Is It Worth It? | Hobonichi Cousin Pros and Cons
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- Honestly even as I made this video I flip flopped as to whether or not I would use the Cousin again 😮💨 Ultimately, I do think it’s worth it…. If you consider the pros and cons carefully.
Where to buy the Hobonichi Cousin:
Hobonichi store: www.1101.com/store/techo/en/l...
Hobonichi Amazon store (no 2023 products yet): www.amazon.com/stores/Hobonic...
JetPens: www.jetpens.com/Hobonichi-Tec...
00:00 Intro
01:52 Cost
03:44 Pro #1 Great all-in-one planner
05:10 Pro #2 Incredibly versatile
06:59 Pro #3 Full year and half year version available
07:43 Pro #4 Tomoe River Paper
10:33 Pro #5 Vertical Weekly
13:13 Pro #6 Moon Phases!
14:38 Con #1 Daily page colors
16:27 Con #2 Holiday colors
17:27 Con #3 Size is overwhelming
19:46 Con #4 Daily page quotes
20:42 Con #5 Unnecessary info pages
21:51 Con #6 Need to buy additional covers
24:06 Outro
For those of you still deciding whether or not to buy a Cousin for next year, how have you been weighing the pros and cons to decide? Is it anyone’s first time buying? And what are your pros and cons? Let’s discuss
2022 is the first year of using it. I love it very much. But since I also bought a Stalogy B6 last year and never used it. I will go with the Stalogy for my primary on the go planner for next year.
My biggest con of the hobonichi is probably its weight. I used the Avec version, but even that can get quite heavy with cover, tons of stickers and washi and pens etc. For an on the go planner it is also a bit too big. I can totally see me going back to it as a memory keeper / daily journal though. I absolutely love the size for journaling.
I had a Cousin Avec in the first half of 2021. My biggest cons for the Cousin are the dated daily pages (too much space for me on some days and too little on others), the quotes at the bottom of each daily page (yes, because of the bump you develop when covering them up) and how thick and heavy it can get with use. I’m going for the Sterling Ink B6 planner in 2023 because it has all of what I love about the Cousin (TRP, the weeklies and lots of space for notes and writing, most of all) but none of the cons.
@@berneserainbow1407 I agree, a5 is such a good size for journaling
@@jessplansandwrites Right! I feel like she did such a good job incorporating all the good things about the cousin but none of the bad
I have used the Franklin Planner for years. Your intuition about writing and rewriting calendars is terrific. I am planning my on using the month pages for one kind of thing. The week pages for another, and the day pages for another. The only thing I’m truly struggling with is not having my daily appointment schedule on my daily page, because the one small block per hour is too small for my needs, whereas the week pages are a terrific size.
I don’t have many cons, tbh. 2023 will be my third year in the Cousin, and I don’t see myself ever switching to anything else. I do wish they would make a day-free that also has the weekly layout because I typically only use the top half of each daily page, so I could fit two days per page and then use the other pages for something else.
Have you tried the weekly supplement
I agree. I have been using Hobonichi since 2019, and I do not have a desire to use any other planner. I also which they had the Day Free with weekly.
I don’t care much for the weekly supplement. I am not really a fan of it when I used it for my a6. Mainly because it’s a separate book. I forgot to use it honestly.
EI fell into the Hobonichi rabbit hole and I despise the paper!! I really love the planner but not the paper.
@@janetkadlec5624is it too thin? Ghosts a lot on the other side of the page? I can use pretty much any pen on my Moleskine planner and barely anything shows through or ghosts. A LOT less expensive too!
The colors of each month was a pro for me because I could see right away what month I was in. So I never noticed the colors. The same goes for the Saturday and Sunday on the monthly section, I actually like them because it notifies me what day I’m on. My life seems to be very busy with med school, work, and home responsibilities that I don’t pay much attention if it’s Wednesday or Friday already, some days it’s Tuesday and I can’t believe it’s barely Tuesday lol. As for the covers I just use the clear cover from midori. All in all the cons that you mentioned don’t bother me or I haven’t noticed lol. The only con I can see from this is drying time for the energel pen or fountain pen. I usually just leave it open as I get water or restroom break to let it dry. I will definitely get a 2023 cousin. I really enjoyed this video
Thank you so much for watching and I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this video even if you didn't agree with my cons! Always good to get more people's perspectives. :)
I love the colors inside the planner! I would find it incredibly boring to see it all be black and white. I was scared that they would make the new English cousin all black like the smaller one they already have. I agree, the colors helps distinguish which month your in quicker.
Thank you so much for this video! This pushed me to finally purchase my own Hobonichi Cousin for 2024, I've been doing bullet journals for many years and got the itch to try something new!
Wow, your video has made me decide to try this one for next year. I have been on the fence for 2 years but now I am definitely going to try this. I don't decorate my planners, I am a minimalistic and so the details they input, such as the highlighting Sundays in red is something I need. 👌
That's great!!! It truly is such a great planner, I do love it. I wish you the happiest planning in your new Cousin!
Was gonna buy the cousin from the hobonichi website but with shipping it was over $60, then saw it listed on amazon for $60 free same day shipping! Paid the same I would have and I’ll get it later today instead of a couple weeks from now! My first year using a cousin and i’m excited!!
I love the cousin , I have had one every year since 2019 now and getting it next year too. It's my main journal. I write a lot so all depends on if you do or don't. I actually decorated my cover with Collage and then put clear tape on top to protect it. I use my galen leather a5 folio for it too. I use other journals aslongs side it but I am a huge addict when comes to journaling and stationery 🙈😂😂
Haha the journaling and stationery addiction is so real! Makes sticking to just one planner really tough. Decorating your cover sounds really fun!
I love my Spring Hobonichi Cousin, but I also study Japanese so the language barrier doesn't make as many of the pages useless to me. I love how it has all the possible date formats put together in one book. I am not into decorating spreads (as much as I like looking at others' decorated planner pages!), just writing with my fountain pens (for which the paper in the Hobonichi is stellar), maybe small icon stickers or stamps sometimes to draw attention to important things. Journaling in the daily pages and laying out my hectic work schedule in color-coding on the weekly pages is most of its use for me; I use sticky notes on monthly pages for plans further than a week out, knowing circumstances might change. I live in those daily spreads getting to journal on smooth paper with my fountain pens, though.
