Miage-Nyūdō

Miage-Nyūdō (見上げ入道 Miage-Nyūdō, lit. Look up Monk) is a Mountain Yōkai and a frequent antagonist of Kitarō's. He first appeared in the Shonen Magazine story of the same name. In most incarnations, he runs a school for training mortals into yōkai called Yōkai School (妖怪学校, Yōkai Gakkō).
==Appearance==
Miage-Nyūdō has the appearance of a balding Buddhist monk with one eye. He is modeled after Toriyama Sekien's depiction of Aobōzu. Mizuki's original illustration of Miage-Nyūdō of a long-necked human-like monster is more royal to the illustration of Mikoshi-Nyūdō by Toriyama Seiken. And these two designs between Miage-Nyūdō and Mikoshi-Nyūdō had been confused in Mizuki's illustrations and manga.
==Personality==
==History==
===Manga (Shonen Magazine version)===
Miage-Nyūdō is a Mountain Yōkai who uses his wind techniques to kidnap anyone who defecates near his mountain, with the goal of training them into new yōkai, as yōkai are unable to produce children of their own. He is able to capture a cat, a bug, and a rebellious young boy named Chūsuke. After Chūsuke is kidnapped, his friends ask Kitarō to find him, but Miage-Nyūdō is able to kidnap Kitarō and brings him to his Yōkai School. After Miage-Nyūdō shrinks to demonstrate his Eating Wind technique, Kitarō tries to capture him, but he shrinks further to escape. When Kitarō catches up to him, he grows larger and sends him to Reikai with his Reikai Nagashi technique. However, because of his chanchanko, Kitarō is able to return and free the others. The set fire to the school to smoke Miage-Nyūdō out, but he wakes and grows large to suck them all up. Kitarō then uses his chanchanko to clog Miage-Nyūdō's throat, building up so much air that his eye pops out and they are able to escape. Kitarō later revists the school and notes a lack of wind on the mountain, implying Miage-Nyūdō was destroyed.
Miage-Nyūdō is later featured prominently in the story The Great Yōkai Trial as part of Momon-Jii's group of yōkai demanding Kitarō's arrest. He is later part of the climactic rumble with the Kitarō Family.
===1968 Anime===
He appeared in the ninth episode of the first anime adaptation, Miage-Nyūdō.
The 1968 anime followed the same plot as the original manga with only some changes:
*Nezumi-Otoko appears in the episode, first to warn Chūsuke and his friends about mistreating the Yōkai Post and later as one of Miage-Nyūdō's students.
*Medama-Oyaji appears briefly, talking with Kitarō on how to summon Miage-Nyūdō.
*Chūsuke doesn't defecate near Miage-Nyūdō's shrine but rather carves his name into the wall of his cave.
*There is an additional element to the moral of the story of Chūsuke also disrespecting Kitarō by breaking the Yōkai Post.
*The Yōkai School had more students: a dog, a pig, a rooster and two more cats.
*Kitarō's guide out of Reikai is changed from a skeleton to an old man.
===1971 Anime===
He makes an appearance in the third episode of the second anime adaptation, The Great Yōkai Trial. Miage-Nyūdō appears as part of Momon-Jii's anti-Kitarō group of yōkai foes. He testifies against Kitarō during the Great Yōkai Trial, asserting that Kitarō favors humans over yōkai.
===1985 Anime===
He appears in episode 30 of the third anime adaptation, Yōkai Miage-Nyūdō.
In this adaptation, a classmate of Yumeko's named Toshio throws rocks into Miage-Nyūdō's cave during a class trip. Miage-Nyūdō appears and scares him off but then follows him to school and abducts him. He takes Toshio back to his cave and has Nezumi-Otoko enroll him in his Yōkai School, where his classmates is comprised of various animals who have learned to speak. At Yumeko's request, Kitarō investigates the cave but is confronted by Miage-Nyūdō. Kitarō convinces Miage-Nyūdō to let him join the class and tricks him into shrinking during a demonstration of his Eating Wind technique, but when Kitarō tries to capture him Miage-Nyūdō shrinks even smaller and escapes. Kitarō tries to lead the class in an escape, but Miage-Nyūdō reappears and sends him away with his Reikai Nagashi technique. Kitarō escapes by concentrating his Yōkai energy with that of Medama-Oyaji, Sunakake-Babaa and Ittan-Momen on the other side. Kitarō returns to fight Miage-Nyūdō, waiting until he becomes as giant as possible with his Eating Wind. Kitarō then lets himself get swallowed and clogs Miage-Nyūdō's throat with his chanchanko, cuasing him to become unstable and his eye to pop out of it's socket. Miage-Nyūdō and his eye then fly into the sky defeated.
He later takes part in Momon-Jii's plot to frame Kitarō for the "Yōkai Party" movie leak, testifying against him at the Great Yōkai Trial that he favors humans over yōkai. He acts as Momon-Jii's right hand, ordering him a palanquin and condemning Nezumi-Otoko. He fights in the final battle, setting Ittan-Momen on fire with his breath, but is taken out when a flock of Bake-Garasu drop Nezumi-Otoko on top of him.
===1996 Anime===
He appears in the first episode of the fourth anime adaptation, Yōkai! Miage-Nyūdō.
