Inktober 2025
Hey, it’s been a while! I didn’t post anything in October because I decided to take on a personal challenge.
I have always enjoyed drawing, but I didn’t do it consistently for the better part of the last 20 years or so. When I was a kid I loved drawing and entertained the idea of becoming a comic book artist, but decided to follow my other passion which was programming. I do not regret that decision at all - I think if I had to draw for work, I might have lost the passion for it altogether - but I guess the wannabe artist in me never really went away, thankfully.
So in late August, against my better judgement and after a lot of hesitation, I ended up buying a tablet for drawing. Digital illustration and its handy tools, such as layers and undo, have always fascinated me. And now that I bought it, I had to put it to use to justify the money I spent 😂
I played around for a bit with some drawing apps and, to be honest, I was a little disheartened at first: I felt like my drawings were worse and more stiff than when I was a teenager. And that might be true, I did draw a lot more at that time, plus I took a few years of drawing classes back then. But I kept going and started sharing some of my work on my Instagram account ⤴. I did some fanart of works I enjoy, like Spy x Family and Dead Dead Demon’s that I was content with.
So in order to get back into practice and force myself to draw more, I decided to participate in Inktober. If you don’t know, Inktober is an art challenge where you create a drawing for each day of October. There are “official” prompts for each day’s subject, but I wanted to try something more personal. So I came up with a list of 31 themes, mostly games and anime I like, threw them into a randomizer and then I had a prompt for each day. I’ve always found the idea of the challenge interesting, so it was the perfect time to try it myself. I also can’t remember the last time I challenged myself to do something every day just for the sake of it.
In the end, I made it. I somehow managed to finish 31 illustrations and posted them on my Instagram account ⤴, one in each day of October. It wasn’t easy and I ended up staying up late on a lot of days to get the drawings done, which wasn’t healthy. But I managed to complete the challenge, and I was happy for that. It’s so nice to see all the 31 illustrations together, and I’m a little happier with my drawings now than I was at the beginning of October. It was a ride! And I understood a little bit more about myself during this challenge. Drawing can be a great form of self-reflection too.
Here are the prompts, illustrations, and the short text that I wrote for each day. Check them out on my Instagram account ⤴ too to see most posts with an accompanying background tune. And give them a like if you’d like 🙂
1. Momodora
Inktober day 1 - Momo from the Momodora series
Momodora is a great series of metroidvania games developed by Brazilian Guilherme “rdein” Martins. They combine solid gameplay with amazing animation and a lot of exploration and personality.
I always wanted to try this inktober thingy, let’s see if I’ll be able to complete it 😬
#inktober #momodora
2. The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today
Inktober day 2 - Yukichi and Saku from The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today
This is a cute, silly and occasionally touching show about a salarywoman who neglects taking care of herself and her incredibly skillful (and big) cat who cooks, cleans, and takes care of her and the house. It’s great for cat lovers and food lovers alike!
#inktober #themasterfulcatisdepressedagaintoday
3. Street Fighter
Inktober day 3 - Menat from Street Fighter V
Menat is my main in Street Fighter V. She’s a bubbly Egyptian fortune teller and an apprentice of Rose. She’s also a very complicated character to play as 😅 but very fun as well. Too bad she probably won’t be in Street Fighter 6 🥲
#inktober #menat #streetfighter
4. Beastars
Inktober day 4 - Haru and Legoshi from Beastars
I love this show’s deep, complex characters, amazing animation and art direction, and how its story about carnivores and herbivores trying to coexist is a metaphor for our own society’s problems. And, above evrything, it poses the question: are you willing to fight against your own nature for your beliefs?
#inktober #beastars #haru #legoshi
5. Kino’s Journey
Inktober day 5 - Hermes and Kino from Kino’s Journey
Kino no Tabi is one of the most contemplative and philosophical animes I’ve watched. By joining Kino on their journey across different countries and cultures, we put our own world views, beliefs and prejudices in perspective.
