The next couple of models from Kamiya’s second book are a Raccoon Dog and a Lion.

The Raccoon Dog is listed in Japanese as Tanuki, which is also a word in English. I wonder if they didn’t use it because Super Mario Bros. 3 helped popularize the word in English but spelled it “tanooki”. Or maybe they just didn’t think it was popular enough for people to recognize. But how many people recognize “Cyclommatus metallifer”, anyway?

   

Moving on, Kamiya’s tanuki has a great raccoon-esque colour change and adorable little ears. It does not turn into a Jizou statue (that I am aware of).

   

The Lion is one of the more grandiose models in the book, not that there are a lack of them. The regal countenance and fancy mane make it much more memorable than other origami lions. You may have noticed that, with the details, I had to go back to the thinner paper. The head gave me a bit of trouble, but the mane and face are pretty slick.

On an unrelated note, I’ve also been watching The Flash (the TV show). Just before the latest episode (King Shark), I came up with a theory for the Zoom thing. I think Jay Garrick and Hunter Zolomon are twins. That makes 4 of them: the one in the cage, the one in black, the one that’s been running around with the lab team, and the one on the bench. I have more mechanics around this, but I don’t know if anyone reading this is interested.

UPDATE: This was not correct. But, as for what they did: Really? I still like the show, and they had some good moments there. But does it bother anyone else that their solution is essentially the same thing that caused a black hole at the end of the first season? Or how about that this is the same plot as a (much better executed) Futurama movie? At least they’re doing the Flashpoint thing now. Maybe they’ll have Captain Cold fill in for Batman.