Other enemies (including other youkai) exist as well. Players can encounter animated Cotton Balls, Garlic Cloves, Purses, and even imperialistic Lawn Gnomes. A variation of tsukumogami, known as The Animated, are the primary enemies in the Gaia Online MMO: zOMG!.Bob from Bob in a Bottle disguises himself as one, sometimes.The Luggage from Discworld acts a lot like a tsukumogami, and even comes from the Asian Fantasy Counterpart Culture, though it's actually made of "Sapient Pearwood".Omamori Himari features as one of its protagonists a tsukumogami based in an English teacup.He was given a human form by Enma Ai, so he could better work for her. Ichimoku Ren from Hell Girl is a tsukumogami specifically, he is the spirit of a sword.Asagiri no Miko has two Tsukumogami among its characters.In Love Hina, there is the Tsukumogami called "Moe", a near life-sized doll/puppet who comes to life about halfway through the series, disappears after spending some time with Keitaro, and reappears in the sequel OVA Love Hina Again.On the other hand, Kitsune, Kappa and Tanuki have garnered enough examples to warrant their own pages.
Many types of Youkai are exceedingly rare to find in modern media and so are not included. The list presented below is by no means complete.
See Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl for more information. Confusingly, however, the word obake can also be used to refer to ghosts, also known as yuurei. Derived from the word for “to change,” it generally covers the subset of youkai that includes shapeshifting animals and Animate Inanimate Objects. Obake is another Japanese word that can indicate some type of monster. Kinds of henge include Kitsune, Tanuki, and Nekomata. They often assume human form and get into all kinds of mischief. Henge, a subset of youkai, are magical animals with Shapeshifting powers and human intelligence. In Japan you've got exceptionally cute Fan Service protagonist Moka Akashiya, who is not undead, harbors no ill-will towards the sun, and drinks tiny amounts of blood that leave her "victim" light-headed at worst, but who has a Super-Powered Evil Side who can (and will if you look at her the wrong way) kick your ass thoroughly. In the West you've got Nosferatu-a grotesque, undead monster who burns in sunlight and murders to preserve his hideous unlife. Supernatural creatures drawn from Western sources often turn out to seem more like youkai in Japanese works. The closest true Western equivalent is probably that of the ancient Roman genii or spirits. This word is often translated as "demon" in Western translations, but that does not adequately describe the creatures in question. Shinto is an animist religion, and youkai are often associated with natural features such as forests and mountains. Some are mischievous, others avoid humans entirely. Some youkai are good, others are evil, and many are different. They have a lot in common with The Fair Folk from Western folklore. Youkai are a widely-varied collection of various supernatural creatures that pop up in Shinto religion.
"Various Yokai Flying out of Wicker Clothes Hamper" from the "Omoi Tsuzura" (おもゐつづら), Yoshitoshi