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Welcome to the Solaris Blog! ヾ( ʚ̴̶̷ .̫ ʚ̴̶̷ )ﾉ”
Japanese legends say that off the rocky coast of Cape Nagasakibana, in Kagoshima, there used to be a palace so beautiful it couldn’t be expressed with art, no matter how skilled the artist. Its gilded gate opened to reveal a magical garden where one could see all the four seasons of Japan: spring to the east, summer to the south, fall to the west, and winter to the north.
Inside it lived an equally enchanting princess and her court, who generously rewarded anyone who showed kindness to a creature of the sea. Her name? Otohime.（*’∀’人）♥
This kawaii mermaid is a character in a well-known Japanese folktale called “Urashima Taro”! The story has been summarized into a children’s song, and recently brought to life by the pen of illustrator fuzichoco and the hands of the folks at Genesis!
I swear we’re not fangirling over the artist’s works. (￣︶￣ ;) It's just that they are the absolute best when it comes to creating bright and summery original characters, such as Water Prism girl from a couple of weeks ago!
Otohime is the second artwork in a series named “Fantasy Fairy Tale Scrolls.” The first one was Kaguyahime, the moon princess in the “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” also the product of a fuzichoco-Genesis collaboration. There are many other Japanese folktales with princesses of mystical beauty, so keep an eye out for new releases!
Otohime rises from her seat like Venus rising from the waters. (❁ºั ◡ ºั) She offers you a tamatebako, a lacquered treasure box. It was given to Urashima Taro as a souvenir of the time he spent in her abode, but it came with a warning: he was never to open it!
Otohime wears a stylized kimono with a translucent obi that floats in the current like a jellyfish. It’s an asymmetrical dress, with a long sleeve on one side and sleeveless on the other. To cover part of her left arm, she wears a garter with sheer fabric.
At her feet, the shell seems to reflect the light of sun shafts broken by the waves. At its core, an enormous pearl looks like it’s about to roll out onto the seafloor.
You will find that the ruffles on her petticoat and her garters are reminiscent of her shell’s wavy shape. The painting technique brings out the iridescence of mother-of-pearl, and it was applied to the throne and her clothes too! It’s the balance of ethereal translucence, bright blues, and a dreamy rainbow sheen that makes this figure look truly divine.
The gold details on her sleeve and the splash of cyan on her belt brighten the overall look of the figure, reinforcing the contrast of deep sea and clear waters.
The only thing I can think of that is as pure and precious as Otohime is a strand of Mikimoto pearls. And I still find that their cool luster dulls in comparison to her warmth.
You don’t need to find a turtle to help to be granted an audience with her (though we really recommend you do; save the planet!). Her Underwater Highness will ship out January 2022, so pre-order today!
We hope you enjoyed this one!
Until next time! ヾ(＾∇＾)
Until next time! ヾ(＾∇＾)
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