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Yakanzuru (ヤカンズル Yakanzuru)[1] or Yakanduru (やかんづる Yakanduru)[2] is a kettle yōkai that is normally depicted as a quadrupedal being with a large mouth capable of swallowing everything it comes across. 

Appearance[]

In Akuma Buer, Yakanzuru is a quadrupedal "kettle" with a large mouth, hefty body and toes on each of its feet. In Saishinban GeGeGe no Kitarō, it resembled a large kettle.

In the 1971 anime, Yakanzuru's appearance is a large, light-blue quadrupedal "kettle", with each leg having three toes and a hefty body. It has an eyeless, funnel-shaped head with a concave "mouth" that has a thick lip around it and within it is a gaping hole that is dark inside.[3]

Within the 1985 anime, Yakanzuru's appearance is relatively the same, though lacking any digits on its legs, instead having stumps and its body is thicker. Its skin is dull red in color and its "mouth" is rather large with a thinner lip around it.[1]

In the 1996 anime, Yakanzuru appears relatively the same, with few differences. It still resembles a large quadrupedal "kettle", where its skin is pale yellow and is slightly thinner. Its large "mouth" now having a thick lip around it, but the neck appears thinner and its legs appears to have stubs.[2]

Within the 2007 anime, Yakanzuru's appearance is drastically different, appearing as an old fashioned black kettle, with a purple handle. The spout is thin and has a rather small mouth. Its body has numerous small bumps, covering everywhere except the lid, spout and bottom.[4]

Personality[]

Little can be told of Yakanzuru's personality, as it lacks a face to properly express itself. Yakanzuru swallows in anything without regard, and continues to do so, sucking in random things that are in front of it. It is compliant however, returning to its place of sealing once it has consumed whoever frees it.[2] It is also not unresponsive, as it reacts when the 47 Yōkai Warriors mark appears on its body by shaking.[4]

History[]

Akuma Buer[]

Due to its incontrollable nature, it was sealed in the Ama-no-Iwato. To defeat Buer and his Fifty Armies of Akuma, Kitarō breaks the seal and releases it. After swallowing all the Akuma, Yakanzuru headed to a town and kept devouring humans and buses. Kitarō and Medama-Oyaji takes responsibility to re-seal it and dives into its body, and controlled it from inside to head back to the Ama-no-Iwato. Taking more than seven years for Kitarō and Medama-Oyaji to kill Yakanzuru from the inside and escaping it.

Saishinban GeGeGe no Kitarō[]

It appeared in Yōkai Seven Mysteries as one of mobs gathered at Nurarihyon's speech to fight against Kitarō.

1971Anime[]

1985 Anime[]

1996 Anime[]

Yakanzuru was sealed within a cave, where Kitarō breaks the seal to unleash it, where it steps out and swallows Buer and his legion of Akuma. Afterwards, it starts to move around, beginning to swallow the surrounding trees, as it can not be stopped until it has swallowed the one who released it. Left with no option, Kitarō lets Yakanzuru swallow him, which it does so and returns back to its cave with no struggle. It is said that its stomach is connected to a well that reaches the center of the earth, this is what is used by Medama-Oyaji and the others to get Kitarō back.[2]

2007 Anime[]

It appears in the movie, GeGeGe no Kitarō: Nippon Bakuretsu!!. Yakanzuru is one of the chosen 47 Yōkai Warriors and represents Nagano Prefecture. During the battle against Yato-no-Kami, Yobuko calls for help from all over Japan, the remaining 47 Yōkai Warriors are revealed once their mark begins to glow. Among those are Yakanzuru, who reacts by shaking once its mark shines. Afterwards its power is sent to aid Kitarō in defeating Yato-no-Kami.[4]

Due to the fifth anime adaptation's sudden cancellation at 100 episodes, it is among the 23 Yōkai Warriors that were not revealed aside from the movie.

Powers and Abilities[]

Vacuum Breath: Yakanzuru is able to inhale in everything it comes across[3] as its stomach is connected to a different world. It has a very powerful pull, being able to take in an entire legion of Akuma, including Buer, in one go.[2]

High-Speed Digestion: In the 1996 anime, Yakanzuru's stomach is shown to have a rather quick digestion process, having already dissolved all of the Akuma by the time Kitarō had entered its stomach. Even Buer was almost completely digested by that point.[2]

Legend[]

Yakanzuru is a yōkai from the Nagano Prefecture that takes the form of a kettle hanging from a tree branch. If you walk through the forest late at night, you will see this yōkai hanging from the tree. Yakanzuru belongs to a group of yōkai found hanging from tree branches known as "Sagarimono no Kai", including such yōkai as Uma-no-Ashi, Chagama-Oroshi, and Tengaiyabu.

Once, a young man named Toyotaro was walking through the forest late at night and was starting to feel thirsty, he saw the Yakanzuru hanging from a tree branch and happily drank the water from it. When telling his story to a business partner, he described the taste as being sweet.

References[]

Navigation[]

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1971 Series Yōkai and other Mystical Beings
Kitarō and Allies
Threats
Others
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1985 Series Yōkai and other Mystical Beings
Kitarō and Allies
Threats
Jigoku
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1996 Series Yōkai and other Mystical Beings
Kitarō and Allies
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Amefuri-KozōBaby DorotabōDai-TenguEnma-DaiōGama-SenninIwanabōzuKaruraKashaboKawausoKawazaruKubinashi-UmaKuchisake-OnnaMt. Kurama Karasu-TenguNeko-SenninMermaid ChildObariyonShisaYakanzuruYama-WarawaZashiki-Warashi
Akaname & Shiro-UneriAkashitaAmamehagiFukuro-SageKaminariKashaKeukegen & Gasha-DokuroMizu-Sennin
Xú FúYōkaChiisuttā no Kami
v  e
2007 Series Yōkai and other Mystical Beings
Kitarō and Allies
Threats
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