GeGeGe no Kitarō#Characters

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 horns with various malevolent {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} who threaten the balance between the Japanese creatures and humans.{{sfn|Papp|2009|p=225}}

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 {{Nihongo|"The Great Yōkai War"|妖怪大戦争|Yōkai Daisensō}} draws a great deal of influence from this story, with Kitarō and his {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} friends driving a group of Western ghouls away from an island.{{sfn|Mizuki|1995}}{{sfn|Papp|2009|p=227}}

While the character of Kitarō in GeGeGe no Kitarō is a friendly boy who genuinely wants the best outcome for humans and {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} alike, his earlier incarnation in Hakaba Kitarō 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.{{sfn|Mizuki|2006a}}

File:Gegege.jpg

; {{nihongo|{{ill|Kitarō(Manga character)|jp|鬼太郎|lt=Kitarō}}|鬼太郎}}

: {{Voiced by|Masako Nozawa (1968–1971 series, Hakaba Kitarō), Keiko Toda (1985 series), Yōko Matsuoka (1996 series), Minami Takayama (2007 series), Eiji Wentz (2008 film), Miyuki Sawashiro (2018 series),{{cite web|last=Ressler|first=Karen|title=New Gegege no Kitarō Anime Announced for Dragon Ball Super's Timeslot (Update)|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-01-18/new-gegege-no-kitaro-anime-announced-for-dragon-ball-super-timeslot/.126626|website=Anime News Network|access-date=April 13, 2023|date=January 18, 2023|archive-date=August 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826131301/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-01-18/new-gegege-no-kitaro-anime-announced-for-dragon-ball-super-timeslot/.126626|url-status=live}} Rica Matsumoto (2003 video games)}}

: Kitarō is a {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} boy born in a cemetery and, aside from his mostly decayed father, the last living member of the {{nihongo|Ghost Tribe|幽霊族|Yūreizoku}}. His name, rendered with the character for {{Nihongo||鬼|oni}} (a kind of ogre-like {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}}) can be translated as "Demon Boy"—a name which references his {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} heritage.{{sfn|Foster|2009|p=166}} He is missing his left eye, but his hair usually covers the empty socket. He fights for peace between humans and {{Transliteration|ja|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. In the 1985 series, he is half-human on his mother's side. 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{{sfn|Mizuki|2006b|p=204–273}}), his powers are more of deception than of fighting prowess: something much more in line with traditional {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} characters.

; {{nihongo|{{ill|Medama-oyaji|jp|目玉おやじ}}|目玉のおやじ, or 目玉親父||literally "Eyeball Father"}}

: {{Voiced by|Isamu Tanonaka (1968, 1971, 1985, 1996, 2007 series, Hakaba Kitaro), Masako Nozawa (2018 series), Kazuo Kumakura (2003 video games)}}

: Medama-oyaji is Kitarō's father. Once a fully-formed adult Ghost Tribe member, 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 in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as "Daddy Eyeball".

; {{nihongo|{{ill|Nezumi Otoko|jp|ねずみ男}}|ねずみ男||"Rat Man"}}

: {{Voiced by|Chikao Ohtsuka (1968–1971 series, Hakaba Kitaro), Kei Tomiyama (1985 series), Shigeru Chiba (1996 series), Wataru Takagi (2007 series), Toshio Furukawa (2018 series), Nachi Nozawa (2003 video games)}}

: Nezumi Otoko is a rodent-like {{Transliteration|ja|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 {{nihongo|University of the Bizarre|怪奇大学|Kaiki Daigaku}}. He can immobilize even the strongest {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} that accost him with a pungent flatulence attack. And, akin to cats and mice, he and Neko Musume 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".

; {{nihongo|{{ill|Neko Musume|jp|猫娘_(ゲゲゲの鬼太郎)}}|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), Yūko Miyamura (2003 video games)}}

: A normally quiet half-human {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} girl, who shapeshifts into a frightening catlike monster with fangs and feline eyes when she is angry or hungry for rats and 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 {{Transliteration|ja|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 simply "{{nihongo|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".

