{"id":44248,"date":"2025-02-06T10:06:04","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T16:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=44248"},"modified":"2025-02-20T17:49:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T23:49:47","slug":"kwaidan-part-iv-no-face-visits-wlbott-hq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=44248","title":{"rendered":"Kwaidan: Part IV \u2013\u00a0No-Face Visits WLBOTT HQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lafcadio Hearn’s short story, Mujina<\/strong>, from Kwaidan \u2013 Stories and Studies of Strange Things<\/em>, depicts a creepy Japanese supernatural creature called a noppera-b\u014d<\/strong>, or mujina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The noppera-b\u014d (\u306e\u3063\u307a\u3089\u307c\u3046) or \u91ce\u7b86\u574a, or faceless ghost, is a Japanese y\u014dkai that looks like a human but has no face. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mujina, an old Japanese word for a badger or raccoon dog. Although the mujina can assume the form of the other, noppera-b\u014d are usually disguised as humans. Such creatures were thought to sometimes transform themselves into noppera-b\u014d in order to frighten humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lafcadio Hearn used the animals’ name as the title of his story about faceless monsters, probably resulting in the misused terminology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noppera-b\u014d are known primarily for frightening humans, but are usually otherwise harmless<\/em>. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

They appear at first as ordinary human beings, sometimes impersonating someone familiar to the victim, before causing their features to disappear, leaving a blank, smooth sheet of skin where their face should be.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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No-Face \/ Spirited Away<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No-Face<\/strong> is a fascinating character in the Japanese animated film Spirited Away<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spirited Away (Japanese: \u5343\u3068\u5343\u5c0b\u306e\u795e\u96a0\u3057, Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, lit.\u2009’Sen and Chihiro’s Spiriting Away’) is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho. … In Spirited Away, Chihiro “Sen” Ogino moves to a new neighborhood and inadvertently enters the world of kami<\/strong> (spirits of Japanese Shinto<\/strong> folklore). After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba, Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba’s bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world.[…]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spirited Away’s worldwide box office total stands at US$395,802,070. […]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Additional themes are expressed through No-Face<\/strong>, who reflects the characters who surround him, learning by example and taking the traits of whomever he consumes. This nature results in No-Face’s monstrous rampage through the bathhouse. After Chihiro saves No-Face with the emetic dumpling, he becomes timid once more. At the end of the film, Zeniba decides to take care of No-Face so he can develop without the negative influence of the bathhouse.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Insightful article on Comic Book Resources<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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No-Face<\/strong> is an enigmatic figure in the world-renowned film Spirited Away from Studio Ghibli. He is introduced innocently enough, but quickly becomes a menace in Yubaba\u2019s Bathhouse. He is a constant presence throughout protagonist Chihiro Ogino’s journey and has become one of the most iconic symbols of the film. Because nothing is stated outright, however, many viewers are left wondering what No-Face represents. […]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are many types of spirits and creatures within the world of Spirited Away, there are none as notorious as No-Face. No-Face (known as Kaonashi in Japanese) initially appears as an all-black apparition with a stoic white mask. He communicates only through soft grunts at first and charitably hands out gold nuggets to anyone willing to help him or give him hospitality. Yet, the more people give No-Face what he wants, the more he craves. […]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, No-Face seems most interested in getting Chihiro’s attention. This is most likely because she was the first person to show kindness to him; thus he has taken an interest in her, but it may also be because she keeps refusing his offers. When Chihiro finally turns her attention back to him, it is to help him, not partake in the same greed that he is. The purging returns No-Face to his original, ghostly self, and he remains a mostly silent friend to Chihiro throughout the rest of the film. No-Face accompanies Chihiro on her journey and is then able to learn many of the same lessons she does, going through his own form of character growth. […]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ultimately, No-Face is a representation of two economic phenomena: capitalism and consumerism.<\/strong> Both may seem harmless at first, but can create real problems if left unchecked.<\/p>\nComic Book Resources<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The CBR is a pretty cool web site. I bet their staff meetings are a blast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About CBR
<\/strong>CBR was founded in 1995 and acquired by Valnet since 2016. Upon its launch CBR quickly became the go-to source for comics industry news, discussions, and community. Since then, CBR continues to attract a large and engaged readership. Our goal is to provide anyone interested in pop culture, superheroes, and geek entertainment with information and resources that deepen appreciation and investment in their fandoms, including Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Dragon Ball, Lord of the Rings, and more.
– CBR \/ About<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the time of this blott’s publication, we do not have any information about the CBR staff’s high school alma maters (Latin for nourishing mothers<\/em>), so we were unable to provide their up-to-date school cafeteria menus<\/em><\/strong>. If any CBR staffers would like to provide this information, please contact us at seriousInquiriesOnly@wlbott.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We applaud the transparency, thoughtfulness, and integrity that CBR has put into their standards. CBR\/Valnet<\/a> upholds the following standards:<\/p>\n\n\n\n