#Peony Ono

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Do u think Erwin would have become "evil" if he got the serum? And would Levi lose hope and trust in him maybe? It's so interesting to think about because at the same time he still has Levi who is his stronghold and I wonder if maybe Erwin would start having a new dream with Levi like maybe exploring the world with him and then retiring together by the sea or something.

I know a lot of fic writers have taken Ono Daisuke's quote about Levi being the last stronghold of Erwin’s humanity and used it as the jumping off point to explore what might have become of Erwin if he had lived while Levi died, and the result is usually heartbreaking. There are some amazing Erwin lives / Levi dies fics out there and most of them are absolutely gut wrenching. @huxandthehound’s Like a God, Raged is one of the best.  I’ve also written a couple; Broken and Beautiful. 

If Erwin had received the serum and Levi had also lived, I don’t see any reason why he would suddenly have become evil.  I think he would have been riven by guilt that he had survived after sacrificing the lives of so many of his soldiers, but I am sure that Levi would have prevented him from succumbing to despair. @huxandthehound has also written a fabulous Erwin lives / Levi lives fic that focuses on Erwin’s guilt and absolution Relinquish, Reclaim. @drbuttonsss brilliant The Flap of the Butterfly’s Wings also deserves a mention here.

I love the idea of Erwin and Levi exploring the world together before settling down in a little house by the sea and there are loads of brilliant fics that explore this scenario. Coup de Grace by @cherryamber and peony-dense flesh by @ackermon are two of my favourites. I’ve also written a short one called Every Second.

Realistically though I don’t think Erwin would have been able to settle while Marley and the Yeager brothers remained a threat.  I like to believe that Erwin would have turned all his formidable will, intelligence and wiles to preventing the Rumbling and forging a diplomatic path to peace.  (I answered an ask about this a while back.) Then he’d have settled down with Levi in a little cottage by the sea. 

[thesoulbonder]

♣️Clubs Royal Family♣️ (Part 1)

Next is the Méihuā Family!

Reminder: These beautiful babies belong to @arty-e and her amazing series, Cards! Please go and check out her profile and go through the other Cards posts!

But without further ado, here’s the green guys!

Naoki Méihuā, Meilin Méihuā,

River Méihuā, Nuo Méihuā,

Hyeon Méihuā, Peony Ono-Méihuā,

Eben Méihuā, Ruomei Vadas-Méihuā,

Yukio Méihuā,

[arty-e]

Which members of Peony's family survived besides her father?

A majority of them did actually. They kept their distance from Hyeon after he started y’know, murdering his people (especially after Yukio died). So when they heard Hyeon had murdered Peony they were quick to get away and hide away from him for a while. They had been the main family to rally support for Eben and Ruomei during the civil war and had been building up a resistance while the two were in Diamonds.

However two of Peony’s uncles were killed during the civil war and her younger brother.

[gardenofthefareast]

Tree peony

Japanese shikishi by Tosei Ono

[tanuki-kimono]

Super cool hanafuda (”flower cards”) + ryuusui (stream) yukata (seen on), paired with a Rumirock obi. 

I believe I’ve never touched Hanafuda cards here, so buckle up for a long post ;)

Hanafuda is a card game with 12 different suits of 4 cards. Each suit is linked to a lunar month through symbols, all inspired by classical culture (months where later matched to Western calendar hence why some symbols seem off).

Please note that in the list below, I’ll use ‘meaning’ in the broad sense as following symbols often have many overlaping significations:

睦月 Mutsuki  (1st lunar month) / January => Symbols: matsu (pine), tsuru (crane), hi (sun), ‘akayoroshi’ tanzaku (paper strip, with auspicious あ(か)よろし meaning lit. ‘red is good’ = ‘really wonderful’) => Meaning: eternity, happy/new beginnings as January is the New year month

如月 Kisaragi (2nd lunar month) / February => Symbols: ume (plum blossoms), uguisu (bush warbler), ‘akayoroshi’ tanzaku (paper strip, with auspicious あ(か)よろし lit. ‘red is good’ = ‘really wonderful’) => Meaning: beginning of spring, well read people (especially refers to Michizane/Tenjin), a match made in heaven As a side note, plum branches rising to the sky is an auspicious motif known as yariume/“spear plums” or tachibai/“rising plums 

弥生 Yayoi (3rd lunar month) / March => Symbols: sakura (cherry blossoms), hanamimaku (curtain, here cherry blossoms viewing parties), ‘Miyoshino” tanzaku (paper strip, Yoshino is a place famous for its sakura) => Meaning: beautiful yet fleeting life (like the delicate sakura blossoms)

卯月 Uzuki (4th lunar month) / April => Symbols: fuji (wisteria), hototogisu (cuckoo), red tanzaku (paper strip) => Meaning: coming of summer, beautiful yet fleeting life (cuckoo sometimes symbolize mourning souls). Fuji could also refers to famous episodes of the Tale of Genji. As a side note, cuckoo also stands for patience in Japan, probably because of the zen charade known as “If the bird doesn’t sing..”

