#inspired by japanese yokai stories

[jcryptid]

Some concept art for an assignment and current pet project: Spirit of the Red, story pitch under the cut:

"After a mysterious explosion that wiped out the city of Nirashi, the race is on to find the secret behind ‘The Red’, the unimaginably destructive force that was somehow able to break one of the most foundational rules of spiritualism, and destroy life energy itself.

10 years later, one of the survivors, Sen, discovers he holds the secret to unlocking the mystery, and fearing its misuse, is now on a mission to destroy it within himself. Hopefully, before anyone else finds out it could happen again if he isn’t careful, and maybe take the world out with him."

[karinzany]

SPOILERS: Chapter 1094 of ONE PIECE

We've finally seen St. Jaygarcia Saturn's real form on chapter 1094, and it is absolutely diabolical. It seems to be inspired by a yōkai called Ushi-oni. So I went back to chapter 1085 and tried to connect the rest of the Gorosei with other yōkai. Here are my predictions:

Ushi-oni: In Wakayama Prefecture, ushi-oni are mountain-dwelling beasts. Legend says when a hiker or traveler makes eye contact with the ushi-oni, the person cannot avert his or her gaze. The person's soul or energy is drained and he or she dies. This is called “Kage wo kuu (影を食う)” or sometimes "Kage wo nomu (影を飲む)", which translates to “eating the shadow” or "drinking the soul".

Aosaginohi: Aosaginohi, or Aosagibi (青(あお)鷺(さぎ)火(び), "blue heron fire") is a phenomenon illustrated by Toriyama Sekien in his Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki. It depicts a night heron with a mysteriously illuminated body. Folklore built around the phenomenon tells a story of an old black-crowned night heron transforming into a yokai. The herons' feathers fuse into shining scales that give off an iridescent blue light in the dark of night. The yokai's breath is also said to release golden powder into the air that collects to form a heat-less fiery light, though this light eventually dissipates in the wind. The harmless creature is said to flee from human contact, retaining a normal heron's shyness. Legend also warns to not confuse the glimmering blue-white light with onibi lights.

Baku: Baku (獏 or 貘) are Japanese supernatural beings that are said to devour nightmares. According to legend, they were created by the spare pieces that were left over when the gods finished creating all other animals. They have a long history in Japanese folklore and art, and more recently have appeared in manga and anime. The Japanese term baku has two current meanings, referring to both the traditional dream-devouring creature and to the Malayan tapir. In recent years, there have been changes in how the baku is depicted.

Benzaiten: Benzaiten (shinjitai: 弁才天 or 弁財天; kyūjitai: 辯才天, 辨才天, or 辨財天, lit. "goddess of eloquence"), also simply known as Benten (shinjitai: 弁天; kyūjitai: 辯天 / 辨天), is a Japanese Buddhist goddess who originated mainly from Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of speech, the arts, and learning, with certain traits deriving from the warrior goddess Durga. Due to her status as a water deity, she was also linked with nāgas, dragons, and snakes. Apart from being a patron of music and the arts, she was eventually also worshiped as a bestower of monetary fortune and was reckoned as one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin).

Ōkubi: In Japanese folklore, Ōkubi (大首) are giant heads of either men or women. An Ōkubi appearing in the sky is a sign of impending disaster, which may be a typhoon, earthquake, tsunami, or fire. These disasters are often attributed to the Ōkubi. Ōkubi are otherwise harmless and will disappear soon after the first sighting. They are thought to be sky spirits who protect the sky's or people who died during a natural disaster. They are said to protect people from the natural disasters and protect the sky from demonic sky spirits. It is said if one does not pay respect for the Ōkubi, they will be turned into sky spirits and their face will appear in the sky immediately. Those who do pay respect are said to get good fortune and gifts.

PS.: This silhouette probably belongs to Imu themselves, but I can't figure out what yōkai or supernatural being it represents. What are your theories?

EDIT: Thank you @ozo-blog and @marimo-kyun for your suggestion!

On chapter 1069, Vegapunk said that Devil Fruits earned the ire of Mother Nature, which is the Sea itself. The name Imu can be read as Umi backwards, meaning "Sea" in Japanese. So, maybe Imu has a power that controls the sea? Umibozu would be on theme for them.

Umibōzu: Umibōzu (海坊主, "sea priest") is a paranormal phenomenon or yōkai from Japanese folklore. Other names include Umihōshi (海法師, "sea priest") or Uminyūdō (海入道, "sea priest"). Little is known of the origin of umibōzu but it is a sea-spirit and as such has multiple sightings throughout Japan. Normally, umibōzu appears to sailors on calm seas which quickly turn tumultuous. It either breaks the ship on emergence or demands a bucket or barrel from the sailors and proceeds to drown them. The only safe way to escape an umibōzu is to give it a bottomless barrel and sail away while it is confused.

Alternative: I've also seen another theory that says Imu could be Satan (from the Bible, yes) because he has a Red Dragon form that could relate to the Celestial Dragon's symbol, a red dragon hoof.

Red Dragon (Biblical Satan): The Red Dragon is a form of the Biblical Satan, otherwise known as Lucifer, the former Seraphim that rebelled against the Creator and became evil in Christianity and Hebrew religions. His alias, the Red Dragon, was described in the Bible to have seven heads, ten horns, seven crowns, and a massive tail that knocks one-third of the stars out of the sky. The Red Dragon is mentioned to have other names like the Serpent of Old and the Devil. It is said in the Bible that Satan will take the form of the Red Dragon and will along with the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the Beast, deceive most of Humanity. After that the Red Dragon will be set free upon the world in which he will rule alongside demons for three long years. After that God will cast the Red Dragon, demons, and other dammed evil souls into Lake of Fire, thus finally destroying the evil of Satan forever.

During the time-skip, we've seen Brook being accidentally summoned by a Satanic cult, which implies the existence of Satan in the One Piece world. Now, on chapter 1094, we've seen again a summoning circle, this time for St. Jaygarcia Saturn. I think it's pretty obvious the connection between real world devils and the Gorosei and Imu.

It's all going to come to the ironic conclusion that the D. clan, the enemies of the Gods, are Gods themselves (like Nika) and the Celestial Dragons, the Gods of the world, are actual Devils.

[writingwithcolor]

Running Commentary: What is “ok to do” in Mixed-Culture Supernatural Fiction?

Dear readers: 

Today we are trying something new. To give you some insight into our process in the Japanese moderator section, we are presenting our response in the form of running commentary to show you how we dissect and answer long asks. We hope this makes clear what points are useful and not useful when sending us a query. As always, this is for learning purposes, not callouts. Be prepared: this is a long one. 

To summarize: the asker is looking to create a comic drawn in Japanese manga style, and has provided a long summary of the story and worldbuilding which involves a mix of “reimagined” Japanese yokai mythos and cultural symbols from many other sources. They have questions with respect to cultural appropriation, coding etiquette, and “what is and isn’t ok.” 

Opening Comments

I know a common advice when it comes to the thing I am about to ask is to talk to people involved in __, but I struggle with opening up to strangers for reasons I'm uncomfortable explaining. 

Marika (M): This is already a red flag. If you want to engage with another culture without talking to people from that culture, then research is going to be very challenging. You won’t have members of that culture to guide you towards sources and perspectives they feel most accurately represents public opinion. If I were in your shoes, I might start with tackling my discomfort when engaging with other people, if only to improve my work. If you aren’t ready to engage with a culture and its people directly, then I think you should wait until you are. 

