Kasen's Thoughts on Youkai

MUSINGS OF A SENNIN, ENTRY #261
~On Youkai

The different types of Youkai
There are many kinds of Youkai that exist in our world. One type is simply species of youkai… within the species, all have common traits, powers, and physical appearances. All crow Tengu are easily identified as crow Tengu, all Kappa are obviously Kappa… and so on. While personalities and abilities can vary widely within a species, they all share certain aspects.

The other kind of Youkai... are, to put it simply, embodiments of a concept. Rumia, as an example, came into existence as a representative of darkness. She is not a member of any kind of species of Youkai. She could be classified as her own species, as she is the only being like her. She is human-like in appearance, and her personality is that of a child’s… Her power over darkness allows her to block out light in an area, creating an area of complete blindness for anyone in it.

These concept-based Youkai vary greatly. Some are powerful due to the concepts they represent. Yukari, for example, is an ancient and powerful Youkai, possibly even the most powerful to ever exist. She represents a basic and fundamental concept – the border, or boundary, or definition, that separates one thing from everything else. Everything that exists has a certain definition. The sky could not be seen as separate from the land if there was no horizon. Night and day could not exist without a separation between them. Yukari has the ability to manipulate, control, and even change these definitions… the difference between truth and lies, the boundary between right and wrong, the definition that separates the possible and the impossible… even the border between life and death… she could manipulate all of them with a flick of her wrist. Her power is beyond belief… due to the power of a fundamental concept.

Others, like Yuuka, are simply as powerful as they are due to their age and experience. To put it one way, she could be called an embodiment of nature itself… but her power lets her control sunflowers. Her power and strength comes from her extremely long lifespan. As Youkai grow older, they become more powerful and wise… her massive strength is due to this. And then there are Youkai that are weak, despite representing powerful concepts… the Aki sisters, despite representing an entire season, do not have very much power.

There are other types of Youkai. Some animals, if they live long enough, will turn into a certain species of Youkai. The same can even happen to objects… if they exist for a long enough time, or are forgotten, they develop minds and emotions, and eventually turn into Youkai. Other Youkai are created by powerful beings, or are formed by human fear.

The existence and creation of Youkai
The age limit that something must exist to become a Youkai, so to speak, is usually one-hundred years. This number shows up a lot in the lifespan of Youkai and the actions of the celestial bureaucracy that runs the world. It takes a century to become a Youkai, hermits are attacked by assassins from hell once a century, Kitsune gain more power and another tail every century… I could go on. Ah, right… I should probably go into detail on how the Youkai are created. During my studies as a hermit, I have seen many things first-hand…. When an animal becomes a Youkai, it can be brought on by a few things. If it is due to age, it happens gradually, as the animal gains more power. This is a natural process, of course. Some of these type of Youkai gain a taste for humans, some do not. However… excitement and thirst for fighting can turn an animal into a half-Youkai of sorts. If the animals are surprised into attacking, and gain a taste for human blood, they will transform into a partial Youkai. This can be reversed with enough effort and the proper actions. Or, if they so choose, they can become full Youkai. Even if they do end up turning into a Youkai, they can still lose their hunger for humans.

Other types of Youkai are born in different ways. Youkai of the species type, or animals that already became Youkai, can reproduce and create offspring in ways similar to humans. The conceptual Youkai, as I have said already, simply seem to start existing once the idea becomes known enough. No-one has ever seen the creation of such a Youkai… not that I know of, at least. Maybe the process is gradual and takes days, maybe it’s instant and they simply pop into the world somewhere… I do not know.

Some Youkai that control fundamental concepts, like Yukari, seem to have been created long before anything else in this world. Even before there were humans around to think of these concepts… perhaps the ideas they embody are so fundamental to the existence of the universe that they are closer to simple facts than ideas. The only such Youkai I have ever known of is Yukari. She holds the power to change the world, if she wanted to… I assume there are very few like her.

Well… for now, I have only one more thing to say. Youkai have a certain nature of their own… every Youkai has their own personality and beliefs. They distance themselves from humans, but… I see little difference between them. I have met many powerful Youkai in my time, and each one convinces me even more that their way of thinking, their personalities, and even their actions are quite… human. However, both humans and Youkai believe that the other is their enemy, and fight and attack one another… it is my hope that one day, all Youkai may forget their hatred of humans, and all humans may forget their fear of Youkai. But that day is far off… maybe it will never happen. However, I will always be here, trying my best to inch the world closer and closer to that point… when all beings may live in agreement and acceptance. Until then, I will continue to guide to guide every being I can onto the right path. No matter who they are, or what they might be…

-Kasen Ibaraki, Hermit of Youkai Mountain
(( Author's note: this dates from long before Kasen knew of Sima. ))