Webtoon | Kakichan and Miraku the Oysters — First Impressions

Hey BAYOG Fam!~ I have a first impressions post for you all on a webtoon that was brought to my attention~ I recently received a message from Max Wong, the founder and artist/designer of of [MILKCANANIME] (Milk-Can-Anime). He asked me to check out their webtoon, Kakichan and Miraku the Oysters. You all know that I love reading webtoons, and I’m always on the lookout for new reads!~ I’m also always happy to review and help bring attention to various projects. Max said it’s a light-hearted comic. Alot of my reads have been more on the serious side, and full of drama. So it seemed like perfect timing since I had been on the lookout for more light-hearted series. So of course I was happy to oblige and take a look at his comic!~

Before we get into it, let’s talk a bit about the people behind the comic! From what I gathered, I think MILKCANANIME is based in Singapore? On their site, MILKCANANIME is described as “a blog which encapsulates the essence of Japanese anime, Popculture and Kawaii-ness. We also create original characters and merchandises that are unique, quirky and eccentric.” Apparently it started as blog by Max, and they have since expanded and have a team of several writers. You can find more detailed information from Max’s [About Me] page on their site.

Boy oyster Kakichan and girl oyster Miraku explore the beautiful ocean world and meet friends from around the world. Illustrated by Max Wong and Shirielise.

[Kakichan and Miraku the Oysters | LINE Webtoon]

GENRE/THEME: Slice of Life, Short Comic
VIBE: Light-hearted, Cute, Wholesome, Fun

So, let’s get into it! “Kakichan and Miraku the Oysters” is a comic by MILKCANANIME on LINE Webtoon. You can find it under the Canvas section, [HERE]. It is illustrated by Max Wong and Shirielise, and was first published in February 2021. So it’s a fairly recent comic. It’s a short and cute slice of life comic about a boy and girl oyster. I know, you’re probably like, “…wuht…?” But it’s actually pretty cute. It’s basically a kawaii kind of short comic. It kind of reminds of short comics with cute characters like Sanrio’s Gudetama.

~AT A SNAPSHOT~
(aka the TDLR/Too Lazy to Read summary)

Admittedly, at first I just dove into the comic without really paying attention to the full title or description (as usual). So at first I was like, “??? What that…? OHHH~~~ They’re oysters!” I’m sure y’all are probably wondering the same thing I did, “Why oysters?” Max said he wanted to make simple characters of his own. He figured that oysters would make nice, versatile characters since they could be fluid in their poses. Plus, there hadn’t been any kawaii kind of oyster characters. Thus, Kakichan, the boy oyster, was created in February 2016. However, Max also thought Kakichan should have a friend to interact with. So Miraku Chan was created 3 years later in March 2019. I admit, I was surprised to realize they were oysters. It seemed like an unorthodox choice, but I think it’s charming. Plus, they’re pretty cute. It’s definitely something unique that makes them stand out from most animal based characters.

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KAKICHAN The Boy Oyster

Kakichan is an orange-yellowish oyster with a grey shell. He has a friend, Tama Chan the white little pearl. Kakichan is mischevious, like hiding from Tama Chan or pretending to be a shark in the sea to scare Miraku. Kakichan can be very sweet too, like when he made a little blanket out of a seaweed for Tama Chan so that his pearl friend wouldn’t catch a cold.

Birthday : 7 Feb 2016

Source: [MILKCANANIME]

MIRAKU CHAN The Girl Oyster

Miraku Chan is a girl oyster with a cyan-coloured body and a butter-yellow shell. One day while she was sleeping under the sea, a little pink shell floated near her and got lodged onto her head. She tried but could not remove the little pink shell. As time goes by, she grew to like the pink shell more and more. It made her look beautiful and ‘spe-shell’.

Miraku is often forgetful (blur-blur) but she’s an optimist. And she likes to cook and doll herself up.

Birthday : 23 March 2019

Source: [MILKCANANIME]

By the way, I really like Miraku Chan. I can relate haha. I also like to cook and doll myself up (well prior to the pandemic anyway). We also know that I’m pretty forgetful myself… On a whole side note, I was amused by the use of ‘blur-blur’ because we use that phrase in Thai too~ I can relate to Kakichan too, since I also can be pretty mischievous. I like playing pranks on close friends. But at the end of the day, I love my friends and do my best to care for them too~ Also, Kakichan’s design gives me Gudetama vibes, and y’all know Gudetama is one of my favorite Sanrio characters~

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kakichan & Miraku 🐚🐚 (@milkxstudio)

