Heya there otaku(s)!
On this post, I'm going to share another kid's anime that I really enjoy. I didn't watch this as a kid, but I really found it fun and interesting. It's also quite popular among kids in Japan because the topic is mostly about Japanese yokai which they often hear in Japanese folktales and short stories.
The anime I'm talking about is called Ge ge ge no Kitarou.
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There have been a lot of versions for this anime, but I watched the one released last 2018. It's an episodic anime, so you'd get to meet and learn various types of yokai along the way. YOKAI is a catchall word for Japanese monsters, ghosts, supernaturals and so on. You need not worry though, because the yokai(s) in this anime were depicted in a really cute way.
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The anime is set in the modern world where people no longer believes in the existence of yokai. However, a series of unexplained events like people turning into trees, or children missing near construction sites started happening. These happenings made humans confused and in chaos. A thirteen-year old girl named Mana then wrote a letter and sent it to the Yokai post to search for answers... and she was then greeted by Kitarou and Medama Oyaji.
In Tottori (on of the prefectures in Japan), there's a road called Mizuki Shigeru Road. Since I became a fan of Ge ge ge no Kitarou, I've always wanted to go to that place. I often talk about it with some of my students. One of them has been to that place and she sent me some photos. Let me share them to you below.
That's Mizuki Shigeru, the mangaka together with some characters: Kitarou, Medama Oyaji and Nezumi Otoko.
Kitarou is so cuteeee!!!
I'm quite fascinated with yokai because of some anime like Ge ge ge no Kitarou and Natsume Yuujinchou. Recently, I also read a manga which was called Elegant Yokai Apartment Life. They're all really fun to watch and read, but if I'd recommend one for kids, it'd be Gegege no Kitarou. <3 Well, there's also Yokai Watch which is really popular among Japanese kids, but I haven't watched it. xD
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This opening song is really fun to listen to. I found myself LSS-ing to this for quite some time every time I hear it. I'm not sure whether the previous version of the anime has the same stories, but so far the 2018 version is really enjoyable to watch. I also like the art style more than the older versions. They're much cuter! haha
I also once made my version of kappa (one of Japanese yokai). I think there's also an episode about them in Gegege no Kitarou. Kappa are said to be gods of the river, but they're also feared as they can hurt people... but I think it's only when people are not respectful to them or the river.
I've read that once you befriended a kappa, they can help you with some everyday tasks. They especially are great helpers for agriculture as they can irrigate the land. They also bring some fish and good luck to the people they gave it too. In most anime I've watched, they are quite knowledgeable about medicine... and they love cucumbers. hahaha They even save good humans from drowning. :)
If you're interested in kappa and other Japanese yokai, then Gegege no Kitarou is a great anime for you! It's quite long with 90+ episodes, but as I've mentioned earlier, it's episodic, so you can take your time watching it after every story. <3
Thanks for reading and see you around!
To track my progress in this quest, allow me to write it here:
1a @tegoshei/drifters-battle-in-a-brand-new-world-war-i-need-more
1b @tegoshei/under-ninja-was-complicated-but-i-couldnt-stop-watching-xddd
1c @tegoshei/i-went-to-haikyuu-movies-the-dumpster-battle-fan-screening-yesterday
2a @tegoshei/inazuma-eleven-and-inazuma-eleven-go-still-some-of-my-faves-3
2b
3a @tegoshei/re-theanimerealm-scyrgp
3b @tegoshei/re-theanimerealm-sdbvwf
3c