What Yokai would You be in Gensokyo?

[Yumetou]

 

Yokai, the spirits and monsters of ancient Japan, and natives of distant Gensokyo. Unlike many other cultures, Yokai have mostly remained the same over time in Japanese culture. With natures, personalities and origins which have mostly been preserved. Because of this, its fairly easy to select a monster, spirit or lesser god which somehow ties to you in your everyday life. Whether that is your job, hometown, your faith or hobbies.

 

I was originally going to make this a 'choose which yokai you would be' thread. But knowing weebs, 90% of the choices will be the really famous ones. Kitsune, Oni, Yuki-onna. And part of the charm of Touhou is how the series can introduce more obscure Yokai and legends to the limelight. Instead, I thought I would make this a challenge. Go to your favorite resource for yokai (I would recommend yokai.com myself) and search up a Yokai who somehow relates to your life. Whether its your job, where you life, etc. Pick the one that seems to relate to you the most, or is the most interesting. Tell us about them, and how they relate to your life. How would you be turned into one, and how would you feel about fitting in and living life as a Yokai in Gensokyo.

 

To start: I work as a nurse, usually dealing with headaches or more serious brain disorders. You would not think something so specific could have a Yokai associated with it. But that's where you're wrong.

The Bitan is a beast with a mysterious name. Almost nothing is known of its origins, diet or lifestyle. They are flabby, large beasts more like underwater cattle than anything else. Their bodies are coated in dragon-like scales with fins. Their tails are split in two, and they have horns and beards like dragons. Nothing is recorded of their natural behavior. But according to the people of Taketomi Island, drawing the image of one and hanging it upon your wall is said to cute headaches instantly. As proof, the people of the island point to how headaches are so rare on their island. It was first recorded in 1832 during a survey of the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) and was said to be a lowly maid transformed as a sign of an ancient king's holiness.

Living as a fat cow-fish-man in Gensokyo is sure to have its barriers. Especially if I would be confined to the Misty Lake and the surrounding waterways. Hopefully there would be a way to the Human Village or Genbu, so I could work as a physician. I imagine I could sell statuettes, engravings and paintings of myself to Yokai and Humans to cure various ailments. But it would be pretty boring with only Wakasagihime and maybe Nitori to talk to. And I doubt she is into fatties. Life is as cruel in Gensokyo as it is in the Outside World.

[kymoh]

I don't have an account yet but your topic is super interesting so I ended up reading through yokai.com for an hour or two. :) I'll be posting as a guest for now and register later.

 

By the way, I want to mention that my choice is based more on how I interact with other people in general, and less on personal things such as my job or gender or age.

 

Anyways, a little bit about me. I'm usually the type to fool around with my friends doing stupid things, and I also hesitate a lot with big decisions.

So, what youkai would I be?

 

I would say I most connect with the Bashou no sei. Bashou no sei are common banana tree spirits. They usually appear as faces on banana leaves, scaring humans by suddenly showing up next to them. They also sometimes take the form of people. Bashou no sei usually aren't hostile, and can be avoided if carrying a sword. There is also a catch, though. They are known to sometimes impregnate women if they walk near banana trees past 6 PM (this part is less connected with me).

Unlike Yumetou (OP), my life as a bashou no sei would be rather unhelpful to the humans of Gensokyo. It might be a bit funny to surprise some passersby, but I would have to be careful not to piss off someone like Reimu and proceed to have all my trees lit on fire by danmaku or something (lol). Basically an irrelevant stage 1 midboss. I would have some more freedom to roam, as I bet banana trees are very common all around Gensokyo. Maybe I would be able to chill out with fellow weakling youkai such as Nightbug and Kogasa. Overall, sounds like a pretty unimportant life but also real fun at the same time!

Edited January 15 by kymoh
Shortening response as it was long and difficult to understand

[The_Trader]

Obviously Senji "God's Wind" Yamamoto

[Nyoko]

Allow me to tell you why I feel a spiritual connection with Nekomata, then.

Starting with the fact that no two sources agree whether or not they should be conflated with the Bakeneko or not, which would be a Youkai equivalent of an identity crisis. Personally, I subscribe to the game "Muramasa: the demon blade"'s depiction of Nekomata: vengeful cats that drank their owner's blood. It's that way Mina Katt came into existence, by the way.