I should note, reaching out to the Japanese mod team at WWC does count as engagement, but WWC should not and cannot be the only point of contact because there is no single, legitimate cultural perspective. 

Rina (R): Also, you don’t need to “open up” to strangers or talk to them in person to get perspectives. Asking specific research questions anonymously to a forum or on social media requires very little vulnerability. You managed to do it here on WWC. So give it a try! 

Anyway, my question basically amounts to the what is and isn't ok [sic] in terms of depicting fantasy creatures and concepts outside of their respective culture.

R: So, the reason why we turn away rubber stamp questions by that ask “is XYZ okay?” is because “okay” & “not okay” 1) is vague and 2) creates a dichotomy where there isn’t one. 

When we say something is “not okay,” do we mean:

It’s offensive to the general majority of XYZ group? 

It’s contentious among people who ID in the group? 

It has a potential to be interpreted in a certain negative way, but may not be a red flag to everyone?

Insetad try asking:

What are the reasons this subject is offensive? 

What makes cultural appropriation bad? 

When might it be “okay” to intentionally discuss a difficult or controversial topic?

What is your reason for including something that may be interpreted as offensive and can it be sufficiently justified? 

What stereotypes or tropes might it be consistently identified as or associated with, and why? 

When might it be justified to bring up these tropes?

With That In Mind...

Let’s get into the rest of the ask below. 

…a story I've been working on in recent times is largely inspired off the Japanese yokai, and the setting is basically Earth in the far future, as far as when the next supercontinent may form. These yokai, although portrayed differently here, do retain their main characteristics [...] Included in this world are two goddesses of my own creation, primarily representing the sun and the moon. [...] There will be thirteen nations, named and based after the Chinese Zodiac, and the life force found in the living things in this world, called qi, comes in two forms that are always opposing each other but can never fully overpower the other, this being based off yin and yang. They're even directly named this; yin qi and yang qi.

M: This reads more like using Japanese and Chinese culture for the “aesthetics”, not the cultures themselves, which I personally feel falls under cultural appropriation. From a world-building/ coding standpoint, the actual use of concepts is workable, and, dare I say, typical, given how Chinese cosmology influences Japanese culture. However, naming a concept “yin qi” or “yang qi” is the equivalent of naming something “- charge” or “+ charge”, respectively. That you don’t seem aware of this tells me you are pretty early in your research phase. In that vein, we’ve covered translating terms and names from foreign languages in fantasy before. See the following article linked here for our recommendation against using RL terms outright but instead encouraging people to create their own conlangs. 

R: Worldbuilding-wise, I think you would have to figure out the chicken-or-egg of the zodiac nations. Did the nations come first, and the zodiac later as an origin folk story (which you would have to rewrite to serve the nation-building narrative)? Did the zodiac come first, and the nations named (most likely re-named) by a political entity? What is the justification? Otherwise, again, it’s a shoehorning of aesthetics. 

There is also a third, lesser known god based off of fox spirits and trickery and I imagined he's the patron deity of a family that honors and worships him, but his influence on them has transformed them into Kitsune-tsuki, which I depict as fox-like anthros. 

M: Not related to this ask directly, but I have jokingly ranted about how often non-Japanese people prefer using imagery related to kitsune-tsuki in Japanese coded world-building (link). This makes me feel the same level of petty irritation. See my troll answer below for a similar experience.

R: Same. It’s boring tbh. 

M: Troll Answer: I get that kitsune-tsuki are very sexy furries, but Japanese folklore has other sexy furries too! These underrepresented demographics also deserve recognition and appreciation!!

The plot of the story is this; modernization has left the goddesses neglected of their worship and forgotten, something that is necessary in this world to stop them from fighting each other. The Moon Goddess awakens first, punishing the humans by unleashing the yokai. Then the Sun Goddess wakes up to fight in humanity's defense…

M: This could feel rather like Shinto-like coding (Ex. the myth of Amaterasu and the Cave, or Tsukuyomi slaying Ukemochi), but something about this scenario feels a bit too binary in terms of themes of good v. evil, light v. dark to be Shinto. The plot also feels more Gaelic/ Nordic in influence for me as a person raised in a Japanese Buddhist and Hindu household. I imagine this dissonance could have been fixed with better guided research. 

…but their fighting has caused a perma-eclipse and this world is in danger of ending. The yokai have run rampant; some are loyal to the Moon Goddess, and some aren't, and it lies to the main characters to bring balance back to Midgard. Yeah... the name of this future Earth is Midgard. I debate changing it since it and some other things I will mention sorta feel out of place.

R: Marika, looks like you were right on the Gaelic/Nordic influence /j 

Also, worldbuilding question: if the Earth is in the far geologic future, how long has it been since modernization (19th-20th century)? Centuries? Millennia? How long has this fighting gone on for? What triggered the perma-eclipse, and why now? Why is this time depth necessary? 

One of the main characters in question is a humanoid woman with wolf features named Ling, and she is a descendant of the dynasty that had first ruled the one of the nations, particularly the one based off the dragon zodiac. She accidentally summons the other main character to this world as she's praying at a shrine, a humanoid with dragon features--I call them drakon--named Angelynn.

[on the names of characters] is it appropriating by not having the world entirely based on [Chinese, Japanese, and Indian] influence? it's a little weird to me how worldwide the creatures are referred to as yokai, implying a strong Japanese influence not unlike how it is today with Western culture being so dominant, yet there are still names like Keith and Kiara.

M: I will give you credit for recognizing you have unconsciously veered towards white-washing/ race-bending: either presenting European cultural influences (drakons, Angelynn, Keith, Kiara, Midgard) as default or utilizing general E. Asian cultural influences and aesthetics for a Western-style story (Ling, qi, Chinese zodiac, yokai). I agree with you that this creates a sense of cultural dissonance. At this point, I’d say you have a clear choice: write a Western-style high fantasy using a background with which you have more familiarity, or get some better guidance on research with East Asian cultures so you can code the story more effectively. 

The focus of this story is centered around meeting all these yokai and showing that there's more nuance to them than Ling believes, all while saving the world. But I worry if I'm appropriating these concepts and creatures by 1, drawing from more than one culture--I initially imagined that there would be a mix of Chinese, Japanese and Indian influence because according to a website I am getting the info on yokai from, the yokai in question already draw inspiration from or have been based on something in Chinese mythology or Hinduism [...]

R: Sure, some yokai have Chinese or Hindu parallels as that tends to happen with folk tales. But not all–some are unique to Japan, and some are more modern. Sometimes it’s very political–some people consider the Ainu Korpokkur as being a “Yokai of Japan” despite it belonging to the indigenous culture. It’s up to you to research, untangle, and understand these influences. 

The fact that you bring up that the Asian continent has seen a lot of cultural exchange is not a sufficient reason to randomly combine influences for the sake of visual appeal or “coolness.” That is appropriation. These influences must be understood in their historical context so that you know how/why certain things combined or morphed into another, and what makes sense to combine/morph. 

M: This also indicates that the character views the yokai as evil/inherently bad, which I would argue is not a typical stance for much Japanese folklore. Again, this shows a deficit in research. 

2, reimagining these yokai in a new context even though I have done the research on them, because one thing I kept seeing in regards to cultural appropriation is that it's bad to do that […]

R: Refer above to my note on “okay” and “not okay.” The thing with folklore and fairy tales is that every–and I mean every–folk tale is reinterpreted with every new iteration of it. Reimagining in a new context is what people do every time they pass on a story or tell a story with the same plot or characters. Do not think of folklore as an “original” that is altered and rebooted, but rather a living document that gets added to. Reimagining is not the inherent issue. HOW you reimagine something matters. 