You all know I like to be honest with my thoughts. So honestly, at first I wasn’t too sure what to expect. Don’t get me wrong. I love cute things. I do occasionally read cute slice of life series. Well, I guess it’s more like on a rare occasion. The last slice of life kind of comics I’ve read were All That We Hope to Be, Smile Brush, Kids Are All Right, and My Kitty and Old Dog. Those are kind of different from this one though. Again, I’d liken this to be more similar to the occasional little Gudetama comic/graphic I would see here and there. However, when I thought about it, I realized I just don’t usually read series like Kakichan and Miraku Chan. It’s just that my interests and main reads are mostly series with alot of drama and complex plots. Especially since a majority of them are based on Korean romance fantasy novels. So when Max asked me to review his webtoon, I was a bit worried if I could get into it enough to do a fair job. Still, I do enjoy an occasional break from serious and complex plots. We all know I’ve been reading a ton of darker, more serious series. I actually had been looking for something light-hearted when Max happened to message me. It seemed like perfect timing. That’s why I chose to give it a go anyway, despite it not being my usual kind of series. Plus, I like to support other creators and check out new projects when I can~

If I were to be honest…my initial thoughts were simply, “It’s cute.” However, other than that, I didn’t really have anything else specific to say. There wasn’t anything wrong with the comic. It was cute. It’s just that it seemed to be the type of thing I would just enjoy for that current moment, but not put too much thought into it. After all, it the brief and simple type of comic. So it’s not like there’s a complex story to dwell on, and mull over what will happen next. However, I found myself enjoying it more and more as I continued reading more chapters. I also felt like I enjoyed the episode a bit more after reading the creator note at the bottom with the episode description. The comics are simple moments, but cute and enjoyable. I also actually do love the simplicity of it. Again, it’s a nice break from the complex manhwa/novel drama. Also, I feel like I get a bit of a serotonin boost because of how cute the characters and the series are. I also feel like it’s a really loveable comic and just gives off a relaxing vibe to it.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kakichan & Miraku 🐚🐚 (@milkxstudio)

Okay, I know I was going to just do a first impressions post based on the first like 10 episodes, and then follow up posts as I progress through the series. However, I ran across episode #22 on Max’s Instagram, and it’s sooooo freaking adorable. I absolutely love this~ It makes me think of my best friend, who lives in a whole other state, since she loves marine biology and sea animals. She also loved drawing in this kind of kawaii art style too~ Did I immediately share it her? Yes, and she loved it~

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Again, this type of series isn’t usually the kind that I’d often read. I started this series not really sure if I’d like it enough to continually check out the chapters. However, I was pleasantly surprised as I continued reading more chapters. The art is cute, as are the episodes. I thought the characters being oysters were a bit strange at first. However, I like that it sets them apart from other characters. I find that to be a part of their unique charm. The episodes of the comics are short and simple. However, it’s endearing and enjoyable. The simplicity and short episodes also make it a nice break between my usual heavy reads. Since I do have huge reading list of like 400+ manga, manhwa, webtoon, manhua series and novels. Honestly, I’ve been having a hard time catching up on my reading list. So I honestly, welcome the quick and easy chapters to read. It’s a relaxing series that makes you want to smile. Max and MILKCANANIME may be new to creating comics, but I’m really enjoying Kakichan and Miraku Chan so far. It’s not easy when you’re venturing into something new, and you’re learning as you’re going along. Still, I think they’re doing a wonderful job~ I’ll definitely continue to read it. Max also told me that he’s basically working on drawing and releasing 1 episode a week~ So I’m looking forward to seeing how Max’s series evolves, and I’ll be sure post about the series again~ Please be sure to help support Max and MILKCANANIME by checking out [Kakichan and Miraku Chan] on LINE Webtoon!~ If you use the LINE app like me, you can also check out the [Kakichan and Miraku Chan stickers] they have as well! They also have the stickers available for [other messaging apps] as well. Also be sure to follow Max on [Instagram]. That’s all for today, friends! Take care, be safe, and I hope you all have a lovely day!~

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Hey BAYOG Fam!~ I have a first impressions post for you all on a webtoon that was brought to my attention~ I recently received a message from Max Wong, the founder and artist/designer of of [MILKCANANIME] (Milk-Can-Anime). He asked me to check out their webtoon, Kakichan and Miraku the Oysters. You all know that I love reading webtoons, and I’m always on the lookout for new reads!~ I’m also always happy to review and help bring attention to various projects. Max said it’s a light-hearted comic. Alot of my reads have been more on the serious side, and full of drama. So it seemed like perfect timing since I had been on the lookout for more light-hearted series. So of course I was happy to oblige and take a look at his comic!~

Before we get into it, let’s talk a bit about the people behind the comic! From what I gathered, I think MILKCANANIME is based in Singapore? On their site, MILKCANANIME is described as “a blog which encapsulates the essence of Japanese anime, Popculture and Kawaii-ness. We also create original characters and merchandises that are unique, quirky and eccentric.” Apparently it started as blog by Max, and they have since expanded and have a team of several writers. You can find more detailed information from Max’s [About Me] page on their site.

