Retiring the Milky Tote Series

After five amazing years (yes, including the years of the iconic Yuzuru tote bag), all good things must come to an end. After over 80 designs, a few hundred keychains, sticker sheets, and just over 1,000 tote bags later, the Milky series is permanently retiring.

There isn't any majestic or moral reason why this time. But more of a personal one and the fact that this merch line has come to its natural end (and with this blog being the second time I'm announcing the retirement of something, I can firmly say my product lifespan is a maximum of four years lolol). I'm so grateful for the love and support for this line of merch, so thank you guys so much - from the very bottom of my heart.

In the spirit of transparency, just as I've done previously, I want to talk about what I went through that contributed to the end of this line of merch. In 2024, right after Doujima in May, I started going through what I'd like to call "The Great 2024 Crash Out" and essentially went through the most depressing six months of my life. I was at my lowest and miserable at my day job - which in turn also destroyed my mental state and capacity to enjoy anything at all. I only started recovering at the end of 2024, and from there, I've been picking up the pieces with the help of a lot of therapy and self-reflection. 

One of the things that was unfortunate collateral damage in this period was my ability to create for myself. I was burnt out and picking up a pencil or even playing the games I loved felt like agony. My love for the Milky series disappeared, along with lots of things I won't get into here. But unlike the other things, my love for the Milky series never returned.

I've beaten myself up over this, wondering what was wrong with me. I feared giving up the Milky series - it's such a beloved and iconic thing, can I do it? What if I never financially recover from it? There were many expectations placed on me to constantly deliver on new designs and I was already so, so, so behind on the designs I wanted to make.

It's taken a while but I've come to terms with it and with it came forgiveness. I took this as a sign to move on. I thought to myself: 'Well, I've retired one beloved series of merch, I could do it again. And I'll build again.'

So, here I am. This series is retiring for good. Maybe when I feel like it, I'll design new Milky characters for the waifus and husbandos I want - but this series will never return with the dominance it once had. Instead, I'd like to move on to new things I've always wanted to make like more kets and boofs. More original designs; and maybe even a new foray into trading card accessories. 

For now, I'm focusing on clearing my current tote inventory and preparing for Doujima. I'm taking things slow in 2025, and re-strategising what I want to do with this business and what I want to make. I hope that you'll continue supporting me and the future endeavours of Luna Orbits. Thank you so much for reading!

Lots of Love and Tote Bags,
Liz