皐月Satsuki (5th lunar month) / May => Symbols: kakitsubata (iris), yatsuhashi (zigzag bridge​), red tanzaku (paper strip) => Meaning: deep and nostalgic love, inspired by famous poetical scenery from the Tales of Ise (motif is present in many paintings like this screen by Korin). Iris are also a symbol of strenght as seen in Tango no sekku festival

水無月 Minazuki (6th lunar month) / June => Symbols: botan (peony), cho (butterfly), purple tanzaku (paper strip) => Meaning: road to heaven (symbols came be found in noh piece ‘Shakkyo’ and Kabuki one ‘Kagamijishi’), butterflies often stand as a symbol for spirits or souls

文月 Fumizuki (7th lunar month) / July => Symbols: hagi (clover), shishi/inoshishi (boar), red tanzaku (paper strip) => Meaning: coming of autumn, the strong needing the meek (a variation of tiger in the bamboo grove motif)

葉月 Hazuki (8th lunar month) / August => Symbols: susuki (pampa grass), kari (wild geese), full moon (meigestu) => Meaning: moon/harvest festival (tsukimi), deep nostalgia as year goes by (nature will soon be asleep as winter will follow autumn)

長月 Nagatsuki (9th lunar month) / September => Symbols: kiku (chrysanthemum), sakazuki (sake cup, with kotobuki/‘long life’ kanji), purple tanzaku (paper strip) => Meaning: long life, immortality. In ancient japan, it was customary to drink chrysanthmum wine during Chouyou no en festival as a wish for long life (people also used to drink/use as medicine dew collected on mums leaves and flowers). As a side note, objets flowing in a stream (like sake cups) were once used as timer during poetry competitions.

神無月 Kannazuki (10th lunar month) / October => Symbols: momiji (maple), shika (deer) => Meaning: momijigari (hanami autumn twin) parties and as March card = beautiful yet fleeting life. Shika deers also have deep auspicious connotation as they are messengers of the gods in Shinto

霜月 Shimotsuki (11th lunar month) / November => Symbols: yanagi (willow), Ono no Michikaze and a frog, tsubame (swallow), Inazuma (thunder, wildcard sometimes bare and nicknamed “onifuda”/demon card) => Meaning: this card is always the most puzzling one for me, as in kimono fashion yanagi+tsubame are not truly a November motifs ^^; But here, the most important symbol (most often only present as an umbrella!) is a driving rain under which willows dance. Poet Ono no Michikaze, walking by a riverside in that awful weather, spots a struggling frog. After many efforts, the frog finally succeeds jumping in a willow - inspiring Michikaze. This suits hence symbolizes diligence and determination. As a side note, nure tsubame (lit. “wet sparrows”) symbolize lovers - especially star-crossed ones

師走 Shiwasu (12th lunar month) / December => Symbols: kiri (paulownia), houou (phoenix) => Meaning: longevity, life circle (“beginning to the end”), power.  Legends say phoenix can only nest in paulownia trees

I won’t go into details as to how to play with hanafuda as 1) I am terrible with cards games, and 2) I learned koi-koi rules only thanks to the Ryu ga gotoku/Yakuza video games xD (amazing game serie, if you don’t know about them, go play!!! They have been re-released not long ago)

[cocotome]

Ok! I know, I’m super late (this was supposed to be posted a few days ago) but here it is! The full list of seiyuu that will be present for Otomate Party 2022!

September 3, 2022

Hakuoki

Morikubou Shoutarou (Okita Souji) Toriumi Kousuke (Saitou Hajime) Yusa Kouji (Harada Sanosuke)

Amnesia

Kakihara Tetsuya (Shin) Taniyama Kishou (Ikki) Miyata Kouki (Ukyou) Takahashi Hidenori (Waku)

Charade Maniacs

Suzumura Kenichi (Banjou Tomose) Namikawa Daisuke (Chigasaki Mamoru) Furukawa Makoto (Dazai Mei)

Cendrillon Palika

Uchida Yuuma (Ulen Muller) Namikawa Daisuke (Klone Spinel) Okitsu Kazuyuki (Rindo Westeria) Toriumi Kousuke (Natra Peony) Yashiro Taku (Shion Lalique)

