KITARO GN (2025)

"Kitaro the Vampire Slayer is the fifth volume in Shigeru Mizuki's bizarre stories about a yokai boy and his entourage of otherworldly friends. One of the most popular Kitaro tales, the title story pits Kitaro and his family against a Beatles-inspired mop-topped, guitar-playing vampire named Erit and his castle of horrors. In an unexpected twist?spoiler alert!?Kitaro meets his demise, but even death is hardly enough to keep our favorite yokai boy down. Along with the villainous vampire, Kitaro faces a trio of monsters straight from Japanese folklore. Mizuki often pulled from classic Japanese folk tales for inspiration, as shown in these three stories. A certain serpent and temple bell appear in 'The Phantom Steam Engine,' then it's onto a bird-like creature with a big beak in 'Ubume,' and Kitaro had better not look behind him when the Ushiro Gami comes to town. The four stories in this volume are collected from the late '60s golden age of Gegege no Kitaro. Appearing in English for the first time, this kid-friendly edition is translated by Mizuki-scholar Zack Davisson and includes bonus features like 'Yokai Files,' where we are introduced to Japan's folklore monsters, and the fifth installment of the 'History of Kitaro' essay by Davisson. For fans of quirky horror, Kitaro the Vampire Slayer is not one to miss!"

"Featuring seven stories by Japan's beloved monster master Shigeru Mizuki, Kitaro's Yokai Battles features some of Kitaro's strangest foes yet?including his good pal Nezumi Otoko, who decides that he should be the star of the comic. With friends like these . . . who needs enemies? But enemies seem to be all Kitaro has. He faces off against villains like the yokai Hoko?who has an evil scheme to corner the market on pickled daikon radish?and the Amifuri Tengu, who always brings the rain. Things get hairy in 'The Great Hair Battle,' when Medama Oyaji's friend Kemedama begs for Kitaro's help against an attack of giant wigs. The massive mud monster Dorotabo gets down and dirty with Kitaro, and the red-tongued Akashita swoops down from above. And these are just a few yokai from the hilarious cast of characters in Kitaro's Yokai Battles. The stories in this volume are collected from the late-1960s golden age of Gegege no Kitaro, and appear here in English for the first time in a kid-friendly edition, uncut and unedited, with translations by the Mizuki scholar Zack Davisson. In addition, there are bonus features like 'Yokai Files,' which introduce the folklore of Japanese monsters, and the sixth installment of the 'History of Kitaro' essay by the series translator Davisson. Kitaro's Yokai Battles is the perfect blend of humor and horror."

"In the final volume of Shigeru Mizuki's defining series, our beloved hero Kitaro stands accused of beating up his fellow yokai to protect the human populace. He is put on trial for crimes against Yokai. Witnesses are called from both sides, but when Nezumi Otoko takes the stand, all bets are off. Will Nezumi Otoko be for Kitaro or against him? Only the biggest bribe will tell!"