The 2018 revival of GeGeGe no Kitaro has arrived on Crunchyroll, offering a complete 97-episode run of the long-running supernatural franchise. Produced by Toei Animation, this iteration brings Shigeru Mizuki’s iconic youkai mythology into the 21st century, framing classic folklore through the lens of modern social satire and urban legend.
The story centers on Mana, a young girl who reaches out to the Youkai Post after encountering inexplicable phenomena that plague the human world. She is quickly pulled into the orbit of Kitaro, the last survivor of the Ghost Tribe, who acts as a bridge between the spirit world and humanity. Unlike many modern shounen, the series maintains an episodic structure, using its diverse cast of spirits to comment on contemporary human anxieties.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, this series serves as an accessible entry point that balances eerie horror with lighthearted comedy. It strips away the need for deep prior knowledge of the decades-old source material while retaining the distinct character designs and dark atmosphere that define the Kitaro legacy.
