Heian Aristocrat Casual

Abamama Hax has two new Heian-era Japanese nōshi outfits, one indigo-dyed (ai) and one purple. Click here for TP.

Also, there is a tiny rabbit dressed in a kan-nōshi outfit in a lucky letter board! (My letter came out as I was taking the SLURL coordinates! ^^;)

The cat presents the rabbit

In the Chinese zodiac (very much used in Japan), 2011 is the year of the rabbit.

CHATNOIR Catnap has released a hung scroll that reads Kinga Shinnen (Happy New Year) and that features the New Year's zodiac animal.

Available here.

Evercutting Crescent

Koenees Karas released Ichigo Kurosaki's (Bleach) zanpakutō sword. It's a fully scripted weapon with sounds, animations and special effects. Click here for TP.

It has two forms - shikai and bankai - and you can switch from one to the other. (Depending on what sheath you wear, you can keep it in the bankai form or not when sheathing it.) You can stab throw waves of energy, stab and paralyze your opponent, and so on. The shikai sheath, which is bandaged, would fit very well any traditional-like Japanese avatar. Simply having the word in your hand looks cool, but I guess you're in for more ;o)

New Shop

seigi Wisent has recently opened his shop in Kodama no Ki! seigi has a nice range of anime and Japanese avatars, ranging from Tachikoma-kun (Ghost In The Shell / Kōkaku Kidō-tai) to a Hiko-nyan (Hikone castle's samurai cat) tiny avatar. Shown below is the Nirvash mecha from Kōkyōshihen Eureka Seven, which features an automatic transformation "AO". Go to seigi's spot to check out the rest!

Make Your Face A Picture

Aika Zadark's recently released anime doll head #4 (available here) features an emotion HUD that will definately give your avatar a character!

New Shop

Aika Zadark and Lacryma Quandry have opened their own shop in Kodama no Ki. You can find there all of Aika's releases (like the anime heads), and Lacryma has prepared for you Black Rock Shooter's hair, available in seven colors. Click here for TP.

Some more visual kei

Two new excentric outfits from Kiba Tachikawa, available here.

One is related to his September 6th release: it is from the same music video (Au Revoir), though it was worn by band member Yu~ki. It uses sculpted feathers for the neck.

The other, "Dirty Faith" grasps the mood of the song of the same name from the band Nega, and reproduces its singer, Jin, tied into chains, expressing "how religion binds you".

Meet The Sweeping Emo

Shoma Baxton just released a very nice cell-shaded Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy 7), complete with a working vacuum cleaner-sized buster sword that will sweep your enemies away. His blinking eyes and foot step sounds will make them believe that they have been swept away by Something. Click here to TP.

And Shoma is just telling me that Sephiroth is now complete:

Yoga

There is some new stuff at freedom Amiot's spot in Kodama no Ki, the most recent being Dhalsim's (Street Fighter) "Yoga" powers made reachable to you at the RL price of a bentō! It's right here.

And if you don't feel like doing all of these, freedom has them separately (without a HUD) as well.

Cosplay Update

Kazuki Sonic has new avatars, available here:

Tsunade (Naruto)	Sora (Kingdom Hearts 2)
Madara (Naruto)	Jin Kazama (Tekken)

Sword AO

Animation goddess Hinamori Burleigh has released a sword animation overrider, which includes a good number quality animations. It is specially helpful for those of you owning non-animated swords. Head to her spot in Kodama no Ki to get it!

How to Search in Kodama no Ki

This post is for you, when you are stuck in the following situation:

Many of you have suggested me to think of a way to allow you to search more easily in Kodama no Ki. I must then have replied that:

• Sorting the mall into sections and keeping it sorted right would be administratively hard.
  
• Having a search engine would contribute to lag, and maintaining it would take time as well.

Well. What about using a tool that the Lindens are already providing?

All you have to do is to head to this page, and search within it with your favorite browser. Then, click on one of the "Go" buttons, and you will be offered to TP right where the item is. (Sometimes you will arrive on the other side of the wall, but I can't help that ^^;) This can be done because in Kodama no Ki, TPs aren't clamped to a specific point. Landmarks you take within the mall will always lead to the exact same position, too.

