Movie
Description
Chinpo is a yōkai and recurring antagonist in the GeGeGe no Kitarō franchise, originally created by Shigeru Mizuki. He first appeared in the Kitarō's World Obake Tour chapter The Yōkai Seven Samurai. His name is Japanese slang for a part of the male anatomy, which has led to adaptations where he is renamed Po or referred to by the nickname Chin-san in later anime productions to soften the direct reference.
In terms of background, Chinpo is characterized as a country bumpkin yōkai from South Asia. His appearance is relatively human, typically sporting tan skin, a beard, and face paint beneath one eye. His most defining and unusual physical feature is that he possesses three penises. In his original manga depictions, he is completely naked except for bangles on his wrists and ankles, though anime adaptations usually add a cloth or loincloth around his waist. His hairstyle has varied over time, appearing short in the manga but long in most anime versions.
The personality of Chinpo has shifted across different adaptations. In the original manga, he is portrayed as a highly self-serving individual, willing to switch sides based on who offers him the most money. For example, he was initially hired by Dracula to kidnap Medama-Oyaji for twenty thousand yen, but he promptly betrayed his employer when Kitarō's family offered to pay him ten times that amount. In the third anime adaptation, he holds traditional, hierarchical views, believing that humans are a low-ranked species and keeping them as slaves or servants. Later versions, particularly the 2007 anime where he is called Po, depict him as a much more goofy and comedic figure who ends his sentences with po and flies by farting hard.
Chinpos role in the story is primarily that of an antagonist, frequently aligned with other yōkai as part of a group. He often works alongside his companions Akamata and Yashi-Otoshi, sometimes forming a unit referred to as the Yōkai Army or, in the 2007 series, as a member of the South Asian Yōkai Five alongside Akamata, Asanbosam, Yashi-Otoshi, and Langsuyar. His key relationships are generally professional or combative, working under or alongside other villains to challenge Kitarō. In the 1996 film, his role was diminished to that of Akamatas subordinate, though he and the others return to their homeland peacefully after Akamata reforms.
The character has undergone significant development and redefinition across his various media appearances. In the 1985 anime film, he serves as the leader of the Yōkai Army, teaming up with Nurarihyon to conquer Japan, though he avoids direct combat and eventually escapes via flight. The 1996 film reimagines him as a subordinate who can fire machinegun-like flame bullets from his penises, which are also shown to be his weakness. The 2007 adaptation, under the name Po, sanitizes his more vulgar aspects by removing the visual depiction of his three penises, instead giving him the ability to fire an ultrasonic beam called the Po Beam from his mouth and fly using flatulence. In the 2018 anime, he appears in the opening sequence and makes a formal appearance in episode 84, where he is referred to as Chin-san, the Foreign Worker.
Regarding notable abilities, Chinpo possesses several unusual powers. His primary method of flight in early versions is the Triple Penis Jet, where he emits jet streams from his three penises to propel himself through the air. In the manga, this ability is also described as wind blowing. In the 1996 film, he can shoot balls of fire in a manner similar to a machine-gun. For the 2007 anime, his attack is the ring-shaped Po Beam from his mouth. He is also known to produce explosive farts or gas bombs, and creator Shigeru Mizuki mentioned in an interview that the character has abilities including poisonous urine, explosive feces, and psychokinesis, though these were never utilized in the series.
In terms of background, Chinpo is characterized as a country bumpkin yōkai from South Asia. His appearance is relatively human, typically sporting tan skin, a beard, and face paint beneath one eye. His most defining and unusual physical feature is that he possesses three penises. In his original manga depictions, he is completely naked except for bangles on his wrists and ankles, though anime adaptations usually add a cloth or loincloth around his waist. His hairstyle has varied over time, appearing short in the manga but long in most anime versions.
The personality of Chinpo has shifted across different adaptations. In the original manga, he is portrayed as a highly self-serving individual, willing to switch sides based on who offers him the most money. For example, he was initially hired by Dracula to kidnap Medama-Oyaji for twenty thousand yen, but he promptly betrayed his employer when Kitarō's family offered to pay him ten times that amount. In the third anime adaptation, he holds traditional, hierarchical views, believing that humans are a low-ranked species and keeping them as slaves or servants. Later versions, particularly the 2007 anime where he is called Po, depict him as a much more goofy and comedic figure who ends his sentences with po and flies by farting hard.
Chinpos role in the story is primarily that of an antagonist, frequently aligned with other yōkai as part of a group. He often works alongside his companions Akamata and Yashi-Otoshi, sometimes forming a unit referred to as the Yōkai Army or, in the 2007 series, as a member of the South Asian Yōkai Five alongside Akamata, Asanbosam, Yashi-Otoshi, and Langsuyar. His key relationships are generally professional or combative, working under or alongside other villains to challenge Kitarō. In the 1996 film, his role was diminished to that of Akamatas subordinate, though he and the others return to their homeland peacefully after Akamata reforms.
The character has undergone significant development and redefinition across his various media appearances. In the 1985 anime film, he serves as the leader of the Yōkai Army, teaming up with Nurarihyon to conquer Japan, though he avoids direct combat and eventually escapes via flight. The 1996 film reimagines him as a subordinate who can fire machinegun-like flame bullets from his penises, which are also shown to be his weakness. The 2007 adaptation, under the name Po, sanitizes his more vulgar aspects by removing the visual depiction of his three penises, instead giving him the ability to fire an ultrasonic beam called the Po Beam from his mouth and fly using flatulence. In the 2018 anime, he appears in the opening sequence and makes a formal appearance in episode 84, where he is referred to as Chin-san, the Foreign Worker.
Regarding notable abilities, Chinpo possesses several unusual powers. His primary method of flight in early versions is the Triple Penis Jet, where he emits jet streams from his three penises to propel himself through the air. In the manga, this ability is also described as wind blowing. In the 1996 film, he can shoot balls of fire in a manner similar to a machine-gun. For the 2007 anime, his attack is the ring-shaped Po Beam from his mouth. He is also known to produce explosive farts or gas bombs, and creator Shigeru Mizuki mentioned in an interview that the character has abilities including poisonous urine, explosive feces, and psychokinesis, though these were never utilized in the series.