GeGeGe no Kitarō
GeGeGe no Kitarō
GeGeGe no Kitarō | |
ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 | |
---|---|
Genre | Dark fantasy, horror,[1] supernatural[2] |
Manga | |
Written by | Shigeru Mizuki |
Published by | Kodansha |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Magazine |
Original run | 1960–1969 |
Volumes | 9 |
Anime television series | |
1st series | |
Written by | Masaki Tsuji |
Music by | Taku Izumi |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
Original run | January 3, 1968–March 30, 1969 |
Episodes | 65 |
Anime television series | |
2nd series | |
Written by | Masaki Tsuji |
Music by | Taku Izumi |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
Original run | October 7, 1971–September 28, 1972 |
Episodes | 45 |
Anime television series | |
3rd series | |
Directed by | Osamu Kasai(1-108) Hiroki Shibata(109-115)[3] |
Written by | Junki Takegami |
Music by | Masahiro Kawasaki |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
English network | NA Nippon Golden Network |
Original run | October 12, 1985–March 21, 1988 |
Episodes | 115 |
Anime television series | |
4th series | |
Directed by | Daisuke Nishio[4] |
Written by | Shun'ichi Yukimuro |
Music by | Kaoru Wada |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
English network | Animax Asia |
Original run | January 7, 1996–March 29, 1998 |
Episodes | 114 |
Anime television series | |
5th series | |
Directed by | Yukio Kaizawa[5] |
Written by | Keiichi Hasegawa |
Music by | Katsumi Horii |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
English network | Animax Asia |
Original run | April 1, 2007–March 29, 2009 |
Episodes | 100 |
Anime television series | |
Kitarō of the Graveyard | |
Directed by | Kimitoshi Chioki[6] |
Written by | Yoshimi Narita |
Music by | Kaoru Wada |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Licensed by | AUS Siren Visual |
Original network | Fuji TV (Noitamina) |
Original run | January 10, 2008–March 20, 2008 |
Episodes | 11 |
Live-action film | |
Directed by | Katsuhide Motoki |
Produced by | Chihiro Kameyama |
Written by | Katsuhide Motoki Daisuke Habara |
Music by | Yūta Nakano |
Studio | Shochiku |
Released | April 28, 2007 (2007-04-28) |
Runtime | 105 minutes |
Live-action film | |
Kitaro and the Millennium Curse | |
Directed by | Katsuhide Motoki |
Written by | Mitsuhiko Sawamura |
Studio | Shochiku |
Released | July 12, 2008 (2008-07-12) |
Runtime | 115 minutes |
Anime film | |
GeGeGe no Kitarō: Explosive Japan!! | |
Directed by | Gō Koga[7] |
Written by | Riku Sanjo |
Music by | Seiji Yokoyama |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Released | December 13, 2008 |
Runtime | 85 minutes |
Anime television series | |
6th series | |
Directed by | Kōji Ogawa |
Written by | Hiroshi Ōnogi |
Music by | -yaiba-[8] Yasuharu Takanashi |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
Original run | April 1, 2018– present |
Episodes | 73 |
GeGeGe no Kitarō (ゲゲゲの鬼太郎), originally known as Kitarō of the Graveyard (墓場鬼太郎, Hakaba Kitarō), is a Japanese manga series created in 1960 by Shigeru Mizuki. It is best known for its popularization of the folklore creatures known as yōkai, a class of spirit-monster to which all of the main characters belong. This story was an early 20th-century Japanese folk tale performed on kamishibai. It has been adapted for the screen several times, as anime, live action and video games. The word "Ge Ge Ge" (ゲゲゲ) in the title is a cackling noise in the Japanese language.
