Project to mark 10 years since Shigeru Mizuki’s death begins: A selection of Gegege no Kitaro masterpieces will be broadcast from April, and a new stage production will be performed in August
“GeGeGe no Kitaro” Best Selection “GeGeGe no Kitaro: The GeGeGe I Loved” Key Visual
(C) Mizuki Productions, Toei Animation (C) GeGeGe no Kitaro Stage Production Committee
A project to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Shigeru Mizuki, who passed away in 2015, has been launched, with the broadcast of a best selection of the TV anime “GeGeGe no Kitaro” and the performance of a new stage play “GeGeGe no Kitaro 2025”.
The best selection, titled “GeGeGe no Kitaro: The GeGeGe I Loved,” will be broadcast on Fuji TV and other stations from 9:00 a.m. on April 6th. The cast members who played Kitaro in the past, including Masako Nozawa, who played Kitaro in the first and second seasons, Keiko Toda in the third season, Yoko Matsuoka in the fourth season, Minami Takayama in the fifth season, and Miyuki Sawashiro in the sixth season, will each select their favorite episode, and one episode from all episodes of the first to sixth seasons that have been broadcast so far will be aired every week.
(C) Mizuki Productions, Toei Animation (C) Gegege no Kitaro Stage Production Committee
A key visual drawn by Toko Yatabe, character designer for the animated film “Kitaro Birth: The Mystery of Gegege,” for the special selection was also released. In a space reminiscent of Mizuki’s workplace, Kitaro from seasons 1 to 6 surrounds the teacher with happy expressions on his face.
Stage version cast
(C) Mizuki Productions, Toei Animation (C) Gegege no Kitaro Stage Production Committee
The stage “Gegege no Kitaro 2025” will be performed at the Meijiza Theater in Tokyo from August 2nd to 16th, and at the Shin Kabukiza Theater in Osaka from August 18th to 25th. The cast will continue to include Yoshihiko Aramaki as Gegege no Kitaro and Sumire Uesaka as Nekomusume from the 2022 premiere of “Gegege no Kitaro,” with Akio Otsuka playing Ratman. In addition, Yuko Asano, Keisuke Ueda, Ryodai Hirono, and Rurika Miya, who played the Sand Hag in the premiere, have also been confirmed to appear. The script and direction will be handled by Yasuyuki Tsutsumi, who has participated in the TV anime “Hakaba no Kitaro” and other productions. A promotional video introducing the cast has also been released, and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
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Announcement video for the stage play “GeGeGe no Kitaro 2025” to be performed in August
The full comments from Aramaki, Uesaka and other cast members are below.
[Aramaki Yoshihiko (GeGeGe no Kitaro)] I am Aramaki Yoshihiko, who will be continuing to play the role of Kitaro in the stage production of GeGeGe no Kitaro. I am honored to be able to live as Kitaro again in the new production. I will play Kitaro with all my heart and soul, and do my best to convey at least a little of the charm of the work GeGeGe no Kitaro.
[Uesaka Sumire (Nekomusume)] The stage production of GeGeGe no Kitaro is coming back…!! Amazing…!! Personally, this was my first stage challenge, so it’s a very memorable one! I’m really looking forward to seeing what new story will be told! And for me, this is the second stage performance of my life… I’ll do my best! Thank you for your support.
[Otsuka Akio (Nezumi-Otoko)] Who exactly is Nezumi-Otoko? To put it simply, he is a hybrid of a mouse and a human. In other words, he is neither human nor a monster. Therefore, he is someone who cannot belong to either world and continues to wander in search of his own identity. The role was originally played by my late father, and I have played it once before, but I was reminded of the great strength of my father when I tried it out. I don’t know yet what the script will be, but there is nothing lacking for the other person! I will do my best, so please support me!
[Ueda Keisuke] I am honored to be able to perform at the historic Meijiza Theater and to be involved in the work “GeGeGe no Kitaro”. Even if I have to fight my ally “Arama Kitaro”, I will support him and do my best.
[Hirono Ryodai] I was traumatized by the monster Shu no Bon in the haunted house of “GeGeGe no Kitaro” at Fuji-Q Highland a long time ago. Since then, somewhere along the line, I started to like monsters and became knowledgeable about them. I play Famicom games, piko games, and now pachinko. I long for a world without exams or anything.
[Rurika Miya] I am looking forward to seeing what kind of world the long-loved “GeGeGe no Kitaro” will have on stage, and what kind of original character I will be!
[Yuko Asano] I am very happy to have been asked to continue with the premiere in 2022. In the premiere, I played the Sand Hag. What kind of monster will I be playing this time? I am very excited about it. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in Mizuki-sensei’s important work again.
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