; {{nihongo|{{ill|Sunakake Babaa|ja|砂かけ婆 (ゲゲゲの鬼太郎)}}|砂かけ婆|"Sand-throwing hag"}}

: {{Voiced by|Yōko Ogushi (1968 series), Keiko Yamamoto (1971 series, 1996–2007 series), Hiroko Emori (1985 series),{{cite web|script-title=ja:キャラクター／キャスト - ゲゲゲの鬼太郎（第3期）|url=https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/tv/kitaro_3rd/character/|publisher=Toei Animation|access-date=August 10, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=April 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409082605/https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/tv/kitaro_3rd/character/|url-status=live}} Mayumi Tanaka (2018 series), Junko Hori (2003 video games)}} (Japanese)

: Sunakake Babaa is an old human-like {{Transliteration|ja|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 {{Transliteration|ja|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 {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} attending a {{Transliteration|ja|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, she is referred to as the "Sand Witch".

; {{nihongo|Konaki-jiji|子泣き爺||"Child-crying Old Man"}}

: {{Voiced by|Ichirō Nagai (1968 series, 1985 series), Kōji Yada (1971 series), Kōzō Shioya (1996 series), Naoki Tatsuta (2007 series), Bin Shimada (2018 series), Takanobu Hozumi (2003 video games)}} (Japanese)

: Konaki Jijii is a comic, absent-minded old human-like{{Transliteration|ja|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 {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} attending a {{Transliteration|ja|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".

; {{nihongo|Ittan Momen|一反木綿||"Roll of Cotton"}}

: {{Voiced by|Kōsei Tomita (1968 series), Keaton Yamada (1971 series), Jōji Yanami (1985 series, 2007 series), Naoki Tatsuta (1996 series), Kappei Yamaguchi (2018 series), Kenichi Ogata (2003 video games)}}

: Ittan Momen is a flying {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} resembling a strip of white cloth. Kitarō and friends often ride on him when traveling. The original {{Transliteration|ja|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 and in Crunchyroll's subtitled version of the 2018 anime, he is referred to as "Rollo Cloth".

; {{nihongo|Nurikabe|ぬりかべ||"Plastered Wall"}}

: {{Voiced by|Yonehiko Kitagawa, Kenji Utsumi (1968 series), Kōsei Tomita (1968 series, 2003 video games), 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 {{Transliteration|ja|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 {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} attending a {{Transliteration|ja|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".

; {{nihongo|Nurarihyon|ぬらりひょん}}

: {{Voiced by|Ryūji Saikachi (1968 series), Takeshi Aono (1985 series, 2007 series), Tomomichi Nishimura (1996 series), Akio Ōtsuka (2018 anime),{{cite web|last=Komatsu|first=Mikako|title=TV Anime GeGeGe no Kitaro to Enter into Its Final Chapter "Nurarihyon Arc" in October|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/09/24/tv-anime-gegege-no-kitaro-to-enter-into-its-final-chapter-nurarihyon-arc-in-october|website=Crunchyroll|access-date=April 13, 2023|date=September 24, 2019|archive-date=April 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413190448/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/09/24/tv-anime-gegege-no-kitaro-to-enter-into-its-final-chapter-nurarihyon-arc-in-october|url-status=live}} Junpei Takiguchi (2003 video games)}}

: Kitarō'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 Hyakki Yagyō, and Nurarihyon has a member he always uses named Shu no Bon.

; {{nihongo|Back Beard|バックベアード|Bakku Beādo}}

: {{Voiced by|Kōsei Tomita (1968 series), Hidekatsu Shibata (1985 series, 2007 series), Masaharu Satō (1996 series), Hideyuki Tanaka (2018 series),{{cite web|last=Pineda|first=Rafael|title=GeGeGe no Kitaro Anime Reveals Cast for 'Western Yōkai' Arc|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-09-06/gegege-no-kitaro-anime-reveals-cast-for-western-yokai-arc/.136411|website=Anime News Network|access-date=April 13, 2023|date=September 6, 2018|archive-date=April 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413190450/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-09-06/gegege-no-kitaro-anime-reveals-cast-for-western-yokai-arc/.136411|url-status=live}} Kiyoshi Kobayashi (2003 video games)}}

: Back Beard is the boss of the Western {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} 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 Yōkai War", where he rallied all the Western {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}} into a war against the Japanese {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}}. 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.

The character Kitarō can be seen as an extension of artist Shigeru Mizuki himself. “Gegege,” a childhood nickname derived from Mizuki’s own mispronunciation of “Shigeru,” ties the creator and creation together. Mizuki’s own loss of a left arm in World War II mirrors Kitarō’s hidden eye, while Medama-oyaji might be read as the embodiment of a guiding force, perhaps even a symbolic stand-in for Mizuki’s missing limb.{{Cite journal |last=Foster |first=Michael Dylan |date=2008 |title=The Otherworlds of Mizuki Shigeru |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/23/article/368547 |journal=Mechademia |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=8–28 |issn=2152-6648}}

Kitarō’s world is populated by both original yōkai created by Mizuki, such as Nezumi-otoko (Rat-Man), and adapted figures from earlier folklore. Mizuki’s work frequently drew on sources like Kunio Yanagita’s Yōkai Meii and Toriyama Sekien’s illustrated catalogs, rendering visible many beings that had only existed as vague textual descriptions. For instance, Yanagita describes the “Sunakake-babaa” (sand-throwing old woman) as an unseen yōkai found in Nara Prefecture. Mizuki transforms her into a vivid character. Similarly, the yōkai “Nurikabe”, an invisible wall that obstructs nighttime travelers, is given form as a blocky creature with eyes and legs.

File:Kamishibai.png

File:Kitaro_cover.JPG.]]

The Kitarō story began life as a {{Transliteration|ja|kamishibai}} in 1933, written by {{Nihongo|Masami Itō|伊藤正美}} and illustrated by {{Nihongo|Keiyō Tatsumi|辰巳恵洋}}. Itō's version was called {{Nihongo3|"Kitarō of the Graveyard"|{{ruby|墓場奇太郎|ハカバキタロー}}|Hakaba Kitarō}}; the title is generally written in katakana to distinguish it from Mizuki's version of the tale.

According to Itō, her Kitarō was based on local legends describing the same or similar stories.{{cite web|last=Takoshima|first=Sunao|script-title=ja:もう一人の鬼太郎とその原像 ──伊藤正美作「墓場奇太郎」をめぐって──|url=http://kiyou.lib.agu.ac.jp/pdf/kiyou_02F/02__34F/02__34_41%28192%29.pdf|publisher=Aichi Gakuin University Library and Information Center|access-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801103105/http://kiyou.lib.agu.ac.jp/pdf/kiyou_02F/02__34F/02__34_41(192).pdf|archive-date=August 1, 2021|language=ja}} It is also said to be a loose reinterpretation of the similar Japanese folktale called the {{lang|ja|子育て幽霊}} {{ill|Kosodate Yūrei|ja|子育て幽霊 |lt={{Transliteration|ja|Kosodate Yūrei}}}} or {{Nihongo|"The Candy-Buying Ghost"|飴買い幽霊|Amekai Yūrei}}, which were inspired by Chinese folklore from 12th to 13th centuries.{{cite book|author=Katō, Tōru|script-title=ja: 怪力乱神|trans-title=Supernatural Things|date=August 2007|publisher=Chuokoron-Shinsha|isbn=978-4-12-003857-0|pages=228–231|language=ja}}

In 1954, Mizuki was asked to continue the series by his publisher, Katsumaru Suzuki.{{sfn|Kure|2010|p=66}}

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){{cite web|url=http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/kitaro-1968/|title="Kitaro" (1968)|author=Brubaker, Charles|website=Cartoon Research|date=June 11, 2014|access-date=September 29, 2016|archive-date=October 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002093811/http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/kitaro-1968/|url-status=live}} and ran through 1970. The series was renamed GeGeGe no Kitarō in 1967 and continued in Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Shōnen Action, Shukan Jitsuwa and many other magazines.{{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/C92324|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920061932/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/C92324|archive-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|url-status=live}}{{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 スポーツ狂時代|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M212433|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920062653/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M212433|archive-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|url-status=live}}{{cite web|script-title=ja:複数社から発売された『墓場鬼太郎（ゲゲゲの鬼太郎）』を振り返る|url=https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/10947549/|publisher={{ill|Otakuma Keizai Shimbun|ja|おたくま経済新聞}} via Livedoor News|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|date=December 13, 2015|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920063707/https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/10947549/|url-status=live}}

