Biblioethica Jan/Feb Prompt: Cycle

The original prompt for this month's Biblioethica post was meant to echo the movie Groundhog Day. Kind of a joking prompt when it was first brought up. But I think it can also be a great chance to talk about the "cycles" I see in the mori community.

There are, of course, many kinds of cycles. Cycles in fashion, cycles in colors, cycles in hobbies, and many more. But today, I want to talk about the life cycle of a mori person! 

I think most moris will experience all stages of this cycle, although some may decide to leave the fashion at some point and move on to other interests. But if you are a long-term mori or someone passionate about the style, you will likely find yourself somewhere on this cycle yourself!

(Please know this post is just for fun! If any of these stages describe you, it is purely a coincidence based on larger trends and not me criticizing you/calling you out/etc. It is just my observations based on larger trends I have noticed over many years in the community.)

Stage 1: Discovery

Stage 1 is full of excitement, passion, and energy. Discovery moris are just finding out about mori, scouring the internet for images, looking for guides on how to wear the style, and reposting and following any mori creator they can find! These are the moris who are joining any community they can, and, depending on their personality, leaving exuberant introductions and chatting with anyone and everyone, or silently lurking and taking everything in.

(The first mori photo I ever saw!)

You probably also spend a lot of time reading or consuming content by mori people who have been in the community for a while, or whose outfits you like. You may join a community and ask them direct questions to help get you started!

(In the spirit of honesty, I was the excitedly interacting person myself. The kind people on the mori LiveJournal and Facebook page graciously endured my many comments and questions and are the reason I am still in the community to this day! So I'm talking about myself here as well.)

Stage 2: Testing things out

(Some of my early, slightly embarrassing mori coords. I was so little I still had braces!)

This stage is where you make your first steps into mori, fashion or lifestyle! It may happen quickly after Stage 1, or it might take a bit of time as you decide whether or not you want to actually commit to this new community.

This stage may include making your first coord and sharing it with other people to get their feedback. Your first coord may be perfectly planned, or maybe it's a bit embarrassing to look back on (cough cough like some of my first coords cough cough). 

Or maybe this stage includes sharing your hobbies, photography, or other mori lifestyle content.

But either way, these first steps take a bit of bravery! So kudos to those of you in Stage 2!

Stage 3: The "Is this mori?" stage

I think every mori person is in this stage for at least some point of time, some longer and more passionately than others (looking at you, 2010s Tumblr moris). It can be a more intense inner questioning and self-doubting, or maybe just a casual experience. But we all spend at least a little time here.

(Images from the old Mori Confessions Tumblr which is no longer active)

This stage includes asking "is it mori" about anything and everything, and questioning your understanding of the style. Some people might just be asking simple questions about clothing items, or maybe it's about hairstyles, makeup, hobbies, or more. For most, it's about wanting to make everything and anything in your life fit your new mori aesthetic, sometimes even going so far as to stop doing things you like that are "not mori enough."

I did this somewhat myself, looking to start new hobbies to fit the mori aesthetic. I'm lucky I still enjoy those hobbies I started back then, but I do feel like I can't talk about this stage without the obligatory disclaimer: You do not need to stop doing something you love, stop wearing something that makes you happy, change your personality, or anything else to be mori. You can be mori and do non-mori things. It is never necessary to 100% fit an aesthetic, and it can often be unhealthy to do so. Please value all parts of yourself and your interests, and only change what you yourself want to change.

Also, sometimes things don't need to be mori. If your job isn't aesthetically pleasing, or you have to wear a uniform to school, or you need "non-aesthetic" aides like canes, glasses, orthopedic shoes, or more, those things are more important to daily life than any aesthetic. 

Stage 3.5 (optional): The "Only this is the right way to mori!!" phase

(From Mori Confessions Blog. Made a sassy post on this confession way 

back if anyone remembers that)

This stage is thankfully far less common now, but was more popular during the height of mori when people from other fashion communities with more rules joined. This stage is the negative version of Stage 3, and is usually focused on promoting "street snap mori" in a passionate way. It's not always necessarily nasty, but always very defensive and passionate that mori needs to look/be a certain way. And this applies to fashion and lifestyle.

Thankfully, this stage has mostly died out these days. And personally, I hope this part of the cycle can eventually die away entirely.

Stage 4: The mellow stage

This stage is where you start to get more comfortable in mori. You may still be exploring what things are mori or not, you may still be asking questions and exploring new hobbies. But things feel a lot less important at this stage. You start to worry less when you wear an outfit, whether it fits the mori style or not. You enjoy a hobby and don't wonder what the mori community would think about it. And for those who wear the style, you may start to get more comfortable wearing mori out in public than you were before. In short, you start to mellow out a bit as you grow more comfortable with being mori.

Stage 5: The settled stage

This stage is the final evolution of a mori (but not always the last stage). At this point, you are confident and comfortable. You know what kind of mori clothes you like and don't like, and you don't really care about whether it fits the traditional version of mori or not. You enjoy your hobbies regardless of whether they're mori or not. You may still engage in discussions about what is mori or not, or mori hobbies, or read advice, but you're interested from an educational standpoint, not to justify yourself or your expression of mori.

This final stage is cozy and content. And I hope every mori person makes it to this stage and gets to enjoy being happy and confident in what you love!

Stage 5.5 (optional): The "elder" to the beginners in the cycle!

