Via Comic Natalie: four projects commemorating the 100th anniversary of Shigeru Mizuki’s birth — which will be celebrated on 7th March 2022, were announced yesterday 7th March. Shigeru Mizuki is beloved by manga and anime fans across many generations for his horror titles such as “Akuma-kun” and “Gegege no Kitaro”.

First up, a new TV anime adaptation of his work “Akuma-kun” has been slated. The manga was previously animated in 1989, and was directed by Junichi Sato; Sato will be returning for the reboot as the general supervisor — which will be directed by Fumitoshi Oizaki.

Next up, the 6th season of the TV anime “Gegege no Kitaro” will be made into a feature-length movie, titled “The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of Gegege”. The story will uncover the secret behind Kitaro’s birth. Miyuki Sawashiro will play the role of Kitaro, while Masako Nozawa will play the role of Kitaro’s father.

A “Shigeru Mizuki 100th Anniversary Exhibition” is also planned for 2022. The main theme of the exhibition will be youkai, and a number of works drawn by Mizuki will be on display to convey “heritage left by older generations”.

Last but not least, a special project has been announced by Toei Animation — which produced the animation for “GeGeGe no Kitaro”. Character content spanning all 6 series will be developed — from the first season in 1968 all the way to the sixth season in 2018.