GeGeGe no Kitaro The Stage 2025' Actor Yoshihiko Aramaki Speaks About His Role in New Stage Adaptation
'GeGeGe no Kitaro' is a masterpiece manga series by the late Shigeru Mizuki. Since the manga first ran in 1965, it has been adapted into various anime, movies and TV series. '[The original manga] is satirical because it depicts values that change with the times and the foolishness and cunning of people,' Aramaki said about the appeal of the original manga series in an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun. 'It uses yokai [Japanese monsters] in order to portray the darkness of human beings rather than good and evil. I guess that is the reason why the manga series has been loved for so many years.'The stage play depicts a battle between Japanese yokai and Western yokai that want to conquer the world. Social media and an influencer appear in the play as well, to reflecting today's world.
One day, protagonist Gegege no Kitaro, played by Aramaki, rescues a human woman who is being attacked and learns that the incident was caused by a Western yokai, a vampire played by Keisuke Ueda. A female vampire who possesses powerful magical powers, played by Yuko Asano, has also come over from the West. Meanwhile, Nezumiotoko (Mouse man), played by Akio Otsuka, has joined the Western yokai, aiming to make a fortune.
This is the second time Aramaki has played Kitaro, after playing him in 2022. He grew up watching the anime adaptation of Kitaro. 'Kitaro is a survivor of a ghost tribe, as well as a friend of both the yokai and humans. He takes no one's side and makes impartial judgments, serving as a bridge between yokai and humans,' Aramaki explained. 'Kitaro could have stayed with yokai all his life, but in order to return the favor to Mizuki (a human character not to be confused with the author), who raised him, he created the yokai post, which accepts yokai-related problems, and sides with humans. I like him for his loyal attitude.'Aramaki has appeared in many 2.5-dimensional stage productions that adapt the world of a manga, anime or game, such as ones based on the game 'Ensemble Stars!' and the manga 'Bakuman.' How does he get into each character?
The secret, Aramaki says, is to pay attention to the habits of the characters in the anime and other works. 'When I was a kid, I used to play with toy figures of characters and pretend to be them in my imaginary world,' he said. 'Having done that in the past helps me a lot and lets me recognize the characters' little habits when I watch anime. For example, I notice if a character tends to glance upwards, so I can quickly become the character. Preparing for a role is a process of going deeper into the character and their habits.'
In his latest role, Aramaki is careful about the movements of his eyes. 'Kitaro is calm and composed and has staring eyes. In the anime adaptation, Kitaro also has distinctive eye movements and looks at people carefully. He never does things like simply glance at people,' he said before the theater production opened. As for Kitaro's inner world, he said, 'As a member of a ghost tribe, he is still a child, but Kitaro in the stage play is a little older than in the original manga series. He has gone through various experiences and is slightly more mature than in the original.'
Parents opposed pursuing acting
Aramaki, a Tokyo native, was born on Feb. 5, 1990. He dreamed of being an actor. His parents, however, strongly opposed the idea when he was a university student, so he decided to work toward his dream after graduating from university.
Because of his late start, he developed a strategy to fulfill his dream in the shortest possible time. First, he set his sights on the musical 'Tennis no Ojisama' ('The Prince of Tennis'), which is seen as a gateway to success for young actors. He avoided big agencies because he did not want to get buried in the crowd. One week after an interview at an agency he applied to, there was an audition for the musical, and he got the role of Yujiro Kai.Since then, Aramaki has appeared in various popular plays. The work that marked a turning point for him was the stage adaptation of the online game 'Touken Ranbu,' in which he played the role of Yamanbagiri Kunihiro for about 100 performances in the 'Tenden' series. The stage production meant a lot to him, and he felt a strong emotional attachment to it, as he felt he had grown as an actor through the series. However, he said: 'I used a lot of physical strength for three months, and it was also tough mentally. After it was over, I felt like I was burnt out, or that I had had enough.'
Aramaki was stagnant for a while. However, when he took on the challenge of producing, his love for stage plays was revived. He headed a stage production of his favorite epic saga 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' at the Meijiza theater. 'I came to understand the feelings of both actors and producers. Like Kitaro, who bridges the gap between humans and yokai, I think I can act as a bridge,' he said.
Currently, not only does he appear on TV variety shows, but he is also a board member of the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association. Aramaki is also the president of his own agency and is involved in the training of young actors.'I want to express the universality and worldview that the author Mizuki likely wanted to portray in his 'GeGeGe no Kitaro' series and make the stage play something that inspires people's minds,' Aramaki said. 'The experience of seeing a stage play allows people to absorb feelings and various other things that they never knew existed, which then will be incorporated into their lives. I want to become a 'chameleon' actor so that people will say, 'I had no idea that Aramaki was playing the role.''
* * * *
The stage play will run through Aug. 16 at the Meijiza theater in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. Tickets can be purchased through the theater's online ticket shop and various ticket agencies. It will be performed at the Shinkabukiza theater in Tennoji Ward, Osaka, Aug. 21-25. More information is at
https://www.j25musical.jp/en/stage/911
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