Summary
Highlights
Leigong, the Chinese thunder god, is ill-tempered and often comical with accidental acts of kindness. Raijin, the Japanese thunder god, born from Izanami's corpse, is more serious and powerful. Both are depicted as demonic but ultimately good, becoming protectors after an initial period of destruction.
Yama, the Chinese god of the dead, is a bureaucratic figure overseeing the 10-layered underworld. Izanami, a Japanese creation goddess who became Queen of the underworld, has a fearsome, decaying appearance and is considered evil after her death, promising to kill 1,000 people daily.
Nüwa, the Chinese serpent-like goddess, created humans from mud, with initial perfect creations becoming rich and later ones becoming poor. Izanagi, the Japanese creation god, along with Izanami, created the Japanese islands and gods with a spear. He later fled the underworld after seeing Izanami's decaying form.
Both Guan Yu and Hachiman are deified historical figures. Guan Yu, a famed Chinese military general, is revered as a fierce warrior god. Hachiman, likely Emperor Ōjin, is more of a tutelary war god, acting as a patron or guardian of warriors.
The Chinese Dragon Kings (Long Wang) and Japanese Ryūjin are both draconic deities associated with water and the sea, living in grand underwater palaces. Dragon Kings transform from carp, while Ryūjin was born a god to Izanami and Izanagi.
Sun Wukong, the Chinese Monkey King, born from a magical rock, and Susanoo, the Japanese god of sea and storms, born from Izanagi's nose, are both impulsive, self-serving trickster gods. Sun Wukong possesses immense physical power, while Susanoo relies more on trickery and wit.
The Jade Emperor, the supreme Chinese deity, governs a celestial bureaucracy mirroring earthly rule. Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess and supreme deity, is the sacred ancestor of the Japanese Imperial family. Both have trickster gods as antagonists who challenge their authority or cause chaos.