The mascot I absolutely didn't want
I was inspired to write this page by Clarity of Fabled.day's page on her own site mascot. I realised that I should probably explain who Kikaider is and how I got here. So, thank you!
The horned freak haunting this homepage is a funny little man. His name is Kikaider, after the tokusatsu character Android Kikaider; he wears a devil horns hat that's definitely from the lolita fashion brand Heart E, a garish oversized jacket with polka dots all over the sleeves, he paints his face white and his eyes different colours, and he lives an awfully carefree life. Worst of all, he has somehow come to be the unofficial mascot of this website. Perhaps by making this page things have become official, hm?
Indeed I did not intend for my homepage to have a mascot. This has happened to MOUSELING.net against my very wishes. Originally my fursona, Uriel, sat above all the content; a friendly and unique face to greet everyone whilst staying out of the way. That worked well, did it not? Even when he was removed, I thought that would be just fine. I had no intention of having a mascot involved in my business. That's not for me, and it's too much work to design a new character, and, and, and... I just don't need it!
How on Earth did I end up with this strange man, a queer fellow who is a real person no less—yes, a real person! Don't flame me just yet!—the vocalist of an indie band who cannot sing let alone dance, as my mascot?
The first grave mistake came from building a new layout around a graphic lifted from Muchi Muchi Anago's old website files. I found it extremely charming: the band's vocalist, Kikaider, having tea with two GeGeGe no Kitaro characters. That happens to be one of my favourite manga, full stop. (It used to be my very favourite manga, but I decided Ajin was dearer to me after all, then My Name Is Shingo knocked them both out the moment I encountered it—but I'm getting off topic.)
The characters in question are the eponymous protagonist Kitaro's pseudo-love interest Neko-Musume (the Cat Girl), and his father Medama-Oyaji (the Eyeball Father). I thought it was lovely! I used Kitaro graphics in the splash page, the 404, and the banner; I thought, I'll probably change the theming to a different series next time around, or a bandman, or something of the like.
So tell me: why did I not decide to make my button themed after our hero Kitaro, or our dearest Neko-Musume, or even our snarky Medama-Oyaji? Why not our foil Nezumi-Otoko, the rat man, with how suitable that would be for the website?
From there came the second grave mistake: I used Kikaider, as he appears in the inciting graphic, for the button instead of any Kitaro character. I suppose I just found him cuter, but that's not really an excuse.
Kikaider, the vocalist of the band Muchi Muchi Anago. Kikaider, the idiot who won't stop posting food photos on Twitter. Kikaider, the old man who runs the worst band on earth! Yes, that's a horrible choice for a button! Why in the world would you do that, Mousecky?!
While stalking Kikaider's old posts as usual, as I had developed quite an obsession with him since the early days of ragging on him and nothing else, I had discovered a photo of the cover of a self-published book (and two of essays from the inside of it). The artist, Adachi Ayame, was the same one behind the decoration I was already using on the site, and it was awfully charming!
Enough so that my third grave mistake was cutting it up and using it in the sidebar, downright replacing what little Medama-Oyaji theming I had going on for the navigation's bullets. Kikaider up top, sending stars down, which become the list bullets, which are then caught by Itsumii down at the bottom of the sidebar. I thought this was so very cute, and it lent just a bit more personality to the site, and it matched the decoration I already had...
...and, after I had prepared a new site button for people to use while playing with these newfound graphics, I looked at my homepage in horror. It might as well have been Muchi Muchi Anago themed website at this point. It might as well have been a Kikaider-themed website at this point. What had I done to myself?! And yet, I had no choice but to go along with it!
Eventually came the fourth grave mistake, which was not changing subjects upon redesigning the site a second time. I wasn't intent on revamping the site per se, more so updating it to be lighter and fit with my current vision. I consider the current layout a living one, so style updates are incremental, done as wanted or needed. This is mostly because that was already what I was doing before, but let's get back to Kikaider: he remained.
Now I stared back at the post I had gotten my sidebar images from, sighing to myself, wondering: what else is hiding in this strange little doujinshi? What other essays, what other artworks? I can see a half-cut off Kikaider right here! If only I could go through it for myself and get my own scans!
I should have known what would come after this. I have my own copy of that book now, so Kikaider will certainly not leave the site at this rate. How awful! I never wanted this! But I'm too attached. This guy, who I must regrettably remind you now is a real person, has been resigned to mascot status for the sake of cuteness and consistency. And because I like him. Sigh.
I truly do these things to myself...