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Gegege no Kitarō 3 (Toei, 1985-88)
Home/Change Series
A classic, perennially popular anime series, Gegege no Kitarō [Spooky Kitarō] is based on a manga by Shigeru Mizuki, an artist with a reputation in Japan nearly as impressive as that of Osamu Tezuka. Mizuki's manga premiered in 1968 and was the first to highlight distinctively Japanese supernatural beliefs and legends. The first anime adaptation appeared the same year, and so far the story has inspired five anime series (339 episodes and still coming), nine animated movies, two live-action movies, and twelve video games.
The hero of the series, Kitarō, is a yūrei, not a "ghost" but an undead revenant with the ability to confront humans physically. However, he is friendly, serving as a guide to the realm of yōkai (supernatural entity) folklore. Though hundreds of years old, he looks like a young boy with only one eye and a thick cowlick that conceals the other side of his face. Mizuki's character was the inspiration for many one-eyed anime characters to come, including Zelgadis in Slayers and Ginko in Mushishi.
This gallery contains art from Kitarō 3 (1985-88), which is distinctive in giving Kitaro a human sidekick in his adventures, the engaging innocent in yokai-land, Yumeko-chan. In this gallery you'll also meet the inner circle of Kitaro's regular companions, each of them with their own interesting origins in Japanese folklore. For the wider range of supernatural traditions included in this series, see the next gallery devoted to "The Yokai World."
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