This tool, of course, works only if creators have provided useful vendor names and descriptions. But for when they have not, I have put keywords in the buildigns that summarize the goods directly below. (Feel free to IM me if you think some are mistaken!)

I have added the link at the top of the right column so that you can access it quickly.

I hope this helps! (^_~)v

Creatures

cark Milos released two items that will certainly grasp your interest if you're a fan of the My Neighbor Tototro (Tonari no Totoro) movie. To the right you have a box that, when you touch, emits soot sprites (susuwatari). To the left, three Totoro head-shaped pumpkins for Halloween, at a fairly cheap price. Click here for TP.

Cosplay Update

Shoma Baxton has released four avatars! Click here for TP.

So, here we go:

Jin Kazama, touched by the devil (Tekken),

Mizore Shirayuki, the yuki onna (Rosario + Vampire),

Orihime Inoue, pro of the welsh onion (Bleach),

and Lucy/Nyu, the split personnality (Elfen Lied).

Get Dressed for The Game

At Kodama no Ki we're glad to welcome Anahi Suisei to our wonderful circle of content creators! Anahi makes cosplay outfits, so far inspired from the Ragnarok Online anime and Pokémon. Click here for TP!

Little Girl

Kodama no Ki welcomes Fumina Maggs! Her shop is right here.

Fumina's range of products is the "little girl" style, that you could find in the streets of RL Akibahara, Harajuku or Amemura. Swing coats, formal dresses, sailor one pieces and so on; anything a western girl wouldn't even dare to wear nowadays.

Apart from the free shoes, there is another surprise. A very cute rendition of Shinku, from Rozen Maiden! :o)

Inescapable

If you ever went to Japan, you certainly have noticed that were ever you go, you can't escape from vending machines.

Selphie Oberts opened her shop in Kodama no Ki and her main line is just that. Udon, tobacco, etc... And of course, the anime icon, Pocky! Part of the line is the Natsukashii series, that have a retro feeling.

You will also find miscellaneous builds worth a check: a green public telephone, portable shrines, etc. And an offshore landscape from Ise!

More to come I hope! :o)

Name It, Show It

You know you're a Dragon Ball fan and you want to show it. Koenees Karas has prepared such a typing overrider for you in his shop. When you type, it will show the Dragon Ball name in katakana, one kana after the other. It is also worth mentioning that it is highly customizeable, and you can also link it to another attachment without breaking the scripts.

Activate Your Spandex

Ultraman fan Kennt Kidd has released a couple of avatars through the summer; you can get them at his spot in Kodama no Ki. Don't just wear your spandex. Activate it. Click here for TP.

Ultraman Leo, with his Leo kick, shooting beam, etc.

Magma, with his saber hand, claw hand and different attacks.

Ultraman 80, with his saxium beam, buckle beam and flashing color timer.

And finally, an update to the previously released Ultra Seven. Kennt says that this one feels more real-like and the attacks are more complete. So you too can shoot an emelium beam, a wide shot and an ice lagger.

Jikatabi Update

Just a short notice for those who bought my jikatabi. I found a small bug in the script bundled in the left foot: the color menu shows "beni" as an option where the script understands "tokiwa". To get the update, wear your update card while standing in my shop and touch the jikatabi vendor.

A Freebie Out of Curiosity

The other day, when I asked mappy Handrick if his name is that of the 1983 Namco game, he denied so, and told me that it was just his childhood nickname.

But then I remembered how easy it was to die in the game - well at least on the NES/Famicon version. All you have to do is to wait two seconds. If you don't move you're done; a pink cat will get to you. I think the reason why I remembered it so much is that the normal music and the dying music blend it so well in that case that it is like one melody. Back then we would start and restart the game to hear the mouse dying with the music.

That was a fun idea for an animated gesture, so I made one! (^ ^)

Here it is, for free.

Flowers for Departures

Toya Watanabe has released higanbana, or red spider lilies. Click here fot TP.

In Japan these usually bloom around automnal equinox. They are planted near cemeteries or used at funerals to guide the dead towards the buddhist next reincarnation, or around paddies or house to keep pest away (the bulbs are poisonous).

