#oni//kijo

[the-antiapocalyptic-man]

Oni Girl, Kijo

[la-hannya]

T̴̰̟͑͘h̶͕̺̺̥̭̔͛̈́̅͆͝ê̷͓̗͒͋̚ ̶̳́͑̀̋̾v̷͇͈͆͋ơ̷̢̡̬̣͉͈̲̓͌̑̑̍į̶͇̎͆̓̍̈́̌̕c̷̡͔̝̪͇̀è̷͖̰̞͇̟͍̈́̋ ̸̝͔͉͎͉̾̊ô̸͉̊f̵̡̤̠̟̪̰͖͊͋̾ ̷̛̳͈̗̇̆̐w̷̧̜̣̤̮̫̍̆͋̋̈͝i̷̛͓͌s̷̨̹͈̦̟͖͒͊́̕̕ḓ̷̡̻͍̰͕̐́̀̍̽̎o̴̞͗̽̒͑̚m̵̲̞̹̜͂̈́̃ ̶̭̺̠͇̼̿̋͘͝i̸̞͚̒s̷̰̆ ̵̧͉͔̤̤̆́͐͂̆̚͝ḷ̴̥́̍̓͘i̴̹̽͌̑͗k̷̦̣̟̇͒͐e̸͗̈́́͐͜ͅ ̶͓͊̕͝ͅạ̶̪̱̄́ ̷̧̹͈͒͗͊̀́̔̒͜d̷͈̪̟̤̝͋̉̃e̸͙͇̔̓̀͛̓͌m̴͚̪̗̯̰̦̺̂̓ȯ̸̳̘̖̩̺͊̓̀ñ̶̖̼́!̵̛̝̤̱̈́̇̒͒̍̇ͅ

[vcreatures]

The Shikome is the broad stroke term for any number of Kijo, Kijo being the term for female Oni. With garish toothy smiles, long gnarled fingers and often misshapen bodies these yoki are quite the sight to behold. Despite their lack of beauty, by human standards, they have a great passion for cosmetics and are commonly seen donning makeup and wearing elaborate kimonos.

However their fixation with beauty should not be misinterpreted, this Kijo of the underworld are quite dangerous.

A little something to keep the trend of ushering in the Holiday spirit. While not particularly Halloween-y in nature I do think Yokai, or some, are a good blend of folkloric entity and the holiday.

[greendest1ny]

HEAR ME OUT. kijo harumi.

kijo are essentially women who turn into oni as a result of bad karma, intense jealousy, terrible crimes, or incredibly strong resentment. they tend to look human, except they have may have fangs, claws, and/or horns. new headcanon: the overlord turned harumi into a kijo when he revived her.

[sheepydrawings]

Leader of the temptresses! 👹

Olderpon

Older+ Pon pon (Japanese onomatopoeia for pounding)

Basically this is elderly Ogerpon

Species: Jaded Pokémon

Type: Grass

Ability: Defiant

Dex entry: Years of being ostracized by both people and Pokémon had left it in a former shell of itself. It gave up its type changing abilities, bringing its masks to life to aid it in its ceaseless journey for dominance.

Tidbits about Olderpon:

Instead of being based on the oni or kijo (which is a female oni) Olderpon is based on the onibaba / yumauba.

I originally wanted to name it Eldarin (Elder+ Mandarin orange) but Olderpon has that O like Ogerpon and Onbuupon plus it sounds funny to me.

Olderpons face is ment to resemble the teal mask it once wore.

Olderpon has 12 of those root tentacle things.

[asarigg]

Character Design: Part 4

KOUJAKU, FORCE OF DESTRUCTION

Koujaku’s back tattoo is a group of peonies. The peony is considered the King/Queen of Flowers, a flower that brings fortune and represents courage, honor, beauty, virility and masculine sexuality. It suggests an attitude of defiance, daring and rebellion. So all of these attitudes are represented in his “flower garland”, his virtues.

There are also negative associations of death and curse to these flowers because of ghost stories, “Peony lantern”. The story is about a ghost that visits a man (who had recently lost his wife) at night and her servant carries a peony lantern. He’s bewitched by her but uses an amulet after the warnings of a neighbor to prevent her arrival. But his love makes him go to her grave where a peony lantern lies, and so she appears in front of him, inviting him to her home. The neighbors would find him a few days later inside the grave embracing the corpse of the woman. There’s a different version where they were originally lovers, and when the woman dies she lingers on earth due to her strong emotions.

The seed syllable “a” was chosen for Koujaku’s tattoo to remember the Vairochana Buddha, but mostly as a negator, it serves to oppose Ryuuhou’s creative force and turn him into one of destruction. Not only that, but also serves as a negation of the virtues represented in the garland.

Masculine strength and sexuality can easily become forces of destruction. When anger controls him the tattoo cancels out all of his virtues, turns them into their opposite, and makes him an extremely violent, bloodthirsty and sexually hungry monster incapable of rationalization.

HANNYA MASK

Koujaku is depicted wearing a hannya mask and looking like a demon, even more so in beta designs with the added horns. I’ve seen before people calling his berserk form oni, which is not that far away since they are both “demons” (not in the occidental sense) but I think it’s important to specify since it’s really relevant for his character. You can also see this female demon referred to as kijo, although this term seems to be more general.

The origami here are origami of turtles, of which we already talked about, and cranes, animals also related to longevity, good luck and peace. Every time you look for origami cranes, you’ll likely come across the story of Sadako Sasaki, a little girl that developed leukemia due to the radiation of the Hiroshima bomb. These birds are also associated with fidelity and a successful marriage since they mate for life. Considering there will never be someone like Aoba for him, seems pretty accurate to me.

