[JAPAN] Kitaro Wentz Returns This Summer! Major Actors Turn Into Various Youkai

The “Gegege no Kitaro” movie that aired last year starring WaT’s Wentz Eiji (22), will return this summer as a sequel. The movie created quite a buzz because it was an adaptation of the very popular youkai (demon) manga series of the same name.

The Kitaro Family, including Kitaro (Wentz), Nezumi Otoko (Ooizumi You), Neko Musume (Tanaka Rena), Konaki Jiji (Hazama Kanpei), and Sunakake Baba (Muroi Shigeru) will all be back for the star-studded sequel. The heroine of the last movie played by Inoue Mao (20) will not be back for the sequel, but there will be various new youkai appearing this time around.

Kitaro’s most notable enemy, Nurarihyon will be played by Ogata Ken (70). Other new additions include Nure Onna played by Terajima Shinobu (35), Jakotsu Baba played by Sano Shirou (52), and Ido Sennin played by Sasano Takashi (59). All of them are veteran actors that will transform into their youkai counterparts with the help of special makeup.

The story this time around focuses even more on the forbidden love between humans and youkai, and features a human (played by Hagiwara Masato (36)) who falls in love with Nure Onna. Director Motoki Katsuhide (44) takes the megaphone once again for this picture and it is set to air this summer.

Filming had started on the 11th of last month and the new cast members are enjoying their special makeup. “The staff members were scared,” Terajima said with a smile. Despite being a man, Sano will be playing a “baba” role (baba means old woman) and said, “Apparently they’re going to wrap a real snake around me so this is not going to be easy,” on the filming that would be coming up.

The author Mizuki Shigeru (85) commented, “I’m so happy on the persistence,” in regards to the sequel. Wentz also commented, “I want to make an entertaining picture that even adults will enjoy watching,” and is doing PR for the movie enthusiastically.

Youkai Profiles:
Nurarihyon: A powerful youkai often refered to as the youkai’s commander in chief.
Nure Onna: A female youkai who tries to pull humans under when they try to get across rivers.
Jakotsu Baba: An eldery female youkai that has a huge snake wrapped around her.
Ido Sennin: A Sennin (hermit) that lives by breathing the methane gas produced in wells.

For the original article and more pictures, click here.

For the official webpage of the original movie, go to http://www.gegege.jp/