Boy oyster Kakichan and girl oyster Miraku explore the beautiful ocean world and meet friends from around the world. Illustrated by Max Wong and Shirielise.

[Kakichan and Miraku the Oysters | LINE Webtoon]

GENRE/THEME: Slice of Life, Short Comic
VIBE: Light-hearted, Cute, Wholesome, Fun

~AT A SNAPSHOT~
(aka the TDLR summary)

So, let’s get into it! “Kakichan and Miraku the Oysters” is a comic by MILKCANANIME on LINE Webtoon. You can find it under the Canvas section, [HERE]. It is illustrated by Max Wong and Shirielise, and was first published in February 2021. So it’s a fairly recent comic. It’s a short and cute slice of life comic about a boy and girl oyster. I know, you’re probably like, “…wuht…?” But it’s actually pretty cute. It’s basically a kawaii kind of short comic. It kind of reminds of short comics with cute characters like Sanrio’s Gudetama.

Admittedly, at first I just dove into the comic without really paying attention to the full title or description. So at first I was like, “??? What that…? OHHH~~~ They’re oysters!” I’m sure y’all are probably wondering the same thing I did, “Why oysters?” Max said he wanted to make simple characters of his own. He figured that oysters would make nice, versatile characters since they could be fluid in their poses. Plus, there hadn’t been any kawaii kind of oyster characters. Thus, Kakichan, the boy oyster, was created in February 2016. However, Max also thought Kakichan should have a friend to interact with. So Kakichan was created 3 years later in March 2019. I admit, I was surprised to realize they were oysters. It seemed like an unorthodox choice, but I think it’s charming. Plus, they’re pretty cute. It’s definitely something unique that makes them stand out from most animal based characters.

---

KAKICHAN The Boy Oyster

Kakichan is an orange-yellowish oyster with a grey shell. He has a friend, Tama Chan the white little pearl. Kakichan is mischevious, like hiding from Tama Chan or pretending to be a shark in the sea to scare Miraku. Kakichan can be very sweet too, like when he made a little blanket out of a seaweed for Tama Chan so that his pearl friend wouldn’t catch a cold.

Birthday : 7 Feb 2016

Source: [MILKCANANIME]

MIRAKU CHAN The Girl Oyster

Miraku Chan is a girl oyster with a cyan-coloured body and a butter-yellow shell. One day while she was sleeping under the sea, a little pink shell floated near her and got lodged onto her head. She tried but could not remove the little pink shell. As time goes by, she grew to like the pink shell more and more. It made her look beautiful and ‘spe-shell’.

Miraku is often forgetful (blur-blur) but she’s an optimist. And she likes to cook and doll herself up.

Birthday : 23 March 2019

Source: [MILKCANANIME]

By the way, I really like Miraku Chan. I can relate haha. I also like to cook and doll myself up (well prior to the pandemic anyway). We also know that I’m pretty forgetful myself… On a whole side note, I was amused by the use of ‘blur-blur’ because we use that phrase in Thai too~ I can relate to Kakichan too, since I also can be pretty mischievous. I like playing pranks on close friends. But at the end of the day, I love my friends and do my best to care for them too~ Also, Kakichan’s design gives me Gudetama vibes, and y’all know Gudetama is one of my favorite Sanrio characters~

---

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kakichan & Miraku 🐚🐚 (@milkxstudio)

You all know I like to be honest with my thoughts. So honestly, at first I wasn’t too sure what to expect. Don’t get me wrong. I love cute things. I do occasionally read cute slice of life series. Although I guess it’s more like on a rare occasion. The last slice of life kind of comics I’ve read were [All That We Hope to Be], [Smile Brush], [Smile Brush: My Old Pictures], [Kids Are All Right], and [My Kitty and Old Dog]. Those are kind of different from this one though. Again, I’d liken this to be more similar to the occasional little Gudetama comic/graphic I would see here and there. However, when I thought about it, I realized I just don’t usually read series like Kakichan and Miraku Chan. It’s just that my interests and main reads are mostly series with alot of drama and complex plots. Especially since a majority of them are based on Korean romance fantasy novels. So when Max asked me to review his webtoon, I was a bit worried if I would be able to do it well. Still, I do enjoy an occasional break from serious and complex plots. It’s also nice to have have something sweet, wholesome, and funny to read after reading so many darker series. We all know I’ve been reading a ton of darker, more serious series. So I actually had been looking for something light-hearted when Max happened to message me. That’s why I chose to give it a go anyway, despite it not being my usual kind of series. Plus, I like to support other creators and check out new projects when I can~

