PROS

This is a beautiful routine. What I really like about this is the opportunity you have to connect to an audience and hand out a nice souvenir at the end of a routine.

I also really love that they describe and explain two very different routines. One is a routine where a blank box is shown. The participant picks a color from four colored butterfly cards. The box is covered and when the cover is removed, a butterfly of the selected color emerges. If you were to use a color photocopy machine or print your own butterflies, you could hand them out as a beautiful souvenir.

The second routine they describe and explain is of a voodoo doll. You show the blank box. The participant selects one card from four different cards showing an “x” where a pin would be stuck in different parts of a voodoo doll. The box is covered and when the cover is removed, there appears a small paper voodoo doll impaled on the pin at the exact location they selected. The voodoo doll can be handed out as a souvenir. The instructions contain an image of a voodoo doll that you could photocopy.

The ad copy is accurate. What you see is what you get. You will need to perform on a non-slippery surface. You could place a cloth on a regular wood table and it would work fine.

The method is very clever. Both the box and the cover are gimmicked in clever ways.

The product is very good quality.

The explanation is in written instructions, no video, but very well explained.

CONS

The one drawback is you can’t hand out the box for examination. However, I think that if you remove the butterfly or voodoo doll, put the box away, then talk about the butterfly, voodoo doll, or whatever for a minute, then give out the butterfly or voodoo doll as a souvenir, that takes the attention away from inspecting the box, and makes this a non-issue.

You should also know that this involves a couple props you would need to carry around. The box is roughly 2 by 2 by 1 inch (5.5 by 5.5 by 2 cm), and the cover, when folded is roughtly 5 by 4.5 inches (13 by 11.5 cm). You could fold a tab on the cover to bring it’s width down to around 3.5 inches (9 cm) so you could put both in a shirt pocket.

I didn’t subtract any points from my overall score for these "cons" for the following reasons:

Prop size determines where you would use it. A really good stage effect might be huge, but effective. These props aren’t too large to carry around with you. I have used this in walk-around setting.

Also, I didn’t subtract for the fact that you can’t hand out the box for examination. I don’t believe everything in magic has to be examinable. Also, if you hand out a souvenir, you take the attention away from the prop and place it on the souvenir.

AT A GLANCE

Skill level required: 1 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 2 of 5. Just a bit of good audience management eliminates the issue that the box can't be examined.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
The reset time required: If you give away the souvenir, then reset is 10 seconds away from your audience. If you don’t give away the item as a souvenir, then reset is immediate. You could palm a duplicate of the souvenir and pretend to remove it, then you would have an instant reset while giving away a souvenir.
The DIY time involved in advance: 15 seconds to load the butterfly into the box.

VERDICT

This is a really nice effect from Tenyo. It is amongst my list of favorites. I really enjoy performing with it as there is so much opportunity for audience interaction. See the “Suggestions” section for patter ideas.

Suggestions

The instructions don’t go too much into patter, so here are some ideas:

BUTTERFLY

You might think that this should only be done for a woman, but here is an idea for a man, particularly a man who is with a date: Keep the box concealed in a small paper bag. Take out the cards and spread them, showing four different colors. Get to know the couple. Ask their names and how they are related. Let’s say they are married. Ask how long they have been married, if they have kids, etc. Take advantage of the opportunity to make sure they are drawn together. For example, they might say: “We have been married too long.” You can use this as an opportunity to bring them closer by saying something like: “Ahh. You have been through many experiences together. That is good. No, really. Good times are fun, but tough times build character. You two have probably been through good times and some bad times. Yet, you are both together at this moment in time and you are both stronger for that. You really have each other to be thankful for both the good times and getting through the tough times.” Then, turn to the man and say: “Colors mean a lot to women. Here are four cards with different colors on them. Each of these colors represents something at this moment in time. I am going to mix these up and deal one at a time until you say ‘stop’. At that point, you will have stopped at one of the colors.” Go ahead and deal until they stop at a color. Put the cards away, and remind them a few times of the color he stopped at. Take out the empty box and produce the same color butterfly. Remove the butterfly, put away the box, and explain what that color means.
Red is for the passion that is inside each of you and the passion between you. This is for enjoying the passion between you or re-kindling that passion.
Blue is for the bond between you as vast as the sea or sky. It is to remind you that no matter what happens, you two will always be blessed by each other.
Yellow is for the strength in each of you and the strength of your bond. Like the strength of the sun, the two of you have a strong bond forever.
Green is for the vitality of life that runs in each of you and through both of you.
Hand the butterfly to the man for him to give this to his wife as a souvenir. You could have a little inspirational note written on the back.

VOODOO

Pick a person in the group who is more outgoing, man or woman. Find someone who can think of someone in their life who they might have thought could benefit from a bit of a voodoo doll. You can ask them to name the person’s first name or to think of it. Then, ask them to think about all the places they might want to stick a pin in the voodoo doll. This should be a good source of humor. Then, take out the cards and spread them, showing the various places a pin could be stuck into the voodoo doll. Turn the cards over, give them a little mix, and have them select a card as per the instructions. Take out the empty box and place the cover over it. Remove the cover and show the voodoo doll impaled on the pin at the exact location they selected. Give them the voodoo doll as a souvenir.