What’s on his hands is sake, used as a ritual offering and as a symbolic “tying a friendship closer together”, also used in weddings, where the bride and the groom would take three sips from three cups of sake to seal their marriage. Not to be that guy but Koujaku and Aoba have canonically taken sake three times together.

Here’s a scan of his design and the final version, with a wild appearance, messy hair, drooling, unable to vocalize, completely opposite to the calculated and careful image that Koujaku built of himself.

Hannya masks are used in Noh theater, and each mask represents a different type of character, mood, or personality, both human and supernatural beings, including demons. The hannya mask, specifically, represents a vengeful and jealous woman. The name comes from a Sanskrit word: Prajnaparamita. It is a term that refers to the purest wisdom that leads us to enlightenment. It is a juxtaposition of a word that represents the purest form of wisdom and the creature that is the exact opposite. It is also said to come from the name of a monk who was the first person to make a hannya mask. It’s related to the Heart Sutra, “The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom”, Prajñaparamita Hrdaya Sutra. This sutra teached about the concept of the void and the Prajna. All things are impermanent and enlightenment can be reached through wisdom. In some Noh plays the characters wearing these masks reach enlightenment and transform.

Her anger and envy have consumed this once beautiful woman, and transformed her into a demon, but she still has traces of humanity behind her. Her pointed horns, gleaming eyes, sharp fangs, combined with a look full of pure hatred and resentment are accompanied by a look of suffering around her eyes and disheveled hair, indicating an intense passionate emotion that has fallen into chaos, and is most noticeable when we observe the mask from below, as its shapes play with perspective, and therefore represents many complex feelings. It is associated with despair, torment, melancholy, agony and the broken heart of a woman.

Hannya masks can be classified by their color and states of their transformation. For example a red mask represents a woman who comes from a low social status, and women with a high social background are represented with white.

The hair color on his mask specifically is a representation of his berserk form, but if you want to stretch it, considering that his mother was just another mistress and his father the head of a Yakuza family, it could even be the mixture of both social statuses with the white skin of the mask.

We also see that the horns on the mask are quite large, so at the very least it is a chunari mask, a mid transformation state, although the hair is so messy and the features so terrifying it could even be meant to be the last stage. Each state of the mask could be related to each stage of Koujaku’s life, with the weakest being his adolescence. The namanari mask represents a woman who has succumbed but still looks very human, with much smaller horns and it is much easier for her to return to her human form than a chunari.

Chunari is the state that represents his adulthood. With the burden of his intense hatred, jealousy and everything she hides, the chunari still looks human, but it is much harder to get her to return to her human form. As if Koujaku is at the edge of his life, where he’s about to turn and never be human again. As Ryuuhou says, it is not until his adulthood that the tattoo matures and consumes him, he is just pretending, passively waiting for it to happen, but there is still hope.

The last phase, the honnari, is the strongest and most monstrous hannya, completely lost in her feelings of deep hatred, anger and jealousy. She's a demon who can never return to her human form, being Koujaku in his berserk form, irreversible, lost.

When a woman transforms into hannya, she is condemned to remain on earth as a malevolent and vengeful demon, and her soul will not be able to rest in peace. Her actions often cause her own death, and that of her loved one. It is a reminder that we must control our inner demons because otherwise we could condemn ourselves and our loved ones.

There is another detail that is not common in these masks and that is that they have added not only two more eyes under the original ones, but also an eye in the center of the forehead. The third eye, the eye of the mind, the eye associated with wisdom, with enlightenment, the door that leads to the inner realms of higher consciousness. Opening the third eye means that you have reached that enlightenment, represented in Buddha with an urna/bindu in the center of his forehead. The essence of Buddhism is about achieving enlightenment through meditation and training of wisdom.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Hannya - Day 159

Race: Brute Arcana: Dummy Alignment: Neutral-Chaos Feburary 20th, 2025

Ok, full disclosure, I'm only doing Hannya today because the new Yakuza Gaiden game just came out today, and it stars the Hannya-tatted Mad Dog of Shimano himself, Majima. As a pirate. For some reason. Probably the eyepatch.

Japanese theatre is often the subject of many stories that take place in Japan, and it's easy to see why, as theatre is a major part of a lot of Japanese history. Much of it can be seen celebrating the nation, depicting stories of legend, and it's always played a pivotal role in the history of the nation as a whole- in fact, it's perhaps one of the oldest forms of theatre in the world. However, alongside the kabuki plays that most of us know, perhaps the most important and prevalent part of Japanese theatre is the noh and kyogen play; the oldest form of performance art in Japan, wherein the spiritual drama of the noh contrasts with the playful jubilation of the kyogen. However, what we're focusing on today is specific to the noh plays, being a specific figure to them: the hannya.

Hannya are, in noh theatre, female oni (demons) that were once human women before being consumed by hatred or jealousy. These specific demons are actually typically called 'Kijo,' but the phrase hannya is used to refer to them specifically in noh. Even more specifically, hannya can be used to refer to the mask that the performers representing the kijo wear, being the mask of a kijo's face. Confused? No? Yeah? Good.

In noh plays, there are said to be three types of hannya- Namanari, Chunari, and Honnari. However, what most people are referring to when they speak about hannya are actually Chunari, as that's the stage of the transformation where the woman is so consumed by her jealousy that she becomes a full demon, but doesn't become inhuman. Much of noh theatre plays into this, reflecting the tragedy of this fact- a play that specifically calls mention to a Chunari and her tragedy, for example, is that of the Rokujō Lady within the Tale of Genji. The woman is one of the titular Genji's first lovers, and throughout the play she's treated with neglect, including being cheated on by Genji with two other women, being the Lady of the Evening Faces and Genji's own wife Aoi.

