Secrets of the Kappa in Harvest Moon

Although there are far more important aspects of Animal Parade to cover still, I couldn't resist the opportunity to deal with traditional mythology in Harvest Moon, one of my favourite subjects. Here is a little video about the Kappa as he appears in FoMT, MFoMT, Harvest Moon Boy & Girl and Animal Parade.



There was another old GBA game that featured the Kappa. I seem to recall that you could catch him and force him to give you special items in the form of weapons and armour. If any one can remember which game this was, post a comment. It may have been 'Lunar Legend' but I am not certain...

The Kappa in Animal Parade

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The Kappa, like the Harvest Goddess and the Witch Princess, is an important character in Harvest Moon. In 'Friends of Mineral Town' and 'More Friends of Mineral Town', you could throw offerings in the form of his favourite Cucumbers to the Kappa into the Lake on a daily basis until he finally rewarded you with a Blue Power Berry. In 'More Friends of Mineral Town', you actually could court and marry the Kappa and have a very human baby with him. Like the Harvest Goddess, the more beautiful and desirable Eligible counterpart in FoMT, he would not deign to share your bed or home. I myself found the prospect of marriage to the Kappa a little repugnant, despite his magical abilities. The fact that his head is shaped to create a bowl at the top, allowing him to carry the water he needs to survive on the top of his head, is not the only aspect of his appearance that is a little off=putting to a human woman such as myself. Traditionally, in Japanese lore, he was believed to be a sort of vampire, preying upon horses in particular, dragging them off to his watery lair.

In both FoMT and MFoMT, you actually could catch the Kappa with your Fishing Rod although, like the King Fish, you could not keep your catch... You automatically would toss him back into the lake. It is a random occurrence. The first time it happened to me, I was so terrified that he would detest me forever that I reloaded my game at once! I later realised that there were no lasting ill effects to catching the Kappa on the end of your hook...

Which brings me to Animal Parade, and the appearance of the Kappa on rainy days in Harmonica Town. Simon, when he gives you an Old Camera, urges you to take 'lots of pictures'. In fact, using your camera is the only way to change your point of view in terms of camera angle in Animal Parade. Incidentally, you can see him at night as well but only when it rains. On a sunny day, he will not appear.

There are many interesting details to be seen if you use your camera. For those who have attained all goals, finding little bizarre objects such as a Garden Gnome behind the tree in the northwest corner of your own farm is only one of the delights to enhance your life... A rubber duck can be found as well, but only when visibility is good on 'fine' days.

Note that these objects constitute a sort of ongoing 'Treasure Hunt' in themselves as they WILL move from location to location even in a single game. The Garden Gnome, situated beneath the large tree in the northwest corner of my Field appeared quite suddenly next to the Hot Spring on the night of a Typhoon. The next morning at 6.00 a.m., it had vanished and was neither beneath the large tree NOR beneath the small Tree at the Hot Spring.

Other players have seen the Rubber Duck floating... this item still remains lodged in the upper window of my Watermill.

You will see the Kappa if you use your camera while standing on the bridge at the entrance to Harmonica Town. You need to use the 'Zoom' feature to be able to see him properly. With your camera, you can capture a photograph of him for your Album.

Sadly, when I play Harvest Moon and Rune Factory nowadays, I often am so concerned to copy out all price lists and shipping values for items as well as logging all important Events that I sometimes lose sight of the sheer pleasure of living in the Harvest Moon or Rune Factory universe. The 'view through the lens' in Animal Parade, as well as Simon's recurring advice, should provide me with a gentle reminder that life is meant to be enjoyed. In Animal Parade, characters often tell you not to try to do everything at once, to 'go at your own pace' and to relax a little...

Little treats such as the view of the Kappa peering out of the water provide ample reason to spend a little time sightseeing between farm and ranch chores and the need to catch fish and mine for gems and ores.

I probably should add that, where the Kappa is concerned in Animal Parade, it appears to be impossible to befriend him. I took his traditional favourite Cucumbers to the bridge and tried in vain to throw them into the water as an offering. No matter where I stood, whether on the bridge or below it on the pier, the only options I obtained while holding a Cucumber were the usual ones of 'Eat' and 'Put Away'. Oh well, I hope that he will be aware of my attempts at least and not drag my Horse into the water, even if I will not be able to persuade him to help with the watering.

As mentioned earlier, in traditional Japanese lore, the Kappa has a particular fondness for Horses and tends to make off with them, dragging them into the murky depths of his watery home. The Japanese would write messages on Cucumbers, including the names of their children, then throw them into the water as propitiary offerings to the Kappa to look upon them with favour. When befriended, the Kappa often would aid farmers by watering their crops. No doubt he would use that little bowl of water situated so conveniently on the crown of his head...

