Price$10.00
Media TypeeBook, Video Download
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedOct 08, 2014
Tokyo Tables, The
Naito, Golo
Vanishing Inc.
(Based on 4 reviews)
But what will strike you first about The Tokyo Tables is the learning experience. This ebook LOOKS gorgeous, as if it was laid out by the editors at Vanity Fair. And as a sweet perk, nearly every trick has a video showing a performance and explanation of the trick he writes about. So you get to see these tricks in action, and just how visual and commercial each one is. The book describes 10 items in 36 pages, and we found it the perfect length for two detailed sittings. This is one of those ebooks that could EASILY be a $50 printed hardbound book, but the embedded videos are too cool to leave out, so it remains an ebook at an extremely reasonable price.
There are too many favorites to mention, but here are some:
Introduce Yourself: You burn a piece of paper and change it into your name badge in a flash, and then change THAT into a deck of cards.
Prediction on Arm: Cause an image of a selected card to appear ON THE ARM of your spectator.
Think of a Card: Smart, insightful work on every magician's obsession: thought-of card material.
36 pages. Includes 25-minute video download.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
This was an interesting format and layout because you not only get a PDF but you also get a Vimeo video, however, the video is a tad more complete in its instructional value but that is not a bad thing necessarily – at least not in this case. I will explain:
As you read through the PDF, you get more of the background story on the author and on each effect and then at certain points during the explanation of each effect, it refers you to the video for a performance and further (or for the complete) explanation. Some of the effects in the PDF have a brief explanation but not the whole thing, and for others the opposite is true. I thought a particularly nice touch was the PDF points you to a specific time stamp in the video for that effect, rather than a generic instruction to “…now go watch the video to see the explanation”.
The PDF is easy to read and is nicely laid out, the video is well-produced and is a no-talk instructional video with text and diagram overlays to point out further details. The ad copy is…about 99.8% accurate. It claims that “ALL of the material is practical…” which is not entirely true – some of the items are not practical but the methods do work – a minor point. It also claims that this e-book could easily have been a $50 printed book, which if that were true, I could see some unhappy magicians out there because though most of the material is pretty good, it is not ‘$50’ good.
The effects themselves are not really new but rather are his updates to old “classic-type” effects. His ‘Floating Cigarette’ is very doable and it will work using a standard type of IT, but in my opinion it does not look as clean as many other methods that have been published such as the Finn Jon and John Kennedy methods.
Ring in Ear is reminiscent of the Gregory Wilson ‘Recap’ routine which he cites as the inspiration for this one. I like the fact that a ring and a Sharpie are used for this but I think that the handling for some people can be a bit clunky at some points and not everyone may be able to stick a ring into their ear where the finale calls for that. Personally, I think using a finger ring and a marker to do the original handling of the ‘Recap’ effect and ending with the ring on your finger would look much better as a whole picture.
His bill change was interesting because it looks pretty good and it is examinable at the end with a very simple clean-up. There are no arts and crafts for this one either…
‘Introduce Yourself’ is a decent idea where you light a piece of paper on fire and your business card or a nametag appears, which you then turn into a deck of cards. The handling for this was, in my opinion, not the cleanest. This effect does not quite come full circle because usually when you produce a name tag or business card, you leave it behind or hand it out. In this case, that item vanishes and turns into a deck of cards – it just feels…cut short.
‘Double Vision’ is a very cool take on the classic ‘Do-As-I-Do’ plot with only one deck and it is based on a pretty obscure mathematical principle. To me, this is probably the best item in this collection – it will most likely fool ‘the guys’ and will certainly fool laymen. The only problem I have with this is the reference to a website that he gave which for me did not work, but that does not hinder the ability to learn this method.
‘Think of a Card’ is another old plot with some great work by Ed Marlo, Milt Kort and of course, Dai Vernon, among many others. In my opinion this handling is okay but it is not great and it most certainly is not a 100% guarantee to work, though outs are given should it not go according to plan.
‘Prediction on Arm’ is nothing more than a revelation of a selected card on the arm of a spectator. The revelation comes in the form of a sticker, which in this context is not motivated at all, but there are some thoughts given as to how the sticker can be used as a kicker ending for other selected card effects. This idea holds all the power of invading the personal space of a spectator to cause magic to happen, but it holds little else.
The “Deck Switcher” is not really a switching device so much as it is a holdout for a cold deck. Rather than this device allowing for a switch, it is more appropriate for introducing a different deck.