The A5 size also doesn't bother me, as it's still far smaller than other planners I've used in the past (Erin Condren, Plum Paper, Happy Planner, and Ivory Paper Co.). Plus, I carry a backpack to work, so it fits just fine in the sleeve where my laptop goes. When done with this year's, I fully plan on getting the next Spring book and storing this one with my other old planners so I can reuse the Animal Crossing cover year after year.
I love this, thank you for sharing
Thanks so very much for sharing this overview. I have been considering getting one as I love the paper. Good food for thought to make my decision. Be well and stay safe.
Thank you for watching Alicia!
If you’re looking for a good gel pen to use in your Hobonichi, the Energel Clena works really well. It’s dries super fast and it’s good for lefties. The Clena also come in different sizes, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5. I might be missing a size so don’t quote me haha. It also has a variety of different colors and a variety of different pen bodies to choose from. So I thought I’d put in my two cents since I have been searching for a gel pen to use in the Hobonichi for a long time, hope this helps 😉😁♥️
Thank you for commenting this, for me and for others who are curious! I just picked up a 0.5 in brown myself, and am excited to try :)
@@RachelleinTheory oooohhhhh, you won’t be disappointed with the brown gel pen, it’s a perfect vintage brown lol. Can you tell I love them 😍 I do hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I tell ya, finding the perfect pen and writing it in a planner you love is perfection ♥️ 😋
This is the pen I use in my Wonderland222.
Yes, the Energel Clena pens work well, as do the Zebra Sarasa Grands (plus, lovely colors)! These are the pens I journal with in my cousin.
Ty!
Great video. Thank you. I am 95% on my way to buy the Cousin and this was really informative. 💕
That's great! I'm so glad it could be helpful to you. Honestly, if you're 95% sure you want it, I would say go for it! It's a great planner all in all, even though personally I need a little break right now.
Thanks for these videos! They've been helpful in my own planner shopping this year.
I wanted to comment on the highlighting of the weekends in the planner. You noticed that Sundays are in red but you might also have noticed that Saturdays are in blue. This color scheme is very common in planners and calendars published in Japan, whether they are expensive planners or free promotional calendars you get from businesses, etc. So if you buy calendars or planners from/in Japan, it's highly likely you'll see this color scheme.
I'm planning to binge watch a load of Hobinichi Cousin videos because I can't decide what planning style I want for next year. Homework begins now!
I'm exactly doing the same! Any recs?
@@AlexandraTejero I'm going printed ec style inserts for memory keeping but still no idea what to do for my day to Day!
I wanted to carry it around so the A 6 is perfect
Im new to the hobonichi line. I really liked the cousin because it’s all in one but I skipped the cousin this year because I couldn’t figure out how to use the weekly so I purchased two weeks and a Kinbor A6 for journaling. I’m excited!
I'm excited for you, Jackie! I also bought two weeks so next year should be fun for both of us 🤓
I’m very new so don’t 😂. What exactly is two weeks?
Thank you for the pros and cons. Subscribed !
Thank you so much!!! Welcome to the fam
This was really helpful - thank you
So glad! Thank you for watching.
I've done the cousin on and off. It's funny the colors never bothered me. I also don't like feeling crammed when I write (i have bigger handwriting) so I like a little white space in the dailies. Not empty but not crammed. The red weekends is odd for me but I stop noticing after a while! I'm sticking with the 2023 this year plus the sterling ink for some extra Journaling separate from functional planning. I personally like needing the plastic cover allows for a little extra personalization. I think you hit a lot of great points for people to consider!
I'm actually planning on using a Cousin for the first time next year - so this was an interesting video! I actually am moving into the Hobonichi from a regular bullet journal practice, in part because I want a little more structure, but also to get me to do Morning Pages every morning. But I am worried the space will be overwhelming. Thanks for your perspective!
Thanks for commenting again Siri
Hello Rachelle. Thank you for this comprehensive critique. I am in my first Hobonichi Cousin after using, likely, every planner on the market in the past 15 years. This I do know: I like smaller and bound books. The 8x10, 2+ inch thick ones with bulky coils are way a thing of my past. I did preorder Sterling Ink’s Common Planner; your video confirms my decision. I do like to fill the pages and with minimum stickers; the B6 will help make this happen. Again thank you Rachelle. I look forward to your review of Sterling Ink’s offering later this year.
Thanks so much for watching Ina! I'm glad that I could help you feel justified in your decision! I'll definitely do a full review of the Common Planner, very excited to receive it.
I'm a newbie to Hobonichi, so I was so torn between ordering the A5 and the A6 for my first one. Initially, I felt the A5 suited me best for my needs for a work planner, but after watching your video, I took the initiative to drive 1 hour to a physical store to check out the sizes with my own two eyes. You're right, the A5 was too big for me (especially with a cover included) and I decided to purchase the A6 instead! I might've gone for the A5 and regretted it if I hadn't seen your video first!
Yasmeeeeeeen!!!! So happy to have helped. I also snagged myself a lil A6 this year and it is so stinking cute 🥲 excited for you!!
This video was helpful for me to see that the Cousin is more than I need, so thanks for saving me money! Yoseka Stationery and Anderson Pens carry Hobonichi materials in the US.
You really hit the nail on the head and so eloquently summarized every single pro and con I've felt for the Hobonichi cousin. I agree with every single one, and really hope they'll at least offer it in B6 in the coming years. And please remove the colors for the daily pages. I hate having to match just for my own sanity. ;_; Thank you so much for this lovely video. ♡
So glad you liked it and thanks for watching!
Thanks so much for this video. I am considering going from two planners (weekly/daily) to one. My concern was the size since I am currently using a 7x9, so it was interesting to hear you say how big this was. 😃 Also, I don't really capture the same information in both - the weekly provides an overview of what is planned, and the daily represents what actually happens day-to-day.
If you are OK with sizing down, I think the Cousin is a great combo for that, Nichelle! For me it was a bit too large, but I have been using A5's for years and years. I think it was just my time to size down :) I hope this helped and thank you for watching!
I love having daily pages. Some days I have SO much I need to get done or organise that daily pages are phenomenal for making me feel organised and on top of things.
