Wow.
What a glow-up.

If you're unaware (because no one looks at my early post Discord chat 😆), the original design for Sakura: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/37860359
I hated within hours of finishing and saving her ref. I dunno... Both the colors and the generic Disney fox look turned me off. She's a Kitsune, not a fox fox, right? She needs to look like a Kitsune then!

So, I pondered over it quickly in the night... What makes a Kitsune LOOK like a Kitsune? Well, they're usually all white and red/blue/black/purple/etc. They tend to have "sneaky" eyes. They're thin and graceful. She needed to look like a trickster and not... whatever the hell I was doing before.

I was facing a dilemma, though: if I haven't made it crystal clear before with my lack of non-spotted, striped or otherwise decorated menagerie of characters... I hate mostly white bland ones. So. Freaking. Much. Because it feels like... "How long did it take you to think of THAT? 5 seconds?" Jasmine is the only all white character I have for this reason alone and I barely use her because of that!

So, I had a brilliant idea to handle my issue. I hate STARK white characters. It burns to look at their intense whiteness! So, maybe making her slightly off-white would help! Theory conclusion: Creamy fox girl is pretty and soft and I love her. I don't care she's "bland". She's gorgeous. 💖💖💖💖💖

I like the word "simplistic" for her design, though. It's like all my characters... Easier to draw, easier to animate fluidly one day. 😈

I did a quick sketch and I approved, so next was the new ref sheet phase. I was going to edit the last one but... Bleh.

Like the Disney animators said during the Xerox era... "Instead of going back and reusing the old drawings, it's much easier to make new ones." And, boy was it.

I cranked this WHOLE REF in under ten hours! WHILE WORKING ON OTHER STUFF AT THE SAME TIME.
(I maybe shouldn't brag about this with my bad track record of getting work done on time... 😬 -but I see it as a sign that I'm getting better! 😄) I think it was one of my ADHD "high point" days, so this was probably temporary. *has bad imposter syndrome, I'm sorry*

The "scroll"-like background and kanji were last minute additions, because I was spit balling ideas on how to make the ref prettier than just... Main BG color, Darker shade for "flooring" as usual. 😒
I figured such a beautiful design deserved much better than that! 😠

I think you can guess what the kanji is. 🦊
(It was my first time writing it! I hope it's not too off! 😬)

If you're mad at me for giving this gorgeous creature such a generic name, congratulations, you got the joke! I gave her an overused, generic name because she has a... let's be honest here... a generic, overused species and design. 😆

But, I thought this looked better than Diet Vixey™ from before. *shudders*
(And, she DOES. 😤)

By the way...
Yes.
I used Redd as a reference for her design (and sarcastic personality). Tom Nook was a base for Rigby, it made sense. 🤷
(Also maybe a bit of Mystery and Nickit subconsciously, apparently??? I didn't even realize the similarities until later- 😶)
(Can I make a character who doesn't remind me of someone else PLEASE?!)

I don't think this ref could get anymore Japanese. ...maybe I should have added that kinky-looking bonsai in the background. Then, it would have been PEAK.

Sorry.
Let me talk about her.

Sakura Miyamoto (her name in human form) is a pesky trickster fox that messes around with Rigby whenever she comes around.

Unlike the bullshit I was doing with her old design, she's still conceited, egotistical, and prideful of herself and her beauty... She really enjoys playing childish pranks on people. Like, she gets a huge kick out of it. (Okay, I do, too. I'm a Tanuki. ...don't sit down in your chair. 🙊)

She's more skilled with her powers than Rigby (as she practices with them more), but he's more creative with his. There's also the fact I can create things with leaves and she can't, so... 😛

If she pretends to be my wife, I won't be mad. 😻

(I forgot to draw her mask that she wears to appear human stupid stupid stupid)
(It basically looks like her face in the semi-feral pose.)

...this is one of the best things I've made in a while. Welp, time to wait another 8 years to beat this! 🙃