Raishin and the Wind and Thunder Gods

This picture illustrates a Chinese legend about the warrior Raishin, who is closely associated with the Thunder God. As part of this larger battle, Raishin has invoked the Thunder God’s help to assure victory. We see Raishin has thrown his enormous war hammer at the two legendary warriors Kōmei and Kōkaku. The hammer is seemingly propelled by a thunderbolt sent by the Thunder God. Kōmei and Kōkaku are flying away in the upper right corner, having transformed into demons with the attributes of thunder and wind gods. Their flight is so frantic that one has broken out of the confines of the image itself, intruding upon the margins of the printed page.

The flamboyance of the characters’ movements and dress create a highly stylized action that closely resembles that much action happens in modern manga, graphic novels, and anime.