Yo-kai Watch facts for kids
| Yo-kai Watch | |
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Quick facts for kids 妖怪ウォッチ(Yōkai Wotchi) |
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| Genre | Comedy, supernatural |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Noriyuki Konishi |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Demographic | Kodomo (boys) |
| Magazine | CoroCoro Comic |
| Original run | January 2013 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 18 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Shinji Ushiro |
| Produced by | Yoshikazu Beniya (TV Tokyo), Kiyofumi Kajiwara |
| Written by | Yoichi Kato |
| Music by | Kenichiro Saigo |
| Studio | OLM |
| Licensed by | |
| Network | TXN (TV Tokyo), BS Japan, AT-X, Kids Station |
| English network | |
| Original run | January 8, 2014 – March 30, 2018 |
| Episodes | 214 |
| Anime television series | |
| Yo-kai Watch Shadowside | |
| Directed by | Fumiya Hōjō |
| Written by | Yōichi Katō |
| Music by | Kenichiro Saigo |
| Studio | OLM Team Inoue |
| Network | TXN (TV Tokyo, TV Osaka) |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 13, 2018 – March 29, 2019 |
| Episodes | 49 |
| Anime television series | |
| Yo-kai Watch! | |
| Directed by | Ryousuke Senbo |
| Written by | Yoichi Kato |
| Music by | Kenichiro Saigo |
| Studio | OLM, Magic Bus |
| Network | TXN (TV Tokyo), BS Japan, AT-X, Kids Station |
| Original run | April 5, 2019 – December 20, 2019 |
| Episodes | 36 |
| Anime television series | |
| Yo-kai Watch Jam - Yo-kai Academy Y: Close Encounters of the N Kind | |
| Directed by | Fumiya Hojo |
| Written by | Akihiro Hino |
| Music by | Kenichiro Saigo |
| Studio | OLM |
| Network | TXN (TV Tokyo), BS Japan, AT-X, Kids Station |
| Original run | December 27, 2019 – ongoing |
| Episodes | 64 |
| Anime television series | |
| Yo-kai Watch ♪ | |
| Studio | OLM |
| Network | TXN (TV Tokyo), BS Japan, AT-X, Kids Station |
| Original run | April 9, 2021 – scheduled |
| Manga | |
| Yo-kai Watch: Exciting Nyanderful Days | |
| Written by | Chikako Mori |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Demographic | Kodomo (girls), shōjo |
| Magazine |
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| Original run | February 2014 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Manga | |
| 4-Panel Yo-kai Watch: Geragera Manga Theater | |
| Written by | Coconas Rumba |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Demographic | Kodomo (boys) |
| Magazine | CoroCoro Comic SPECIAL |
| Original run | October 2014 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Manga | |
| Yo-kai Watch: 4-Panel Pun-Club | |
| Written by | Santa Harukaze |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Demographic | Kodomo (boys) |
| Magazine | CoroCoro Ichiban! |
| Original run | April 2015 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Manga | |
| Komasan 〜A Time for Fireworks and Miracles〜 | |
| Written by | Shō Shibamoto |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Hibana |
| Original run | April 10, 2015 – September 10, 2015 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Manga | |
| Yo-kai Watch Busters | |
| Written by | Atsushi Ohba |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Demographic | Kodomo (boys) |
| Magazine | CoroCoro Comic |
| Original run | June 2015 – October 2015 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Video games | |
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Yo-kai Watch (妖怪ウォッチ, Yōkai Wotchi) is a popular series of video games, toys, and animated shows. It was created by a Japanese company called Level-5. The very first game came out in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS. Since then, many more games have been released, including three main sequels and several spin-offs. These games are available on Nintendo and mobile devices. In 2019, the series even came to PlayStation with Yo-kai Watch 4++.
The Yo-kai Watch world also includes six different manga (Japanese comics) series. One of these manga, which started in 2012, even won an award! An anime (Japanese animation) TV show, made by OLM, Inc., began airing in Japan in 2014. This show became very popular and helped the whole series grow. It started airing in North America in 2015. Several animated movies have also been made. By 2020, the games had sold over 16 million copies around the world.
