Upon the commencement of my most recent dakimakura purchase, Cospa's Nodoka Haramura from Gonzo's bishoujo-mahjong anime Saki, I decided to try and shed some light on the history of this otaku staple. Please, be gentle...
Among the many forms of anime merchandise, dakimakura reserve a unique reputation, both illustrious and notorious. Coming from the combination of the words "抱く" (daku) meaning "to embrace" and "枕" (makura) meaning "pillow", dakimakura is often literally translated as "hug pillow" in English. While orthopedic hug pillows designed to correct injuries and alleviate back pain in pregnant women have existed for years, dakimakura as we know them today began to appear in the mid-90's along with the bishoujo boom supported by the genesis of genre-defining galge and related media. Popular first among the doujinshi or fanzine movement, according to Kunio Muto, a technology reporter for the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper0, bishoujo dakimakura soon moved into general otaku territory when Cospa opened its doors in 19951. The prime mover in the chara-goods game, Cospa is responsible for the vast majority of both anime and game based dakimakura on the market today, finding modest competition in rivals such as Chara-High. In addition to being a relative monopoly since their inception, Cospa also popularized many dakimakura features taken for considered standard among current releases, including the presence of metallic zippers, original artwork, and a "naughty and nice" dual image. As they now stand, dakimakura are more prevalent than ever before. They're growing in tandem with the chara and moe goods industry, a market refusing to loosen its stranglehold over the Japanese economy, riding a wave that shows no sign of flat-lining.
Like many things in contemporary Japanese culture, dakimakura have their roots in the passage of history, however convoluted and (at times) inaccurate its records may be. The origins of modern dakimakura lie in "chikufujin" or literally "bamboo wives2", oblong tubes of interwoven bamboo cane used by many cultures throughout East and South East Asia, especially Korea. Applications for bamboo wives were said to range from masturbatory to orthopedic, the strange funnel seeming more utilitarian than a modern Swiss Army knife. Practical among a bamboo wife's use was its nature as a rudimentary air conditioner. A user would would fall asleep on one of his sides while embracing the stack of bamboo, thereby exposing a larger surface area of his body to the cool night air. Leaving practicality for a dip in the mythological, bamboo wives were said to be made exclusively by a man's wife to keep him "company" during his travels3. In reference to their nature as a substitute companion, modern dakimakura are often paralleled with the chikifujin of antiquity. Whether or not this comparison is warranted, or even accurate, can be debated. Regardless, at some point, Bamboo Wives were exported to Japan where their usage remained largely the same.
During the 250 year timespan known as the Edo Period, the Japanese experienced a cultural explosion, as many were no longer preoccupied with the civil war plaguing the island nation years earlier. One product of this new-found leisure time was ukiyo-e woodblock printing. Separate from the widely endorsed prints depicting Japan's natural splendor and cultural narratives was a more deviant style of art known as "makura-e" (pillow art), or "shunga" as it is more commonly referred to in modernity. Depicting levels of debauchery on par with even the most explicit modern ero-doujinshi, shunga was available in both ukiyo-e and scroll form. These pieces of art were thought to retain many different uses, such as good luck charms, in addition to providing ancient Japanese males an onanistic outlet. Popular artists of the Edo period, including Katsushika Hokusai (creator of the term "manga"), periodically dabbled in shunga, much like the mangaka of today starting their career in ero-doujinshi. According to the popular dakimakura blog "Everyday Is Dakimakura" (毎日が抱き枕), body pillows featuring erotic shunga had a noticeable presence in Edo period Japan and were used in much the same way their modern counterparts are today. The above picture taken from a Edo period collection of shunga depicts one such coital engagement. Everyday Is Dakimakura mentions Edo dakimakura, though extremely rare and expensive, were roughly 4 feet in length and handmade from silk. Though I could find no supplementary resources to confirm the presence of 18th century body pillows in Japan, the idea that the average pervasive Edo male humped piles of silk in order to reach orgasm isn't so far-fetched considering the lengths at which ancient Japan expressed its sexuality.
It may be difficult to imagine how exactly giant Chinese finger traps and 18th century pornography led to the creation of dakimakura but these obfuscated roots, more novelty than direct ancestor, only serve as tiny, singular pieces to a large puzzle depicting the history and identity of modern otaku culture.
15 November, 2009
13 November, 2009
After an indefinite wait, figure manufacturer Yamato has finally green-lit a PVC release of the Amanda Werner Niθ Illustration garage kit they announced back in August of this year...
It was uncertain whether Yamato would step up to the plate and give fans the home-run they were craving by releasing Toi Fuijiura's sculpt of Amanda Werner, the main heroine of Gonzo's Blassreiter anime, as a PVC; up until today, that is. Yamato revealed plans for an Amanda resin kit a few months ago but little else of concern for those low in tactile dexterity. With this PVC announcement, however, Fujiura's erogenous piece can now find its way into the digits (however unskilled) of fans the world over. Amanda will be added to Yamato's Creator's Labo series, a figure line celebrating famous illustrators the likes of Jun Tsukasa, Shunya Yamashita, and Mine Yoshizaki. Based on an original illustration by famed artist and Nitro+ eroge character designer, Niθ (pronounced Nishii), Amanda is the second Blassreiter PVC to be released since the series aired in the Spring 2008 season. The first being Megahouse's 1/8 scale Elea PVC which is also worth a look, especially if you prefer less "corpulent" figures.
Amanda lies at the center of a strange series of connections conglomerating to form powerful earning potential for Yamato: Nitro+ ( co-producer of Blassreiter) is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, Niθ (Amanda's character designer) is taking part in the festivities, and Funimation recently licensed the Blassreiter anime with an expected release date for Volume 1 on the 20th. If Amanda was being released at the end of this month with other November figures, there would certainly be an influx of cash flowing through the collective veins of Nitro+, Gonzo, and Yamato. But, unfortunately, she has a pending public unveiling during April of 2010. Another potential deal breaker: her price point of 12,390円 (around $140). Now before your jaw crushes your keyboard, Amanda ranks in at 280mm in height (around the price and size of most 1/5 scale figures) and is listed as non-scale. Her assets aren't the only things of consideration given those numbers.
There's been a palpable concern over this figure's design, and a resurgence of those feelings now that the PVC is becoming conspicuous. The root of the matter is a distinct difference between Niθ's original illustration and the Amanda present in Blassreiter's narrative. While both are actually designed by Niθ, certain... liberties were taken with Amanda's XAT uniform in the original illustration, and figure translation, we see here. In reality, Niθ has been portraying such an expository Amanda since the series' airdate, from centerfolds in Newtype, to an Amanda dakimakura cover and telephone card released almost a year ago. She may not be quite the same dutiful character fans have become accustomed to, but Niθ's seductive spin on Amanda allows her to let her hair down, literally and otherwise.
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