"Moon Princess" Fable in Okami

Another "Okami" post. I know. However, after finding a collection of Japanese myths and folktales, I found a story in that book which I remembered from "Okami". The legend of the Moon Princess is one that is widely known in Japan. To summarize, a poor bamboo-cutter is out one night, and sees a bamboo stalk that has a radiant light coming from it. He cuts it open, and sees a beautiful baby girl. He takes her home to his wife, and they raise the child. As the child grows, she becomes famous for her beauty and radiance, with kings and commoners alike in love with her. The day comes when Kaguya-hime (Moon Princess) is summoned back to the moon. she does, but leaves behind a garment to remind her guardians of her love for them.

"Okami" uses this legend for one of the stages in the game, and the details are very accurate. A humorous element is even mixed in by making the princess have rabbit ears, referencing another popular Japanese myth; the rabbit in the moon legend goes along with the Moon Princess legend. The player must find the princess and free her from the evil emperor, so she can return to the moon.

So, yet another reason to check out "Okami". You can get a literary education.

Okami Amaterasu: The Sun Goddess featured in a videogame?

Folklore and mythology have long been rich forms of storytelling. Many movies, games, books, and other forms of art often have their base in a story that has deep cultural roots. Valkyrie Profile, God of War, and Okami are just a few that come to mind. Valkyrie Profile deals with Norse mythology, God of War with Greek, and Okami with Japanese. I think Okami is unique for the way it interprets the characters and the visual representation of the Japanese culture.

Originally made for the PlayStation 2, Okami is a platforming game where the player controls the character Amaterasu...fondly called Ami-chan throughout the game. Ami-chan is the reincarnation of Okami Amaterasu, brought back to save Japan from destruction by demons.

The battle system for the game is unique and beautifully executed. Players have the traditional normal weapon attacks, but the fun comes from calligraphy style symbols the player draws, calling on special abilities and attacks. This is particularly easy to use in the Wii version of the game. The motion controls are so intuitive for drawing the symbols, and the power of the attacks increases the bigger you draw the symbol on the screen. Bosses have to be defeated using a conglomeration of each style, with the player figuring out how to use the calligraphy attacks to inflict damage.

The visual style of the game is reminiscent of a watercolor or sumi-e style painting. Bright, vivid watercolor style colors give the game an artistic feel that transports you to feudal era Japan. I love the bright colors and stylization personally. If the execution had been blurry or less-detailed, there is no way possible this look could've worked. However, whenever an area is cleared of corruption, there is a gorgeous sequence showing the land being restored to its former glory that I NEVER get tired of. It's very inspiring to watch and refreshes you in preparation for the next series of lands in the game.

The soundtrack can be haunting and creepy at times. One level has the player exploring a partially-sunken ship at night, and the spirits on the ship block the player's view, making for a difficult and odd situation. The music accents the visuals in the best possible way, and you find yourself humming a track without even realizing it.

I really like the way the game incorporates Japanese customs and lore, making the game a rather educational experience rather than just mindless fun. It actually inspired me to learn more about Amaterasu and Japanese myths.

For Wii and PlayStation 2 owners who are also fans of platforming games, or just wonderful games in general, Okami is a must buy. I can recommend this game to anyone with no reservations, and this is the game that I can convince people to buy at work. Seriously. Don't ask me about Okami if you're not ready to spend money because you will walk out of the store ready to play it.