[IC] Kabuto SA - Meditation

[BlackInk]

I don't know about all, I do like the unicode symbols and some keys don't have the real estate for text and a symbol.
I do think I'll add a 1u 半/全 key to the novelties though

Please keep us updated if any news arise, really good looking set.....def will join GB

[jebbra]

I agree with what Seelen said. Except for the icon mod for me the icon just look more suitable than text but of course, using kanji as the text bring it to another level which I think will look great too. Point is, don't mix the Hiragana with Latin-text-modifiers.

Another suggestion regarding colors. The red on the F row is amazing, adding a nice simple touch to the overall scheme but seems like it will lost on keyboards without F row so my take is: how about red numrow? If you think it will destroy the overall composition, just add it as separate child kit and maybe with more novelties icon (I'm thinking about old Yen coin and make it like dice face–2 coins for number 2) like Carbon did. This way the variation will be richer and most importantly, the overall ambience can be applied on smaller keyboards.

I suppose you could always use the F-row 1-12 as your number row, being symbols like they are it's almost interchangeable (well - and + would be your 11/12).
I can add a red spacebar, that way with there are red accented Esc, enter, space bar, and even arrow keys on layouts smaller than TKL.

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More

As for the numbers, how's something like this?
Taking an example from the Hanafuda Card game (no Koi-Koi jokes ;)) which uses months/flowers for 1-12 (maybe 1-12 is better on the F-row instead of numpad), and 'empty' for zero and 'nothing' for double-zero:

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Damn right the F-Row! Why I miss that jeez.. Okay so all good now, just waiting on the modifiers decision. I have some experience in graphic design so don't hesitate if you need any help

[Arallu]

Damn right the F-Row! Why I miss that jeez.. Okay so all good now, just waiting on the modifiers decision. I have some experience in graphic design so don't hesitate if you need any help

So, I saw the HiPro keys and liked the look of the Tab/Shift.
I think I'm going to stick with the unicode symbol mods with text on the Tab/Shift as the current mock up in the original post shows.

[e_l_tang]

Damn right the F-Row! Why I miss that jeez.. Okay so all good now, just waiting on the modifiers decision. I have some experience in graphic design so don't hesitate if you need any help

So, I saw the HiPro keys and liked the look of the Tab/Shift.
I think I'm going to stick with the unicode symbol mods with text on the Tab/Shift as the current mock up in the original post shows.

I think it's best if you used icons only, or alternatively the legends of HiPro keycaps. I find this approach a little, well, inconsistent.

[Arallu]

Gotcha, I'll leave it as the symbol icons. I should just trust my initial intuition lol.

[Seelen]

Yeah, I saw the escape kanji, definitely a good start. .I wonder though if that woukd be too literal though..technically, yes, it does mean escape...But it's escape as in, to run away, to get away, to leave. Is that the same as what we want?

There's also 窮まる、きわまる (kiwamaru), which means to terminate, to be at an end, to reach an extreme. Even that might not be perfect, but it feels a little more in line with the underlying function of the escape button. I will pull out a kanji dictionary later today and poke around a little in case I find anything.

For reference, if you run away from a battle in Final Fantasy, it uses 逃げる.

Just an idea...I'm by no means fully fluent myself, but I'm at ~7-800, so if you don't have anybody fluent or you want ideas for kanji, I'm always willing to help ( either way you'll probably see me in here *****ing and critiquing every step of the way ^_-)

I hope you don't mind, I'm just trying to make sure this turns out to be the very best set it can be. My ideas aren't necessarily gospel and they're simply my opinion, but they are well thought out and I do at least try to not to say something unless I feel I can at least add a valid suggestion.

Edit: okay, so I'm not in love with the icon mods, because they look too similar to Mac icons, but I most definitely agree that mixing English text with hiragana would not be a good idea. I just can't put my finger on it Exactly, those icons in particular just look very...Western? They are so rounded out, and kanji is the opposite. I guess it's the way kanji has a lot of straight and sharp lines, where the icons are rounded and abstract, as if it's missing pieces of the icon.

