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Have you seen The Eccentric Family? If I was paying attention I think there are some Tengu that have human forms in that series :)

There are series where tengu have human forms, but in my story’s canon, they can’t take a human form on their own. They also can’t fly and don’t have wings on their backs because science.

What place does science have in a magical story with spirits, you ask?

Get out of my office this interview is over.

weia-yo :
What kind of person was Shinju?

Reponse:

You will have to wait patiently for a Chiyo flashback in order to find that out. :)

randomtengureporter :
[[Do the Tengu do anything with molted or loose feathers? Or are they simply discarded?]]

Reponse:

They sometimes keep the feathers, depending on the quality. One popular use for molted down feathers is to make linings for egg cribs!

ntbkompy :
Yo! Love Karasu and I can't wait to see the second book. You asked for questions for the FAQ, so here are a couple I'm curious about: Are there tengu in other parts of the world besides Japan? What are the imits to Chiyo's shapeshifting abilities? While I figure the story will focus primarily in Japan and the people/creatures that live there, do non-yokai monsters exist, if only in other parts of the world? Sorry if the questions are a bit on the dumb side, by the way. Good luck!

Reponse:

Thanks so much! Your questions aren’t dumb at all, I really appreciate them!

Tengu are a Japanese (Shinto) creation, so they only exist in Japan. I suppose, storywise, one could leave Japan and go live somewhere else, but there isn’t much of a reason for them to do so.

Chiyo’s shapeshifting is limited only by her age and skill. She has three tails (meaning she is over 200 years old), so she’s sort of young for a kitsune. Nine-tailed foxes have much more powerful abilities. For now, Chiyo can change into other humanoids and animals, but can’t do much about her color scheme. She can’t transform into inanimate objects like a tanuki can. Eventually, her skills will grow more sophisticated and she may even be able to transform things aside from herself.

None of the story takes place outside of Japan, but I suppose since there is a bit of magic and lore, that the rest of the world isn’t exempt. If he were to journey elsewhere, Shichi would probably find other kinds of monsters and spirits.

askkakuro :
Is it possible for Yokai and humans to inter-breed?. And if so, what would a Karasu/Human hybrid look like?

Reponse:

It depends on the yokai! Kitsune in their human form can have children with humans (it has happened in stories), but tengu are physically too different from humans to do so. Tengu lay eggs, humans give live birth — the whole thing would just be a mess!

ilvos01 :
Around what year does Karasu take place?

Reponse:

Good question! Karasu takes place in the early Edo Period, or more specifically, the early 1600’s.

Karasu FAQ

If anyone has a Karasu-related question they’d like answered, please send me an ask! I’m considering putting a few together for a FAQ on the site. :) Thank you!

dreaminginwater replied to your post: We are now READY FOR WINTER. …

An innocent question…. why do the kotatsu we always see… have a bowl of oranges? Is there a reason?? Or do you only really like oranges? ouo It’s just mere curiosity… Thanks you. uwu

Ohh, actually, these are called mikan! They’re like oranges, but smaller (like a tangerine or clementine). They’re in season in the winter — the convenience store next to my work just started selling them. Kotatsu are also used in winter, so they’re two very wintery symbols. 

Also, peeling mikan is kind of a group or family activity, and the kotatsu is where the family gathers, so it’s natural that we have some at the table. Yapi is umm… still getting used to peeling them nicely (mine is on the left, hers is on the right).

We are now READY FOR WINTER. \(//∇//)\

Karasu Drinking Game

Take a shot whenever:

Someone calls Shichi a fool

Someone tells Shichi to shut up

Shichi fails at something

Shichi gets injured

Shichi apologizes

Chiyo doesn’t care about something

Chiyo complains

Aki shoves someone up against something

Aki slams a door

Disclaimer: Don’t complain to me if this game kills someone within ten minutes.