“GeGeGe no Kitaro,” originally known as Hakaba Kitaro, is a Japanese manga series created in 1960 by Shigeru Mizuki. It is best known for popularizing the folklore creatures known as yokai, a class of spirit-monsters to which all the main characters belong. The series has been adapted for the screen multiple times, including anime, live-action, and video games. The latest adaptation began in 2018 with an anime series that ran for almost two years and totaled 97 episodes. “The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe” is a prequel to this series, released in Japanese cinemas in 2023 to strong box office performance, followed by an uncut version a year later.
Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of Gegege is screening at Nippon Connection
The story is set in 1956 and initially follows Mizuki, a blood bank employee who travels to a remote village after the death of the patriarch of the Ryuuga family, a man who also led a major pharmaceutical company. The tension during the funeral is palpable and escalates when the will is read, leaving several individuals heartbroken and enraged after being excluded. Among them is Katsunori, the company president, who takes Mizuki under his wing. Despite the blow, Katsunori quickly regains his composure and tries to draw Mizuki into his world, particularly after noticing his growing closeness to the family’s young daughter, Sayo, who is desperate to escape the village.
The older daughter, Otome, the second daughter, Hinoe, and Mayor Osada, who married into the family, have their own agendas. It is soon revealed that something sinister is occurring, centered around the mysterious medicine known as “M,” the company’s flagship product. As a series of deaths unfolds, Kitaro appears, further complicating the situation. He finds his only ally in Mizuki after the villagers accuse him of being responsible for the horrors befalling the area. The supernatural gradually takes center stage in the unfolding events.
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Go Koga delivers an exceptional work, largely due to the way he blends a remote-area family thriller with horror and supernatural elements. The first half of the movie introduces the various characters and their entanglements, building a strong sense of mystery and tension. This is especially evident in the funeral sequence, where every word and movement carries significant weight in a truly captivating scene.
Once Kitaro enters the story, the supernatural elements fully emerge, enhancing the noir-like atmosphere established earlier. The action also intensifies. Even in scenes featuring battles between fantastical beings, Koga keeps the narrative grounded and avoids turning the story into a standard superhero spectacle.
The thematic undercurrents are also compelling. Family disputes, especially those involving large corporations, are depicted with nuance. The critique of unethical pharmaceutical practices is particularly sharp, reaching an almost grotesque intensity. The sense of suffocation felt by youth in isolated rural areas is depicted effectively, as is the cult-like mindset often found in such communities. Corporate exploitation and discrimination—particularly against tribal people—further enrich the narrative’s social commentary.
When the action takes over, the exceptional quality of Toei Animation becomes evident. The fight scenes are dynamic and visually stunning, elevated by the speed and intensity of movement. This momentum carries through the entire movie, demanding full attention from the audience. Touko Yatabe‘s character designs feel somewhat underwhelming in the facial expressions of the human cast but truly shine in the depiction of the monsters, which are as imaginative and impressive as expected. The detailed and often beautiful background art further enhances the visual experience.
“The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe” is a masterfully crafted work that fuses suspense, horror, action, and social commentary with notable skill. It stands out as one of the most memorable anime releases of recent years.