GeGeGe no Kitarō | |
ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 | |
---|---|
Genre | Dark fantasy, horror,[1] supernatural[2] |
Manga | |
Written by | Shigeru Mizuki |
Published by | Kodansha |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Magazine |
Original run | 1960–1969 |
Volumes | 9 |
Anime television series | |
1st series | |
Written by | Masaki Tsuji |
Music by | Taku Izumi |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
Original run | January 3, 1968–March 30, 1969 |
Episodes | 65 |
Anime television series | |
2nd series | |
Written by | Masaki Tsuji |
Music by | Taku Izumi |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
Original run | October 7, 1971–September 28, 1972 |
Episodes | 45 |
Anime television series | |
3rd series | |
Directed by | Osamu Kasai(1-108) Hiroki Shibata(109-115)[3] |
Written by | Junki Takegami |
Music by | Masahiro Kawasaki |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
English network | NA Nippon Golden Network |
Original run | October 12, 1985–March 21, 1988 |
Episodes | 115 |
Anime television series | |
4th series | |
Directed by | Daisuke Nishio[4] |
Written by | Shun'ichi Yukimuro |
Music by | Kaoru Wada |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
English network | Animax Asia |
Original run | January 7, 1996–March 29, 1998 |
Episodes | 114 |
Anime television series | |
5th series | |
Directed by | Yukio Kaizawa[5] |
Written by | Keiichi Hasegawa |
Music by | Katsumi Horii |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
English network | Animax Asia |
Original run | April 1, 2007–March 29, 2009 |
Episodes | 100 |
Anime television series | |
Kitarō of the Graveyard | |
Directed by | Kimitoshi Chioki[6] |
Written by | Yoshimi Narita |
Music by | Kaoru Wada |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Licensed by | AUS Siren Visual |
Original network | Fuji TV (Noitamina) |
Original run | January 10, 2008–March 20, 2008 |
Episodes | 11 |
Live-action film | |
Directed by | Katsuhide Motoki |
Produced by | Chihiro Kameyama |
Written by | Katsuhide Motoki Daisuke Habara |
Music by | Yūta Nakano |
Studio | Shochiku |
Released | April 28, 2007 (2007-04-28) |
Runtime | 105 minutes |
Live-action film | |
Kitaro and the Millennium Curse | |
Directed by | Katsuhide Motoki |
Written by | Mitsuhiko Sawamura |
Studio | Shochiku |
Released | July 12, 2008 (2008-07-12) |
Runtime | 115 minutes |
Anime film | |
GeGeGe no Kitarō: Explosive Japan!! | |
Directed by | Gō Koga[7] |
Written by | Riku Sanjo |
Music by | Seiji Yokoyama |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Released | December 13, 2008 |
Runtime | 85 minutes |
Anime television series | |
6th series | |
Directed by | Kōji Ogawa |
Written by | Hiroshi Ōnogi |
Music by | -yaiba-[8] Yasuharu Takanashi |
Studio | Toei Animation |
Original network | Fuji TV |
Original run | April 1, 2018– present |
Episodes | 73 |
Plot
GeGeGe no Kitarō focuses on the young Kitarō—the last survivor of the Ghost Tribe—and his adventures with other ghouls and strange creatures of Japanese mythology. Along with: the remains of his father, Medama-Oyaji (a mummified Ghost tribesman reincarnated to inhabit his old eyeball); Nezumi-Otoko (the rat-man); Neko-Musume (the cat-girl); and a host of other folkloric creatures, Kitarō strives to unite the worlds of humans and Yōkai.
Many storylines involve Kitarō facing off with myriad monsters from other countries, such as the Chinese vampire Yasha, the Transylvanian Dracula IV, and other such non-Japanese creations. In addition to this, Kitarō also locks heads with various malevolent Yōkai who threaten the balance between the Japanese creatures and humans.[9]
Some storylines make overt reference to traditional Japanese tales, most notably the folk tale of Momotarō, in which the young hero defends a Japanese territory from demons with the help of the native animals. The Kitarō series The Great Yōkai War (Japanese: 妖怪大戦争, hepburn Yōkai Daisensō) draws a great deal of influence from this story, with Kitarō and his Yōkai friends driving a group of Western ghouls away from an island.[10][11]
While the character of Kitarō in GeGeGe no Kitarō is a friendly boy who genuinely wants the best outcome for humans and Yōkai alike, his earlier incarnation in Kitarō of the Graveyard portrays him as a much more darkly mischievous character. His apparent lack of empathy for humans combined with his general greed and desire for material wealth drives him to act in an unbecoming manner towards the human characters—often deceptively leading them into nightmarish situations or even to hell itself.[12]
Characters
- Kitarō(鬼太郎,Kitarō)Voiced by:Masako Nozawa(1968–1971 series, Hakaba Kitaro)/Keiko Toda(1985 series)/Youko Matsuoka(1996 series)/Minami Takayama(2007 series)/Miyuki Sawashiro(2018 series)Kitarō is ayōkaiboy born in a cemetery and, aside from his mostly decayed father, the last living member of the Ghost Tribe(幽霊族,yūrei zoku). His name, rendered with the character Oni (Japanese: 鬼, literally "Demon") can be translated as "Demon Boy"—a name which references both his human and Yōkai heritage.[13] He is missing his left eye, but his hair usually covers the empty socket. He fights for peace between humans and yōkai, which generally involves protecting the former from the wiles of the latter. When questioned in the 2007 movie, Kitarō responds that he is three hundred and fifty years old. As a member of the Ghost Tribe, Kitarō has an assortment of powers and weapons.While his powers are featured prominently in the GeGeGe no Kitarō series, Hakaba Kitarō plays down Kitarō's supernatural abilities. Beyond having the power to travel through hell unharmed with the help of his Chanchanko, as well as the ability to regenerate from almost any injury (as evidenced when his body is recoverable after being dissolved by Johnny in the Fog[14]), his powers are more of deception than of fighting prowess: something much more in line with traditional Yōkai characters.
