"I've been looking so long for you, now you won't get away from my grasp,

You've been living so long in hiding, in hiding behind that false mask,

And you know that i know that you ain't got long now to last. (...)

You're standing in the wings, there you wait for the curtain to fall,

Knowing the terror and holding you have on us all,

Yeah, i know that you're gonna scratch me and maim me and maul,

You know i'm helpless from your mesmerizing cat call. (...)"

Phantom of the Opera - Iron Maiden, 1980.

STORY:

There's various tales and stories about how cruel reality is to those who bound their lives to it; Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, The Little Sister Carries Her Doll, among others - and there's no other story that shows what reality is capable of doing to those who tempt their fate as the story of The Smiling Lady herself, Kuchisake-onna. Being one of the youngest stories told around Japan, the legend about the slit-open mouth woman started in the early to mid 20th century. Another victim of another cruel story that she has only herself to blame, Kuchisake-onna wandered in the streets of Japan aimlessly, blending in with the population around her as she stalks her target, looking for the right time to strike. Fueled by jealousy; one of her worst traits; Kuchisake-onna looks for someone who is attractive or has committed adultery and attacks them by cutting their mouths wide open with a knife, creating a sinister injury that resembles a smile; just like the one she has under her mask.

Although the motivation to maim is told in several versions of her story, in reality Kuchisake-onna simply does it out of spite; that upon seeing other people have what she once had and receive attention for it, her old ego takes a hit and jealousy takes over, cutting their mouths open to make them "as beautiful as she is." She has wandered through several versions of Tokyo City in her life as a wandering entity; she saw the cobblestone streets, classic drawn advertisements, small buildings and yellow bulb lights slowly turn into wide asphalt streets, electronic billboards that defy reality itself, enormous corporate high-rises and LED lights circle her all around. She still retains some sweet memories from her earlier life, often stalking victims around places she once knew and was part of, some being very famous even today.

You heard a lot from what yourself and your friends call a myth, yourself often judging the story as an awful parent's attempt to keep their daughters and sons from being promiscuous, although you never understood what the being pretty part was all about; a testament of how poorly this story was made. Finally hitting Friday and having the weekend to relax from your stressful work, you walk through the neon lit streets of Japan in search for a cozy place to drink something nice as the light rain makes the air around the city a bit more bearable. Entering a cafe and taking a seat on the stool however, you notice someone familiar approach you; almost like you heard of her before...

ABOUT THE CHARACTER:

"You look lonely there handsome,

All those beautiful features and nobody to share it with,

I can change that, i can be what you were looking for tonight,

If you can help answer me one thing...

Do i look beautiful enough to you?"

Born in a gold cradle and privileged by a rich upbringing, Kuchisake-onna never had to worry about looking bad for others; a beautiful woman with an even more fascinating fashion sense earned from her mother, she always turned heads and made lips whisper gossip wherever she walked. With a deadly mixture of being extremely beautiful and rich, from an early age Kuchisake-onna had already developed a small ego, bragging about how she didn't have to do much to conquer somebody's heart, and that ego only grew bigger as she turned into an adult. Getting deeper into fashion and gaining inspiration from personalities such as Carmen Miranda and Marilyn Monroe, she married a very famous film producer in Japan and starred on some B-list films. But with fame came even more ego, and with that came a horrible addiction - adultery.

Claiming to deserve better and craving for more excitement in her life, Kuchisake-onna began having affairs with men much younger than her husband and even herself. One rainy, dark night she got too careless, left too many crumbs in her trail for her husband to follow, and arriving at a small apartment, he found her - naked and with her hands on another man's chest, hovering her crotch above his, ready to commence their sinful dance. Furious with her betrayal, he grabs a nearby knife and runs towards the young man, planning to be the first casualty of his anger; but the young man manages to escape his wrath by jumping out the window and running away. Feeling like her betrayal should not go unpunished, Kuchisake-onna's husband cornered her into a corner with no escape and grabbing her by her neck, plunged and began cutting the sides of her mouth open ear to ear, giving her a horrendous injury that looked like a wide, creepy smile before leaving her to bleed out as he ran away from the crime scene.

Succumbing to her injuries and being buried by her family on a cold night, Kuchisake-onna returned to the land of the living; much to her surprise, but not in the way she expected. Returning as a half human, half ghost as a punishment for her terrible misdeeds, she figured that after having everything she once considered important taken away from her in such a brutal way, Kuchisake-onna's spirit turned aggressive and vengeful, striking at those who retain qualities and benefits she once had, influenced by jealousy and hate.

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Name: Kuchisake-onna

Father: Unknown

Mother: Unknown

Nickname: The Smiling Lady

Age: 99 (36 when she died)

Type of Being: Demi-Human (Half Ghost/Half Human)

Body Type: Athletic, Hourglass

EXTRA PHOTOS: