Qilin in popular culture
Encyclopedia
The Qilin
has appeared many times in works of popular culture.
Qilin
The Qilin is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a wise sage or an illustrious ruler. It is a good omen that brings rui . It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over...
has appeared many times in works of popular culture.
Literature
- In Jorge Luis BorgesJorge Luis BorgesJorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
's Book of Imaginary BeingsBook of Imaginary BeingsJorge Luis Borges wrote and edited the Book of Imaginary Beings in 1957 as the original Spanish Manual de zoología fantástica, or Handbook of Fantastic Zoology, expanding it in 1967 and 1969 to the final El libro de los seres imaginarios...
, there is a section on "The Unicorn of China", of which he writes:
"It is universally held that the unicorn is a supernatural being and of auspicious omen; so say the odes, the annals, the biographies of worthies, and other texts whose authority is unimpeachable. Even village women and children know that the unicorn is a lucky sign. But this animal does not figure among the barnyard animals, it is not always easy to come across, it does not lend itself to zoological classification. Nor is it like the horse or bull, the wolf or deer. In such circumstances we may be face to face with a unicorn and not know for sure that we are. We know that a certain animal with a mane is a horse and that a certain animal with horns is a bull. We do not know what the unicorn looks like."
- Herman, a character in Matthew PearlMatthew PearlMatthew Pearl is an American novelist and educator. His novels include The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow and The Last Dickens and have been published in more than 40 countries.-Biography:...
's The Last DickensThe Last DickensThe Last Dickens is a novel by Matthew Pearl published by Random House. It is a work of historical and literary fiction. The novel is a Washington Post Critics' Pick. It contains some characters from The Dante Club.-Plot summary:...
, carries a cane with a Kylin head attached to it.
- In the 2010 Novel, Raiju: A Kaiju Hunter Novel, Qilin is the name given to one of the two main giant monstersKaijuis a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
in the story. The monster Qilin is a kami, originally a benevolent water-god bound to a girl named Aimi, a Keeper. However, he was used by Aimi's father to clean up pollution and the pollutants corrupt him, turning him into a shape-shifting sludge monster. Qilin takes several forms, usually manifesting tendrils that mix the appearance of serpents and centipedes. His first manifested form resembles a frog and is the first form to battle RaijuRaijuRaijū is a legendary creature from Japanese mythology. Its body is composed of either lightning or fire and may be in the shape of a cat, tanuki, monkey, or weasel. The form of a white and blue wolf is also common...
, the titular "hero" monster. Its next manifestation is humanoid, though only used briefly. Its third form is a gigantic cephalopod. Its fourth form is that of a water-serpent, its original form. Its final form is a gigantic reptillian creature with a crocadillian head.
Film and television
- In Takashi MiikeTakashi Miikeis a highly prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker. He has directed over seventy theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. In the years 2001 and 2002 alone, Miike is credited with directing fifteen productions...
's The Great Yokai War, the hero is bitten during a street festival by the dancer's kirin head. According to local custom that makes him the next "kirin rider", a hero who defeats malevolent yokai, and he is seen riding the kirin through the sky at the climax of the film.
- In Gosei Sentai DairangerGosei Sentai Dairangeris a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It was the seventeenth production in the long-running Super Sentai franchise of television tokusatsu dramas produced by Toei Company, following Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. It was originally broadcast from February 19, 1993 to February 11, 1994...
, Kazu of the Heavenly Time Star uses his Chi to manifest the power of the Kirin to become the Kirinranger and pilots the Mythical Chi Beast, Sei-Kirin. When the Sei-Kirin was adapted to the Dairanger's 1994 counterpart, the Mighty Morphin Power RangersMighty Morphin Power RangersMighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American live-action children's television series based on the 16th installment of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Both the show and its related merchandise saw unbridled overnight success, catapulting into pop culture in mere months...
, the Kirin was renamed as the GriffinGriffinThe griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
Thunderzord.
- The Kirin is one of the mythical beasts that passes through Count D's mythical petshop in Pet Shop of HorrorsPet Shop of Horrorsis a Japanese horror manga created by Matsuri Akino. The series focuses on the eccentric Count D, proprietor of a mysterious pet shop located in the heart of Chinatown, and the numerous patrons who visit his shop....
. It is said to have changed the fate of the world several times by choosing a worthy leader for a country. The Kirin's inability to walk on living beings is compared to the ancient, crippling Chinese practice of footbinding.
- In the film Snakes and EarringsSnakes and Earringsis a novel written by the Japanese author Hitomi Kanehara in 2003, and it won the 2003 Akutagawa Prize for literature. It was translated into English by David Karashima. In 2007, a film-version directed by Yukio Ninagawa was released.-Synopsis:...
