purplealmonds

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⛩️ Assorted scenes by the torii gate

I think I may have shared this area in the community, but not on my main blog. I've added a few more characters to the scene since then!

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❓Mononoke Q&A Compilation

This is a Google Doc containing all the questions answered on the #モノノ怪質問箱 (Mononoke Ask Box) event hosted on the official Twitter - machine-translated for ease of reading!

It's part of a larger document I'm creating to collect Mononoke lore, which I'll be slowly chipping away at during my free time.

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メイドの日 (Maid Day)

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Process vid of @dilutedyellow's Medicine Seller!

The main file for Project Pharmacy has gotten so big (~4.5GB) that I had to draw the individual characters on separate files and embed the PNGs so I don't get scratch disk errors when opening the PSD.

Another fun bit of trivia: because I found most of the medicine seller OCs on Twitter's #オリジナル薬売りさん創作会 tag, I initially assumed the owner, like many artists on that platform, disappeared without a trace. It was not the first time this happened, so I'm glad that in this case I was mistaken! ^_^

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They are multiplying.

As of tonight I've drawn over 200 original Kusuriuri, Shingi, and miscellaneous creatures/pets belonging to the various artists of the Mononoke community. I believe this shows maybe...half of them?

Please look forward to seeing the final illustration featuring all of them crammed quite cozily into a single space! I hope to finish it before Hebigami comes out, lol

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☀️SHARE CAMPAIGN☀️

Surprise! To celebrate the launch of Hinezumi, we're having a share campaign! Help us get at least 500 shares/reblogs in total across all platforms to unlock this gorgeous pair of pearl prints by Toyo. All physical bundles are eligible for this campaign.

Get your copy of Tokihanatsu here!

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Adding one more bit of analysis in light of the new trailer which dropped earlier this week!

Let's examine some more aspects of Kon and Shingi's clash with Karakasa in comparison to their clash with Hinezumi.

⬇️Thoughts are below the cut! ⬇️

So I already established in the previous post that as a spirit of the earth trigram, Shingi derives his power from the earth and anything connected to the earth. Hence touching his feet on the torii before resuming his fight with the Karakasa.

Let us now consider how Shingi and Kon swap places to initiate that battle.

First, Kon must recite the invocation, allowing the pigments upon his face and kimono to dribble to the ground and form a mandala-like glyph.

Then, when the switch is made, these pigments must find their way onto Shingi's body and the sword blade manifested before Shingi properly 'wakes up.'

And then...! Shingi still needs to manually flick the guard sigil to set the blade and his hair aflame to be battle-ready.

The individual steps of this transformation take split seconds in real time to complete, but that is precious time where he's in a vulnerable state.

With that in mind, Kon and Shingi had it easy with the Karakasa in several respects. First, they had the luxury of solid ground to stand upon to make a seamless transition:

Second, the Karakasa was on the other side of the courtyard, so the Shingi and the sword had ample time to fully awaken before it could land a blow.

From the looks of the trailer, they have none of these advantages when facing off with the Hinezumi.

In these shots, Kon and Shingi appear to be free falling, face devoid of pigment.

We don't see the in-between shots, but let's read between the lines here. This pigment, which I theorize to be the embodiment of his consciousness, needs to free fall with precision onto the few flat surfaces available in this domain in order to form a mandala for the mind merging to commence.

Can you see how there is so little room for error here? Allow me to entertain you with some darkfic AUs of how this fight could have went:

Scenario 1: The falling pigments miss its mark and just fall into the infinite void of the Hinezumi's domain. Best case scenario, Shingi must fight the mononoke markless and alone. Worst case scenario, he never properly wakes and his body is destroyed by the mononoke. Even if the battle is won, Kon's consciousness is detached from his body so it can only return to the mortal realm as a hollow shell.

Scenario 2: The pigments are in the correct trajectory to land on ground, but it the swift Hinezumi gets to it first, incinerating and evaporating Kon's liquified consciousness.

Scenario 3: The pigments manage to land on semi-solid ground, but the mononoke strikes a mortal blow Shingi before the integration is complete. Half of the pigment is on Shingi, and the other half still a malformed mandala upon the ground. Does that mean Kon's consciousness is now rent asunder in a spiritual lobotomy?

The possibilities are limitless and I genuinely can't wait to see if any of them become canonical in Hinezumi and the final movie of this trilogy. ^_^

☔️ Analyzing a section of Shingi's fight with the Karakasa

Uploaded the video so you can follow along. The timestamp I start poring over starts at roughly the 1:30 mark.

⬇️ My thoughts are below the cut! ⬇️

I noticed that there are some mirrored movements between Shingi and the Karakasa.

As the Karakasa descends, so does Shingi. Interesting that even though they're doing the same movement, the Karakasa's camera angle is looking up at the sky...

... Whilst Shingi's looking down on the ground. There's a reason for this.

