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mementomoryo — XIII: OKIKU

Published: 2005-08-01 00:52:08 +0000 UTC; Views: 10229; Favourites: 216; Downloads: 460
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Description Thirteenth in the "Women of Japanese Horror" series. Man, when I am I going to stop!? *hand withers and dies*

Okiku is the central character in the story/play "Banchou Sarayashiki" (The Ban-cho Dishhouse). She was the victim of one big nasty "oh, shit!" moment that, in reality, wasn't her fault. She was the servant girl of a wealthy couple, and was in charge of washing their dishes. The wife of the couple became jealous of Okiku's beauty, so she broke an extremely expensive heirloom dish and made Okiku believe it was her fault (poor girl). Okiku, feeling utterly ashamed, committed suicide by throwing herself down an abandoned well (sound familiar, Ringworms?).

After that, a plague of beetles swept over the couple's crops, totalling everything in their path (the bugs were later named "Okiku-mushi" for obvious reasons by the locals). And every night, Okiku's ghost would climb out of the well, count slowly to 10 (10 being the number of plates in the broken one's set), and then scream in agony. The wife soon went mad and killed herself.

Lovely sotry, isn't it? See, kiddies, never try framing somebody for what you did. it's not nice and it'll cost you a fortune in exterminator fees.

And by the way, those big brushy blobs of paint are my attempt at chrysanthemums.

Pencil, watercolor.

Okiku © herself and those who wrote her story down.
Art © Me
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Comments: 119

girlgunner [2012-04-01 03:19:35 +0000 UTC]

Ah yes, the 'Ghost in the Well'.

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classicblue [2008-07-18 19:51:29 +0000 UTC]

I do like this version of the story.

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Tye-Fu [2007-09-15 03:36:31 +0000 UTC]

Isn't that also the one were a monk appeased her spirit but shouting "10" just after she says 9? As according to the legend, when she got to the tenth plate, (the one "she broke" *cough cough*), she would loudly wail and scream and plunge back into the well. I also heard that it was the man of the house that killed her. Anyway, great piece non-the-less!

Btw, have you ever heard of the one about the crazy doll in the toilets of Japanese high schools? I can't remember her name though ....

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Casandraelf In reply to Tye-Fu [2008-12-17 17:32:25 +0000 UTC]

yep. some versions say that it's an eleven or twelve plate set. she wails/screams in agony due to the broken plate, i guess. i think there might even be a version where she breaks a plate by accident and gets killed because of her mistake.

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animelover-41491 [2007-07-12 18:19:23 +0000 UTC]

I've seen this story before, but I guess there's a few versions.
The one I heard is on Wikipedia. Basically, it said that she was a very pretty servant girl who caught her master's eye. She refused to marry him, so he broke a a plate from a twelve-set of plates that was a family heirloom. Then he went to her and said that she would be forgiven, if she agreed to marry him. She still refused, and he was so furious that he killed her, and then dumped her body in a nearby well. Okiku, however, came back to haunt him (and everyone else within hearing distance) by coming out every night and counting the plates--"one. . .two. . .three. . .four. . .etc"--until she got to the last one (the eleventh one) and would burst into sobbing (and LOUD) hysterics, reppeating this pattern throughout the night. There's two main endings: 1) the former master finally goes insane and kills himself, or 2) someone finally wises up and yells "TWELVE!" right after Okiku counts the eleventh plate.
Either way, she finds peace , but personally, I hope the real ending is the first. That guy doesn't deserve a happy ending.

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Casandraelf In reply to animelover-41491 [2008-12-17 17:33:35 +0000 UTC]

yeah, it also says that you can keep her from bothering you by shouting the number of the last plate, should you run into her while wandering around japan

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Otorii [2006-12-14 06:35:27 +0000 UTC]

very very perfect
...*-*
wow

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watercereal [2006-09-11 10:22:32 +0000 UTC]

I've always loved Banchou Sarayashiki. <3 I haven't seen much artwork of Okiku on DA...not that I've been here more than, like, ten minutes as I'm writing this, but I've totally searched for a long time before joining. xD

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Ringworm7 [2005-09-12 01:00:32 +0000 UTC]


hmm an abandoned well you say? Very nice work as always! I just love the blues
you use and the triangle trademark of yours. Your painting and mixed media techniques are so amazing
and the details are envy-inducing enough to make me wish my backyard had an old well in it!

It's been a while since I've seen any of your pieces / updated my dA page for that matter
so I'm gonna watch out for your new stuff and be more social .. If you even remember meh

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mementomoryo In reply to Ringworm7 [2005-09-12 23:56:26 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

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Blexnik [2005-09-11 00:15:03 +0000 UTC]

Another fantastic piece. The entire painting tells a story... And I just love the look on her face.

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mementomoryo In reply to Blexnik [2005-09-13 00:05:08 +0000 UTC]

Thank you.

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WhoTookVaron [2005-08-29 17:58:20 +0000 UTC]

The figure in the corner looks very different from your usual style... Have you considered doing original character comics and whatnot?

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mementomoryo In reply to WhoTookVaron [2005-08-31 14:35:00 +0000 UTC]

I sometimes come up with original characters and stories, but for some reason they never seem to make it to visible form. :/ Mysterious, no?

