Abura-Sumashi (油すまし Abura-Sumashi, lit. Oil presser) is a Yōkai from the "GeGeGe no Kitarō" anime and manga series. He is most often depicted as a village elder type character. He first appeared in the Shonen Magazine story The Great Yōkai Trial.
Appearance[]
Abura-Sumashi is a squat creature with a large, squashed, potato-like head, his eyes are usually half open if not entirely closed, and he often has an easy smile on his face. He wears straw-coat that covers his body and is almost always carrying a large walking staff with him. In some appearances, he has a topknot on his head.
In Renge-Kingdom chapter, it closely resembled Yamabiko.
Personality[]
Abura-Sumashi is a gentle Yōkai, living peacefully with other Yōkai and does not want to harm humans. He often helps the Kitarō Family. He is wise and often takes the role of a village elder in most adaptations.
History[]
GeGeGe no Kitarō[]
Manga[]
Abura-Sumashi first appears among the crowd of Kitarō's protesters in The Great Yōkai Trial. In the 1980s, he made many appearances in the manga in a village elder role living in the GeGeGe Forest with the Kitarō Family. He helps out the Family in a number of ways, from extracting oil from people's bodies to cancelling out enemy spells. In Kitarō Kunitori Monogatari, he frequently accompanies Kitarō on his missions, taking an adviser type role similar to Konaki-Jijii and Sunakake-Babaa. His favorite game is shogi and he frequently invites people to play a game when they come to see him. He and Konaki-Jijii often play shogi together. He accompanied Kitarō on his journey to Jigoku in Kitarō Jigoku Arc, providing useful knowledge about Jigoku along the way.
1968 Anime[]
Abura-Sumashi made background appearances in the first anime adaptation episodes The Great Yōkai War and Yōkai Rally.
1985 Anime[]
His first anime appearance was in the sixth episode of the third anime adaptation, Hell Journey! Ghost Train!!. In GeGeGe no Kitarō: Jigoku Arc, he plays the same role he did in the Kitarō Jigoku Arc manga.
1996 Anime[]
He appears in the fourth anime as a resident of the Yōkai Apartments.
2007 Anime[]
He appears in the fifth anime as the mayor of Yōkai Yokochō. Abura-Sumashi looks down on a cat by the river in Yōkai Yokochō.[1]
2018 Anime[]
He makes his first sixth series appearance in episode four, The Strange, Forbidden Forest. He comes out of the tree trunk that he lives in as Kitarō and Neko-Musume guide Yūta through GeGeGe Forest. He asks Kitarō if he wants to play a game of shogi with him, but he declines as they continue going through. He later exits his tree trunk as Nezumi-Otoko passes by, startling him, and calmly warns him of the danger behind him, just as one of Yama-Jijii's black hands grabs him. After Yama-Jijii calms down, Nezumi-Otoko falls on the ground behind him, which he greets him again as Konaki-Jijii lands nearby.[2]
He is among the crowd gathered around the GeGeGe House, trying to drive Agnès out of the forest. He listens as Medama-Oyaji warns that if they drive her out then the tragedy Malay Yōkai will just repeat somewhere else. Soon followed by Kitarō as he explains how grave the consequences are if Japan becomes a part of Backbeard's empire, causing the crowd to look at one another. Until their attention is drawn to Kitarō as he stands on his resolve to fight.[3]
Non-Kitarō Appearances[]
NonNonBa[]
Abura-Sumashi appears along with Azuki-Arai to join Azuki-Hakari in dancing and singing to entertain Shigeru and Miwa when they come across Yōkai Theater.
Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare[]
The Great Yōkai War[]
Abura-Sumashi appears as an implied second-in-command to Nurarihyon. He is also depicted as having the ability to deflate his large head to normal size at will.
He appears with Nurarihyon and a great number of other Yōkai discussing the situation with Shōjō after Tadashi's first battle with Agi. He inspects the Dai-Tengu Sword and scoffs at Tadashi's performance as the Kirin-Jishi. After suggesting Ippon-Datara may be able to repair the sword, he uses Ungaikyō to find his location, leading to the discovery that he has already been captured by Yasunori Katō. Like most of the others, he refuses to take part in the war after learning Katō has returned but later shows up for the final battle.
Powers and Abilities[]
Enhanched Neck Rotation:Abura-Sumashi is able to turn his head nearly 180 degrees, as demonstrated when he greets Nezumi-Otoko after he lands on the ground behind him.[2]
Soul Transferring
Oil Body Transformation
Target Intaking
Legend[]
Abura-Sumashi is a creature from the folklore of Amakusa in the Kumamoto prefecture. This spirit, which surprises people on the Kusazumigoe mountain pass, is thought to be the ghost of a human who stole oil. In the days before electricity, oil was a very valuable commodity, necessary for lighting and heating a house. As such, the theft of oil, particularly from temples and shrines, could lead to punishment via reincarnation as a Yōkai.
References[]
[]
Ghost Tribe | Kitarō • Medama-Oyaji |
Other members | Nezumi-Otoko • Neko-Musume • Sunakake-Babaa • Konaki-Jijii • Ittan-Momen • Nurikabe |
Former members | Shisa • Yuki-Hime • Netarō |
Recurring allies | Yobuko • Kasa-Bake • Abura-Sumashi • Tsurube-Bi • Bake-Garasu |
Yōkai Apartments | Nekoko • Kamikiri • Azuki-Arai • Akaname • Tsurube-Otoshi • Gyūki |
Yōkai Yokochō | Kawauso • Amabie • Rokuro-Kubi • Ohaguro-Bettari • Nurikabe-Nyōbō & Ko-Nurikabe |
Other Allies | Maruge • Ido-Sennin • Bake-Kujira • Yagyō-san • Aobōzu • Simurgh • Agnès |
Tendo Family | Yumeko Tendō • Hoshirō Tendō • Masao Tendō • Yūko Tendō |
Elementary School Trio | Yūko Murakami • Shōta Suzuki • Jun Tanimoto |
Others | Mizuki • Makoto Washio • Mana Inuyama |
See also | |
47 Yōkai Warriors |