And then as the Karakasa replenishes its energy by drinking up the sludge water...

... Shingi also does the same by lighting his foot upon the top of a torii gate - reconnecting with the ground as fitting for the earth trigram.

Then they resume their fight, more intense than ever. In the end Shingi seems to be at the disadvantage with Karakasa giving him chase instead of the other way around. But abruptly, the Karakasa retreats. It needs to top off on energy once more.

Shingi gets there before the Karakasa, but there is no nearby ground for him to stand upon. Why did he choose this spot to descend to rather than any of the other torii gates in the background?

The answer lies in the fact that the waters are the Karakasa's targeted trajectory. If they both continue replenishing their HP, the fight will become a battle of attrition.

This is the Karakasa's home turf. Given the skewed ground-to-water ratio, Shingi knows he's at a disadvantage. The Karakasa, hurtling towards him, probably also knows this.

So he raises his sword to guard the Karakasa from the waters.

They're both likely tired from the fight. No more rainbow streaked dashes from Shingi. No more stringed-beads shot from the Karakasa. Shingi needs to end the fight quickly.

So he puts the remainder of his strength into a single powerful strike of this sword.

Now this begs the question, will Shingi have as easy of a time fighting the Hinezumi? From what we see in the trailer, the Hinezumi's domain is one that is all sky with ungrounded torii gates free floating throughout.

Hell, we even see more shots of Kon Kusuriuri and Shingi freefalling than grounded in that domain.

Methinks Shingi, deprived of the earth, is going to fight a lot harder to defeat the Hinezumi.

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🌳"Tree Rings" Theory

A common feature across Hyper and Shingi is the concentric circles upon both their foreheads. They resemble tree rings, and that got me thinking. What if they are signifiers of how many medicine sellers they have partnered and parted with in the past? 

The center circle represents themselves, and the rings surrounding that circle are the medicine sellers paired with them over the ages.

Like tree rings, the thickness and symmetry of each ring represents the strength, stability, and longevity of a Shingi’s bond with their medicine seller.

More in-depth thoughts below the cut!

Changing with the Generations

I believe a Shingi imprints upon their first medicine seller by heavily mirroring their physical appearance. For a god that has become something closer to human by entering into this bond, their physical body, clothing, and accessories they collect along the way are a significant part of their new identity.

Their first body becomes a template which adapts some but never all of the physical attributes of their future medicine sellers. The extent of the changes depends on how close the Shingi is with their current medicine seller and how much they still cling to their dead or retired ones. 

Give and Take

There are consequences on the spectrum between extreme attachment and detachment.

Shingi who has lost several medicine sellers and loved all of them equally fiercely may begin losing a sense of their “true” self because their physical appearance changes dramatically with each new partnership. 

It could be said it is a form of body dysphoria, which can be especially dangerous for a Shingi. Since their duty is to meet mononoke in combat, they must be in tune with their body. They are particularly vulnerable during the transitional periods where they need to relearn their new form.

On the flipside, a Shingi who went through the same loss but stays firmly attached to their first medicine seller may retain their sense of self through sheer willpower alone. However, this typically comes at the expense of weakening their bond with their current medicine seller. 

This weaker bond, which results in less spiritual resilience to the supernatural, can be fatal for the latter party.  Dying before forming meaningful bond with their emotionally closed-off Shingi only exacerbates the ever lowering “shelf life” of these unfortunate medicine sellers. 

Case Studies

With all this fabricated lore in mind, Ri is Hyper’s first medicine seller. Kon, on the other hand, is Shingi’s second medicine seller - which also explains the discrepancy in their physical features and garb.

Ri and Hyper’s relationship is quite healthy - a thick, evenly spaced ring encircling the circle. They have been together for a long time, and have a close bond spanning those eons. A metaphorical fire in the hearth which has been lovingly stoked. 

However, it also comes off as an artificially pristine relationship untested by true hardships. With how little differences Ri and Hyper have, an outsider may conclude they have more of an echo chamber than a real relationship. 

Shingi’s forehead rings are thick in some places and sickly-thin in others. It may represent a fraught relationship between his first and second medicine sellers of Kon. Such is the seismically unstable nature of the earth trigram. 

Compared to the relationship between the Ri trigram however, this relationship also feels more real. Each party of that relationship is a unique individual with different opinions. The strength of that bond comes from them working around those differences to come together stronger than ever. 

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☔️ Analyzing a section of Shingi's fight with the Karakasa

Uploaded the video so you can follow along. The timestamp I start poring over starts at roughly the 1:30 mark.

⬇️ My thoughts are below the cut! ⬇️

I noticed that there are some mirrored movements between Shingi and the Karakasa.

As the Karakasa descends, so does Shingi. Interesting that even though they're doing the same movement, the Karakasa's camera angle is looking up at the sky...

... Whilst Shingi's looking down on the ground. There's a reason for this.

And then as the Karakasa replenishes its energy by drinking up the sludge water...