Consumed by her rage and jealousy towards these other women, the Rokujo lady's spirit turns into a demon and attacks the other women while she was asleep, but soon she recognizes how jealous she was- that she was so jealous she would kill them unconsciously- after killing both of his lovers, and as such she runs away. The tragedy of this character, though, is reflected best in her mask, and it's what makes hannya masks so iconic- while the face of a hannya is vengeful from straight on, when viewed from above, the way the lines of the mask work make her look miserable and remorseful, almost like she was crying.

Now, in terms of design in SMT, Hannya has two designs that both are a bit... flaky? I chose the Persona 2 design specifically for this DDS because I think it looks better objectively, but the SMT II design reflects the Hannya better, being an actual female demon with a face that's both remorseful and hateful. I don't really get why she looks so smug, but maybe there were just some dodgy ass demons in noh theatre.

Still, while both designs are nothing special, I'm very glad that at the very least, hannya is a demon in the series. BECAUSE NOTHING IS GONNA STOP MY YAKUZA AUTISM FROM INFECTING EVERYTHING I DO RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH IT FITS SO WELL WITH MAJIMAS CHARACTE

[unfinishedjulyrain]

・❥・Yooo anyone interested in interactions with Momiji? She's a kijo, a female oni who lives a mundane life ( she tries to at least )? Probably quite into gaming, not scared to throw a punch or two but overall just a girl who needs friends uwu

[trashlama]

How about future mikey and leo trying to get with reader and there "ha bitch i get her first!" And reader in the background "man they are great *friend*"

A Mikey and Leo rivalry? I can work with that.

Knowing these two this would probably end up being in a situation like the Jupiter Jim sidekick competition episode/or the Mafia Boss Dinner episode.

Both instances the brothers bumped heads to gain favor. Willing to pull whatever to gain an advantage over the opposing brother. Vying for the approval of their idol and table.

Though instead of Space Points and unicorns this two-man competition's prize was your affections. And were they determined to win it. By any means necessary.

Because of this pretty broad concept I conjured up a couple scenarios. One that is pretty long(wouldn't call it a drabble but, I guess it could be), and the rest are pretty short and sweet.

Sorry if these are pretty fluffy!

Enjoy!

1.) Mikey and Leo budding heads over who would their newly acquired yokai friend would prefer romantically.

It was obvious you liked them. You visited their home all the time. Polite and friendly. Always happy to lend a hand when needed.

A darling Oni that has been relentlessly plaguing Mikey and Leo's thoughts since their first encounter with you on a trip to the Mystic City market. Lost in the sea of merchants and patrons your light shined the brightest amongst the populace they swam through. Memorized by your character they found themselves hooked. They needed more of you in their lives. They just couldn't get enough. You were too addictive. Like a good slice of pizza that demanded seconds. They craved more.

It wouldn't take long until a disagreement sparked between them because of Leo's arrogance and lack of self-control. Mikey although capable of choosing his battles would not stand for Leo's blatant antagonism. Defending that he too was just as capable of obtaining your attention as his older blue color coded sibling . After some back and forth bickering the two would arrive at an agreement.

They'd settle this just like everything else they both wanted. Compete for it.

And the prize? You and the bragging rights that came with.

With a handshake the match was set.

And so let the games begin!

The following weeks when visiting the Mad Dog's Lair a ceaseless competition between the red eared slider and box turtle. Given the opportunity the two wild child Hamatos would one-up each other. Both in their own unique way of trying to woo you.

Leo being the showoff that we all love and snicker at would approach this with all the swagger in the world. Bombarding you with compliments and grand gestures. Surprising you with sentiments of affection and trips all around the metropolis. Showboating his skills on the court and in a match. Pulling out all the stops to make sure every time you guys hung out was memorable. After all he's got a girl and bragging rights to win.

Mikey would just try to play it cool in his own Mikey-ish way. And by cool, I mean over the top. Using equally cringy pick-up lines and gestures that anyone else that wasn't you, would've recognized right away for their romantic undertones. Attentive and sweet constantly whipping up snacks and treats just so he could gift them to you. Encouraging you to join the box turtle playing games and other extracurricular activities. Doing anything to get you alone with him. He wasn't losing you to Leo! Not on his watch.

Meanwhile you found the whole charade fun. Finding humor in the way the color coded brothers would squabble as they butted heads over what most would consider little things.

Since the encounter that introduced you to the turtles the grass was a little greener on your side. Finding acceptance amongst the family of mutated Hamatos despite your lineage. Being a kijo wasn't an easy life for a yoaki. So finding someone let alone a whole group of similarly fated individuals who didn't immediately shun you was a blessing. To the Hamato clan you were just another friend. And for someone like you that was a tough commodity to come by. So of course when the turtles— especially a pair of blue and orange bandana wearing brothers wanted to invite you all over the place. Who were you to deny such an opportunity?

You were just glad to have such great friends.

2.) A friend of April's that they both found interest in and compete to woo their s/o. Ooonnllly for the reader to be into Raph/or Donnie. Naive s/o just thought she's making a great first impression with her crush's family. Not realizing instead you further stoked the fire between the red eared slider and box shell.

3.) Human s/o convinced by Mikey and Leo to visit the Mystic City with them. The two using the excursion as a way to settle who you would prefer to date out of the two of them by putting you through wild ass obstacles. Such as them taking out to eat to see who could pick out the best dish for you, taking you down to the mystic market to see who could pick out the best gift, even going as far as taking a detour so they could purposely run into trouble so they both could 'save' you. To only find out later after all of this once they return you home that you already had a human boyfriend. Welp guess they're going to have to team up to take out the real competition.

4.) A newly mutated s/o who Mikey and Leo try to woo as they try to 'help' you adjust to your new form. Taking advantage that you mutated into a turtle so that they can get closer to you. Claiming that because their turtles too that they would be able to help with the transition process. S/o just thinks they're great friends meanwhile in the background Leo and Mikey bumping heads over who will get to be with you when spring comes.

