by Kasumi Sonoda | Jan 26, 2026 | Research
Let’s be honest. We’ve all stolen things. Maybe it went well. It probably didn’t. For example: One time I stole a frozen raspberry. One. One raspberry. The heist went flawlessly, but then I felt so guilty, I went and confessed it to my parents, who were terribly...
by Kasumi Sonoda | Jan 26, 2026 | Research
Legend has it that Kasumi Sonoda is actually Chinese. When I was 3 years old, I came home from daycare and proudly told my father, “I’m Chinese, Daddy.” Daddy raised an eyebrow. “No Babygirl, you’re Japanese because I’m Japanese.” I lifted my chin. “No, I’m not...
by Kasumi Sonoda | Jan 26, 2026 | Research
Welcome back to my research notes! The main character in Project “Sparkle Cup” is a geisha. Her job is to charm powerful men and create an atmosphere of grace and peace. Historically, one of the geishas’ iconic practices for accomplishing this was to host Japanese tea...
by Kasumi Sonoda | Jan 26, 2026 | Research
Have you heard of the trope Hurt/Comfort? The term was coined by the fanfiction community to describe a scene where one character experiences some kind of hurt, physical or emotional, and another character comforts and supports them physically or emotionally. Think of...
by Kasumi Sonoda | Jan 26, 2026 | Research
Pro Tip: If you time travel to Edo period Japan don’t bring any dolls that are too big. Also don’t bring any dolls wearing clothing with thick stripes. You could be arrested for that. I am not joking. Don’t do it. Well. Now that’s out of the way. Welcome to my Study...
