ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Kuchisake Onna</title> <meta content="Mark Patraw" name=Author> <meta content="Images of, and information about, a "Kuchisake Onna (Slit-mouthed Woman)" figure made from a Spin Master Liv Spa Makeover Sophie doll, customized by Mark Patraw." name=Description> <meta content="Kuchisake Onna,slit-mouthed woman,doll,yokai,youkai,urban legend,myth,monster,creature,murderess,killer,Sophie,Liv,Spin Master,custom,fan art,figure,model,toy,Mark Patraw." name="Keywords"> </head> <body text=white link=e5ad6b bgcolor=black bgcolor=0b77fd bgproperties=fixed> <br> <br> <table width=90% align=center cellpadding=10 border=10 bordercolor=cf0404 bgcolor=0b77fd> <tr> <td> <center> <br> <br> <table align=center border=0> <tr> <td align=center> <font size=3>O0a0</font> <br> <font size=7>ãS</font> </td> <td align=center> <font size=3>U0</font> <br> <font size=7>ˆ</font> </td> <td align=center> <font size=3></font> <br> <font size=7>Q0</font> </td> <td align=center> <font size=3>J0“0j0</font> <br> <font size=7>sY</font> </td> </tr> </table> <br> <font size="7"><b><i>Kuchisake Onna</i></b></font> <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/cP1010012_zps9b9950cc.jpg~original" border=3."></center> <br> <EMBED src="LotMN_awaji.mid" width="0" height="0" autostart="true" loop="true" hidden="true"></center> <br> <p align=left> Kuchisake Onna (ãSˆQ0sY, literally "Slit-mouthed Woman") is a Japanese urban legend that was first reported in the late 1970s. The particulars of her story vary, as myths have a tendency to do, but usually she's described as having once been a beautiful young woman that was driven insane after an operation or accident left her mouth horribly disfigured. The psychotic Kuchisake Onna now spends all of her time hunting the streets of Japan for solitary individuals to vent her rage upon (no one is safe from her predations, night or day, but school children are her preferred victims). With her damaged face concealed behind a surgical mask (which is not at all unusual in Japan, as many citizens wear them in public to prevent spreading, or catching, viruses), she corners her intended prey and then asks of him or her, "Do you think I'm beautiful?" If they answer "No", they are immediately attacked, if they reply "Yes", Kuchisake Onna leans in, removes her mask, and shrieks, "Even like this?" At that point, you're almost certainly doomed, regardless of whether you reply in the affirmative/negative, attempt to flee, or most likely of all, just stand there gaping at her in horrified silence, as nothing, except bloody violence, will satisfy Kuchisake Onna. The enraged butcher proceeds to either kill you outright or slice open your mouth until you resemble her, utilizing various edged implements (she tends to favor a pair of scissors, a sickle, or a knife as her weapon of choice). <br> <br> Outrunning Kuchisake Onna is nearly impossible, as her superhuman speed is legendary (she's capable of sprinting 100 yards in 3 seconds--some versions of the story explain this to be a result of her having been an Olympics-level athlete before her accident). However, there are several ways to thwart her. The first, and easiest, is to answer her "Am I beautiful?" question with, "You're average or so-so", instead of "Yes" or "No", as non-committal replies confuse the deranged lady, giving one time to escape. Similarly, you can frazzle her by ignoring her questions altogether and giving voice to one of your own instead, such as, "Do you think <b>I'm</b> pretty?" Yet another option is to claim that you're late for another engagement and don't have time to talk. In other words, Kuchisake Onna has a very one-track mind; she has great difficulty in dealing with individuals that won't play into the role that her ritualized attack process requires. Kuchisake Onna also loves sweets, particularly hard candy, so she can be temporarily distracted by giving her some of those if you happen to be carrying any when you meet her. Finally, Kuchisake Onna absolutely loathes the smell of hair Pomade (supposedly because the doctor/dentist/lover responsible for her disfigurement reeked of it) and will flee if she so much as catches a whiff of the stuff--some even say that just chanting the word Pomade three times can drive her away. <br> <br> I purchased a bunch of secondhand toys from the local St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store on Black Friday (11/28/14), including a 2011 Spin Master <i>Liv</i> Spa Makeover Sophie fashion doll for fifty cents. The gimmick with that particular assortment of figures was that their lips, eye shadow, finger/toenails, and the streaks in their hair all change color with the application of hot/cold water. Here's what Sophie looked