Toei Movie’s official YouTube channel has unveiled a new trailer for the R15+ version of The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe (Japanese title: Kitaro Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo), set to hit Japanese theaters on October 4, 2024. This updated version, known as Shinsei-ban or “genuine edition,” features significant retakes but retains the original film’s runtime and story.
The trailer, titled Kitaro no Chichitachi: Kizuna-hen (“Kitaro’s Fathers: The Bond Act”), emphasizes the relationship between two central characters: Kitaro’s father, Medama Oyaji, and Mizuki, a character inspired by Shigeru Mizuki, the iconic creator of the GeGeGe no Kitaro manga.
Commemorating a Legend
The release of this new version coincides with the 100th anniversary of Shigeru Mizuki’s birth, a legendary figure in the world of Japanese manga. The original version of The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe premiered in Japan on November 17, 2023, with a PG12 rating, indicating that children under 12 required parental guidance to view the film. The 104-minute feature garnered significant success, grossing 2.79 billion yen (approx. 19.15 million USD) from 1.95 million admissions during its domestic run.
Synopsis: A Supernatural Saga
According to Toei Animation’s official synopsis, the story is set in Showa 31 (1956) in Nagura Village, a place secretly dominated by the powerful Ryuga family, which held sway over Japan’s political and financial spheres. Mizuki, a worker at the Imperial Blood Bank, enters the village under the guise of attending a funeral for the head of the Ryuga family. However, he harbors secret ambitions and a hidden mission. Meanwhile, Kitaro’s father is drawn to the village in search of his wife.
Amidst a vicious internal battle for succession within the Ryuga family, a mysterious murder occurs at the village shrine, triggering a series of terrifying supernatural events.
R15+ Version Enhancements
While the new Shinsei-ban version doesn’t add any new scenes or change the runtime, it includes 327 re-filmed shots and re-dubbed audio to better capture the production team’s original vision of horror. The updates aim to enhance the film’s intensity, making it a more visceral and frightening experience.
Japan’s Film Classification and Rating Organization has assigned the Shinsei-ban version an R15+ rating. This designation means the film contains highly stimulating material unsuitable for children under 15 due to its themes and subject matter. As a result, viewers under 15 will not be permitted to watch the film in theaters.
The upcoming release is expected to deliver a darker, more faithful adaptation of the supernatural tale, giving fans of the GeGeGe no Kitaro franchise a version truer to its horror roots.
The R15+ Shinsei-ban edition of The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe will be available in Japanese theaters from October 4, 2024.