I love having daily pages... as long as they're undated. For this reason I am using a stalogy to make up monthly pages/ planning pages, weekly/goal review, quarterly/ goal review pages and then blank pages to use when I need to plan.. so it's all in order all the time. I find it relaxing to make these for the whole year and its EXACTLY how I want it. Because I drew it up.
Currently planning next year on 25th October 2023 irl... But planning on pages 6-8 April 2023 in my planner because I have filled in today's pages with projects I need to do...
This daily/ monthly/ yearly planner is great. Except it just doesn't QUITE meet my needs.
i love the daily quotes in the A6 English.
A very thorough review! The paper ghosting through from the previous side is a huge con for me and would distract me with my planning. My planners tend to get fluffy over time, and that's enough of a sign they're lived in!
Well, now I know I don't want this planner, so thank you for your very thorough and detailed review. I can't stand thin paper that shows what is written on the other side. It would drive me nuts. But it's good that I know it now, rather than knowing after spending €60 or more. Thank you so very much! Have a great day!
Interesting video. I enjoyed the presentation of the pros and cons. I've used a weekly Moleskin but hated it due to its poor performance with fountain pens. I will probably get the cousin because my number one criteria this year is the ability to use fountain pens. So many great journals are a non starter for me. Most of the cons you listed I actually like but the Tomoe River paper seals the deal
First, I don’t even notice the colors on a regular basis except in the monthly section. I love the flexibility and the underlying structure for when it’s useful. I adore the paper (FP user here) and the weekly section sings my song. I used to use free form journals and do my own spreads but for now I’m still completely hooked on Hobonichi.
I was using a Cousin Avec for work and when I couldn’t find the 2nd half book I switched back to free form in a blank journal and I really really miss the Hobonichi.
So my order for 2023 was robust. I use a Cousin for work, an A6 for personal and a Weeks for each plus one for grad school.
I love that it works for you! My 2023 order felt a little less intense because I wasn't buying the cousin but I, like you, am doing weeks for some stuff, A6 for other stuff... it's really great that they have so many products because their stuff is so addicting 😄
Question. You have a weeks for personal and work to use like an EDC and then transfer into the A5 and A6? I was thinking of getting a weeks for that purpose and wondering if it would work.
Agree with most of your points, so switching to a sterling ink halfyear for 2023. Found it thanks to your oast video, so thanks a lot!
Omg I'm so happy to be of help!
Very interesting points. I don’t tend to decorate my Hobo Cousin, so the colors don’t bother me, but I can see how they could be irritating if you do want to decorate pages. I tend to use the yearly pages at the front (with the columns) as trackers, the weekly pages as a health log, the monthly calendars for future logging,, and the daily pages for rapid logging as a bullet journal to minimize repetitiveness across sections. My main beef is too few blank pages for notes outside the daily pages - like if you have a master task list or bullet journal type collections that you use as reference pages. I wish they’d replace the info pages at the back with just plain pages for notes.I end up taking paper out of the A5 memo notebooks and cover otherwise useless pages, so I can still have just one book to work out of. It makes it more useful, but it’s still effort to have to do that. I also wish they’d make an A5 version of the Weeks - that would be perfect for work. I have been eyeing Sterling Ink’s new B6 book. I’d probably still have to have a separate notebook for notes though. Sigh.
I love how you've divided up the sections in the cousin to use for different things! Maybe I should try that. I did snag Sterling Ink's planner, and I think that will solve a lot of my problems. Totally agree with you about the info pages, I covered them right up lol.
I have been in a Leuttchrum1917 Pocket for a bujo and journal since 2017 (before that there was 2 years of moleskine weekly horizontal
I use the Cousin as a work journal along with my B6 slim Jibun Techo. The A5 size is good for me. I used to use an Erin Condren Daily Duo along with a classic Happy Planner so I actually downsized in 2022.
Happy planners/Erin Condren always seem huge to me! I'm not sure if they come in other sizes, but I see a lot of big planners like that on TH-cam lol. I'm glad you found something that works for you!
It is intersting to listen to your pros and cons. For me, the Cousin is truly the perfect planner. I came to it this year from 5+ years of bullet journaling. I thought it would be a tough switch but I don't see myself going away from the Hobonichi Cousin anytime soon 😀 I just purchased the Japanese version off of JetPens. I love the character of seeing the writing I think I would be sad not having that if I purchased an English one. It is funny that you mentioned the colors of the dailies, someone else brought that up and for me, I don't even notice them. They do truly fade into the background - of course, I don't make the focus of my book to decorate it first. I use stickers and such, but more as accents than the primary focus... Good luck on figuring it out, the struggle is a very real thing!! 😉🙃
Thank you for commenting, and I'm truly so glad the cousin works for you like this! I think it's such a great all in one planner, which is why I've used it for the last two years. Time to move on for me I guess... but I can always move back in someday ;)
@@RachelleinTheory absolutely! From the sounds of your dislikes, probably a good move ☺️ what will you use?
Looking at a couple of weeks planners + the Sterling Ink Common planner! I'm very excited about it. Though I did consider going back to bullet journaling for a little while, but the allure of having all my spreads drawn for me was too powerful 😂
@@RachelleinTheory I totally get that! I will be curious about the Sterling Ink when it comes out 🙂
I really want to try a cousin for 2024 but they are about 95$ in Canada. I've been so on the fence and watching as many videos as I can to try and help me make up my mind. Thank you!
Thanks for this information. I have used a plain grid-page A-5 notebook from Amazon for the past several years - making my own version of a bullet journal. However, I've been jealous of the Tomoe River paper & all the Hibonichi planners. So, I've purchased the Hobonichi A5 blank accessory notebook to use for 2024; still meeting my blank pages need AND getting that wonderful paper.
Unfortunately, in your video you say gel pens don't work well on this paper. I love gel pens! I had thought the gel pens would work if fountain pens do. Oh no! I may have to buy more pens (not sorry!).
Thanks for this video!
I used a cousin for the first time this year and I really enjoyed the space and that it allowed me to be creative. However, I decided not to get the cousin again because I found that it was too time consuming. I also agree with you that the space can be a little intimidating. I haven’t settled on what I’ll do next year but it will most likely be the weeks.
Yeah, I just switched to the a6 bc I felt like I had too much space in my A5.
