Prologue: Japanese Folklore in Five Minutes
Prologue: Japanese Folklore in Five MinutesDemon Hunters of Kitty Cat Café centers around a group of women warriors with supernatural abilities fighting against mythical creatures from Japanese folklore come to life in the near future.
While warriors kicking butt isn’t hard to imagine, unless you’re familiar with Japanese folklore, you might be left wondering about some of the demons they encounter.
Here’s a quick rundown, in alphabetical order, of the supernatural creatures in the story.
Kitsune: Born as foxes, kitsune have supernatural abilities. Some kitsune are tricksters while others are benevolent. Kitsune grow another tail with each hundred years of age. After their hundredth birthday, kitsune gain the ability to shape-shift into human form and will often use this to their advantage. In folktales, some kitsune will pursue romantic relationships with humans.
Tanuki: Like the fox, a tanuki is an actual animal. Tanuki are members of the canid family and are also known as raccoon dogs. In folklore, a particular type of tanuki known as bake-danuki are said to be able to shape-shift into humans and even sing songs. Some tanuki bring good fortune while others are tricksters.
Tsuchigumo: The literal translation of tsuchigumo is earth spider. It is also a derogatory name given to renegade clans. In folklore, tsuchigumo are burrowing spiders that grow to tremendous size. Essentially, a giant tarantula on steroids, tsuchigumo can make an incredibly formidable enemy.
Yuki-Onna: Folklore says that a yuki-onna is a spirit whose body has perished in a storm. In tales, a yuki-onna in human form will visit a house, showing up on the doorstep during a blizzard. Upon touching the yuki-onna, a person will either see the spirit disappear into a whirl of snow, or if they are unlucky, the person will become bogged down in snow and perish by freezing.
Yamauba: A spirit of the mountains who can be portrayed in a couple of ways, depending on the translation of the folklore legend. In one version, Yamauba is simply territorial and chases away anyone on their mountain trails. The more gruesome version is cannibalistic, offering food to lure victims and then eating them. No matter their temperament, Yamauba are often portrayed as white-haired older women.
