Youkai Charms

Okay, lemme be honest: I have never liked phone charms. I don’t like dangling things which catch and snag and serve no useful purpose (I rarely wear bracelets) and frankly most charms just aren’t that, well, charming.

So you know that these charms have to be adorable, because I kind of want one. Or two. Or a set.

There are five of these available now, and I’m thrilled to see some variation on the usual youkai offerings. Not that I don’t love kitsune and kappa, because I do (especially the older, scarier versions), but because there are more youkai than just the kitsune and kappa, okay?

The kawauso is especially great because they’re extinct now, and we’ll never see them again. Preserve a memory with a charm. A memory charm? Hm. And a jatai! One rarely sees this predatory obi in modern pop art. I’m going to have to let one kill a character some day.

There are also a tengu complete with a Noh tengu mask, a yuki-onna, and a karakasa.

You know what these would be great for? Bookmarks. Bookmarks for Dream-Eater by K. Bird Lincoln and Tales of the Sunrise Lands, including a new Kitsune Tales story by me. Don’t let me tell you how to live, but you should totally get them and stick these youkai in as charming bookmarks.

(And, hint hint, there’s a Japanese-fantasy-themed giveaway coming soon, so be sure you’re signed up for the newsletter.)