Have you checked out the Sterling Ink B6 Common Planner? It’s similar to the Cousin but B6 size; much cleaner layout - more of a blank slate.
I bought a Kinbor, with the vertical weekly lay out, totally recommend also this year they upgrade the quality of paper 📝 so doesn’t bleed through
That's great to know!
I ordered the cousin for the first time ever. I am excited to see how I will like it. I love the weeks and I am hoping to love the cousin
The Cousin is great! I love my weeks as well. Happy planning!
I prefer the 6 months because it's smaller and I get a whole new planner half way thru the year. On the dailies, it would be nice to have the grid go to the bottom. I agree regarding the colors. I am switching to the Sterling Ink's new planner. Set up the but instead of color it will be a pale greay :) Now I love how smooth gel ink writes on the hobonichi but haven't found a pen that drives fast yet so I'm still using ball point
I use ballpoint too! I love it though. I've heard good things about the Energel Clena gel pen (mine skipped, so I'm trying a new one soon) as a favorite for a tomoe river paper gel pen, and the Zebra Sarasa dry (which I have also ordered!).
I’m using A5 Hobo Cousin now… agree with most of your pros & cons… I do like the size though as it houses my dram recall, gratitude list and daily summary. The colours, quotes and info pages I am switching to a Stirling Ink Common Planner A5 for 2024 because those planners have removed all the wrong things of the HoBo. Can’t wait to get my common planner!,
PS the quotes are so light that I just journal right over them. That works well for me.
2023 will be the first year of using a Hobonichi for me (I literally just placed my order on Amazon right before watching this!) and I’m excited!! I’ve mainly used Erin Condren in the past and for the last half of 2022, I’ve been using an A5 6-Ring system with 8Lotus inserts. I’ve come to realize that I’m a multi planner typa girl so I got a line-up all planned for the next year 😂 I’ll be sticking with the A5 rings like I mentioned and I’m so glad that Erin Condren now offers daily inserts for A5 rings - that will be for my work planner. The Hobonichi Cousin is what I’ll be using for my personal stuff. Having monthly/weekly/daily all in one was a big selling point for me. All of the pros you listed were all pros for me as well, especially about the versatility of it and how everything was light enough that you can ignore them if you don’t want to follow.
As for the cons…most of them were pros for me too lol!
Colors: not really a pro for me, but I don’t mind the colors, they don’t brother me much.
Size: I’ve tried so many sizes, A5 is definitely my happy place lol! I like how you mentioned that your preferences can change over time. Like you mentioned, having all the blank and unused spots/pages bothered me and the pressure I put on myself for wanting to fill all of the space used to give me so much anxiety. But I’m a point in my life now where I’m constantly writing everything, and wanting to journal everything, so I think this will be good for me 🙂
Daily Quotes: They’re kind of aesthetically nice to look at for me hehe.
Info Pages: Kinda a con for me too, but I’m not too concerned.
Additional Covers: I looooove getting covers for my planners lolol! Getting a pretty cover for my planners make me happy (but obviously not for my wallet😅).
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and allowing us to discuss in the comments ❤
Also!!! I love everything you said about the paper. How reactive it is and the relationship you have with it. Beautiful 🥲
Thank you so much for sharing and watching Roxn! It really is the it girl of planners and i'm SO excited that you are going to be using it!!! Keep me updated how it's going :)
Helen Wang of The Coffee Monsterz Co. puts a few of her stickers on the cover and then uses a clear cover on cover on it. Looks great and she uses it multiple times a day.
Yeah the clear cover on covers are nice! much easier to clean than the base notebook.
I wish i had found this before i set up my rings this year!
Great video. I used the Cousin a few times over the last 5 years but it was never the right fit for me. I’ve used it for different purposes but none really worked. There’s lots of things I like about the Cousin but the TRP is the main thing and I can get that in other planners. For me the main cons of the cousin are 1) it’s just too big for an all-in-one for me where it has a full preset up page per day. In an A5 I’d rather have less pre-structured daily pages so I could set up trackers or collections and such. I don’t like trying to repurpose their dailies because they aren’t plain and have so much going on on them with the colors and the boxes and the timeline and the quotes. It just doesn’t look clean or intentional - too messy. And 2) there’s just too much going on in the planner - there’s too much wasted functional space and too much color. I am a decorative (or more decorative planner) and I don’t like being told my color scheme bc I like to go with what I’ve got or my mood but even if I wasn’t a decorative planner I wouldn’t want this much color. I prefer a clean slate. And I don’t want all the extras - the quotes and the pages at the back. I could be using that space for something. And if you take away those things it gets back to point no1 - it’s too big. If you take out the quotes it’s even more daily space that I don’t need. But it clutters my page if it’s there. Catch-22 in a way.
I like the Cousin concept and overall design - monthlies plus weeks plus daily/grid pages. But for me I want it cleaner - without the color and the clutter and the superfluous additions. And smaller because when you take away the fluff it’s too big for me. Which is why I’m so excited for the Sterling Ink B6 Common Planner. All the functional space of the Cousin but clean and more portable.
Yes I feel the exact same way! I totally know what you mean about having a hard time repurposing the daily pages for trackers and things. Each time I’ve tried to do this my brain still tells me it’s dated!
I would love to have a Hobonichi!
The colors and the writing have never bothered me. Honestly, I never even noticed them and when I did, it just reminded me how cool the Japanese aspect of it is. My Cousin is a work planner with my personal stuff thrown in since I don't journal, so I use the daily pages as notes pages and don't pay any attention to the dates on the page. I've been using an Avec for the last few years since I work in a school, but my new position is basically year round, so I purchased both and English and Japanese Cousin from Hobonichi this year. Nice video. :)
Thank you for watching Susan! Honestly if you can use the dailies without paying attention to the dates you have superpowers 😂 I also work in academia, and I never thought about using the avec as a way to split up the semesters. Great tip!
I used aWonderland222 B6 this year, but I missed my Cousin. I ordered an English Cousin, A6 Planner, and Weeks. The Cousin is the only planner I used for an entire year. Even my Wonderland has been negected for the last month or so. The colors don't bother me at all. The function outways the colors.