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WhoTookVaron In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-31 16:34:41 +0000 UTC]

Extremely.

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EmperorNortonII [2005-08-22 04:55:17 +0000 UTC]

Could this be the Japanese counterpart to the Irish banshee?

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woefulinfinity [2005-08-09 01:40:32 +0000 UTC]

Crazy.. Broken plates... I like the little ghost and the well in the corner. I like the old woman's ghostly figure in the corner. Also, the beetle growing out of the flower is cool. Eeep. bug motif. Y_Y

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mementomoryo In reply to woefulinfinity [2005-08-09 17:51:53 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! Are you a bug-fearer, by the way?

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woefulinfinity In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-10 00:49:41 +0000 UTC]

Lol. Sort of. Poisonous ones and large quantities of them get to me. XD; Like, two or three praying matises are realy neat, but five hundred angry wasps is downright frightening. >.>;

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mementomoryo In reply to woefulinfinity [2005-08-10 18:59:11 +0000 UTC]

Gah, same here! I'm pretty allergic to bee/wasp/hornet stings, so I avoid those guys like the plague.

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Light-Archangel [2005-08-08 00:38:55 +0000 UTC]

OH WOW!! IS really great!! Girl!! I love your stories!! (I know I know, they aren't yours but.. you're telling them) hee hee Congrats!!

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mementomoryo In reply to Light-Archangel [2005-08-08 00:59:53 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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Light-Archangel In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-08 19:33:00 +0000 UTC]

wawawa! you're welcome!

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mementomoryo In reply to Light-Archangel [2005-08-09 17:54:31 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! So are you!

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Light-Archangel In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-10 16:52:07 +0000 UTC]

Hee hee girl.. may I ask your age? >.< just curiosity hee hee

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mementomoryo In reply to Light-Archangel [2005-08-10 18:51:06 +0000 UTC]

I'm 19, turning 20 in November.

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Light-Archangel In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-11 04:39:00 +0000 UTC]

O_O OH MY!!! YOu're very young!! T_T I can't believe it, you're almost my age, but you're incredible far talent >.< girl, you're so amazing!

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mementomoryo In reply to Light-Archangel [2005-08-11 12:25:46 +0000 UTC]

Hahaha, really, you think so? Thank you!

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Light-Archangel In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-11 17:48:40 +0000 UTC]

XD yeah! I really mean it! XD you're welcome! just! keep like that!

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gato-yagami [2005-08-07 19:21:43 +0000 UTC]

What a legend (supose this is a legend), it's very impressive the way you captured the scence of the moment... congrats my dear

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mementomoryo In reply to gato-yagami [2005-08-07 22:24:57 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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gato-yagami In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-22 02:25:00 +0000 UTC]

So lovely, ur welcome

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creatureweakness [2005-08-07 17:25:05 +0000 UTC]

XD throwing yourself down a well cause of a broken plate? Someone has guilt issues XDDD Great dark themed painting. I think the chrysanthemums look great

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mementomoryo In reply to creatureweakness [2005-08-07 22:25:52 +0000 UTC]

I think it was more about social pressure than guilt issues, but it's a good joke nonetheless. XD Thanks!

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aseariel [2005-08-06 04:20:26 +0000 UTC]

poor thing

i like the blue chrysanthemums, though

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mementomoryo In reply to aseariel [2005-08-08 00:26:58 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I sympathise with her. Thanks very much.

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aseariel In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-08 00:48:51 +0000 UTC]

no problem

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IrregularChild [2005-08-05 01:01:38 +0000 UTC]

Wow..o.o;; Neat story, but I love the way you portrayed it. xD

Actually..funny story..kinda weird..but sad/funny. ack..I dunno.

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mementomoryo In reply to IrregularChild [2005-08-09 17:56:40 +0000 UTC]

Heh, thanks!

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ReikaiRose61 [2005-08-04 04:47:47 +0000 UTC]

LOVE IT! as always!

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mementomoryo In reply to ReikaiRose61 [2005-08-04 13:53:32 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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ReikaiRose61 In reply to mementomoryo [2005-08-05 03:00:11 +0000 UTC]

welcome~

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Spleef [2005-08-03 06:09:29 +0000 UTC]

Poor girl

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mementomoryo In reply to Spleef [2005-08-03 13:23:54 +0000 UTC]

Yeah.

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treeflyer [2005-08-03 03:42:18 +0000 UTC]

This looks awesome. Her expression is very intense. I love the figure of the wife in the upper corner, looks very evil.
Very nice, though. Great work.

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mementomoryo In reply to treeflyer [2005-08-03 13:25:13 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I was surprised with myself on how evil I made her look. All I really did was scribble randomly. ^^ Thanks!

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kuzzo [2005-08-03 01:13:56 +0000 UTC]

....

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mementomoryo In reply to kuzzo [2005-08-03 01:19:42 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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Evil-Urd [2005-08-01 22:18:15 +0000 UTC]

poor okiku, life was very unfair with her, life is a bitch sometimes... and also the wife that framed her

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mementomoryo In reply to Evil-Urd [2005-08-02 14:38:33 +0000 UTC]

Aye, quite true! Thanks!

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