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Gegege no Kitaro, Akuma-kun Anime Projects Preview 'Part' of Teaser Visuals
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website for the latest GeGeGe no Kitarō anime revealed a "small part" of the new teaser visuals for both the anime's upcoming film, as well as the upcoming anime project for Shigeru Mizuki's Akuma-kun manga. The first image below previews part of the visual for the GeGeGe no Kitarō film, while the second image previews part of the visual for the Akuma-kun anime.
The full visuals for both will be unveiled during the "Gegege-ki 2021" event on November 27 and 28. Both projects are two of four "big projects" commemorating the 100-year anniversary of Shigeru Mizuki's birth. Mizuki passed away in 2015 at 93 years old.
The new GeGeGe no Kitarō anime film is titled Kitarō Tanjō: Gegege no Nazo (Kintarō Birth: The Mystery of Gegege).
The latest GeGeGe no Kitarō anime — the sixth television anime incarnation — premiered in April 2018 and replaced Dragon Ball Super in the same timeslot. The show entered its "second year" in April 2019, and then entered its "final arc" titled the "Nurarihyon Arc" in October 2019. The show ended its run in March 2020 after 97 episodes. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired.
The anime starred Miyuki Sawashiro as Kitarō and Masako Nozawa as Medama Oyaji. Both will reprise roles for the film, although Nozawa is credited as "Kitarō's Father" instead of Medama Oyaji.
Kouji Ogawa served as series director while Hiroshi Ohnogi (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) handled the series scripts. Sorato Shimizu was the character designer and chief animation director. Yasuharu Takanashi (Fairy Tail) and -yaiba- (Naruto Shippūden) composed the music. Fuji TV, Yomiuri Advertising, and Toei Animation produced the anime.
Junichi Satō (Aria franchise, Sailor Moon) is the Akuma-kun anime project's chief director, while Fumitoshi Oizaki (A Centaur's Life, Romeo × Juliet) is the series director. Sato previously directed Akuma-kun TV anime and its two films in 1989-1990. Hiroshi Ohnogi (2018 GeGeGe no Kitarō, Noein - to your other self) is overseeing the series scripts.
The manga previously inspired a television anime in 1989-1990. Two anime films premiered in 1989 and 1990. The manga also inspired several live-action adaptations.
Mizuki drew the original manga in 1963-1964, and he drew several other series in the franchise in the 1970s and 1980s. The manga follows the titular "Akuma-kun," a boy who uses the powers of demons to help the world stay at peace.
Sources: GeGeGe no Kitarō anime's website, The Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web
