How to make an OMAMORI

DOMO~~~

This is an otaku craft post I hope you guys would like. First off, I mentioned in my recent post that I’d post about a how to cosplay tip. Unfortunately, I ran out of materials. Ahaha. So for now, let’s make an omamori. 

What is an omamori?

According to Wikipedia; Omamori (御守 or お守り omamori) are Japanese amulets (charms, talismans) commonly sold at religious sites and dedicated to particular Shinto deities as well as Buddhist figures, and may serve to provide various forms of luck or protection. The word mamori (守り) means protection, with omamori being the sonkeigo (honorific) form of the word, "to protect". Originally made from paper or wood, modern amulets are small items usually kept inside a brocade bag and may contain a prayer, religious inscription of invocation.

It’s simple to make your own!

You’ll need:

•        Any type of fabric you want. (I chose a checkered pattern. Hehe~)
•        A string for the omamori’s knot.
•        Thread
•        Needle
•        Scissors
•        A piece of clean paper (could be wood) with your own incantation (see below for more details)

Step 1

Take out your fabric and fold it once. Mark a rectangle of your preferred size and draw two slanted lines on the upper part of the rectangle as seen in the picture. Always put your marks on the wrong side (the side without the prints) of the fabric and then draw an allowance for cutting. The size of my rectangle is 2 inches by 3 inches and the slant is 1 inch. The allowance is the thicker line and that is where you cut the fabric.

Step 2

Sew the bottom, the right and left and the upper slants but leave the top line. And then turn it over.

Step 3

Insert your paper or piece of wood with the prayer inside the pouch. I put this ofuda (a protection paper talisman) inside. Here’s an ofuda... just rotated 90 degrees.

In Shintoism, this paper id given during the New Year and serves as protection against evil, accidents, bad spirits and other bad  elements. The paper says something along the lines of... "A talisman of ancestor of the Goddess,Amaterasu" You can just print this paper and insert it in the omamori or google some Japanese quotes like…  “恋が芽ばえ 好きになり 愛となる 夫婦となりて しあわせに” (read as “Koi ga mebae, suki ni nari, ai to naru fuufuu to narite shiawase ni”) meaning: “The love seed is growing, start from liking, then turn into love, become couples, and happiness ever after.”

Step 4

Use any pointy object to poke a hole through the fabric. I used a pen I didn't realize was working so it has a little hint of blue... sorry. The hole should be big enough for the string to pass through.  

Step 5

Lastly, tie the omamori tassel knot, then insert the string and secure the back with a simple knot.. 

Watch this to see how: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LcRVGq9lzo

and......

I didn’t put any designs because my fabric looked okay enough. (that and I’m a lazy piece of ....). There are tons of designs! Like a lotus, or even your name in hiragana or katakana.

That’s all for now! Jaa~~~

Kyoukai no Kanata (Beyond the Boundary) and Characters REVIEW

I’d try to limit the spoilers as much as possible. There's at least 15 spoilers... I warned you okay? XD

I've read bad reviews about it, but it's not really that bad. It's about time we look on the brighter side.

This anime came out last 2013 with 12 episodes, but I only got to watch it last week. With that said, I sure wish I got to discover it earlier. This anime is a combination of school life, comedy, romance, friendship and mystery. Its setting is in a small city during modern Japan where Spirit World Warriors kill Youmu (monsters said to originate from the dark emotions of humans) to make a living without normal humans knowing their existence. The artwork didn't strike me so much at first because it looks like most of the new-released animes, but I was wrong.  There's more to it than just the art.

My one of my otaku best friends (Hey there Josh), was the one who recommended it. Actually he described it as “the anime with the cute light-brown haired girl and red glasses”. He was technically correct. XD. The girl he was referring to was Kuriyama Mirai, a Spirit World Warrior and the female protagonist. Although drawn with innocent features, she’s a really kickass girl. Pardon the word, but it’s true. She can control her blood and use it as a weapon for Christ’s sake!

She seems shy and aloof, but she’s good at fighting! There are only a few female anime characters who can fight as good as her and still maintain that adorable touch. Atta girl! Next up is the male lead, Kanbara Akihito. Another kickass person. He’s addicted to glasses, and since I wear glasses, I already took a liking to him. He’s the opposite of Mirai, always smiling and really goofy. Despite that, he’s a half-youmu and basically immortal. How awesome is that? According to Nase Hiroomi (another Spirit World Warrior), he has the warmest waist… How’d he find out? Well, he constantly sticks his hands under Akihito’s arms. I know that sounds yaoi, but it’s not. [Some fujoshi fans wants it to be though *winks*]. Hiroomi is good at fighting and he only uses his scarf and barriers as weapons. Yes, scarf. It was said in the anime that Akihito (in his youmu form) almost killed Hiroomi. Too bad it wasn’t shown in the anime. Next character is Nase Mitsuki. She’s Hiroomi’s sister and also a barrier-using Spirit World Warrior. She doesn’t seem to be as good as his brother, but since she’s a member of the Nase family, she must be good even if it’s not clearly shown. Oh right, I forgot to mention that the Nase family’s the head (like a guardian) of the whole city where the story takes place.

Now let’s talk about the Antagonists. First is Nase Izumi, older sister of Hiroomi and Mitsuki and a great Spirit World Warrior. The fact that she pissed me off means she’s an effective villain. Haha. And then there’s Fujima Miroku, a despicable guy but kinda awesome too.

The anime is also filled with interesting characters. Ayaka and Ai Shindou and Kanbara Yayoi. Ayaka seems like a calm lady, but she can be comedic character and awesome youmu. Ai (also a youmu like Ayaka) is a typical loli imouto character and extremely adorable. Lastly, there’s Yayoi-san, Akihito’s mother. Although not mentioned, she’s hinted to be a great Spirit World Warrior. What interests me most if how she met Akihito’s youmu father. That’d make a great side story. XD.

All in all, I like this anime a lot. Too bad it only has 12 episodes. I sure wish there’s a second season so they’d talk about the unclear stuff (like how Mirai got back in the end) and side stories… and I want to see more Mirai X Akihito moments. Unfortunately, there are no current plans for a second season. Oh well, it has a nice ending to anyway.

That's all~

(my next post is in progress. wait for it~) 

A WEIRD COSPLAY IDEA

This isn't really a helpful cosplay post so I posted it under the Ynao's Corner. (> U <) I'll be filling this section with tons of my unsual ideas. Here's one.

I was thinking of an easy cosplay for a convention. I want it to be easy as pie. And then I remembered Chihiro from Spirited Away. She's an easy-to-cosplay one, but I thought of something easier.

How about No-Face(kaonashi)? I mean, why not? :D This is No-Face btw....

If not that, how about a Menos Grandes from Bleach? 

... what do you think? Good idea or Bad idea? Comment below ;D

another question... do you think they're related? ( . _ . )?

-YNAO

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And to those who might be wondering how to pronounce my name, it's Inao. 

EASY COSPLAY IDEAS (For Guys!)

As I promised, here's the male version of easy cosplay ideas :D These are just suggestions, okay? XD (For the Girl ver. just look at my past post :D)

1. L (Lawliet of Death Note)
This is a common one, but everyone loves L anyway :D. Costume's just composed of white long-sleeves, baggy jeans and for the complete look, eyeliner. For those with short hair, you might need to buy a wig. Never forget the crouch and style your hair with a lot of hair gel.
DIFFICULTY: 5/10

2. Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
It's kinda simple. I bet you guys can find a red vest and sandals at a thrift store. Plus, you can just ruin your old pants (could be jeans) for this and apply stitches on your cheek using eyeliner. Staw hats might be difficult to find though.
DIFFICULTY: 6.8/10

3. Mikado Ryugamine (Drrr!)
His costume is mainly that white and green jersey and a messenger bag so it's not much work in my opinion. :D
DIFFICULTY: 6.7/10

4. Takeshi Yamamoto (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)
His uniform is pretty simple to recreate. I guess you'd just have to style your hair like his. And you can buy his Vongola ring from the local Otaku Store to make your cosplay distinguishable.
DIFFICULTY: 6/10

5. Hibari Kyoya (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)
Uniform is as easy to copy as Takeshi's but Kyoya would be easier to recognize because of the armband. You might need a medium-length hair/wig for this. And you can make a prop Hibird plus his weapon. :D
DIFFICULTY: 6.3/10

6. Gon Freecs (Hunter X Hunter)
If your hair is already spiky, hooray! Gon's hair might look gravity-defying, but you can always use some (make that a whole bottle of) hair gel. As for the costume, he wore a white top on the Heaven's Arena Arc and a blue/black one in the Greed Island Arc. Don't forget the fishing rod! :D The only hard part would be the boots.
DIFFICULTY: 7/10

7. Gray Fullbuster (Fairy Tail)
What makes this easy is because Gray's topless. Nuff said. Just put effort on the hairstyle, buy or make the necklace, wear black pants, put a chain and belt for detail, and don't forget the blue fairy tail symbol. Uhm... just a friendly reminder... if you're a skinny guy, you might wanna work out. :)
DIFFICULTY: 6.5/10

8. Touma Kamijou (To Aru Majutsu No Index)
White uniform over an orang shirt. Seems pretty easy, right? :D Requires medium length hair and hair gel.
DIFFICULTY: 5/10

Phew. Done!
I'm working on a cosplay prop how-to post so watch out for it!