This last stage is a sometimes stage. Not everyone wants to be an authority figure, a teacher, or give advice, and that is totally valid! But for many mori people, once they reach Stage 5, they, in a sense, begin the cycle again. Maybe you start making mori content to inform others, maybe you give out advice, or welcome new moris into your communities. But you become in some capacity that mori person who welcomes new moris into the community and helps them begin their own mori journey. And I think that the full circle of the "mori cycle" is so fun and rewarding, and I always love to see it!

So how about you, my deers? Have you noticed these same trends in the "cycle" or mori? Are there any stages you would add? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Until next time!

2025 Year in Review

In 2024, I made a year in review post. I wanted to do the same thing for 2025. Although last year was a little harder and a little sadder, there were still a lot of good things to celebrate that I want to share with you all.

Personal Life

Sad stuff out of the way first. I had a lot of personal loss this year (not to mention the collective loss and fear in the world right now due to the rise of fascism, war, the state of the environment...)

My sweet grandma passed away early in the year, right after I had moved back to the US from Japan. So it's been a year of grieving the loss of my family member and the place I had been calling home. But I'm grateful both that I could make it home in time to see my grandma again before she passed, and that I had a chance to live out my dream of living in Japan in the first place. Life is a mix of ups and downs, so I'm trying to learn to love them both.

On a positive side, moving back to my home country has mean the chance to reconnect with old friends and travelling to see family that I had dearly missed. I was also able to start a new job that I really enjoy. It's probably the best job I've ever had, and so much fun! 

Music

I leaned a lot into comfort music this year. Old stuff I hadn't listened to in a long time, like old school vocaloid songs and pop songs from my childhood. But I also found some new comfy favorites too!

Rose Betts

My mom introduced me to one of her favorite musicians this year, the lovely Rose Betts. I'd heard a single song by her before, but this year I really got into her sweet sound. Her voice is lovely and really whisks me away into a whimsical feeling.

Here are a few of my recommendations:

Doodles

Northern Sky (With The Wellermen)

Save Me A Seat

Bansanka by Tuki

This one is a single song, although I do like a lot of Tuki's work. But I first heard "Bansanka" on New Years where she performed for a Japanese music program. I fell in love with her talented singing voice, and unique lyrics. It's been on repeat on my playlists all year!

Thumbelina by Lizzy Hilliard

I found this song by accident, but I adore it. It gives me old school Popoyans vibes in the best way possible. It's absolutely charming!

Games

I didn't play as many new games this year, and most of what I did play was cozy games that have been sitting in my steam wishlist for a while. Or replays of old games like Zelda games and Skies of Arcadia. But I did discover a few gems this year!

Little Witch in the Woods

This is the cutest game I have ever played. The characters are charming, the setting is adorable, the visuals are also super cute, and the story was super engaging. You play as a cute little witch exploring an old village, making potions, and uncovering some mysteries. The gameplay is simple but fun, and the story really pulled me in. I was instantly invested in the village and its inhabitants! 

It's honestly really sad to me that this game doesn't have more fans! I highly recommend checking it out!

(Image Source)

Available only for PC

Undusted

Undusted is a cozy game about cleaning that made me cry with its touching story. I don't want to spoil it at all, but it really hit me in the feels. It's short but lovingly crafted. Definitely recommend. Just keep the tissues ready!

(Image Source)

Available on PC and Switch.

Jusant

Jusant is a game about climbing an old abandoned tower. I honestly hated this game at first because of its odd controls. But the more I played, the more I got into a groove. It became so relaxing, and I couldn't put it down. It's a beautiful game.

(Image Source)

Available on PC, Playstation, and Xbox. It requires a controller, and I recommend playing it on a console or with a steam deck for the best experience.

Teacup

Teacup is a precious little game. You play as a little frog preparing for a tea party. It has a cute little story with tiny minigames throughout. It's short, but charming. A very nice game for a cozy afternoon, and very mori vibes.

(Image Source)

Available on PC, Switch, Xbox, Playstation, and Mobile App.

My Hobbies

Art Fight

This year was my first time participating in art fight! I interacted with so many cool artists, and overdid it a little bit on how many pieces I drew to be honest. Got a little burnt out on art for a few months. But I had a blast!

I mostly focused on drawing art for beginner artists or people without many pieces drawn for them. It was so fun to send them the finished pieces! It was also a great chance to draw a bunch of styles and characters I never would have otherwise. Stretched my skills a lot!

Here are a few favorites I sent in order!

1) jsp faut je trouve by spyally (with my own character Candace)

2) Dolly for f43r13

3) Korok OCs (plus my own koroks) for Wyraces

4) Lilum Kielo for Showgirlmize

5) Princess Mononoke for Stormae
6) Nevan for Mintkirin
7) Moonwater for maremoonwater/nimbus

8) Rayne for Hallkyrin

And here are a few favorites I received in order! (Although I loved every single one of the pieces drawn for me so much and I will treasure them always <3 )

1) From Salamama

2) From Serinrinn

3) From Lientje

4) From Lowpaw

5) From Iingezo

Knitting projects / learning to crochet

I also got back into the groove of fiber arts this year! I knit a bunch of items for Christmas projects for my family, including a Cinnamoroll Beanie, a lot of hats, a scarf, and more! I also learned to crochet a bit for some of the projects, although I don't really like it much. And for myself, I knit a bunch of headscarves, and I'm currently working on a Maple Leaf Shawl by Elfmoda. It's slow going and a nightmare of a pattern, but I'm so excited for the final product!

How about you my dears? I hope your year was okay, and I'm hoping for a softer year next for us all. The world is a scary place right now, but I'm sending you all lots of love!