Ideals change over the course of time. There was a time that music was pretty solidly stuck in the past for me, then I grew to like the newer stuff. Same goes for Anime and Manga and so on… Where am I going with this? Well, it seems that I’ve once again changed my way of thinking, and let some of my creativity take me where it wants to go.

For a while now, my fellow sibling in arms has been more voracious about a different aspect of the Japanese culture, namely figures and dolls. While I did have some interest in a few pieces of merchandise here and there, I never really caught on. Now, I’m as fervent about collecting as she is, and I understand the appeal. I’ve been collecting figures of a particular series because I thoroughly enjoy it, almost every aspect. I’m talking about the Touhou series in general. The story is very engaging and with the mix of eastern and very few western mythologies, the possibility of creativity using legends and history makes it more and more a tool that opens up new worlds.

A friend of mine is a very meticulous collector of the written form, and has also latched on to this series, mostly because of the creative juices that flow from the community as a whole. Many an epic journey has been had by the characters created by a single man, spawned from a project that was done entirely by one person. The flow of creativity from the people who latched on is nothing short of amazing, and now I have it too.

As I stated before, I have been collecting figures of these characters. I’ve been sticking to one manufacturer, mostly because I believe the representations they provide to be the most accurate possible. I’ve come to love many of the characters, with a few on the top of the list. Those being Reisen, Tewi, Suika, and Tenshii. There has yet to be a character that I do not like, as each one has a different story, and they all complement each other nicely. Some of the creative ideas include wanting to make small films or video projects, some craft work, or other items of interest.

Now comes the crux of this post. Another flow of creativity has hit me, and this one is a project I am hoping to finish pretty soon. My thoughts on this particular set of fandom were, as most were, one of awkwardness. It both fascinated and terrified me all at the same time. I am talking about Dolfies: almost true to life dolls that can be almost completely manipulated down to the last detail. It came to a head when my sister acquired one that she had been eyeing for quite some time. Once I had an opportunity to view and manipulate it, my fears disappeared, and I began to see potential. There was so much that could be done! That’s when it hit me…

Looking online, I found that there were other dolfie owners who were also Touhou fans as well, and were showing off thier own creations. Some were impressive, and some… not so much… But, it did present me with an itch. An itch to create. So I began to research with my sister’s assistance and found that despite the complete collection dolfies the likes my sister owns, actually building your own set from scratch was not a difficult or expensive proposition. And thus began my spiral towards madness.

As of this writing, yes, I have taken the plunge. I am building my own Dolfies, and am intent on getting it completed. So far, I have not seen anyone tackle this character, and I intend to be the first, with it being as accurate as possible. My timetable is short, but I have already achieved 60% of my task in just purchasing the required parts to make the complete doll. Now is the part where my friends, who have stated they will assist me, comes into play. I am hoping that I will have pictures here very soon of the Dolfie project that I am now desperately hoping to complete. I have invested so much, I will not allow this to fall by the wayside.

Wish me luck!