September 4, 2022 - Day

Nil Admirari no Tenbin

Okamoto Nobuhiko (Kougami Akira) Kimura Ryouhei (Ukai Shougo) Suzumura Kenichi (Migawa Shizuru)

Piofiore no Banshou

Ishikawa Kaitou (Dante Falzone) Morikubou Shoutarou (Gilbert Redford) Okamoto Nobuhiko (Yang) Kimura Ryouhei (Nicola Francesca)

Olympia Soiree

Uemura Yuuto (Amakusa Shirou Tokisada) Horie Shun (Himuka) Okitsu Kazuyuki (Tsukuyomi)

Birushana Senki

Furukawa Makoto (Minamoto no Yoritomo) Fukuyama Jun （Taira no Tomomori) Kawanishi Kengo (Taira no Noritsune) Kondou Takashi (Satou Tsugunobu)

September 4, 2022 - Night

Clock Zero

Maeno Tomoaki (Kano Riishiro) Toriumi Kousuke (Hanabusa Madoka) Sugiyama Noriaki (Saionji Toranosuke) Sudou Shou (Hanabusa Nakaba)

Collar x Malice

Morita Masakazu (Yanagi Aiji) Kimura Ryouhei (Shiraishi Kageyuki) Ono Yuuki (Saeki Yuzuru)

Cupid Parasite

Kimura Ryouhei (Gil Lovecraft) KENN (Shelby Snail) Yashiro Taku (Raul Aconite) Furukawa Makoto (Allan Melville) Okamoto Nobuhiko (Peter Flange)

Shuuen no Virche

Hirakawa Daisuke (Lucas Proust) Amasaki Kouhei (Mathis Claude) Yashiro Taku (Adolphe) Okitsu Kazuyuki (Ankou)

This event is going to be amazing! So many awesome titles and seiyuu! Plus, it’s exciting to see how many of these otome have been localized for the West! I think it’s so odd that NamiDai won’t be there for the second day considering he’s in 2 of the titles for the night performance (Clock Zero and Collar x Malice).

[missmyloko]

November 4th, 2021: A new duo of maiko have made their debut in Miyagawa Cho! Celebrating their misedashi today are Kanatomo (叶朋) of Kawahisa (川久) on the left and Koyori (小より) of Shigemori (しげ森) on the right. Kanatomo is the imōto of Kanachisa (叶千沙) while Koyori is the imōto of Kofuku (小ふく). Both girls looked stunning in their lovely kuromontsuki and obi! Kanatomo’s outfit featured the treasures of the Shichifukujin and a scrollwork obi while Koyori’s outfit featured waves and peonies with a karabana obi ^^ おめでとうさんどす叶朋ちゃんと小よりちゃん ^o^! Images are courtesy of Ono No Komachi.

[shefanispeculator]

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are officially married! The couple tied the knot in an intimate at-home ceremony over the weekend at Shelton's ranch in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

On Monday, Stefani shared some moments from their wedding day on Instagram, including what she wore while getting ready. In a Boomerang post with the caption "July 3, 2021" — the date she and Shelton said their "I dos" — she flips back her veil to reveal a toothy smile along with her wedding hair and makeup. In the video, she's wearing a silky white robe decorated with large pink peonies from San Francisco-based brand Kim + Ono.

Handcrafted from a soft polyester charmeuse material, the floor-length robe has a luxurious flowing drape that's perfect for lounging on special occasions or layering for everyday wear. The breezy mid-weight style features intricate detailing, like french seam finishes, side slits at the hem, and a removable tie-waist closure, which it appears Stefani put to use while prepping for her big day.

Like all Kim + Ono robes, hers features an original pattern that began as a hand-drawn sketch and was then saturated in rich watercolors using a traditional paintbrush.

Kim + Ono started as a small boutique in Chinatown under the name Old Shanghai — and 30 years later, it remains in the family. Sisters Tiffany and Renee Tam continue to fuse a modern aesthetic with timeless techniques to craft the brand's T-shaped kimono-style robes.

"Our kimono robes evolve as your life evolves — from your wedding day to honeymoon and beyond," co-founders Tiffany and Renee Tam tell PEOPLE. "We are so thrilled for Gwen and so grateful to be a small part of her big day!"

Stefani's exact bridal robe is available on the brand's website for $110 and comes in three other colors, which would make for cute matching bridesmaid robes. Below, we've included a few of our other favorites from the brand that resemble Stefani's that can also be purchased on Amazon.

========

I forgot about this robe. I kept thinking the red robe was from the bridal shower! Oh My!

Duh!