So I suppose my question is...if someone were to do research upon the creature they want to use, given they are allowed to use it, and gained an understanding of what the creature or concept stood for, are they allowed to pick it apart and reimagine it? Alternatively, is it ok if it's explicitly pointed out that it is derivative of the original?

It has actually become my biggest fear that I may have internalized something that could both continue to do harm long after the fact and attract the wrong people to me work. I don't wanna let people down!

M: As Rina has noted several times, I think the problem is in trying to ID a set of specific variables and circumstances that make a thing “okay” or “not okay.” I want to recommend that you read my joking response about writing in secret rooms while wearing a disguise (Linked here). Who can you hurt if no one knows what you are doing? There’s a difference between creating for oneself and creating to share. 

You have internalized a message incorrectly, but not the one you cite. The goal of many recommendations against cultural appropriation is to avoid causing direct harm to people who have seen their cultures demeaned, discredited and devalued, especially in shared spaces. Assessing cultural engagement, whether we are talking about appropriation, appreciation or exchange is not a measure of personal virtue or a collection of commandment style do’s and don’t’s. Rather, I believe engaging with other cultures is the state of mind of acknowledging that when using these cultures’ in one’s own work, there is value in consulting members of that culture and giving credit where credit is due. This will be challenging if you are only comfortable engaging with all of these cultures in a distanced, minimal capacity. 

FWIW, I’ve written stories that probably will offend people from other cultures and backgrounds, but I don’t show them off. I don’t think writing these makes me a bad person, but I also don’t see the need to give unnecessary offense, so those stories are just for me, to be written and read in my own secret room. However, I’m not ashamed of having written them, and I’m also comfortable to “let people down” provided that my own shared work reflects my personal principles of what I consider to be sufficient research and engagement with other cultures,  As a creator, my work wouldn’t be mine if I didn’t first please myself. I think the trick to the creator role is deciding what to keep private, what to share and what constitutes sufficient engagement. 

P.S. 

We’ve referenced the need for research multiple times in this ask, and in some of the other asks that have gone up this week, so we thought this would be a good place to plug a beginner’s guide to academic research created by the mod team.. Look for it soon under WWC’s pinned posts!

[sillygoblinantics]

So about the typhlosion leak

And some stuff about Lily you’ll want to spread the word on

As I’m sure everyone knows now there’s been a leak into gamefreak info. And after taking into mind of the game and source material. I thought I’d share what I found!

Friendly reminder:

Translations from Japanese to English aren’t always accurate and set in stone. And words like girls don’t refer to what many think would be minors. (So zip your pants Lily)

I love Pokémon, gamefreak has been know to pull a lot of inspiration from mythology, folklore, and stories from many cultures and countries so it’s no surprise that many of the Pokémon are based on these mythical creatures.

Taking this into mind, I began to narrow down my search into what could be the possible influence to the typhlosion story. (So if I got something wrong let me know in replies with your own findings and sources! ;3) let’s get into it!

Typhlosion and the cyndaquil line are rodents, for context into my search. So I had to leave out a lot of yokai and monsters to help filter out results:

Fox

Tanuki

Oni

Otters

Child spirits

Items

And any humanoid or human looking yokai

So this leaves us with a few but out of the three that were left I found only one that matched perfectly with our little typhlosion story! Meet:

Kyūso

If you want to read more about it make sure to click the highlighted name and it’ll lead you to a website that talks all about yokai!

Former rat or old rat

It has the ability to change sizes, and has been known to sneak into homes and beds to have adult time with the women. It’s also mentioned to have consumed lamp oil which considering the fire typing of our large fire mouse Pokémon, seemed more than likely to be our culprit!

So, yeah that’s it.

Before freaking out please do your own research into something especially when it comes to said thing being from a completely different culture or country before you apply harsh judgement that would more likely reveal your own intrusive thoughts, Lily Orchard.

Rich coming from Mrs Lily

“Makes a self insert “slice of life” Pokémon webcomic about how her gardevoir that was raised like her sister mindfucks or r🥫pes her comic self but gets away and further validation/vindication to be romantic with, later forcing a child made out of petty selfish want by said gardevoir”

Orchard

Wait who’s that kissing you Lily? That’s not Mikayla or any of your exes? Looks more like…

That’s not lolo? Oh right that’s your “source for good thoughts” friend Ren, right? Why would you have art of someone else kissing and making love to you instead of your wife? Isn’t this drawn by your wife? Why would you have art of being intimate with someone you call a friend? That’s not even “friends with benefits”

Notice the date on that post too?

March 1st, 2020 at 4:20pm

Can’t even excuse it as an April fools joke either especially since you posted it in the general chat which who does that in a dicord public chat infront of minors like… whooooo does that?!

I wonder :3

[shisui-week]

Prompt Discussions 𓅂

Festival 

A traditional Japanese Festival centered around a season: summer, fall, spring, or winter. A New Years Festival, or cherry blossoms. Does Shisui visit a shrine, dress up? How does he celebrate, food, music, dance games, Get his fortune read or watch the fireworks. Or is Shisui working the event, is he undercover, working guard duty. Or use this prompt (like any other) and have it set in another world, a college fair, a town carnival, the circus in a modern world, or a festival as an offering to the gods in a mythology au. Any and all Festivals welcome!  

Flicker

Shunshin no Shisui - Shisui of the body flicker. A flicker of light in the eye of his loved one, the flicker of a candle, or the flicker of a fire jutsu, a flicker of danger across his features.  Or does a dwindling flame flicker out.

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First Aid

Is Shisui in dire need of aid, a hospital, a medical jutsu? How does he react to someone taking care of him, or is he left to his own devices with a makeshift tourniquet. How does he recover? Or Is he the one dishing out some TLC? First aid can be as simple as a bandaid and a smooch over a skinned knee on the playground. Or Shisui picking up some medical skills in a class.

Cozy

There’s nothing like being curled up with a good book by the fireplace. Is Shisui enjoying the change of the seasons, a special holiday, or just nice weather? Is he bundled up with someone special, or taking some quiet time to himself. Is Shisui stranded on a mission with a comrade or an enemy, forced into close proximity to stay warm? Is there is only one bed!

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Memories

‘don’t forget me’ We received lots of memory based suggestions! It can be a fond memory, a sad one, a dark one. Is Shisui or someone close to him suffering from memory loss? How does he cope? Is Shisui worried about the memories he’ll leave behind, or the ones lost to time. How will Shisui be remembered? 

Kotoamatsukami 

literally meaning: Distinguished Heavenly Gods - Shisui’s dōjutsu that casts a powerful mind-controlling genjutsu on his target. Entering their mind and manipulating them with false experiences, acting through Shisui’s will leaving the victim entirely unaware. How does Shisui use this to his advantage? For his own use or the sake of the village? Does Shisui’s dojutsu get stolen, how does the thief use it, does their plan backfire, or does Shisui take revenge. Is his ultimate technique used for good or evil 

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Folklore

Yokai, Zodiacs, Angels, demons, myths and legends or anything to do with the supernatural. Explore the legends of chakra, the moon goddess Kaguya, stories of the sage of the sixth paths, jinchuriki, warriors long gone from the Uchiha Lineage; Madara, Kagami, or gods from above. The origins of the sharingan or legends of Izunami and Amatarasu. Is a yokai terrorizing the village, or is Shisui telling his teammates a scary story around a campfire. Or are the spirits kind and friendly? Is Shisui one of them? So long as Shisui is the focus, any folklore goes! Make up your own or pull inspiration from other cultures. 