Annnnd that's all for now folks!

I probably could've come up with more but, I suck.

Here's a little author's note in regards to requests↓

Sorry about slackin' on the request! I'm also sorry about the requests not being posted in the order that may have been requested in. They don't really have dates next to them so I kinda've been pickin' and choosin' the ones I can get out quickly. I suck I know. Buuuuttt, the reason others that may be older is also because I want them to come out good. Everything I make may it be writin' or drawin' I always try to work on soemthin' until I'm satisfied with it. I hate creating something that I don't like. I like for all my stuff to be on some level unique, personal. I make these for you guys so I want you guys to feel like I actually gave a damn rather than just throwin' somethin' together and saying tada. Once again sorry about this long ass message. I haven't abandoned these requests. I'm just slow due to some outside forces and my own personal stuff.

Thank you guys for bearing with me and I hope you guys enjoyed these!

I hope you guys have a great day!

Here's some memes I came across while at work.

Sorry this is long↓ I don't own these memes. I've never claimed to do so. I just come across them on Pinterest when I'm on break at work and think they're funny so I like to share them. If I mistakenly put one on here that I shouldn't have please let me know! I like to respect people's wishes. And if you could add the creator names too that would be great so the same mistake isn't made twice. Sorry for the inconvenience that my sharing may cause. I hope you have a good day.

[zac-salazar-01]

Hey

I finally FINALLY decided what my original Sentai is going to be like (I know I know it took me a lot of blogs until I decided on the right idea but the important thing is that I got rid of this creative block once and for all).

I present to you: TetsuRei Sentai Yo-Liner (Steel Souls Squad Yokai Liner)

The theme now revolves around Yokai, Shinigamis and bullet trains (like den-o)

All the Rangers are dead except Red (who is in a coma) and Violet.

The team is divided into 2 teams and a lone ranger.

Ghost team

Red Liner

Yokai: Nekomata

Male

♂️

Blue Liner

Yokai: Tengu

♂️

Black Liner

Yokai: Kappa

♀️

Team Oni

Yellow Liner

Yokai: Gyuki

♂️

White Liner

Yokai: Kijo

♀️

Lone Ranger

Hunter Liner

Yokai: Yamata no Orochi

♂️

Hope y'all like it :)

[helloescapist]

To Me

Word Count: 2037

Setting: reader pairing, Neito Monoma x gn!reader (oni, kijo quirk), SFW

Content Warning(s): none 🪄

Summary: your horns have always been a sore topic for you, and during one of Neito's many (onesided) spats with Class 1-A, he is met with the reality that, he really doesn't know how to help.

A/N: really, this isn't very good, but oh the well! Just a small trial-run short.

[not my art, credit goes to the artist!]

It was the distinct flick of his wrists, pointer fingers flexed from both of his left and right hands. The curl of the remainder fingers, pressed against his ears, fingers upright. The knowing glare Bakugo directed at you.

The classes had been gathered for a joint activity. One which was intended to be conducted under both instructors from U.A. Although it wasn’t as though Kan-sensei was known for his objective stance when the two classes were to compete, often times his favoritism rang clear even at moments in which subtilty was required. In his desire to encourage his students, fairness often escaped his enthusiasm. Today was such day, his boisterous nature far too distracted with expressing how far as a Class 1-B had advanced since Aizawa-sensei had last observed you. The prides of instructor leaving him completely ignorant to his smaller body double; Monoma had started the gathering off assembly of classes off on a rather audacious note. Not that any of your classmates were surprised, Kendo looked especially exasperated to the blonde’s antics. Tired from having stayed up late studying, her movements were slow, taking longer than normal to process that once again, the quirk impersonator had thrown down the gauntlet between classes without so much as consideration for those he had looped into the confrontation. His scorn drawing the attention of both classes despite the conversations that had otherwise been enjoyable. Yanagi who had been enjoying her counterparts in 1-A, Shoji and Koda, had her face drawn, eyes blank and focused, witnessing a moment she would express as his stupidity at work. Monoma’s abrasive behaviors had drawn Awase away from Yaoyorzu, still unwilling to admit how excited he had been to see her once again. Determined to dodge any unnecessary teasing from his peers, or tipping off his growing affections. Tsunotori and Hagakure who had been giggling amongst themselves, had silenced their jovial conversation. The growing unease evident on their faces, the oblivious rage that Monoma inspired within Class 1-A’s number one trigger-happy time bomb was apparent. The agitation was rolling in waves potent enough to set off a buried weight pressure explosive. The Copycat user had drawn obvious, blistering annoyance from the emitter. The veins in his forehead beginning to pop as his eyes widened. Bakugo’s seething beginning to boil over. Monoma’s insistence to continue spatting insults despite Kaibara’s insistence to cease fire. The boy’s cautionary reminders falling on deaf ears, far too delighted in Bakugo’s growing temper. The nervous tilt of Kirishima’s hands, beckoning his friend to remain calm, and dismiss the obvious instigator, was as useless as that of Kaibara’s.

                The explosive nature of the quirk user Monoma had set his sights on, the easy target he always prayed upon, reminiscent of the school sports festival. That day despite having placed first, Bakugo was practically foaming at the mouth, snapping his teeth a lot like h was in this moment, but this time directed at Monoma. The realization had drawn you forward, nervously forcing a smile and doing your best to distract your classmate. For all of your time together, you were familiar with Neito’s mannerism, outside of his interactions with Class 1-A. His overall nature was in fact, laid back, and playful, but every time he was gifted the opportunity to wreck havoc with the other class, his impulsive nature override his senses. Drew out his competitive, and argumentative side, and in truth, apart of you were well aware that it was a strategy ploy he had utilized. Sure, in the event Bakugo’s temper bested him, a brief moment of physical contact would be all Neito needed to utilize it in the sparring match to come, but with how far he had pushed this time, you were worried he may not make it to the one-on-one.

