100th anniversary of Kitaro celebrates with a prequel movie.

The president of a famous pharmacy corporation has passed away and someone from the Imperial Blood Bank must travel to the Ryuga family's home to find out the fate of their business. However, there are unruly rumours regarding the family and how the village of Nagura is actually cursed. Unfazed ex-soldier, Mizuki decides to make the trip there. While on the train to get there he briefly encounters a mysterious man that claims he is surrounded by death...

When the eldest son is murdered, the same mysterious man who he names "Gegero" re-appears before Mizuki and is blamed for the incident. Just as he is about to be executed by the villagers, Mizuki decides to step up and save the man. Soon he finds out Gegero is in the village to find his wife who disappeared long ago which may coincide with his true task of finding the secret behind their company's "M", a substance produced within the village that grants immortality, Mizuki discovers Youkais are very real and the darker side of the village.

Aesthetically the movie looks really good and it captures the chilly atmosphere well the long running series has with its use of sound. Then again, given the popularity of the show means it should have the budget to achieve this.

Romance, action, friendship. Overall a great movie. Fans will learn the origin of the jacket, the Spirit Tribe and some more secrets about Kitaro's more surprising origins... A prequel to Hakaba Kitaro.

The movie was so popular Chofu city was overwhelmed with fans for a while. There was also plenty of fan art of Mizuki and Gegegero and I can see why they're a good combo.