Is that the only "icon" style modifier pictograph set out there? Or are there other popular ones? I've never seen another set before, but I figured if there are others already made, it would at least give you more options with mock-ups.

I just worry the two styles will conflict...Since kanji are symbols just like the icons are, I feel like it makes it harder to match them up.

One last thing, that red spacebar you added in there before is very very sexy, I was thinking the set needed just a TOUCH more red and that might be all it needed! Love the F row red too

[Arallu]

The space available on it is why I went with a single kanji.
I saw the others but they dont fit right and I didn't care for the unicode Esc symbol.
And I do appreciate all the feedback! Thanks 
There are some other unicode symbols but not many http://xahlee.info/comp/unicode_computing_symbols.html

[Seelen]

Arallu, that is a single kanji...I was just using the verb form. Can I ask, and I'm not trying to be rude, I just want to know how to phrase my recommendations: do you speak Japanese? If not, then I will change the way that I present my examples.

窮 That would be the example. Obviously you wouldn't fit multiple characters on a single 1u key...but you take the root of the word, you don't use a the ichidan verb form... same way the one you have now is not 逃, its actually 逃げる in the verb form, nigeru. Both are shortened to use the kanji only.

Let me further explain my reasoning from before. When you're translating something, you don't want to translate the actual word used, you want to translate the function, and the intention of the word. Take my early example, the backspace key. I used 消える. That doesn't actually mean backspace...it means "to vanish, to disappear". That's because we're translating the function and the meaning. If you were to translate the word itself, you'd be left with 後ろ間, which literally means "moving backward" and "space/interval". Or how about "Enter" key? You wouldn't use 入口, even though it means "entrance" or "entry", you'd use something like 決める/決定 because it means "decide, determine, select (the second kanji 決定 is great because it means decision/determination and uses the kanji from select/choose)

See what I mean now? You translate the underlying meaning and function rather than the superficial words used on top, as expressions and actual usage varies, but the meanings underneath remains the same. My boyfriend is a linguist ^_-

Again it boils down to that same question...is this a keyset for Japanese enthusiasts, or a keyset that is just using a japanese theme? The way I see it, if you do it right, the former IS the latter, and lends a far greater sense of authenticity.

Okay, I thought of the perfect example, as relates to katakana, and kanji, and meaning...this keyset idea is freaking amazing, and if it's done right, it's going to go down as one of the best sets in years......but if you're going to use kanji, you elevate the risks. If you get any of the meanings wrong, this is going to end up being the "ignorant college kid gets a kanji tattoo" of keysets. You have to ask yourself, when this keyset is finished and a japanese speaker looks at the keyset, and they going to sigh and shake their head, or are they going to say "holy freakin crap thats amazing"

I promise, I'm not saying things just to say it...逃 means to flee or evade, it really doesn't fit. That doesn't mean you have to use my example, and that was just something I came up with quickly (though it definitely makes more sense than nigeru)...I truly only care about you nailing this set, because then *I* get to own it.

Again, I offer my services for any keys you're considering making into kanji...if that doesn't come in the form of actual suggestions, you at least know that anything you put up here I will evaluate for it's accuracy and let you know what it means. This is just exciting to me, because the use of dyesub means this is one of the rare SA sets you actually CAN use kanji on modifiers, and as said before, would truly elevate it to that next level*

*IF you decided to do modifiers in japanese, I would highly recommend you use kanji rather than hiragana, to give better contrast with the alphanumerics and to give it better meaning, like my 決定 example instead of 決める

[Arallu]

No, I don't speak or read Japanese, strictly an enthusiast using Google translate/searches and this: https://www.branah.com/japanese for the legends.
I can swap the mods back to normal Latin - Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Esc, etc. but I felt the best compromise were unicode symbols, and as I was taking inspiration from DSA Granite I used those.
I'm not sure if having all the modifiers in Japanese would still keep the approachable aspect that the symbol mods have.
What would you propose for Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Tab, Esc, Enter? Also, it would look wierd if the PgUp/PgDn/Ins/Del cluster was still symbols too, so they'd need to be changed perhaps.
Obviously the only other kanji are in the novelties, so would you feel better if swapped Esc to a symbol and left the mods as unicode symbols?
Funny though, 窮 = pitiful in google translate heh.

