The granddaddy of yokai anime, Gegege no Kitaro, gets an unexpected salute as it reaches the half-century milestone.

It was a big surprise early this year when news came that Dragon Ball Super’s then-soon-to-be-vacant time slot was going to be taken over by a new anime adaptation of yokai (Japanese monster) story GeGeGe no Kitaro. Granted, Kitaro is one of the all-time classics of the manga/anime world, having debuted back in 1960 as a manga from creator Shigeru Mizuki, and it was first made into an anime in 1968. Still, the last Kitaro TV anime had wrapped a decade earlier in 2008, with only a single anime movie (alongside a handful of separate continuity live-action movies) in the time since.

And now comes another big surprise: the launch of GeGeGe no Kitaro lingerie.

Like the new TV series, the Kitaro lingerie is part of a 50th-anniversary salute to the franchise’s anime arm. Online retailer Premium Bandai is offering two sets, one based on lead character Kitaro himself, and the other on Neko Musume, the “Cat Girl” who regularly shows up in his adventures.

Mop-headed young boy Kitaro is an unlikely inspiration for a set of cute and sexy lingerie, but the designers actually took the majority of their inspirations from the anime star’s costume. For example, the decorative folds on the cups’ outward-facing surfaces are evocative of the crisp collar of Kitaro’s shirt, and in the center of the chest is a gold-colored accent that mimics the button on Kitaro’s shirt.

Meanwhile, the sides of the bra feature sections of striped black and yellow lace, fashioned after the chanchanko Japanese vest that’s been a constant part of Kitaro’s wardrobe for the past 50 years.

Despite the bold styling of the bra, the bottom actually provides quite a bit of coverage, since it’s based on Kitaro’s shorts, which, short as they may be, aren’t cut as high as a pair of extra-skimpy panties.

Moving on to the Neko Musume set, the character’s red-dress-over-white-shirt costume translates to some extra white trim on the bra.

The Neko Musume lingerie also comes bundled with the ribbon-adorned hair scrunchy and choker worn by the model in these photos, acting as stand-ins for the accessories the animated character wears.

The ribbon theme continues with the fabric trim that arcs up from the panties’ waistline.

Both sets also have a unique adjustable design that allows you to wear the top both with the shoulder straps crossed in the back or not.

Both sets can be ordered directly through the Premium Bandai website,, where the Kitaro version (available here) is priced at 10,584 yen (US$94) and the Neko Musume set (found here) is 12,960 yen. Delivery is scheduled for next March.

Source: Comic Natalie via Otakomu, @Press, Premium Bandai (1, 2)
Top image: @Press
Insert images: @Press, Premium Bandai