How is that fetish fuel? xD

There is nothing nsfw there whatever in visual or idea :p

Well that depends on who is looking at it. It doesn't have to be explicit to be a fetish. :)

That kind of perspective is wrong. Anthro characters being considered a fetish when there's nothing explicit about them and now almost everything that's strange or at least that have a pornographic side of things is now being considered a fetish when nothing really "fetishy" is happening. Sorry to go off on you like that, but I'm trying to tell you that you shouldn't worry about the page you worked on to be seen like that when nothing is happening and people who for some reason see it like this just suffering a case of being misinformed about things just like with furry characters. If more artists (of any kind like game developers) become more limited to do what they truly love, even when they know which things are appropriate or not, because they're afraid of others looking down on them then imagination is really becoming more and more stagnant. Please don't be afraid to show things like this because of misinformed people looking at things wrong.

Well, I think there is something to be said as far as intent. Death of the author and all that, sure, but I absolutely intended this to be a gratuitous transformation sequence explicitly because I am interested in transformations in a sexualized manner. |3 I'm not sure it has a place in the comic for a general audience when skipping the page detracts nothing from the story.

That... and skipping this page goes more in line with the original idea that you based this particular transformation of.
But old shows and other stuff managed to show gratuitous transformations anyway as these transformations are meant to be show in one or two dividing ways: a strange event or a horrifying one. Though in your story's case it's more of strange event. It's just sad that you feel like that it has no place in the actual comic besides a bonus page that is a simple link in both pages in the actual website and unfortunately, in this particular instance, you're kind of right. Raijal already have an inkling that people can turn into Pokémon and would've believed so with a simple yes besides a demonstration like that (I hope Maoh doesn't show up in those later days) happening to him. Actually seeing (and feeling?) himself transform just to give the cold hard fact that "Yes, people can turn into Pokémon," is less impactful on him on a story perspective due to those prior beliefs and having the "keep both eyes open" perspective. Had it been the more skeptical Vivian witnessing her body transforming instead of Raijal, she would've had a much harder time trying to deny this phenomenon of people being unfortunately turned into Pokémon due to actually feeling her body being much different than before. So the transformation sequence of Vivian would've been much more needed than Raijal, otherwise a "poof" would've fed her skepticism rather than taking huge hit, like how it did in the next page since she couldn't see Raijal's transformation (though just seeing it would've fed her skepticism anyway). Especially since it's also a great set up for future pages as well.

Anyway yes, you are interested in transformation in a sexualized manner like I do (which I found out the hard way...), in a way. But because of this, I thought you would know when to draw the line if things get too far, but right now, you're just being overly cautious in my opinion. At least you're not being Super Cautious and increase the rating of this page to Mature when nothing "mature" is actually happening. I'm just saying that even though you're interested in transformations in a sexualized manner, you shouldn't be afraid of to show non-sexualized transformation art to the general audience which is what this page is, which I see is an expansion on the scene that shows that Raijal really is a Raichu now, no illusions whatsoever. However if you still feel strongly or unsure that this page is not fit for the webcomic after reading all of that, then I'll respect your decision. I'm just trying to get you to understand or at least know that there people who view transformations in non-sexualized manner as well and enjoy them such as much and that not all transformations should only be viewed in a sexually.

Another thing, please don't stop drawing transformation sequences as a side to this webecomic because of my.. "Essay." I just wanted you to look at things in a more positive light and don't give up on people and be afraid of them i.e. completely curious strangers as well as your actual target audience for this webcomic.

You make a fair point, and my boyfriend would agree with you. And he and I have been discussing it for a fair bit and I might be leaning towards letting this be an actual page in the comic (with some tweaks for continuity). I'm not really one to care if people find what I do weird. My audience came to me and if they like what they see they'll stay. I worry mostly about the page being shallow fanservice. But honestly it does no real harm to put it in. Appealing to my fans isn't a bad thing as long as I don't sacrifice artistic integrity.

It was never really about caution or fear as it was about doing something I felt unnecessary. There's liking what you like and there's shoving it into peoples' faces. And the latter leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. But I agree that I might be over cautious about this particular instance.

Also I have no intention of doing anything I wouldn't normally do. So don't worry about it. :)

To quote Willy Wonka: "A little fanservice now and then is cherished by the wisest men."
Or something like that.

"Appealing to my fans isn't a bad thing as long as I don't sacrifice artistic integrity."
That right there is the best way to handle your story. You should tell the story your way and do it to the best of your ability and interests and not let others stop you from doing that. As well as not being afraid of them judging on some things that they could have a completely have a wrong idea about. So you should write and draw the story you want and for the people you want to read it.

Thank you for "listening" to me (since all we can do is actually just read here ^^;) and I thank your boyfriend for helping me a bit in convincing you, even though I believe it was mostly him that ultimately convinced you. ^^; I like the new page even though I miss the final Raiju panel, but like I said before, you shouldn't let others strongly influence the direction of your story and how it is presented. It is your story after all, the only thing you shouldn't try to do is limit yourself (too much) to please non-target audiences. Which I had to raise my voice to you.

I was a little afraid though when I did that, because I've seen how much my words have change the course of several stories and making small plot points into bigger ones, sometimes even too big. I've also seen a couple of negative side effect of things when I did too, not much but enough to make some situations tense. Anyway, I'm thankful that you "listened" to me and made this an actual page and nothing negative actually happened this time. ^^;

I actually appreciate that he's doing it. Not that I'm against TF (quite the contrary), but people not being willing to label fetish-driven things as fetish-art, despite it being clean, are one of the reasons "certain art-sites" have gotten the reputation of being nothing but weird fetish-fuel art.

