Nearly twenty years into the 21st century, people have forgotten the existence of youkai. When a number of unexplainable phenomena plague adults of the human world with confusion and chaos, thirteen-year-old Mana writes a letter to the Youkai Post in search of answers, only to be greeted by Gegege no Kitarou... (Source: Crunchyroll)
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GeGeGe isn't a show for most people. It's long and unless you're really into Japanese yokai and folktales you most likely won't like this series that much. However it still is really good and fun to watch. This series is a mixture of a sort of overall main plot of trying to get humans and yokai to get along, while also having many sub stories that take a few episodes to just being episodic of one episode stories. In all, each of the stories were interesting with few exceptions, and have some relevance to the main plot. I both laughed, felt extremely sad, and reallyhappy while watching the series and while it's not one of my favorite shows of all time it has a close place in my heart. The characters are all pretty interesting and our main cast get some good character development while the other side characters don't really get all that screen time they do get like an episode or two which gives them the spotlight and after awhile, especially after watching the show for 2 years, the characters really grow on you. It's one of those shows where after awhile you feel like a part of their group, you feel like you're apart of Gegege forest and close to the characters, as long as you like or at least semi like the characters and story. Overall, was a fun show to watch weekly for 2 years, sad it ended after all this time but I had a blast. Definitely not a series for everyone but give it a few episodes and see if you enjoy it.
Taking this one out of the queue is an odd feeling. To have something so constant in your life for so long to be gone. It's making cry thinking about it being over honestly. Kitaro was something I'd never even heard of until this anime was announced. Had not a clue it was the 6th Kitaro or anything about it other than dealing with yokai. Just saw that something was replacing Dragonball Super at its time so why the hell not see what could possibly have the prestige to pull that off. Didn't think I'd get this invested in the show really. Kitaro with DaddyEyeball, Catchick, Sand Witch, Wally Wall, Oldman Crybaby, and even Ratman, were such a solid heart to this show. When it started I still couldn't wrap my brain around the whole thing but these characters and how the world looked with this style drew me in and kept me wanting to come back at the start. Mana being an audience surrogate helped too, brining us into this yokai world we knew nothing about. With it being mostly episodic, not including the few specific arcs scattered about, we were given the chance to slowly acclimate to this yokai world. Other than a single two part story I think every single episode of the first half of year one was a single self contained episode. which was a lot of fun really. Paid off huge later when we saw some of those characters come back in year two but even at the beginning it was cool seeing Kitaro take on these unique yokai conflicts. Also going with that since things were mostly one offs there was a fair amount of dud episodes imo. Episodes that I either found boring or just not too interesting at all. Not a majority or anything even close but maybe out of the nearly hundred episodes I'd say ten to fifteen were meh and just kinda episodes I shrugged at. Now the actual story arcs that developers over time were something to see! I loved loved all of them. Taking on Faceless, Backbeard and the Western yokai with Agnes and Adele, the Four Generals with Rei, the finally against Nurarihyon. All were amazing storylines that had me glued. And on top of that there were some gems floating around in the single story episode soup. A couple specific ones that I still recall being awesome on their own. Bringing all this together was I'm sure no easy feat. Have to applied Toei for bringing Kitaro to the modern day these few decades into the 21st century. Like I said never seen a Kitaro series before this one but so glad I decided all the way back then to give this a try and all this time of thinking to never let go. It's bittersweet saying goodbye, especially this way I mean omg Mana in the finale broke my heart, but I understand it's necessary to stop after a certain point. Kitaro thank you so much for this journey. I loved so much of it and certainly glad I spent all these days watching. There's many lessons about harmony and discrimination to be learned from this show and glad to have experienced them. 8/10
Gegege no Kitarou is one of those anomalies in anime where, despite massive success in Japan and airing a new season ceremoniously every decade, it is practically unheard of in the western community. However, when you think of it in terms of marketability for the West, it does make sense. The entire franchise is filled to the brim with Japanese social commentary, and the very foundation of the series is based on Japanese Youkai and folktales, which is why it’s so fascinating to see the most recent iteration, in 2018, simulcast on Crunchyroll. What’s more fascinating is how it happens that this season is soradically different from its predecessors in representing its era. It makes perfect sense that this season is the first to be brought overseas, as it not only signifies a new era for the franchise but also demonstrates just how much society has changed. (This review contains minor spoilers) Now, I understand that that last sentence reads rather pompous, but, trust me, it makes sense in the context of what this franchise is. As I mentioned before, Gegege no Kitarou airs a new 50–100 episode season every decade, and with it, commentary on the