                “M-Monoma,” you gently probed. Attempting to use a softer voice as not to draw Bakugo’s ire. The shift of periwinkle blue eyes. Piercing, and gravitating towards your frame, captivating your silhouette. The draw of his eyebrow, over confident. Cocky in the way his smirk met his lips, the plaster of a false smile. One intended to be reassuring that he was in fact not biting off more than he could chew—did the exact opposite. The small twitch of the forced expression, drawing your eyebrows forward, doing your best to talk him down from the edge, and that’s when you saw it.

                Bakugo’s annoyance, only slightly cooled by Kirishima’s assurance had drove him to childish gestures behind Monoma’s back. Sticking his tongue out, tugging at his eyelid. The immature display of dissatisfaction almost comical, until his eyes had met with your won. The scowl drawn, as quick as his reflex. His fingers meeting at the top of his forehead. Oni.

                Distant memories dropped your shoulders. The taunt, while absolutely ridiculous had drawn forth echoes of a past you had wished would leave you. Dipped in to your cache of information, and left the tremble of your lip. Eyes averted to the ground as you did your best to train your expression. A forced smile that had been well practiced throughout your childhood, all too aware of the faint breeze of hydrangea blooms following your reaction. Quick to mumble an excuse to leave the classroom, expressed that you had forgotten a crucial part of your hero costume in the classroom, and ensured Kan-sensei you would return as quickly as possible—you were a valuable role in stomping Class 1-A’s reputation into the ground, reminded you of the drills you would run if you skipped the skirmish, but for once, you did not care.

All he could hear was Kendo yelling in his ear, the telling sting at the nap of his neck. The bitterness ebbing at his mind, the tug of his collar. His periwinkle eyes blurry from the direct hit, the small ebb of a burn festering near his cheek where he had barely managed to dodge. Able to make out the slightest of outlines, but was unable to determine what noise was eliciting from the obvious rabid porcupine. Bakugo thrashed about, still sending off a number of curses flaring, drenched in smoke. Aizawa-sensei having suspended his quirk, Kirishima and Izuku doing his best to qualm his aggression. A flurry of movements that met the ringing in his ears, a light burn marred to the opposite cheek of his own, only adding to Bakugo’s rage. Neito understood the position he had placed himself in, Kan-sensei at Aizawa-sensei’s side, looking less than pleased.  The distinct lecture of his classmate as she dragged him from the classroom. The first opportunity Kan-sensei would seize would be eventful; the drills he would run, the potential smack here and there. He suspected Kan-sensei may ebb him into an offense match one derived of improving his lacking skills, only slightly enjoying the opportunity to smack him around, or he would willingly place Kendo on a one on one with him. She certainly had no qualms with tossing him around a bit. His classmates would be exasperated with his display, and you… you would probably be disappointed when you found out. In fact, he suspected you would even avoid him for a bit, the last time one of his comments had strayed too far, you had opted for lunches with Kodai in seclusion.

                But he had seen your response. The quiver of your lip, the dip of your eyes; the smallest twitch of your eyebrows and wiggle of your nose. The grit of your teeth as you forced back tears, coercing a smile in place. Well trained, strained at that. He had noticed it a few times, when your overall smile and tender temperament would sway. Overall, you were one of the most optimistic students in their class, soft in your approaches. The softest of smiles, a little quiet at times sure, but in small moments when you thought no one was watching, he had noticed the worry in your eyes. The way you would avert your gaze. The tug of your sleeves before securing the drawstrings of your hoodie. The way your class had taken a patrol excursion with the intent on working on their interactions with civilians, you had expressed obvious discomfort. Forced a smile and continued the lesson until you had noticed a small child drop their stuff animal. Quick to respond, and return the well loved item back to its owner, the obvious startle of the child had shocked the both of you. Dropped the little one’s toy, backing away as quickly as you could. Monoma had attempted to sooth the child, reassure that you were one of the good guys, but you would only apologize to both the child and the parent for disrupting their day. A forced smile, and refusing to acknowledge any questions Neito had pressed. Not that he had pushed much. Knew that he shouldn’t. The first day of school, you had attempted to wear a cap in class. Dismayed by Kan-sensei’s disapproval, reminding you of the school dress code of conduct. You had trembled through introductions, fidgeting with your bangs to better high the small nubs at the height of your brow. Your obvious horror when you were suggested as a potential candidate for the U.A. School Festival’s beauty pageant. The red of your face, shamed wide eyes, and quick to shield your face between fingers—no, you hadn’t attempted to safe guard your appearance. Rather the small blossom of cornets at your brow. Your firm stance on Kendo being the only applicant for Class 1-B’s submission. Then, there was the day he had caught you in the morning classroom.

                The stillness of the room, quiet with the lack of students. The early hours since moving into the dorms had left you unsettled, all of your class had noticed it, but had come to the understanding that approaching you directly often made you skittish, and shifted the mood of the group. So, they had elected to give you space, time to come around. To adjust to whatever burden you had been carrying, even if it was difficult. That morning, Kan-sensei had sentenced him to arriving early, annoyed that his grades had dipped. Deep cleaning the erasers after having ran a few miles should put him into place. it did not. Neito had not considered that anyone else would have been awake at that unholy hour. Let alone find you, sitting at your desk. The light of day flittering through the small windows, the nervous settle of your bag. The meticulous tuck of your papers, aligning everything well, and when you hadn’t realized he was there. The slump of your back, the mirror betwee two fingers. Sad eyes that appraised your reflection, shuffled your bangs to and fro, the scowl deepening on you face before placing the mirror reflections side down. Your fingers, clasping your eyes, leaned forward. The small quiver of your shoulders as you willed yourself to breathe. To paint upon the smile that had greeted him every day.