(蛇にピアス), Shiba-san, a tattoo artist, explains the magical nature of the Kirin to Lui, including its peaceful nature and its ability to walk on grass without trampling it. He then gives Lui a tattoo of a Kirin and dragon fighting, but leaves the pupils of both creatures' eyes blank, at Lui's request.
Comics and manga
- In the Twelve Kingdoms animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, based on the fantasy novels by Fuyumi Ono, the monarch of each kingdom is chosen by a kirin, who then becomes his (or her) principal counselor. The kirin's name is derived from the name of the kingdom plus either "ki" (male) or "rin" (female).
- The Kirin in the manga Genju no SeizaGenju no Seizais a Japanese supernatural manga created by Matsuri Akino. The series is focused on Kamishina Fuuto, a teenager who has spiritual senses, and his struggle to maintain a normal life while being a reincarnation of the High Priest of Dhalashar....
is the only deity who can tell which baby the constantly reincarnating Holy King has taken host of. He is blind and deaf, but able to sense thoughts, and thus unpopular in the palace despite the respect given to him.
Games
- In the Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
universe, the Ki-rinKi-rin (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the ki-rin are magical beasts. They are based on the mythological Qilin .-Publication history:...
are monsters in the Oriental AdventuresOriental AdventuresOriental Adventures is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
setting, cited as an example of how D&D uses influences from many places. - In the video game series Final FantasyFinal Fantasyis a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
, Kirin is one of the Espers, or summoned monsters, in Final Fantasy VI. Kirin also makes an appearance as the strongest of the "gods" in Final Fantasy XI. - It appears in the game SaGa FrontierSaGa Frontieris a role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation and released in Japan on July 11, 1997. The game was later published by Sony Computer Entertainment in North America on March 25, 1998. It is the seventh game in the SaGa series and the first to be released on the PlayStation...
as a playable character named Kylin, the only master of "Space Magic". - In DigimonDigimon, short for , is a Japanese media franchise encompassing digital toys, anime, manga and video games. The franchise's eponymous creatures are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.-Conception and...
, Kudamon's Ultimate form, Qilinmon, is named after and based on the Qilin. - In Golden SunGolden SunGolden Sun, released in Japan as , is the first installment in a series of fantasy role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It was released in November 2001 for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and was followed by a sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, in...
: Lost Age, Kirin appears as a summon option when two or more fire djinn are equipped. - In the computer game Guild Wars FactionsGuild Wars FactionsGuild Wars Factions is an Action RPG released in 2006 by ArenaNet, the second in the Guild Wars series. Factions introduces the continent of Cantha where two warring factions, the Luxons and the Kurzicks, are locked in a global persistent war...
, players encounter both helpful Kirin charged with safeguarding certain areas, as well as several tainted Kirin as enemies. - In the Magic: The GatheringMagic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
set "Saviors of KamigawaSaviors of KamigawaSaviors of Kamigawa is a Magic: The Gathering set, third and last in the Kamigawa block. Saviors of Kamigawa was released on June 3, 2005...
", there are five Kirin, one for each color of Magic: Infernal Kirin, Skyfire Kirin, Cloudhoof Kirin, Celestial Kirin, and Bounteous Kirin. - In the Yu-Gi-Oh!Yu-Gi-Oh!is a Japanese manga created by Kazuki Takahashi. It has produced a franchise that includes multiple anime shows, a trading card game and numerous video games...
trading card game, a Monster Card called Cyber Kirin is based on the Qilin. - In Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance. It is the second Super Robot Taisen game that was officially released in North America....
for Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
(and its enhanced PS2 remake), one of game's antagonists, Axel Almer, uses "Code: Kirin" as his ultimate attack. So does leader of Shadow-Mirrors, Vindel Mauser ("Kirin Ne Plus Ultra"). - In the game ADOM Ki-rins appear as high-level monsters.
- In World Heroes PerfectWorld Heroes Perfectis a fighting arcade game developed and published by ADK with the assistance of SNK . It was originally released for the Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinet on May 25, 1995...
, Ryofu's desperation move, "The Giraffe Bomber", summons a fiery Qilin that charges at the opponent. - In the MMORPG world of Ultima OnlineUltima OnlineUltima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 24, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
, the Kirin was introduced as a passive monster that could be tamed and used as a mount by a character of reasonably developed taming skill. - In the game series Monster HunterMonster HunterMonster Hunter is an action game for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed and published by Capcom. Monster Hunter was released in North America on September 21, 2004...
, the Kirin is a fightable monster and craftable weapons and armor using its hide