This is my two-cents explaining how Mister Danger Tenyo trick is done by merely watching the demonstration videos clips.
In addition, I also based on the comments and feedback highlighted in Magic Cafe forum.
I do not own this latest Mister Danger 2023 by Tenyo Magic, and neither do I know how the hidden mechanism in the casing works.
Hence this is NOT an exposure of a magic trick per se, but rather an exploration, together with probing questions on how this artifice works.
It is Mr. Danger magic trick explained in my own words.
In fact, my opinion could be utterly wrong, as it is just based on my observations and assumptions.
I am fine with making mistakes and blunders, as what French poet-playwright Johann Van Goethe said:
“Auch ist das Suchen und Irren gut, denn durch Suchen und Irren lernt man.” (German)
(Gespräche mit Goethe in den letzten Jahren Seines Lebens Bon Johann Peter Edermann, In Drei Teilen, Dritter Theil. Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus 1885, Sonntag Den 1. Mai 1825, P. 73) source
It is commonly translated in English as:
“…seeking and blundering are good, for it is only by seeking and blundering that we learn.”
(Conversation Of Goethe With Eckerman And Soret, Translated From The German By John Oxenford, Volume 3, London: George Bell & Sons, 1882, 1825 P. 149) source
Note: Here are more Johann Von Geothe authentic quotations linked to original sources from Quotationize.
Since last year (December 2022), the magic enthusiasts keep heaping praises on this Mister Danger T-305 from Tenyo, Japan.
According to a comment in Magic Cafe Forum, Mr. Danger trick could easily be the best release Tenyo has had for a very long time.
This completely self-working magic trick piques my curiosity because it is hailed as the ultimate sword penetration.
Mr. Danger Mechanical Marvel
Moreover, this coveted Mr. Danger magic toy, or rather mechanical device is sold out in many online magic retailers.
With so much brouhaha over this solid through solid magic effect, I decided to take a stab (no pun intended) at guessing how Mr. Danger magic trick is done.
Tenyo Soft Coins T-108 Secret
By the way, I suppose this Tenyo Mister Danger is quite similar to its 1981 “T-108 Soft Coins” by Keiji Takahashi.
The Tenyo Soft Coin T-108 magic trick secret is revealed in this video.
You can also see the free detailed secret instructions of Tenyo Soft Coins by Hasbro from here.
Related: Check out these free books of magic with coins by Thomas Nelson Downs aka “King of Koins“.
So, Tenyo Mr DANGER how does it work?
Mister Danger Tenyo Trick
Presentation/Performance:
Placed a clear color acrylic figurine inside a indented mold of a special-designed casing with a lid.
The figurine fits snugly into the mold.
Close the lid and slot in the two plastic clasps.
Insert ten plastic swords through the holes on the casing, and apparently they go through the solid acrylic figurine.
Then remove the swords from the holes of the casing, and the figurine is still lying flat inside the indented mold.
Watch the demonstration video below:
Let’s find out Mister Danger magic trick explained with supporting images and illustrations.
Mister Danger of Tenyo Japan is advertised as a complete self-working trick.
Meaning the prop has a built-in gimmick which does the trick.
When I viewed the video demonstrations, the two apparently redundant plastic clasps, arouse my suspicion.
Obviously the casing does not need the two clasps to hold the figurine in place at all.
Particularly, the bottom clasp at the hinge of the lid; it appears superfluous.
So, I reckon the two clasps must be part of the mechanism of the trick.
When I took a closer look at the two clasps, each has a short plug or pin inside.
So I presume when they are slotted into the holes at the side of the casing, they trigger the trick mechanism.
I do not know the precise working of the mechanism, as I do not have the real McCoy in hand.
But I do notice, most of the performers fit in and remove the clasp at the bottom hole first.
Probably one of the clasps opens/closes the slit along the wall of the figurine-shaped mold, so the acrylic figurine could shift in and out.
The other one is to shift or reposition the acrylic figurine.
After the trick, the two clasps are removed, the figurine is shifted back into its original position, and the slit opening is shut.
This demo video confirms the two clasps are the keys to the secret working of Mister Danger magic trick.
After he has inserted the two clasps onto the casing, the holes are unobstructed.
In short, the solid figurine is NOT blocking the holes any more.
At 0:30, you can see through the holes (white color T-shirt), when he turns the back view of the casing around.
The set of holes at the back of the prop are bigger.
One of the methods of penetration effect in magic tricks is by shifting or repositioning the obstacle.
For instance Jim Steinmeyer’s “Walking through a Brick Wall” illusion, “Franz Harary Walking Through A Girl Trick“, “Peter Warlock Glass Penetration” or “Steel Ball Through Glass” close up trick.
Tenyo T-169 Zone Infinity Secret
Tenyo T-169 Zone Infinity penetration trick uses the same method.
The key pushes the coin to drop out from the indented mold inside the holder, to make way for it to go through.
Nail Thru Coin Magic Trick
And not forgetting the ever-popular “Nail Thru Coin” or “Spiked Coin” pocket trick.
The secret of the nails or spikes poking through the holes, is by tilting the solid coin/disc vertically, as shown below.
If you want to have a better understanding of this nail through coin trick secret, watch this video clip.
I think the Mr. Danger acrylic figurine has to reposition to allow the swords to poke through all the ten sets of holes.
The secret could be similar to Magic Wagon’s “Impossible Glass Penetration Trick“, where the glass sheet has to be tilted at an angle.
This means the acrylic figurine has to be tilted at a certain angle to avoid the ten holes.
Probably this is the position of the acrylic figurine when tilted as shown in this rough illustration below.
As I have mentioned above, the wall or the side of the indented mold has hidden slit opening to accommodate the figurine new position.
In other words, there is slit opening at the side of the indented mold as shown below.
Why do I think there is a secret slit opening along the inner side of the indented mold?
Mister Danger Tenyo Magic Cafe
I have read in Magic Cafe, the issue of Mr. Danger magic toy acrylic figurine getting stuck in the mold of the casing.
In this video the performer has problem getting the acrylic figurine out from the mold, after the trick.
I think Mr. Danger got gripped by the closed slit opening.
Most likely it is the spring-loaded mechanism that causes the Mr. Danger acrylic figurine to get stuck.
Someone mentioned in the Magic Cafe, it is included in the instructions, how to fix this technical hiccup.
Use the sword to poke at the holes at the back of the casing, just like what this performer is doing in this TikTok video.
This is another demo video where the Mr. Danger figurine need to be pushed out from the mold casing from the back with the sword.
Then there is the problem of removing the clasps, as seen from this Kiddy Land Magic video.
As I have mentioned, this Tenyo latest 2023 magic toy is more of a mechanical device.
Well, I believe this is probably how Mister Danger Tenyo trick works.
Related: Here is a free book of magic tricks by So Sato, the man behind Tenyo magic tricks like “Magical Honeycomb“, “Magic Butterfly” and “A Whole New Hole“.
“The Secrets Of So Sato” by Richard Kaufman.
Disclaimer: I do not own or upload any of the books here. They are copyrighted to their respective owners. All content cited is derived from their respective sources.