If I were to be honest…my initial thoughts were simply, “It’s cute.” However, other than that, I didn’t really have anything else specific to say. There wasn’t anything wrong with the comic. It was cute. It’s just that it seemed to be the type of thing I would just enjoy for that current moment, but not put too much thought into it. After all, it the brief and simple type of comic. So it’s not like there’s a complex story to dwell on, and mull over what will happen next. However, I found myself enjoying it more and more as I continued reading more chapters. I also felt like I enjoyed the episode a bit more after reading the creator note at the bottom with the episode description. The comics are simple moments, but cute and enjoyable. I also actually do love the simplicity of it. Again, it’s a nice break from the complex manhwa/novel drama. Also, I feel like I get a bit of a serotonin boost because of how cute the characters and the series are. I also feel like it’s a really loveable comic and just gives off a relaxing vibe to it.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kakichan & Miraku 🐚🐚 (@milkxstudio)

Okay, I know I was going to just do a first impressions post based on the first like 10 episodes. However, I ran across episode #22 on Max’s Instagram, and it’s sooooo freaking adorable. I absolutely love this~ It makes me think of my best friend, who lives in a whole other state, since she loves marine biology and sea animals. She also loved drawing in this kind of kawaii art style too~ Did I immediately share it her? Yes, and she loved it~

Again, this type of series isn’t usually the kind that I’d often read. I started this series not really sure if I’d like it enough to continually check out the chapters. However, I was pleasantly surprised as I continued reading more chapters. The art is cute, as are the episodes. I thought the characters being oysters were a bit strange at first. However, I like that it sets them apart from other characters. I find that to be a part of their unique charm. The episodes of the comics are short and simple. However, it’s endearing and enjoyable. Again, I like that it could be a nice break between my usual heavy reads. I like the simplicity, and I like that it’s short. Since I do have huge reading list of like 400+ manga, manhwa, webtoon, manhua series and novels. Honestly, I’ve been having a hard time catching up on my reading list. So I honestly, welcome the quick and easy chapters to read. Plus, it gives me a serotonin boost. I can’t help but smile and feel a bit happier while reading it. The art style and tone just make me feel more relaxed too~ So it was kind of like a little pick me up. Max and MILKCANANIME may be new to creating comics, but I’m really enjoying Kakichan and Miraku Chan so far. It’s not easy when you’re venturing into something new, and you’re learning as you’re going along. Still, I think they’re doing a wonderful job~ I’ll definitely continue to read it. Max also told me that he’s basically working on drawing and releasing 1 episode a week~ So I’m looking forward to seeing how Max’s series and characters evolve overtime, so I’ll be sure post about the series again~ Please be sure to help support Max and MILKCANANIME by checking out [Kakichan and Miraku Chan] on LINE Webtoon!~ Also be sure to follow Max on [Instagram]. That’s all for today, friends! Take care, be safe, and I hope you all have a lovely day!~

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Stay safe and healthy out there, y’all.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We are all too familiar with the racism that we, our friends, and family have faced on a daily basis. Every life is precious. However, as BIPOC, we also recognize that black people are a group of people that face extreme racism and at a higher risk for their safety. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation and understanding. Make sure to have those conversations. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.

If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].

You can also check out the following:

• http://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
• http://blackliveswillalwaysmatter.carrd.co
• http://saytheirnames.carrd.co

STOP ASIAN HATE

As an Asian-American, racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes against AAPI isn’t new. It’s always been around. Unfortunately, misinformation and the pandemic has caused an insane surge in racism and xenophobia. There has also been an insane rise in hate crimes. More recently, we’re seeing a surge of hate crimes against the Asian elderly. Particularly in the California and New York areas. Some cases even leading to injuries and even death. The sad thing is that many cases do not get alot of attention, or are just looked passed. It breaks my heart and is cause for concern since it affects our community. Since some of the BAYOG Crew (including myself) are Asian-Americans ourselves, I wanted to use our small platform to help in anyway. Hate, racism, and xenophobia is an ugly thing. We’re friends, in the same community, and against the same social injustices. So be kind and let’s fight these things together.

You can also check the following for more information, ways to help, & to donate:

• http://hateisavirus.org
• https://gofundme.com/AAPI
• http://advancingjustice-aajc.org
• [Donate to Different Organizations to Support AAPI Communities]
• https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co
• https://stopasianhate.carrd.co/

Please report hate crimes at Stop AAPI Hate:

• http://stopaapihate.org

Volunteer
You can see if your community has a volunteer chaperone or neighborhood watch/patrol program.
Some examples:

• Compassion in Oakland @ Oakland, California| http://compassioninoakland.org
• Safe Walks @ NYC, New York| https://safewalx.com/en/welcome
• Guardian Angels| http://guardianangels.org/volunteer
  They’re well known patrol volunteers in NYC, but they do have other branches too.

Volunteer at any other organizations that provide assistance to Asian-Americans; Particularly the elderly.
Some examples:

• Heart of Dinner @ NYC, New York| https://www.heartofdinner.org/
  An organization that supports local businesses and provides meals and care packages to the Asian elderly in NYC.