#inktober #kinosjourney #kinonotabi #kino #hermes
6. Nier: Automata
Inktober day 6 - 2B from Nier Automata
Nier Automata is one of my favorite games of all time. This tale of androids and robots at war against each other tells one of the most human, philosophical and emotional stories I’ve ever experienced. Also, the game’s soundtrack is nothing short of a masterpiece.
#inktober #2b
7. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Inktober day 7 - Stark, Fern and Frieren from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
With its beautiful art and animation, incredibly charismatic characters, and a touching story about loss, grief and learning to value the fleeting and small things in life, Frieren quickly became one of my favorite shows of all time.
#inktober #frieren #fern #stark
8. Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction
Inktober day 8 - Ouran and Kadode from Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction
I’ve already posted about Dededede last month, but I don’t mind posting again. I love how Inio Asano’s characters are so weird, varied and have so much depth and personality.
#inktober #ouran #ontan #kadode #deaddeaddemonsdededededestruction
9. Psycho Pass
Inktober day 9 - Akane from Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass is a thought-provoking cyberpunk psychological thriller with heavy inspiration from other sci-fi works like Minority Report and Blade Runner. It takes place in a dystopian Japan governed by an AI system that constantly measures the “criminality coefficiemt” of individuals. Akane, a novice inspector, fulfills her duties by going after those latent criminals. But what if the system is not as fair as it’s thought to be?
#inktober #psychopass
10. Touhou Project
Inktober day 10 - Marisa and Reimu from Touhou Project
Touhou Project is a long running series of doujin bullet hell shmup games. All of them were developed by a single person, Jun’ya Ota, aka ZUN, who programmed, drew graphics and composed the (excellent) soundtracks. With 20 main line games spanning almost 30 years now, Touhou spawned an infinitude of fanart, music remixes, fan games and animations, inspiring generations of creators and becoming an integral part of internet subculture.
#inktober #touhou #touhouproject #reimu #marisa #reimuhakurei #marisakirisame
11. Bocchi the Rock
Inktober day 11 - Bocchi from Bocchi the Rock!
In Bocchi the Rock, we follow Hitori Goto, aka Bocchi, an extremely shy and socially anxious girl who wants to become a rock musician. Always lonely from a young age, she saw in music a path to be accepted and make connections with others. She practiced guitar by herself for years until high school, becoming quite good at it, but still afraid to show her music to anyone. One day, she is invited (dragged) by a kind but assertive girl to join a school band, and that’s where her journey begins.
Bocchi the Rock is a comedy/slice of life show with great animation and music. It’s silly and light-hearted, with Bocchi’s social anxiety portrayed in very exaggerated, funny and creative ways, but I related to her so much it hurt. Watching her struggle with her own timidness and insecurities and, despite that, making friends, growing and overcoming her difficulties, little by little, made me root for her on a very personal level.
#inktober #bocchi #bocchitherock
12. Ragnarok Online
Inktober day 12 - Novice from Ragnarok Online
Ragnarok Online was the first (and only so far) MMORPG game I’ve enjoyed and played for a good while. I remember the first time I played it was in a Lan House back in 2003. It was so fun to grind for hours killing monsters and hanging out with friends. I have many fond memories of that time.
#inktober #ragnarokonline
13. Oneshot
Inktober day 13 - Niko from Oneshot
Oneshot is a puzzle-adventure indie game first released in 2016. In this game, you help Niko, who ges transported to a dying world that has no sunlight anymore, and ends up tasked with saving it. The game tells an original and emotional story, but its most interesting and creative characteristic is how it breaks the fourth wall with its puzzles, making you interact with your computer and the game window for various tasks. I’d say this game, together with Doki Doki Literature Club, are among the best fourth wall-breaking games.
#inktober #oneshot
14. Stardew Valley
Inktober day 14 - Stardew Valley
This farming simulation game was one of my silver linings during the pandemic. It was so fun and cozy taking care of a happy farm with my partner. We spent so many hours planting, watering, harvesting, raising animals, mining, fishing, dating, exploring, playing Junimo Cart (ugh) and it was great. This is one of the few games we’ve 100% completed: we were determined to do absolutely everything the game had to offer.