Haunted

Is Shisui haunted by his choices, or regrets? A burden he must bear, or a mission he must complete? Is a ghost on his tail, creaking in the floorboards. Does Shisui visit a haunted house in a test of courage, or something more fun for Halloween with friends. 

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Clan Customs 

Traditions and customs of the mighty Uchiha Clan, how do they celebrate holidays, birthdays, funerals. Or is Shisui adapting to a new clans’ customs through marriage or a deep cover mission. Is Shisui bringing someone new into the family fold. 

Rites of Passage

Are there certain expectations growing up in the Uchiha Clan that Shisui must uphold? A ceremony to accept him into the family, or a special jutsu that marks the occasion. A test of courage, or marking a special age. Or is he being hazed before joining the police force, Anbu, graduating the Academy, or becoming a Jonin. Does Shisui take someone under his wing and help them through this new chapter?  

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Teammates

Shisui’s Genin team, Chunin team, how’d he do during the exam! Teammates for a mission, or his squad on the police force. What role does he play on his team, does he take the lead, trail behind, track, scout, work well with others or prefer to complete a mission on his own? Do you have an Oc, been waiting to show them off, are they a part of Shisui’s team, or do they have a rivalry with them?  

Secrets

Secrets, rumors, vows a promise. Can Shisui keep a secret or does he have one to share. Does a secret romance slowly unravel, or add to his desire, do rumors spread through town? Who’s Shisui keeping the secret from. Is it a secret organization, a secret clan jutsu or a planned coup d'etat? 

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Any au 

We got so many great au suggestions we’d need an event just for them all~ so instead have any au! Shisui lives, Fantasy, Mythology, College, Modern, Anbu, Yakuza, Historical, Coffee Shop, Founders, Western, from another show, canon divergence etc. The sky's the limit! 

Birthday 

It’s Shisui's birthday! How does he celebrate? Does a character give him a special present or plan an entire day of festivities? Does he spend it on his own? Or is Shisui celebrating someone else’s birthday, with a surprise up his sleeve.

Free Day

Exactly how it sounds! create to your heart's content. Use this day to mix and match prompts, extend an idea, or share whatever comes to mind.

Have any questions submit them to @shisui-week 𓅂

Prompt list𓅂Rules𓅂FAQ

[saturn7162]

Short answer: they just played pokemon yokai inspiration straight.

Long answer: in japanese myths, you have a bunch of shapeshifting animals disguising as humans to trick them. Alongside the more popular kitsune and tanuki, you also have the Mujina, which is a youkai badger. Typhlosion being based on one made him one of the best candidates for playing the role of a creature posing as a human to marry people and they went with him. These kinds of stories were used to warn people against foreigners or generally people who seemed untrustworthy and specifically the part about it not wanting to be seen when sleeping is in line with a lot of similar fables from around the world.

Also, these stories feel out of place for pokemon, yes, but thats because behind the scenes theres a popular practice in game dev environments to propose absurdly extreme concepts to circumvent censors, who are more likely to focus on the extreme parts and let the rest of the story pass. These stories are "like that" with the intent purpose of letting them be cut down to release a much tamer version. All the sinnoh myth entries are probably what these stories eventually were planned to become, and if they proposed the actually existing sinnoh entries, censors would have cut em straight up.

My typhlosions get to live another day

Ty for the info

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Do u believe in or have any ideas about the whole Overlord Niffty theory?

Actually yeah! For my Niffty I’m going for that route!🐛

HUGE Spoiler alert!!!! Hazbin Hotel @the-burd-lord made these concept designs for me as a gift, I treasure them greatly💖 Their designs inspired from Centichoro from One Punch Man. The other character in the drawings is my take on Alastor!🦌📻

With the reveal of Husk being once an Overlord I like to believe the same with Niffty but rather than gained her power from souls(talked about this with @a-sterling-rose, she was an immensely powerful sinner like Alastor, but alas her form was far too big and scary for people to want to get close to and she was all alone…until Alastor came along and offered her a deal he’d provide a more approachable form in return for her eternal service).

One idea. I imagine she was once a regular sinner like everyone else but was still a centipede like demon so it wasn’t easy to gain peoples trust due to her scary appearance. But one day some overlord or jsut really strong demon or hellborn tried to attack her and in defense or just acting on first instinct…ate into them and ended up becoming stronger and scarier looking in the process, driving even more people to see her as a threat and try to attack only to well…think the Hungry Catepillar but more gruesome and scary.

I can imagine she used to live in the outskirts of the pentagram or underground somewhere as Centipedes can burrow. Occasionally some try to get close to gain power or try to kill her but failed. She was very lonely💔💔💔 Warning scary images.

A lot of her looks meant to be hiding what she is. Disguising her extra limbs as hair, her body’s color scheme based on a centipedes, poofy dress that could cover extra, even the bug design could be Interpreted as a long centipede. I was also going for a subtle sharp, mini legs for her apron ruffles, giving off her trying to look sweet and soft but could also be interpreted in another way…

I read and learned from a @lovesart23 redesign vid for her that, she was meant to be based on B-Alien Movies. LOVE that and I tried it myself(hardest part was figuring out what bug to make her and what themes to go with) but I ended up going for another Sci-Fi route. Kaiju/Giant Bug monsters. Creatures like Godzilla or those giant bugs creatures like “the Tingler” 1959(which was a centipede monster I read). I figure it’d connect well to both her struggles of fitting in but also her Japanese Roots.

Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. They do not attack people because they want to, but because of their size and strength, mankind has no other choice but to defend himself. After several stories such as this, people end up having a kind of affection for the monsters. They end up caring about them."

— Ishir⁠ō Honda The Director of Godzilla

Plus some certain Kaijus could qualify as Aliens!.

There’s even a Yokai/demon based on the centipede known as the Ōkumade! I imagine Niffty’s true form is basically a giant monstrous looking centipede.

What do u think? Any ideas you have for overlord Niffty? I’d love to know💖

[yuri-is-online]

Sometimes the Wallpaper is Just Yellow: A Heartslabyul Color Analysis

This research was inspired by this post by @mothman-files! I am so sorry for @ing you please let me know if you want me to remove it and I will do so ASAP. Thank you for sending my head into a tail spin, I've learned a lot of stuff.

After reading mothman's musings, you might be thinking to yourself like I did: "hey, there is something familiar about red, blue, yellow, and green color coding." And it is, as mothman correctly points out in the notes of their post it is an extremely common trope in anime. The reason was both exactly and not not at all what I expected after I resurfaced from this little detour I took from fic writing.

How well do you know the colors of your oni? Because that's more important than card suits for this particular trope, but to make it all make sense I am going to go through each of the Heartslabyul boys one by one saving Cater for last. With that being said, pack your bags and grab some beans we are going to learn some meditation techniques.