[Seelen]

Okay, in that case, I will be a little more explanatory with my responses. First off, no more google translate. Here's a really easy-to-use site that's in english (at least, the site itself is...you need to know hiragana for the words, but)

http://jisho.org/

http://jisho.org/search/kiwamaru

Again, kiwamaru was what I came up with in my head in literally like 15 seconds. I have a ton of dictionaries around, let me pop a few open and look into it tonight. My boyfriend also knows even more Japanese than I do, so I will brainstorm with him.

I can't guarantee that the japanese mods would work vs the unicode symbols, but I figure it's at least worth a shot...I wouldn't necessarily say all of them though. Certain ones, like page up and page down, may or may not work...if you were to do kanji for those, I would say a simply 上 for page up, and 下 for page down...they mean up and down, respectively and could look cool when placed next to one another:

上
下

Anyways, I'm just throwing a bunch of **** out there to see if anything sticks. Let me dig a little bit, see what I can come up with and get back to you later this weekend. I figure the first step is just to come up with kanji that WOULD fit for each position, then post them here so you can figure out what DOES work in those positions.

[Arallu]

What about 'cancel' for Esc. Which would be more appropriate - 解  消  or 除

[Seelen]

None of those are really appropriate...out of the 3, only the third is even close in meaning or usage. I fell asleep after I typed that last response, but I will definitely be looking for a bunch for you.

Oh, and, this does open up more "novelties" options, because instead of the "super" modifier, you can use 超 which mean "chou" and is used in Japan as super, like, the game super ghouls and ghosts was choumakaimura...so it's a very "cool" way to say super.

The others would likely be harder, but if you did a kanji for super, it would definitely be that. The only other choice would be katakana スーパー and thats just silly.

I will just come up with a list of kanji for each modifier position, or a couple of kanji. There are definitely cases where multiple kanji will work and you can choose the most aesthetically appealing.

The other option is, from a novelties point of view, you could pick an actual phrase or expression to use for certain larger keys, but unfortunately I don't see that working because nothing really goes with the theme...some of the things I'm talking about are ideas I've had for a dream keyset that will never get made because not enough people will speak japanese or care haha, so I'm just presenting you with the best ideas from that to see if anything would work well in yours.

Unfortunately you aren't even going to come close without a legitimate dictionary and some understanding of the language. If you're going to use anything though, use that jisho link I gave you. It has most of the dictionaries I'm using already built into it.

I will be back with a listing of ones that make sense. You should also listen to Hanya, I'm sure he knows way more kanji than myself, so hopefully he speaks up again soon.

[Arallu]

Ok, 止 looks decent and sort of goes with the numbers on the F-row.

[Seelen]

Tomaru means stop...You're getting a little closer, but I feel like it still doesn't encompass the meaning and function fully.

What I recommend is, make a list of what the key in question Actually does....So, ESC can: terminate, close, cancel.

I suppose 解 you chose before sort of fits, as can mean cancel...But kanji generally have more than one meaning....They usually have 4-5 possible things that they can be applied to, so it's difficult to choose a kanji unless you know all of the meanings. Kind of like your original escape design, yes it means escape but the other meanings centre around running away, so it changes the kanjis core meaning.

A lot of these kanji are meant to be used in compound words or as verbs, so if you're going to use a single kanji, it needs to be important that it reflects the core meaning of the character.