#inktober #stardewvalley
15. VA-11 Hall-A
Inktober day 15 - Jill Stingray from VA-11 Hall-A
I played this cyberpunk bartender simulation game in late 2017 and was immediately captivated by its retro aesthetic reminiscent of PC-98 adventure games, its great atmospheric soundtrack, and especially its charming characters. I was really engrossed by the game (not sure why - being tipsy probably helped) and loved seeing Jill, the bartender, chat and interact with the quirky and interesting clients that come to this inconspicuous bar in a dystopian future metropolis. As Jill says, “Time to mix drinks and change lives”.
#inktober #jillstringray #va11halla
16. The Apothecary Diaries
Inktober day 16 - Mao Mao from The Apothecary Diaries
When I started watching Apothecary Diaries, I knew it was well-regarded, but to be honest I didn’t have high expectations. After a few episodes, I was loving it and Mao Mao had already become one of my favorite protagonists. She’s a young apothecary in a fictional version of medieval China who ends up working in the imperial palace. She’s very knowledgeable and passionate (sometimes obsessed) about poisons and medicine, and a very sharp, observant, and humble person. Because of her skills and despite being just a servant, she gets pulled into various incidents in the imperial court and ends up investigating them. Mao Mao is such a lovable, deep, and well-written character, and I highly recommend this show to anyone.
#inktober #maomao #apothecarydiaries
17. Spy x Family
Inktober day 17 - Anya from Spy x Family
This is another very popular anime that I started watching without expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. Spy x Family is a lighthearted spy comedy/drama with an interesting plot and a great and colorful cast of characters. In a pseudo-European country going through political tension after a war, Loid, a spy, needs to “build a family” in order to execute his current mission. However, his adopted daughter Anya is a telepath, and Yor, the woman who agrees to pose as his wife is an elite assassin.
The animation is great, there are awesome action sequences, and the characters are incredibly charming, making the interactions of this makeshift family always fun to watch. It’s hard not to root for them to become a real family at some point.
#inktober #spyfamily #anya #yor #loid
18. Megaman
Inktober day 18 - Megaman
Megaman/Rockman (the original one for the NES) is one of the first games I have clear memories of playing, way back when I was a kid playing on a Turbo Game (one of the many NES clones we had in Brazil) and a tube TV around 1993-1994. It was tough as nails - I don’t think I ever managed to finish it when I was a kid -, but I loved this franchise and still enjoy playing it. I’ve recently finished the latest modern installments of the original series, Megaman 9, 10 and 11.
#inktober #megaman #rockman
19. Cave Story
Inktober day 19 - Quote and Curly from Cave Story
Following Megaman, here’s another game featuring a robot as the titular character 😄
Cave Story is one of the most important and influential indie games, period. Released as a freeware game in 2004 and developed by a single person, Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya, over five years, Cave Story is a 2D action platformer with metroidvania elements. It has beautiful pixelated graphics, an awesome soundtrack and, most importantly, amazing gameplay. The characters are very charming, and even the story is surprisingly interesting and well told.
The premise is that you’re an amnesiac robot that wakes up in a cave. You get involved with a group of rabbit-like creatures called Mimiga, who are being kidnapped by an evil doctor that took hold of the demon crown, and is turning the Mimiga into killing monsters to take over the world. The amazing sequence and narrative leading to the final final boss of the game still gives me chills when I remember it.
I remember playing Cave Story around the time it came out, and I was in awe that such a polished and all-around amazing game could be developed by a single person and released for free. It inspired me and a whole generation of indie game developers, and was one of the catalysts of the indie game renaissance of the late 2000s and 2010s. Its influence can still be felt even today.
#inktober #cavestory #quote #curly #curlybrace
20. Rabi-Ribi
Inktober day 20 - Erina and Ribbon (?) from Rabi-Ribi
Rabi-Ribi is a silly and quirky Taiwanese game released in 2016. It mixes 2D metroidvania gameplay with Touhou-like bullet hell boss fights. It’s charming, fun, and its story makes absolutely no sense. I really liked the soundtrack, the boss battles (some of which are pretty hard) and the beautiful backgrounds and environments in the game. The character designs are very generic though. I never thought putting bullet hell patterns in a platforming game could work, but Rabi-Ribi makes it work pretty well.