Relating to me, I own two cats and am vengeful myself. You will get my retribution if I think you have wronged me.
That is also why I try to not make up my opinion about something without all the information I can gather in a reasonable amount of time.

How would I turn into one? Through becoming a cat by virtue of the cycle of reincarnation or just straight up forcing it with some future technology and drinking my owner's blood who died bleeding.

As for me, the Nekomata living in Gensokyo, I would be an absolute outcast because of the whole "vengeful" part of being a Nekomata which would drive Youkai who do not have a death wish away from me, Humans are also a no-go because I am a Youkai that eats humans among other things and I can't even be near vengeful spirits as they could actually kill me. My choices for friends would thus be suicidal Youkai, suicidal humans or Magicians, who may or may not be suicidal and also Youkai. Yeah, it'd be a pretty lonely life of solitude and imposed hermitism. I'd be a great person if people would look past the outer shell of me, but in a place built on prejudice like Gensokyo, I don't think that is going to happen soon.

Potential candidates for friendship: Kaguya (actually immortal), Eirin (actually immortal), Mokou (actually immortal), Orin (cat youkai), Satori (depression specialist) and Chen (cat youkai).

[Yumetou]

On 1/15/2024 at 12:32 AM, kymoh said:

I would say I most connect with the Bashou no sei. Bashou no sei are common banana tree spirits. They usually appear as faces on banana leaves, scaring humans by suddenly showing up next to them. They also sometimes take the form of people. Bashou no sei usually aren't hostile, and can be avoided if carrying a sword.

 

Damn, I am impressed. You all caught I cynically expected people to pick the same 2-5 favorites of the anime community. I didn't expect to see an option so off the beaten track. What a cool Yokai.

 

On 1/15/2024 at 1:11 PM, The_Trader said:

Obviously Senji "God's Wind" Yamamoto

 

Of course. :)

 

On 1/15/2024 at 3:35 PM, Nyoko said:

Allow me to tell you why I feel a spiritual connection with Nekomata, then.

Starting with the fact that no two sources agree whether or not they should be conflated with the Bakeneko or not, which would be a Youkai equivalent of an identity crisis. Personally, I subscribe to the game "Muramasa: the demon blade"'s depiction of Nekomata: vengeful cats that drank their owner's blood. It's that way Mina Katt came into existence, by the way.

Relating to me, I own two cats and am vengeful myself. You will get my retribution if I think you have wronged me.
That is also why I try to not make up my opinion about something without all the information I can gather in a reasonable amount of time.

How would I turn into one? Through becoming a cat by virtue of the cycle of reincarnation or just straight up forcing it with some future technology and drinking my owner's blood who died bleeding.

As for me, the Nekomata living in Gensokyo, I would be an absolute outcast because of the whole "vengeful" part of being a Nekomata which would drive Youkai who do not have a death wish away from me, Humans are also a no-go because I am a Youkai that eats humans among other things and I can't even be near vengeful spirits as they could actually kill me. My choices for friends would thus be suicidal Youkai, suicidal humans or Magicians, who may or may not be suicidal and also Youkai. Yeah, it'd be a pretty lonely life of solitude and imposed hermitism. I'd be a great person if people would look past the outer shell of me, but in a place built on prejudice like Gensokyo, I don't think that is going to happen soon.

Potential candidates for friendship: Kaguya (actually immortal), Eirin (actually immortal), Mokou (actually immortal), Orin (cat youkai), Satori (depression specialist) and Chen (cat youkai).

I didn't mean to call you out Nyoko. :D I know your interest in Nekomata is deeper than just 'stupid sexy cat'. But it was very fun reading why they interested you so. It really shows your interest and commitment not just to the creature, but the game's lore.

[Hikiko Hime]

Well first I wanna say that yokai.com is a really cool site so thanks for sharing that!

As for what I relate to, I will actually go with the Tanuki.

"Tanuki have a jovial nature, and delight in playing tricks on humans."


Delight. That alone is enough to sell me on them: fun loving pranksters. I personally wouldn't go so far as to harm anyone in particular or cause serious injuries (at least not intentionally) and just get a kick out of it, similar to fairies in that sense.

