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Yokai Attack Japanese Monster Survival G

by Hiroko Yoda

Yokai Attack Japanese Monster Survival G Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Yokai are Japan's traditional creepy-crawlies. Almost always encountered in the dark of night, they were once feared throughout the land. But they're more than just myth, more provocative than pop culture--references to yokai abound in Japanese idioms, and nearly every Japanese person has at least a passing knowledge of the most famous of these captivating creatures from times of old. Now, after collecting data and descriptions from a variety of sources, including first-hand accounts and microfilms of 18th-century publications stored in the National Diet Library in Tokyo, authors Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have produced the first English-language guide to Japans yokai monsters. Original illustrations, created by the talented Tatsuya Morino, detail the potential visible appearance of each yokai. And alongside each and every one are data points allowing you to take in each yokai's characteristics at a glance.

Forget Godzilla. Forget the giant beasties karate-chopped into oblivion by endless incarnations of Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Power Rangers. Forget the Pocket Monsters. Forget Sadako from The Ring and that creepy all-white kid from The Grudge. Forget everything you know about Japanese tales of terror. Their roots may extend back to days of yore, but Yokai Attack! will convince any reader that Japan's bewitching tradition of yokai monsters is far from being history.

Review:

"Funny, scary and informative, Yokai Attack! is a must-have, must-read for anyone interested in Asian culture and MONSTERS. What a combo! It will have a place of honor on my shelf between Chariots of the Gods and The Zombie Survival Guide. Great stuff. Great fun!"Steve Niles, Creator, 30 Days of Night

Synopsis:

This entertaining, informative guide to traditional Japanese monsters--who are the ancestors of many of the characters found in today's manga, anime and J-horror flicks--features original illustrations and an at-a-glance data sheet for each yokai.Kodansha International

About the Author

Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt are a husband and wife team who run a Tokyo-based translation company that specializes in producing the English versions of Japanese video games, comic books and literature. Alt is the co-author of Super #1 Robot (2005), a detailed photo-history of 1970s Japanese robot toys. Alt and Yoda are also co-authors of Hello, Please! Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters From Japan (2007), a book about Japanese cute character culture. They also happen to have firsthand yokai experience, having appeared as extras in the Takashi Miike film The Great Yokai War (2005).

Illustrator Tatsuya Morino became the assistant to Shigeru Mizuki, one of Japans most beloved manga artists, when he was fresh out of high school. After going independent, he illustrated the graphic novel Kibakichi, which was turned into a pair of successful movies of the same name. He also works as a character designer, with credits including the Gainax video game Yokai Family and the web comic Trip Trek. His comic Legentail Sennenta is currently serialized in Kadokawa Shotens monthly comic collection Kero Kero Ace.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
lupabitch, October 22, 2008 (view all comments by lupabitch)
With the current popularity of anime and manga, more and more Westerners are being introduced to traditional Japanese folklore, albeit in a sometimes highly altered fashion. This nifty little book, then, is a wonderful answer to the sometimes inaccurate assumptions that may be made about some of the strange and terrifying beings found in Nippon.

Written with a combination of good research and tongue-in-cheek "advice" (in case you just happen to meet on of these beasties), and delightfully illustrated and designed, "Yokai Attack!" explores the history and habits of dozens of Eastern monsters. It's a fun way to discover the roots of various denizens of pop culture. Players of the video game "Okami" may recognize the wheel-with-a-face, the Wanyudo. White Wolf gamers (and others) could learn a few new things about the Kitsune. And anybody who has played any of the Super Mario Brothers games may notice a family resemblance between the games' Koopa Troopas, and the well-known Japanese Kappa.

This is an excellent gift for your favorite Japanophile--and as the book has the same dimensions as your average paperback manga, it'll fit nicely on the shelf with everything else. However, any armchair mythologist will find this to be a good read, and it's a book whose niche has most definitely come.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9784770030702
Subtitle:
The Japanese Monster Survival Guide
Author:
Yoda, Hiroko
Illustrator:
Morino, Tatsuya
Author:
Alt, Matt
Publisher:
Kodansha International (JPN)
Subject:
General
Subject:
Yokai (Japanese folklore)
Subject:
Folklore & Mythology
Subject:
General Humor
Publication Date:
October 2008
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
, Y
Pages:
191
Dimensions:
8.60x6.70x.46 in. .57 lbs.

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