GeGeGe no Kitaro

   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 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.

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.

   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 combines 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.

Media

Kamishibai

   The Kitarō story began life as a kamishibai in 1933, written by Masami Itou (伊藤正美). Itou's version was called Kitarō of the Graveyard (Japanese: ハカバノキタロウ, hepburn: Hakaba no 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 Ame-Kai Yurei ("The Candy-Buying Ghost.") In 1954, Mizuki was asked to continue the series by his publisher.

Characters

Kitarō (鬼太郎 Kitarō)

Voiced by: Masako Nozawa (1968-1971), Keiko Toda (1985), Yoko Matsuoka (1996), Minami Takayama (2007), Miyuki Sawashiro (2018)

Played by: Eiji Wentz

Kitarō is a yōkai boy 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 translate as "Demon Boy"—a name which reference both his human and Yōkai heritage.  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), 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")

Medama-oyaji is Kitarō's father. Once a fully formed adult ghost, he perished of 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, he is referred to as Daddy Eyeball.

Nezumi Otoko (ねずみ男, "Rat Man")

Nezumi Otoko is a rodent-like yōkai-human halfbreed. 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, he is referred to as Ratman.

Neko Musume (猫娘 or ねこ娘, "Cat Girl")

A normally quiet yōkai girl, who transforms into a frightening cat 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 of fanservice), she is very fond of human fashion and is seen in different outfits and uniforms. She bears some resemblance to the bakeneko of Japanese folklore.

Neko-Musume first appears in the story Neko-Musume and Nezumi-Otoko (Weekly Shōnen Magazine version), 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, she is referred to as Catchick.

Sunakake Babaa (砂かけ婆, "Sand-throwing hag")

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 of Nara Prefecture.

Sunakake-babaa 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, she is referred to as The Sand Witch.

Konaki Jijii (子泣き爺, "Child-crying Old Man")

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 of Tokushima Prefecture in 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, he is referred to as Old Man Crybaby.

Ittan Momen (一反木綿, "Roll of Cotton")

Ittan Momen is a flying yōkai resembling a strip of white cloth. Kitarō and friends often ride on him when traveling. The original ittan-momen is a spirit from Kagoshima Prefecture myth 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, he is referred to as Rollo Cloth.

Nurikabe (ぬりかべ, "Plastered Wall")

Nurikabe is a large, sleepy-eyed wall-shaped yōkai, who uses his massive size to protect Kitarō and his friends. The original Nurikabe is 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, he is referred to as Wally Wall.

Nurarihyon (ぬらりひょん)

Kitaro's old rival, he is depicted as an old man who comes at other people's houses and drink their tea. He is also a member of the Gazu Hyaki Yako, Nurarihyon has a member he always uses named Shu no Bon.

Back Beard (バックベアード)

Back Beard is the boss of the Western Yokai and Kitarō's second greatest foe after Nurarihyon. He is loosely based on the bugbear. 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.

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)  and ran through 1970. The series was renamed GeGeGe no Kitarō in 1967 and continued on Shōnen Sunday, Shōnen Action, Shukan Jitsuwa and many other magazines. In 2002, GeGeGe no Kitarō was translated by Ralph F. McCarthy and compiled by Natsuhiko Kyogokufor Kodansha Bilingual Comics.  Since 2013, compilation volumes of selected manga chapters from the 1960s, have been released by Drawn and Quarterly, with English translations by Zack Davisson and an introduction by Matt Alt in the first compilation volume.  Three bilingual (Japanese-English) volumes were released in 2002.

Anime

   Six 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 five 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) and The 50 Kaitenz (5th). The song was also used in the live action films starring Eiji Wentz. In the first film it was performed by Wentz' WaTpartner Teppei Koike. In January 2008, an all new anime (also produced by Toei) premiered on Fuji TV during the late night hours in the Noitamina block. This anime uses the original manga title, 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 is in production, to start airing on April, 2018.