The ‘Holder Gimmick’ is a rudimentary device for storing gimmicked cards for your strolling sets which seems like it should do the job – it is pretty good thinking. I do not have a use for this device but other magicians out there may see potential because it is a genuine solution to a problem that many have had in the past (or currently do have) where carrying gimmicked cards is concerened.
There is a bonus idea for a way to hook up the Yigal Mesika ‘Spider Pen’ which can only be done with the Spider Pen, but it is clever and takes full advantage of the design of the pen.
This is not a bad collection of stuff for only $10/USD – I have certainly seen much, MUCH worse single trick DVDs for much more money. If you like what you see in the trailer you will probably like the contents because overall, most people might find some ideas for use here though not everyone will.
Three stars.
As you read through the PDF, you get more of the background story on the author and on each effect and then at certain points during the explanation of each effect, it refers you to the video for a performance and further (or for the complete) explanation. Some of the effects in the PDF have a brief explanation but not the whole thing, and for others the opposite is true. I thought a particularly nice touch was the PDF points you to a specific time stamp in the video for that effect, rather than a generic instruction to “…now go watch the video to see the explanation”.
The PDF is easy to read and is nicely laid out, the video is well-produced and is a no-talk instructional video with text and diagram overlays to point out further details. The ad copy is…about 99.8% accurate. It claims that “ALL of the material is practical…” which is not entirely true – some of the items are not practical but the methods do work – a minor point. It also claims that this e-book could easily have been a $50 printed book, which if that were true, I could see some unhappy magicians out there because though most of the material is pretty good, it is not ‘$50’ good.
The effects themselves are not really new but rather are his updates to old “classic-type” effects. His ‘Floating Cigarette’ is very doable and it will work using a standard type of IT, but in my opinion it does not look as clean as many other methods that have been published such as the Finn Jon and John Kennedy methods.
Ring in Ear is reminiscent of the Gregory Wilson ‘Recap’ routine which he cites as the inspiration for this one. I like the fact that a ring and a Sharpie are used for this but I think that the handling for some people can be a bit clunky at some points and not everyone may be able to stick a ring into their ear where the finale calls for that. Personally, I think using a finger ring and a marker to do the original handling of the ‘Recap’ effect and ending with the ring on your finger would look much better as a whole picture.
His bill change was interesting because it looks pretty good and it is examinable at the end with a very simple clean-up. There are no arts and crafts for this one either…
‘Introduce Yourself’ is a decent idea where you light a piece of paper on fire and your business card or a nametag appears, which you then turn into a deck of cards. The handling for this was, in my opinion, not the cleanest. This effect does not quite come full circle because usually when you produce a name tag or business card, you leave it behind or hand it out. In this case, that item vanishes and turns into a deck of cards – it just feels…cut short.
‘Double Vision’ is a very cool take on the classic ‘Do-As-I-Do’ plot with only one deck and it is based on a pretty obscure mathematical principle. To me, this is probably the best item in this collection – it will most likely fool ‘the guys’ and will certainly fool laymen. The only problem I have with this is the reference to a website that he gave which for me did not work, but that does not hinder the ability to learn this method.
‘Think of a Card’ is another old plot with some great work by Ed Marlo, Milt Kort and of course, Dai Vernon, among many others. In my opinion this handling is okay but it is not great and it most certainly is not a 100% guarantee to work, though outs are given should it not go according to plan.
‘Prediction on Arm’ is nothing more than a revelation of a selected card on the arm of a spectator. The revelation comes in the form of a sticker, which in this context is not motivated at all, but there are some thoughts given as to how the sticker can be used as a kicker ending for other selected card effects. This idea holds all the power of invading the personal space of a spectator to cause magic to happen, but it holds little else.
The “Deck Switcher” is not really a switching device so much as it is a holdout for a cold deck. Rather than this device allowing for a switch, it is more appropriate for introducing a different deck.
The ‘Holder Gimmick’ is a rudimentary device for storing gimmicked cards for your strolling sets which seems like it should do the job – it is pretty good thinking. I do not have a use for this device but other magicians out there may see potential because it is a genuine solution to a problem that many have had in the past (or currently do have) where carrying gimmicked cards is concerened.
There is a bonus idea for a way to hook up the Yigal Mesika ‘Spider Pen’ which can only be done with the Spider Pen, but it is clever and takes full advantage of the design of the pen.
This is not a bad collection of stuff for only $10/USD – I have certainly seen much, MUCH worse single trick DVDs for much more money. If you like what you see in the trailer you will probably like the contents because overall, most people might find some ideas for use here though not everyone will.