                No, as far as Neito was concerned, regardless of the punishment that would come his way, or the disapproval he would be met with, he had little remorse for his actions. In fact, he had a bit of gratification despite the lecture Kendo was issuing. His fighting style was never one for blatant offense, especially a head on approach, and with Bakugo’s rage dulling his senses, Neito had managed a slight of hand. One quick enough to equip the other student’s quirk, and land a direct hit, although it did come at the cost of the snarling psycho’s adept ability to rebound. My face hurts, he thought to himself as his footsteps echoed down the hallway.  Kendo had rightfully exiled him, her last remark leaving more of a sear than Bakugo’s blow. In all the times she had laid into him, whether verbally, or even on the times he had physically put him in his place, nothing had ever stung as much as her observation. The blatant way she had bridged the subject, the pointed look. Her words still resting against him. If you had cared about {YN] you would have followed her. He had let his own temper get the btter of him, set himself in a mock villain match off with the rabid hedgehog, and essentially marked himself for an ass kicking later…

                And had left you alone.

Nestled between the small touch of storage cabinets near the costume storage, you had drawn your knees up to your chest. Attempted to catch the tears that betrayed your inner world. Whispered the realities of a past of hurtful remarks. Intended or not. The days you had spent in your childhood, desperately wanting a friend. Someone to play with, your peers quick to avoid your interactions. Your appearance the recollection of demons in fairytales. The small nubs that rested at your brow, quick to elicit unease regardless of how you had smiled, or how gently you had approached potential play mates. As though you were truly the bringer of plagues, the Harvenger of death such as the oni in fairytales. The days of clear avoidance, nervousness as though you may curse their existence; other days spent with lunchroom food smeared across your face. Rice crumpled to your hair, students demanding you leave their school. Others that taunted, demanded to know if even the smallest infringement upon their day was a result of a kijo’s curse. Your please and cries falling upon deaf ears, unwilling to listen to reason. The day when your quirk had fully activated, drawing to more than just your outward appearance. You had unintentionally flipped a swing set; you had just wanted to play. Even if it was by yourself, it had never been your intention to leave the equipment in ruin, nor to terrify the other small children. Their screams echoed in your ear as though you were little more than a feral dog.

                You had stopped going to the playground that day.

                Had forced a smile.

                But today, all you could do was cry, press your eyes into yoru knees, unable to fully conceal your appearance. The stupid points of your horns unwilling to nestle against your knees. The rough sob of your tears rolling off, shamed by your own appearance. You understood—it’s not that Bakugo had specifically targeted you. His harm was directed really towards any extra, but… it hurt. To be the oni freak. To be the Kijo who’s being was curse. A plague to others.

This is where he had found you. Coiled up under the guise of searching for a part for your hero costume. A ridiculous excuse, your outfit had little bells and whistles, more revealing of your will to go unnoticed than anything else. How had Kan-sensei made it to the top instructor all these years? The obvious heave of your chest, collapsed over long, untrained hair. The tender soft of your cheeks, as you wiped at your eyes. Too embarrassed to even admit to yourself the ache of your heart. The quiver of your closed eyes as your fingers brushed against one of your horns, as if testing whether they were still attached or not. Did you think you were a moose? The crushing reality that they had remained in place eliciting a soft murmur of a stifled wail. Alone, or at least you had concluded you were. Allowing yourself to slip from the seams, the smile falling from your lips at the time alone. You always did this. Fell apart when no one was looking. TH touch of small light at your hair, the gentle regard you had for others, even unwilling to burden your classmates despite how your heart ached. Despite how desperately you wished to grasp onto someone’s hands.

                How was it, you had ended up like this?

                Why didn’t you take someone’s hand?

                The distant memories, the rejection he had endured in his formative years. His quirk, a villain. No, Neito understood how you had found yourself in this state. Your existence far gentler than his own. Unwilling to bite back at the hands that offended you, forcing a smile rather than reveal your contempt. No, no he suspected that you didn’t even have a touch of scorn within your bones. So different than himself. Thoughtful. Gentle. Kind. The melancholy that nabbed at his heart, longed to hold the hand that you desperately denied reaching out. Too ease your tears, to sooth your worries. He.. He didn’t really know how. The Phantom Thief was comfortable with touch, with casual teasing and encounters, but... but that wasn’t who you were. Yet, he could not stop the brush of his hand against the strands of your hair. Could not fight the smile, the soft regard as his knees bent to meet your own. His left hand soothing the strands of distress. Impulsively stroking you despite the obvious shock of his appearance. Allowed your quirk to manifest between his brow, a mirror image of the horns that you so desperately attempted to hide. Forced a smile, quivered your arms. Attempted to deceive him. Something in your eye, how silly. Of course, there was something in your eyes, tears. Regardless of the way you fretted against him, never willing yourself to smack his hand away, he continued. Soothed out strand. Reassuringly hummed as though he were consoling a small child—in some ways, he was. But whether it was his inner child or yours he did not know, but he did not stop. Didn’t desire to.

                He didn’t understand. In all truth, to me, he had the touch of melancholy ebbed across his features. The telling smile that tugged at his lips, sincere and affectionate. Not wanting to relinquish the moment, you’re... He thought quietly. His eyes smolder, and appraising your reactions. Ensuring that he did not press to far, did not stray into a touch you did not like. Remained petting your hair, easing your burdens. Unsure of how to approach you. Unsure of how to tuck away the tears that threatened to spill once more. Unsure of how to tell you, to tell you…

You're everything.

                 If only for a moment to reassure you that you were not alone in the world. That he would hold your hand.

Should you ever want him to.

[la-hannya]

Adorable vector art of Amanozako and Shigeru's illustration of her.

