Japan Technology Mirage 2021
Price/specs:
$79.99 USD
Diameter: 56.49
Width: 45.36
Weight: 64.8
Material: 6061
Overview: Japan Technology is a brand that started off primarily producing high quality offstring yoyos. They took the knowledge that they gained designing those yoyos to start creating yoyos designed for other styles of play and over the past few years, they have cemented themselves as a producer of competition yoyos of all different types. Japan technology focuses on creating precise, quality engineered products designed for the competition stage. The mirage 2021 is their latest monometal flagship model. It is an update of the 2019 mirage which was smaller in both width and diameter but was very well received. The 2021 Mirage aims to use design cues from the mirage 2019 to create a modern competition masterpiece.
Design: The Mirage 2021 is a v/h shaped yoyo with massive rims and comfortable curves. The Japan Technology design team put a lot of effort into creating a comfortable yoyo. They even measured the hands of several yoyo players to ensure that the big rims would be comfortable in the hand and on the catch. The end result is an aesthetically pleasing design that looks elegant and beastly. The mirage comes in several solid colorways each with a nice blasted finish.
Performance: The mirage 2021 is a competition monster. Its massive rims give it great stability and spin time. Its performance is on par with top of the line bimetal designs, and it has already been used on the competition stage in Japan with great success. It came to me incredibly smooth. I would put it at a 9 out of 10 on the smoothness scale meaning that you can’t feel any vibe in play and can only notice a very slight vibe when touching it with your finger. Unfortunately it hit my head incredibly hard, drawing blood and possibly giving me a mild concussion. It now is at a 7 out of 10 on smoothness. The mirage has normally tight binds but I have noticed occasional slippy binds when attempting more difficult bind tricks. The mirage prefers to play at a mid speed but can go fast or slow as desired. The Mirage feels balanced in play leaning toward the heavy end of the scale.
Soul: The contrast between the extremely heavy rims and the lighter inner body gives the mirage an enjoyable feel on the string. Though it feels slightly heavy in play, it almost has a float that can be felt toward the middle of the yoyo. The mirage is also excellent at changing direction and speed. It instantly obeys any movement given allowing the yoyo to speed up and slow down instantly. These two factors make the mirage a very enjoyable yoyo to throw.
Final Thoughts: The Mirage 2021 is one of the best competition monometals on the market. You feel the care and precision put into designing this yoyo and it simply slays most tricks. It is a little expensive at $79.99 but the mirage is worth every penny. If you are looking for a competition beast, or an impressive feat of Japanese engineering, then the Mirage 2021 is for you.