Kitarou, a ghost, spends his afterlife helping humans in need by thwarting the plans of evil spirits who seek to torment humanity. Created in 1959 by manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, Cackling Kitarou is best known for popularizing the folklore creatures known as yōkai, a class of spirit-monster to which all the main characters belong. It has been adapted for the screen multiple times, including anime, live action, and video games. A new anime series has been produced every decade since 1968. The original story is titled Hakaba no Kitarō, which literally means "Kitarō Graveyard." This tale was an early 20th-century Japanese folk story performed on kamishibai. The name "Ge Ge Ge..." was given to Mizuki's specific version of the Kitarō story when a Toei Animation series based on the characters from his comic was created. In January 2008, the original comic was finally adapted into an animated series, airing in Fuji TV's noitaminA slot.
