빨간 마스크

Urban LegendKorea · East AsiaMythFear 7/10

Description

빨간 마스크 또는 입 찢어진 여자(일본어: 口裂け女, くちさけおんな)는 일본의 도시전설로 1979년 봄부터 여름 사이에 일본 전역에서 유행했다. 1993년, 2004년경에 주기적으로 유행하여, 학생들 사이에서 화제가 되기도 하였다. 빨간 마스크는 본인이 예쁘냐고 묻는데, 이때 예쁘다고 이야기하든 그렇지 않다고 하든 결국 상대방을 살해한다고 알려져 있다.

Origin & Background

The legend of Kuchisake-onna is believed to have roots from the Edo period in Japan, spanning the 17th to 19th centuries. The modern story of this legend began in 1978, with the most widely accepted origin said to have started in Gifu Prefecture. The Kuchisake-onna legend appeared in print at least as early as 1979, reported in the Gifu Nichinichi Shimbun, a newspaper from Gifu Prefecture, on January 26, 1979.

The Legend

Kuchisake-onna is depicted as a malevolent being who had her mouth slit from ear to ear during her lifetime. According to the legend, she was a jealous woman, often attacked by her sister or left with this appearance due to failed plastic surgery or dental procedures. She returns as a vengeful spirit, often covering her mouth with a surgical mask or a hand fan. She asks potential victims if they think she is beautiful, and based on their answer, she either kills them or reveals her appearance.

Variants

There are several variations of the Kuchisake-onna legend. In the most common version in Japan, her appearance is explained as resulting from an attack by a jealous woman or a failed plastic surgery. In the West, she is depicted as the unfaithful wife of a samurai, with stories saying that her husband slit her mouth as punishment for her infidelity. Additionally, there is a version where her mouth is filled with sharp teeth.

In Popular Culture

Kuchisake-onna has appeared in live-action films, manga, anime, and video games. She appears in the 1994 Studio Ghibli animated film 'Pom Poko' and in a live-action short film 'Kuchisake-onna' directed by Teruyoshi Ishii in 1996. She is featured as an antagonist in the horror manga 'Kuchisake-onna Densetsu' and its sequel 'Mama wa Kuchisake-onna', and is also mentioned in the 1998 film 'Ring'.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Kuchisake-onna" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia