Ask John: What is Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro?

Question:
I’m a big fan of anime involving monsters and ghost from Japanese folklore and legends. Well, I heared some days ago that there is an anime about ghosts and such things called Ge Ge Ge No Kitaro, but I didn’t found too much info about it. Can you tell how much Kitaro is there? Any manga or OVAs? When was it released? Anything! I simply can’t miss anime about that.

Answer:
Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro was recently ranked #56 on Kore ga Nihon no Best’s list of the 100 favorite anime TV series among Japanese viewers. Created by Shigeru Mizuki in 1966, Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro is the story of demon boy Kitaro and his father, Medama-Oyaji (a tiny naked human body with an eyeball for a head), who accept human children’s mail requests to scare away malicious ghosts, monsters and spirits. The original manga filled more than 20 volumes and became the basis for a 65 episode TV series in 1968, a 45 episode TV series in 1971, a 105 episode TV series in 1985, a 114 episode TV series in 1996, at least two theatrical motion pictures in 1968 and 1996, and a live action movie in the 1980s.

Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro is a children’s story, albeit an occasionally somewhat frightening one, featuring all the traditional monsters of Japanese folklore plus some original ones. Kitaro’s friend Neko-Musume, as her name suggests, is literally a cat girl. Likewise Kitaro’s sometime partner Nezumi-Otoko, as his name implies, is a scheming and cowardly rat man. Other frequently appearing members of the cast include “kasa no obake” or “karakasa” the umbrella monsters with one eye and one leg, “kappa” the humanoid turtle water spirits, “hitotsume kozou” the bald cyclops, “tengu” the long nosed Japanese demons, “rokurokkubi” the long-necked woman, “yuurei” ghosts with no legs wearing a paper triangle on their heads, “chochin obake” paper lantern demons, “nurikabe” the giant stone wall, “ittan momen” the suffocating ghost cloth, “konaki jijii” the crying old man monster, and “sunakake baba” the sand throwing old woman.

Although Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro has been popular in Japan for over 30 years, the series remains virtually unknown among most Western anime fans. The exceptional amount of Japanese folklore at work in the series, its massive length, and the fact that it’s a children’s show unfortunately work against its chances of ever being brought to America. For more information about this classic anime, visit the excellent Goblin Mailbox fan site.