In 2002, GeGeGe no Kitarō was translated by Ralph F. McCarthy and compiled by Natsuhiko Kyogoku for Kodansha Bilingual Comics.{{sfn|Mizuki|2002}} Three bilingual (Japanese–English) volumes were released in 2002.{{cite web|author=Thompson, Jason|author-link=Jason Thompson (writer)|title=Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Shigeru Mizuki|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2012-05-03|website=Anime News Network|access-date=September 20, 2023|date=May 3, 2012|archive-date=March 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325235818/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2012-05-03|url-status=live}}{{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 1 [講談社バイリンガル・コミックス]|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M361912|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920062942/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M361912|archive-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|url-status=live}}{{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 3 [講談社バイリンガル・コミックス]|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M361890|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920062952/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M361890|archive-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|url-status=live}}

Since 2013, compilation volumes of selected manga chapters from the 1960s have been published by Drawn & Quarterly, with English translations by Zack Davisson{{sfn|Davisson|2015}} and an introduction by Matt Alt in the first compilation volume.{{sfn|Drawn & Quarterly|2013}}{{cite web|url=https://drawnandquarterly.com/birth-kitaro|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907130206/https://drawnandquarterly.com/birth-kitaro|archive-date=2015-09-07|title=The Birth of Kitaro|publisher=Drawn & Quarterly|access-date=September 29, 2016|url-status=live}} Drawn & Quarterly later published a large collection of Kitaro manga under the title Kitaro, with Jocelyne Allen as the translator. Zack Davisson wrote the volume's afterword.{{cite web|url=https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/kitaro/|title=Kitaro|publisher=Drawn and Quarterly|access-date=2023-03-11|archive-date=March 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311060527/https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/kitaro/|url-status=live}}

{{see also|List of GeGeGe no Kitarō episodes{{!}}List of GeGeGe no Kitarō episodes}}

Seven anime adaptations were made from Mizuki's 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 (6th) 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, a series based on {{Nihongo|Hakaba Kitaro|墓場奇太郎|Hakaba Kitarō}}, (also produced by Toei) premiered on Fuji TV during the late night hours in the Noitamina block.{{Cite web|url=http://sirenvisual.com.au/index.php/shop/hakaba-kitaro-dvd.html|title=Hakaba Kitaro DVD | Siren Visual|access-date=2017-08-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324214527/http://sirenvisual.com.au/index.php/shop/hakaba-kitaro-dvd.html|archive-date=2016-03-24}} and unlike the usual anime versions, it is closer to Mizuki's manga and is not part of the existing remake canon. It also features a completely different opening theme song ("Mononoke Dance" by Denki Groove) and ending theme song ("Snow Tears" by Shoko Nakagawa).

A seventh series, announced in early 2018,{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-01-02/shigeru-mizuki-kitaro-gets-new-project-for-anime-50th-anniversary/.126000|title=Shigeru Mizuki's Kitarō Gets 'New Project' for Anime's 50th Anniversary|website=Anime News Network|date=January 2, 2018|access-date=January 2, 2024}} directed by Kōji Ogawa and written by Hiroshi Ohnogi started airing on Fuji TV on April 1, 2018, to celebrate the anime's 50th anniversary. The series concluded on March 29, 2020, as it entered its final arc, the "Nurarihyon Arc", on October 6, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-01-21/current-gegege-no-kitaro-anime-ends-in-march-after-2-years/.155594|title=Current GeGeGe no Kitaro Anime Ends in March After 2 Years|website=Anime News Network|language=en|access-date=2020-01-21|archive-date=March 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324112044/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-01-21/current-gegege-no-kitaro-anime-ends-in-march-after-2-years/.155594|url-status=live}} It streamed on Crunchyroll, making it the first Kitarō anime to be available in North America.{{cite web|last=Hodgkins|first=Crystalyn|title=Crunchyroll Adds New GeGeGe no Kitarō Anime|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-03-31/crunchyroll-adds-new-gegege-no-kitaro-anime/.129792|website=Anime News Network|access-date=March 31, 2018|language=en|date=March 31, 2018|archive-date=April 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408020238/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-03-31/crunchyroll-adds-new-gegege-no-kitaro-anime/.129792|url-status=live}}

An English dub aired as Spooky Kitaro on Animax Asia. Hakaba Kitaro was released with English subtitles on DVD in Australia and New Zealand.