society each season encompasses. Today, technology permeates our modern-day society in a way that is nearly unavoidable. I’m talking smartphones, computers, the internet, and social media. The 2018 series (which I’ll refer to as GGG2018 from now on) does not hesitate to utilise this and places a heavy focus on modern technology. Despite being aware of this before going into the show, it was still surreal to see GGG2018 open up its first episode to a man recording himself with a selfie stick causing disruptions at Shibuya crossing, only to be cursed and turned into a vampire tree. The people surrounding him all grab their phones and start recording and/or texting their friends about what just happened, only for everyone on the street to be turned into vampire trees themselves. We find out this was caused by a certain Youkai called Nobiagari, who plants seeds that suck blood and turn people into vampire trees. My favourite part about this opening scene is how GGG2018 immediately makes it very clear that we’ve entered a new era by putting a heavy emphasis on phone usage. As the episode progresses, we learn the man causing the disruption at the start is named "Charatomi," who owns a YouTube channel and posts himself causing all sorts of problems around Japan. One of these videos involves him walking inside a random cave and ripping off a seal of the Youkai Nobiagari (lol). Interestingly, 5 months before the airing of this episode, Logan Paul entered the country and made national news after causing a huge ruckus on the streets, being disrespectful to the culture, and, well, we all know what else happened. We may not fully realise the scale of it, but YouTube is a massive phenomenon, and issues like these are a real problem. Hell, you still hear stories of idiots running around Japan and other countries with cameras in their faces causing problems today. This first episode does a great job showcasing what exactly this series is about and prepares us for what we can expect going forward, and boy does it deliver. A general idea explored throughout GGG2018 is how society is constantly changing over time and the effect that has on both humans and Youkai. Episode 6, for example, features a cat Youkai who is unable to properly feed off of human life energy in a rural town, as it lives off of the energy of humans simply by touching them, since over time more and more youth started moving to the city for school or work opportunities. This has caused the cat to slowly but unintentionally kill off the elderly population over time by stealing their life energy. The Youkai never meant any harm, but since the world is constantly changing and moving, incidents like this occur. Within this general idea of the world changing, one theme that particularly stood out to me was commentary on modern Japanese work ethic, which is the main focus of episode 9. This episode was about the Youkai 'Isogashi' who specifically possess lazy people and cause them to be restless to want to get things going or done. Yet despite this power, he struggles to find anyone to possess because people are already overworking themselves with their jobs. The focus then shifts to the Kappa, who get lured into working an office job with the promise of many more cucumbers than they were collecting on their own (Kappa loves cucumbers). Before, the Kappa were living a lazy life playing sumo and swimming in rivers, yet they’re taken advantage of by the lure of something they love. However, after being overworked to oblivion, they find out that their salary of 3 cucumbers an hour is not nearly enough as the minimum wage when converted to yen and realise they’re being exploited. Enraged, the Kappa go on a rampage, making random people on the streets relaxed and lazy (that’s their ability, and yes, I know it sounds absurd, but Youkai have all sorts of weird powers lol), to the point where the Youkai Isogashi comes back and the usual Kitarou fighting shenanigans ensue. Afterwards, the Kappa realise that the life they were living before is much better for their wellbeing. Even if they weren't getting as many cucumbers, they appreciate and value the time they spend doing stuff they enjoy together, like swimming and sumo, while growing their own cucumbers to enjoy. This is one of my favourite episodes, as it encourages appreciating not only the little things in life but also the slow moments we have too. There are many more episodes that tackle the subject matter of work ethic, like episode 14, but those episodes are worth watching yourself as they’re some of the best this season has to offer. While GGG2018 defines its era through its themes and storytelling, I’d say an even more important aspect is this season’s artstyle. A fascinating upside of airing a new season every decade is seeing how the art and techniques change overtime. The 60s series is in black-and-white, the 70s is the first with colour, the 90s is the last cel animated season, the 2000s season is the first fully digitally animated, and the 2018 season is the first that utilises modern digital effects and lighting (which to me is the most defining part of this season’s art). What’ll stand out to anyone starting this season is the strong use of lighting—an almost over-exaggerated use. Lighting is often used to strategically build atmosphere by creating a stark contrast between the light-hearted and horror scenes. And it works! The over-exaggeration of the lighting lends itself to an almost overwhelming, eerie, and uncomfortable feeling. My favourite example of this is episode 25. It begins with a cold open inside a dark room; all we can see is the illuminating light of a phone. Then, it cuts eerily to a shot of a person hanging from the ceiling, and while we don’t see the noose, it’s clear they’ve hung themselves. This scene gave me goosebumps because it’s genuinely TERRIFYING. We learn later in the episode that a phone app was the cause of this suicide, once again showcasing how this season uses technology as a main theme. This is an element I’ve come to realise was missing from the 2007 series. From what I’ve seen of it, it has scary moments, but they often weren’t accompanied by meaningful lighting that built up the atmosphere. There are a few exceptions, like 2007’s Youkai Train episode, but those exceptions happen to be 2007’s greatest episodes, which were few and far between (sorry to diss on the 2007 series but I have my gripes with it lmao). I really do believe that 2018’s decision to utilise lighting in this way has done wonders for the tone and atmosphere. In terms of smartphone usage, one thing I want to mention is how Neko Musume has a phone she uses. It’s not treated as this gimmick where it’s like, “Hey guys look!! She’s using a phone!!!”