It’s been a while, reader! I had ambitious plans for The Manga Critic this year, but work got in the way of writing—so much so, in fact, that I pondered shutting down the site for good. Every time I’ve quit blogging, though, I feel the gentle tug of unreviewed books and the nagging sense that the next great manga is just around the corner, and vow once again to bring back The Manga Critic.
My New Year’s resolution, therefore, is simple: post at least 1-2 articles per month in 2025. In addition to new content, I’ll also be revisiting pieces I wrote during the first manga boom, when Cartoon Network was king, Naruto was everyone’s favorite series, and Borders was filled with teenagers browsing the latest volumes of Fruits Basket and Bleach. This month, I’m taking the WABAC machine to 2007 for a look at Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls, both of which introduced crafty readers to Aranzi Aronzo, purveyors of weird but cute characters with names like Kidnapper, Panda Bee, and Warumono.
Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls
By Aranzi Aronzo; Translated by Rui Munakata
Vertical, Inc. (Kodansha USA)
Whether you’ve dedicated an entire room in your house to “crafting” or break out in hives at the mere mention of gimp, it’s hard to deny the weirdly winsome appeal of Aranzi Aronzo’s DIY books. The latest—Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls—offer over 120 pages of patterns and step-by-step instructions for making three-dimensional versions of your favorite Aranzi friends. Cute Dolls focuses on Aranzi’s most popular characters, from the super-kawaii Brown Bunny, Grey Cat, and Munkey to the less cuddly Fish and Kidnapper, while Fun Dolls features patterns for new characters: Panda Bug (a cross between a bumble bee and a panda bear), Coffee Cup (just what it sounds like—an anthropomorphic mug), and Unmotivated Kid (my personal favorite).
Both books earn high marks for presentation. The instructions are complemented by clear illustrations demonstrating how to assemble the dolls, while the paperback binding and 8″x 10″size make it easy for would-be seamstresses to photocopy patterns. Since I nearly flunked Home Economics, it’s almost impossible for me to assess the skill level necessary for completing these projects. (True story: I stitched my shirt to the sewing machine, requiring a shears-of-life rescue from the instructor.) So I sent my review copies to someone who is handy with a glue gun and a felting needle: my younger sister Claire, an Aranzi fan and Etsy seller who can work magic in almost any medium. Her verdict? Though the instructions are easy to follow, novices and young kids may find these projects too complicated to be fun; anyone with sewing skills, however, will be cranking out Striped Dogs and Spritekins with ease.
No matter what your skill level, anyone can enjoy the books’ subversive humor. In the introduction to Cute Dolls, for example, White Bunny vocalizes every crafting novice’s worst fear when she exclaims, “You’ll suffer terribly if you don’t read this first? Scary!” And then, of course, there are the dolls themselves. I can’t imagine an American expert encouraging youngsters to sew blank-faced layabouts or trench-coat wearing kidnappers; such unwholesome characters would inspire censorious outrage from humorless adults. But it’s this mischievous, poking-fun-at-the-grownups tone that makes Aranzi Aronzo books such a welcome addition to the hobby aisle at your local Borders, and a perfect gift for the crafty friend who’s grown weary of making the holiday centerpieces and Halloween costumes in Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes and Gardens.
This review originally appeared at PopCultureShock on November 11, 2007 at http://www.popcultureshock.com/weekly-recon-111807/42924/.