ルーチカ図鑑 天体観測 by ささきさルーチカ

Although probably a minor thing to most, one of the things I always enjoyed about Japanese books is how standardized the formats are: larger, almost Western sized first print, smaller pocket sized bunko reprints, and that's it. They look nice and orderly on a shelf; unlike the rest of my library, which is a mess of formats and a true headache now that I'm trying to cut a few new rows of shelves...

I particularly enjoy that homely, no frills book size and design that (perhaps wrongly) I associate with pre WWII, up to and including Showa era publishing: rows and rows of equally sized tomes with beautifully simple covers, free of illustrations, photographs or other design frills - not to mention the gorgeously clean typesets.

I have come across quite a few contemporary publications, both mainstream and dōjin, which attempt to recreate that look. One that comes to mind is Ningyou ga Ningyou by NisioIsin; and, of course, the dōjinshi I am reviewing today. This preamble would be largely useless otherwise, right?

 ルーチカ図鑑 天体観測 (Ruchika Picture Book of Astronomical Observations) by Sasakisa Ruchika (as it often happens, I'm cloudy whether the name is an actual name, a circle name, or a nickname for a one- wo/man show) is a strange little thing, one the many impulse purchases I am still undecided whether they've been a lucky strike or a sunk battleship. The booklet itself is TINY: probably an A6 format, if that even exists; page count is also not particularly high, 32 pages total. The paper is very high quality, thick matte paper, and the illustrations are all in B&W.

The contents, in spite of the 'astronomical observations' title, are mostly a data overview of the solar system's bodies and their features or movements, with the last few pages dedicated to actual observations. Frankly, for the most part, it's information anyone could gather through a quick perusal of Wikipedia. Clearly, in this case, contents are not the main point.

The main point is, of course, design; and, from this angle, this little overpriced booklet is a winner. On each page, the text is laid out under a stylish little border, and the illustrations are visually framed in a very compelling way. In spite of the sharp printing quality, the illustrations combined with the typeset really capture that Showa era feel - or, for the more Western minded, that Eighteenth / Nineteenth century natural history feel. Even the cover, while printed as a whole rather than overlaid with glued elements like the days of old, really captures that retro style.

The booklet is actually only one out of a series, which also explores geology and zoology; and the design booklets are just a part of the many items the circle produces, most of them falling under the same 'retro natural history' aesthetics. This one is a good sample, with my only real criticism being the very short page count. Which makes me wonder, what's a 'good' word could for a dōjinshi which makes it Worth your buck? does it depend from type and genre?