Difference between revisions 178186006 and 178836086 on enwiki

{{Refimprove|date=July 2007}}

A {{nihongo|'''''han'yō'''''|半妖|also romanized ''Hanyō'', ''Han'you'', or ''Hanyou''}}, appearing in modern Japanese [[manga]] and [[anime]], is the product of a union between a [[supernatural|supernatural being]] (commonly a ''[[yokai|yōkai]]'') and a [[human]]. A common translation is "half-demon", but this is misleading as &#x(contracted; show full)y be the product of love or hate of parents which strongly influence his or her future self. Reaction of those around a ''han'yō'' varies from strong racism to muted indifference. For example, most ''han'yō'' from the [[anime]] and [[manga]] series ''[[InuYasha]]'' are conflicted and traumatized individuals, including the lead character [[InuYasha (character)|InuYasha]]. Some may even attempt to get rid of their human half, for example, 
[[Naraku]] from the same anime.

==In folklore==
Although the term "''han'yō''" is not commonly used in [[Japanese folklore]] and mythology, the notion of humans breeding with supernatural beings has its roots here. Most notably, [[Abe no Seimei]], a historical [[onmyoji|onmyōji]] of the [[Heian Period]], was rumored to be the child of a human and a [[kitsune|shapeshifting fox]].

==Notable examples==
(contracted; show full)[[Category:Anime and manga terminology]]

[[de:Hanyō]]
[[it:Han'yō]]
[[ja:半妖]]
[[pt:Hanyou]]
[[ru:Ханъё]]
[[fi:Han'yō]]