#inktober #rabiribi #erina #ribbon
21. Delicious in Dungeon
Inktober day 21 - Senshi, Laios, Marcille and Chilchuck from Delicious in Dungeon
Delicious in Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi was a complete surprise for me. I started watching it just to pass time, and was charmed by its premise and characters. This is a comedy/drama show about a group of adventurers who don’t have money to buy food rations, so they have to cook monsters that they find in the dungeon to survive. The characters are very quirky and charming, and their interactions are always entertaining. Most of the food actually looks pretty tasty 😋
#inktober #deliciousindungeon #dungeonmeshi #marcille #laios #senshi #chilchuck
22. Food for the Soul
Inktober day 22 - Mako from Food for the Soul
After Dungeon Meshi, another food-related anime 😋
This anime was so cozy, wholesome and heartwarming, perfect to watch during the lunch breaks. I’ve already posted about this last month, but to recapitulate: the show follows Mako, a timid college freshman, as she joins the newly formed culinary club of the university. It’s a slice-of-life show that reminded me a little of the carefree days of my own university life and the fun times hanging out with friends. Mako’s also a foodie like me, and the food shown always looks so delicious!
#inktober #foodforthesoul #mako #makokawai
23. Yume Nikki
Inbkober day 23 - Madotsuki from Yume Nikki
I remember playing Yume Nikki back in 2004-2005, shortly after it was released. This psychological horror indie RPG with oppressive atmosphere, surreal, nightmarish visuals and music, and weird, ominous settings, left a big impression on me. The game has no text and dialogue, yet it makes you feel and reflect about so many things. There’s no plot, and all we know is that the protagonist, Madotsuki, refuses to leave her tiny apartment. Her only escape is exploring her dreams/nightmares, which are incredibly surreal and weird, and there’s no explanation about anything at all. I remember spending so many hours reading theories and discussions about what the game meant and possible metaphors.
This game became a cult classic and its influence can’t be overstated, particularly in the indie horror game scene. It inspired several games such as Ib, Lisa, Undertale, and especially Omori.
#inktober #yumenikki #madotsuki
24. Sea of Stars
Inktober day 24 - Valere and Zale from Sea of Stars
Sea of Stars is an awesome JRPG released in 2023 that pays homage to the great RPGs of the 16-bit era, particularly Chrono Trigger. It has gorgeous 2D visuals, beautiful music, and it’s a joy to play. The turn based battles are engaging, using a timed hit and defense mechanic similar to Super Mario RPG. Also, you don’t have to grind in this game, as the progression is very smooth and brisk. Boss battles are one of the highlights: they’re epic and amazing. The sense of world exploration and wonder made me relive my days as a kid playing Chrono Trigger for a while. Some of the negatives are that the story is kind of cliche and the main characters are a little bland, but there are still some great moments here and there. This is a fantastic game that deserves to be played by all JRPG fans.
See my blog post at https://leotaba.blog/posts/2025-02-01-sea-of-stars/ for a more detailed review!
#inktober #seaofstars #valere #zale
25. Omori
Inktober day 25 - Mari and Sunny from Omori
Omori is an RPG released in 2020 (after a turbulent six years in development) by Team Omocat. It tells a deeply heartfelt story about trauma, grief and depression. The story is great and I don’t want to spoil any of it, but basically in this game we follow Omori/Sunny, a shut-in who explores his dreams and memories and is struggling with his life.
I love the narrative flow of this game and how we unravel Sunny’s memories little by little, gradually understanding what happened up to the present day. The RPG elements are pretty standard, but the story is incredibly emotional and masterfully told. This was genuinely one of the most moving and touching narratives I’ve ever experienced in any medium.
It lingered with me long after it ended and made me reflect on my own life. It deals with very heavy themes, so I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who’s sensitive or going through a rough period, but if you enjoy dramatic, psychological stories, I think it’s absolutely worth experiencing.
“You’ll forgive yourself… won’t you… Sunny?”