Setsubun and the Beaning of Life

No seriously. It all relates back to beans. As a refresher for those unaware, Setsubun is a Japanese festival celebrated at the start February, the day before spring starts on the Japanese Lunar calendar. It is typically part of Lunar New Year celebrations today, and if you know anything about it from anime you probably know that it's that holiday where the Japanese throw beans at demons to chase them away so they can start the new year without their evil influences. What kind of evil influences? Well according to Buddhist belief there are five main ones that are referred to as the five hindrances: sensory desire (i.e. greed), ill-will (i.e. anger), disquietude (i.e. anxiety), sloth (i.e. unable to make decisions), and doubt (i.e. self explanatory).

Now why is this all relevant? Well I saw it repeated again and again, on some articles about Setsuban that the oni who appear during the festival are COLOR CODED and fucking finally thanks to this beautiful, beautiful person called Matthew Meyer (the Yokai Guy) on Patreon of all places! I found out why. Because a professor of History named Yagi Tōru said so and I am inclined to believe as he is the president of the World Oni Study Society! Which is a thing! And he has written textbooks?!?! I get that this might be a tangent but it is important to me you understand I am not pulling this out of my ass, there is scholarship on this I am not lying to you. So what are those colors?

Red Oni (Greed) Blue Oni (Anger)

The only reason I even tried looking at this angle was because of these two. Everyone say thank you to Aduece. You might have heard "the Red Oni Who Cried" folktale in an anime or two (My Love Story is the first that comes to mind for me) and it is thought to have spawned a sort of character trope in anime. There's a hot headed red coded character and their intellectual blue bestie, or maybe they're twins (FFXIV and Tokyo Rev jump to mind), one of them jumps first and the other asks all sorts of questions, both now and later. When I first saw Aduece I thought they were a clever twist on that trope because they're both trying to fit those color molds but... aren't really making it.

Ace wants to portray himself as an easygoing guy who doesn't think too much about things, but we know that's not true. He is extremely smart, he just refuses to put in maximum effort unless forced. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to classify him as greedy either, but when you are sharing the stage with Azul it can be easy to forget that greed isn't always accompanied by a great work ethic. Ace cheats at cards, makes a deal for a study guide he doesn't need, and sucks up to his senpai's all to make things easier on himself. What he actually needs to do is work bitch and when he does that and only then will he realize his true potential.

Deuce, poor ex-delinquent Deuce. He does think about things before he does them and constantly lectures Ace for just doing whatever he wants without thinking, but he is far from naturally intelligent and prone to outbursts of anger. As soon as he looses his temper, he also looses his rational thought, but he accepts that about himself. That's what allows him to discover his unique magic, he knows he has his own sort of intelligence and is determined to work on what he does not.

Green Oni (Sloth)

I don't really think it is revolutionary to say Trey is a bit of a slacker when it comes to addressing interpersonal issues. He finds it easier to try and keep the peace or manage the fallout than directly address the problem at hand, and he is resistant to doing additional work not assigned by his housewarden. Or required by the school, just look at how "excited" he was to be a starsender. If he was any more unhinged he would have started throwing hands. Sloth as a sin isn't strictly just about being lazy. Apathy, a lack of reaction towards something like say, your friend's control freak tendencies that is clearly him acting out his own trauma can qualify as sloth.

I would like to add, though, that I don't really think it was Trey's responsibility to tell Riddle he was going overboard. That should have been Crowley's job, but that's another post. For now just take green as a sign of dodging emotions and let's go.

Yellow Oni (Disquietude)

As pointed out by mothman-files, Cater is supposed to be yellow, but he is more often portrayed with reds and oranges, pinks even, than yellow. Like them, I don't think it is a coincidence he is associated with orange when that's what happens when you mix red and yellow together. Cater is taking on what he perceives to be the identity of his dorm, and he is extremely dissatisfied, disquieted, and anxious because of that.

Something I think should be considered, NRC freshmen are sixteen years old. Cater is a third year, he's spent around two and a half years at NRC, two and a half years that were relatively stable compared to what he tells us about his previous schooling. I think that he has some genuine dissonance in him that is getting harder for him to ignore because he has played this role longer than the ones he has played previously. Cater the Heartslabyul student, the NRC mage, that is who he is now, and I wonder if he knows how he got to this point or if he feels like he just woke up in someone else's body someday and doesn't know if he likes it.

What's worse is I think he does like his friends, and he is suddenly confronted with how little they actually know about him, what could be more anxiety inducing than that.

Black Oni? (Press X to Doubt)

I don't think Riddle is meant to be the black oni, but I do think it's interesting that the color black is associated with doubt and loss of ones convictions when that is essentially both the cause and color of an overblot. Idia and S.T.Y.X. seem to be focused on emotion + extreme magic use to be what's causing the blot... but the more I roll chapter 7 and all the reading I did for this post around in my head it seems to me that overblots like the ones at NRC seem to be tied to a loss of identity and the shattering of one's perceived reality.

I would also like to mention that I have no idea if any of the cited folklore has anything to do with Yana Toboso's mindset when she created these characters. She seems to be someone who does a lot of research and thinks deeply about symbolism, but this color coding and its associated vices can be found in a lot of anime. She could have just picked up on it from that.

I hope you found this descent into madness informative, and if not at least entertaining. Thank you for your time, I am going to go eat a cookie.

Semi Unrelated Fun Facts:

A lot of this brainrot was inspired by Amnesia, as I stated in a post I already made, but I also was thinking about the song YELLOW by Yoh Kamiyama which I don't fully understand the meaning of, but think it is supposedly about being trapped in a false reality from some of the things I've read.

Back to Amnesia, the yellow diamond in that Visual Novel (I haven't watched the anime adaptation because they did my man Kieth dirty) is the yandere route. Which made me start to think about how often yellow is used as a color for characters with identity issues, like Sailor Venus from Sailor Moon and Amu from Sugo Chara! and led to... this mess

According to this thing I found while trying to look for the professor Yagi Tōru he has a son who is a male voice actor???? I don't have time to look this up someone else do it please.

Please check out the Yokai Guy. You can join his patreon for free, his art is lovely and he saved my sanity. I cannot read Japanese so I almost didn't bother saying anything about this because I knew I wouldn't be able to provide an academic source for it, and that's important to me as someone who has a love of history. Also he has a kick-starter up for an illustrated book of folklore, did I mention his art is lovely?

And lastly a lovely hello to @somany-fandoms-solittle-time who kindly asked to be tagged in this post (つ≧▽≦)つ I hope you liked it.

[zac-salazar-01]

Hello my fellow Tumblrsapiens it's me again

now you will learn about my original Sentai

Yojutsu Sentai Obakeranger (Yokai arts squad ghost Rangers)

Motif: Yokais, Sorcerer/exorcists, magic

It is inspired by animes such as Shaman king Yokai Watch Jujutsu Kaisen and the concept of Onmyodo (Japanese exoteric magic), among other things.

The story revolves around a young man who, upon arriving in a new city, discovers that it is haunted by terrible spirits known as Onryo but the city is defended by yojutsu shamans. Soon after saving the life of a Nekomata (cat yokai) he awakens his yokai power and becomes Obake Red, joining the team and beginning his journey to become a shaman.

