Welcome to New Draw My Life video. Shinigami, also known as Gods of Death, are popular creatures in Japanese folklore.
These dark spiritual entities are the ones in charge of collecting souls and taking them to the Yomi, the land of the dead. The term Shinigami comes from the Japanese "Shi" which means "Death" and "Kami", which means "God" or "Spirit".
In western mythology it would be something similar to Death or The Grim Reaper. In fact, Shinigam is start appearing around the 18th century, with the influence of the western culture in shintoism, buddhism and taoism.
On the contrary to Death, the Shinigami doesnt only refer to one entity, but to a great variety of ghostly beings. There isn't a precise description of their shape, they are invisible except for those who are close to dying.
As recurring creatures in lots of manga and anime, they've had different representations, from human shapes like Ichigo and Rukia from Bleach and Momo from Ballad of a Shinigami,
to cadaverous and deformed beings who like appels, like Ryuk and Rem from Death Note. Same as many spirits associated with death, shinigamis are known for being evil.
Sometimes, they are represented as fallen angels or grotesque demons that threaten humans lives. In buddhism, the figure of Shinigami is the evil spectrum that takes control of your body in order to soak from it its will to live.
The popular belief says that shinigam is are simple bridged between our world and the other world. They make sure each person dies when their exact time comes, and guide them to the underworld to confront their final destiny.
The legend says that a man going through a hard economical situation didnt have any desire to live and wanted to leave this world. A Shinigami appeared, showed him a candle that reflected his life expectancy and convinced him that it wasnt his time yet.
In order to solve his problems, he showed him an easy way to earn money. The Shinigami said he could pretend to be a doctor and perform miracles, in exchange for good money.