I mean, the escape key is special though...That's a common spot for a novelty, so you can really put anything meaningful there if you wanted to...But it's difficult to make meaningful kanji for a set that is based on such an abstract concept. With samurai, there is 侍、 and 忍者、忍び which means samurai, ninja, shinobi respectively...Then you run into another problem, which is that the theme needs to be substantial enough to support such novelties.

Somebody said it before, that almost every successful SA set is based on a tangible piece of pop culture, and it's easy to see why. Anything lesseans that you struggle greatly to come up with more than a couple of novelties.

Edit: oh, I see you're already using shinobi and samurai elsewhere for mods...

It's not a very pretty kanji, very basic, but 止 does at least mean "to stop, to halt, to cease, to resign". 終止 Shuushi means stop resign halt.. there's always 終 which means end, finish, and is a very common kanji and firstyear would know. It's the one you might see at the end of a Japanese movie instead of "the end".

It's simple, but it works. The first example of 窮まる I gave you doesn't really work because the kanji itself doesn't quite mean the same as the verb form; the kanji itself means destitute etc.

Anyways, the choice is yours, just wanted to make sure you are informed of the options since nigeru didn't really fit.

[e_l_tang]

I believe we are running into the exact same issue as we did with the legends of the numeric keypad keycaps. There really is no precedent, and we are not exactly qualified to set one. Personally I think the easiest way out would be to just copy the legends on HiPro keycaps. That would also allow the set have the most utility for both Japanese speakers and non-Japanese speakers.

[Arallu]

I updated Esc to a kamon symbol, which seems to fit nicely instead of using kanji or unicode.

[Seelen]

I believe we are running into the exact same issue as we did with the legends of the numeric keypad keycaps. There really is no precedent, and we are not exactly qualified to set one. Personally I think the easiest way out would be to just copy the legends on HiPro keycaps. That would also allow the set have the most utility for both Japanese speakers and non-Japanese speakers.

I agree there's no precedent, but I disagree that we are unqualified to set one. I consider myself to be quite good with these sorts of things, and I also have 6+ years experience studying Japanese.

Standards rarely start out as standards...They start out as experiments, and that's all I was suggesting.

There will come a time when I decide to design a keyset, and I may choose Kanji for certain novelties...I may not set a new standard, but you can be damned sure it will work.

Now, for a bunch of people trying to design a keyset who don't speak the language, yes, it's a little silly to think that a standard will be born from it.

I do wonder why even bother making a Japanese keyset at that point though, because the alphabet doesn't even correspond 1:1 to the English keycap. If you aren't planning to try to learn the Japanese layout, there's little point in using it.

I guess it's the American equivalent of when you see Japanese commercials like "Let's driving yes okay". If all you want is a bunch of random characters, Otaku accomplished that...But it did so in a gauche fashion, using cliched characters and a stereotyped name (NOBODY into anime or Japanese culture in the West Actually calls themselves an Otaku... Calling yourself an Otaku is like calling yourself a goth, it's just another way of saying poser lol)

I was hoping this keyset, with it's similar theme and colors, was attempting to remedy the mistakes of the original Otaku set.

[jebbra]

Otaku means blank in keyboard hobby. DSA Otaku is playing on that term because it quite fit with the use of Japanese letters because people who use blanks can change it with more graphic one, in this case, Hiragana/Katakana.

But yes I agree it was not that mature execution in the end.

[Seelen]

Yeah, I've seen Otaku boards with sideprint or no print, I jistade the assumption that DSA Otaku was referring to the kana. Makes sense if they named it the other way.

[Arallu]

Realforce HiPro homage

[BlackInk]

Realforce HiPro homage

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This gave me a boner.......... Almost came :)) cant wait for this to drop for GB

[Arallu]

Updated OP with key kits, and text mods. Let me know what you think!
Also, renders in progress!

[jebbra]

I think using x instead of * for 'times' in numpad is more fitting since you use ÷ instead of /
Look at GMK numpad or DSA Granite for reference.

Since it's in SA you will add more kit right? I mean Ortho of course And I suggest using full icon for Ortho kit.