Whether she's portrayed as beastly, a pretty ogress or something in between. I like to think she can wiggle those ears like anime elf girls.

Amanozako (天逆毎)

Alternatively: アマノザコ

Korean: 아마노자코 (Amanojako)

Traditional Chinese: 天逆每 (Tiān nì měi)

"Heaven Opposing Everything"

Amanozako like a Kijo (Female Oni, Ogress) or even amanojaku ⤴️

A rebellious yokai goddess that originated when her father the kami Susanoo let his own ferocious spirit and rage build up inside him (his aramitama) until he vomited her out. She is said to have a beastly face, a crooked long nose, pointed ears, sharp fangs and tusks so strong they can break even the strongest blades.

Amanozako is known to go against conformity and does the opposite of what is expected in society and social norms. She is said to be picky, and will go into an atrocious rage if she does not get what she wants, or if things do not go according to her way. When in this state, she can hurl even the most powerful gods distances of over one thousand villages in a single throw. Her wrath can't be easily stopped.

Stories of Amanozako were being told long before history began being recorded. It is said that she is the ancestor deity of all yokai who share her personality and disobedience. Some of these yokai include most notably the tengu, as well as amanojaku.

While she's said to be ancestor of many yokai her only child that has been named, thus far is Amanosaku. Which, due to her obstinate behavior, she brought into being all on her own. He is Amanozako's spawn, and is said to be just as terrible and disobedient as she is. Apparently, Amanosaku drove all 8 million gods in heaven mad, and because of this, Amanosaku was made the ruler of every malevolent or troublesome kami.

In terms of her godly abilities, other than what has been mentioned, the legends and stories say that Amanozako is a trickster, of sorts. She can peer into people's hearts and likes to possess the hearts of humans and manipulate their emotions and personalities. She's been also said to be able to fly for thousands of miles. It's also assumed she posseses all the powers of a demon goddess of her stature, and powers like her descendants including transformation (変化, へんげ, "Henge").

Amanozako holds titles like Hime (princess), tengu kami, metengu and possibly even of Queen due to what she is among yokai. As Susanoo's daughter she has many relatives including her aunt the sun goddess Amaterasu, her uncle the moon god Tsukuyomi, her brother Yashimajinumi (八島士奴美神 – Mighty Master Ruling Eightfold Isles) who was the original ancestor of many earthly kami and later humans as well like his aunt Amaterasu. Another notable relative mention is Izanami, her grandmother who later on went to rule Yomi and like her granddaughter, she was also one of the progenitors of Yōkai, birthing demon gods like Raijin and Fujin, thus making them also uncles to Amanozako.

While normally looking similar to a tengu, she's also been depicted like an ogress in various media.

Amanozako as seen in Touhou media ⤵️

Amanozako as seen in Shin Megami tensei

Original depiction of Amanozako

Amanozako as a regular tengu, like a karasu tengu and a guhin Tengu (dog tengu).

It's been fun studying yokai for my story.

[golvio]

Really not thrilled with the general trend I’ve been seeing of people being like, “Ganondorf’s motive is that he’s Literally Just Demise! He’s a direct continuation of Demise’s existence, who remembers Hylia and all the events of Skyward Sword and is acting on that, and literally nothing else about his backstory matters! ☺️”

Like…no? Even if you’re a total newbie who’s only ever played TotK, he was pretty clearly a Gerudo who was reacting negatively to Rauru’s rule, even if the English translation didn’t really go into detail about why. And he hates Zelda because she’s Rauru’s sole surviving heir in the present and was the one person who actually posed a threat to his plans, considering Rauru’s general hubris and ineffectuality meant he could only serve as a stopgap (and even then, not a super effective one, given that the seal was already leaking 10,000 years ago) while Zelda could actually destroy Ganon after Link softened him up for her. By that point, Hylia’s been dead ingame for like a zillion years and is only remembered as a crunchy granola nature goddess instead of an artificer, and isn’t mentioned by any of the major characters including Ganondorf in flashbacks because Fujibayashi couldn’t stand the thought of accidentally having a woman in an important role that’s not “your mom/your girlfriend who smiles and waits for you on the sidelines” in Skyward Sword and now needs to make a self-sacrificing salaryman father figure who’s emotionally neglectful but trying his best even if His Ungrateful Kids Just Don’t Understand How Much He’s Sacrificed To Support Them (and also just happens to be absolute king of everything) the center of attention in every story he directs.

TotK Ganondorf may not mention much about his motives in the English version beyond “Hrrrgh! I hate the world and wanna destroy it because I came outta the womb all intrinsically mean and bad! I wanna stay up late and ride across the plains on my favorite horsie with all my monster friends all day long!” which is about the caliber of writing SkSw gave to Demise. However, he also never mentions Hylia. He never mentions having mysterious visions of any past life as Demise, or the voice of a dead dark god telling him what to do. Ganon’s motives are firmly grounded in the present, informed by the life he’s lived. Demise himself, at least in the English translation, never said that he himself would return, merely “an incarnation of his hatred,” presumably someone who’d step into the role of causing problems for Zelda and Link’s descendants. He never specified who, or that it would only be one person forever. Ganondorf just happened to be the most “successful” and longest lasting one because he just so happens to be exactly the kind of tenacious bastard who never lets go of a grudge who’s a natural fit for the cosmic “Professional No. 1 Hater” role.

Like, stop acting like who Ganondorf is and his motives don’t matter Because Demise. He’s pretty clearly not Demise or a mere extension of Demise, even if his Demon King form is superficially similar to Demise from a distance. (Not to mention even the superficial details of DK!Ganon’s design point to him being a human who turned into a demon like a kijo or oni as opposed to a “natural born” demon like Demise).

