11/11/2025

Song of the Hour: "Yuukyuu" ~ Mushi-Shi

Hiya! And yahoo!! This is the first post I have made while my website is available! It's been a long while to make this website come alive once again and I couldn't be happier to have it up-and-running once more. I love website development!

I fussed with what the theme of my personal website/blog/portfolio should be for ages, until I was reminded of my old theme from my former website. Since the Y2K technology/frutiger aero vibes are things that I adored as a kid and still now, why not go back to that? Not only that, but I wanted to make a challenge for myself: create a bunch of assets to use for the website! As you can see, save for a couple of Pokémon sprites scattered here and there, everything has been drawn and/or animated by myself. It's been so long since I've animated anything; I missed it!

As I usually do with any blog post, I also wanted to shine a spotlight on my media focus of the hour: Mushi-Shi by Yuki Urushibara. This fantasy manga, which also falls into the iyashikei (often translated as "healing") genre, is a longtime favorite of mine. I found it not long after I began to research the iyashikei genre, which is one of my all-time favorite genres, including titles such as Natsume's Book of Friends, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, and Aria, which are all favorites of mine as well. I adore any piece of media that really allows me to learn about a cast of characters in depth, alongside the world they live in, and how they interact with it. This is likely because I have an introspective nature, and because I also just love a good story.

Regardless, I think Mushi-Shi is a masterclass in slower-paced storytelling, whether within the original manga or the gorgeous anime adaptation done by Artland. I am at the start of the anime, but it is already such a wonderful watch. I'm fond of episodic stories that are shown to intertwine, and Mushi-Shi does an amazing job at working with this pattern of storytelling. I always wonder about what the main character, the Mushi Master Ginko, will come across next on his journey. The overall atmosphere is something I cannot exactly put into words; it is sometimes joyous, sometimes terrifying, sometimes sorrowful, and always, always full of heart and emotion. I love stories such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Fruits Basket that explore the very concept of what it means to be human, and Mushi-Shi is another great example. For further reference, I also recommend this video essay. Note that it has spoilers for a couple of episodes; I recommend watching the anime or reading the manga first for the best experience.

To wrap things up, I wish to once again thank those who have supported me and my creative journey for so long, as well as you, the reader. I could not have created this website or my existing pieces without your kindness and support!

Until next time,

DIGITALSHELL ༄

10/30/2025

Song of the Hour: "Lease" ~ Takeshi Abo

Hello again to old friends, and hiya to newcomers! It has been a VERY long time since I've written a blog post, one that wasn't on Instagram or any other social media platform. Getting older naturally means I tend to think about the past more often, though that is also just a facet of my introspective nature. Still, I never fail to think about how the internet and how life itself has changed so much since I was young. Surprising no one, my nostalgia for my favorite moments from my childhood (and favorite game systems) has aided me in bringing my website to life. I will always reminisce about the DS/Wii and the beautiful soundscapes/designs they created.

Aside from work and picking back up on this project, I have been trying to draw more. I have admittedly been in a bit of a creative funk, born from various factors relating to my personal life and my relationship with social media. The digital age, for creative minds, implies that crafting a digital portfolio is crucial to one's noticeability, and by extent their success. I am a perfectionist by nature, stemming from my desire to always improve and my hatred of my past mistakes. Unfortunately, this also brings me a great deal of stress. It is because of this that I found myself in a terrible loop of making accounts, growing unhappy, deleting them, and starting anew. I do not wish to work alongside this cycle any longer, and truly break out of my shell. That thought, alongside a quote from the always-fashionable stardrugg, was what not only brought back a bit of my long-thought-to-have-died creative spark, but helped me pick out a name that I hope, that better, stick around for good.

For a bit of time, I tried to break away from the beachy-meets-nostalgic media/tech vibe I crafted under my past aliases. Time and again, I found myself feeling like I had given up a great piece of my heart. As fate would have it, I grew stressed again and drew Choco, my mascot character of many years, as stress relief. I was surprised how wonderful it felt to draw her again, and realized that I had been going about my art all wrong. Thus, I wish to try and draw pieces that make me happy, though of course, I wish to make others smile as well by making colorful, cheerful pieces. I hope that my art, especially my art of Choco and friends, has a similar atmosphere as one of my favorite video game tracks, Lease by Takeshi Abo for the My Merry May visual novel. I have never played the game or its sequel, but I highly recommend their soundtracks, which include many beautiful, bright, and bittersweetly nostalgic songs. Feel free to let me know about your favorite songs as well!

Until next time,

DIGITALSHELL ༄