Today Paperwallet is releasing Bloomscape, a new design by Apollo Thomas. It's coming out in both Micro Wallet and Slim Wallet formats on the same day, which we only do when a design works equally well at both sizes.
About the Design
Bloomscape is a retro anime and pop art collage. The composition centers on a portrait of an anime-style girl with dark hair (purple and pink streaks running through it), big blue eyes, and a green jacket. Around her, the design layers in close-up details: a giant anime eye rimmed with dramatic lashes, a bold yellow zigzag cutting across the frame, a sunburst pattern of orange, red, and purple radiating outward. Halftone dots and checkered patterns fill the negative space, giving the wallet the texture of a vintage manga page or a 90s comic book cover.
The aesthetic is 80s and 90s Japanese pop art. If you grew up reading manga or watching subbed anime on VHS, this design lands immediately. If you didn't, it still reads as a confident, layered piece of pop art on its own terms.
Why This Works on a Wallet
The collage approach is exactly the right kind of design for a wallet. There's always something new to notice. The first time you pull it out, your eye goes to the central portrait. The next time, you catch the giant eye on the right side. The time after that, you notice the halftone texture, or the way the yellow zigzag cuts across the composition. A wallet you'll look at 10 times a day rewards a design with this much density.
The bold linework also holds up at small scale. Designs that depend on subtle gradients or muted color tones tend to lose their punch when shrunk to wallet size. Bloomscape's anime-style ink lines and saturated color blocks read clearly on any surface. The halftone dots even gain a little extra texture as the Tyvek creases over time, which fits the deliberately retro print-media feel of the design.
Why Both Formats
We release a design in both Micro and Slim when the composition works at both sizes and when we expect demand from people with different carry preferences. Bloomscape qualified on both counts.
The Micro version (1.3mm thin, 6 to 8 cards) compresses the collage into a credit-card-sized surface. The central portrait dominates more, with the other elements supporting it from the edges. The Slim version (3mm thin, 12 to 16 cards, RFID blocking) spreads the composition out across a larger area. You see more of the eye, more of the sunburst pattern, more of the checkered borders. The collage reads more like a magazine spread.
Both versions are the same design file. The experience of carrying them is slightly different based on which format fits your daily carry.
Which Format to Pick
The standard rule applies. Count your cards. If you carry 8 or fewer, the Micro is your format. If you carry more than 8, the Slim makes more sense. Both versions of Bloomscape are made from Tyvek, so both are waterproof and tear-resistant.
If you're already a Micro carrier and want to try a Slim Wallet, Bloomscape is a strong first Slim pick because the design has enough density to use the bigger surface area without feeling sparse.
Who This Is For
Anyone who grew up on anime, manga, or retro Japanese pop culture. Anyone who likes pop art with halftone textures and bold linework. People who collect designs with character work rather than abstract patterns. If your aesthetic has Akira posters, Sailor Moon merchandise, or vintage anime VHS covers anywhere in it, this design will fit your collection.
It's also a strong gift for the anime fans in your life who never get gifts that actually match their interests. Most "anime merch" is either licensed character goods (which feels generic if you're not already a fan of that specific show) or generic Japanese-styled prints. Bloomscape is its own original collage in the genre, which means it works for any anime fan regardless of which series they're into.
Available June 19
Bloomscape launches June 19 in both the Micro Wallet collection and the Slim Wallet collection. Limited edition in both formats. When each version sells out, that version is done.
This drops two days before Father's Day, so if you missed the Father's Day window with our earlier June releases, Bloomscape is one more option to consider for a last-minute gift. Browse the full collection for everything else available.
