Mikael is one of two sibling characters who hail from Dramarale, an ocean planet where raging tempests and enormous sea monsters abound. Mikael and Sonja are from one of many small fishing villages on the coast of their mountainous island.
For this character, Mikael, I wanted his design to hint that he may not be as strong as he wants to be yet. His boxy coat contains solid, strong square shapes. But his lanky legs sticking out from underneath show his youth, and the oversize boots show that he is trying to fill shoes that he is not yet big enough for. This is because he truly tries to protect and lead his younger sister, but the dangers they both face are larger than he can face alone.
The ocarina around his neck is an instrument, because music is an important part of the coastal folk's culture, and the men of his village sang and played music while fishing out at sea. Music is linked to the magic system of their world, and Mikael's magical abilities were what attracted Captain Murdoch's attention, causing him to lock Mikael up and force him to use his melodies to summon the Mogrym- a legendary sea serpent that the Captain desires to kill for revenge.
With Mikael held captive, though, it is up to his younger sister Sonja to get them safely off the ship before Mikael becomes Banelik-bait for failing to call in the Mogrym.
