“To make the design match Monster Hunter’s world, we made the Izuchi raptor-type creatures,” Ichinose adds. The kamaitachi strikes with either its scythe-shaped tail or its hands, which is why it should be no surprise that the Great Izuchi’s tail has the shape of a giant scythe as well. “The kamaitachi work together in a group of three, which is why the Great Izuchi has two regular Izuchi help out,” Ichinose explains. The kamaitachi is a weasel-like creature that attacks people in the midst of a whirlwind, but it attacks so fast that its victims don’t even notice. Great Izuchi The Great Izuchi was inspired by kamaitachi, one of the sneakiest yokai. “Legends say that kappa enjoy sumo wrestling, which is why Tetranadon uses famous sumo wrestling attacks like open-hand strikes, or tsuppari,” Ichinose adds. Another renowned characteristic of kappa is the dish-shaped depression on top of their head, which can be seen on Tetranadon’s head as well, giving it a slightly more cute look than your average Monster Hunter creature. Turtles, crocodiles… even platypuses!” Ichinose recalls. “We looked at creatures that live near water. While Tetranadon’s design obviously does not resemble a young boy, you can definitely notice its turtle heritage. A kappa is a green creature that is often depicted as a mix between a young boy and a turtle. “When it closes its wings, its patterns resemble an umbrella with a long tongue, which is a hallmark of kasa-obake’s feisty attitude.” Tetranadon The Tetranadon was based on kappa, one of the most common yokai in Japanese folklore, with many legends and stories that have spread throughout the country. “When a crane stands on one foot, it looks just like an umbrella, which is why we chose to combine them together,” says Ichinose. Kasa-obake have appeared in other video games such as Nioh, Yo-kai Watch 2 and Pocky & Rocky as well. Aknosom The Aknosom was designed as a combination between a crane and kasa-obake, a well-known yokai that is shaped like an umbrella. Apart from the obvious Japanese inspirations, Ichinose says that Magnamalo’s design was also inspired by tigers that inhabit other Asian countries. “That’s why Magnamalo emits a gas from his body that looks like onibi (ghost light),” explains Ichinose. While not a yokai per se, an armored samurai ghost is a well-known image, and we took this as the base for Magnamalo’s design.” Ichinose further explains that hitodama, or balls of fire that float around at night, are often associated with armored samurai ghosts, as they are said to be the souls of the dead. “The main inspiration for Magnamalo came from samurai armor. Magnamalo “ Magnamalo will be Rise’s main monster, and is Kamura Village’s biggest threat together with The Rampage,” says Ichinose. Ichinose gave us a thorough explanation of how seven of these monsters came to be. 44 Images See all the comparisons between monsters and yokai in the slide-show above with additional concept art and explanations! To give The Rampage an authentic feel that actually resembles Hyakki Yako’s parade of ghosts, Ichinose and his team sought inspiration from yokai as well as other Japanese legendary creatures and stories for Rise’s new monsters.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |