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This fake 1980s Ghostbusters anime deserves an entire season

This fake 1980s Ghostbusters anime deserves an entire season

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The Ghostbusters fight yōkai in this classic cartoon that never was

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For my birthday, my wife bought me a collection of GeGeGe no Kitarō stories, a manga that riffs on Japanese folklore. I'm infatuated with American folklore — I love everything from Paul Bunyan to the jackalope — but I'm discovering a chunk of my heart belongs to Japanese folklore, specifically tales about yōkai, which I'll gracelessly reduce to a cross between a ghost and a monster.

Kitarō is half Charlie Brown, half Superman: a gloomy boy hero that keeps peace between humans and his fellow yōkai. I mention my unusual obsession with him and the other spooky stories because I just watched this fan-made intro for a 1980s Ghostbusters anime that never was. In the middle, the Ghostbusters stand toe-to-toe with a gang of yōkai. It's a perfect match up: one wily gang of paranormal fighters versus the shrewd pseudo-ghouls. Credit goes to Nacho Punch for an inspired idea.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen a Ghostbusters anime. How could anyone forget this GIF from Kotaku's coverage of Tokyo ESP.

Ghosbusters