- Medama-oyaji(目玉のおやじ, or 目玉親父, literally "Eyeball Father")Voiced by:Isamu Tanonaka(1968, 1971, 1985, 1996, 2007 series)/Masako Nozawa(2018 series)Medama-oyaji is Kitarō's father. Once a fully-formed adult ghost, he perished from a disease, only to be reborn out of his decayed body as an anthropomorphic version of his own eyeball. He looks small and fragile, but has a strong spirit and a great love for his son. He is also extremely knowledgeable about ghosts and monsters. He enjoys staying clean, and is often seen bathing in a small bowl. He has a great love for sake.
- In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and inCrunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as Daddy Eyeball.
- Nezumi Otoko(ねずみ男, "Rat Man")Voiced by:Chikao Ohtsuka(1968–1971 series)/Kei Tomiyama(1985 series)/Shigeru Chiba(1996 series)/Wataru Takagi(2007 series)/Toshio Furukawa(2018 series)Nezumi Otoko is a rodentlike yōkai-human half-breed. He has been alive for three hundred and sixty years, and in that time has almost never taken a bath, rendering him filthy, foul-smelling, and covered in welts and sores. While he is usually Kitarō's friend, Nezumi Otoko will waste no time cooking up vile schemes or betraying his companions if he thinks there's money to be had or a powerful enemy to side with. He claims to be a college graduate of the University of the Bizarre(怪奇大学,Kaiki Daigaku). He can immobilize even the strongest yokai that accost him with a pungent flatulence attack. And akin to cats and mice, he and Nekomusume cannot stand being around each other.
- Nezumi Otoko first appears in the story The Lodging House (rental manga version) as Dracula IV's minion.
- In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as Ratman.
- Neko Musume(猫娘 or ねこ娘, "Cat Girl")Voiced by:Nana Yamaguchi(1968 series)/Yōko Ogushi (1971 series)/Yūko Mita(1985 series)/Chinami Nishimura(1996 series)/Hiromi Konno(2007 series)/Umeka Shōji(2018 series)A normally quiet yōkai girl, who shapeshifts into a frightening catlike monster with fangs and feline eyes when she is angry or hungry for fish. Predictably, she does not get along well with Nezumi-Otoko. She seems to harbor a slight crush on Kitarō, who sees her only as a friend. In recent iterations (possibly due to the recent anime phenomenon offanservice), she is very fond of human fashion and is seen in different outfits and uniforms. She bears some resemblance to thebakenekoofJapanese folklore.
- Neko Musume first appears in the story Neko-Musume and Nezumi-Otoko (Weekly Shōnen Magazineversion), however another cat-girl named **Neko(猫)** appears in the earlier stories The Vampire Tree and the Neko-Musume and A Walk to Hell (rental version).
- In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, she is referred to as Catchick.
- Sunakake Babaa(砂かけ婆, "Sand-throwing hag")Voiced by: Yoko Ogushi (1968 series)/Keiko Yamamoto(1971 series/1996–2007 series)/Hiroko Emori(1985 series)/Mayumi Tanaka(2018 series)(Japanese)Sunakake Babaa is an old yōkai woman who carries sand which she throws into the eyes of enemies to blind them. She serves as an advisor to Kitarō and his companions, and manages a yōkai apartment building. The original sunakake-baba is an invisible sand-throwing spirit from the folklore ofNara Prefecture.
- Sunakake babaa first appears in a cameo as one of many yōkai attending asukiyakiparty in the story A Walk to Hell (rental version) before making a more prominent appearance in The Great Yōkai War (Shōnen Magazine version).
- In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, she is referred to as The Sand Witch.
- Konaki Jijii(子泣き爺, "Child-crying Old Man")Voiced by:Ichiro Nagai(1968–1971 series)/Koji Yada(1985 series)/Yoku Shioya(1996 series)/Naoki Tatsuta(2007 series)/Bin Shimada(2018 series)(Japanese)Konaki Jijii is a comic, absent-minded old yōkai man who attacks enemies by clinging to them and turning himself to stone, increasing his weight and mass immensely and pinning them down. He and Sunakake Babaa often work as a team. The original konaki jijii is a ghost which is said to appear in the woods ofTokushima Prefecturein the form of a crying infant. When it is picked up by some hapless traveller, it increases its weight until it crushes him.