The rangers are:

Obake Red: a young man obsessed with the supernatural and the occult and even though he doesn't have shaman blood he can use yojutsu techniques, this is one of the mysteries of the series

His element is fire and his yokai partner is a Nekomata (Two-Tailed Cat)

Obake blue: A serious young man and strategist and was the former leader before Red's arrival and because of this, a rivalry ends up being created between the two, he wants to honor his clan of shamans at all costs. His element is wood and his yokai partner is a tengu (raven man)

Obake yellow: The youngest on the team. Imperative and playful but he hates when people treats him like a child, his element is earth and his yokai partner is a Tsuchinoko (snake yokai)

Obake Black: Before being called by her family to be a shaman she was a sukeban (juvenile delinquent) gang leader she is the typical tomboy and doesn't like too much feminine things she is tough but deep down she has a soft heart

Her element is water and her yokai partner is a kappa

Obake White: She didn't really want to be a shaman, she actually wanted to follow her dream of being a "cosplayer idol" but her family repressed her, but among her teammates she can be herself and that's why she appears almost always with a new cosplay when he arrives on the scene. Sweet and cheerful, she is the heart of the team

Her element is metal and her yokai partner is a jorogumo (spider woman yokai)

OniSlayer: a man who renounced his shaman side who made a pact with an oni in order to take revenge he does not use spells but rather martial arts with oni energy

His color is purple, his element is darkness and his yokai partner is Shuten Douji

(I imagine his ranger suit design to be very inspired by Gosei Knight, Gaisoulg and Rio from Gekiranger)

The collectibles are Yo-Fudas, cards inspired by Ofuda talismans that are responsible for the team's spells, weapons and zords

Each ranger has their own deck of Yo-Fudas based on different yokais of their respective elements

About the mechas, I think of something a bit similar Go-Onger, Go-Buster and Goseiger, zords that are half yokai and half vehicle

Red: Nekomata/ racing car

Blue: Tengu/ fighter jet

Yellow: Tsuchinoko/ Shovel

Black: Kappa/ submarine

White: Jorogumo/ Snowmobile

OniSlayer: Oni/Tank

The main five Rangers have a shared mecha (gashadokuro/ Dekotora) that serves as the mecha main body (similar to the Korean toku Legend Hero) and can make multiple combinations

The villains are the Onryo, vengeful spirits whose mission is to resurrect their leader (Tatarigami) so they can create "hell on Earth" and take revenge on the living.

Its method of creating monsters is very similar to that of Miraculous Ladybug

They choose a human with bad feelings such as grudge and malice and incorporate an evil spirit into their body that ends up creating a monster linked to something (an object in most cases) while the monster causes chaos the possessed victim begins to perform the ritual to send his soul to Tatarigami so that he can be reborn (the ritual ends with the victim 💀 themselves)so the Rangers have to defeat the monster through exorcism (the monster also attacks people with the aim of accumulating people's negative energies to help with the ritual)

So that's it, that's my idea. Again, anyone who wants to give ideas on how to improve this story (specially about the villains) it would be greatly appreciated.

[hugblob]

My boyfriend and I were looking up different Yokai the other night because he was looking for inspiration for an art piece and it led down to a rabbit hole of me reading off all these different entries and lore about various Yokai and realizing how fucking insane it can be.

Like- Yokai can range from these harrowing stories about giant unknowable sea monsters that live in the ocean, or the ghosts of children that died of starvation, like- all really horrifying and spooky stories. Until you're suddenly reading a story about a Yokai that's literally a carp monk that tells people to not over fish.

Or the tsuchinoko??? Literally a Yokai that is just a big fat snake and it travels by literally rolling around cause it's basically a log. AND THEY ALSO SNORE WHEN THEY SLEEP? GOD HE'S SUCH A SILLY LITTLE GUY!

In short I love that Japanese folklore has equal amounts of terror and silly whimsy and I need more people to know about it.

[wingsofsong]

Cavendish and The Little Prince

In Chapter 784 "Gear Four" Oda forestalls the reveal of Luffy's new form to emphasize he and Law as the "eye of the storm" to follow Doffy's defeat through the words of Cavendish "The Pirate Prince."

But given the implicitness of that conclusion; the scene more so exists as character building for Cavendish.

Sitting criss-cross amongst the chaos grants him a very understated character moment for Cavendish and the reader to just "be" and soak in the beauty and adventure of Dressrosa; a feeling the anime expertly captures.

Displaying concern and appreciation outside of self from a character who's core gag/drive is self-absorbenent; putting his own place on the seas into perspective.

But there's more too it.

Cavendish's archetype is that of the White Knight/Knight Errant in European lit/mythos; his epithets being a verbalization of that fact.

Dressrosa is One Piece's analogue for Spain-

Cavendish's name is English in etymology and his real world namesake "Thomas Cavendish" the privateer is partly known for his raids of Spanish ships.

He's the former prince of the Borgeoise Kingdom, hailing from Rommel where himself as Hakuba became known as their slicing winds (a Kamitachi; a Yokai in Japanese mythos) alluding to Dr.Jekyl and Mr.Hyde and Jack The Ripper as you may know, both English refrences.

His former kingdoms name shares it's etymology with Mary Geoise in the French word Borgeosie and Cavendish's aesthetics/rapier are very Musketeer/French.

His weapon/attacks are all references to European mythos/lit/plays.

-Durandal a French blade of legend

-Round Table (King Arthur)

-Blue Bird

-Biken: Zan t-Exupéry

-Precious Metal Axe

The tontattas/fairies being another tie to literature and mythos.

Given that pastiche it's notable that Oda chose Cavendish to sit in a childlike manner and note one of the two most fantastical aspects of the arc in the "dwarves" (the other being the toys).

It taps into the feelings fantasy ferments in children and the inspirations behind Oda's writing, in a land where Doflamingo has cast a cruel veneer over the settings beauty.

A recent realization on my part is on the fourth attack listed above "Biken: Zant t-Exupéry" or

"Beautiful Sword: Stardust Prince."

The attack's name coming from French novel "The Little Prince-" and it's author; a childrens novel dealing with space, a loss of imagination in adulthood, love and loss and the human experience more broadly.

The titular character being the lonely, blonde "little prince" of an asteroid where he resides and tends to his love.

A thorny, vain, rose that "The Little Prince" knows not how to love properly until they've lost each other and he learns to see the uniqueness in those he values through their worth to one another vs outside validation/being a lone rose.

Cavendish is first seen with a red rose and his attacks often have rose petals swirling around him.

He's a blonde prince, exiled from his home with his animal companion Farul (The Little Prince tames/makes a companion of a fox on his journey).

From Oda's SBS we know that he also carried roses as a child and in a cover page we see him tending to a garden of roses with Farul, his vivre card lists roses as his favorite food, making it clear that Cavendish and roses is imagery Oda is intentionally/continuously associating him with.

Knowing this all; I propose that Cavendish's character is partly inspired by The Little Prince (the novel/character) in his design, own emotional makeup having aspects of various figures in the book, and the tapping into child-like wonder described above as the Little Prince's narrator is a man at risk of losing that imagination, as multiple adults seen through the stories pages already have.

Also:

-The stars on his pants are similar to the stars on the little princes coat which is also similar to Cavendish's coat

-They both use rapiers

It makes me wonder what Cavendish's childhood was like; if there was any lonliness, whether there's anything to be said abolut the potential of "taming" Hakuba and growing in self-love/past his obsession with uniquness.

Of course there's much more to his character than a single inspriation and differences to see between him and The Little Prince but I'll definitely keep the story in mind going forward.

[epraim1992]

The Abductor in Wano is Vegapunk

I have a theory that the person abducting people in Yamato's cover story is the "Zero" of the Numbers and Vegapunk's 7th Satellite.

I think he will resemble Yamato's hannya mask for a couple of reasons.

I think it is foreshadowed by Sukiyaki calling Oden a yokai for infiltrating a mountain temple and abducting women for his own personal harem.

