Anime[]
1968 & 1971 Anime[]
1968
1971
Just like in the original manga, Nezumi-Otoko is always cooking up dishonest money-making schemes. In those days it was common to see him at Kitarō's house, either reading the newspaper or bumming a meal. Also like in the manga, he often joined Kitarō on his investigations. He has a tendency to call himself a Yōkai Researcher and use pretexts such as his research to carry out money making schemes. Whenever a good opportunity arises he is sure to frequently drop Kitarō's name, calling himself both Kitarō's best friend and manager or even claiming to be Kitarō himself. But, whenever he finds himself in danger he has no trouble abandoning Kitarō, and like the original manga Kitarō will always inevitably forgive him. He will also frequently try to sway Kitarō with a cut of his profits. Therefore Medama-Oyaji will almost always speak harshly to him, and Kitarō on several occasions has gotten fed up with him and declared "I'm through with you." Likewise, Nezumi-Otoko has said the same thing a few times after Kitarō hindered some of his schemes. Because the 1st series was in black & white, it is unknown what color his robe was, but in the second series it is colored gray (instead of light brown, like in the original manga).
Whenever he is caught by Kitarō he begins talking in an effeminate manner (known as Onee-Kotoba). This was a special characteristic performed by his original voice actor Chikao Ōtsuka, and he also does this when he reprized the role for the later series Hakaba Kitarō.
1985 Anime[]
1985
The third series saw the development of a fairly different Nezumi-Otoko. As Kitarō was depicted as a much stronger "hero of justice," his punishments for Nezumi-Otoko were much harsher. He also falls in love with Yumeko Tendo and as such is willing to do anything to be around her, even follow Kitarō on dangerous investigations. He does anything to win her favor, but usually just ends up annoying her. Unlike in the first two series, he is shown living in apartments and tents and will also work at shops and offices to make money. There are also several times where he is shown wearing work uniforms and western-style suits. He dislikes baths and considers even boiling the water for a bath to be too much work, but he is seen enjoying a dip in the hot springs many times. Also, his voice actor Kei Tomiyama would ad lib dialogue several times, which was uncommon for him.
Nezumi-Otoko crying over Caroline
In the fourth movie, he is featured as a second protagonist alongside Kitarō. He falls in love with a young girl named Caroline whom he meets and protects on a streetcar that is attacked by a yōkai. The two have mutual feelings for one another, and Nezumi-Otoko is even uncharacteristically willing to risk his life for her. However, he soon learns that she is actually the daughter of Yōkai Prime Minister Guwagoze, a minion of the Yōkai Emperor. Although heartbroken he eventually forgives her, and soon after helps her and Kitarō obtain the tears of Oboro-Guruma. However, Caroline is killed by Oboro-Guruma, and with her dying breath says "If I had been born a yōkai, I would've become Nezumi-Otoko-chan's bride." Nezumi-Otoko screams and cries and becomes furious with the Yōkai Emperor. Guwagoze as well is tremendously saddened that he was never able to gain his daughter's forgiveness. After Kitarō defeats Oboro-Guruma and prevents the bombing of the Japanese Diet Building, Nezumi-Otoko makes a grave for Caroline and her father, whom had been killed by the Yōkai Emperor, and prays that they be able to get along now.
He is tone-deaf, and as such music-based spells have no effect on him. His robe color this time was a grayish-blue.
1996 Anime[]
1996
Performed this time by Shigeru Chiba, who is well-known for his high-strung style and ad-libbing, the most frivolous Nezumi-Otoko so far is introduced. He performs his usual money-making schemes, but this time, to fit Chiba's style, many of his schemes involve him speaking and acting like a hawker. After the 1997 bubble collapse, he was shown many times working part time jobs just to earn money for food. Almost every time he is the main focus of an episode, he for some reason or another becomes emotional. He is not usually with Kitarō for his investigations, and if he is already at the scene he is usually taking advantage of things and trying to make money by name-dropping Kitarō. And, as usual, he will also work with the enemy sometimes. He doesn't usually learn a lesson and is often proud of his deeds, and when he tries to scold others for their involvement in the situation, he will anger Neko-Musume and get attacked by her. Also, whenever he refuses to help Kitarō's investigations, Neko-Musume will sometimes pull on his whiskers until he cries. He is a huge fan of the idol singer Chisato Watanabe. Beginning with episodes #6 and #11, he is depicted a few times cross-dressing (as bus guides, shrine maidens, geisha, etc) for his schemes.
From here on, his robe is yellow like in the original manga.
2007 Anime[]
2007
In contrast to Chiba's manic performance, the fifth anime Nezumi-Otoko was much more like in the first series. However, because the sidekick role went to Neko-Musume this time around, there are many episodes in which he has little to do with the plot and sometimes even only appeared in one scene. His whiskers are also thicker than in previous adaptations.
He commits considerably fewer schemes than in past adaptations, and in fact has been shown to have better morals than before, such as when he helped Nurikabe raise money for his home and when he refused to testify against Kitarō in the The Great Yōkai Trial (whereas in most adaptations of the latter story he is paid by Momon-Jii to lie on the stand). He is also willing to assist and save Kitarō without demanding compensation. When he does work with the enemies, he is a lot better at tricking the others than before. Unlike other adaptations, the fact that he is a half-yōkai is rarely explored and he does not appear to have his chronic skin disease. He is shown to receive instructions as Kitarō's right-hand man from Neko-Musume and Enma-Daiō.
His voice actor, Wataru Takagi, had appeared in the previous series as the Mujina who claimed to be Nezumi-Otoko's long-lost brother.
2018 Anime[]
In the sixth series, his robe is once again gray like in the third series. Similar to Ōtsuka's performance, he speaks like an Edokko.
Like the previous series, he has thicker whiskers and no skin diseases. However, he still has the same mischievous personality and money making schemes as always. In the 4th episode, he directly states that he is half-yōkai. He has a tendency to grumble dismissively about things others appreciate, saying things like "trees don't grow gold" and "flowers can't feed me". Unlike with Yumeko in the third series, he does not fall in love with Mana Inuyama. In fact, he has been shown to regard her lightly, recommending her as a victim for Miage-Nyūdō and being unwilling to rescue her from Kagami-Jijii's mirror land. This changes in episode #10, where after she gives him bread when he was starving, at which point, he falls in love with her, begins to stalk her, and deludes himself into thinking she shared the same feelings he did, only to be utterly crushed when it turns out Mana only thought of him as "some guy she knows". While still affectionate to her to some degree, he isn't above letting her get captured by the Tanuki invading Japan. His crush on her isn't mentioned afterward.
He also regularly uses a smartphone, even creating a Yōkai Post app in Episode #9. In episode #5 he starts an electric company with a human named Ameyama, but when he discovered Ameyama used Kaminari to electrocute a female reporter to death he turned on him. However, this was more out of fear of Kitarō's reaction than the homicide itself.
His voice actor for this series, Toshio Furukawa, had auditioned for the role for the previous series but lost out to Takagi. He would, however, voice recurring character Aobōzu.
Live Action[]
Non-Kitarō works[]
Nezumi-Otoko has appeared in many of Shigeru Mizuki's other works, including:
- Showa: A History of Japan
- Shigeru Mizuki's Hitler
- Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths
- Kappa no Sanpei (Bokura version)
- Wallet from the Sky
- The Miraculous Notebook
- Kokeka-Kii-Kii
- Nekogusu
- Professor Yōkai's Breakfast
- Shinpika Retsuden