I am new to the Hobonichi world, after bujo burnout in March 2023 I ordered the a6 techo.....Love, love the compact size, but some days I need just a bit more space, but not to the point of an a5. I really wish they would come out with a b6 size with weeks included!!
I didn't order a cousin this year for the very first time. I'm teetering on the edge of placing another order, but I'm trying not to. I'll have an A6 and a Weeks and then trying the Wonderland 222 and bullet journaling again. I agree...if it was a B6 I might find planner peace!
Last year I didnt order a Cousin until the spring release and now I'm regretting it because turns out... all my problems with the planner didn't magically go away! I am using a wonderland right now, you'll have to tell me how you like it!
@@RachelleinTheory I got an undated B6 last week that I am playing around in. I think it will work out well for continuing my weeklies when the dated 2023 arrives, but I do wish I could have all the cousin offers in B6. Oh well, more notebooks to play in. 😊
After two years of the cousin, i concur with your points re the size. I feel overwhelmed too and feel I am not neat enough to write that much and hate to look at too much of my hand writing, I'd rather write more concisely and feel content.
My 2022 cousin is therefore 70% empty and that makes me feel that I don't do enough. I think less is more and hence for 2023 I have ordered the original planner A6 (which I had in 2019 and 2020), I also miss the English quotes, which inspire me daily to look at the planner too. Although it's great that Hobonichi are doing an English version of the cousin, which I have ordered for my better half as a Xmas 🎁, who loves to write loads and has very neat ✋ writing.
It sounds like a wonderful gift! I find that using the smaller hobonichi weeks has actually helped improve my handwriting weirdly enough
That nail color ❤
Thank you for sharing...I just bought my first A5 Hobonichi;) BTW-What are the tabs for going down the side and top?
I bought these tabs from thecoffeemonsterzco! The side has monthly tabs and the top has the yearly/monthly/weekly tabs. Honestly, I don’t find them very useful 😅 I think I’m a bottom tab girlie.
This video makes me want to try this planner out. The cons you mentioned are not cons at all for me, since I need lots of space and I'm not into decorating.
One question: Are there any pages for notes in the back? (I'm thinking blank or grid pages.) If there are notes pages, could you please tell me how many?
Thank you for this great video!
Thanks for your pros and cons, as they were instrumental in helping me decide on my purchase of the Hobonichi A5 planner. I currently have been using a Bullet Journal with dot grid paper. The Bullet Journal has very thick paper at 120 gsm, but it was preferred for stamping inks. So, for me, the paper was the issue until I watched your video. Your comments about the thin cover were helpful, so I purchased a cover. The colors on the pages in the Hobo are fine with me, but I understand your thoughts on why they don't work for you. I like the Bullet Journal's flexibility in that I have to do the page layouts, but the Hobo is already set up and ready to go with a design, so that will be nice for a change. I like to decorate my journals in a minimalistic way using tiny stickers and washi tape so I think the Hobo will allow for me to continue to do that. I'm retired, so I like the crafty aspect of managing my schedule; the crazy little stickers help me smile and stay positive. Lastly, the thin 47gsm paper was a tough point to get past till something in your video or something you said made me thinkl of bible paper and the lightbulb went off for me. I do bible study every morning and I use Pigma Micron pens, Pilot Frixon markers, Sharpie Gel highlighter, and Tombow ABT water based pens and there is no bleed through on the tissue paper thin bible paper. I am very excited to get my Hobonichi planner and thank you for helping me make my descision!
I don’t know if you know OR if anyone has told you, but Sterling-ink has just released a tomoe river paper planner for 2023 1/2 and full 365 pages - it’s a B6 size and I swear has all the things you want from watching this video! I did the pre-order even though I’ve never used to a B6. You should look up her TH-cam and watch the info about it! I would link it, but think that isn’t allowed… 🤔 anyhow! I agree with you on all you stated in the video, it was great to hear and watch! Thank you!
Yes!!! I also preordered one and am planning on using it for 2023. It seems PERFECT to me. I have never used a b6 size before either! We'll experiment together!
i like the quotes bc it makes it feel authenic haha and i like the look of the clear kokuyo/midori covers! not sure if i'd ever move up to a5 bc my handwriting is tiny.. but the cousin is $36.84 on amazon (april start 2022) and i'm really tempted to try it out.
A5 is definitely a big size. If you're not sure about the cousin, maybe think about what you like about it and see if there's another planner out there! For example, you can find lots of vertical weekly planners that are not as bulky. HOWEVER, I do think everyone should try the cousin at least once, it's a great planner despite all my cons!
My writing is also tiny and the a5 is my main planner/journal. I adore it.
If you don‘t like the coloured daily pages, buy the English version. If you don‘t want to pay for a cover, get some gift paper or a paper bag and make your own, it is really easy. You can even ad folded pockets for stickers and such.
i hate to break it to you my friend but the english version does indeed have the colored pages
I use either gel pens or fountain pens in my Hobonichi Cousins Avecs. And I have hardly any smudges in both of my books. So far I used fast drying gel pens like the Zebra Sarasa Mark On, but also the Pentel EnerGel Clena (like Helen from The Coffeemonsterz Co used), a Uniball Signo in 0.38, some of the Zebra Sarasa Vintage pens etc. Some pens do indeed take a little bit longer to dry. But not by much.
When I used an EnerGel liquid in 0.7 it took ages to dry, as it put too much ink onto the pages.
My Pentel Energel Clena kept skipping when I tried it, but I loved the ink when it worked properly. I just picked up an 0.5 and hope that solves it since I've heard some people have issues with the 0.4 size. I have wanted the Zebra Sarasa Vintage pens for ages... I think you may have just convinced me to buy them ;)
@@RachelleinTheory The vintage collection is beautiful and gives you some color to write/work with. Just give them a bit time to dry on Tomoe River paper.
My theory is that pens with bigger numbers (e.g. 0.7) disperse a lot of ink. They might be more comfortable to write with, but need A LOT of time to actually dry. I prefer smaller pens anyway, my fountain pen is a 0.2, but I think it also helps with drying quicker.
lol, I was surprised to see the first con because it is exactly sth I found bothering for a couple months and I haven’t seen others talking about it. After some experiments, my current solution is to write with an ink color that is as close to the page color as possible for the month (I use fountain pens so there are a lot of ink options). Once that color set which takes most of the page, other decoration becomes easier. Of course this constrains what color I could use for the month and sometimes I got bored in the middle of the month, but honestly this is so far the only solution i could find to make the pages look “clean” (you know when colors don’t match the whole page can look “dirty”…).