That's why it's kinda complicated with TF and other art like that, in the grey zone of fetish/non-fetish.
Because it can be general or fetish art depending of the artist vision and/or public reception.
(Otherwise, Disney and other companies that includes lot of TFs in their work gonna have problems xD)

But anyway, everything can be a fetish sooooo.... Just up to people to consider it as one or not for themselves.
Which is why for example for FA, the category is "Fetish /Furry speciality". Some gonna see it as "Fetish" and other "Furry speciality". It's really subjective xD
To be honest I'm personally on the second category since I see TF as a life dream and doesn't involve anything sexual.

So, yeah, difficult.

I tend to use the Rule of Thumb: If you have a boner while drawing it, it's probably nsfw. But yeah, it's all very subjective in the end. :v

Yep indeed.
Especially since the ones getting boners (whatever the subject) are often a minority xD
Only the artist really knows at the end.
And for some well, we will never know xD

I personally just find it kind of a shame that, more often nowadays with internet etc, a lot of quality art will certainly never been shown because some artists fear them to be seen as fetish art.
To be honest, I'm not like that but... it's true that thinking that some people can well, get "excited" by my TFs, which I make as I said, more in a "dream"-like way, kinda make me uncomfortable. So I avoid to think about it too much haha :D

I don't know about the ones drawing it, but there are some very sfw things that have given me a boner, just out of the blue. Not even for a sexual reason, its kinda odd.

I'm not really sure how those "certain art-sites" are run but if they allow both clean and fetish art, I think that kind of reputation is kind of inevitable. ^^; The way I see it the real problem are people who see EVERYTHING that's meant to be funny or strange as fetish-fuel when there's nothing sexual happening therefore these people are taking the definition of fetish to the extreme.
Edit: All because they did see some sexual art of one thing and somehow think that anything that's remotely close to being related to it is part of the same thing.

Though with a name like Raijal, what else would he be?
(Spoiler: A wooper)

Those pages are coming out pretty fast, I bet you couldn't wait to do this part.

helps that I owed three pages for missing a couple months, too. XP

Each page makes my heart flutter as it is, so I'm simply grateful whenever they come out, regardless of when. This month has just been spoiling me. One of the best gifts ever. ;w;

So you do the comic once a month now? It has been forever since I've read it and everytime I see you update it I had to look back a few pages to remember a couple of things.

yes it was a goal in my patreon. So I'm trying to hold myself to it.

That's always the problem with this kind of thing isn't it? That will to really string out the TF but at the same time it's fairly obvious a ton of attention was put into it so it does air on that edge of "wow, that guy has a thing for this it seems". People and drawing paws seems to be a big thing too where a lot of excess seems to go in fairly clean art.

:o where'd the clothes poof too! :o

Ohhh, snap! He transformed?

Easily one of the best Raichu TFs I've seen! Excellent job on the face shiftin' and the close-ups! ^^

I agree! Just don't see this kind of shifting often enough.

It is a coincidence but here you are addressing an question that it has been in my head for weeks and I haven’t come with a good answer, and that is how necessary are this type of scenes in the narrative of a comic? I understand your points, but when I start to analyze how the narrative worked in this particular case, it only give me more doubts, I will explain: I understand your reasons why you decided to leave this page as a bonus, but if you only leave the other two pages, I as a reader am left with a feeling that the transition was too quickly and one of two, I missed a page, or what happened was not important (something I know it was not your intention) on the other hand, if you add this page the narrative is more smoothly and I as a reader know what really happened and I understand its importance, It mades more easy to understand the comic, but at the same time I agree that is not something that adds something to the story and at the end is a page that you could be using for something more important, so at the end I keep asking myself it is really neccesary add a page like this? it is better a smooth narrative or an efficient one? I would like to hear your opinion.

Well even if the page makes the rest of the comic smoother, it's still just fluff for those that are into the gratuitous scene. It's really not the only option for smoothing out the action. The transition could have easily smoothed out by an extra anticipation panel before the raichu reveal, but I didn't really think of it at the time.

That said, in the end i decided to put this page into the actual comic.

Gratuitous TF is gratuitous.

AND I LOVE IT!

I can't help but feel more gratuitous tfs might have motivated you to continue the comic faster...

actually not true! drawing tfs is a whole lot of work and having too much work makes me hate a project :V

awww but i look foward to your tfs! nuuuu! ;w;

GOD IM GLAD THIS IS BACK! WOOOO! also, him transforming? ohhhh this comic is about to get SPICY!

Geez, all these walls of text! Who cares! Enjoy it or don't and then move on! Why is everyone so hell bent on proving their label for something is the "one true definition". At the end of the day it changes NOTHING.

That said, nice pic.

I actually kind of appreciated the discussion. It was interesting. And it did change my mind on whether to put this in the comic or not X3

it took me sleuthing to find out where the comic was.

http://charcole.kyrio.net/?comic=charcole1

You can see a lot of content on Kyrio's Deviant art profile too.

Read it 2x in the past 3 days. Very fun read, great characters, and good story. Thanks for doing so much work and giving so much time to the story.

Oh, yes thank you. I really should have a link to that somewhere.