a thread discussing demons and monsters, how do they differ by your definition? and which is better?

I thought of this thanks to some translation problems from Japan.

Yokai: demons from the material world. Think like Inuyasha, have supernatural powers, may be able to possess people, but in the end are still flesh and blood creatures.
This term has been translated into english as both "demon" and "monsters"

Kaiju: Strange Creatures, also translated as "monster" often refering to powerful un-natural creatures like Godzilla (also called a DaiKaiju) or "giant monster" other Kaiju then also include smaller freak animals.

typically the only noticable difference between these two terms in Japan is intellegence, Yokai are sentient, while Kaiju are sub-human or animal intellegence

(as far as I can tell)

but in other parts of the world it differs.

so I return to the original questions to all you readers out there.

well from my perspective i think that demons can advance a little in evolution giving them a more intellegent view of how the world works. Demons can grow and usually interact with humans more than monsters. Although it has been said many times that monsters can interact with humans as well. Demons seems to do it more than monsters. So i suppose that the diffrence between demons and monsters is that Demons have a unlimited way of evolving and has a vast amount of types amd as far as monsters go they only can go so far,or it could be that monster is a less more discriptive saying for a creature rather than a demon. Dracula,Frankenstine,Mummies,Ect. these are all monsters but at the same time they all have different catagories. For example Dracula is known as a mosnter and yet he is a vampire,but the other are not,..So monster and demon could also be a form of catgory.

i personally think that demons are better than monsters or something based on what i have read so far on demons as far as strength and intelligence *thinks* but i do notice most monsters and demons are killed or easily ridden of? but on the same thing i guess monsters are just larger than life animals? or it seems that way recently based on tv shows that i have seen about monsters lol monters could probably muster up some sort of super strength ? especially if it is an animal or something earth based in spirit i think drawing power from mother nature as a form of protecting it self where as a demon might take form in earth material its spirit is from else where drawing energy from earth as well as the other place? maybe im just talking non-sense but it makes sense to me but its just my opinion

got to love how Japan has so many terms for these things. and we translate them all as either "monster" or "demon"

Kaiju: basically means weird or un-natural creature. usually used for things like giant monsters such as Godzilla.

Yokai: these would be human world monsters like goblins, Oni, and what not.

both of which I stated in more detail in the first post.

but we also have Mazoku.

that terms can mean either "evil race" or "magic race"

its for "demons" from another world. Such as the demons from Disgaea or Yu Yu Hakusho. as well as Slayers.
this term is new and seems to be used thanks to their encounter with the Western idea of demon and hell worlds. Used to describe western style demons that come from another dimension.

I don't know if they have a term for the god like energy demons of western culture. in a sense Yokai is local mythology for japan and Mazoku would be more western styled demons.

Kaiju


Yokai


Mazoku

My idea is that demons are "immortal" in the sense that they are banished, whereas monsters can die

Both are same nature, quality, amount. But according to my knowledge monsters is best.
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sharu

Oregon Treatment Centers

well, I agree that it's more an intelligence thing.

but I do tend to notice that monsters have a sort of simpler beginning story.

wolfman was bitten, frankenstein was built, nessie is left over from the dinosaurs.


but demons tend to have more mystical beginnings I don't remember the names, but I've heard of a demon that was born from stone, and another that was given life by a forest, and several others that were summoned.

the lines overlap at a few places, but It's just a general Idea.

The way I see it is that demons are spiritual beings whom have openly declared war on God and so fallen from their position of Grace.

Monsters are any creature that is a physical entity in this universe that people don't understand (dinosaurs, monkeys, gorillas, giant anaconda etc)

DEMONS for sure. I'd rather run into a demon than a monster any ole day. Probably die either way so what would it really matter?