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Now what the %&$* is a Yokai?

Japanese demon, basically.

A friend of Erma, perhaps?

Opus the Poet wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:19 am Now what the %&$* is a Yokai?

In Japanese tradition, things and places and plants and whatnot would have kami spirits associated with them. Basically, sometimes the kami got a bit weird and manifested as yokai, which could take all sorts of different forms and personalities. Ruri is a tsukumogami yokai of a teapot, for example. I'm not sure what sort of yokai Yuuko is, perhaps a rokurokubi?

That's the traditional version of yokai, of course. The Wapsi world version could very well be altogether different in their nature.

One of the definitions Wikipedia gives is ghost . . .

--FreeFlier

FreeFlier wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:16 pm One of the definitions Wikipedia gives is ghost . . .

--FreeFlier

His point is my point...

TazManiac wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 5:05 pm

FreeFlier wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:16 pm One of the definitions Wikipedia gives is ghost . . .

--FreeFlier

His point is my point...

Getting a left twix right twix vibe off that last panel.

Catawampus wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 12:37 pm

Opus the Poet wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:19 am Now what the %&$* is a Yokai?

In Japanese tradition, things and places and plants and whatnot would have kami spirits associated with them. Basically, sometimes the kami got a bit weird and manifested as yokai, which could take all sorts of different forms and personalities. Ruri is a tsukumogami yokai of a teapot, for example. I'm not sure what sort of yokai Yuuko is, perhaps a rokurokubi?

That's the traditional version of yokai, of course. The Wapsi world version could very well be altogether different in their nature.

For a Yokai story, there's Erma, a lovely tale of a young daughter of a Yokai and the human who rescued her from her cursed life. They're now a suburban family and Hijinks Ensue! Good clean cross-cultural fun.

On the other hand (I forget who gave me the link), here's a Manga called Tsugumomo about a family's treasured Obi (the Kimono waist wrap) which now serves/dominates the great grandson of the family.

Caution - it's a combo Hentai and Harem comedy with culturaly "appropriate" illustrations, only some of which are censored. You will learn was a "Kancho" is along the way, as it is slightly plot related. Very slightly. Did I mention Hentai?

As far as Yokai are concerned, I like Wayward by Jim Zub, Steve Cummings and John Rauch a lot; the story of a half-Irish, half-Japanese teenager coming back to Japan to her mother, only to find that there's something quite supernatural going on in Tokyo. Also, the back matter of the issues and the books also has a lot of interesting lore about all kinds of Yokai...