In this adaptation, Miage-Nyūdō dwells in a swamp and the local people respect his shrine for fear of a curse. Construction work begins at Nyūdō Swamp, and the owner of the company kicks over the shrine, refusing to believe in things like curses and spirits. Miage-Nyūdō later retaliates by destroying a bunch of the construction vehicles and equipment. When this action and a warning from Nezumi-Otoko fail to convince the company president, Miage-Nyūdō uses his wind powers to kidnap Yūko Murakami, who had been protesting the construction to protect a birdhouse she had built near the swamp. Jun and Shōta then hire Kitarō to find and save her. After Miage-Nyūdō swallows the company president, his crew and Nezumi-Otoko, Kitarō arrives to battle him, only to get swallowed as well. Finding Yūko, Nezumi-Otoko and the others safe inside Miage-Nyūdō, Kitarō uses his chanchanko to clog his throat, causing him to expand and blow a whole in his torso. With the help of the Kitarō Family, Kitarō is able to capture Miage-Nyūdō and seal his spirit in a jar.
He later appears in the the Great Yōkai Trial, testifying against Kitarō that he favors humans over yōkai. Afterwards he is seen among the crowd of yōkai awaiting Medama-Oyaji's sentence.
Within the special movie Gegege no Kitarō: Ominous Sky! Yōkai Castle which was of the same title and synopsis with episodes 66 and 67 excluding several differences, Miage-Nyūdō appeared as a member of yōkai of Yōkai Castle. This film was aired at Toei Kyoto Studio Park on April 28, 1996.ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 風雲!妖怪城ゲゲゲの鬼太郎　風雲！妖怪城
===2007 Anime===
He appears in episode 75 of the fifth anime adaptation, Miage-Nyūdō's Yōkai School. While his goal is still to transform mortals into yōkai, he also acts out of a desire to see education treated seriously. His students were Nezumi-Otoko, Kobayashi, a cat, a hairy animal and Kitarō (in disguise). He kidnapped Kobayashi after knowing he is a mischievous and rebellious boy. He enrolled Nezumi-Otoko in his school after Nezumi-Otoko asked for a payment. He taught them the language of cricket, taking out their soul, sleeping on tree, eating air and shape-shifting using air. He gave frog's eyes and caterpillar's soup to eat.
After Kitarō and Medama-Oyaji escaped from the mystical world (thanks to his ancestors), Kitarō tried to defeat him by his techniques, which were in vain. Miage-Nyūdō then swallowed Kitarō but choked as Kitarō blocked the air passage using his chanchanko vest and his eye popped out. Then Kitarō returned the eye to him and admonished him not to kidnap any children and Miage-Nyūdō accepted. He is later seen watching Kobayashi perform well in school from the sky, stating that he wants to go school as well.
He later appears in GeGeGe no Kitarō: Nippon Bakuretsu!!. Miage-Nyūdō appears as one of the multitude of Yōkai parading through cities due to Yato-no-Kami's influence. He is later returned to where he came from after Hana agrees to follow Yato-no-Kami.GeGeGe no Kitarō: Nippon Bakuretsu!!
===2018 Anime===
He appears in the second episode of the sixth anime adaptation, Terror! Miage-Nyūdō. Like his 90s counterpart, his skin is pink. In this adaptation, his goal is to rule Japan with the unlimited power he can obtain after sending 50,000 souls to the Spirit World. He is released from his seal after Nezumi-Otoko urinates on it. To thank him, Miage-Nyudo gives him a large amount of gold bricks. With this, Nezumi-Otoko buys out Akimura's business, naming it "BiBiBi Promotion". After gaining control of The Batteries' 50,000 crowd concert, Miage-Nyudo appears as it was about to begin, and sends 49,996 humans to the Spirit World.
===Live-action film===
Miage-Nyūdō testifies against Kitarō at The Great Yōkai Trial, asserting that he favors humans over yōkai. During an end credits scene, he and Momon-Jii confront Nezumi-Otoko about working with humans and muscle hush money out of him.
===The Great Yōkai War: Guardians: Side Story: Heian Hyakkitan===
Sanmoto Gorōzaemon appeared in the final battle and commanded giant Yōkai including Miage-Nyūdō, Ōkubi, Tearai-Oni, and Gasha-Dokuro to bring down and capture gigantic Nue. These Yōkai slammed Nue on Mount Ōe, however Nue was powerful enough to drive away them at once.Hirokazu Minemori, 2021, The Great Yōkai War: Guardians: Side Story: Heian Hyakkitan, p.262-263, Media Works Bunko, Kadokawa
==Powers and Abilities==
Miage-Nyūdō uses a technique he calls Eating Wind, in which he breaths in air to make himself grow giant. He can also shrink himself by exhaling air. He can also breathe out fire and wind storms and shape the wind of his breath into webbing for capturing victims. His weakness is having his throat clogged.
Reikai Nagashi (霊界流し Send to the Spirit World): Miage-Nyūdō can use his fire breath to send people to the Spirit World.
Fire Breath: In 1985 live-action drama, he breathed fire from his mouth.
==Legend==
The Miage-Nyūdō comes from Sado Island. When out walking, you might come across a normal sized monk. But when you look at him, he suddenly appears slightly taller. As you look up at him he gets taller and taller, as fast as your eye can follow. He eventually grows so tall that you loose your balance from looking up and fall over. The Miage-Nyūdō will then eat your throat unless you roll over and chant "Miage-Nyūdō, I see through you", causing it to disappear.
==References==
==Navigation==
Category:Characters
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Category:Former Antagonist (2007)
Category:Antagonist (2018)
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Category:Former Antagonist (1996)
Category:The Great Yōkai War characters