Status Updates From Japanese Myths

Fox & Animal Legends: with more humor and a fairy tale feel, usually involving a fox or badger or cat, and even a few tethered lovers among fireflies and butterflies.

Legends of the Sea: Fafhrd and Grey Mouser went to the wrong Sea King's Palace compared to Urashima's adventure. Sacrifice and survival overcome Tokoyo's grief, dumb Sankichi will make a legend out of the Cape of a Woman's Sword, suicide is sought but a great argument given against it in the Love of O Cho San, a wretchedly repentant 1,000-year-old awabi spirit makes amends, and the tears of a shark-man.

Ghost Stories & Supernatural Creatures: from vengeful spirits to restless ghosts, flesh-eating devils and confectioners corpses, some myths have a moral lesson while some play out like a pantheon Greek god tragedy: no purpose but to be dramatic.

Leading Ladies & Affairs of the Hearts sees star-cursed lovers, a love triangle beyond the grave, ghosts chasing husbands, a greedy fisherman, and a harbinger that promises death, but none of them are as compelling as the Moon Maiden's quest for potential suitors.

An entertaining section on Heroes, Warriors, & Adventures, like the vengeful Yoshitsune and the gigantic Benkei, once enemies, now adventure buddies, or Raiko and his knights which include the famed Watanabe Tsuna, and the child-favorite hero Sakata Kintoki.

The section TALES OF THE GODS AND CREATION bypasses the beginning of time and focuses on slightly lesser gods and their many trysts, incestuous or not. Some myths are more entertaining than others while some are without a moral to the story, or simply confusing, like a maiden murdered for no reason and the murderer being considered a great guy later on. Even so, interesting mythical history to read.

Some weird, some morbid, some magical, but all interesting, I look forward to reading up on Japanese mythology. The history of Japan/Nippon and the mythologies created, borrower, and shared is neat for the Intro and I find I like it better when they simply speak on the available I formation and not when they present bias.