[alittlebitofblablabla]

Legacy presentation time

During yesterday’s server maintenance I started doing write ups of the characters from my main legacy, now that I have all of them set up in some fashion (a few need a little more work and thought before I consider them done).

I’ll start off first with the main attractions.

Took the profile presentation model thingy from Lumielles.

Name: Lelaan Onos

Class:  Jedi Knight/Sentinel

Age: 18 at the beginning of the Jedi Knight story

Species: Miraluka

Gender: Male

Position: Hero of Tython, Jedi Battlemaster, Commander of the Eternal Alliance

Alignment:  Light Side

PHYSICAL ASPECTS

Body Type: Lean

Hair: Light blond

Eyes: NA

Height: 5′10″

FAMILY

Family: Vesis Onos (younger brother), Tegal Onos (father), Yevenis Onos (ex-Dipal, mother), Atedosh Qali (cousin, thought deceased)

Marriage:  Theron Shan (at some point probably)

Pets: Jungle Grophet named Tios

LIKES

Colors: Blue, White, Red

Smells: The sea/ocean, freshly baked bread, peonies

Drinks: Citrus tea, caf, mulled wine

FAVORITES

Debating with Lord Scourge, Life Day revelers around Coruscant, Miraluka folk songs

MISCELLANEOUS

Is 2 years older than Vesis (my Trooper).

Hasn’t kept direct contact with his parents after being given to the Jedi. Vesis got in contact with him after joining the Republic military and has acted as an intermediary between Lelaan and their parents.

A fellow Padawan likened him to the sea when they started lectures with a Miraluka master meant to help them use the Force to see the universe beyond the limits of their normal senses.

Has a propensity for learning other languages.

Tarnis sensed the potential in him and put into motion a plan meant to seduce him to the dark side. He had to give up on it when he had to get the Planet Prison plans and himself off Coruscant sooner than expected.

Has learned just as much from Kira as she did from him. Scourge has also been an influence on opening his mind to new ideas and possibilities (though probably not as much as he wanted).

Because of Tarnis’ manipulation and Vitiate’s control, he constantly doubts his own strength of mind and conviction, and is afraid of just how little it would take for him to fall to the dark side.

Name: Vesis Onos

Class:  Trooper/Commando

Age: 18 at the beginning of the Trooper story

Species: Miraluka

Gender: Male

Position: Former commanding officer of Havoc Squad, Colonel in the Eternal Alliance Military

Alignment:  Light Side

PHYSICAL ASPECTS

Body Type: Athletic

Hair: White, but darkening

Eyes: NA

Height: 5′11″

FAMILY

Family: Lelaan Onos (older brother), Tegal Onos (father), Yevenis Onos (ex-Dipal, mother), Atedosh Qali (cousin, thought deceased)

Marriage:  Hasn’t thought about it and probably won’t for still a while.

Pets: None

LIKES

Colors: Red, White, Black

Smells: Cinnamon, freshly cut grass, freshly roasted caf beans, linden

Drinks: Caf, beer, hot chocolate

FAVORITES

Mythology, reading fantasy tales, M1-4X’s enthusiasm, playing cards with Aric and Jonas

MISCELLANEOUS

Joined the Republic military when he was 17. The 2 main reasons were: a) wanting to be closer to Lelaan, whom he missed dearly, and b) wanting to help people, like his parents had done when the Sith Empire returned.

Fell in love with Ava Jaxo fast and hard. When she died because of his orders, he closed himself off emotionally for years.

When Arcann invaded, he and Jonas Balkar planned in minute detail how to get his parents into hiding, fearing Arcann would be petty enough to seek revenge on Lelaan’s entire family.

Eventually, he also had to go into hiding, rumors of the Senate about to charge him with complicity to ignite the war with Zakuul reaching his ears via friends in SIS. With Jonas and Aric’s help, he disappeared during an op, making it look like an ambush that went a little too well. Since then, he’s been conducting small scale raids on Zakuul forces with Aric and a new Havoc Squad (until Lelaan showed up to recruit them and they reunited).

Began a relationship with Jonas Balkar after about a year of hand wringing and wondering if he was ready to move on after Jaxo. Progress was cut short when he had to go AWOL and communication with Jonas was very scarce for both their safety.

Encourages Lelaan to sing and learn new songs whenever he has the chance.

Loves playing cards and is really good at it but everyone thinks he cheats because of his inherent Force sight (everyone who doesn’t know him, that is, because, no, he doesn’t cheat).

[greenvelvetempress]

Distance makes no difference to hearts that dwell in the same enchanted forest, glowing green with love.

