The official website for the upcoming anime film, “Kitarō Tanjō: Gegege no Nazo” (Kitarō Birth: The Mystery of Gegege), has recently released an exciting new trailer and visual for the movie. The trailer gives us a glimpse of the film’s cast and offers a tantalizing preview of what’s in store for viewers.
The anime film will be released in Japan on November 17. This film is part of a quartet of “big projects” dedicated to honoring the legacy of Shigeru Mizuki, who sadly passed away in 2015 at the age of 93. Among these projects is the highly anticipated debut of a new “Akuma Kun” anime on Netflix, scheduled for November 9.
Get ready for an untold tale that’ll make you scared of your own shadow as the new film tells the story of “a previously untold extremely horrific story of a frightening secret of a cursed village.” The original 1960 manga gave birth to not just one, but seven television series, two live-action films, and several animated movies. So, to say the franchise has been a success is an understatement.
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Kitarō Tanjō: Gegege no Nazo’s Cast & Staff
The anime film is directed by Gou Koga and produced by Toei Animation with Hiroyuki Yoshino writing the screenplay. The characters are designed by Touko Yatabe.
The Cast
The main cast includes Toshihiko Seki voicing Kitarō’s father, who gradually becomes Medama Oyaji, and Hidenobu Kikuchi voicing Mizuki, a salaryman who goes to a cursed village under secret orders.
Other cast members include Atsumi Tanezaki voicing Sayo, the daughter of Otome and Katsunori. Yumiko Kobayashi lends her voice to Tokiya, the son of Kanoko and Kenji. Tetsu Shiratori voices the character of Tokisada Ryūga, the influential head of the Ryūga family, known for their behind-the-scenes political maneuvers.
Nobuo Tobita plays Tokima, Tokisada’s eldest son, Yoko Soumi voices Otome, Tokisada’s third daughter, Yuko Minaguchi voices Hinoe, Tokisada’s second daughter, and Masaya Matsukaze as Yamada, a dedicated journalist on the trail of Kitarō’s mysterious past.
Additionally, Umeka Shouji voices Neko Musume, a beloved character from the TV anime, Akira Ishida voices Kenji Nagata, the husband of Kanoko, Rie Kugimiya voices Kanoko Nagata, Tokisada’s third daughter, Kazuhiro Yamaji voices Katsunori, Otome’s husband and finally, Kazuya Nakai plays Kōzō, Tokisada’s second son.
GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Franchise
The franchise started with the original GeGeGe no Kitarō manga, taking us to the world of yokai and the eponymous protagonist, Kitarō, a young yokai boy with a strong sense of justice. The manga became an instant classic, creating a large fanbase in no time, and laying the foundation for horror manga.
In 1968, the franchise made its television debut, bringing supernatural tales to life with the first animated adaptation of the series. This marked the beginning of a long list of successful anime adaptations that would follow over the years, the latest released in 2018.
The franchise went beyond television, with several video games and two live-action films. Needless to say, a large number of people loved the Gegege no Kitarō works.
Not everyone’s cup of tea, GeGeGe no Kitarō certainly has its charm. If you have a genuine interest in Japanese yokai and folktales, this show will likely be a good match for you. With many episodes, GeGeGe demands a certain level of passion and enthusiasm to truly enjoy the series.
From uncontrollable laughter to deep sadness and genuine happiness, this series will make you feel a lot of things. It’s not over-the-top good or incredibly bad, it lies somewhere in the middle. You might not recommend it to everyone you meet but you will, no doubt, keep going back for more episodes.
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