Three stars.
(Top ▲)
REVIEW
This download video has some good effects and routines.
The first is a cigarette manipulation and levitation. The method is very nice and simple. I think a little more work could have gone into moving the hands side to side while the cigarette goes to the mouth. Keeping the hands so still gives the impression that there is something between the hands holding up the cigarette. It is important to understand that magic is not when people can't explain it. Magic is about something having no explanation. In the video, they may not know what was between the hands, but the hands telegraphed that there was "something" between them. His hookup method is very good and very simple.
The next routine starts out as the typical vanish a ring using a sharpie as a wand, but the sharpie vanishes behind the ear. However, there is a little surprise when the ring then vanishes to the ear. He also shows a few ring manipulations. In one of the manipulations, the ring is flashed, showing that the handling needs more work. His ideas on the vanish and the manipulation are very good.
Next is a bill change. The method is good. Again, his handling needs a little more work as you see his thumb pulling something into the hand. A simple tilting of the hand would obscure the thumb and make the move invisible. Easy enough to fix with proper handling.
Next is a business card revelation in a flash of flame and the business card turns into a deck of cards. I think the premise here needs a little work. If you are producing a business card, the next obvious thing would be to give out the business card. Instead, the business card vanishes and is replaced by a deck of cards. The routine never gets back around to handing out the business card.
Finally the set ends with a card trick with a double revelation. It has been said that “confusion isn’t magic”. I think this trick came dangerously close to crossing the line between confusion vs magic.
CAUTION
There is some good material on this download, but it also demonstrates some things to avoid and some things to work on to make the magic better.
VERDICT
I can’t say I don’t recommend this, because I think he has some good ideas and it is clear that he is thinking about how to take a common routine to the next level. This download was a good reminder for magicians to perform in front of a mirror, and to record themselves performing from various angles, and then actually watch the performance.
I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend this because he has some good ideas, and it is an opportunity to see how small changes, for example, the slight tilting of the hand, can alter the magic moment.
This download video has some good effects and routines.
The first is a cigarette manipulation and levitation. The method is very nice and simple. I think a little more work could have gone into moving the hands side to side while the cigarette goes to the mouth. Keeping the hands so still gives the impression that there is something between the hands holding up the cigarette. It is important to understand that magic is not when people can't explain it. Magic is about something having no explanation. In the video, they may not know what was between the hands, but the hands telegraphed that there was "something" between them. His hookup method is very good and very simple.
The next routine starts out as the typical vanish a ring using a sharpie as a wand, but the sharpie vanishes behind the ear. However, there is a little surprise when the ring then vanishes to the ear. He also shows a few ring manipulations. In one of the manipulations, the ring is flashed, showing that the handling needs more work. His ideas on the vanish and the manipulation are very good.
Next is a bill change. The method is good. Again, his handling needs a little more work as you see his thumb pulling something into the hand. A simple tilting of the hand would obscure the thumb and make the move invisible. Easy enough to fix with proper handling.
Next is a business card revelation in a flash of flame and the business card turns into a deck of cards. I think the premise here needs a little work. If you are producing a business card, the next obvious thing would be to give out the business card. Instead, the business card vanishes and is replaced by a deck of cards. The routine never gets back around to handing out the business card.
Finally the set ends with a card trick with a double revelation. It has been said that “confusion isn’t magic”. I think this trick came dangerously close to crossing the line between confusion vs magic.
CAUTION
There is some good material on this download, but it also demonstrates some things to avoid and some things to work on to make the magic better.
VERDICT
I can’t say I don’t recommend this, because I think he has some good ideas and it is clear that he is thinking about how to take a common routine to the next level. This download was a good reminder for magicians to perform in front of a mirror, and to record themselves performing from various angles, and then actually watch the performance.
I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend this because he has some good ideas, and it is an opportunity to see how small changes, for example, the slight tilting of the hand, can alter the magic moment.
(Top ▲)
C. Golo Naito’s The Tokyo Tables is 26 page eBook with an accompanying downloadable 25 minute Vimeo video that teaches many tricks from his personal set. I like this ebook/video combo for several reasons, including the diversity of magic discussed and the top notch video presentations and instructions. The Tokyo Tables are well worth the $10 download price.
The video presentation demonstrates and explains a Floating Cigarette effect using Mesika’s Loops©, A Ring in Ear routine for which he credits Gregory Wilson’s ReCap, a sleight of hand trick with a name tag and flash paper and a few card tricks. None of the effect are difficult and most are easy to master.
