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Youkai: Difference between revisions
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{{cleanup|Examples need sorting, both within each type of youkai and in the unsorted list at the end of the page.}}
[[File:Yoshitoshi The Heavy Basket.jpg|thumb|300px|"Various Yokai Flying out of Wicker Clothes Hamper" from the "Omoi Tsuzura" (おもゐつづら), Yoshitoshi]]
'''Youkai''' are a widely-varied collection of various supernatural creatures that pop up in [[Shinto]] religion. They have a lot in common with [[The Fair Folk]] from Western folklore. Some youkai are good, others are evil, and many are [[Blue and Orange Morality|different]]. Some are mischievous, others avoid humans entirely. Shinto is an animist religion, and youkai are often associated with natural features such as forests and mountains. This word is often translated as "demon" in Western translations, but that does not adequately describe the creatures in question. The closest true Western equivalent is probably that of the ancient Roman [[wikipedia:Genius (mythology)|genii]] or [[Our Spirits Are Different|spirits]].
Supernatural creatures drawn from Western sources often turn out to seem more like youkai in Japanese works.<ref>Fun fact -- the Japanese word for vampire contains the character for oni.</ref> For instance, vampires. In the West you've got Nosferatu—a grotesque, undead monster who burns in sunlight and murders to preserve his hideous unlife.<ref>Notably, this may be used to refer both to the classic film character and to one of the clans in ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', which features other kinds of vampires, with the same powers and weaknesses, but characteristics that set them apart into clans</ref> In Japan you've got [[Cute Monster Girl|exceptionally cute]] [[Fan Service]] protagonist [[Rosario + Vampire|Moka Akashiya]], who is not undead, harbors no ill-will towards the sun, and drinks tiny amounts of blood that leave her "victim" light-headed at worst, but who has a [[Super-Powered Evil Side]] who can (and will if you look at her the wrong way) kick your ass thoroughly.
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