For my birthday, my wife bought me a collection of GeGeGe no Kitarō stories, a manga that riffs on Japanese folklore. I’m infatuated with American folklore — I love everything from Paul Bunyan to the jackalope — but I’m discovering a chunk of my heart belongs to Japanese folklore, specifically tales about yōkai, which I’ll gracelessly reduce to a cross between a ghost and a monster.
This fake 1980s Ghostbusters anime deserves an entire season
The Ghostbusters fight yōkai in this classic cartoon that never was
The Ghostbusters fight yōkai in this classic cartoon that never was
Kitarō is half Charlie Brown, half Superman: a gloomy boy hero that keeps peace between humans and his fellow yōkai. I mention my unusual obsession with him and the other spooky stories because I just watched this fan-made intro for a 1980s Ghostbusters anime that never was. In the middle, the Ghostbusters stand toe-to-toe with a gang of yōkai. It’s a perfect match up: one wily gang of paranormal fighters versus the shrewd pseudo-ghouls. Credit goes to Nacho Punch for an inspired idea.
Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Ghostbusters anime. How could anyone forget this GIF from Kotaku’s coverage of Tokyo ESP.
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