like when I bought her, and before her transformation into the infamous Slit-mouthed Woman: <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap004/2B_barbie_sophie_G35x3_butterbear_zps58fa4ba2.jpg~original" border=5"></p> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/cP1010002_zps61c15150.jpg~original" border=3></p> I removed Sophie's dress and wig cap, completely covered her head with plastic wrap to protect it, and then began to build up a gory, slit-mouthed veneer over her lower face using paper, white glue, and cardboard. Once I had it modeled to my satisfaction, I painted it with acrylics, enhanced the outlines of the teeth with ink, and then sealed it with transparent gloss nail polish to give the gash a nasty wet look. As it was modeled directly onto Sophie's face and conforms to her features, the new mouth stays on via friction alone--no tape, glue, etc. is needed to keep it in place. <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/kuchisake_onna_animate_zpsi48m57dz.gif~original" border=5"></p> The plastic wrap also ensured that the new mouth could be easily removed when I was finished working on it, as white glue adheres very poorly to that material. <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/kuchisake_onna_fab2_zps45800c0d.jpg~original" border=3"></p> Here we have the unassembled newsprint handle and cardboard blade of Kuchisake Onna's kama (sickle) accessory (a common gardening/weeding implement in Japan). The finished weapon has an aluminum foil veneer on the blade. Like most fashion dolls, <i>Liv</i> figures' hands really aren't designed for holding accessories very well (the shape of the hands are usually optimized for sliding in-and-out of shirt sleeves more than anything else), so, I ended up securing the weapon into her grip with a transparent rubber band (which is typically what toy companies do for display purposes as well). If you really want to go through the trouble, it is often possible to tweak the shape of a toy's hands with the old hot/cold water trick (heat them up in boiling water, or with a hair dryer, to make the plastic more pliable, then bend/flex the fingers into the new configuration you want, and, finally, plunge them into cold water to "fix" the plastic into its new shape). <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/kuchisake_onna_fab3_zpsa86cd8ab.jpg~original" border=3"></p> Next, I played MacGyver to whip up her surgical mask. I cut out a rectangle of white material, from the pocket of an old pair of dress pants (there were already holes in them anyway), affixed medical tape to both ends of the fabric, to add strength so that the strings won't rip through the quartet of holes that I subsequently punched through the material/tape sandwich with a large sewing needle, and then threaded carpet fibers through the four holes and tied them off to make the strings (the other day, I cut some loose fibers off of an unraveling carpet, so our cats wouldn't chew on them, and stuck them in my pocket, figuring that I'd find a use for the threads, and sure enough, I did). <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/kuchisake_onna_fab4_zpsf3441eac.jpg~original" border=3"></p> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/kuchisake_onna_fab5_zps6743ce17.jpg~original" border=3"></p> While Kuchisake Onna can potentially be encountered clad in any sort of attire, I always think of her as wearing a trenchcoat, because that's what she's wearing in <i>Shin Megami Tensei If . . . (Super Reincarnation of the Goddess If . . .)</i>, a 1994 Japanese Super Famicom (SNES) video game that I like (and besides, everybody knows homicidal weirdos wear trenchcoats). Raiding the wardrobes of my other sixth-scale figures, I ended up putting my Kuchisake Onna's outfit together using garments from <i>X-Men 2</i> Nightcrawler (armless trenchcoat), <i>G.I.JOE: Ninja Showdown</i> Snake-Eyes (jumpsuit and shoes), and a <i>World Peacekeepers: Power Team Elite</i> Kawasaki KLR650 motorcycle soldier (belt). Finally, as most Japanese have black hair, I swapped out the blonde color-changing wig that Spa Makeover Sophie came with for an ebony one (with a purple streak) from one of my other <i>Liv</i> dolls. <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/Mtn2/SMT_IF_kuchisake_sprite.gif"></p> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/cP1010004_zps7240b22f.jpg~original" border=3></p> The final result: <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/cP1010005_zpsa37aa41d.jpg~original" border=3"></p> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/cP1010007_zps3404cf02.jpg~original" border=3"></p> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/cP1010010_zps08fde8bf.jpg~original" border=3"></p> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/cP1010006_zps6a9a3134.jpg~original" border=3"></p> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/cP1010015_zpse93cc0b6.jpg~original" border=3"></p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=brown>Materials:</font></b> <br> Spin