no idea either:P although they're both poets, their styles aren't generally compared or categorised together. Poor Tachihara for getting dragged in here.

Source

And that's it! There isn't any recorded account on what Nakahara has said about Dazai in return, due to his early death and lack of publications, which is a shame. People online generally speculate that they were approving of each other, reluctantly:)

[swantranslations]

Everything historical Dazai Osamu has said about Nakahara Chuuya

I got sucked back into bsd so I thought at least I should make some (more) actual contributions to the fandom. Enjoy!

1. Origin of "slug" nickname

I've covered this one before, but since this post is a compilation I'll cover it again;

As recorded in Inose Naoki's biography of Dazai (Picaresque: Dazai Osamu ピカレスク-太宰治伝), this was said after their initial meeting:

「なめくじみたいにてらてらしてとても付き合えたシロモノじゃない」

"He's like a shiny sticky slug, I really don't want to get into situations where I need to hang out with him"

They have since continued to hang out many times, evident from Dan Kazuo's account in Dazai's biography.

Source

2. In Dazai's Nostalgia (郷愁/Kyoshu)

「私は中原中也も立原道造も格別好きでなかつたが、津村だけは好きであつた。」

"I personally am indifferent towards both Nakahara Chuuya and Tachihara Michizou, but I do have a liking towards Tsumura alone."

Tsumura here refers to Tsumura Nobuo (1904-1944), he's often brought up together with Tachihara as modern-romanticist poets in Japan.

3. After Chuuya's death

According to Dan Kazuo's record, Dazai has commented the following upon Chuuya's death:

「死んで見ると、やっぱり中原だ、ねえ。段違いだ。立原は死んで天才ということになっているが、君はどう思う？皆目つまらんねえ」

"Looking back at it after their death, [the superior one] was Nakahara after all, isn't it? People praise Tachihara for being a genius after his death, but what do you think about it? To me it's laughably pointless."

which revealed Dazai's surprisingly positive view of Nakahara, considering their conflict filled relationship.

If you ask me why Dazai kept on comparing Tachihara and Nakahara, no I have no idea either:P although they're both poets, their styles aren't generally compared or categorised together. Poor Tachihara for getting dragged in here.

Source

And that's it! There isn't any recorded account on what Nakahara has said about Dazai in return, due to his early death and lack of publications, which is a shame. People online generally speculate that they were approving of each other, reluctantly:)

[swantranslations]

https://x.com/UNION_ARENA_TCG/status/1900792985392214509

Bandai has released the visuals of 7 unique cards signed by the characters' voice actors for the Bandai Union Arena cards that will begin retailing on 25th April.

The signatures are gold foiled and look so pretty on the preview!!

[swantranslations]

New Fullmetal Alchemist Merchandise

Online Gacha from Amnibus

Price: ¥770/once ≈$5.08

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Delivery time: Mid-June

Order here (link)

[swantranslations]

New Fullmetal Alchemist Merchandise

Wax Sealing Stamp Set from Amnibus

¥19,800 (Tax included) ≈$130

Description:

Based on the Fullmetal Alchemist series, we present to you the new Sealing Stamp Set.

Replicating the image of Amestris Army's uniform, the set includes a wax stick in the colour navy blue.

The stamp is designed to create the state alchemist's emblem, recreating the same motif used in-universe.

The premium box is gilded with silver leaf, and the inside has the three rules of state alchemists printed on.

This is a tool set used for sealing letters and envelopes since ancient times; apply melted wax onto your desired surface, then finish with pressing the stamp on top of the wax.

Since every finished stamp is unique and gives a distinct handmade aesthetic, you can elevate your letters and crafts with just this one item.

Pre-order is now open until 26th March, and will be shipped out in mid-July. (Link)

Materials & dimensions:

Handle: Wood, stainless steel

Wax: Pine resin, shellac, gypsum

Stamp: brass

Box size: approx. 16.5×24.5×5.5cm　

Stamp (radius): approx. 25mm

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Holy shit we're getting a new Lust figure!!! Hurray!!!

Good Smile Company - Pop Up Parade: Lust

Preorders Open Now 

Preorder Period: 2024/11/22〜2024/12/18 (JST)

¥4,800 (~$31.01)

I love her nails and the way she flexes them!! Don't hesitate to add it to your cart if you love Lust ^^

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Fullmetal Alchemist Exhibition - Hong Kong Exclusive Goods

I have been procrastinating on this, but I have finally gathered all the photos and can post all the details of the HK-exclusive merchandise!

Someone has asked me why some of the goods are of the 2003 license-- it is because they were produced earlier last year as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the og anime, and not for the exhibition specifically. Still, you can only find them in Hong Kong and some of them are really cool!

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I think the most interesting merch we have would be this screwdriver set! It is really cute and looks like something Winry would use xD Maybe Ed has made it for her?

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There are a bunch of 2003-themed clothing items! but they are rather $$$ in my opinion, so I only got one of the t-shirts :3

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This umbrella has the human transmutation circle on it, which is pretty cool but probably rather embarrassing to carry xD

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Postcard sets of both 03 and Brotherhood anime arts ^^ and plenty of scrolls/posters! (I am unable to find some of the available prints online, but I think I've gotten most of them down!)

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And this should be all for the Hong Kong exclusive merch! There are plenty of new merch that came from Japan as well, mostly the ones that I posted about last time ^^ you can check out this post regarding them!