Totally understand about wanting the page to look clean! This is a great solution to the color problem as well!
Check out sterling ink new planner. It has some similarities but many differences that may make it work for a lot of people. The preorder ends 9/15.
Yes, I picked one up already! It looks awesome.
I decided no for the cousin this academic year and went back to the passion planner. I currently use a medium sized passion planner undated Monday start. The reason I didn’t choose the cousin was 1) I almost never used the daily pages, 2) I hated flipping back and forth and wanted to do everything on my weekly spread but didn’t have room, 3) I had a love/hate relationship with the paper and the pens I had to use. The passion planner currently fits my needs.
Natalie, I totally hear you on the cons of the cousin lol. I just posted a video on planners that I used during my time in academia, I would be so curious why the passion planner works for you?
@@RachelleinTheory I love the weekly layout of the passion planner. And the size of the medium, which is larger than a5. And that it allows you to use any pen. And no ghosting or shadowing on the opposite page for pens. Lots to love about passion planner. I’m in academia as well so I’ll have to take a look at your other planning video.
@@Natalie.D That's awesome. I have actually never tried the passion planner but it sounds like such a good one!
I can recommend Kinbor, because I really relate to all your cons!
Lots of people have recommended that! Seems like suuuuch a good sub. What’s the paper like?
@@RachelleinTheory not totally the same, but Very similar to hobonichi, but the colour is white, not creamy. I bought both weekly and daily planners for the next year.
Hi there. Can I know where you got your Uniball Jestream pen that you showed here? Thanks!!
This is my first year using Hobonichi cousin. I like a lot of things about it and decide to still use Hobonichi in 2023. But recently I’m really feeling the weight of the A5 book after all the writing and decorating … making my bag pretty heavy. I’m thinking of bringing an A6 with me around, but keep an A5 as my journal book at home.
I know a lot of people do this! Personally, I take the hobonichi weeks around with me for this reason.
You could try Hobonichi Avec. It's a 6 months planner so its half the weight of the full year counterpart.
Is there any good alternative that uses the Weeks layout? Id love a planner but with the month and weeks layout just before the corresponding days, so you're just living in the page range of May, it starts with the month, then the weeks then the days. Is there anything like that?
I am using the Midori MD 1 Day/1Page. I’m sure this book is more heavy than the Hobonichi but I love Midori paper more than Tomoe River paper. I use my planner as a commonplace book, and I like to doodle in my books and I find this paper better for many different mediums; watercolor, fountain pen, paint markers, pencil, etc…Besides the Hobonichi is too difficult to get where I’m at and Midori is more simple to acquire.
Ahhh so many planners, so little time... I will have to try this someday! I like that you mention it's better for different mediums, since I know a lot of us Hobonichi brand loyalists are mutlimedia artists as well. Thanks for watching!
After 2 years in Hobonichi Cousin Avec, switching to Passion Planner. The daily pages driving me crazy.
I just ordered the Cousin Avec through Jetpens and it was $65.00. I have compared ordering directly from Hobonichi vs Jetpens and when I factored in shipping and customs, it was easier to go through Jetpens.
Great to know for anyone choosing where to order from, thank you!
Important to note the Yen is at an historic low so if you plan to buy more than a single planner it’s a great deal direct. Bought 3 planners and 17 other items for 180 including shipping. The planners alone would have been over 100 from jetpens
@@goofydumbgoofyhobtch2765 This is important! Thank you!
@@goofydumbgoofyhobtch2765 Same. My total was under $145 shipped with the other items. That’s why I have been purchasing directly from them.
I got both the A6 and A5 this year.
I love the cousin..any size work well with me a5 great for my home..a6 good for work..sometimes I have stress or thoughts that I rather write down at work to calm my nerves....
The months are different colours? Had no idea. Lol. I’m colour blind so no bother to me. Love the size and I usually just write over top the quotes. Also love getting a new cover every year. Very excited for my 2023 English cousin and the green fake leather zipper cover. Have Cookie Monster for 2022. I honestly can’t think of a single con for this planner. To me it’s perfection.
I'm so happy that this is the perfect planner for you Gerald! It really is a good one.
@@RachelleinTheory thanks and thanks for the great video! Binge watching Hobonichi content while I wait for my giant group order to ship. :D
I was in the Cousin for 2020 & 2021. I moved over to the wonderland222 for 2022 & 2023. Still have TRP and I like the layout better. Just wish the had a daily page. It only has 90 free pages in the back of the planner. They also sell an additional blank book for a 2 planner system, not interested in two. I make due with using 1 page for multiple days.
Honestly I think the daily pages were a bit much for me so less daily pages is great in my wonderland! However, I am a weekly layout gal I've realized.
Hey Rachelle, not sure if you're aware but sterling ink's new common planner sounds like it would be really good for you. It's basically a smaller version of a cousin with a more minimalist design. Also the colored weekends and holidays is such a turn off for me that it's one of the reasons I'm leaving hobonichi this year and considering other planners.
Yes! Thank you for commenting. I am getting Sterling Ink's planner next year as well :) I am excited to see how much of a difference it makes since basically all my cons are taken out!
Shipping to Canada for my first order this year costs about 80$ cad because we also have to pay the custom (won't see it at checkout. FedEx will ask for it when your package is on the way). I've bought about 7 items, so I add a 11.50$ shipping fee on the price for each to see how much they actually cost after everything.
It's definitely not on the cheaper end. I think I'll only get them on the years when I'm feeling comfortable paying for them.
Wow!!! I had no idea. That sounds like a totally reasonable response to that price!
What cover are you planning to use for the Sterling Ink B6? I’m not into leather covers so that limits my options.
I am trying to get my hands on a bulkier cover personally (maybe leather, maybe fabric, depends on what I can find), but Catherine said in her walkthrough that it was about the same size as the B6 Stalogy. I have a clear jelly cover for the B6 Stalogy from when I was journaling in that so I think that is probably what I will use until I can find a cover I like!
