R2 – ようかい

I picked the Yokai Oni because I think the character itself is pretty interesting. Oni’s are born by sinful humans dying and end up being sent to one of the Buddhist hells. But, if the human is so morally wrong that his soul can’t be redeemed, his body transforms into an Oni while still alive.  

Oni’s are ogreish and become servants of the ruler of hell, Great Lord Enma. As an Oni their job is mostly to give horrible punishments to people that are wicked but not wicked enough to transform into an Oni. The punishments include peeling off skins, crushing bones, and other punishments that are absurd. They also wield large iron clubs, as well as crush and destroy humans just for their amusement. 

I think that Japanese Yokai’s are different from Western monsters and mythical creatures because I feel like Japanese Yokai’s have more meaning behind them than Western monsters. I also think that Yokai’s are slightly scarier than mythical creatures because the story behind them makes it seem like they are actually real or have been around in the past. 

I don’t really believe in Yokai’s or mythical creatures because I think they are made-up characters used for story telling or for entertainment.