Dandandan’s real monster

I was just at AnimeNYC, and as usual after my Yokai panel, I asked people curious about their favorite series, asking “Is this a real Yokai?” I get asked this question a lot, and the answer is always “yes”. Because all monsters are real, just like no monster is real. The realm of dealing with imagined reality did not come into play.

What they really want to know is whether the monsters in the comics have Origin of folklore. They wondered whether the creature came from whispered tales told in the night and wasn’t just a contrivance from an artist’s pen. Somehow this adds credibility. Yet as I explored in the book The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokai Many of Japan’s most famous yokai were created by artists.

In his Edo period book series Hundred Ghosts and Eight Elements Artist Toriyama Sekien is believed to have created around eighty-five yokai. Famous monsters such as Wanyudo (a monster with a flaming monk’s head stuck on a wheel) are all original works by Shi Yuan. More monsters come from books, plays, print and games – the only difference is that they were created two centuries ago. I don’t think it makes much difference at all. Monsters invented by masters like Mizuki Shigeru for his comics Guitar or Daxingxuan for He Dahe They are no less “authentic” than the creations of this century.

But it’s still an interesting question. After all, I wouldn’t have created the career I have now if I didn’t enjoy researching the origins of yokai. Da has a special taste for obscure urban legends, which makes it all the more enjoyable. He Dahe Full of rabbit holes to explore. Flatwoods Monster; Count Saint-Germain…you can safely assume every oddity in it He Dahe Has some bizarre history. Da Xingxin Do his research.

Let’s take a look at some of the best monsters He Dahe See if they have folkloric origins.

• Master Gasan – Amulets used to ward off and capture evil spirits are 100% authentic. You can buy them at temples across Japan. Their image is that of the 10th-century monk Ryogen, often called Tsuno Daishi, meaning horned master or Gazan Daishi. Long Yuan is the famous 18th generation abbot of Enryaku Temple and a master of the Tendai Sect of Tantric Buddhism. Legend has it that he fell ill when attacked by the god of disease-causing plague, the God of Medicine, so he manifested himself as a ghost to ward them off. This led to his deification as the Master of the Horn and the status of a shishin (the deity invoked for protection during epidemics). Images of Master Gasan and another god of medicine, Aki, were placed at the door to scare any medicine and disease gods who might want to infect the family. They are still used to it to this day.

• Turbo Granny (Turbo Bashan) – This strange creature comes from six mountains in Hyogo Prefecture. She is one of the “surprise” style monsters who poses no threat but enjoys making people jump. The story is simple; you’re speeding through one of the many tunnels in Japan’s mountains when there’s a knock on your car window. Looking outside, an old woman is smiling at you, and her footsteps follow easily. Her mischief begins and then she disappears. Everything else about Turbo Granny is written by Da Xingxinincluding her special taste in penises.

• Acrobatic Silk (Akurobatiku Sarasara) – The lithe woman in the red dress is the Japanese version of “Slenderman”. What might be called “creepypasta” was first written about her in 2008 by a college student on 2-chan, a message board dedicated to horror and the paranormal. Others immediately began writing stories about her. She originated in Fukushima, but some claim to have seen her as far away as Hiroshima. It is said that the acrobatic Silk Lady is unusually tall, wearing a red hat and red clothes, with sunken eye sockets and a large scar on her left arm. She is said to have jumped from the roof of the apartment building and disappeared before touching the ground.

• Serupo Seijin –Serpo is a planet in the Zeta Reticuli star system and one of the most famous and feared planets in modern ufology. Home to the infamous “Grays”, the planet was first mentioned as “Project Serbo” on the UFO email list maintained by Victor Martinez. Project Serpo was a human-extraterrestrial communication program overseen by the United States government. Serpo soon became associated with the Roswell incident, the Betty and Barney Hill sightings, and many other incidents. As part of the exchange programme, there are books with first-hand accounts of the journey to Serpo. No physical evidence of the planet’s existence has been found.

• Reiko Kashima/Hipakuchi Girl (Kuchishake Girl) – The most famous modern monster, the blowjob girl appeared in Gifu Prefecture Sightings continued throughout 1978 until they were reported by a local radio station in January 1979. A masked woman was reportedly seen scaring children with a kitchen knife. She died in August 1979. Since then, the Oral Girl has entered legend and become the number one monster in modern times. Her legend spread, including her asking “Am I beautiful?” In true Yokai fashion, there is no right answer. Either way you’re dead.

• Earthbound Spirit (Jibakurei) ——Jibori from the comics Ujo Hyakutaro(Behind the taro) Jiro Tsunoda. Tsunoda used the word Chicken gift describe Yuli bind to something Or a place rather than a person. Often, these are unnatural deaths, such as suicide or murder. Tsunoda believes these deaths somehow connect Yurei to their location. He said they project a psychic resonance that causes others to die in the same way, which is why suicide sites continue to accumulate across Japan. exist He Dahethis belief is integrated with Pingxi Crab. They are a species native to Japan and are known for their samurai faces on their carapace. They are believed to be the reincarnations of the Tairakei samurai who died in the Battle of Dannoura.

Zach Davidson is an award-winning translator, author and folklorist. He is the author of the comic: visual history, The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokaiand Kaibyo: Japan’s Supernatural Cat. He is the translator of Mizuki ShigeruWinner of multiple Eisner Awards Showa: A History of Japan, Story applicationand the famous folklore comics Guitar. He has lectured on comics, folklore, and translation at universities including Duke University, Annapolis Naval Academy, UCLA, and the University of Washington, and has contributed to exhibitions at the Henley Gallery, the International Folk Art Museum, World Museum Rotterdam, and the Museum of Art Made a contribution. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Miyuki, dog Mochi, cat Shere Khan, and several ghosts.