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Profiles in Villainy

The Kaonashi

Sometimes known as ‘No Face,’ The Kaonashi is a denizen of the spirit realm possessing tremendous and destructive powers. It devours other spirits and can absorb their emotions into his own soul, causing him to take on their attitudes, especially negative ones.

When The Kaonashi happened upon the lost human girl, Chihiro, he followed her around, attracted by her feelings of loss. Chihiro had been made a servant at the spirit bathhouse and when she inadvertently offended Kaonashi, the dark spirit went on a destructive rampage.

He ended up trashing much of the bathhouse, consuming everything and thus transforming into a massive inky blob. He only stopped after Chihiro offered him a dumpling which caused The Kaonashi to regurgitate everything he had eaten. With all of the gluttonous, greedy, and wrathful influences out of his system, he returned to a docile, calm state, showing remorse for his actions. He followed Chihiro to the good witch Zeniba's house.

When Chihiro prepares to leave, Zeniba requests that The Kaonashi stay with her as a helper and stay away from the negative influences of the Bathhouse that could set him off again. The spirit agrees, and stays with her as a humble and kind servant.

Though he never truly speaks, his moans and coos were performed by Akio Nakamura in the Japanese version, and Bob Bergen in the English dub version. No Face The Kaonashi appears in the 2001 animated feature, Spirited Away.

life-imitates-art-far-more

Frederick Sandys (1829-1904) "Love's Shadow" (1867) Oil on panel Pre-Raphaelite The painting's sitter is actress Mary Emma Jones, Sandys' common-law wife. She is biting the blooms of blue violets, which are a symbol of love and devotion in Victorian floriography