Being shapeshifters, it's also implied that in addition to their appearance (human, object, etc.) they also change clothes which is awesome! Are you kidding? A wardrobe limited only by my imagination and magical power? That's just the best! I might go in the human village and make my living as a model for painters or something hehe...


"In the ancient religions of the Japanese isles, tanuki were considered gods and rulers over all things in nature. With the introduction of Buddhism, they gradually lost their status."

"While tanuki are not generally feared or considered malicious, they are not entirely harmless either. Like humans, each one is a unique individual."



Those two things also caught my eye too as that would be (as an individual) my 'weakness' as a tanuki: I'd actively play pranks on Buddhist temples in particular for that very reason.

With that being said, my runner up and a yokai, who  I would like to befriend, is the Fudakaeshi

I love the idea of being a "fuda ripper" to allow other yokai to pass through normally "yokai forbidden areas". I would be the "weird" Tanuki who would seek to befriend them and aid them in this as it would benefit both our kind. The potential synergy between the two interests me: I, the Tanuki, would make the Fudakaeshi's  deceptions alluring through my shapeshifting ability (As I can also turn into an object, pretend to be money for instance) and this would constitute as a prank done mostly for fun as, even the Buddhists I wouldn't want to harm outright as much as annoy... lol.


As for how I'd fit into Gensokyo as a tanuki, I'd would work with Mamizou when convenient but not be under her wing outright as I'd prefer to do things my way. Of course, she'd be one of the few I would never prank out of respect for my fellow species, in addition to acknowledging her power and not wanting to burn the bridge with her.

Yes, I would prank Myouren temple specifically as previously stated, but also probably do so with the other religious sects too, mostly for fun and to tease those 'holier than thou' types. Naturally Reimu in particular would wanna whack me with her gohei, mostly since I'd tease her specifically by pretending to be offerings in her donation box only to then disappear when she's sleeping, tricking her further that someone stole her 'only donations'. It might get predictable though so I'd have to constantly find new ways to annoy her for fun.

I'd often seek to work together with others, mainly the fairies due to the 'prankster' nature (maybe even shapeshift into one!). I think I would avoid being outright hunted by remaining on that borderline of 'not too dangerous but very annoying'

Finally I'd have  a 'calling card' to my pranks, inspired by the  Furutsubaki no rei, using it's flowers as a sarcastic gift to the sick who seek assistance through faith specifically.

Anyway got a bit long, I kinda wanted to give some specifics as to why I picked a tanuki beyond "they're cute". I went through most of the shape shifting yokai on the site and the Tanuki did indeed speak out to me the most.

[kymoh]

7 hours ago, Yumetou said:

Damn, I am impressed. You all caught I cynically expected people to pick the same 2-5 favorites of the anime community. I didn't expect to see an option so off the beaten track. What a cool Yokai.

Thanks Yumetou! It was really fun reading through all the different types of youkai, and just as interesting to see what other people chose! You should post more questions like this, especially those related to Touhou or youkai.

[ReisenFanatic17]

i would be a tanuki

cause i'm SUPER DUPER COOL AND... malicious...

[Yumetou]

I’m glad you enjoyed it Hikiko. :D Growing up in the 2000s, there weren’t really many yokai known even to diehard weebs. Which is a shame, because yokai are absolutely fascinating. They have a broad number of creatures, like goblins or fairies in Western nations. But unlike them, yokai haven’t been diluted by the passage of time and commercialization. Many yokai are amusing to read as well. For instance, the one with the extendable neck? Yeah, she's usually not hostile. She just does that so she can drink lamp oil from paper lanterns.

 

Ahh, Tanuki. A pretty racy and distinctly Japanese option. Male Tanuki were known to beat their enemies to death with their testicles. One of my favorite Ghibli movies is Pom Poko, since they spend the whole movie trying to dance around what the ‘raccoon pouch’ is or why only male raccoons have it. Signs of male virility are pretty common among nature deities. But its usually consigned to horns or hair.

 

A followup question for you all. Where would your Yokai live? Would you be aligned with any of the groups in Gensokyo? What would your Danmaku or spell cards be like? Would you be one a character who bars the final boss, or more of a loveable early stage menace?