. No, in reality, the phone is shown countless times throughout the series as a useful tool. She uses it to communicate with Mana, which then lets her relay information to Kitarou. She uses it to watch the news and stay caught up on anything related to Youkai. We even see Neko Musume discreetly take photos of Kitarou (because she is in love with him) and use them as her lock screen, which plays an important thematic role in episode 93. It’s not just phones, there are moments of technology use, like in episode 31 where Nezumi Otoko complains about how the crypto-currency he invested in lost all value in a single day (and this gag happens multiple times iirc lmfao). Social media addiction is often used as a theme, like in episodes 31 and 67, where they feature both humans and Youkai striving for more clicks and views while simultaneously pushing aside the important things in their lives. It’s amazing how they’ve managed to fully integrate technology, not as a gimmick but as a central theme of this entire season. Gegege no Kitarou 2018 is by no means a perfect season. Like most seasons in the franchise, it’s tainted by numerous fight scenes and episodes that focus entirely on battle shenanigans. I often found these episodes to be the least interesting part of the series, which really bogged down the experience for me. Fortunately, there are plenty of great episodic stories to watch, and the social commentary on the problems we face in the modern era is fascinating to watch. Furthermore, I would especially recommend this series if you have an interest in Youkai! This review has been somewhat all over the place, as it’s more like a thought dump of the aspects I liked. Thank you for reading, and I hope I’ve convinced you to check out this awesome franchise!
I just finished this series last night and after it having been in my list for 2 years, waking up and realizing that it would no longer be there wounded me deeper than I ever thought it would. I started this series thinking it would be more of a slice of life. An anime to calm down with during a period in my life that was less than stellar. But that wasn't exactly the case. The anime can make you feel better, but there are arcs and episodic episodes alike that will break your heart. And as perhaps the masochist I am, I craved more! This seriesdoes have a storyline but it is mostly episodic episodes. So if your looking for a heavy story anime, this won't be for you. If you like learning about different yokai, both popular and not so, you'd enjoy this. The series is fun, wholesome, dark, sad, infuriating, and just a fun ride to take! I already miss it XD
Shows like this don't tend to get much attention. On MAL, we tend to pay more attention to the anime aimed at an older audience, and the only way a series aimed at a younger audience tends to break through is if it was part of our own childhoods like Pokemon or Digimon. So by that standard, Gegege no Kitaro 2018 is astonishing for even finding an audience in the first place. And part of that is the fact that while it's a children's anime ostensibly, it has plenty here for an older audience as well. Gegege no Kitaro is a very episodic show. Ithas overarching plots that vary in how prominent they are, but the meat of it is individual episodes. And luckily for Gegege no Kitaro, those are consistently good with occasional real standouts. There's a good number of episodes I'd probably recommend to watch even outside of the series just because they are legitimately great, even fantastic in some cases. There's also a good number of episodes that are enjoyable, but don't leave much of an impression. But rarely episodes I outright despise. But the fact that at it's highest points the episodes are so good is a reason why you'd watch the series. One of the episodes legit made me cry, and I think I can count on one hand the number of anime that have done that. The second reason you'd watch this is because of the Yokai lore. The series is kinda fascinating to me just hearing about these Yokai and sometimes even connecting that to other bits of Japanese culture I've heard about. There's a handful of Yokai that I'd heard of through other places like Zashiki-warashi and it was interesting hearing a bit more about them here. As for why the series might not appeal, you still can tell in most cases it's aimed at a younger audience. Not like in a way where it talks down to you, but more so in how it uses action which is often not that interesting and the generally static nature of the characters. They do change a bit, but some characters really could've used with more development over the course of the series. (I am looking squarely at you Ratman) Overall, I'm really glad I watched this series consistently for close to 2 years. I'd say it's really good if you want something that can both surprise you but also be a kind of simple enjoyment at times. It's not a series I'd recommend to binge, but rather one to watch periodically. I guarantee you'll find at least one episode that was worth the trip.