Naito’s instructional videos are excellent. In fact, the videos are so good that Naito should be in the business of making them for other magicians. The videos are contained on one continuous video and the eBook indicates the time that each segment starts so you can jump ahead. The instructional portion of the videos use appropriate freeze frames, graphic overlays to accentuate a certain aspect of a trick, and English subtitles (there is no spoken language in the videos) over music.
The promotional video shows what the eBook looks like and the ad copy is accurate. The claim that “nearly every trick has a video showing a performance and explanation of the trick” is true, but I wish he had more videos since the six in the download are all great.
The book and video teaches many close-up tricks using playing cards, invisible thread, flash paper, rings, currency bills, name tags and teaches many ideas crediting numerous magicians and great resources such David Stone, Al Koran, Dai Vernon, Robert Giobbi, Hofzinser Tommy Wonder and many others.
This is a strong compilation and teaching reference that is a great deal for its price and it is instantly available as a download.
The video presentation demonstrates and explains a Floating Cigarette effect using Mesika’s Loops©, A Ring in Ear routine for which he credits Gregory Wilson’s ReCap, a sleight of hand trick with a name tag and flash paper and a few card tricks. None of the effect are difficult and most are easy to master.
Naito’s instructional videos are excellent. In fact, the videos are so good that Naito should be in the business of making them for other magicians. The videos are contained on one continuous video and the eBook indicates the time that each segment starts so you can jump ahead. The instructional portion of the videos use appropriate freeze frames, graphic overlays to accentuate a certain aspect of a trick, and English subtitles (there is no spoken language in the videos) over music.
The promotional video shows what the eBook looks like and the ad copy is accurate. The claim that “nearly every trick has a video showing a performance and explanation of the trick” is true, but I wish he had more videos since the six in the download are all great.
The book and video teaches many close-up tricks using playing cards, invisible thread, flash paper, rings, currency bills, name tags and teaches many ideas crediting numerous magicians and great resources such David Stone, Al Koran, Dai Vernon, Robert Giobbi, Hofzinser Tommy Wonder and many others.
This is a strong compilation and teaching reference that is a great deal for its price and it is instantly available as a download.
(Top ▲)
The Tokyo Tables is an interesting download/ebook. As you read the book you are referred to certain sections of a downloadable video for reference. The ebook is very clear and simple to read, the video is set to music with subtitles and illustrations to clearly demonstrate each method. I found the teaching style to be extremely clear. You must be able to see both the video and ebook in order to learn the magic completely.
Floating Cigarette: This is a nearly impromptu version of Steve Fearson’s “Floating Cigarette”. You will still need a specific gimmick, made popular by Yigal Mesika. Many magicians carry these with them constantly. The actual set up seems simple enough that I’d doubt this is completely original. It resets instantly and can be gotten into on the fly amongst a bigger cigarette routine. This is a worker for sure.
Ring in Ear: After making a ring vanish and reappear a few times a Sharpie is pulled out of the ring. The sharpie vanishes and appears in the ear followed by the ring vanishing and appearing in the same place. I enjoyed the ring magic but I felt like the ring appearing in the ear was a little strange and I’ve never been able to pull off sticking a Sharpie behind my ear. Which is what this trick calls for.
Bill Change: With a wave of the hand one bill changes into another. This is a bare bones version of the bill change. With very little as far as gimmicks go you can perform a very visual change. He uses 2 bills of different size for this and I feel like that would make it slightly easier. Neither cut, torn or glued either which is always a plus with bill magic. The thing that really pushes this over the edge is that the bill can be handed out afterwards with a very simple clean up that you can do in full view.
Introduce Yourself: This is an interesting opener for tables. You light a piece of tissue paper and it turns into a name tag. With a large shaking action the name tag turns into a deck of cards. This is a very straightforward effect and I don’t feel like it was presented in the cleanest way. The large shaking action looks kind of sloppy compared to the cleanliness of the rest of the magic in this product.
Double Vision: This is a very cool version of do as I do with a single deck of cards. A spectator selects a card and you find it, the magician selects a card and the spectator finds it. This is something that will probably fry your magic buddies. It is reliant on a little known mathematical principle that could prove to be very powerful. I think I may start using this in place of the classic do as I do when I only have one deck of cards. Plus it’s always fun to fool magicians with seemingly classic tricks. He gave reference to a kind of questionable site here for reference, I’d recommend not following the link.