Master <i>Liv: Spa Makeover</i> Sophie doll plus a black wig, with a purple streak, from another <i>Liv</i> doll, Hasbro <i>G.I.JOE: Ninja Showdown</i> Snake-Eyes bodysuit and shoes, Toy Biz <i>X-Men 2</i> Nightcrawler sleeveless trenchcoat, M&C Toy <i>World Peacekeepers: Power Team Elite</i> Kawasaki KLR 650 motorcycle soldier belt, cardboard from a cereal box, fabric from an old pair of pants, medical tape, carpet fibers, newsprint, lined white notebook paper, white glue, acrylic paint, ink, aluminum foil, and gloss nail polish.</p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=brown>Dimensions:</b></font> <br> 7.0 cm (2.8") wide x 30.3 cm (11.9") tall.</p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=brown>Articulation:</b></font> <br> 16 points: Neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, double-knees, and ankles.</p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=brown>Time:</font></b> <br> Two days. I got everything done except for the surgical mask on December 7<sup>th</sup> and finished things up the following morning on the 8<sup>th</sup>.</p> <br> <hr width=650 size=3 color=brown> <br> <br> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=brown>January 26<sup>th</sup>, 2015 Addendum:</font></b></p> This project was made specifically as an entry for a <a href="http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=436605.0">Super Ugly to Super Awesome </a> challenge at <a href="http://www.craftster.org">Craftster</a>. The object of said contest was to alter an object purchased from a thrift store for $20 or less. <br> <br> I was fortunate enough to be awarded first place in said challenge, as decided by a voting poll open to all of Craftster's forum members (thanks everybody!) The winners of Craftster's monthly challenges usually get to select any one item from <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/craftster?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=aw&utm_term=85386&utm_content=0&awc=4102_1411133738_e34a5ff4f1d4a4c04b5f2d8f3308f6c6">their</a> <a href="http://www.shop.craftster.org/">online</a> <a href="http://70592.spreadshirt.com/">shops</a> as a prize. After some consideration, I decided on a Craftster Pirate "I Run With Scissors" Tote Bag, but the virtual stores also carry a variety of other items including clothing, mugs, etc. My package arrived in the mail on 1/24/15: <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap004/kuchisake_prize1_zpsbea31fcb.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The bag is made out of canvas, weighs 10 oz., and measures 15" x 18" x 6". In addition to the version I selected, the store has several other tote bag designs to choose from too. I almost went with the "Rock is Dead, Long Live Paper and Scissors" one instead, but I like how the typical bones of the Jolly Roger are replaced with a cutting implement here, which goes along great with the fun catch phrase. <br> <br> Speaking of which, Kuchisake Onna would like you all to know that: <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap004/kuchisake_prize2_zpsd2559640.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> So, now that I've got a lovely new bag, what am I going to do with the thing? Stuff it full of dolls! <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap004/kuchisake_prize3_zps623439fc.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> <br> <hr width=650 size=3 color=brown> <br> <br> <center><font size=+1 color=brown><b>REFERENCES:</b><br></font></center> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai</i> <br> Foster, Michael Dylan. <br> 2008 University of California Press, USA. </li> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Yokai Attack!</i> <br> Alt, Matt & Yoda, Hiroko. <br> 2008 Kodansha International, Ltd. Tokyo, Japan. </li> <br> <br> <br> <p align=center><a href="misc_art.html"><font size="5">&laquo; Return to my Miscellaneous Artwork Gallery Index Page</a></font> <br> <br> <br> <font size="2"><i>This is a nonprofit web site. <br> <br> Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted on this page belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely Spin Master and Atlus. <br> <br> The midi music playing is the "Awaji" theme from Konami's SNES Legend of the Mystical Ninja (a.k.a., Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyuushutsu Emaki) video game.</i></p> <br> </td> </tr> </table> </body> <br> <br> </html>
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