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Gegege no Kitarō 5 (2007-09): Ep. 92: Wave Lad and Father Trout
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This gallery contains sketch work from the recent CGI-based Kitaro 5 (2007-09). [See my other galleries for art from the cel-based Kitaro 3 (1985-88) and Kitaro 4 (1996-98).]
This gallery focuses on a set of related animators' sketches from Episode 92: Moretsu! yokai suisha!! ganbare nami kozo, or "Furious! Yokai Water-wheel!! Take heart, Wave Lad."
Scriptwriter: Reiko Yoshida
Episode Director: Hiroyuki Kakudou
Animation Director: Shinobu Ohkochi
This dramatic episode focuses on the plight of "Wave Lad" (Nami Kozo), a little scaly webfooted yokai creature who wishes to become a novice under the direction of the impressive "Father Trout" (Iwana Bozu), but is troubled by a powerful demonic entity called Mourei Yassan. Kitaro and his friends agree to help, and the episode ends with a dramatic confrontation with a gigantic wheel of water generated by the yurei .
The overall story arc of the series is the identification of the 47 “chosen yokai warriors” in Japan, one for each of Japan’s prefectures. So among other things, the series surveys the folklore of every part of Japan, creating a kind of “paranormal all-star team” out of all these local traditions. Because its creator, mangaka Shigeru Mizuki, has devoted so much time to collecting and popularizing regional folklore, he and his creations have become cherished touchstones in Japan.
Yet the series and the works on which it is based are nearly unknown in North America. The folk legends on which the plots are based are very closely linked to the subcultures of Japan where they circulated, and so the story does not easily resonate with Western audiences. Even a professional folklorist like Sensei has to do a lot of hacking around in both languages before the significance of the characters and their stories begin to make sense to a Western mind.
For that reason, visitors will find the "Episode 92 overview" a good place to start. That pulls together what I've been able to learn about the episode and the folklore on which it is based.
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