Think of a Card: Popoularized by the likes of David Berglas and Dai Vernon this is Golo’s take on this classic. Basically a spread is made and the spectator thinks of a card. This card is then revealed in many creative ways. This is nice but I don’t feel like it is incredibly subtle. It isn’t 100% and I feel like you may be suspected. Outs are discussed should it not go as planned.
Prediction on Arm: After a card is selected a sticker is found on the spectators arm to match the card. Having the prediction appear on someone’s body isn’t new in magic and magic that invades a participant’s personal space is always powerful. For those reasons I’m sure this is powerful, I just don’t see any justification of the sticker. Interesting thoughts are shared on a way to use this as a kicker for a selected card as well.
Deck Switcher: This is a device that you can make that facilitates a deck switch. Really as it is it it doesn’t look like much and it is really more of a holdout device that allows you to introduce a deck rather than switch it out.
Holder Gimmick: This is an idea for storing gimmicked cards during a walk around gig. This is interesting and I see the problem that it solves as valid. I will not be using this but I am curious to hear if any magicians do use this.
Bonus Idea: Ear Hook-up: This is a new hook up for the Spider Pen. It is clever and takes advantage of the properties of the spider pen but you cannot perform this levitation without the pen.
Overall this is a solid buy for $10. If you like the trailer you won’t be disappointed. Golo has a clean clear way of performing magic that I think more people should aspire to.
Floating Cigarette: This is a nearly impromptu version of Steve Fearson’s “Floating Cigarette”. You will still need a specific gimmick, made popular by Yigal Mesika. Many magicians carry these with them constantly. The actual set up seems simple enough that I’d doubt this is completely original. It resets instantly and can be gotten into on the fly amongst a bigger cigarette routine. This is a worker for sure.
Ring in Ear: After making a ring vanish and reappear a few times a Sharpie is pulled out of the ring. The sharpie vanishes and appears in the ear followed by the ring vanishing and appearing in the same place. I enjoyed the ring magic but I felt like the ring appearing in the ear was a little strange and I’ve never been able to pull off sticking a Sharpie behind my ear. Which is what this trick calls for.
Bill Change: With a wave of the hand one bill changes into another. This is a bare bones version of the bill change. With very little as far as gimmicks go you can perform a very visual change. He uses 2 bills of different size for this and I feel like that would make it slightly easier. Neither cut, torn or glued either which is always a plus with bill magic. The thing that really pushes this over the edge is that the bill can be handed out afterwards with a very simple clean up that you can do in full view.
Introduce Yourself: This is an interesting opener for tables. You light a piece of tissue paper and it turns into a name tag. With a large shaking action the name tag turns into a deck of cards. This is a very straightforward effect and I don’t feel like it was presented in the cleanest way. The large shaking action looks kind of sloppy compared to the cleanliness of the rest of the magic in this product.
Double Vision: This is a very cool version of do as I do with a single deck of cards. A spectator selects a card and you find it, the magician selects a card and the spectator finds it. This is something that will probably fry your magic buddies. It is reliant on a little known mathematical principle that could prove to be very powerful. I think I may start using this in place of the classic do as I do when I only have one deck of cards. Plus it’s always fun to fool magicians with seemingly classic tricks. He gave reference to a kind of questionable site here for reference, I’d recommend not following the link.
Think of a Card: Popoularized by the likes of David Berglas and Dai Vernon this is Golo’s take on this classic. Basically a spread is made and the spectator thinks of a card. This card is then revealed in many creative ways. This is nice but I don’t feel like it is incredibly subtle. It isn’t 100% and I feel like you may be suspected. Outs are discussed should it not go as planned.
Prediction on Arm: After a card is selected a sticker is found on the spectators arm to match the card. Having the prediction appear on someone’s body isn’t new in magic and magic that invades a participant’s personal space is always powerful. For those reasons I’m sure this is powerful, I just don’t see any justification of the sticker. Interesting thoughts are shared on a way to use this as a kicker for a selected card as well.
Deck Switcher: This is a device that you can make that facilitates a deck switch. Really as it is it it doesn’t look like much and it is really more of a holdout device that allows you to introduce a deck rather than switch it out.
Holder Gimmick: This is an idea for storing gimmicked cards during a walk around gig. This is interesting and I see the problem that it solves as valid. I will not be using this but I am curious to hear if any magicians do use this.
Bonus Idea: Ear Hook-up: This is a new hook up for the Spider Pen. It is clever and takes advantage of the properties of the spider pen but you cannot perform this levitation without the pen.
Overall this is a solid buy for $10. If you like the trailer you won’t be disappointed. Golo has a clean clear way of performing magic that I think more people should aspire to.