Based On Mythology Archives | Otaku No Culture

Celebrate 30 Years of Kabuki with this Hardcover Collection!

If you love Japanese ghost stories coupled with crime and classic lore all in one, then picking up Kabuki: 30th Anniversary Edition is a must!

Dark Horse Comics

Emmy & Eisner Award-nominated comics artist and writer David Mack (Daredevil, Echo, Cover, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods) celebrates the 30th Anniversary of his original series, Kabuki, the story of a government agent operating in Japan in the near future. To honor the occasion, Dark Horse Books has compiled the complete story into one must-have volume: The Complete Kabuki: 30th Anniversary Edition. The entire comic run is presented in 1,280 pages in an oversized hardcover (9″ x 12″) volume with a new, gorgeous painted cover by Mack.

“Kabuki is the foundation of my work in comics,” said Mack. “Both as a writer & as an artist. Kabuki is what got me the offer to write Daredevil at Marvel, & to create Echo. All of my work in comics began from this story & this art. It was my Senior Thesis in Literature”

About Kabuki:

Japan: A woman, code-named “Kabuki,” works for a government agency known as “the Noh”. When the agency she works for is compromised, Kabuki’s quest sends her down a difficult path, which brings her into direct conflict with the powers she formerly served. Delving into the Ainu (the indigenous people of Japan), Japanese Mythology, a crime story, an espionage story, hauntingly told through the lens of the Japanese Ghost story.

Get the entire collection in one impressive volume when The Complete Kabuki: 30th Anniversary Edition arrives in bookstores on December 10, 2024, and comic shops on December 11, 2024. Pre-order now from your local bookstore, comic book shop, Amazon, or favourite outlet for $149.99.

When Alls Not Well in Heaven and We Need Jiang Ziya. Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms, A Movie Review

Fans of the Chinese high fantasy will like Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms despite its long running time and overuse of weak CGI.

Well GO USA
Coming to Theatres Sept 22
(Please check local listings)

When considering a lot of films have been made based on some part of the epic Chinese novel, Investiture of the Gods, it should not surprise me that one day, someone would attempt to adapt the entire text. Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms attempts to tell the entire story and when there’s a total of 100 chapters, to bring it all to screen will require more than one film!

I’m glad director/co-writer Wuershan is attempting this project. I’m rather fond of his work in Mojin: The Lost Legend, and he’s on the right track. Hopefully the advice he got from James Schamus‘ (who gets credit as script consultant) isn’t for naught. He is best known for being one of the co-writers of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Even though I know bits and pieces through the various animated films released in prior years, it’s cool to see how it all comes to head in this magnum opus. There’s Jiang Ziya (Bo Huang) working with two other immortals to stop the Great Curse that’s threatening the Shang dynasty.

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When All You Need is “Yaga,” You Better Be Ready to Fight Instead of take Flight

Halloween season has begun! And to get your early scares on, The Belfry is bringing the cross country hit, Yaga, to Victoria, BC!

Kat Sandler's Yaga Title Card — **Playing at The Belfry,** **Victoria, BC**
**From Sept 14th, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023.**
**Tickets are available here**

Please check Playwrights Canada for other regional performances.

The formula for what Kat Sandler‘s play, simply titled Yaga, is about may well be like an episode of Twin Peaks for some attendees, but for myself, I’m thinking Murder, She Wrote. But instead of solving mysteries from the perspective of a best-selling author, the point of view is from an omniscient presence needing more than the usual sustenance. Baba Yaga is an infamous Slavic witch known to eat children, but these days, she’s not picky.

Ever since this show’s debut in 2019, various theatre houses have put this play on across Canada. To kickstart Victoria, BC’s The Belfry 2023/24 season and get attendees ready for Halloween, it seems the director Jani Lauzon added an indigenous touch on top. We’re in a birch house to listen to the very beginnings of life. It’s told by a woman shaman (Tracey Nepinak) in a set that I believe was designed to resemble a traditional First Nation longhouse.

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Netflix’s Monkey King vs Well GO USA’s Monkey King Reborn. Who Will Win?

This film has more of a DreamWorks style quality to the humour and approach to introducing Monkey King to Western audiences (again).

Now Playing on Netflix

The latest release of The Monkey King is a movie redesigned for today’s generation, and as a result, loses its touch with what made this hero great. When compared to the previous take (review link), my money is on the former. Here, it feels like four studios were duking it out too for how to reinvent this character, and although some parts of the narrative is faithful, its execution wasn’t all that exciting to keep watching.

As for whom Monkey serves, it’s easy to tell. He’s independent and helps no one but himself! Surprisingly, much of his origin story is accurate. When Lin (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) discovers him, he’s quite the rascal and eventually gets known as Sun Wukong (Jimmy O. Yang). These two somehow become friends. The way these two play off each other to learn a few of life’s lessons is good, but ultimately, I couldn’t help but think this American-Asian made film misses the point on why he’s a legend. When considering Anthony Stacchi (Better known for The Boxtrolls and Rocketeer) is most likely out of his element, perhaps that’s why the love isn’t there.

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When Ghost Month is in Full Swing in 2023, How Can We Identify the Types of Spirits Said to be Visiting?

Sometimes, the best known spirits that linger around during Ghost Month are those from folklore and time honoured tradtions! Are you ready to face them?

Ghosts from South Asia come in different shapes and forms, and some are feared whereas others are revered. And it’s terrific they get loved in entertainment. In the past, I’ve explored the best of what cinema and literature have offered. However, when new releases are few and far between every year to recognise Ghost Month, I’ll have to look elsewhere to get my scares in.

As a result, the only book I’ve come across to bring various tales together, ranging from folklore to original works, is Asian Ghost Short Stories! This covers areas east of India. Although it’s not the perfect collection due to glaring errors with the folklore, and being mostly stories rather than recounting alleged encounters, it’s still a good primer to introduce paranormal enthusiasts to the lore from this region.

To honour this occasion, which started two days ago (Aug 16 to Sept 14), I’m going in a different direction this time. Through my research, I’ve learned nine types of spirits can roam the land! The book, Śūraṅgama Sūtra (PDF link) gives a great outline, and furthermore, the Hungry Ghost type (which gets its own festival Aug 30th) are sub-categorized! On the list are:

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