My dear ear Resin Monkey,
As the year comes to an end, it's fitting to take a moment and look back at everything that 2025 offered.
This year started with an emotionally challenging life event, exactly this day a year ago I was unpacking my belongings after the moving company brought them to our new place after living in our previous house for close to 9 years, we were basically evicted just months after I had asked permission to renovate a room to make into my new workshop, I cried, felt betrayed and had to accept that I had to move out, the millennial curse struck again. To say Christmas was very depressing is an understatement.
Even with a sad start to 2025, I still tried to pull through and move on with life. After my workshop was set up in our new home, it still took me months to really get myself in the emotional head space to sit down and restart my figure painting adventures, this move basically shifted my entire plans and schedule, so it was a hard and slow beginning.
But once I was able to get back on track, the adventures that came after we ones for the books!
2025 was the year of 3D print adventures! So many projects and so many printer models came through my door that it was hard to pick which adventure was not only the most challenging but also fun.
With my new found knowledge on how to finally use 3D printers and not go crazy, I was very confident in working with 3d prints, it's one of those things that if you don't learn to embrace, you get left behind, this hobby is ever changing and I have to change with the times.
These are the amazing projects that came to file this year with the power of not only 3D printers but 3D scanners!
Hitomi was a team project between myself and WabiSabi3D to make a tiny 1/12 kit, into a huge 1/6 scale figure with the help of 3D scanning, giving the character a completely new look and life of it's own.
Serenity while not 3d printed as she was a vintage kit from Volks, also got a little makeover with the help of 3D scanning
She was also part of the first ever YouTube collaboration in my channel's history! It was a complete delight and honor to work with Doll Afterlife to create Serenity's dress the way I always envisioned it for this figure ever since I set my eyes on her almost 20 years ago.
Finally, I had the pleasure of printing and painting my all time favorite video game characters that I always wanted to do, while not exactly the type of figures I normally paint, going into the realistic realm and using techniques I don't normally use, painting these figures and filming the videos for them was truly fun.
Bayonetta was also a fan favorite.
A commission I couldn't complete earlier due to world events back in 2020 and ended up looking better than I could have possibly done years prior, with so much new experience in model painting and building, I couldn't have been able to get her to look this good.
And in between all the chaos, I sat down to do something less complex but equally challenging, my friend and colleague Dianahase sent me this amazing Sailor Moon couple to enjoy and paint, a figure set from one my all time favorite manga illustrations that Naoko did back in the day turned Resin Kit.
And while the theme of the year ended up being BIG and BOLD, I still took a little time off to finish the year with a tiny yet Bright little gem of a figure.
I've had this kit in my collection for years and didn't think that The Land of the Lustrous had a fanbase but I was apparently very wrong, hundreds of comments demanding I paint one showed me otherwise, and as they say 'Ask and you shall receive"
But I think the event that takes the cake is having my Youtube channel finally reach 100,000 Subscribers.
I opened my channel in 2012, my only goal was to share knowledge on how to paint gks, I had such a rough time learning myself because of the lack of information back then that I wanted newcomers to have a much easier time getting a foot in the door, I never imagined that it would become was it is today, a channel where not only knowledge is shared but also lots of fun and entertainment with a sprinkling of special videos that let people see a little bit of my life's story, a way to relate and feel seen to form a more personal connection between me and my community.
It's something that I still can't wrap my head around, but it's all thanks to the amazing love and support that you have given me, it's a milestone that I believe should be shared with you.
So while this year might have started on the wrong foot, I think everything else came when it did because that has brought us here.
One of the things that was also resolved was the problem I had with my stalker/harasser, it's a chapter of a 5 year long book that I'm glad to finally close, also with the support and help from many of you, if it would ever continue in the future, I already have the tools and contacts to escalate although I hope I won't have the need to use them.
In between all my adventures in figure painting, I also had my own personal adventure outside meeting so many of you!
Anime Expo is one of the few places within driving distance that has let me meet with fans and followers irl, it's something that I still can't get use to, being recognized in public freaks me out a little but in a good way, meeting and chatting with you makes me extremely happy, every single one of you that have come up to me for a hug or a picture just leaves me with a smile on my face, I can see that you're just a riot and overall amazing person, I think people with the same vibes always find each other somehow and Youtube has made it easier to spot.
It's always mind blowing to me that people know who I am, but even more blown away to realize that people around the world know about me!
I had the experience of a lifetime traveling to Europe and visiting Germany for the first time in my life, I never imagine I would visit, much less have people know me while there, it was so surreal, I met several of my German Resin monkeys in the wild and it was amazing to chat an interact with all of you.
Not only that but I also had the pleasure of meeting the German GK community for first time in 20 years, we've ever only interacted in forums or message boards but never in person, I had such a blast meeting them and putting faces to those online names.
2025 ended up being one of the most wonderful years I've had, and I hope I get to do even more adventures for 2026 and meet more of you!
I have plans to visit Momo-con in Atlanta if I get the greenlight from the con to get a special content creator badge, hopefully I get the ok and it will be my first ever East Coast Anime con and a chance to meet more resin monkeys there!
We're also almost finished with our next NSFW project on Patreon, featuring our favorite LGBTW power couple from Sailor Moon and already working on a brand new Male standalone NSFW figure featuring our favorite Long Silver haired Dog demon of an older Brother.
And as a little sidenote, for those that pre-ordered our Honeymoon project, you will be receiving an email soon with an update for your second payment request as production has been finished for the unpainted versions, more details will be provided in that email so keep an eye on your inbox!
I've already planned ahead and have a special line-up of figures I plan to paint, I read all the comments from my collection video and now know exactly what you guys want to see, so I hope to bring you even more smiles and spoil you by painting the ones with the most requests.
So many plans and so many adventures await and I can't wait!
Thank you for all the love and support, thank you for all the memories and thank you for an amazing time.
Here's to 2026!
Much Love
