I don’t think there’s any question that Gegege no Kitarou 2018 made the right decision in keeping Nurarihyon in reserve until it was time for the final boss.  Above and beyond his obvious importance in both youkai and Mizuki mythology, in the expert hands of this creative team he frames everything that’s come before.  Nurarihyon represents a fundamental threat to everything Kitarou stands for – his existence and Kitarou’s are completely incompatible philosophically.  And that makes him a threat in a much more personal way than any of the big bads that have cone before.

The thing about Nurarihyon is, his message to youkai is immensely appealing.  As anyone who follows politics can tell you, a simple message – even a stupid and ludicrous one – is far more effective than a complicated one.  If you can make an anagram out of it and stick it on a hat you have a much easier job than the guy trying to sell nuance.  And everything in Kitarou’s way of dealing with the youkai-human divide is built around nuance.  What Nurarihyon is selling is an impossible dream – a return to a world that’s gone forever, like one where coal mines are profitable and “traditional values” rule the land.  But if you’re a youkai who’s seen their world gradually co-opted by humans, the appeal of that impossible dream is obvious.

Nurarihyon’s tool of dissension this time around (in addition to his usual hate-mongering in the human world) is Neko-sennin (Inaba Minoru, vet of the ’07 version).  He’s been imprisoned inside the “Cat Mound” for a few centuries, but Shu-no-Bon releases him – and he promptly sets about turning the humans of the nearest town into cats.  Some genuinely terrible humans among them to be certain, but some seemingly indiscriminate victims too.  And therein lies the essence of Nurarihyon’s plan.

What’s really insidious about this is that Nurarihyon seems to have taken dead aim at Kitarou here.  He’s intentionally trying to drive a wedge between Kitarou and his close friend, and it’s quite effective.  Neko-sennin’s defense of his actions is not falling on deaf ears with Neko-musume – or me.  There are people who treat cats terribly, and the commercial breeding and pet shop industry (this applies to dogs too) is a disgusting and shameful disgrace to humanity.  I have no sympathy for anyone who does to cats the things Neko-sennin describes here – and they’re all taken directly from real-life situations.

What’s real painful here is the aftermath of the confrontation – after Catchick has taken down Neko-sennin, despite her outrage over the atrocities he describes.  She appeals to Kitarou on an emotional level and he has no answer for her.  And when Nuraurihyon shows up and spins these events as an indictment of Kitarou’s entire worldview, he again has nothing to offer but silence.  This is the evil genius of Nurarihyon – he puts Kitarou in an absolute no-win situation, one where any attempt to explain his side would be a disaster.

Despite his self-deprecating manner and measured demeanor, Nurarihyon is surely a youkai of monumental power himself.  Yet so far we’ve seen him merely pulling strings – manipulating others to do his bidding and standing back to watch his handiwork play out.  One senses Kitarou would be more comfortable with a more conventional enemy, but that’s not what he has here.  He was someone who exposes all his own insecurities and uncertainties, and exploits them.  Nurarihyon is custom-built to foil Kitarou, and that makes him the sternest test this version of the character has faced.