Shōjō

Shōjō
Season(s)	7
Status	Extant
Powers and Abilities	Have long claws Kills by disemboweling Telekinesis
Vulnerabilities	Killed by stabbing with a samurai sword consecrated by a Shinto blessing.
Appearance	Human form, with pale skin, long black hair, dark eyes and lips, and sharp claws

“	Shojo. An alcohol spirit. They are not known for being friendly.	”
	— A Japanese Man in Party On, Garth

A Shōjō is a Japanese alcohol spirit but is different in that it's corporeal and only those who are drunk can perceive them.

Early history

Jim McAnn, Randy Baxter and Dale Lampert were the founders the MidWestern Brewery Company, makers of Thighslapper Premium Ale. When Jim and Randy decide to sell the Brewery to large distributor, overriding Dale's wishes he was distraught. Having acquired a Shōjō trapped in a sake bottle inside a spell box inscribed with "what you took, will be taken from you" from his travels, he sends it to them, before leaving. He then kills himself.

Season 7

The Shōjō attacks and kills first Trevor McAnn, his brother Ray and then Lillian. After finding the spell box that the sake was delivered in, a local Japanese man translates the writing on the box, and tells them it says it contained a Shōjō. Upon studying the lore, they find that the Shōjō can be killed by a blessed katana.

Dean fights with the Shojo.

The Shōjō attacks Randy Baxter's son Lee at the brewery. It knocks out Garth and Sam as they try and protect Lee, but Dean, despite not being able to see it and with a little help from Sam and the ghost of Bobby Singer, dispatches it with the samurai sword.

Characteristics

A Shojo's depiction in a website.

“	A Shojo is said to roam where there's lots of alcohol. There's lore saying that, back in the old day, if you were plastered enough, you could see one skulking around the breweries in Japan.	”
	— Sam Winchester, about Shojo

It can be harnessed to carry out an individual's desires by use of a spell box. The Shōjō can only be seen when a person is drunk though when killed it becomes visible for a moment to all. When hunting the ones it was sent after, a Shojo likes to take its time, approaches its target very slowly, only becoming aggressive and quick when it realizes that others can see it, or when someone or something tries to get in its way.

It also seems to prefer openly attacking its prey when they're intoxicated enough to be able to perceive it, and is fine with simply following them until such time, implying that it likes to play with its victims. Either that, or it absolutely refuses to ambush them when they are unaware that it's close by. And even then, it only harms the intended target, and usually either brushes aside or ignores any bystanders detecting its presence, as seen in the case of Garth and Tess, respectively.

Shōjō also have a fondness for alcohol, and have been know to skulk around breweries in Japan, particularly in ancient times. Even none bound, Shōjō have a reputation for not being nice, and are implied to kill if disturbed.

Powers and Abilities

Being a Japanese ghost-like creature, Shōjō possess similar abilities as ghosts.

• Invisibility - They are unseen unless the viewer is intoxicated. Their presence can however be captured on film, but they still can't be seen, unless the person is intoxicated. Also like many invisible creatures, they can't be heard, unless, following their weakness, the person is drunk.
• Invulnerability - They cannot be killed with conventional means, they can only be killed by a katana that has been blessed by a Shinto priest.
• Telekinesis - They are able to move objects without touching it. One such Shōjō, in its hunt it used it to close the door to stop them escaping.
• Super strength - They are able to lift, throw quite a distance and impale humans with ease.
• Teleportation - Able to move from place to place by thought.
• Claws - Shōjō have razor sharp claws, which they use to kill.

Vulnerabilities

“	Apparently, you can harness the will of a Shojo with the right spell box. Then you basically have an attack dog that you can sic on whatever sort of personal revenge mission you want. It is killable. But only with a samurai sword consecrated with a Shinto blessing.	”
	— Sam Winchester on the Shōjō's weaknesses.

A shojo being killed by the sword.

• Katana blessed by a Shinto Priest - (although a Shinto blessing by a normal person will suffice) can kill a Shōjō. When stabbed with this blade, it kills the Shōjō and the creature becomes visible for a few moments before its death.
• Magic - Using the correct spell, a shōjō can be enslaved to a person's will.

Appearances

• Season 7
  • Party On, Garth

Trivia

• In Supernatural The Official Companion Season 7, Shōjōs are described as spirits that have a special fondness for alcohol, but not every heavy drinker becomes one when they die. One rumor persist that people who drown in vats of alcohol become shōjōs, same goes for people who die of alcohol poisoning. It's possible it has more to do with how much alcohol has leached into a person's bones at the time of their death. "We took the majority of what the myth is and then peppered it with enough stuff to make it Supernatural-friendly." Co-executive producer Adam Glass explains. "So most everything you see in Party On, Garth is from the real lore. I think the only thing that we added was that you can control the spirit and sic it on somebody." However, the myths do diverge as some of the lore describes shojos as friendly spirits. "From what I've read, Shōjōs are not evil." states producer Todd Aronauer. "They're supposed to be a happier, more fun-loving creature that people purposely try to get drunk enough to see."
• Shōjo (short second -o) is a Japanese word that means 'young girl,' with the implication of virgin. Shōjō on the other hand means 'orangutan' or 'heavy drinker'.