[e_l_tang]

I think using x instead of * for 'times' in numpad is more fitting since you use ÷ instead of /
Look at GMK numpad or DSA Granite for reference.

Since it's in SA you will add more kit right? I mean Ortho of course And I suggest using full icon for Ortho kit.

Arallu is taking inspiration from HiPro keycaps.

[jebbra]

I think using x instead of * for 'times' in numpad is more fitting since you use ÷ instead of /
Look at GMK numpad or DSA Granite for reference.

Since it's in SA you will add more kit right? I mean Ortho of course And I suggest using full icon for Ortho kit.

Arallu is taking inspiration from HiPro keycaps.

I know, but this is a set which legends is built from scratch so if we can improve the HiPro design, why not? There's no point in designing in the first place if all we do is replicating the already available ones

[Sefreyt]

This set is amazing my wife will hate me if it drops...

[Arallu]

Renders updated. I did change the * to an X on the numpad 

[megaforce]

My fingers say no but my weeb says yes.

[dead_pixel_design]

Yes.

[redbanshee]

me likey
also, this:

(https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ReeaX)

[Seelen]

Seeing the render makes me reslize, that circular escape key design is ugly and really doesn't fit with the set.

I'm aware you aren't up to the task of selecting kanji to use for this set, but if you're going to make the function row read 1-12 in kanji, and the escape key is part of that red stripe, why don't you make the escape key the kanji for zero? 零, It's a really cool looking kanji anyways, and it would fit so much better than a random ass circle.

To be honest, I'm more than a little disappointed that you passed up a chance to familiarize yourself more with kanji and bring this set to the next level. I'll admit the render does look pretty nice, but with this set being dyesub, the lack of originality in areas like that are what will ultimately stop me from dropping, what, $140+ for it? I am obviously just one person; you will have plenty of other people lining up to buy this set regardless of WHAT kanji you stick in it...But if the people you haven't impressed are the people who actually speak the language you're using, then the Japanese in this set is more gimmick than design feature and theme...which, as I said, that's what you seem to have set out to do and that's okay...But it's not great.

God is in the details, never forget that!

[Seelen]

Oh, and I went and looked up DSA Otaku, just so I could compare...Take a look. You have honestly just taken Otaku, given it a stripe, and made the wait time a year:



I'm sorry, I'm just not seeing much of a difference. Even the F row kanji are the same, Otaku just did a weird version of it. I guess I'm just missing the point, the heart and soul of this set...Maybe it's "just not for me"...But the reason I take the time to say all this isn't just to dump on your set, it's because if a custom keyset with Japanese legends "isn't made for" a keyboard enthusiast who speaks Japanese, then who IS it made for?

I understand you may take this as harsh criticism, and perhaps it is, but if you want to sell hundreds of people on this keyset, you need to prove that it's not only sufficiently different than Otaku, but that it's inherently original and patently better to make up for the enormous wait time on SA sets... Because the hurdle with SA is making a set sufficiently original and extraordinary enough for people to pay hundreds of dollars for it half a year before they receive it....But you're trapped now ..You can't switch to DSA, because then there would be almost zero improvements. At that point you might as well be releasing an F row novelties pack to spruce up the kanji in Otaku. Hell, you're even using R3 layout, which gives it the same uniform look as Otaku.

Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe hundreds of people love this set, and maybe it doesn't matter what I think...But being that I fall DEAD center of the target audience, I felt my critique was warranted. My recommendation, same as before, is to make this set sufficiently different and original...You're using dyesub, you can do whatever you want for the legends, yet you're choosing the EXACT icons used in Otaku? Where's the originality? Look at Semiotic...You can do some crazy things with dyesub; that's the whole point of using dyesub instead of doubleshot!

[zslane]

The limiting factor in fully sculptured SA in PBT plastic has nothing to do with molds. SP already has all the necessary molds for SA; the type of plastic injected into them doesn't matter.

The reason they can't yet dye-sub onto the other profiles is because they don't yet have the necessary assembly boards which orient those keycaps at the correct angles to allow the sublimation printing to be projected straight down onto the keycap surfaces properly. But they are working on them. We just gotta be patient.

BTW, I love the colors. 

[Seelen]

Sure, I can understand the limits to it...I only brought up the R3 profile because it brings it one step closer to Otaku...So we have a set using very similar colors, a very similar profile, with exactly the same icons.

My argument is that if you're creating a whole new set, it requires enough originality for a few hundred people to want to buy it... Especially considering Otaku is still available, is it not?

With how similar the two are, a set like this has to have a "soul", a raison d'etre, if you will. I mean, the fact is, going dyesub for this set opens up many possibilities, and this set isnt taking full advantage. If the theme is going to be Japanese and kanji (and let's be honest, that's the real theme, other than a single modifier that uses the kanji for Samurai, which you wouldn't know unless you knew...You got it, Japanese), then at least take advantage with cool kanji, or interesting modifiers legends/icons, novelties...Etc etc.

And my last point is, since the above isn't happening, then the final reason for a set like this is to make Otaku 2.0...But 2.0 means fixing the mistakes of the original, improving upon the design. That just isn't the case either.

Like I said, maybe it just isn't for me and there are people who want it...But I do think it's a bit gimmicky and reminds me of when you see random kanji in American TV shows that are completely meaningless.

I guess it's too much to hope for that a Japanese layout keyset actually be created with those interested in the language in mind. Imagine if Godspeed SA had a bunch of novelties that said ROCKETS, SPACE, instead of the subtleties that went into it. This set barely even has novelties, so even that's not an apt comparison. This is a Japanese layout set for no reason other than it looks different than a normal keyset. It's a cheap shortcut and rather than bringing legit originality, for a speaker of the language, it's simply another font, if that makes sense. Japanese alphas are not a focus point to me, that is just a necessity, the same way having the alphabet is a general necessity for a standard keyset. I don't consider it a novelty in and of itself.

[Arallu]

No worries. I think I've stated a few times that yes, I'd like the set to be approachable and having symbol icons is even too far in some people's book let alone kanji mods.
The mod icons are unicode standards unicode standards so saying its copying another set is like saying don't put "shift" on a shift key because other sets use it. Unless you're really asking me to get the creative juices going and deconstruct some symbols ala XDA Canvas, but I don't think that's necessary.
I'd love a sculpted doubleshot set and half debated paying the $2500 to get Katakana molds made, and even those were because Otaku Katakana was way more popular than Hiragana. So, yep to differntiate from dsa Otaku, and partly to hope to get picked as a set of the month (because I highly doubt you'd see this on massdrop), because the costs have risen, I went with dyesub SA.
Also, dyesub SA wait time is not a year, doubleshot SA is.  And SA uniform R3 feels different than DSA, I'd hope some appreciate SA enough that sets like 1976, Danger Zone, and Nuclear Data are in SA R3 vs. DSA.
And as far as a Japanese keysets go, these seem pretty popular, but they're topre!


Also, the random ass cirlce is the Shimazu symbol just like the win key is the Takeda symbol.

[Seelen]

Well, since the wait time isn't nearly as long, it certainly changes things a bit. I still feel this set is missing that "next level" feeling (that doesn't necessarily have to come from kanji legends). It's just that the colors and the style are both so close to Otaku, this set basically feels like Otaku with slightly thicker keys and a stripe, making that differentiation all the more important.

As for your symbols, that's cool and all, I understand it's a clan symbol, but how many people really know that? Are they a famous clan known for something? Do you get what I mean when I say the soul of the set? It's hard to put to words, but it's a cohesive theme that pulls the set together. Now, of course, every set has a "theme", but I mean it as more than just that. Hopefully you get what I'm saying. For example, you and others were all excited about using Katakana early in the thread, and while Katakana was certainly around back then, it wasn't used even close to the way it is today. It was more of a shorthand, and only used by specific groups of people. This part is just my opinion of course, but it didn't fit with the "soul" of the set.

