All right, So I received 'Shrinking Pen' and 'Magician's Matchbox' earlier last week. Trust me, I'm going to get to the new shiny goodness, but I'm on a bender of reviewing some Tenyo that have been patiently waiting in the queue. On top of that, I haven't worked with them that much because I just created a new card flourish that I'm dubbing, 'Triplicate Fan'. I've been hammering away at working on my fan flourishing for a bit because I'm not that good at fans. I'm good at tinkering, but overall, I'm the most okayest cardist. In order to make a good tutorial, I need to do it good to where people will take me seriously, even though the method I have is solid. So my goal is to get that tutorial up and running ASAP. I'm hoping by next month. So until that happens, MORE TENYO TUESDAY!
ZONE INFINITY
Inventor: Atsushi Fukano
Year: 1995
Cost: $15-$25
Type of Effect: Penetration/Restore
Skill Level: Beginner
CONTENTS:
- Key attached to coin holder
- Square, flat, single coin box
- provide your own coin, moocher!
EFFECT #1: You the magician present a $1 coin/500Y piece and place it into the coin holder, you then place the holder in a sturdy case. You then drive the key THROUGH THE COIN! However, when you pull the coin holder out of the case, the coin is UNDAMAGED!
REVIEW:
I meant to make this one of the first reviews, but I kept putting it off...and off, and off, and off. Not sure why, it's a pretty ingenious Tenyo.
'Zone Infinity' is a Tenyo that, once you know how it works, you'll realize how simple yet mechanically complex the darn thing is.
What is REALLY nice, is that it's one of the FEW Tenyo is that its easily reset and ready to go post performance. Trust me, the inner workings are a work of genius...and maybe madness. Mad genius. It was actually made its way into the Milton Bradley: Magic Work's line under the name 'Phantom Key'. In which, instead of a $1 coin, you used a quarter instead, which is a LOT more conventional. But then again, Magic Works was made for an american market, I'm not sure if 'Zone Infinity' kept the US market in mind or not, but HEY! At least a US coin works!
As far as aesthetics go. The case itself is a nice thick plastic painted red and dark red. The coin holder is made of a sturdy rubber and not some weak punk floppy rubber. BUT, there is a spot at the top where you can loop something into. In this case, a flexible metal 'ball and chain' with a clasp which holds on a key with the 'Tenyo' brand name on it. Nice! If you get it's Magic Works version, I'm not sure if the case is smaller because it only does quarters, but the key has an eye on it.
The trick itself, I think, is great for walkaround and social events. Fits in the pockets, eye popping effect; you just need to create a good routine to go along with it and there you go!
Now onto my issues with the trick:
One problem that YOU may encounter--especially if you are outside of Japan or the US: coin size.
See, the coin holder is meant to hold either a 100 Yen coin or a US $1 coin. You know, the coins that got minted and continue to get minted, yet no one ever uses them--nor are there any conventional uses for? Yeah, those.
I am not sure if there are any other coins that can fit inside the coin holder, but I know of just the $1 coin and the 500Y coin.
There can ALSO be a noise issue. It's not incommon for owners of the trick to say there is a noise issue, but it can be easily reduced exponentially without any issues or modifications.
I do have one BIG problem with 'Zone Infinity': justification.
I know this all comes down to presentation; but even at its simplest, any effect that involves the restoration of anything is tough, I think, to justify. I mean, how do you go from having something, breaking it, then bringing it back into its original state? How do you justify the means of doing so? The only easy way for me to think of how to do this involves the 'magician in trouble' plot. 'OH! That wasn't supposed to happen!'
And I understand that its going to differ from trick to trick. But the only way I can see 'Zone Infinity' working is if you have someone put the key through the coin, show that they restore it. Then you do a coin switch for a gaffed coin (more than likely, one you had made or cut), and do the trick only to show that you punched a hole through the coin.
Again, it differs greatly on presentation, but this is definitely one trick that I have spent quite a bit of time trying to construct a routine for that isn't, 'its a whole coin, now I put a key through it, now the coin is whole again! Give daddy some sugar!'
To each their own!
ZONE INFINITY
Inventor: Atsushi Fukano
Year: 1995
Cost: $15-$25
Type of Effect: Penetration/Restore
Skill Level: Beginner
CONTENTS:
- Key attached to coin holder
- Square, flat, single coin box
- provide your own coin, moocher!
EFFECT #1: You the magician present a $1 coin/500Y piece and place it into the coin holder, you then place the holder in a sturdy case. You then drive the key THROUGH THE COIN! However, when you pull the coin holder out of the case, the coin is UNDAMAGED!
REVIEW:
I meant to make this one of the first reviews, but I kept putting it off...and off, and off, and off. Not sure why, it's a pretty ingenious Tenyo.
'Zone Infinity' is a Tenyo that, once you know how it works, you'll realize how simple yet mechanically complex the darn thing is.
What is REALLY nice, is that it's one of the FEW Tenyo is that its easily reset and ready to go post performance. Trust me, the inner workings are a work of genius...and maybe madness. Mad genius. It was actually made its way into the Milton Bradley: Magic Work's line under the name 'Phantom Key'. In which, instead of a $1 coin, you used a quarter instead, which is a LOT more conventional. But then again, Magic Works was made for an american market, I'm not sure if 'Zone Infinity' kept the US market in mind or not, but HEY! At least a US coin works!
As far as aesthetics go. The case itself is a nice thick plastic painted red and dark red. The coin holder is made of a sturdy rubber and not some weak punk floppy rubber. BUT, there is a spot at the top where you can loop something into. In this case, a flexible metal 'ball and chain' with a clasp which holds on a key with the 'Tenyo' brand name on it. Nice! If you get it's Magic Works version, I'm not sure if the case is smaller because it only does quarters, but the key has an eye on it.
The trick itself, I think, is great for walkaround and social events. Fits in the pockets, eye popping effect; you just need to create a good routine to go along with it and there you go!
Now onto my issues with the trick:
One problem that YOU may encounter--especially if you are outside of Japan or the US: coin size.
See, the coin holder is meant to hold either a 100 Yen coin or a US $1 coin. You know, the coins that got minted and continue to get minted, yet no one ever uses them--nor are there any conventional uses for? Yeah, those.
I am not sure if there are any other coins that can fit inside the coin holder, but I know of just the $1 coin and the 500Y coin.
There can ALSO be a noise issue. It's not incommon for owners of the trick to say there is a noise issue, but it can be easily reduced exponentially without any issues or modifications.
I do have one BIG problem with 'Zone Infinity': justification.
I know this all comes down to presentation; but even at its simplest, any effect that involves the restoration of anything is tough, I think, to justify. I mean, how do you go from having something, breaking it, then bringing it back into its original state? How do you justify the means of doing so? The only easy way for me to think of how to do this involves the 'magician in trouble' plot. 'OH! That wasn't supposed to happen!'
And I understand that its going to differ from trick to trick. But the only way I can see 'Zone Infinity' working is if you have someone put the key through the coin, show that they restore it. Then you do a coin switch for a gaffed coin (more than likely, one you had made or cut), and do the trick only to show that you punched a hole through the coin.
Again, it differs greatly on presentation, but this is definitely one trick that I have spent quite a bit of time trying to construct a routine for that isn't, 'its a whole coin, now I put a key through it, now the coin is whole again! Give daddy some sugar!'
To each their own!