Life Set To Random

I listened to Leo’s voice actor singing ‘language of the heart’ on repeat last week, and really needed to get the feels out of my system. 

Second picture: Yes Kenichi, your boy is growing up fast, kids tend to do that. But hey, you should be very proud at his skill!😊♥️👏

Third picture: Well damn… so many feelings to sort through.😅 First off, I’m glad Mr. Sakai is acknowledging that Step-parents are every bit as important as biological ones. Far too often fiction goes the way of classic fairytales and demonizes them. Such a stupid, tired troop and Kenichi deserves better.

I wonder if it has to do with the fact that Mr. Sakai is a step-father himself now? Mind you, to adult children but still, it counts! There’s still a relationship there and it’s every bit as meaningful as the ones he has with the daughter and son he raised.

Commission for @ibenholt of Splinter with the Last Ronin turts!

You can watch a time lapse video of the creation of this artwork on my youtube channel. Because this is a commission, I'll also be uploading the real-time 4 hour and fifteen minute production video for public viewing. If you like the vid and would like to see more, the real-time videos are exclusive Patreon videos. Patrons also get the time-lapses two weeks early.

If you'd like a commission, info is in the pinned post. There are slots still open right now.

Alternate version below the cut!

And there...

He’s a vagabond with a restless soul who is incapable of settling down in any one place, yet he is willing to work hard and honestly to make his own way or pay back a kindness.

He is a peaceful soul who doesn’t go looking for trouble (that’s ok, it always seems to know where he is no matter what), but also a consummate warrior who does not shy away from honorable justifiable combat.

He is slightly bitter and/or melancholy due to his tragic past, yet an incurable optimist who sees the world with a childlike wonder. “Such is Karma” is a quote of his I use more frequently as I grow older. (It is both comforting and slightly distressing lol).

He is slightly stuck up because of his upbringing, believing Samurai to be inherently more noble in nature and inclined to also be more refine in manners, but he never looks down on “peasants” and even envies them from time to time.

He is a traditionalist but open to new ideas, such as the case when his younger cousin Yukichi pointed out it may be unfair to hold the peasant and merchant classes up to a samurai’s standards of bravery or expect them to share the same priorities when they do not share the same privileges.

He is forgiving and can preach wise words of mercy such as in the storyline “Vendetta” wherein he meets a younger samurai on a quest to avenge his father’s murder, and yet can hold a grudge with such tenacity as to rival a Hungry Ghost. Remember the story Daisho? Fuji was a dead man the second he decided to take Usagi’s swords, and even if he had given them back, I highly doubt Usagi would have spared him.