Also, yes, the keyboard layout you linked is a true Japanese keyboard, with half/full width, conversion, and no conversion keys. There are plenty of good keyset makers doing those (you linked a great one), and a custom set would never hit MOQ for that layout (though maybe combining an extras and 40s set would bridge the gap)

Anyways, my point is that I want a keyset like this as an alternative to the true Japanese layout, since I am going to spend ~80% of my time typing in English. That's what I thought made this set what it was, a keyset for Japanese speakers who want a custom keyset for am American keyboard.

I get that it's not what you we're aiming for now. I will say, and this is probably a bit of a jab at people, that I think it's silly for those buying sets like Otaku who have zero interest in learning the language, or at least the alphabet. It just feels really lame to me to have no idea what the keys on your keyboard mean, which is where my gimmick comment came from.

So I guess part of my criticism is less with the set itself and more with the people buying a set like this without any legit interest in the language. It reminds me of the kids whose understanding of Japanese extends to KAWAII DESUU and not much else

If I thought your set was ****, I wouldn't even bother saying anything. I definitely like it, but unfortunately it looks like I am alone on this board (or in the extreme minority) for the things I want to see in a Japanese keyset

Anyways, my intention was not to rail on you here. I've shared my criticism, so I won't keep drilling on it. I just felt I had knowledge that you may have been interested in, and I hope I have been some help in that regard (like the ESC key).

[Arallu]

Here we go, I'll just call it Black and Tan and throw the red keys into a color pack add-on

[dead_pixel_design]

Here we go, I'll just call it Black and Tan and throw the red keys into a color pack add-on

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The red adds so much to the set, why wouldn't you include it in the base? I would argue that everyone wants the red touches without having to pay extra for that little splash or color. Make more red key alternatives available, but don't take away the red Esc and Enter from the base set at least?
I like this second picture for the base set but without the red Shift/Tab, I like the idea of just the esc/enter being the color accent keys without additional add-ons

[Arallu]

The red adds so much to the set, why wouldn't you include it in the base? I would argue that everyone wants the red touches without having to pay extra for that little splash or color. Make more red key alternatives available, but don't take away the red Esc and Enter from the base set at least?
I like this second picture for the base set but without the red Shift/Tab, I like the idea of just the esc/enter being the color accent keys without additional add-ons

Oh I know, I'll have at least the Esc and probably the Enter in the base, just taking pictures. Updated the post above, and going to redo the kits.

[muten-roshi]

This is getting better and better

Gesendet von meinem E5823 mit Tapatalk

[H3NT4I]

I really like where this set is going. Looking forward to see the final GB. 

[bmmcwhirt]

Maybe it's just me but I would think the backspace should be labeled 切腹.

[swangful]

My inner otaku is very pleased with this set.

Some of the english on the keys is a bit off putting to me though, or perhaps its just the font used. Otherwise, looks great. 

[Arallu]

Maybe it's just me but I would think the backspace should be labeled 切腹.

Seppuku?
He approves

[bmmcwhirt]

I do not understand everyone's fascination with having the F5-F8 keys be the alternate color, I dislike that look personally. I'm not saying it's bad I just don't understand it or care for it myself. I REALY like the red Fx keys with this set and I'd like that to be the standard base if I had my choice. I think it better achieve the look you were going for.

[a_ak57]

Agreed, I think the red F-row is much more striking and should be the default. 

[swangful]

Agreed, I think the red F-row is much more striking and should be the default.

+1 red stripe.

[hhkbp2]

Classic and Nice. I'm in.

I think it would be cool to add some more symbols like weapons or darts into the novelties kit.

[JasonH]

Definitely in here, in this case I like the red stripe vs alternate colors for the f keys

[AuDiTH]

Interested! Can't wait to see this gb happen