... Shingi also does the same by lighting his foot upon the top of a torii gate - reconnecting with the ground as fitting for the earth trigram.

Then they resume their fight, more intense than ever. In the end Shingi seems to be at the disadvantage with Karakasa giving him chase instead of the other way around. But abruptly, the Karakasa retreats. It needs to top off on energy once more.

Shingi gets there before the Karakasa, but there is no nearby ground for him to stand upon. Why did he choose this spot to descend to rather than any of the other torii gates in the background?

The answer lies in the fact that the waters are the Karakasa's targeted trajectory. If they both continue replenishing their HP, the fight will become a battle of attrition.

This is the Karakasa's home turf. Given the skewed ground-to-water ratio, Shingi knows he's at a disadvantage. The Karakasa, hurtling towards him, probably also knows this.

So he raises his sword to guard the Karakasa from the waters.

They're both likely tired from the fight. No more rainbow streaked dashes from Shingi. No more stringed-beads shot from the Karakasa. Shingi needs to end the fight quickly.

So he puts the remainder of his strength into a single powerful strike of this sword.

Now this begs the question, will Shingi have as easy of a time fighting the Hinezumi? From what we see in the trailer, the Hinezumi's domain is one that is all sky with ungrounded torii gates free floating throughout.

Hell, we even see more shots of Kon Kusuriuri and Shingi freefalling than grounded in that domain.

Methinks Shingi, deprived of the earth, is going to fight a lot harder to defeat the Hinezumi.

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Almost a year ago in March 2024, I was invited to illustrate the cover art for the Tokihanatsu, a fanzine run by @mononoke-zine! It was such an amazing honor and opportunity to take part in this project. Thank you @karasukarei for spearheading it! 💜

[Preorders are open until April 15th, 2025 April 30th, 2025!]

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Be sure to check under the cut for details on the various bundles!

☀️Preorders are now open for Tokihanatsu: A Mononoke Zine☀️

Get your copy at our shop here!

☀️~薬売り~ Medicine Seller☀️ (limited bundle)

B5 physical zine

Cosplay print

Postcard print

A6 sticker sheet

Holo bookmark

Holo sticker

Enamel pin

2-layer wood charm

Compact mirror

Ema

Zine PDF and Behind-the-Scenes PDF

Eligible for all Early Bird, Share Campaign, and all stretch goals

🗡️~対魔の剣~ Sword of Exorcism🗡️ (full bundle)

B5 physical zine

Cosplay print

Postcard print

A6 sticker sheet

Holo bookmark

Holo sticker

Enamel pin

Zine PDF and Behind-the-Scenes PDF

Add $10 for ema

Eligible for all Early Bird, Share Campaign, and all stretch goals

💊~薬箱~ Medicine Box📦 (merch & digital zine)

Cosplay print

Postcard print

A6 sticker sheet

Holo bookmark

Holo sticker

Enamel pin

Zine PDF and Behind-the-Scenes PDF

Add $10 for ema

Eligible for all Early Bird, Share Campaign, and all stretch goals

⚖️~秤~ Scales⚖️ (zine bundle)

B5 physical zine

Enamel pin

Zine PDF and Behind-the-Scenes PDF

Add $10 for ema

Eligible for all Early Bird, Share Campaign, and all stretch goals

🌸~春画~ Drawings of spring🌸 (digital zine)

Digital zine with over 80 pages of content

Add $5 for the Behind-the-Scenes PDF

Not eligible for any physical rewards, including stretch goals

Thank you! @zine-scene @zinetown @anizines

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59 Kusuriuri & Shingi OCs 💊 (+1 Cat 🐱)

I realized quite belatedly I have only shared Project Pharmacy on the relative privacy of the Mononoke community. It is a massive illustration filled to the brim with a lot of original characters created by various artists in the fandom. These are the ones featured in the background. Do you recognize any?

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It’s almost here…!

☀️BUNDLE SPOTLIGHT☀️

Our~薬売り~ Medicine Seller bundle contains exclusive merchandise not available in other bundles. Only a limited number are in production and we will no longer offer this bundle once we've hit the cap! This bundle is eligible for all Early Bird, Share Campaign, and all stretch goals.

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🐈 National Cat Day | 猫の日 (Neko no Hi)

02/22/2025

Shingi the cat gets to be a little menace, as a treat!

Process gif below the cut!

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Tokihanatsu: A Mononoke Zine ☀️ Preorders opening 1 March 2024

Cosplayer: @lutaviacosplay

Photographer: jonathan

Video editing: Hyio

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It’s finally revealed! And I can’t wait for you to see everyone else’s work as well!!! 💜

☀️COVER REVEAL☀️

Feast your eyes on the amazing cover by the wonderful @purplealmonds !

Preorders coming soon!

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This has been in the making for over a year I can’t wait for my cover art to be finally revealed…!

☀️Cover reveal tomorrow☀️