There’s a new release from Sailor Manyo inks – a 5th Anniversary limited edition! I find it hard to believe that nearly five years has passed since I reviewed the first round of Sailor Manyo inks. Since that time, Sailor has added to the Manyo lineup with a second full round and four dual shading inks (these dual shaders also come in a mini size!) and I have yet to resist a single bottle of these inks. A big thank you to the Dromgoole’s for sending these to the Well Appointed Desk team for review!
The newest additions to the Manyo line are Tsuyu, Ishi, Yu, Himeyuri, and Asagiri – each ink comes in a 50mL heavy glass bottle with a newly designed label for the 5th anniversary.
The five colors in this release contain a different theme. Previous releases covered a variety of flower and plant names – this group covers a nature-related theme.
First up is Tsuyu (Dew). A solid blue-black ink that has a slight green undertone.
Sailor Shimoyu is a bit greyer than Tsuyu and a bit lighter than Akkerman Party in the Back.
On Cosmo Air Light paper I was able to get a gorgeous green sheen.
Sailor Manyo Yu (Sunset) is my favorite of this bunch, an orange-y rust with great shading.
I didn’t realize how much orange was in Yu until I compared it with other swatches – Monteverde Copper Noir is a close match but Yu brings better shading.
Yu has a nice black halo/sheen on Midori MD paper.
On Cosmo Air Light paper, Yu’s halo/sheen seems more silvery with a base color that shows more orange.
Ishi (pebble) is the next ink – when I first heard the name I thought of the Japanese word for one, but I looked it up – it’s actually ichi. Close!
Ishi is a dusty mint green, only a bit darker than Vinta Karnival Summer Green – perfect for summer writing. I would probably say it’s a spearmint green.
Ishi doesn’t show much of a sheen or halo except in heavy puddles. On Midori MD is shows a bit of a reddish-black halo.
The lightest ink of this release is Asagiri (Morning Fog) – a pink with a hint of orange. I can imagine the color as the rising sun hits the fog first thing in the morning.
Asagiri isn’t quite as orange as Robert Oster Sushi – a bit closer to Rohrer & Klingner Fernambuk.
Midori MD paper brought out a beautiful gold sheen on Asagiri, although it does need a bit of a heavier application to achieve it. Wonderful shading as well.
The final ink in the 5th Anniversary release is Himeyuri (Star Lily). This is a bright orange that isn’t so bright it will be tough on the eyes.
Diamine Inkvent Flame from the 2022 calendar is a good match for Himeyuri.
I was able to get a hint of silvery haloing on the heavier applications of Himeyuri. Again, wonderful shading.
The 5th Anniversary inks on Midori MD paper:
The 5th Anniversary inks on Cosmo Air Light paper:
The 5th Anniversary inks on Tomoe River 52gsm paper:
Sailor hasn’t raised the price on their Manyo line since introducing them five years ago – they are still offered at $24 for a 50mL bottle which comes out to less than $0.50 per mL (an amazing price for Sailor inks). The 5th Anniversary line is a limited edition but there has been no indication of how long they will be around.
While I do enjoy all five colors, Yu definitely wins in my eyes. Which of these inks is your favorite?
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Dromgoole’s for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
