Hanyō

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A han'yō (半妖, also romanized Hanyō, Han'you, or Hanyou^?), appearing in modern Japanese manga and anime, is the product of a union between a supernatural being (commonly a yōkai) and a human. A common translation is "half-demon", but this is misleading as demon has negative connotations in English while in Japanese yō or ayakashi merely means "supernatural entities" (excluding kami). The term may also be used to describe a person born between an elf or a fairy though such use is far rarer. Depending on the parentage, they may be further classified. Those born between a demon and a human may be called hanma, while those born between an oni and a human may be called hanki. In a very rare case, han'yō's traits may appear many generations later, which will be called senzo-gaeri.

1 Characteristics
2 In folklore
3 Notable examples
- 3.1 In animation
- 3.2 In live Action

[edit] Characteristics

Han'yō often have characteristics from both parents but almost never quite equal to either. They enjoy a longer life than average humans and have abilities from his or her non-human parent. Their powers often make them an outsider to the human society, while their weakness compared to full non-human beings keep them out of the non-human society. They often adopt the human form as his or her regular appearance but those who consider themselves an outcast, commonly a villain may intentionally choose the non-human form.

Depending on the story, the han'yō may be the product of love or hate of parents which strongly influence his or her future self. Reaction of those around a han'yō varies from strong racism to muted indifference. For example, most han'yō from the anime and manga series InuYasha are conflicted and traumatized individuals, including the lead character InuYasha.

[edit] In folklore

Although the term "han'yō" is not commonly used in Japanese folklore and mythology, the notion of humans breeding with supernatural beings has its roots here. Most notably, Abe no Seimei, a historical onmyōji of the Heian Period, was rumored to be the child of a human and a shapeshifting fox.