A rebroadcast program of all six of the franchise's television series, titled {{Nihongo|GeGeGe no Kitarō: My Favorite GeGeGe Generation|ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 私の愛した歴代ゲゲゲ|GeGeGe no Kitarō Watashi no Ai Shita Rekidai GeGeGe}}, premiered on Fuji TV and other channels on April 6, 2025.{{cite web|last=Hodgkins|first=Crystalyn|title=Gegege no Kitaro Gets New Stage Play in August|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2025-03-08/gegege-no-kitaro-gets-new-stage-play-in-august/.222099|website=Anime News Network|access-date=March 10, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250310024843/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2025-03-08/gegege-no-kitaro-gets-new-stage-play-in-august/.222099|archive-date=March 10, 2025|date=March 8, 2025|url-status=live}} The theme song for the program is a rendition of "{{ill|GeGeGe no Kitaro (song)|lt=GeGeGe no Kitaro|ja|ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 (曲)}}" by Ado while the ending theme is "Party of Monsters" by Kiyoshi Hikawa featuring Tetsuya Komuro.{{cite web|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2025/3/14/gegege-no-kitaro-my-favorite-gegege-generation-ado-opening-theme-song|title=Ado Sings Opening Song for GeGeGe no Kitaro: My Favorite GeGeGe Generation Anime Episode Collection|first=Mikakazu|last=Komatsu|work=Crunchyroll|date=March 13, 2025|access-date=May 29, 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2025/4/2/gegege-no-kitaro-my-favorite-gegege-generation-anime-kiyoshi-hikawa-ending-theme-song|title=Enka Singer Kiyoshi Hikawa Sings GeGeGe no Kitaro: My Favorite GeGeGe Generation Anime Episode Collection Ending Song|first=Mikakazu|last=Komatsu|work=Crunchyroll|date=April 1, 2025|access-date=May 29, 2025}}

; 1968 series

• GeGeGe no Kitarō (July 21, 1968) (edited version of episodes 5 and 6)

; 1971 series

• GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Divining Eye (July 12, 1980) (edited version of episode 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)

; 2018 series

• Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe (2023){{Cite web|title=Kitarō Tanjō: Gegege no Nazo Film Reveals New Visual, Fall 2023 Debut|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-03-06/kitaro-tanjo-gegege-no-nazo-film-reveals-new-visual-fall-2023-debut/.183291|access-date=2022-03-06|website=Anime News Network|archive-date=March 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306180446/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-03-06/kitaro-tanjo-gegege-no-nazo-film-reveals-new-visual-fall-2023-debut/.183291|url-status=live}}

;Other

• Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu (December 16, 2017) — crossover film with the Yo-kai Watch series

Two live-action films have been released. The first one, Kitaro (released in Japan as {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎|GeGeGe no Kitarō}}), was released on April 28, 2007. It stars Eiji Wentz as Kitarō and Yo Oizumi as Nezumi Otoko.{{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎|url=http://db.eiren.org/contents/01050586201.html|website=Eiren Database|publisher=Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc.|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=November 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128150205/http://db.eiren.org/contents/01050586201.html|url-status=live}} 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. The live-action film makes extensive use of practical costumes and CG characters to depict the cast of {{Transliteration|ja|yōkai}}.

The second film, {{Nihongo|Kitaro and the Millennium Curse|ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 千年呪い唄|GeGeGe no Kitarō Sennen Noroi Uta}}, was released on July 12, 2008. Wentz reprised his role as Kitarō.{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=2nd Live-Action Gegege no Kitaro Film's Trailer Posted|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-06-20/2nd-live-action-gegege-no-kitaro-film-trailer-posted|website=Anime News Network|access-date=September 20, 2023|date=June 20, 2008|archive-date=December 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208221347/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-06-20/2nd-live-action-gegege-no-kitaro-film-trailer-posted|url-status=live}}{{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 千年呪い唄|url=http://db.eiren.org/contents/01050651001.html|website=Eiren Database|publisher=Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc.|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125104421/http://db.eiren.org/contents/01050651001.html|url-status=live}} It follows Kitarō and his friends as they try to solve a 1000-year-old curse that threatens the life of his human companion Kaede Hiramoto.

• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪大魔境|Gegege no Kitarō: Yōkai Daimakyō}} for the Famicom (April 17, 1986; Bandai){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪大魔境|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M727722|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=January 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109213131/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M727722|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎2 妖怪軍団の挑戦|Gegege no Kitarō 2: Yōkai Gundan no Chōsen}} for the Famicom (December 22, 1987; Bandai){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎2 妖怪軍団の挑戦|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M727592|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920073811/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M727592|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 復活! 天魔大王|Gegege no Kitarō: Fukkatsu! Tenma Daiō}} for the Super Famicom (February 5, 1993; Bandai){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 復活! 天魔大王|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748016|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920073811/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748016|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪ドンジャラ|Gegege no Kitarō: Yōkai Donjara}} for the Super Famicom (July 19, 1996; Bandai) (requires Sufami Turbo){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪ドンジャラ|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748017|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920073811/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748017|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪創造主現る!|Gegege no Kitarō: Yōkai Sōzōshu Arawaru}} for the Game Boy (December 13, 1996; Bandai){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪創造主現る!|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748018|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920073812/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748018|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 幻冬怪奇譚|Gegege no Kitarō: Gentōkai Kitan}} for the Sega Saturn (December 27, 1996; Bandai){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 幻冬怪奇譚|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748015|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920073812/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748015|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎|Gegege no Kitarō}} for the PlayStation (January 24, 1997; Bandai){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748009|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920074327/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748009|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo|Hissatsu Pachinko Station Now 5: Gegege no Kitarō|必殺パチンコステーションnow5 ゲゲゲの鬼太郎}} for the PlayStation (July 19, 2000; Sunsoft){{cite web|script-title=ja:必殺パチンコステーションnow5 ゲゲゲの鬼太郎|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M765500|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920074340/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M765500|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||妖怪花あそび|Yōkai Hana Asobi}} for Microsoft Windows (August 9, 2001; Unbalance){{cite web|script-title=ja:妖怪花あそび|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M766560|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920074314/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M766560|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 逆襲! 妖魔大血戦|Gegege no Kitarō: Gyakushū! Yōkai Daichisen}} for the PlayStation (December 11, 2003; Konami){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 逆襲! 妖魔大血戦|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748014|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920074331/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748014|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 異聞妖怪奇譚|Gegege no Kitarō: Ibun Yōkaitan}} for the PlayStation 2 (December 11, 2003; Konami){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 異聞妖怪奇|url=http://www.jp.playstation.com/Item/2/6156059.html|publisher=PlayStation|access-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040408181647/http://www.jp.playstation.com/Item/2/6156059.html|archive-date=April 8, 2004|language=ja}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 危機一発! 妖怪列島|Gegege no Kitarō: Kiki Ippatsu! Yōkai Rettō}} for the Game Boy Advance (December 11, 2003; Konami){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 危機一発! 妖怪列島|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748012|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920074408/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748012|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪大運動会|Gegege no Kitarō: Yōkai Daiundōkai}} for the Wii (November 22, 2007; Namco Bandai Games){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪大運動会|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748019|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920074314/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748019|url-status=live}}
• {{Nihongo||ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪大激戦|Gegege no Kitarō: Yōkai Daigekisen}} for the Nintendo DS (July 10, 2008; Namco Bandai Games){{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 妖怪大激戦|url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748020|website=Media Arts Database|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|access-date=September 20, 2023|language=ja|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920074816/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M748020|url-status=live}}

• Yokai Monsters: Shigeru Mizuki and his friends (most notably Hiroshi Aramata and Natsuhiko Kyogoku) have participated in productions, resulting in minor crossovers between GeGeGe no Kitarō and Teito Monogatari, and Daiei Film (Kadokawa Corporation) characters including Gamera and Daimajin and Sadako Yamamura.{{cite book|last=Matsunomoto|first=Kazuhiro|title=The Gamera Chronicles|year=1996|publisher=Takeshobo|pages=104–1605|isbn=978-4-8124-0166-8}}{{cite book|script-title=ja:甦れ!妖怪映画大集合!!|year=2005|publisher=Takeshobo|pages=97, 116–119|isbn=978-4-8124-2265-6}}{{cite book|last1=Minemori|first1=Hirokazu|last2=Watanabe|first2=Yusuke|author2-link=:ja:渡辺雄介|title=The Great Yokai War: Guardians – Side Story: Heian Hyakkitan|year=2021|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|pages=265–271|isbn=978-4-04-913906-8}}{{cite book|author=Kyogoku, Natsuhiko|author-link=Natsuhiko Kyogoku|title=Uso Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari|year=2018|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|pages=373–375, 392|isbn=978-4-04-107434-3}} Characters from these franchises also serve as mascots of Chōfu, with occasional joint exhibitions.{{cite news|author=Deyaburō|script-title=ja:「調布駅」は、特撮ファンにとってガチの「聖地」だった。『ゲゲゲ』と商業施設にあふれた住みよい街 [3]|url=https://news.allabout.co.jp/articles/o/87243/?page=3|publisher={{ill|All About News|ja|All About}}|access-date=December 9, 2024|language=ja|date=December 6, 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web|last=Davisson|first=Zack|title=About Me|url=http://hyakumonogatari.com/about/|website=Hyaku Monogatari|year=2015|access-date=2015-12-12}}
• {{cite web|last=Drawn & Quarterly|title=Kitaro|url=https://www.drawnandquarterly.com/kitaro|website=Drawn & Quarterly|date=2013-08-20|access-date=2015-12-12}}
• {{cite book|last=Foster|first=Michael Dylan|title=Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Demonology and the Culture of Yōkai|year=2009|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=978-0-520-25362-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Kada|first=Koji|script-title=ja:紙芝居昭和史|year=2004|publisher=Iwanami Shoten|location=Tokyo|isbn=4-00-603096-7}}
• {{cite journal|last=Kure|first=Tomohiro|title=Shigeru Mura, Before Shigeru Mizuki|journal=Geijitsu Shincho Magazine|date=2010-10-01}}
• {{cite book|last=Mizuki|first=Shigeru|script-title=ja:妖怪大戦争：ゲゲゲの鬼太郎3|year=1995|publisher=Chikuma Shobō|location=Tōkyō|isbn=4-480-02883-8|edition=5. satsu.}}
• {{cite book|last=Mizuki|first=Shigeru|translator=Zack Davisson|title=GeGeGe-no-Kitaro Vol.1|year=2002|publisher=Kodansha International|location=New York|isbn=4-7700-2827-X}}
• {{cite book|last=Mizuki|first=Shigeru|title=Hakaba Kitarō: 1.|year=2006a|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|location=Tōkyō|isbn=978-4-04-192913-1}}
• {{cite book|last=Mizuki|first=Shigeru|title=Hakaba Kitarō: 4.|year=2006b|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|location=Tōkyō|isbn=978-4-04-192916-2}}
• {{cite journal|last=Papp|first=Zilia|title=Monsters at War: The Great Yōkai Wars, 1968-2005|journal=Mechademia|date=2009-11-11|volume=4|issue=War/Time|pages=225–239|doi=10.1353/mec.0.0073|jstor=41510938|s2cid=52229518|doi-access=free}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050421175651/http://www.sakaiminato.net/site2/page/foreign/eng/kitaro/ Sakaiminato: The town where you can meet Kitaro]
• [http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/kitaro/ GeGeGe no Kitarō 2007 TV anime official site] {{in lang|ja}}
• [http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/hakaba/ Hakaba Kitaro official site] {{in lang|ja}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150512133617/http://www.japanzine.jp/article/jz/1291/poor-little-ghost-boy Poor Little Ghost Boy|Japanzine by Zack Davisson]
• [http://www.yanoman.co.jp Yanoman Corporation]
• [http://schoolgirlmilkycrisis.com/blog/?p=1710 "Spooky Ooky" – brief history of Shigeru Mizuki and GeGeGe no Kitaro] by Jonathan Clements
• {{IMDb title|qid=Q1087463}}
• {{IMDb title|qid=Q6696810|title=Kitaro and the Millennium Curse}}
• {{Anime News Network|manga|1331}}

{{Portal bar|1960s|Anime and manga|Horror}}

{{GeGeGe no Kitarō}}

{{Weekly Shōnen Magazine - 1960–1989}}

{{Weekly Shōnen Sunday - 1970–1979}}

{{Toei Animation}}

{{Toei Animation films}}

{{Toei Animation films 1980s}}

{{Toei Animation films 1990s}}

{{Toei Animation films 2000s}}

{{Katsuhide Motoki}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gegege No Kitaro}}

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