And, like…if you’re going to accept lazy writing while speculating about TotK’s plot or writing your own fic, at least accept what’s actually there instead of making your own even lazier assumptions. At least try to use your imagination and get curious when you’re speculating on what Ganondorf’s friggin’ problem was! Even Original Japanese Script!Demise got a teensy bit of depth with wanting to take over the world so his children could rule over the earth.

[kidlat-at-kislap]

KNY Trivia: On the Uroko (Scales) Motif

... and analysis

At this point, I think many people have already pointed out that the pattern on Zenitsu's haori is associated with female demons. I'm going to be talking about that again — among other things.

The pattern on Zenitsu's haori is called uroko (scales) and is composed of a repeating motif of equilateral or isosceles triangles in alternating colors. This represents the scales of a snake, fish or dragon.

As Protective Talisman

The uroko motif is a very old and popular one, believed to have protective qualities and ward off evil and harm. It can be found on both kimono and obi, tomb walls, clay figurines, and the family crest and battle standard of the Hōjō clan (mitsu-uroko).

The protective qualities of the uroko motif made it a popular talisman among warriors, who wore jinbaori (military surcoats) with the pattern.

Zenitsu's cultivator, Kuwajima Jigorō, is revealed in a Taishō Secret to have given both of his disciples a haori with the same pattern as the one he wore himself — the uroko motif. While Zenitsu wore the haori (and then later Jigorō's kimono), Kaigaku never wore his.

In the same way that Urokodaki gave each of his disciples a carved fox mask for protection, Kuwajima gave his disciples an uroko-patterned haori to protect them from harm.

By refusing to wear the haori, Kaigaku can be interpreted as having rejected his master's protection and blessing as well as having disowned the identity the haori — as a sort of "team uniform" — is attached to. Which symbolically leaves him defenseless, susceptible to the demons Kuwajima sought to protect him from when he gifted Kaigaku the haori. And indeed, Kaigaku has the misfortune of encountering Upper Moon One, of all demons.

As a Representation of Female Demons

In Noh and Kabuki theater, female demonic characters — such as kijo (female oni), onryō (vengeful ghosts) and snake yōkai disguised as human women especially — are often portrayed by actors wearing uroko-patterned costumes. Characters such as Lady Rokujō (Aoi no Ue), Kiyohime (Dōjōji), Momiji (Momijigari) and the onibaba (Kurozuka) are portrayed both on stage and in art as wearing the uroko motif.

Kiyohime, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1890)

The duality of the uroko motif might be somewhat surprising — on the one hand representing protection from evil, on the other hand representing demonesses.

However, the association with demonesses makes sense in the context of Noh theater. Roles such as Lady Rokujō and Kiyohime are portrayed wearing hannya masks.

The hannya mask belongs to a category of masks called ja (snake) masks. This category includes other masks associated with female demons such as the namanari and shinja masks.

While some characters portrayed with ja masks do become snakes (Kiyohime) or are snakes in disguise (the serpent in Genzai Shichimen), not all of them are. Many, if not most, of them are, however, associated with transformation. Whether it is a human woman transformed into a demoness by jealousy, resentment or anger (Lady Rokujō) or a demoness disguised as a human woman (Momiji). The transformative process calls to mind the image of a snake shedding its skin.

Wearing a pattern associated with demonesses, Zenitsu is immediately associated with Nezuko.

As for Kaigaku, while he is not a woman and he had never worn his haori, it still associates him with the transformation of demonesses in Noh theater. While his physical transformation is driven by fear and survival rather than resentment, one cannot discount that his resentment towards his master and Zenitsu did play a role in his later monstrous actions. Believing himself to be unfavored by his master and resenting him for it, Kaigaku is eager to earn Kokushibō's favor, believing that Kokushibō had "judged him correctly."

As Dragon Scales

It's not very obvious, but Zenitsu has a subtle dragon motif himself. Particularly, the dragon king. Or rather, the shogi piece bearing that name — ryūō.

When talking about her ideal man, Nezuko says she'd like to meet a man like a hisha. And she does.

And while it's unclear what exactly Nezuko meant by this, the man she eventually marries does have a hisha-ryūō motif.

The hisha, as described in the extra, moves any number of steps orthogonally like the rook in chess. Upon reaching enemy territory (the last three ranks on the opposite side of the board), it is promoted to ryūō, which gains the additional ability to move one step diagonally.

This describes Zenitsu's character arc perfectly. During the final arcs, within enemy territory, Zenitsu is able to overcome his limitations and rise to the occasion. Thus metamorphosizing from hisha to ryūō.

And like the ryūō, he unveils a new form of Thunder Breathing within enemy territory. The motif is hammered home by the way Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami is visually represented: a dragon.

I've talked about the Seventh Form before, but I forgot to note that Honoikazuchi no kami is never described as a dragon. Rather, the dragon is potentially a reference to Ryūjin, the dragon king.

And Zenitsu's ties to the dragon king do not seem to stop with canon material. During Halloween 2022, Zenitsu is depicted as Urashima Tarō.

Urashima Tarō and the princess of Hōrai, by Matsuki Heikichi (1899)

In the folktale, Urashima Tarō, after saving a small turtle from being tormented by some children, is spirited away to Ryūgū-jō, Ryūjin's palace beneath the sea. There, he falls in love with Otohime, the dragon-king's daughter.

(The tale is without a happy ending. But I do still recommend reading it if you haven't.)

Which leads me to believe that Zenitsu's haori, at least on one level, is meant to evoke the scales of the dragon king.

[adobe-outdesign]

If you thinks about it, Hearthflame Mask Ogerpon is kinda like Momiji, a kijo (female demon/oni) from Japanese mythology.

Ogerpon itself is already based on an oni and all of its masks seem to be based on different kinds of Japanese mythology, so that wouldn't exactly be surprising