I think it will play into the gag of characters describing others with their own features.

The kidnapper is mostly targeting women which I think is connected to the Oden harem due to the similarities.

Yamato is walking in Oden's footsteps and this is part of his past.

I think it's plausible for their to be a "zero" number. Numbered theme groups tend to have a zero. Vegapunk turned Kuma into PX-0.

Kaido's crew is playing card theme and The Fool is number 0 in tarot cards which appeared through Hawkins who joined Kaido.

I think Zero is the silhouette Number in Vegapunk's flashback with Clover. A new dragon was revealed which I think hints at a new Number.

According to Big Mom the Numbers are failures it was not stated why but the popular fan consensus is it's because of their low intelligence.

I think Vegapunk's fix was to augment the Numbers with his own blood to pass on his intelligence. I think he tried it on "Zero" and thought it was a failure. I think that is another reason why he will resemble Yamato's hannya mask because Japanese phonetic transcription of the Sanskrit word prajñā which means wisdom. I think a hint he has Vegapunk's genius.

I think there are hints to this. Usopp humorously asked if he was Vegapunk when he found out about the Satellites which I think is foreshadowing there is one more Satellite.

Luffy called Vegapunk a ninja when he found out he cloned himself which I think hints he has a clone there.

Orochi demanded Vegapunk in exchange for weapons which turned out to be a double irony because of the Satellites and order to kill them all.

I think this is another hint since Orochi could grow 7 more heads which I think means there is one more Vegapunk.

I think "Zero" was in contact with Vegapunk because he knew about the second dragon in Wano. Vegapunk was about to be assassinated so it seems like their would be no reason to keep Vegapunk in the loop about it.

Also Vegapunk's technology that allows objects to eat Devil Fruits somehow got into the hands of Sukiyaki.

I think "Zero" might be the one responsible for the Marys. They are a surveillance unit that utilizes cyborg animals which is a hallmark of Vegapunk. The Marys use eye face mask which seem inspired by the eye tattoo of Who's-Who.

Which is similar to Vegapunk basing and naming the Pacifistas after Kuma. Also Kuma and Who's-Who have a small connection due to both being imprisoned by the World Government and idolizing Nika.

There is Orochi's horse Gifters who were uncharacteristically normal looking. I think "Zero" perfected them.

As to why he is normal sized I think he developed a method to shrinking himself. Vegapunk found a way to reduce the size of the Punk Hazard children.

We know Minatomo was also kidnapped.

Minatomo is a master carpenter I think like Vegapunk Zero needs more helpers to make his ideas come to fruition. I think that is why kidnapping people.

I'm guessing at the end of Yamato's cover story that Zero will heal those who ate failed SMILE fruits.

[jasminewalkerauthor]

Deep dives into folklore: Japanese mythology

Japanese mythology is a rich and intricate tapestry woven over centuries, blending indigenous beliefs with influences from China, Korea, and beyond. The mythology of Japan is deeply rooted in Shinto, the native religion, as well as Buddhism and Confucianism. It comprises a diverse array of gods, spirits, mythical creatures, and epic tales. Let's delve into some key aspects of Japanese mythology:

Shinto and Kami:

Shinto: Shinto, meaning "the way of the gods," is the indigenous spirituality of Japan. It emphasizes the belief in kami, which can be translated as gods, spirits, or sacred forces. Shinto doesn't have a central religious text but is closely tied to rituals, ceremonies, and the reverence of nature.

Kami: Kami are considered divine beings or spirits that inhabit all things in nature. This includes rocks, trees, rivers, animals, and even human ancestors. Some prominent kami include Amaterasu, the sun goddess and ancestor of the imperial family, and Susanoo, the storm god.

Creation Myths:

Izanagi and Izanami: One of the most famous myths involves Izanagi and Izanami, the divine couple tasked with creating the Japanese archipelago and its many gods. Their union gave birth to several islands and deities, but tragedy struck when Izanami died while giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi.

Amaterasu's Hidden Sun: After a feud with her brother Susanoo, Amaterasu, the sun goddess, withdrew to a cave, plunging the world into darkness. The gods tricked her into emerging, bringing light back to the world. This myth explains the cyclical nature of day and night.

Japanese Pantheon:

Amaterasu: Often considered the most important deity, Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun, symbolizing light, fertility, and imperial power. The emperor is believed to be a direct descendant of Amaterasu.

Susanoo: The storm god, Susanoo, is associated with the sea and the destructive forces of nature. Despite his turbulent nature, he plays a crucial role in defeating the eight-headed serpent, Yamata no Orochi.

Tsukuyomi: The moon god, Tsukuyomi, is Amaterasu's brother. Unlike his stormy sibling, Tsukuyomi is associated with calmness and serenity.

Inari: A popular kami associated with rice, fertility, and prosperity. Inari is often depicted as both male and female, reflecting a duality in their nature.

Mythical Creatures:

Tengu: Human-bird hybrids known for their martial prowess and supernatural abilities. They are sometimes considered protectors of the mountains and forests.

Kappa: Water creatures resembling humanoid turtles. Kappa are mischievous but have a strong sense of politeness, and bowing to them may cause them to spill the water contained in a depression on their heads, rendering them powerless.

Yokai: A broad category of supernatural creatures, including spirits, demons, and monsters. Examples include the kitsune (fox spirits), oni (demons), and yurei (ghosts).

Influences on Art and Culture:

Japanese mythology has left an indelible mark on various aspects of Japanese culture, from traditional arts like Noh and Kabuki theater to literature, visual arts, and contemporary popular culture, as seen in anime and manga.

In summary, Japanese mythology is a captivating blend of creation stories, divine beings, and mythical creatures that provide a rich cultural and spiritual foundation for the people of Japan. It continues to inspire and shape the country's identity, connecting the past with the present.

[nanabansama]

The seven wonders are based on real legends in real life like hanako I have feeling that the other seven wonders were inspired by real life legends

This appears to be somewhat true, though I haven't found links for all of the Mysteries myself yet. And certainly none quite as on the nose as Hanako-san.

For one, the Mysteries in Hanako appear to be a combination of both tales from Japanese folklore and "The Seven Mysteries", a common urban legend found in Japanese schools. Exactly who or what the mysteries are differ depending on the school, but they will often have a lot of overlap, especially in regards to the "Hanako" legend.

For example, Yako is based on a fox statue, like those found in shrines dedicated to the god Inari. But the Misaki Stairs also has its roots in many variations of the Seven Mysteries of the School legend, since a lot of them involve staircases. Some also involve moving statues, which fits very well with her origins. So Yako is like a mix of several different things--with AidaIro's own twists thrown in, of course.

And then we have a case like Hakubo, who has more profound links with folklore but weaker links to urban legends.

He's likely based on the Ushioni, a race of Japanese yokai. Ushioni would translate to something like "bovine demon/oni," which clearly comes across with the signature cow skull he wears.

On top of this, the backstory of his oni family being slaughtered by Minamoto no Yorimitsu is a clear reference to the myth of Shuten Douji.

Not only that! But Hakubo is probably based on the legend of Ushi Gozen, a member of the Minamoto Clan. There are varying accounts of the story, but he was apparently born to Minamoto no Mitsunaka, who was the father of Minamoto no Yorimitsu. Because Ushi Gozen was born with bull horns and an oni's face, Mitsunaka wanted him killed. His mother couldn't stand this, however, and secretly whisked Ushi Gozen away to someplace safe, where he would grow to adulthood.

