Onihitokuchi
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Onihitokuchi (鬼一口, lit. Demon Bite) are a kind of demon from Japanese folklore. One appears in episode 102 of the 1974 tokusatsu yokai series, Go! Kotaro Ushiwaka, titled "Onihitokuchi."
Name
Onihitokuchi's name is a combination of the Japanese words oni (鬼), meaning "demon," and hitokuchi (一口), meaning "bite" or "mouthful."
Design
The Onihitokuchi's body is primarily composed of its giant, orange head, which appears similar to that of a dragon. It has a huge gaping mouth, which is nearly the same height as its entire body when fully opened, and is fitted with several sharp teeth. Atop its head are two small, grey horns which curve inwards, as well as comparatively small eyes and bushy, black eyebrows just above its mouth. Onihitokuchi lacks arms entirely, but does possess grey human-like legs.
History
Showa era
Go! Kotaro Ushiwaka
"Onihitokuchi"
Onihitokuchi appears sitting atop a leafy field, and is approached by Coonjo, who begins to inspect the creature's teeth with her sword, prompting him to bite down on her. Quickly escaping the yokai's maw, Coonjo instructs him to strike Kotaro Ushiwaka and his companions. Suddenly, as Kotaro, Uragira, and Nyudo are walking through a field, Unihitokuchi jumps out and begins to chase down Uragira and Nyudo whilst ominously biting at them. As Nyudo falls to the ground, Onihitokuchi continues pursuing Uragira, who is eventually caught in the monster's jaws. Kotaro quickly acts to free his comrade, pushing Uragira out of the yokai's mouth and propping it open with his naginata. Although unable to successfully bite down, Onihitokuchi continues to chase after the bunch. As the creature continues to lunge at Kotaro, the hero dodges and soon chops the naginata out from Onihitokuchi's mouth, knocking out its front teeth in the process. Furiously, Onihitokuchi barrels toward Kotaro, but soon decides to turn to Uragira and Nyudo. As the two are chased into a small clearing, Coonjo appears and blocks the only escape, leaving Uragira and Nyudo trapped. With some quick thinking, Kotaro requests Nyudo to throw his club to him, to which he complies. Now wielding Nyudo's club, Kotaro leaps toward Onihitokuchi and bashes its remaining teeth out. Fearing defeat, Konjou and the yokai attempt to escape, but Kotaro manages to catch up and knock one of Onihitokuchi's horns off, causing it to combust into a display of smoke and flame.
Abilities
Mouth
Due to not possessing arms or any special abilities, Onihitokuchi's only weapon in combat is his giant mouth, which was shown to be large enough to nearly devour Uragira.
Weaknesses
Onihitokuchi's teeth are seemingly very fragile, being easily knocked out by Kotaro Ushiwaka's naginata and Nyudo's club. His primary weakness is his horns, as just knocking off one of them was enough to cause the yokai to explode.
Gallery
- Main article: Onihitokuchi/Gallery.
Trivia
- Onihitokuchi has a somewhat similar appearance to that of another Toho monster, Dragonda, which appeared in both the 1972 series, Assault! Human!! and 1973 series, Go! Greenman. It also resembles the T-Rex Dopant from Kamen Rider W, which appeared over three decades later.
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