Peony and Butterfly kimono by KIM+ONO

[arty-e]

Isabella's brother looks sad,why?Also Peony's father too

Well Hugo is sad because his sister was sent to the asylum and well... kinda of died there, probably quite horribly as well (the asylum is not a good place). Peony’s father is sad because his daughter was murdered by Hyeon and Hyeon kind of killed a few of his other family members and friends. So y’know, I think that would make anyone sad

[caveartfair]

How the Female Gaze Is Changing Photographs of Women

Tonje Boe Birkeland, Gobi 1931, 2012 (Character #11 Tuva Tengel 1901-1985). Courtesy of Laurence King.

In 1990, the model-turned-photographer Corinne Day captured a teenage, makeup-free Kate Moss in second-hand threads for the cover of THE FACE magazine. Day sought to overturn the high-fashion artifice she’d witnessed in 1980s photography. With her picture of Moss, she effectively launched a decade filled with raw, candid images of women.

But she wouldn’t be the first—or the last—female to pick up a camera in order to reclaim female representation.

Today, a new book by art journalist Charlotte Jansen (who is, in full disclosure, a frequent contributor to Artsy), Girl on Girl: Art and Photography in the Age of the Female Gaze (2017), looks at the growing number of female photographers who are using their agency to shape how society looks at women—in images of both themselves and their peers.

Zanele Muholi, Zinzi and Tozama II Mowbray, 2010. Courtesy of Laurence King.

Though these photographers follow a long line of women who’ve sought to subvert the covetous “male gaze”—a term, coined in 1975 by feminist critic Laura Mulvey, that addresses the way in which women are so often presented as objects for male consumption—a new generation has found itself armed with the means to broadcast new images of femininity via social media.

“The last five years have been particularly important with the emergence of so many more female photographers,” says Jansen. This increase, she says, was spurred in part by the front-facing (aka selfie) camera that was widely introduced to smartphones in 2010, and by the ability to share and view images via platforms like Instagram and Snapchat.

But Jansen also notes that the media tends to contextualize these women in a reductive fashion. “Photographs taken by women do not only exist as a counterpoint to the male narrative,” she writes in the book. Eager to complicate the representation of these women and their artistic concerns, Jansen embarked on a year and a half of interviews with 40 artists from 17 countries.

Maisie Cousins, Grass, Peonie, Bum, 2015. Courtesy of Laurence King.

Maisie Cousins, Sticky Lips (from S.E.X.), 2015. Courtesy of Laurence King.

Among them is Pinar Yolaçan, a Turkish photographer whose 2007 series, “Maria,” pictures Afro-Brazilian women on an island off the northern coast of Brazil. Her subjects include older women and those with figures that don’t conform to female beauty standards.

The images, Jansen says, could easily be taken solely as a comment on female body ideals—but that would be too simplistic. The series is a reaction, in part, to the exoticization of women’s bodies by European colonizers.

Similarly, Moroccan artist Lalla Essaydi challenges Western portrayals of Arab women through portraits that counter the gratuitous Orientalist fantasies of European painters. Her images adopt the stereotypes of amorous women reclining in harems, except her subjects are fully clothed and stare back at viewers confrontationally.

“The images are still breathtakingly beautiful,” says Jansen. “You can seduce in other ways.”

Lalla Essaydi, Harem Revisited #32, 2012-13. Courtesy of Laurence King.

Many of the women Jansen interviewed knew their subjects well—or made a point of getting to know them before taking their photograph. “A lot of photographers in this book are able to get a strong image from their subjects because of the level of comfort and ease that women feel in front of a woman’s camera,” she says.

Among them is Zanele Muholi. “Friends of hers have been killed and raped because of their gender and sexuality,” says Jansen. “She still manages to, in spite of all that, create work that is so beautiful and expressive of human love and togetherness, and unity and power,” and without objectifying them.

Another theme she found across some female photographers’ work was the creation of their own worlds, as in the images of New York photographer Jaime Warren. “It’s less about going out and exploring the world,” Jansen says, “and more about creating the world that you want to see because it doesn’t exist.”

Chinese photographer Pixy Liao, inspired by Annie Leibovitz’s 1980 portrait of two lovers—a fully clothed Yoko Ono and a naked John Lennon, who passionately clutches at her side—stages similar scenarios between herself and her boyfriend. In a pivot from much of art history, Liao is shown both wearing clothing and in a position of power.

Yvonne Todd, Goat Sluice, 2006. Courtesy of Laurence King.

Pixy Liao, image from Experimental Relationship, 2007-16. Courtesy of Laurence King.

Jansen hopes that a more nuanced understanding of women’s photography will continue to emerge. Ever since pioneering feminist photographer Cindy Sherman sought to debunk female stereotypes in her seminal 1977–80 self-portrait series “Untitled Film Stills,” any woman who’s turned the camera on herself has been labeled derivative.