When I first started the show my gut reaction was "this is not for me, it's clearly for kids. Ones that are already familiar with yokai lore at that." Because quite a few people recommended this AND because Halloween was coming up I gave it a second chance and I'm glad I did so I'm changing my initial review of (eh, it's a kids show. not for me). The first dozen or so episodes seem to be directed at children all be it a million times darker than some horror anime out there. If you keep going though the target audience changes. This show uses traditional yokailore as a vehicle for social commentary. The writing is top shelf and there are episodes here that are beyond haunting. Some are clearly targeting japanese practices like office workers that literally keel over and die at their desks from over work. It is however framed in a universal way that everyone can understand. Story 10/10 and is what you watch this show for. The creativity, the AMAZING writing and interesting yokai lore integrated into everyday modern life. Characters 9/10 The characters are very distinct and managed to maintain that since the manga was published in the 60s without feeling stagnant. Art Design and Animation. 8/10 Unique character designs that match up with each Yokai's distinct design. Animation is smooth. Fun Factor 8/10. Something I appreciated about this show is tone. In one episode it's so heavy I'd actually cry, the next it's so hilarious my ribs hurt. The next thoughtful or creative. All this without being jarring or breaking the tension for the episodes that deal with heavy subjects. The show is fun when it has to be and thoughtful when it needs to be. Something I rarely see. NOTE The 2018 show is actually the 6th adaptation of a manga that was published in the 60s. Since then the show didn't become a classic so much as part of Japanese culture. The characters themselves actually address this, they stay the same at their core but unlike other shows they are not stagnant. Keeping up with modern everyday issues is a HUGE part of this show and the characters have always been a vehicle to show case this.
Came for Nekomusume, endured for Mana, stayed for the yokai shenanigans. Oh and Kitaro was fine, I guess. This was a ridiculously long series and I was surprised I managed to finish this within a few weeks of casual watching. Gegege no Kitaro 2018 is a reboot of the traditionally famous Kitaro series which has been running since the first age of Japanese animation. I vaguely remembering the theme song from glancing a few episodes when I was a kid in Animax but somehow the song stuck to me. On 2020, amidst the abundance of freetime and quarantine, I caught up to a random doujinshi featuringa girl character from this show. She was hot, her design was striking, and I had spare time. Ofcourse I had to check on her show, expecting nothing but a kid show from the synopsis and ready to ignore the plot just to see Nekomusume animated. To my surprise, the show was cool. I mean Nekomusume still contributed a lot of its appeal but for the most part, GGNK has good story beats, decent pacing for a 90+ ep series, entertaining cast, and varying episode content, even things I did not expect to see on a kid's show. Then again, this was Japan we're talking about. Even their kid shows can be batshit insane. It has comedy, action, thrills, horror, and lots of heart. I expected the first bits but there are drama bits in the show that I genuine cried for. Storywise, this was a mostly shonen-esque episodic show featuring a half-yokai protagonists and his friends clashing and meeting with other supernatural entities who dare disturb the peace. It was nothing really groundbreaking in paper but the yokai bits were really interesting. Particularly I liked the hot/cold yokai, the cat, and ofcourse Nekomusume herself and there's a sense of a lived-in world. People are not painted as innocent nor good just as the yokais are and even the protagonist Kitaro is a morally gray guy. There are deaths in the show and some of it can be devastating, since there was an initial hope spot by the fact that it is made for children. In a show about ghosts and immortals, there sure is a mortality rate and when it calls for, plot armor is thrown out the window. In fact, consequences are being dealt for a span of time in the show where things that happen affects the others. For an episodic show, that was surprising. Characters are relatively well-rounded, notably the main cast. There's character development here that made me so invested with the side characters, except Rat Man who is painfully frustrating because of how his character's development is basically a loop. Mana Inuyama, our deuteragonist was very enjoyable, using her mundane humanity and technologically wits to become as useful as her superhuman allies in times of crisis. Nekomusume remains hot but shines even more so because she was such a darling. Kitaro