#inktober #omori #mari #sunny
26. Battle Angel Alita
Inktober day 26 - Gally from Hyper Future Vision Gunnm
Gunnm (or Battle Angel Alita), which started being published in 1990, is one of my favorite mangas. Yukito Kishiro is an amazing artist and I love how he mixes incredible action sequences with philosophical reflections. Gunnm is set in a dystopian cyberpunk future where technology allows people to swap body parts as easily as changing clothes, yet social problems such as crime, inequality and violence remain rampant. In a world where bodies are expendable, what does it mean to be human? Gally (aka Alita) is woken up in that world with no recollections of who she was, except for a ferocious fighting instinct and an indomitable will. I think she would probably have a lot to talk about with 2B.
#inktober #battleangelalita #gunnm #alita #gally
27. Doki Doki Literature Club
Inktober day 27 - Monika from Doki Doki Literature Club
At first glance, this might look like a regular dating sim visual novel, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Beneath its cute surface and apparent clichés lies a unique psychological horror game that really surprised me. DDLC takes the usual dating sim stereotypes and turns them on their head. But probably the most famous aspect of the game is how it breaks the fourth wall. I won’t spoil what that means (if you don’t know already), but it’s done in a really interesting and memorable way.
#inktober #dokidokiliteratureclub #ddlc #monika #justmonika
28. Violet Evergarden
Inktober day 28 - Violet from Violet Evergarden
Violet Evergarden is among the best animes I’ve watched. It tells the story of Violet, a girl who was raised to be a human weapon, in the time after the war has ended. What do you do when you don’t have a purpose in life anymore? How do you deal with the feelings that you were trained to erase and hide?
Violet starts working as an Auto Memory Doll, a ghostwriter for people who can’t write letters or don’t know how to put their feelings into paper. By doing that job, she, who also doesn’t understand her own feelings, starts to discover, understand and embrace her true self.
#inktober #violetevergarden
29. Celeste
Inktober day 29 - Madeline from Celeste
This is one of the best platforming games I’ve ever played. Celeste is tough as nails, but its tight controls and precise gameplay make every achievement feel like you trully earned it. You play as Madeline, a young woman climbing the titular Celeste mountain as a way to confront her anxiety and her inner demons.
The game is a very classical platformer in the sense that the main challenge is maneuvering through intricate stages and obstacles. And even though it’s “just” a platformer, its story is unexpectedly introspective and beautifully told, using Madeline’s climb as a metaphor for her struggles and search for meaning.
This is another game I decided to 100%, and it was so hard to get all the strawberries and complete the B and C-sides, but it was absolutely worth it. I still remember the mix of joy (and relief) when I finished the final DLC chapter.
#inktober #celeste #madeline
30. Oddtaxi
Inktober day 30 - Odokawa from Oddtaxi
This was a sleeper hit of 2021. Oddtaxi tells the story of Odokawa, a middle aged walrus taxi driver that chats with his passengers and learns about weird happenings in Tokyo. Because of those conversations, he gets caught up in the disappearance case of a schoolgirl, which leads to many incidents.
The dialogues are very well written, and characters are very charming, quirky and feel very human, despite being animals. The plot is very well structured and tells a realistic, interesting story. I highly recommend this show.
#inktober #oddtaxi #odokawa
31. Hoshimachi Suisei
Inktober day 31 - Hoshimachi Suisei
Hoshimachi Suisei is a VTuber (virtual Youtuber) idol who streams and sings. She made waves as the first (and so far only) VTuber to appear on The First Take, a popular Japanese channel where famous artists perform their songs in a single take. Her story and the struggles she faced on the path to becoming a famous idol are inspiring, and I really enjoy her voice and songs.
She started as an indie creator, doing everything by herself: from drawing and modeling her own 3D avatar to teaching herself how to produce music. Despite facing setbacks and rejections from real-life and VTuber agencies and almost giving up, she held onto her dream of becoming an idol and pushed forward through sheer determination. That persistence and determination are why she shines so brightly today and why she inspires so many people.
#inktober #hoshimachisuisei #hololive
Post revised with ChatGPT