Once his father learned his son wasn't dead, he angrily sent Yorimitsu after him, leading to an epic battle between the two brothers. At the end of the grueling fight, Ushi Gozen fell into a river and met his end, but this did not stop him from bringing disaster to the neighboring people for years to come.

...Anyway, that's just my retelling of the story, but elements like him being a member of the Minamoto Clan and being defeated by Yorimitsu are interesting, aren't they? Especially when you factor in how Kou was named after and greatly resembles Yorimitsu...

Anyway, as for his link to the seven mysteries... well, there's this one legend I found about people hearing an instrument that no one was around to play. Apparently, whoever heard it died. This is remarkably similar to the rumor Aoi tells Nene about Number 6.

So... as I was saying, none of these are quite as simple in their origin as Hanako-san. Which is great! AidaIro is doing a fantastic job of drawing upon both Japanese folklore and urban legends to craft a familiar yet unique story for all of us. And I think it'd be boring if I could just google 学園七不思議 and get spoiled on the story, don't you?

If anyone wants to share their own research on the Mysteries' ties to urban legends and Japanese folklore then I'd love to hear about it! And if you all are interested, then maybe I could make a bigger post touching on this subject again later.

[disneytva]

Disney Television Animation X Walt Disney Imagineering Collaboration "San Fransokyo Square" Sets Opening Date, Confirms Big Hero 6 The Series Easter Eggs

After being promised at the recent D23 Expo, we are now getting an update from Walt Disney Imagineering, revealing that San Fransokyo Square is arriving at Disney California Adventure, August 31, 2023 as part of the 100 Years of Wonder at the Disneyland Resort.

The area will have some elements debuting in the month and a half as a lead-up.

During a PR Preview provided by Laughing Place, it was confirmed that the area will be featured with easter eggs from the various iterations of the Big Hero 6 story, including the Disney Television Animation's Big Hero 6 : The Series and Walt Disney Animation Studios Baymax! provided by both studios.

Starting in mid-July, you’ll be able to sample new San Fransokyo selections at Lucky Fortune Cookery, and the Port of San Fransokyo Cervecería will officially open. In the weeks following, additional dining options, unique shopping and more will be introduced as the transformation of this thriving seaside plaza continues through its official debut on August 31st.

When the transformation is completed, locations across the area – from the Cappuccino Cart outside the San Fransokyo Gate Bridge to The Bakery Tour – will be decked out in street art and colorful banners celebrating the Big Hero 6 team after their victory over Yokai.

The diverse array of flavorful fare in San Fransokyo Square will include current favorites and new creations inspired by Asian cuisine, as well as the Big Hero 6 themselves. Aunt Cass Café, the second bakery café operated by Hiro’s loving aunt, will serve dishes, soups in freshly-baked Boudin sourdough bread bowls and more inspired by Japanese cuisine. On the outside of this quick service restaurant, you’ll find a mural of Aunt Cass’ lucky pet cat, Mochi.

An old fishing net tannery across from the café is being converted to Rita’s Turbine Blenders, a giant drink dispenser offering delicious margaritas and icy beverages. This refreshment stand is owned and named after the repair technician who maintains the floating wind turbine, resembling a giant koi fish, that sits atop the structure.

Guests will also be able to meet with Baymax, who will talk for the very first time!

"San Fransokyo Square" is the lastest Disney Television Animation X Walt Disney Imagineering collaboration between "Mickey And Minnie's Runaway Railway" at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Toontown, "Aqua-Mouse" at Disney Wish from Disney Cruise Line, Passholder Magnets for Disney Springs and Disneyland with animations from "The Wonderful World Of Mickey Mouse", redesings from Paul Rudish and Asia Ellington for "Orange Bird","Dumbo" and "Figment", "DuckTales World Showcase Adventure" and providing redesings and decoring for the "Toontown" refreshment with "Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard","Donald's Boat",Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster,"The EngineEar Souvenirs Shop" featuring various Disney Afternoon characters and locations.

[megashadowdragon]

one piece theory the secret behind v . nusjuro

Today, in this theory, I will explain what the Secret of V. Nusjuro, who may be a Diamond Dog and his role in the story.

🔍 To answer this question, we'll go through 3 main points.

Venus and Diamond stone

Venus is a Dog demon

Venus cursed Wano and Kuina

Venus and Diamond stone

Did you know that in Hindu mythology, Venus was associated with the Diamond stone?

In the same mythology, Saturn is associated with Blue Sapphire, which is Oda's reference in the story!

Is V. Nus associated with the Diamond stone?

This would be no surprise as Mr. 1 told Zoro: "Are you going to cut through a Diamond next?" Will Zoro cut through Venus' Diamond next?

Cutting through a Diamond seems to be a difficult task. as Mihawk himself struggled to cut through Diamond Jozu.

2. Venus is a Dog demon The Five Elders are inspired from Chinese mythology - Saturn (ox) = ox demon (Ushi-oni) - Jupiter (sheep) = Shepherd Ju Peter - Mars (fowl) = bird/fowl - Mercury (pig) = boar - Venus is associated with a dog

The Five Elders also seem to be inspired from Japanese Folklore. Each Gorosei matches a Yokai (Japanese Demon). - Saturn (ox) = Ushi-oni - Jupiter (sheep) = Nuppeppo - Mars (fowl) = Itsumade - Mercury (pig) = Baku - Venus could therefore be a Dog Yokai

Venus could be the Inugami (犬神), the Dog Yokai (dog god/spirit).

A manga series named Inuyasha (犬夜叉) depicts a half-demon (Inugami), half-human swordsman. - Inuyasha is a swordsman, like Venus. - Inuyasha even has a Diamond sword that can throw diamonds (Venus = Diamond) Is Venus a half-demon dog half-human swordsman, like Inuyasha?

Yamato ate the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami - The guardian dog

Did Venus eat the Inu Inu No Mi, Model: Inugami - The vengeful dog Panini @writingpanini · 18h

Venus cursed Wano and Kuina

Yamato's Devil Fruit, the Makami, is considered Wano's Guardian Deity.

Did Venus, the Inugami, curse Wano? Panini @writingpanini · 18h Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro seems to be from Wano as "Juro" is included in his nickname.

Zoro's nickname in Wano was Zoro-Juro! Panini @writingpanini · 18h Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro is known as the Warrior God of Finance

Wano was known as the country of gold!

Did Venus, the Inugami, curse Wano? Panini @writingpanini · 18h A very popular Japanese novel talks about the Inugami curse, Venus' curse?

Did the Inugami Venus bound to the swords through some dark ritual or curse, influencing the wielders, driving them toward acts of violence or revenge?

Panini @writingpanini · 18h Did Venus curse the Shimotsuki family in Wano to get their gold? Panini @writingpanini · 18h Maybe Kuina herself died because of her sword that may have been cursed by V. Nusjuro.

Ginny died because of Sapphire Scale (Saturn).

Law's family died because of Amber Lead (Ju Peter?)

Did Shimotsuki and Kuina died because of Inugami/Diamond Curse (Venus)? Panini @writingpanini · 18h This may trigger a confrontation between Zoro and V. Nusjuro if V. Nusjuro is the one who indirectly caused Kuina's death! Panini @writingpanini · 18h As a conclusion:

Venus may be associated with Diamond

Venus may be associated with Inugami

Venus may have cursed Wano by cursing swords to steal their gold

Venus may have indirectly caused Kuina's death