There are four packs available: white, red, red with particles, red with particles and sit animations. I have put three samples of the fourth set in the south east corner of the mall, if you want to see how they feel like. (Note: with that version, the particles start when you sit).

Yes, I claim that kappas are not a pest (°ω°)b

Farewell, Normality

Visual kei expert Kiba Tachikawa is proud to present another dress, Au Revoir! It was worn by Mana while in Malice Mizer for their Au Revoir music video. Available here.

Lucky Dolls of The Apocalypse

This summer, cark Milos released a curiosity: characters and mecha from Neon Genesis (Shinseiki) Evangelion as daruma dolls. You touch them to change between human and mecha depiction. Definately a collectioner's item. Available here.

Gr8 Story

Kiba Tachikawa is proud to present, in Kodama no Ki, his first full outfit in several months, Gr8 Story! This outfit was worn by Takeru of visual kei band SuG in the Gr8 Story music video.

It's sold as a set, but you can buy only the arm warmer if you want.

New Cosplay Avatars

Tohru Kanami has released cosplay reproductions of Aegis (Persona 3) and Shion Uzuki (Xenosaga). Available here.

Guide Their Souls

For all of those of you who have friends whose second life ended, you can now grow your plant of winter cherries (h­oozuki), so that you have something to offer their souls at the Japanese o-bon festival (mid-August). Toya Watanabe released such a plant, and as with her last release, it has somehow a "magical" touch, with the unusual bright red of the fruits. You can get it here.

Cosplay Update

Leavana Jewell released a cosplay avatar: human form of Artemis, from Sailor Moon. And at the same time I would like to point to another avatar Leavana made that skipped through this blog: Aerith, from Final Fantasy CC! Both are available here.

Re-Kokekokko!

CHATNOIR Catnap has put in her shop a special black version of her Gunkei-zu kimono for men. It includes two colors of collar, three shirts of different patterns, regular and tattered "bat" sleeves, complete with sarashi (bandages), tabi and geta.
TP here to get it!

Shiny

Toya Watanabe has updated her shop in Kodama no Ki with new Japanese seasonal goods!

Two items that you could use for visitting your relatives' graves at O-bon...

And a magnificient green firefly tree! (Currently for display in the north-east corner!)

Shuriken

Koenees Karas took a step aside from his usual DragonBall line and reproduced Yuffie's shuriken! The sculpties are sharp, and the weapon is touroughly scripted. You will specially like the wall walker option! You can get it right here.

Kokekokko!

Good morning! CHATNOIR Catnap's new release this week is a yukata based on Gunkei-zu (群鶏図). She says she has updated the sleeves from previous designs. Worth a try! It's right here.

The Active People's Footwear

Yukinoroh Kamachi has... (^^;) I mean, *I have* released Second Life's first sculpted jikatabi (rubber-soled split-toe cotton boots). Available at my spot in Kodama no Ki.

I felt I really have to bring my usual real life footwear into SL, and that is now done. So yes, I modelled and textured these jikatabi from my own feet - from pictures I took. I usually wear black ones, but I specially bought a white pair so that the SL product be tintable!

When new or wet, the soft rubber soles of jikatabi will squeak, and I reproduced that in SL too. The sounds are tuneable, for people who like them (or don't like them). It was quite a challenge to record them (^^;) But I was told it's a good selling point... ?

About the title to this post and the vendor text... In Japan, jikatabi are typically worn by people who move a lot and need a good grip: construction workers, gardeners, festival participants, pilgrims and b­ōs­ōzoku/yankees. Most Japanese people have never worn them. Too bad! They are light, they breathe and dry well, and their sole give you tactile contact with the ground and prevent you to slip.

Moreover, they look ninja, but that is because the ninja footwear and the jikatabi have a common ancestor: the tabi, the japanse socks. The ninja wore waraji (straw sandals) under tabi. The jikatabi is a 20th century invention, when the Bridgestone (formerly Nippon-tabi) company tried to sew a rubber sole under tabi for the coal miners in Kyūshū, hence the name chika/jika, "underground". But they are becoming a ninja thing anyway, as I saw ninja actors in Iga wearing them...