(It’s worth noting that, even before Sherman, artists at the Feminist Art Program in Fresno, California, had experimented with shooting staged photographs of female archetypes.)

Among these supposed pretenders is photographer Juno Calypso, whose breakout series saw her photograph herself in the guise of a woman during a week-long stay at a Pennsylvania love hotel, and Yvonne Todd, whose satirical portraits of figures performing suburban housewives and soap opera stars tell the story of the way the Western capitalist system shapes human identities and “bulldozes people with its ideology.”

Like so much of the book, the stories that her characters tell are not only relevant to women.

And indeed, just because these artists play with masquerade, argues Jansen, it doesn’t make them Cindy Sherman—nor does it mean they necessarily identify as feminists. Women working in this format represent a varied spectrum. “How many men are doing the exact same thing, decade after decade?” asks Jansen. “Women that choose to work in in this mode have such a difficult job.”

Izumi Miyazaki, Consciousness, 2015. Courtesy of Laurence King.

Another challenge that female photographers face comes in the form of the struggle to be taken seriously. Case in point: Japanese photographer Monika Mogi photographs a wide swath of Japanese women, of all body types, to elevate real girls above the culture’s kawaii ideals. So one can only imagine her shock when, as Jansen explains, she turned up to shoot images for a major clothing brand, and discovered they wanted to take pictures of her.

“It’s very significant that we’re seeing more images made by women because that contributes to a much more nuanced idea of women,” says Jansen. But while there are still limited interpretations of how we encounter women in photographs and understand images created by female photographers, it is work like this that will help advance more empathy and gender equality.

As Girl on Girl makes clear, the female gaze offers a powerful lens through which to view, and better understand, the world.

—Molly Gottschalk

from Artsy News

[masterpeaces-of-japanese-culture]

[su_label type=”info”]Utagawa Kunisada(1786-1865)[/su_label]

Utagawa Kunisada(歌川国貞) was the one of the most popular ukiyo-e artists at the end of the Tokugawa period as well as Utagawa Kuniyoshi(歌川国芳), among the disciples of the first Toyokuni(豊国). In contrast to his younger disciple, he was a serious person and always neatly dressed.

  [su_label type=”black”]Maximum number of works in all of the ukiyo-e artists[/su_label]

  He was born as a son of a timber wholesaler who run a ferry. But he already began to study painting under Toyokuni in the mid-teens. And he published the first Nishiki-e at the age of 19.

  His talent bloomed at his young age. He sent Yakusha-e(kabuki actors portrait) and bijin-e(beautiful women portrait) one after another to the world. 

  In 1812 he started drawing the picture yakusha-e’s Ookubi-e(the picture of the upper half of the body) series, “Kabuki Actor Puzzle”(役者はんじもの, Yakusha hanjimono)  and “BigHit Kyogen”(大当狂言之内, Ooatari kyougen no uchi). He used mica powder for coloring the background.

  Among the bijin-e he created, “Modern Vanity Mirror”(今風化粧鏡, Imafu keshokagami)  and “Nowadays Twenty-Three Women”(当世三十弐相, Tosei sanjunisou)  are representative. He portrayed the women of Edo with great expression.

  He also worked on drawing illustrations for Gokan(picture books in Edo Period) including “Imposter Murasaki and Bumpkin Genji”(偐紫田舎源氏, Nise Murasaki inaka Genji). 

  Kunisada declared himself the second Toyokuni in 1844, but in fact Toyoshige had already inherited the name. But he even so didn’t admit it and continued to insist that he was the second. Unfortunately for him, the researchers recognize him as the third Toyokuni.

  As a Ukiyoe painter who painted more pictures than anyone, he gradually loses the quality of his work in his later years, but he led the world of ukiyo-e with Hiroshige(広重) and Kuniyoshi as one of Utagawa School.

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[su_label type=”black”]Garalley[/su_label]

[su_label type=”success”]strip picture[/su_label]

  Fashionable Man Entertained in a House of Pleasure by Wikimedia(click to see in full size)

  Picture of a Crowded Theater Hosting Performance of Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami by Wikimedia(click to see in full size)

  Courtesans in a Peony Garden by Wikimedia(click to see in full size)

    Courtesans with Children　by Wikimedia(click to see in full size)

    The Ascendence of a Modern Day Genji(click to see in full size)

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[su_label type=”success”]Ookubi-e[/su_label]

