It has been quite a while since Pilot has added new colors to their Iroshizuku line. The addition this year is bittersweet – three inks will be added but another three (Ina-Ho, Tsuyu-kusa, and Tsukushi) have been retired.
I was able to find a small box of 15mL bottles of the three new inks – Hotaru-Bi, Hana-Ikada, and Sui-Gyoku. They were packaged in a small booklet-box.
Hotaru-Bi is such a bright color that it is a bit tough to show in a photo.
When I first swatched this group, I was reminded of a stoplight trio. Not quite the same colors, but reminiscent of a traffic light.
Hotaru-Bi is a very bright but legible yellow-green. Ferris Wheel Press Fizzy Lime is the only color I have that is close – Hotaru-Bi is noticeably darker in writing, however.
Hana-Ikada is quite close to Pilot’s 100th Anniversary ink, Benzaiten. However, Hana-Ikada has subtle multi-color shading- light pink to an orangish coral.
Finally Sui-Gyoku. Comparing this ink to Iroshizuku Syo-Ro, you can see the blue-green difference. Again, some of the multi-color shading comes into play, ranging from turquoise blue to nearly emerald green.
I was a bit sloppy with swatches (during the Atlanta show), but below are the three new colors on Tomoe River paper.
Again, on Cosmo Air Light paper.
I’m happy with the new colors, and I think they look amazing as a trio. I am a bit disappointed that the Iroshizuku line will be losing three great inks, however. This trio won’t replace the three lost inks, although they are a welcome addition.
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