Part 32: Okami Artbook 1
Kamui Characters
Oina Warrior - Oki
"When the twin peaks of Ezofuji - the holy mountain that watches over Kamui - were taken over by a pair of twin demons, Oki took the treasured sword that stands guard over Kamui, without permission.
Oki is driven by a strong sense of justice, and believed that the only way to protect the land, and the people he loves was with the treasured sword, Kutone, in his hand."
Oina Girls - Kai (Deer mask) and Lika (Leaf mask)
Kai
"One of the only people who truly understands Oki, she is concerned for Kamui, threatened as it is, by a deep freeze."
Lika
"Kai's little sister. Having powers greater than the village elder, she was a threat to the twin demons."
Elder of Wep'Keer - Kemu
"The elder and former leader of Wep'keer. Wounded in his last battle against the twin genies, he passed his leadership to Samikle. Through the "volcanic incantation" spell, he has been supressing the demons by causing Ezofuji to erupt regularly. However, due to his aging, his power has recently been dwindling."
Oina Warrior - Samikle
"The Oina tribe's greatest warrior, and current leader. As the leader, he must remain in the village to protect the tribe, but because the blood of a warrior flows through his veins, he desperately wants to fight the demons. Though he cannot easily forgive Oki for stealing the treasured sword and leaving the village, he can understand his feelings better than anyone."
Oina Shaman - Tuskle
"A shaman who continues to pray for Kamui's safety at the entrance to Wawku Shrine."
Enemies
Oki
Namahage
"A demon that embodies the loneliness inherent in snowy regions. He runs around screaming violently while seeking out hard-working folks. If you encounter a Namahage, you are advised into acting as lazy as possible, in order to confuse the Namahage into thinking that you are one of them."
Blade Namahage
"This Namahage carries a large cleaver with him, while he runs around looking for hard workers and causing trouble. Despite his fierce appearance, it is said that he will retreat as soon as someone takes his cleaver away from him."
Umbrella Namahage
"This Namahage flies through the air with his paper umbrella on cold and windy nights, to assualt his targets. Should the intended victim shout 'My, what a hard worker you are to be naviagting the skies on such a windy night!', he hesitates in confusion and disappears."
Bucket Namahage
"This Namahage conceals himself under accumulated snow, trapping hard-working folks in his wooden bucket as they pass by. In order to avoid the Bucket Namahage's trap, you need only to clap your hands together before stepping over the mount of snow, under which the fiend is hiding. Doing so will ensure that the Namahage does not see you as you step over him."
Cannon Namahage
"A peculiar Namahage who targets those that scare easily or lack bravery. He appears before such cowards, shouting 'I am here to scold your cowardice!', which tends to surprise and scare his victims. One could consider them rather nice, all things considered."
Igloo Turtle
"A straw raincoat trainsformed by Orochi's power, this demon resembles a snow hut. Lost and weary travellers seek shelter in this snow hut, only to discover no protection from the cold at all.
By the time they realise their fatal mistake, the demon has them trapped within the hut, and they are doomed to suffer a freezing death."
Concept Art
Oki
quote:
The idea that Oina tribe members could transform into wolves came up mid-development, and I remeber redrafting accordingly.
This was about the time he got his fiery red hair.
The Oina tribe were heavily influenced by the Ainu peoples, and the Native Americans.
quote:
The masks they wear represent the divine spirit they worship, and it is their way of staying close to said spirit. The masks were definitely not just a cover-up to avoid the hassle of designing more faces...no, they carry a much deeper meaning.
Samikle
quote:
Samikle was designed as a rival character to Oki, so they are complete opposites.
Kai and Lika
quote:
Kai has not changed since her initial conception. I'd wanted her to be brimming with lively energy, so we tied her hair back, and had her running around in bare feet.
Staff members say that Kai's mask is a little scary looking.
Lika is able to communicate with Poncles, se we made her a mask out of a butterbur leaf.
We did design actual faces for these girls, but we will leave them to your imagination.
Namahage
quote:
These guys all but drew themselves once I heard the name (lol) [sic]. I really liked the face of the black Namahage form the scroll. It is seriously scary. I think that is how truly scary faces look.
Igloo Turtle
quote:
Surrounded by snow, the identity of this demon is a one-legged boy called Snowboy. Using his powers, he moves the entire hut when attacking his victims, and this entity as a whole is known as the Igloo Turtle.