Hatsuhana at Hakone by Wikimedia

Ono no Tofu

Kanbei’s wife Okaru and Ichimonziya Saibei from the Play Chūshingura

Hanaya Tokubei Before Kiura Shingo and Ofusa before lady’s maid Fusano

The Restaurant Kiyomizuro, Sakurada Daichi, Kiyomizu; The Role Kiyomizu Seigen in the Play Isshin Futakawa Shiramichi

Ariharano Tokihira and Matsuo Maru

Hayano Kanpei and the Farmer Yoichi

The Actor Bandō Hikosaburō III as Kitsugi Magoemon and the Station Inamura between Yoshida and Goyū

The Actor Bandō Hikosaburō V as the Wrestler Onigatake

Umeo Maru and Sakura Maru

Two Actors portraying wrestlers: (upper) actor Ichikawa Ebizo (Danjūrō VII) as Tetsugatake (lower) Iwakawa

Ichikawa Danzō V in the Role of Kakibenosuke: Yūi by Wikimedia

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  [su_label type=”success”]”Thirty-Six Fun Proud Things in Edo”(江戸自慢三十六興) series[/su_label]

Autum leaves of Kaianji Temple by National Diet Library

The pottery of Imaido by National Diet Library

Snowing Hashiba by National Diet Library

Shell gathering at Susaki by National Diet Library

Horikiri Iris Garden by National Diet Library

Zojoji’s big bell by National Diet Library

The year‐end fair at Asakusa by National Diet Library

by National Diet Library

The bamboo rake, the special product of Hinoto Tori by National Diet Library

Throwing earthenware at Asukayama by National Diet Library

The peak of blooming at Toeizan by National Diet Library

by National Diet Library

by National Diet Library

Meguro Gyoninzaka Slope and Mt,Fuji by National Diet Library

Akabane Hinomi by National Diet Library

The cherry blossom at new Yoshiwara Nakanomachi by National Diet Library

Hearing the voice of insects at Dokanyama by National Diet Library

The debue at Saruwakagai by National Diet Library

Megurofudo Shrine, New Year’s decoration of willow by National Diet Library

Agatoyama the minister of Bishamon by National Diet Library

Shiba shinmei Shrine’s marcket by National Diet Library

Mukojima’s cherry blossom and Sakuramochi rice cake by National Diet Library

Children at the Sannou Festival, Hiyoshi by National Diet Library

First Horse Day festival at Oji Inari Shrine by National Diet Library

Ryogoku fireflower festival by National Diet Library

Umeyashiki and liquar-pickled plum by National Diet Library

Teppousu Inari Shrine, vewing Mt.Fuji by National Diet Library

New Year’s visiting for Kameido Shrine by National Diet Library

The sixteenth night of a lunar month at Takanawa by National Diet Library

The peony garden of Fukagawa Hachiman Shrine by National Diet Library

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Utagawa Kunisada(the thrird Toyokuni), the prolific artist Utagawa Kunisada(1786-1865) Utagawa Kunisada(歌川国貞) was the one of the most popular ukiyo-e artists at the end of the Tokugawa period as well as Utagawa Kuniyoshi(歌川国芳), among the disciples of the first Toyokuni(豊国). 

[arty-e]

Hyeon & Eben’s Story Part 1

TW: Blood, pregnancy loss, death + torture

Prince River Méihuā, had been engaged to Nuo for six years, something that had been arranged by his father, King Naoki. In that time the two had grown close to one another and looked forward to their future union. However when Nuo was 18 she got an infection in her eyes and became permanently blind. Despite River’s protests Naoki ended the engagement and tried to find a different partner for River. For several years River fought off several other suitors and matches that his father had tried to force upon him. Naoki died before River ever married. As soon as River became King of Clubs he married Nuo without a second thought:

The two had two sons, Hyeon, their oldest and heir, and Eben their youngest prince. Nuo was a wonderful mother telling them stories constantly which the boys loved. The two adored their gentle mother and everything she taught them and every story she told. River was not as gentle as his wife and had high expectation but was a very loving father, however most of his attention was directed to Hyeon making sure he would become a good King of Clubs. The two brothers grew up close to one another. It was rare to see one not being close to the other:

Eben fell in love with the daughter of the Five of Clubs, Ruomei Vadas. For a long time the two struggled to get the permission from both the King and Queen of Clubs who felt Eben should be married into a much more powerful family since he was not going to inherit anything from them when they passed and everything was going to go to Hyeon when he would become the King of Clubs. Hyeon helped the couple in convincing their parents into letting Eben marry Ruomei:

