ABEMA Opens GeGeGe no Kitaro Channel With Free Seasons 1-6 Marathon
ABEMA is betting a dedicated linear-style channel, rather than on-demand listings, is the right container for a 55-year-old franchise with hundreds of episodes, and it is using the 2023 film's first streaming appearance to draw attention to the marathon.
Key Facts
- ABEMA will open a dedicated GeGeGe no Kitaro channel on August 24, 2026, running free daily broadcasts of all six TV anime seasons.
- The TV anime marathon covers all 536 episodes across the six seasons, with Season 1 starting at 6:00 PM on August 24, 2026.
- The channel is scheduled to operate until September 27, 2026, at 5:00 AM.
- The 2023 film Kitaro Birth: GeGeGe no Mystery will stream on ABEMA for the first time as part of the channel launch.
- TV anime episodes on the channel remain free to watch for one week after their broadcast.
Reporting from 1 source: Denfaminicogamer.
ABEMA announced on August 21 that it will launch a dedicated GeGeGe no Kitaro channel for a limited period starting August 24, 2026. The channel will run free daily broadcasts of all 536 episodes from the TV anime's six seasons, beginning with a marathon of Season 1 at 6:00 PM on opening day. The channel will remain available until September 27, 2026, at 5:00 AM. This marks the first time ABEMA has opened a dedicated channel for the franchise, which is based on Shigeru Mizuki's yokai manga and has been televised since January 3, 1968. Alongside the TV series, the 2023 film Kitaro Birth: GeGeGe no Mystery will also stream for free on the platform, its first appearance on ABEMA. The film, which depicts the past of Kitaro's father, is described in the announcement as a social phenomenon. Episodes from the TV anime will remain free to watch for one week after their broadcast on the channel.
The GeGeGe no Kitaro channel opens on ABEMA on August 24, 2026, at 6:00 PM and runs through September 27, 2026, at 5:00 AM. The launch lineup covers every TV season of the franchise, from the 1968 original through the sixth season, totaling 536 episodes, all free to watch. Each TV episode stays free for one week after its broadcast on the channel.
ABEMA is positioning the event around the franchise's longevity, noting that it has been loved for over 55 years since the first anime season aired. The channel's first broadcast is a marathon of Season 1, with a direct link provided for viewers to tune in. The announcement also emphasizes the 2023 film Kitaro Birth: GeGeGe no Mystery, which it calls a social phenomenon; the film becomes available on ABEMA for the first time as part of this push. The press release frames the series as the originator of the yokai boom in Japanese popular culture.
The move gives the full six-season run a single home on the platform, rather than scattered across on-demand listings, and pairs the older material with the recent theatrical hit to serve both longtime viewers and newcomers.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.