Kami

Kami (Japanese: 神) [káꜜmì]) are the spirits or phenomena that are worshipped in the religion of Shinto. They are elements in nature, animals, creationary forces in the universe, as well as spirits of the revered deceased. Many Kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans, and some ancestors became Kami upon their death if they were able to embody the values and virtues of Kami in life. Traditionally, great or charismatic leaders like the Emperor could be kami.

In Shinto, Kami are not separate from nature, but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, good and evil characteristics. They are manifestations of musubi (結び), the interconnecting energy of the universe, and are considered exemplary of what humanity should strive towards. Kami are believed to be “hidden” from this world, and inhabit a complementary existence that mirrors our own, shinkai [the world of the Kami] (神界). To be in harmony with the awe inspiring aspects of nature is to be conscious of kannagara no michi [the way of the Kami] (随神の道 or 惟神の道).

Ōkami

Ōkami (Japanese: 大神, literally "great god", "great spirit" or "wolf" if written as 狼) is an action-adventure video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation 2 video game console in 2006 in Japan and North America, and in 2007 in Europe and Australia. Despite the closure of Clover Studio a few months after the game's initial release, a version for Nintendo's Wii console was developed and produced by Ready at Dawn, Tose and Capcom, which was released in North America in April 2008, in Europe in June 2008, and in Japan in October 2009.

Set sometime in classical Japanese history, the game combines several Japanese myths, legends and folklore to tell the story of how the land was saved from darkness by the Shinto sun goddess, named Amaterasu, who took the form of a white wolf. It features a distinct sumi-e-inspired cel-shaded visual style and the Celestial Brush, a gesture-system to perform miracles.

Ōkami was one of the last PlayStation 2 games selected for release prior to the release of the PlayStation 3. Although it suffered from poor sales, the game received critical acclaim, earning the title of IGN's 2006 Game of the Year. The Wii version has earned similar praise, though the motion control scheme has received mixed reviews.

Kami (1982 film)

Kami is a 1982 Malaysian drama film. It is notable as being the only feature film featuring Sudirman Haji Arshad, a successful Malay singer dubbed the "Singing Lawyer" as he was a law graduate from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur (an academic background almost unheard of among Malay entertainers). The film is written and directed Patrick Yeoh, who was notable as being the first non-Malay in several decades to direct a Malay film.

The film is unusual for its time, not following the conventional Hindustani-influenced formula that typified Malay films of the era.

Synopsis

The film is about two young runaway teenagers who meet in the city after leaving their respective homes in different states. Tookoo (Sudirman) the elder of the two, who was first in the city, "adopts" Din (Zulzamri) and as their relationship develops, is both big brother and father to Din. And as the film progresses we see how Tookoo dreams of being a successful pop singer, and how he and Din survive in the city, collecting recyclable items for sale. We are touched by what these two teenagers go through in the concrete jungle of the city as they are bullied by gangs who rob them of their hard-earned money, cheated by dishonest employers who do not pay them and traumatised by over-zealous police who arrest Tookoo by mistake.