is relatively neutral, who eliminates yokai who dares harm people but will also let people suffer horribly when they deserve it. By the end of the show, it was just fast consumption because I was not well-versed to what the characters could do, their motives, and still twists come and go. Well, some can be predictable but for a Toei show, this was absolute delight. Also, the female designs in the show were hot. Plot-wise, most episodes are stand alone and this is when the show was at its brightest. The story arcs are good, yes but there are stories that were just told in single episodes that were really spectacular. My favorites have been the Cat episode, the Lost Belongings episode, and a mid-season cliffhanger that caught me offguard. The cat episode in particular really came out of left field and gave me a heart-wrenching tale that I have been thinking about it for a few days. There's seriously good stuff here even when some of the episodes can be absolute dud. While the first arc was kinda weak, the other three arcs were good, notably the midseason and the final one. Likewise, character dynamics usually fuel the powerful emotions in scenes, giving weight and reasons for the audience to root for or root against anyone. The varying episode contents made sure to keep me guessing what adventures the cast is gonna undertake next. They may be handling haunted schools on one, then take on beholders the next and then handling social media cavemen. It may be something small, something grand, but all in all, I had fun consuming them. The OP remained the same from start to finish and I barely skipped it. It was so fricking catchy. The EDs however are mostly skippable. The OST within the show were thematic, with quite a lot of them seemingly inspired by Dark Souls and Castlevania. In fact, there are tracks here that are more metal than the usual J-flare. Artwise, it was good. The character designs are striking and there is decent budget alotted for the grander fight scenes. Nowhere close to ufotable or bones but for a 90+ episode shonen, it did its best. In the end, I was satisfied how it went on and when it was over, I felt empty because there was no more Gegege to look forward to. Yes, the show is over and feels complete. It took its time and did its best not to overstay its welcome. Lovely cast, strong episodic elements, gorgeous ladies, supernatural thrills and Nekomusume. Oh, and Kitaro was cool too. He's detective gadget with a superpowered slipper and others in his arsenal. I loved what I had and if you can withstand dozens of episodes of yokai battling and supernatural slice of life, I'll recommend this for sure. Just prepare for about three episodes or so that were just plain boring and some plot armor. This is a truly random show to surprise me with its quality. To think that it all started by browsing adult doujinshi. Watch it episodic. Binge watching can diffuse some of the strong messages handled by the strongly-written episodes. I can't stress enough how much a babe Nekomusume is.
One of the few shows i truly, genuinely consider perfect. Even with its imperfections. A mix of genres, something for everyone, and amazingly done too. Supernural, comedy, horror, slice of life, mystery, action... Overall you'd think its for kids, but theres episode definitely aimed at older people, with topics like toxic internet presence, crime, abuse, stalking, colonization and land theft, racism and much more. The art is very individual, fitting each character and story. Its mostly episodic, theres a deeper storyline in the background. You could compare it to MP100 or YYH, if you liked those, youd probably like GNK. Please give it a try, itsworth it!! You also do NOT need to know anything about yokai, like others said. They introduce and explain everything well in an entertaining and interesting way! Based on the manga, the eye-catchers pay tribute on Shigeru Mizukis art and him as a person, even if the anime modernized the original story. But it works, its enjoyable and you can feel the thought put into it. Obviously theres short arcs or episodic subplots that I liked less, but it doesn't affect the general experience, which is rare. The characters are very individual, with amazing character designs, and relatable feelings. As a mai character, Kitaro is outshined by most, but its not an issue, really. The story isnt about him as a person. The OST is amazing, too. The opening is fun and creative, and stays in your ear, the endings change and are all good with different styles in animation and sound. The artstyle seems "childish" at first, but it fits each mood and story. I probably felt every possible emotion during that show. "In 2018, people have forgotten about the existence of yokai. When a number of unexplainable events plague the human world, 13 year-old Mana writes a letter to the Yokai Post in search of answers, only to be greeted by Gegege no Kitaro."