- Konaki jijii first appears in a cameo as one of many yōkai attending a sukiyaki party in the story A Walk to Hell (rental version) before making a more prominent appearance in The Great Yōkai War (Shōnen Magazine version).
- In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as Old Man Crybaby.
- Ittan Momen(一反木綿, "Roll of Cotton")Voiced by:Kosei Tomita(1968 series)/Keaton Yamada(1971 series)/Joji Yanami(1985 series/2007 series)/Naoki Tatsuta (1996 series)/Kappei Yamaguchi(2018 series)Ittan Momen is a flying yōkai resembling a strip of white cloth. Kitarō and friends often ride on him when traveling. The originalittan-momenis a spirit fromKagoshima Prefecturemyth which wraps itself around the faces of humans in an attempt to smother them.
- Ittan Momen first appears in the story The Great Yōkai War (Shōnen Magazine version).
- In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as Rollo Cloth.
- Nurikabe(ぬりかべ, "Plastered Wall")Voiced by:Yonehiko Kitagawa,Kenji Utsumiand Kosei Tomita (1968 series)/Keaton Yamada (1971 series)/Yusaku Yara(1985 series)/Naoki Tatsuta (1996–2007 series)/Bin Shimada(2018 series)Nurikabe is a large, sleepy-eyed wall-shaped yōkai, who uses his massive size to protect Kitarō and his friends. The originalNurikabeis a spirit which blocks the passage of people walking at night.
- Nurikabe first appears in a cameo as one of many yōkai attending a sukiyaki party in the story A Walk to Hell (rental version) before making a more prominent appearance in The Great Yōkai War (Shōnen Magazine version).
- In the 2002 Kodansha International Bilingual Comics edition and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as Wally Wall.
- Nurarihyon(ぬらりひょん)Voiced by:Takeshi AonoKitaro's old rival, he is depicted as an old man who comes at other people's houses and drinks their tea. He is also a member of the Gazu Hyaki Yako, and Nurarihyon has a member he always uses named Shu no Bon.
- Back Beard(バックベアード)**Voiced by:Hideyuki Tanaka**Back Beard is the boss of the Western Yokai and Kitarō's second greatest foe after Nurarihyon. He is loosely based on thebugbear. He is a giant, round shadow with a single large eye in the center and several tentacles extending from his body. He appeared most prominently in the story The Great Yokai War, where he rallied all the Western Yokai into a war against the Japanese Yokai. He used his hypnotic powers to make Nezumi Otoko betray Kitarō and later hypnotized Kitarō himself. He has since appeared semi-regularly throughout the franchise.
Media
Kamishibai
The 2013 translated compilation by Drawn and Quarterly
The Kitarō story began life as a kamishibai in 1933, written by Masami Itō (伊藤正美) and illustrated by Keiyō Tatsumi (辰巳恵洋). Itō's version was called Hakaba Kitarō, and is generally written in katakana to distinguish it from Mizuki's version of the tale. It is said to be a loose reinterpretation of the similar Japanese folktale called the Kosodate Yūrei (子育て幽霊) or Ame-Kai Yūrei (飴買い幽霊 "The Candy-Buying Ghost.") In 1954, Mizuki was asked to continue the series by his publisher Katsumaru Suzuki.[16]
Manga
Kitarō of the Graveyard was published as a rental manga in 1960, but it was considered too scary for children. In 1965, renamed to Hakaba no Kitarō, it appeared in Shōnen Magazine (after one of the editors came across the kashibon and offered Mizuki a contract)[17] and ran through 1970. The series was renamed GeGeGe no Kitarō in 1967 and continued on Weekly Shōnen Sunday (1971),[18] Shōnen Action, Shukan Jitsuwa and many other magazines.
Anime
Seven anime adaptations were made from the original GeGeGe no Kitarō manga series. They were broadcast on Fuji Television and animated by Toei Animation. The opening theme to all six series is "Gegege no Kitarō", written by Mizuki himself. It has been sung by Kazuo Kumakura (1st, 2nd), Ikuzo Yoshi (3rd), Yūkadan (4th), Shigeru Izumiya (5th), The 50 Kaitenz (5th) and Kiyoshi Hikawa (7th). The song was also used in the live-action films starring Eiji Wentz. In the first film it was performed by Wentz' WaT partner Teppei Koike. In January 2008, the 6th anime series (also produced by Toei) premiered on Fuji TV during the late night hours in the Noitamina block. This anime uses the original manga title (Hakaba no Kitaro), and unlike the usual anime versions, it is closer to the original manga and is not part of the existing remake canon. It also features a completely different opening ("Mononoke Dance" by Denki Groove) and ending theme song ("Snow Tears" by Shoko Nakagawa). A seventh series, directed by Kouji Ogawa and written by Hiroshi Ohnogi started airing on Fuji TV on April 1, 2018 to celebrate the anime's 50th anniversary. It is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, marking the first Kitarō anime to be available in North America.[24]
An English dub aired as Spooky Kitaro on Animax Asia. The 2008 anime was released with English subtitles on DVD in Australia.[25]
No. | Run | Episodes | Series direction | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | January 3, 1968 –March 30, 1969 | 65 | ||
2 | October 7, 1971 –September 28, 1972 | 45 | ||
3 | October 12, 1985 –March 21, 1988 | 115 | Osamu Kasai, Hiroki Shibata | |
4 | January 7, 1996 –March 29, 1998 | 114 | Daisuke Nishio | |
5 | April 1, 2007 – March 29, 2009 | 100 | Yukio Kaizawa | |
6 | January 10, 2008 – March 20, 2008 | 11 | Kimitoshi Chioki | |
7 | April 1, 2018 - Present | 74 | Kōji Ogawa | |
Total | 1968 – Present | 534 |
Films
- 1968 series
GeGeGe no Kitarō (July 21, 1968) (edited version of eps. 5 & 6)
- 1971 series
GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Divining Eye (July 12, 1980) (edited version of ep. 37)
- 1985 series
GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Yokai Army (December 21, 1985)
GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Great Yokai War (March 15, 1986)
GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Strongest Yokai Army!! Disembark for Japan! (July 12, 1986)
GeGeGe no Kitarō: Clash!! The Great Rebellion of the Dimensional Yokai (December 20, 1986)
- 1996 series
GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Great Sea Beast (July 6, 1996)
GeGeGe no Kitarō: Obake Nighter (March 8, 1997)
GeGeGe no Kitarō: Yokai Express! The Phantom Train (July 12, 1997)
- 2007 series
GeGeGe no Kitarō: Japan Explodes!! (December 20, 2008)
Live-action movies
In recent years, the franchise has seen the release of two live-action films. The first of these was released in 2007, simply titled Kitaro for its international release (the film retained the title of ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 in Japan), and is based on stories depicted in the original Kitarō manga. It stars Eiji Wentz as Kitarō and Yo Oizumi as Nezumi Otoko. The film follows Kitarō as he tries to save a young high school girl, Mika Miura, while also trying to stop the powerful "spectre stone" from falling into the wrong hands. While previous media in the franchise depicted its characters and stories mostly through hand-drawn animation and illustration, the live-action film makes extensive use of practical costumes and CG characters to depict the colourful cast of Yōkai. The second film, Kitarō and the Millennium Curse, was released in 2008 and sees Wentz returning to the role of Kitarō. It follows Kitarō and his friends as they try to solve a 1,000-year-old curse that threatens the life of his human companion Kaede Hiramoto.
Video games
Gegege no Kitarō: Youkai Dai Makyou for the Famicom (1986, Bandai)
Gegege no Kitarō 2 for the Famicom (1987, Bandai)
Gegege No Kitarō: Fukkatsu! Tenma Daiou for the Super Famicom (1993, Bandai)
Gegege no Kitarō for the Game Boy (1996, Bandai)
Gegege No Kitarō: Gentōkaikitan for the Sega Saturn (1996, Sega)
Gegege No Kitarō: Youkai Donjara for the Super Famicom (1996, Bandai) (requires Sufami Turbo)
Gegege no Kitarō: Noroi no Nikuto Katachi Tachi for the PlayStation (1997, Bandai)
Hissatsu Pachinkostation now 5 Gegege No Kitarō for the PlayStation (2000, Sunsoft)
Gegege no Kitarō for Microsoft Windows (2003, Unbalance)
Gegege no Kitarō: Ibun Youkaitan for the PlayStation 2 (2003, Konami)
Gegege no Kitarō: Kiki Ippatsu! Youkai Rettou for the Game Boy Advance (2003, Konami)
Gegege no Kitarō: Gyakushuu! Youkai Daichisen for the PlayStation (2003, Konami)
Gegege no Kitarō: Youkai Daiundoukai for the Wii (2007, Namco Bandai)
Gegege no Kitarō Pachislo slot machine made by Sammy
Gegege no Kitarō: Youkai Daigekisen for the Nintendo DS (2008, Bandai)