N.B. I would like to thank Kickastina who alerted me to the presence of the Kappa on rainy days in Animal Parade... I needed a break from typing out lists of shop upgrades!

Move Over, Harvest Goddess! The Harvest King Beckons...

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Those of us who played Harvest Moon Cute on the DS have a passing acquaintance with the Harvest King, but it is in Animal Parade that we actually are given an opportunity to interact with him. In fact, if you play the game as a girl, you actually (Be still, my heart, be still!) can court and MARRY him! In More Friends of Mineral Town, you had the choice of marrying a Magical Being in the form of the Kappa, but that green creature of the waters never appealed to me as a romantic partner. The Harvest King on the other hand, is everything a romantic soul could crave, physically and spiritually!

I expect players can guess that I will 'set my Cap' for him!

Incidentally, he can be found, very appropriately on the Mountaintop and his favoured Gifts include Shining Grapes, Shining Apples and Apple and Grape Cocktails.

Well, I have a long way to go if I expect to gain his attention, let alone his exalted HEART! Best take the first faltering steps towards success in Animal Parade...

Later: IGN published my very preliminary General Guide for Animal Parade. Its purpose at this point in time is to establish the URL as well as giving as many little facts as I could provide in a few hours. By Monday, the Guide should be a lot bigger and far more useful. I tried to create a little Calendar of Birthdays and Festivals. I have followed ToT official birthdays for characters who are in both games. If I am mistaken, I'll have to 'eat my words', but birthdays usually are consistent for characters from game to game.

Power Berries in Spring in HM Boy and Girl

As in both Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town, Red Power Berries and a Mystic Berry exist in Harvest Moon Boy & Girl. The methods by which they are obtained are very similar, although not identical.

A few can be obtained very early in the game, before the middle of Spring, if one is determined. These are the Power Berries from the Magical Tree, the Harvest Goddess and from the Kappa. To gain the first, all one needs is an Axe and a fierce pretense that one intends to chop down the tree, despite the fact that a basic axe CANNOT fell a tree or even a stump in this game! The poor tree will beg for its life. If you stay your hand, you will gain a Power Berry.

The tree is situated in the wide meadow beyond the Lake where flowers proliferate. It is the place where you can find Basil and his family on Monday morning.

The second Power Berry and the Mystic Berry are obtained by the sacrifice of crops grown in your field. Any one who has dealt with the Kappa in Harvest Moon (or knows the old Japanese folklore) knows that he only responds to Cucumbers. In FoMT and MFoMT, you need quite a few Cucumbers in order to gain the Blue Power Berry. In HMB&G, you need only 3. Furthermore, you can offer them one after another on the same day. In this game, you will obtain a Mystic Berry. To me, it looked much like a Red Power Berry, but it does not show up in your Shipping Menu... As a matter of fact, I believe it is the equivalent of the Blue Power Berry in FoMT and MFoMT and that it strengthens you against Fatigue.

The Kappa, incidentally, lives in the Lake, as one may have guessed. You must throw your Cucumbers at a precise location or the offering will be ignored. You must stand on the shore SOUTH of the bridge at a place where the shoreline juts into the water. From that location, you will see two trees side by side in the northwest and a tree stump to the west of the trees. You must make the offerings after noon as well or he will not appear. (He is a late riser!) It is an amusing little series of events.

The first time, only the top of his head will appear above the water. The second time, he will emerge to the point where you can see his head. The third time, you will be able to see him in all his legendary glory... That was tongue in cheek. He actually is a very peculiar little chap, not glorious at all! (Amazingly, you can court and marry the Kappa in More Friends of Mineral Town.)

It is on this third occasion that he will give you the Mystic Berry as a sort of bribe not to bother him again.

To gain the Power Berry from the Harvest Goddess, you must offer 5 crops grown on your field at the Goddess Spring. Again, you can do this in a single day if you choose. She then will give you a Red Power Berry. Do this during daylight hours before 6.00 p.m.

The third Power Berry is found in the Spring Mine. You must dig for it with your Hoe. I found it on the 6th floor I believe, but its appearance is rather random. When you go to the Mine specifically to search for it, spend half an hour in the Hot Spring beforehand to restore any energy lost previously during the day.

Red Power Berries, as in FoMT and MFoMT, each give you a 10% boost to your Stamina.

N.B. In the early weeks of the game, you may wish to ship your Spring crops instead of using a total of eight of them to procure two magical Berries... It is up to you, of course. It may be helpful to have the extra strength provided by the Power Berries before the Opening Day contest at the Beach on 1 Summer.