-Ynao

EASY COSPLAY IDEAS! (For Girls)

After my struggle with designing this blog, I finally decided to make a post. 

Domo minna~

This post is for beginner cosplayers. So far, here are the ones I saw that only needs small amount of effort. And since they’re easy, they’re also very cheap. :D This is just a female cosplayer's edition so watch out for the male ones :D. 

Okay, start!

1. Namine (Kingdom Hearts)
Here’s Namine-san~ The costume’s really easy since it’s just a white dress (you can just buy a plain one anywhere and cut the edges), plain sandals (they’re eeeverywhere), a sketchbook and a pencil. The wig and lenses may be a bit difficult to find though. But there are always online shops. If you’re naturally Kinpatsu Hekigan (literally Blonde-hair, blue eyed), lucky you!
DIFFICULTY: 6/10

2. Shana (Shakugan no Shana)      
On the season three of SnS, Shana wore a plain white dress when she was trapped in the Seirei-den. The costume is just a long dress with a red and gold band on top and a big white ribbon at the back, white heels, white stockings, and a chain bracelet. For more reference, watch the episode 8 of Shakugan no Shana season 3. Oh, and no need for the sword because Shana is powerless in this episode.
DIFFICULTY: 4.5/10

3. Sunako Nakahara (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge)
Sunako-chan is another easy one. She mostly wears a baggy sweatshirt and red jogging pants. I’m pretty sure you can find them anywhere. XD The pants has one white line on both sides but you can just add them yourself. There’s also the one with a skirt that looks like amoeba. No need to worry about the wig if you already have long black hair. And no need for the purple contact lenses because of her long bangs. As for the shoes, just a plain one will do. XD For extra touch of Sunako, just carry a kitchen knife covered with ketchup and be careful not to get caught by cops.
DIFFICULTY: 4.5/10 

4. Sawako Kuronuma (Kimi ni Todoke)
Sawako Kuronoma (Kimi ni Todoke) also has the same look, her brown eyes are shown though. She also wore a white dress on the first episodes of Season 1 of the anime (I forgot exactly which episode, but I’m pretty sure it was not a complicated one.) The pic with the chicken shown above is from the cover of the manga. :D
DIFFICULTY: 4.5 /10 

5. Sadako Cosplay
I know. I know. It’s just like the previous two posts. XD. But this one comes with a t.v. I’ve seen one in a convention before. It was both hilarious and terrifying at the same time. (. _ .)
DIFFICULTY: 4/10

6.Misa Amane (Death Note)
Misa-chan is an idol so she wears fashionable clothes…mostly gothic though. Just look for a blonde wig(light brown will do) and tie it like her hairstyle. And then grab your long black t-shirt, destroy it a little, wear black stockings, gothic jewelries, put gothic make up on (do not forget the red lipstick) and POSE.
DIFFICULTY: 6.5/10 

7. Chihiro (Spirited Away)
Fairly Easy. Just a plain white t-shirt with a green stripe, pink shorts, and yellow shoes. :D Or you can to dress up as No-Face. XD
DIFFICULTY : 5/10 

8. Nekos
Yes, nekos. I often see them at conventions. They’re at every corner, either in a box or surrounded by photographers. Put your cat ears, cat paws and cat tail on, wear something oversized, practice saying “Nya~” and… hoozah! A neko! You can also try Inu (Dog), Usagi(Bunny) or Kuma(Bear) ~
DIFFICULTY : 6.5 / 10 

Phew. That's it! I hope this helps :D If you have any questions and suggestions, just comment below.

That’s all for now folks!

-Ynao

Phew. Okay... This is the first post in this little blog of mine. :3
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I'm still trying to get a hang of the many buttons here... I guess it'd take a while... a very long while.
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Okay so what's my blog about?
I am not quite sure myself. In fact, I created this just because I wanted to share some of my weird ideas. LOL. I guess I'd be posting a lot about Otaku tips like... Cosplay Ideas, Anime crafts and other good stuff.
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For now, that is all!  See ya in my next post[probably something anime-related] :)