Iroshizuku - Asa-gao

Pilot Iroshizuku - Asa-gao - Ink drop

Asa-gao is the third of three fairly similar mid-blues in the Iroshizuku series. Kon-peki’s yellow influences set it apart for me, and it’s Tsuyu-kusa’s cottony softness that stands out. Asa-gao leans a tiny bit lavender, but in writing it is the darkest blue of the three. Tsuyu-kusa has been discontinued, and honestly, I think three so close was just too many, and the series is stronger now. Let’s talk about Asa-gao.

Pilot Iroshizuku - Asa-gao - Color range

Asa-gao is named for the Morning Glory flower and matches its blue very closely. The very subtle lavender influence is on theme, too. A copper-pink sheen shows on the splatters, and it edges strokes in writing at times, as well. This is nice shader on some papers, and it’s been well-behaved on all I’ve tried. It’s wet and smooth, but it dries fairly quickly.

Pilot Iroshizuku - Asa-gao - Sheen edge

It’s a very nice blue, and it writes beautifully. However, in writing it is sometimes darker than I would prefer. In finer nibs, it loses some of its mid-blue identity. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll have no complaints!

Pilot Iroshizuku - Asa-gao - Ink swatch card

Iroshizuku inks are consistent and reliable, and I can see myself owning a bottle of each color at some point. They seem to always write beautifully in any pen I fill! Personally, I prefer Kon-peki’s subtle yellow undertones. I’d love to see stronger hints of lavender and lighter aspects in writing, but Asa-gao is definitely a nice blue. For many, it offers exactly what you look for, and you’ll thoroughly enjoy this ink!

Comparison - Kon-peki, Tsuyu-kusa, and Asa-gao

Pilot Iroshizuku - Asa-gao - 15ml Ink bottle