I've just ordered a second hand Cousin (and a Weeks) for a decent price. I don't think I'm going to be using them every year from now on, but I wanted to at least get some first hand experience now that I've heard so much about them. I'm getting the English version. Initially I assumed it was going to be the Japanese version so I was planning on using Google translate to translate the quotes and then write them on the page above the original text.
I used Google picture search and translated there - then wrote the translations on top. I find the quotes practical, thoughtful, cheerful, and culturally interesting.
I also agree the size is taunting. I only ever used the weekly session. A6 original size would’ve been perfect but that doesn’t have the weekly layout, unless I buy the supplement notebook, which is another book to carry. Otherwise the design, color etc do not bother me.
Wow it looks like a great planner. It doesn't seem as extensible as bullet journaling though. It looks like there's not much space for habit trackers and weekly/monthly reviews etc. By the way, red is the traditional colour for holidays in Japan.
Depends on tip size of the Gel pen on how long you need to let it dry. I use 0.38 nib size and do not have to wait forever with an ink blotter (just a blank piece of paper) between the pages, or just let your pencil board be smeared with ink.
I hear you, but every time I try a 0.38 nib size (even 0.4!) my pens always skip 😢 And for me, I just don't want to have to use a blotting paper when I am skipping around in my planner so much. I respect you for making it work!
@@RachelleinTheory I guess since I am used to mechanical pencils and small lead sizes, I just do not have that problems. I have never been a fan of 0.7 mm pens or pencils. It has to be as my autistic brain wants, a finer tip than that. Writing with a 0.7 is like writing with a blunt pencil that I cannot sharpen at the pencil sharpener. I was given a mechanical pencil when I was in 4th grade, because apparently I made my 3rd grade teacher nuts. It is just an autistic thing about the tip of an writing instrument for me.
I don't like the colors for the dailies or the holidays or weekends, I don't like the quotes...even if I could read them, they take up too much space. I have covered it several times, but like you say, that builds up. I love the size, but I can rarely fill it up. And I can't get over it if I don't fill the page. The cover and cover on cover dilemma is a concern too. I love the Cousin though...thinking of using it for Bible study or something like that. I would have loved to have tried the Common planner, but I didn't hear about it until after the pre-order window closed. Looking to see if there will be a second order window. If not, I'm gonna make due with stuff I've already got, but haven't used
I love the hobonici layout, the monthly weekly daily all in one format. I HATE the paper. Every pen I've tried has horrible ghosting. I'm on the hunt for a similar style with 120-160 gsm.
Some of the dupes have different paper! Also, I'll be releasing a vid soon testing the new paper, which I find to be a little more absorbent, if that helps Hobonichi become a little more pen friendly for ya!
Personally, if Hobonichi released the A5 version of the A6 english planner (with the black paper cover and gold foil for the labels) i would be all over the A5 by now -- or the one piece red techo cover for the A5 size. but the fun stuff are all on A6. and it's frustrating lmao
I bought the cousin last year with the intentions of filling it up. I’m a planner and creative journal girl. I was STRESSED out about filling up the dailies with my journaling that I only lasted 31 days. The pages were too big. The planner overall was too big. The largest size I can use is b6 slim or FCC. Even the b6 is iffy simply because it’s too square (ahh yes, I can’t stand squareness. Why can’t I just be happy?) I love Tomoe River paper so I bought the Nanami cafe notes. Except they hadn’t yet changed their paper to the successor at my time of purchase (they have it now)
I keep with the weeks. I plan in rings, but I memory keep in the weeks. They stack up nicely and I have used it for the past 5 years. This year I used the kinbor weeks dupe the dated as it has the better paper than their undated. I bought a mega and some other accessories during the Hobonichi release for 2023. Would you consider buying sterling inks b6 planner? It’s a complete hobonichi dupe without the colors and quotes. It also isn’t dated for dailies. She uses the tomoe River paper too. They have a presale going on right now.
Yes, I bought the Sterling Ink planner! I'm pretty excited for it. I have thought about using Kinbor, but havent heard of Nanami. I'll have to check it out!
amazing video. i've been using my hobonichi for the last 5 months and holy crap i didn't notice the different colors per a month. LMAO just goes to show u i don't pay attention...
I use the daily pages as my ideas and thoughts, not as a journal. If I watch a video I write notes on the pages
hiii! you mentioned “accomplishment tracking” - what is that?
I love Hobonichi. I did the Avec for years. Because it was perfect as an academic planner. Then switched to the small passion planner for a few years. But I prefer “to do” boxes for each day column. So I went back to Hobonichi cousin full year. Again thinking I would use the daily pages. Always scared the weekly would not be enough. In the end I never use the daily. Too much flipping between the pages.
Love the paper
Love that it is the perfect size and monthly weekly dailies in one small book
The dailies are too light for me to see the actual planning. Faint boxes and schedule.
I really debated this year.
Hobonichi does not have the planner for me. I had hoped the day free incorporated the weekly.
They are missing a monthly/weekly only planner in the line up. The weeks is just too small if you have a full scheduled day and impractical to me. The A6 is missing a weekly so it’s a deal breaker.
Found many pages useless.
Never bought a cover. Cost and the whole purpose for to reduce bulky planner. I used the midori. I inserted those decorative paper. Added rigidity.
$60. Because I felt the dailies were now a waste. I was really hesitant
Looked at many planner online.
I am retrying a small Inamio planner. On amazon. Similar layout as Hobonichi. No dailies. Definitely not the same paper.
I thought they offered a vertical weekly add-on (separate booklet) for the A6.
@@berneserainbow1407 I don’t want 2 books though.
amazon japan site also sells the cousin
I purchase dated Kinbor planners from Aliexpress.
Not sure yet for next year but my biggest con is the timeline on the daily. Like why !?! I have a timed weekly. Also another thing is price. Not the cousin itself but the shipping. It’s like shipping is a much as the book itself… and then come the custom charges. I’m considering returning to moleskine daily.
I quite like the moleskine tbh! That planner got me through my undergrad.
The red colored Sunday being a con just doesn't click with me because in my home country I've always seen sundays in red on the calendars. Those you pay for, those that are given away from shop owners, no matter what calendar they all start with Monday, the days are in a very dark blue or black color, and end with a red-colored Sunday. Partly it's religious reason, partly because, traditionally at least less so nowadays, people work during the week and have Sunday off. So to me rhe red-colored Sunday doesn't seem invasive at all, the fact that it pops out of the page is not confusing, it's a pro, because i work my way through the week to reach that day off, so i really need the color to pop out and remind me of the weekend.
