Lafcadio Hearn’s short story, Mujina, from Kwaidan – Stories and Studies of Strange Things, depicts a creepy Japanese supernatural creature called a noppera-bō, or mujina.
The noppera-bō (のっぺらぼう) or 野箆坊, or faceless ghost, is a Japanese yōkai that looks like a human but has no face.
They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mujina, an old Japanese word for a badger or raccoon dog. Although the mujina can assume the form of the other, noppera-bō are usually disguised as humans. Such creatures were thought to sometimes transform themselves into noppera-bō in order to frighten humans.
Lafcadio Hearn used the animals’ name as the title of his story about faceless monsters, probably resulting in the misused terminology.
Noppera-bō are known primarily for frightening humans, but are usually otherwise harmless.
They appear at first as ordinary human beings, sometimes impersonating someone familiar to the victim, before causing their features to disappear, leaving a blank, smooth sheet of skin where their face should be.
No-Face is a fascinating character in the Japanese animated film Spirited Away.
Spirited Away (Japanese: 千と千尋の神隠し, Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, lit. ’Sen and Chihiro’s Spiriting Away’) is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho. … In Spirited Away, Chihiro “Sen” Ogino moves to a new neighborhood and inadvertently enters the world of kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore). After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba, Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba’s bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world.[…]
Spirited Away’s worldwide box office total stands at US$395,802,070. […]
Additional themes are expressed through No-Face, who reflects the characters who surround him, learning by example and taking the traits of whomever he consumes. This nature results in No-Face’s monstrous rampage through the bathhouse. After Chihiro saves No-Face with the emetic dumpling, he becomes timid once more. At the end of the film, Zeniba decides to take care of No-Face so he can develop without the negative influence of the bathhouse.
No-Face is an enigmatic figure in the world-renowned film Spirited Away from Studio Ghibli. He is introduced innocently enough, but quickly becomes a menace in Yubaba’s Bathhouse. He is a constant presence throughout protagonist Chihiro Ogino’s journey and has become one of the most iconic symbols of the film. Because nothing is stated outright, however, many viewers are left wondering what No-Face represents. […]
While there are many types of spirits and creatures within the world of Spirited Away, there are none as notorious as No-Face. No-Face (known as Kaonashi in Japanese) initially appears as an all-black apparition with a stoic white mask. He communicates only through soft grunts at first and charitably hands out gold nuggets to anyone willing to help him or give him hospitality. Yet, the more people give No-Face what he wants, the more he craves. […]
However, No-Face seems most interested in getting Chihiro’s attention. This is most likely because she was the first person to show kindness to him; thus he has taken an interest in her, but it may also be because she keeps refusing his offers. When Chihiro finally turns her attention back to him, it is to help him, not partake in the same greed that he is. The purging returns No-Face to his original, ghostly self, and he remains a mostly silent friend to Chihiro throughout the rest of the film. No-Face accompanies Chihiro on her journey and is then able to learn many of the same lessons she does, going through his own form of character growth. […]
Ultimately, No-Face is a representation of two economic phenomena: capitalism and consumerism. Both may seem harmless at first, but can create real problems if left unchecked.
The CBR is a pretty cool web site. I bet their staff meetings are a blast.
About CBR CBR was founded in 1995 and acquired by Valnet since 2016. Upon its launch CBR quickly became the go-to source for comics industry news, discussions, and community. Since then, CBR continues to attract a large and engaged readership. Our goal is to provide anyone interested in pop culture, superheroes, and geek entertainment with information and resources that deepen appreciation and investment in their fandoms, including Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Dragon Ball, Lord of the Rings, and more. – CBR / About
At the time of this blott’s publication, we do not have any information about the CBR staff’s high school alma maters (Latin for nourishing mothers), so we were unable to provide their up-to-date school cafeteria menus. If any CBR staffers would like to provide this information, please contact us at seriousInquiriesOnly@wlbott.com
We applaud the transparency, thoughtfulness, and integrity that CBR has put into their standards. CBR/Valnet upholds the following standards:
Reliability
Originality
Independence
Recency
Conflicts of Interest
Image Credits
Accuracy
Sponsor Transparency
Rating Methodology
Embargoes and Spoilers
Affiliate Disclaimer
WLBOTT also adheres to many of these standards, more or less, más o menos, but not out of any sense of integrity – more out of a lack of opportunity to be corrupted. Our handful of visitors barely have the financial resources to buy dental floss, let alone click on any ads. (UC#2 says that there is an element of Plato’s The Just City in our inability to be corrupted. We have no idea what he means.)
In a “Just City,” you can just leave your balls of twine unattended. Nobody will mess with them.
No-Face Visits WLBOTT HQ
To improve moral, we asked No-Face to give a pep-talk to our board, staff, and the unpaid interns.
Tess Talks Twine with No-Face
During his/her visit to WLBOTT HQ, Tess Twinehart had an opportunity to interview (and provide impromtu therapy for) No-Face.
Tess and No-Face have common ground in their shared experience of being misunderstood. Tess, as a former therapist for barnyard animals, has dealt with creatures who struggle to communicate their emotions. No-Face, meanwhile, has a history of absorbing the emotions and desires of others, often without knowing how to express its own feelings.
Tess Twinehart Interviews No-Face
Tess Twinehart (scribbling notes on a twine-wrapped notepad): “Alright, Mr. No-Face, welcome to Tess Talks Twine: A Love Column for the Lovelorn and the Lost. I understand you’re seeking guidance in the realm of personal relationships?”
No-Face (tilts head slightly, emitting a soft, echoing sigh): “Mmmm…” (produces a handful of gold coins and places them on the table).
Tess (raising an eyebrow): “Ah, bribery. Classic move. But, sweetheart, love isn’t a transaction. You can’t win affection by just throwing shiny things at people.”
No-Face (slowly retracts the gold coins, looking slightly deflated): “Mmm…” (produces a small, delicately wrapped ball of twine and pushes it forward).
Tess (softens, adjusting her wimple): “Now we’re getting somewhere. Thoughtful gestures can be a start—though in my experience, twine gifts are best suited for WLBOTT initiations and poultry-themed nuptials. Tell me, what do you want out of a relationship?”
No-Face (pauses, then gestures vaguely toward the scattered tractor parts, as if searching for the right words): “…Mmm…”
Tess (nodding sagely): “Ah, you want connection, but you struggle to express yourself. That tracks. I had a rooster client once who was madly in love with a duck but couldn’t figure out how to crow in a way she understood. You remind me of him.”
No-Face (tilts its head, intrigued).
Tess: “You absorb other people’s emotions, right? That’s gotta be exhausting. Have you considered setting boundaries? Maybe finding someone who values you for you, and not just for what you reflect back at them?”
No-Face (nods slowly, then pushes forward a small, sad-looking flower, as if offering it to Tess).
Tess (smiles, taking the flower and wrapping a piece of twine around its stem): “Now that’s a good start. Small, meaningful gestures. But before we go deeper, tell me—how do you feel about tractor repair? Because I see some metaphorical parallels we could explore here.”
No-Face (pauses, then solemnly picks up a wrench).
Tess (grinning): “Atta spirit. Alright, let’s get to work.”
Tess helps No-Face navigate the world of love, self-expression, and the metaphorical beauty of fixing broken machinery.
It was quite an emotional roller coaster as No-Face opened up emotionally.
As often happens between therapist and patient, Tess experiences some transference from the session with No-Face, but accepts it as a professional hazard and shoulders on.
