Having received a letter saying "We are being attacked by the youkai Mannendake," Kitaro travels to a bamboo grove deep in the mountains. The owners of the bamboo grove, a married couple, Masahiko and Kiyomi, Kubota from the tourism association, and Ratman are waiting for him. They wanted to turn the bamboo grove into a tourist spot, but they say that the former owner of the grove, Daikichi, as well as others, have gone missing. As soon as Kitaro steps foot in the grove, he senses youkai energy. A warning to humans is written in blood in the grove, but the study in Daikichi's mansion within the grove is full of bamboo leaves... Suddenly, Masahiko falls silent. When they turn to look, Masahiko has been turned to bamboo...!?
There had always been rumors that
the Mannen-Dake lived in this thicket.
لطالما كانت هناك شائعات عن
.عيش مانّين-داكي في هذه الأجمّة
Die Gerüchte, dass hier Mannen-Dake lebt,
gibt es schon ewig.
Siempre se rumoreó que 
Mannen-Dake vivía en el bosque.
Siempre se rumoreó
que el Mannen-Dake vivía en el bosque.
La rumeur voulait que la forêt
serve de repaire au Bambou millénaire.
Da molto tempo girava voce che Mannendake 
si fosse stabilito in questo boschetto di bambù...
Sempre teve rumores que os
Mannen-Dake vivessem nesse bambuzal.
Люди часто говорили, 
что здесь живёт Маннэн-дакэ.