From what I can see of the Bitan, I am sure I would be forced to be an early stage boss. They must be strong swimmers and physically powerful, considering they live in the open ocean usually. But their size probably means I would have a larger hitbox and slower movements, especially on land. Not that I would be easy pickings. One could play on the dragon scales aspect and use that to make fast moving projectiles from the side or reflect attacks. If we presume Bitans have control over headaches and not simply their cures, that could be a fun way to complicate a battle without defaulting to 'more danmaku and hp'. The screen could shift in brightness or change colors, auras could form on the screen making targeting harder, or we could invert the map or controls.

I mentioned the Bitan would probably be resigned to the Misty Lake and its waterways, and how lonely that would probably be. If lucky, I could go to the Human Village or Genbu. Maybe the Kappa would let me live with them. But in all probability, it'll probably be just Wakasagihime to distract me, who will either be a fast friend or an awkward acquaintance I am forced to hang around. Sure I could say hello to people on the shore or the SDM, but if they aren't right there I'm kind of stuck. Life would probably be pretty lonely, and aside from the Grassroots Youkai Network or the Kappa I don't see myself growing close to any groups.

 

But hey maybe Remilia will wave to me one day, or Cirno will see me briefly crest the lake and spread rumors of a giant lake serpent.

[Nyoko]

11 hours ago, Yumetou said:

A followup question for you all. Where would your Yokai live? Would you be aligned with any of the groups in Gensokyo? What would your Danmaku or spell cards be like? Would you be one a character who bars the final boss, or more of a loveable early stage menace?

I see a few options as to where the Nekomata would live:

1. The one where the Nekomata lives somewhere where no one dares to come, like Mayohiga. Here I would live a life of solitude that is nigh impenetrable and likely only broken by the occasional visit of Miko or Kasen, the former trying to teach me the way of the Tao as I am a hermit and the latter helping me be a hermit. This me would likely by a stage 3 boss, driving the incident resolvers away from my home with danmaku so that I can live a peaceful life.

2. The bamboo forest of the lost, as that place has the highest concentration of immortals (or is tied with Miko's realm for that title) and the Nekomata wants social contact aside from my food and the other hermits. Here I am likely to align myself with nobody as everyone earns my vengeance equally, but I would be a stage 1 or 2 boss as I would be more so playing around with any unfortunate incident resolution specialists than actually trying.

3. Chireiden/former Hell, Where the Nekomata is employed by Satori, Yukari and perhaps even the Yama (or they were my former employer as Zanmu moved Hell to where it is now, more on that later.) to keep the vengeful spirits under control using my ability which is likely some variant of "manipulation of vengeance". Here I'd be aligned with Chireiden and Former Hell on principal and a stage 5 boss with some probably very annoying vengeful spirits coloring my usual spellcards. If not that, then the extra stage boss as Satori or Yukari sends the incident resolvers to bring me a message, but I would have to drive them away from the vengeful spirit pit, thus causing a battle.

4. Actual Hell, Zanmu moved Hell and I came with the Yama who employed me. I'd likely have a lot of sway over policies regarding vengeful spirits and their best commander when everything starts falling apart. Here I have no clue who my friends would be but I'd likely be aligned with the Yama and/or Zanmu. As we're in Hell, I am a stage 4 boss in this incarnation. Appearing as a mid-boss in the extra stage.

 

Some of my spellcards are described in Original Spellcards Anonymous, but all follow the general theme of "Righteous retribution". I would summon ghosts that shoot revenge bullets for most of the other spellcards, and perhaps even combine the gimmicks in some spellcards.

I would definitely be an annoying foe, that's for sure.

[kymoh]

19 hours ago, Yumetou said:

A followup question for you all. Where would your Yokai live? Would you be aligned with any of the groups in Gensokyo? What would your Danmaku or spell cards be like? Would you be one a character who bars the final boss, or more of a loveable early stage menace?

As I briefly mentioned earlier, if I were a bashou no sei, I would be able to live among banana trees, whether that be in orchards, gardens, forests, etc. So I would have a decent amount of area to explore, which is nice.

I also expect that if I'm living in gardens and such, human villages would be close by, meaning I get even more opportunities to fool around or talk to some humans (in yokai.com, it is said that bashou no sei generally don't harm humans, which sounds like it fits me perfectly).

 

I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to groups in Gensokyo, so I can't say much about that. Like I said in my first post, I would probably just hang out with the weak youkai such as Nightbug and Kogasa, and explore random places in the forest :)

 

As for my danmaku, I don't like to be mean so I would shoot a ton of bullets that are aimed a little bit away from the protaginist XD. It would look really crazy on the first time, but after a minute they realize they can simply stand still for most of it.

Also, because bashou no sei can shapeshift, I think it would be really funny if I turn into my opponent and pretend to copy their movements and attacks. Once things start getting sketchy, I would run away and hide until they go away, ending the fight.

 

Definitely I'm going to be a stage 1 boss or midboss because I wouldn't have the nerve to seriously hurt people. Along with that, my habitat would be close to the village, making me run into the protagonist early on.

 

As I was writing all this, I was reminded of one of my favorite characters, Orange from Touhou 4 LLS. Orange is a pretty forgotten character that shares some similarities with my bashou no sei profile. A weak, stage 1 boss youkai that was just minding her own business. Here is some of her dialogue in-game:

 

Reimu: "I was looking for youkai."

Orange: "What for?"

Reimu: "Obliteration :)"

Orange: "Oh, I see. Well then, good luck! If you'll just excuse me, I'll be on my way now."

Reimu: "I meant you, of course!"

Orange: "Wow, you're pretty sharp."

...

Reimu: "Prepare yourself!!"

Orange: "Ahaha, you shouldn't underestimate me just because I'm the first stage boss!"

Orange: "I'll bang, shoot, and pop your head off!!"

 

So I guess I can also be good friends with Orange. I would probably have similar dialogue if I was in her situation.

[ReisenFanatic17]

On 1/20/2024 at 3:16 AM, Hikiko Hime said:

Well first I wanna say that yokai.com is a really cool site so thanks for sharing that!

As for what I relate to, I will actually go with the Tanuki.

"Tanuki have a jovial nature, and delight in playing tricks on humans."


Delight. That alone is enough to sell me on them: fun loving pranksters. I personally wouldn't go so far as to harm anyone in particular or cause serious injuries (at least not intentionally) and just get a kick out of it, similar to fairies in that sense.

Being shapeshifters, it's also implied that in addition to their appearance (human, object, etc.) they also change clothes which is awesome! Are you kidding? A wardrobe limited only by my imagination and magical power? That's just the best! I might go in the human village and make my living as a model for painters or something hehe...


"In the ancient religions of the Japanese isles, tanuki were considered gods and rulers over all things in nature. With the introduction of Buddhism, they gradually lost their status."

"While tanuki are not generally feared or considered malicious, they are not entirely harmless either. Like humans, each one is a unique individual."



Those two things also caught my eye too as that would be (as an individual) my 'weakness' as a tanuki: I'd actively play pranks on Buddhist temples in particular for that very reason.

With that being said, my runner up and a yokai, who  I would like to befriend, is the Fudakaeshi

I love the idea of being a "fuda ripper" to allow other yokai to pass through normally "yokai forbidden areas". I would be the "weird" Tanuki who would seek to befriend them and aid them in this as it would benefit both our kind. The potential synergy between the two interests me: I, the Tanuki, would make the Fudakaeshi's  deceptions alluring through my shapeshifting ability (As I can also turn into an object, pretend to be money for instance) and this would constitute as a prank done mostly for fun as, even the Buddhists I wouldn't want to harm outright as much as annoy... lol.


As for how I'd fit into Gensokyo as a tanuki, I'd would work with Mamizou when convenient but not be under her wing outright as I'd prefer to do things my way. Of course, she'd be one of the few I would never prank out of respect for my fellow species, in addition to acknowledging her power and not wanting to burn the bridge with her.

Yes, I would prank Myouren temple specifically as previously stated, but also probably do so with the other religious sects too, mostly for fun and to tease those 'holier than thou' types. Naturally Reimu in particular would wanna whack me with her gohei, mostly since I'd tease her specifically by pretending to be offerings in her donation box only to then disappear when she's sleeping, tricking her further that someone stole her 'only donations'. It might get predictable though so I'd have to constantly find new ways to annoy her for fun.