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Fullmetal Alchemist Exhibition -Hong Kong- Additional Videos 3

I just thought the set up here is really cool :3

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Fullmetal Alchemist Exhibition -Hong Kong- Additional Video 2

Me going through the gate of truth xD I wish they sold this as a merch!!!!

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Fullmetal Alchemist Exhibition -Hong Kong- Additional Video 1

One of the three? four? animations played in the exhibition; this is only part of the animation, I'm not gonna show the entirety of it :P but it is really cool and my friend and I were trying SO HARD to not make any noise during the recording!!

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Fullmetal Alchemist Exhibition -Hong Kong- Highlights & Cafe Menu

Guess WHO just came back from the fma exhibition today! I am still in my serotonin rush as I type out this post. Upon a mutual's request, I am sharing highlights and key features of this time's exhibition, especially the Hong Kong-only elements. Hope this helps anyone who is considering going and wants to know more about it!

All photos here are taken by myself. (aside from the last few which are from a news report)

See also: list of available goods + pricing (to be updated)

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Obligatory Entrance Photo!

Same as the original exhibition in Japan, at the entrance, there's the 20th anniversary Ed & Al figure, a 1:1 Al statue, and an animated transmutation circle that you can pose at.

(It is very hard to get the right timing to put down your hands though, since it moves really fast xD)

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Copies of 300+ genka are shown, and as you can see here, translated versions of the comic panels are displayed underneath the framed genka copies, which I think is very nice.

Unfortunately, much like the previous Malaysia exhibit, these are not the original genkas (it's probably too risky to ship them overseas?) but seeing these copies still made me really happy and the set-up is really awesome:) (link to set-up video)

Can't forget the coloured pages, of course! There's also one original signed illustration, but you're not allowed to take pictures of it, which is a bit sad but understandable.

There are also multiple special animations; check one of them out here!

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Costumes and props from the live-action movie are also displayed. The level of detail is really really nice ^^

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HK limited photo spots (modelled by me):

I am not sure if it's 100% accurate, but from what I have heard these two photo spots are Hong Kong-only. Please correct me if I am wrong!

Left: a wall with Mei's kunai that you can pose in front of and pretend to be Ed gaining back his right arm. Absolutely impossible to take a photo there while maintaining a straight face because it is ungodly hilarious and ridiculous. 6/10

Right: Gate of Truth door curtain near the exit; Very fun to push open and act out another iconic Ed scene (video link), or sit there and speak in a mocking ominous tone. 10/10

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Cafe:

After the exhibition, you can find the cafe inside the gift shop area. There are two extra-special items and a few other snacks that you can order; Listing all food items & their prices below!

Because I didn't order the special items, the below three photos are from HK01's report on the exhibition.

Left: The Flame Transmutation Set is fish cake + yakitori, and when you order it you'll get the food in a small black box, then the staff will help you light it up when you snap at it; basically you can pretend to be Mustang and "cook" the yakitori yourself xD

Right: The (Full)metal Transmutation Drink is peach soda, but it comes unmixed; you can put it on a special table with a transmutation circle drawn on it, and the table will shake and mix the drink for you. The idea is you can make your own liquid philosopher's stone and drink it lol

I think they're both really stupid but in an endearing way I guess lmao

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It's really late so I will organize and post the list of available goods tmr :3 stay tuned!

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Square Enix has announced their participation in the upcoming AnimeJapan 2024 convention on 23-24th March, as well as new merchandise for Black Butler and Fullmetal Alchemist.

Square Enix Event Website

Other Square Enix owned IPs, including Yomi no Tsugai, Tokyo Aliens, etc will have their past merch sold at the convention too (details to be announced).

The new merch will be first sold at the convention, and later available on Square Enix eshop and Animate around late April - May, so you will still have a chance to order if you couldn't visit in person.

New Merch Overview:

Merch details under cut ⬇️ & some of my own comments in repost

Black Butler:

Acrylic Panel (Cafe & Shop edition), ¥3,500

Coffee Ticket Card Set (Cafe & Shop edition), ¥2,000

Mini Acrylic Block Set (Cafe & Shop edition), ¥2,200

Fullmetal Alchemist:

Trading Metallic Postcard, ¥450

Trading Acrylic Stand with Iconic Quotes, ¥900

(Quotes chosen, left to right top to bottom:

Ed: Get up you third rate fraud, let me show you our difference!

Ed: I'm going to bring our body back!

Roy: I'm the Flame Alchemist-- are you still going to challenge me to battle knowing that?

Al: I can't allow myself to just stand by and look when people I'm meant to be protecting are walking towards death!

Roy: Hey, Fullmetal.

Riza: Who was it that said "I won't give up no matter what"?

Ling: I'm going to seize the secret to immortality!

Winry: In Ed's words, "it's equivalent exchange"!)

Envy: It really helped a lot that you are all so naive and easily deceived, humans.

Acrylic Stands (Red and Blue version), ¥2,000 each

Original Chopsticks with Case, ¥ 1,650

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New Actor Visuals for the Fullmetal Alchemist Stage

just got released on twitter!!

リン・ヤオ：本田礼生

Lin Yao: Reio Honda

メイ・チャン：柿澤ゆりあ

Mei Chang: Yuria Kakizawa

フー：新田健太

Fu: Kenta Nitta

ランファン：星波

Lan Fan: Seiha