I know I sound like Goldilocks but I used a Wonderland 222 in B6 in 2021 and felt the dailies were too big. I used a Hobo Mega weeks this year and felt like it was too small. I’m trying Wonderland 222 in A6 this year and praying that it will be just right! Is Planner peace even possible?
I need to believe planner peace is possible in order to have hope lol! I'm doing two Weeks next year and Sterling Ink's planner... so we'll see haha. I am hoping your A6 experiment works out Tammy!
After I wrote this I watched your video about the Sterling Ink Planner but it was too late to order one! 😩
This is so cute hehe you're totally allowed to be Goldilocks about your planners 😂😂🥺
Just buy a Kinbor, it's a hobo dupe without the hobo price
14:50 the Kinbor doesn't have colored pages (I don't care about the colored pages and I think the red Sundays are helpful)
17:41 buy the A6 size then
19:40 the Kinbor A5 doesn't have the weeklies
Kinbor doesn't have quotes
P. S. Looks like the Kinbor will be good for you
P. P. S. I'll try to use the outdated hobo next year, it was too overwhelming for me, but I decided that I could use it for several years because I rarely use the daily pages, and I'm just going to put inside the printables I need with a washi tape and use it up.
I've heard a lot about the Kinbor and might try it! For me, the size was the biggest issue so I've decided to go with smaller planners instead of a true dupe.
Yess I was thinking the same😊 I use one too and it's been a great switch from the Hobonichi a6 to the Kinbor🥰
@@RachelleinTheory there are kinbor A6, kinbor a5, kinbor weeks, and kinbor dayfree
@@katsmith8263 And Kinbor Jibun Techo
I’m in the Uk. Ali express is the only place I’ve found kinbor but I’ve not found a dated one bigger than weeks size
The size thing is cracking me up - I use an 8.5x11! I need LOTS of white space to think. (And I wfh and don't take my planner anywhere)
Does this paper float like the hobonichi weeks once it is written on?
I don’t know what you mean by float, but it is the same paper as the hobonichi weeks
they have some available on amazon to purchase! is it authentic and trustworthy? this will be my very first time ordering a hobonichi :)
If it's via the Hobonichi store on Amazon, it is trustworthy. Is that what you are asking about?
@@RachelleinTheory yes! I just wanna make sure bc it says it’s going to arrive overnight which is awesome ofc
Have you looked at the Sterling Ink Commonplace Planner? It fixes a lot of the issues that you have with the Cousin.
Yes! I bought one for 2023. Definitely going to do a review/comparison when it comes :)
@@RachelleinTheory me too. I actually bought both... for different purposes/different uses. =).
@@ChristinaPlans Nice!!
I believe I am switching out of the Jibun Techo lineup this year. Basically I have to decide where I am spending my lower buying power due to inflation.
I prefer the colorful layout of the hobonichi, I love the covers that I can buy with it, even though I can use other books with them, however I cannot use the JT B6 slim in them. The holidays in the English version is now gone. All planners have a different color on the weekends, even the JT Biz versions. Plus the JT Days does not have the weekly layout so you need the two books. So a cheaper way is to buy the project planner from Amazon in JP that have these layouts. The biggest cons with the English versions of Hobonichi is the A6 is so bland to look at it, and the hourly layout is just not there but noon, 6 am and 6 pm. That the English version in the A5 is not in the Day Free or Avec Versions. Or the A6 versions for those versions of the planners also.
I suggest the day free to you, or just use the notebooks if you love the TR paper. I just think you are nitpicking the cons. You could also a harder card stock from your local paper store glued onto the cover. You can also change these out if they get too grody.
Nitpicking? 😂 One person's no-big-deal is another person's reason they never find themselves using the planner, and with money at stake (as you rightly point out), it's useful to know the things that are stopping me from fully buying in, even if they seem negligible to others. Different colored weekends seems to be a Japanese planner trend as far as I can tell. Wonderland 222 does shade the weekends, but plenty of planners leave them the same color as other days. I've never tried Jibun Techo, mostly because the vertical weekly look a bit busy for me, but the B6 slim size does seem dreamy.
I've already got my lineup set for 2023, you can check out my video before this one if you want some more info!
@@RachelleinTheory I can buy little tiny circle numbers to redate any planner I do not use. I can use a partially used planner for other things, such as pen tests, or scribbles of notes,with the date washi’d over. I do find your comments nickpicking. However, look in at at the Sterling Ink Version, it is a good fit for you, just not for me in one aspect. It does not have the project planning as the JT has in the techo on their own pages, or the bottom of the monthly on the Days version. I am nickpicking myself. I call myself black as a kettle for it also. I will try out the new planner you suggest, but I do not hold out for me wanting to draw out freaking project planning, 2 to 3 of them every month for my research. I had a Days and I had a Techo, so I had two a month to work with, and need that at least. Please do not take offense I am just a blunt autistic person, not meant to hurt your feelings. Ask me to mask or conform and it will just not happen,.
@@Stormbrise For sure! I think for me, being particular about the planners I use helps me really narrow down what works for me. I would call it being particular over nitpicking, but there are many ways to describe it 😉 I'm just glad that there are enough planners in the world that we can all find something that works best for us, whatever our brains need!
After 2 years in Hobonichi Avec, I am switching to a Passion Planner. We'll see how long it lasts. The daily pages driving me crazy.
After 2 years in a Passion Planner I’m switching to a Cousin Avec 😂 I love the Passion Planner honestly, but I need the daily pages the cousin offers so I can condense my planning and journaling into 1 book. I thought about using the vertical weeklies to daily journal but even in the largest size it’s not enough space for me for journaling. The daily journal from Passion Planner doesn’t suit my needs either. If I hadn’t started daily journaling this year I would happily stay in the Passion Planner though, I love it. I’ll be using their free printables to continue doing my roadmaps and reflections and I’ll probably tip those into the Japanese info back pages since I can’t use those. I’m still using an out of date small size as an indexed commonplace book so that will continue into years beyond! Good luck with your switch!!