INSOMNIA
A 26-episode anime series produced end-to-end on Milk&Ink Studio. A teenage boy in Houston watches his uncle kill his mother through a window, learns within a week that his best friend slept with his girlfriend for a year while his mother was dying, and walks away from the war that follows in a building he is going to burn down behind him.
Below: cast and design development for INSOMNIA. Final shipped frames replace these tiles as episodes lock.
Protagonist
Elijah
Houston teenager. Watches his uncle murder his mother through a window; kills the friend who knew within the week; builds an empire on the body and the betrayal.
Mother · retired assassin
Jasmine
Once failed to kill Muteki and became his lover. Sharper than the room. Builds a fifteen-year archive for the son she protects. Killed by Kusho in Houston, episode 1x09.
Father · Tokyo crime boss
Muteki
Built like purpose itself — every movement deliberate, nothing wasted. Killed in 1x03 by a sniper shot from across the street; his last words: *please just take care of Jasmine.*
Uncle · the architect's hand
Kusho
Muteki's younger brother. Took Markus's deal in a drunken nightclub call; held the gun on Muteki but did not pull the trigger. Personally murders Jasmine sixteen years later.
Antagonist · the architect
Markus
Not just a rival drug lord — a system. Recruited Kusho. Sent Greg to kill Muteki. Sent Kusho to kill Jasmine. Every loss in Elijah's life traces back to him.
Compromised · the witness who betrays
Sammy
Slept with Kobe for a year while Elijah's mother was dying. Spends two seasons trying to earn her way back. Dies in 3x09 by Elijah's accidental hand at the moment she has finally, almost, gotten close again.
Best friend · captive
Kobe
Charismatic, easy smile, good-looking in the natural way that is going to be a problem. Slept with Sammy. Captured by Elijah at the end of 1x12. S2 opens with him in custody.
Crew · cool-headed
Mac
Tall, calm, the only one of them currently doing actual schoolwork. Crosses with Elijah after the affair-reveal and never crosses back.
Crew · hyper
Myles
Hyper, eyes that move. Wild and unpredictable. Crosses with Elijah after the affair-reveal.
Crew · the one who knew
Tyler
Tall, easy laugh. Knew about Kobe and Sammy. Did not tell. Killed by Elijah at the warehouse in 1x12.
Antagonist · treacherous twin
Amy
Works for Markus. Defects in Season 3. The redder twin.
Antagonist · treacherous twin
Abby
Works for Markus. Defects in Season 3. The cooler twin.
Crew
Scarlett
Crew member from the original Houston set.
Crew · defects in 3x01
Tiffany
Takes the out Elijah offers his crew at the start of S3. Walks away clean.
Crew · the youngest
Kim
Speaks first to stay in 3x01. Earns it across the season.
What you’re looking at
Character development for INSOMNIA. Each tile is a design-locked reference that the production team trains LoRAs against, so every shot of every character across the season holds identity. As episodes finish, we’ll replace these tiles with the actual shipped frames.
Customer productions
Customer-shipped productions land here as design partners deliver. We don't fabricate case studies — when something ships, you see the actual frames. See the Design Partner Program