It was not long after Eben and Ruomei were married did Hyeon have his own romance with the Ten of Clubs daughter Peony Ono, a very shy lady who would often run away from Hyeon which hurt his feelings constantly, especially when he wasn’t able to get a word in. Ruomei knew Peony from around court and she managed to introduce the very shy Peony to a very eager Hyeon. Despite her own jumpy nature, Peony was charmed by Hyeon’s excitement of just getting to speak to her and found him very sweet and well intentioned though very loud in his feelings. The two courted for two years before finally getting married and tied the knot:

More joy was soon proceeded with Eben and Ruomei having their first child; a baby boy, Yukio. Though Eben and Ruomei were excited about being new parents it almost seemed that Hyeon was more excited. Hyeon’s very family oriented nature was so excited for the new edition in his family and was excited about starting his own with Peony one day:

However Peony and Hyeon were not so lucky in their hopes of extending their family. The two struggled to conceive and when they did unfortunately they were never able to hold onto the pregnancy for long. The two were often left devastated and heartbroken from these moments. While Peony found comfort with Ruomei letting her spend time with Yukio and spoiling him Hyeon became less open and began to stay within himself more:

To make things harder for Hyeon and the rest of the Méihuā family River suddenly taken ill at the age of 70. The family came together to say their farewells to husband and father. River, though the one passing, was the one to comfort his family. He reassured Hyeon the most and tried to reassure him he would make a good King of Clubs. None of his words really registered with Hyeon as he was too shocked and devastated to fully accept River was leaving him forever:

After River’s death Hyeon and Peony were crowned the King and Queen of Clubs. However Hyeon struggled as he mourned his father and mourned any hopes he had of having a family with Peony. Peony noticed Hyeon’s sudden change in demeanour and change of personality and tried her best to comfort and be there for her husband. No one else truly notice dhow unwell and unstable Hyeon had become thinking it to be just him mourning and getting used to his new role:

Three years into Hyeon and Peony’s new reign Hyeon’s mental health and lack of became much more noticeable to others. He became much more irritable than he had been before and easily angered. Along with that he had become extremely paranoid, convinced everyone was after him and his wife. As time went by it only got worse as he refused to get help and would cling to Peony as his only true ally and love. His paranoia escalated to fortifying the Clubs palace and capital, Kish�� where he banned people from coming in and was near impossible to leave:

With Hyeon’s paranoia increasing over time he started to make drastic decisions that began to escalate every time he made a new demand. He had beloved festivals in Clubs banned, he had food burnt deeming them poisonous and dangerous to him and his wife, he even ended a centuries long treaty with he Kingdom of Diamonds convinced they were plotting against him. Unfortunately the paranoid thoughts never stopped and only gotten worse with time. It finally extended to his brother and his family. Along with his paranoia he had become jealous of Eben and his small family he had managed to created while he and Peony were unable to have any children. He became so sure that they had been trying to get rid of him and Peony in order to take their throne away. Hyeon didn’t hesitate to have Eben and Ruomei arrested despite them protesting their innocence and that they would never want any harm to come onto him or Peony:

Eben refused to accept his brother would do this to him and refused to ‘confess’ to being traitor. He kept shouting and pleading how he was innocent and would never hurt his brother. Hyeon not taking kindly to his ‘traitor’-brother’s denial had him and his wife tortured in order to get the ‘truth’ out of them. Still Eben adamantly denied everything. Hyeon getting more and more frustrated by Eben protests and claims of innocence went down to his cell and cut out his eye himself, screaming and shouting at him to stop lying and to tell him the truth he had wanted him dead, but Eben still denied everything holding onto hope his brother was still in there:

Disclaimer: Mental health is a very serious issue and this is not me trying to vilify it. It is not the main reason for Hyeon’s actions and does not excuse them either. His mental health’s decline is part of a bigger problem

[arty-e]

Arty,do you think that you will do some sketches of the nobles of Clubs and Spades during the deck war?

Oops! I designed them a while ago! I must have forgotten to share! Sorry!

These are the nobles during the Deck Wars so for Clubs this is just a couple of years after Hyeon was kicked off the throne and Eben was made the King of Clubs

Spades:

10 Olavo Morphew (Coral’s father)

9 Charlotte Vann (Valerie’s grandmother)

8 Lorena Hall

7 Filipe Solorio (Elizabeth’s half-brother)

6 Paloma Vornis

5 Hugo Reid (Isabella’s brother)

4 Edmund Perez

3 Cindia Romero

2 Alice Nieto

Clubs:

10 Botan Ono (Peony’s father)

9 Enlai Blom

8 Saburo Izumi

7 Robin Huo (Nuo’s Nephew)

6 Heng Wen

5 Kei Vadas (Ruomei’s brother)

4 Ash Forst

3 Hisano Hofer (Forrest’s grandmother)

2 Dusk Lin