Gegege no Kitaro Season 6 Review: What's the new appeal of the 2010s?

The appeal and evaluation of Gegege no Kitaro Season 6

The sixth season of Gegege no Kitaro, which aired from 2018 to 2020, attracted a lot of attention as it was a re-animation of Shigeru Mizuki's masterpiece. This series is set in a modern society where the existence of monsters has been forgotten, and tells the story of Kitaro and his friends solving various monster incidents. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal, reviews, and recommended points of this work.

Story and setting

The sixth season of GeGeGe no Kitaro is set in the modern day of the 21st century. The story begins when a 13-year-old girl, Inuyama Mana, sends a letter to the Yokai Postbox amid a climate where phenomena that cannot be explained by science occur frequently and rumors fly everywhere. Kitaro appears before her and takes action to solve her troubles. This setting satirizes the problems of modern society while cleverly incorporating the fantasy element of yokai, providing a fresh surprise to viewers.

The character settings of Kitaro and his friends are also fascinating. Although Kitaro is the last surviving member of a powerful ghost tribe, he usually lives peacefully in Gegege Forest with Medama Oyaji. As Kitaro's father, Medama Oyaji watches over him with kindness and gives him accurate advice. Nezumi-Otoko is obsessed with making money and is sometimes Kitaro's ally and sometimes his enemy, and his actions add tension to the story. Neko-Musume has high fighting abilities despite her beautiful appearance and keeps a close eye on Nezumi-Otoko's evil deeds. Inuyama Mana is a curious girl who becomes fascinated by the world of Kitaro and his friends. Other yokai characters such as the Sand Hag, the Konakijijii, and the Nurikabe are also unique and play important roles in adding excitement to the story.

Animation and performance

Toei Animation, in charge of animation production, has succeeded in faithfully recreating the atmosphere of Shigeru Mizuki's original work while incorporating modern direction. In particular, the designs of the monsters are more realistic and powerful while still respecting the image of the original work. In addition, the direction of the battle scenes and the monsters' special abilities is also superb, creating a strong visual impact.

Series director Koji Ogawa has skillfully constructed the story of each episode, creating an uninterrupted storyline that keeps viewers interested. Series composer Hiroshi Ohnogi has also succeeded in creating a new story while retaining the essence of the original work. Character designer and chief animation director Kuushou Shimizu has provided designs that highlight the individuality of the characters, enhancing the visual appeal. Music composer Koji Takanashi and Yaiba have provided background music that matches the atmosphere of the story, enhancing the emotions of the viewers.

Cast and voice actors

Sawashiro Miyuki, who plays Kitaro, perfectly expresses Kitaro's strength and kindness. Nozawa Masako, who plays Medama Oyaji, portrays a character with the warmth and knowledge of a father. Furukawa Toshio, who plays Ratman, realistically portrays a character who is obsessed with making money and who is sometimes Kitaro's ally and sometimes his enemy. Shoji Umeka, who plays Cat Girl, charmingly portrays a character with beautiful looks and high fighting abilities. Fujii Yukiyo, who plays Inuyama Mana, vividly portrays the character of a curious young girl. Tanaka Mayumi, who plays the Sand Hag, Shimada Bin, who plays Konakijiji, and Shimada Bin, who plays Nurikabe, also deliver performances that bring out the individuality of their characters.

Theme songs and music

The opening theme, "GeGeGe no Kitaro," was written by Shigeru Mizuki, composed by Izumi Taku, arranged by Kohei Tanaka, and sung by Kiyoshi Hikawa. It captures the hearts of viewers while retaining the atmosphere of the original. A different ending theme is used for each season, allowing viewers to enjoy a variety of music that matches the development of the story. In particular, Maneki Keccha's "From Inside the Mirror," Rekishi's "GET A NOTE," Kiyoshi Hikawa's "You Can't See It, But It's There," go!go!vanillas' "No.999," and BUCK-TICK's "RONDO" each add to the atmosphere of the story and are memorable masterpieces that will stay in viewers' hearts.

Rating and Recommended Points

The sixth season of "GeGeGe no Kitaro" is a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans of the original work, but also by new viewers. In particular, the story that satirizes the problems of modern society and the actions of the unique characters deeply move and sympathize with viewers. In addition, the quality of the animation, the performances of the voice actors, the theme songs and music have also been highly praised, and the overall high level of completion has been praised.

The recommended points include the following:

• Stories that satirize modern social issues : Stories that satirize modern social issues, such as phenomena that cannot be explained by science or rumors, provide viewers with a fresh surprise.
• Unique Characters : The exploits of unique characters such as Kitaro, Medama Oyaji, Ratman, Cat Girl, Inuyama Mana, Sand Hag, Konakijiji, and Nurikabe are an important element in adding excitement to the story.
• High-quality animation : Toei Animation's high-quality animation faithfully reproduces the atmosphere of the original while incorporating modern elements, creating a strong visual impact.
• Excellent Voice Actors : The excellent voice actors, including Sawashiro Miyuki, Nozawa Masako, Furukawa Toshio, Shoji Umeka, Fujii Yukiyo, Tanaka Mayumi, and Shimada Bin, bring their characters to life with realism.
• Memorable theme songs and music : Memorable theme songs and music by artists such as Hikawa Kiyoshi, Maneki Keccha, Rekishi, go!go!vanillas, and BUCK-TICK enhance the atmosphere of the story and stay in the minds of viewers.

Related works and their appeal

The sixth season of "GeGeGe no Kitaro" is based on the original work by Shigeru Mizuki, and is a must-see for fans of the original work. The original "GeGeGe no Kitaro" series is loved by many fans for its unique worldview and depiction of monsters by Shigeru Mizuki. In addition, each of the previous animated works has its own charm, and you can enjoy them while comparing them with the sixth season.

In particular, the sixth season is characterized by a story that satirizes modern social issues, and while retaining the essence of the original work, it develops the story from a new perspective. This will provide fresh surprises for fans of the original work, and will also be enjoyable for new viewers.

Conclusion

The sixth season of Gegege no Kitaro has been highly praised as a modern revival of Shigeru Mizuki's masterpiece. It is packed with many charms, including a story that satirizes modern social issues, the exploits of unique characters, high-quality animation, excellent voice actors, and memorable theme songs and music. It is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the original work but also to new viewers, so please give it a watch.