Gegege no Kitaro's Great Sea Beast Episode: Reevaluating a 60's classic

"GeGeGe no Kitaro: The Great Sea Beast" - Experience the world of Shigeru Mizuki at the cinema

On July 21, 1968, the animated film Gegege no Kitaro: Daikaiju (Gegege no Kitaro: The Great Sea Beast) was released, based on Shigeru Mizuki's popular manga Gegege no Kitaro. This film is an early work in the Kitaro series, and is the only film made in the 1960s before it was adapted into a TV anime. Although it only has a short running time of 45 minutes, it is known for fully showcasing Shigeru Mizuki's unique worldview and mysterious charm.

story

The story of "GeGeGe no Kitaro: The Great Sea Beast" is about Kitaro and his friends fighting back against the giant sea monster that appears from the bottom of the sea and terrorizes people. Kitaro, along with Nezumi-Otoko, Medama-oyaji, and Sand-kake-baba, fight to protect people from the threat of the sea monster. This work depicts Kitaro's courage and friendship, and the story development that is faithful to Shigeru Mizuki's original work is appealing.

character

Kitaro: The main character, a half-human, half-demon boy. With Medama Oyaji as his father, he helps people while cooperating with various demons. Ratman: Kitaro's friend, in charge of gathering information and strategizing. Medama Oyaji: Kitaro's father, who gives him wisdom. Sand-throwing Granny: Kitaro's companion, with the ability to control sand. Great Sea Beast: A giant monster that appears from the bottom of the sea, terrorizing people.

Background

Gegege no Kitaro: Daikaiju was produced by Toei Animation (now Toei Animation). It was directed by Katsumata Guji, written by Hoshiyama Hiroyuki, and had character designs and animation supervision by Araki Shingo and Himeno Michi. Art direction was by Azuma Junichi, and the film shows great attention to detail in faithfully recreating Shigeru Mizuki's original work. The film attracted attention as a rare animated feature film at the time, and was widely accepted by Shigeru Mizuki fans as well as general audiences.

Evaluation and impact

Gegege no Kitaro: Daikaiju was loved by many fans as the first animated feature film based on Shigeru Mizuki's original work. It was especially praised for allowing viewers to experience Kitaro's characters and worldview on a big screen. This film also became an important work that paved the way for later TV anime series and other feature films. The charm of the monsters drawn by Shigeru Mizuki and the story of Kitaro's courage and friendship touched many people.

Recommended points

Gegege no Kitaro: Daikaiju is a must-see for fans of Shigeru Mizuki's original work. Its particular appeal is that it allows viewers to experience Kitaro's characters and worldview on a big screen. This work is also an important piece that paved the way for the later TV anime series and other theatrical works, and the charm of the monsters drawn by Shigeru Mizuki and the story depicting Kitaro's courage and friendship have touched many people. Furthermore, despite its short running time of just 45 minutes, this work is known for fully showcasing Shigeru Mizuki's unique worldview and eerie charm.

Related Titles

There are many other works in the GeGeGe no Kitaro series. As a TV anime series, there are the first season that aired from 1968 to 1969, the second season that aired from 1971 to 1972, the third season that aired from 1985 to 1988, the fourth season that aired from 1996 to 1998, the fifth season that aired from 2007 to 2009, and the sixth season that aired from 2018 to 2020. In addition, there are the movie versions such as GeGeGe no Kitaro: Great Yokai War, GeGeGe no Kitaro: The Millennium Curse Song, and GeGeGe no Kitaro: Japan Explodes!! These works are also based on the original works by Shigeru Mizuki, and you can enjoy the characters of Kitaro and their worldview.

summary

Gegege no Kitaro: Daikaiju was loved by many fans as the first animated feature film based on Shigeru Mizuki's original work. Its greatest appeal is that it allows viewers to experience Kitaro's characters and worldview on a big screen. This film is also an important work that paved the way for later TV anime series and other feature films, and the charm of the monsters drawn by Shigeru Mizuki and the story of Kitaro's courage and friendship have touched many people. Furthermore, despite its short running time of just 45 minutes, this film is known for fully showcasing Shigeru Mizuki's unique worldview and mysterious charm. We hope you will watch this film and experience Shigeru Mizuki's worldview.