I'd often seek to work together with others, mainly the fairies due to the 'prankster' nature (maybe even shapeshift into one!). I think I would avoid being outright hunted by remaining on that borderline of 'not too dangerous but very annoying'

Finally I'd have  a 'calling card' to my pranks, inspired by the  Furutsubaki no rei, using it's flowers as a sarcastic gift to the sick who seek assistance through faith specifically.

Anyway got a bit long, I kinda wanted to give some specifics as to why I picked a tanuki beyond "they're cute". I went through most of the shape shifting yokai on the site and the Tanuki did indeed speak out to me the most.

exactly

that's what i wanna do as a yokai

[DynoHou]

why here so much words

[Hikiko Hime]

On 1/20/2024 at 4:17 PM, Yumetou said:

A followup question for you all. Where would your Yokai live? Would you be aligned with any of the groups in Gensokyo? What would your Danmaku or spell cards be like? Would you be one a character who bars the final boss, or more of a loveable early stage menace?

She'd be nomadic and wander Gensokyo mainly since I'd be a prankster and having a stationary base would make me easier to find for my foes.

I'd lean toward Fairies, as previously mentioned, as we have pranking in common. After that, the Kappa due to their technology and the Tengu because of their control over information and Hatate of course. Lastly I'd extend a hand to 'weak yokai' with the intent of gathering them to get 'revenge' toward getting bullied. I'll state Orange as an example of such a character since she was mentioned.

Tanuki-Hime Hey~ Didn't you ever wanna get back at that shrine maiden for picking on you?

Orange: But she's so strong...

Tanuki-Hime: So am I~ *If anything goes wrong, I'll cover for you~ Listen, this is what we'll do... *whispers prank in ear*

Orange: ...Oooh! That could work!

*NOTE: Totally lying~

Not sure about the Danmaku/Spellcards as I imagine my Tanuki being in a written work and the story being more about the 'everyday pranks' but she'd lean toward deception and illusions rather than power. But if plugged into a Danmaku based game, she'd probably be an early/mid game boss who is researching the incident out of boredom rather than being involved directly so yea 'early stage menace"

[Macbeth]

Would I have to be a girl? Cuz that would SUCK! if yeah then I would just be a half yokai like riinosuke and have some random special ability like know when the stocks will go up and down and become a billionaire

[d34thkvm]

i would be the penis monkey (refer below)

 

[Hikiko Hime]

7 hours ago, Macbeth said:

Would I have to be a girl? Cuz that would SUCK!

I didn't see anything insisting we be a particular sex so I think you can be whatever you want. I think people chose a female character due to that being the "Touhou Standard".

Anyway I am curious as to why it would suck in your opinion. This is actually a topic I enjoy so it piqued my interest.

[Yumetou]

6 hours ago, Macbeth said:

Would I have to be a girl? Cuz that would SUCK! if yeah then I would just be a half yokai like riinosuke and have some random special ability like know when the stocks will go up and down and become a billionaire

 

I tried to keep the question asexual, since I doubt it would realistically matter. :) Beyond some youkai being monosexual. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time a youkai's default race was gender-flipped in Touhou.

Edited February 10 by Yumetou

[Macbeth]

3 hours ago, Hikiko Hime said:

I didn't see anything insisting we be a particular sex so I think you can be whatever you want. I think people chose a female character due to that being the "Touhou Standard".

Anyway I am curious as to why it would suck in your opinion. This is actually a topic I enjoy so it piqued my interest.

cuz girls drool and dudes RULE! also because i have been a dude all my life, i dont want to get genderbended 

Edited February 11 by Macbeth

[Sigure]

Personally, I work at a cafe and bake for a living so I'm more inclined to say something like Gyokuto-- those little rabbits on the moon that pound mochi.
(For your viewing convenience https://yokai.com/gyokuto/ )
I've made plenty of mochi for work before too, so not exactly unrealistic...just slap a pair of rabbit ears and a tail onto current me and you've already got a gyokuto...except I'm not on the moon, but I think we have the resources and CGI to make that work.

[koakumas]

as i’m koakuma, it couldn’t be even more obvious from here (YOUKAI DEVIL-)

though besides her, i would like to be a celestial similar to tenshi imo (woulda never thought a devil and a celestial could go together)