While Yo-kai Watch was very successful in Japan, it didn't become as big as Level-5 hoped in the United States. Still, it had a good start there. The first 3DS game sold 400,000 copies, and toys were released. The TV show aired on Disney XD starting in October 2015. However, interest in Yo-kai Watch slowly went down. The toy line by Hasbro was stopped in the United States in 2017 and in Europe and Latin America in 2018.
What is Yo-kai Watch?
The idea for Yo-kai Watch was to create a series that could last a very long time, much like the famous Japanese character Doraemon. Akihiro Hino, the head of Level-5, studied what makes a story popular for many years. This research led him to create Yo-kai Watch.
The story of Yo-kai Watch is about making friends with invisible creatures called Yo-kai. These Yo-kai are often causing strange things to happen in the city. They are based on traditional Japanese yōkai, which are spirits or monsters from folklore. But in Yo-kai Watch, they often have funny or clever twists.
When you befriend a Yo-kai, you get their friendship medal. This medal lets you call on that Yo-kai whenever you need them. You can use your Yo-kai friends to fight other Yo-kai, make new Yo-kai friends, or help solve everyday problems.
The basic plot for most of the games and shows is similar. The main character, either Nate or Katie, finds a special device called a Yo-kai Watch. They get it from Whisper, a Yo-kai who acts like a butler. They then become friends with Jibanyan, a cat Yo-kai. Jibanyan hangs around a street crossing because he thinks his old owner called him "lame" before he was hit by a truck. As the anime series went on, many other unique Yo-kai were introduced.
Yo-kai Watch Games
Main Video Game Series
The main Yo-kai Watch video games are role-playing games. In these games, you explore, befriend Yo-kai, and fight against the bad ones who want to cause trouble. A big part of the games is battling Yo-kai.
In the first few games, you used the Nintendo 3DS touchscreen during battles. This let you switch between your Yo-kai whenever you wanted. All Yo-kai have powerful special moves called Soultimates. Some of these moves heal your team, while most are used to attack enemies. In Yo-kai Watch 3, the battle system changed to a grid-based movement system. This added new ways to play and use your Yo-kai.
Yo-kai Watch (First Game)
This was the very first game in the series. It was announced in 2011 and released in Japan on July 11, 2013. This game set up all the main ideas and ways to play for the rest of the series. It came out in North America on November 6, 2015, and in Europe on April 29, 2016.
Yo-kai Watch 2
The second main game came out in Japan on July 10, 2014. It had two versions: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls. Yo-kai Watch 2 let players explore more areas and find almost 100 new Yo-kai. You could also travel back in time to meet older, traditional Yo-kai and see the main character's grandfather. He was the one who made an early version of the Yo-kai Watch.
A third version, Psychic Specters, was released in Japan in December 2014. This version had characters and stories that weren't in Bony Spirits or Fleshy Souls. The English versions of Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls were released in the United States on September 30, 2016.
Yo-kai Watch 3
Yo-kai Watch 3 was released in Japan in July 2016, also in two versions: Sushi and Tempura. This game had a new story where you could play as two main characters at the same time: Nate and Hailey. In one part of the game, Nate and his family move from Japan to a fictional town in the United States, called BBQ in the game. There, you find new American-themed Yo-kai. The other part of the game follows a new character, Hailey Anne Thomas, and her Yo-kai friend Usapyon. They run a detective agency together. A third version, Sukiyaki, was released in Japan in December 2016, combining elements from Sushi and Tempura.
Yo-kai Watch 3 was released outside of Japan on December 7, 2018, in Europe and February 8, 2019, in North America.
Yo-kai Watch 4
Yo-kai Watch 4 was released for the Nintendo Switch in Japan on June 20, 2019. This game features character designs from the Yo-kai Watch Shadowside series, along with the original designs. It also includes characters from earlier games and from the movie Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends.
An improved version, Yo-kai Watch 4++, was released in December 2019. It was available as paid extra content or as a new game for both the Switch and PlayStation 4. Level-5 has said that an English version is being made, but a release date hasn't been announced yet.
Other Yo-kai Watch Games
Yo-kai Watch Blasters
Yo-kai Watch Blasters is a spin-off game that was first announced in April 2015. In Blasters, up to four players can work together to fight against big boss Yo-kai. The first two versions, Red Cat Corps and White Dog Squad, came out in Japan on July 11, 2015. A free update called Moon Rabbit Crew was released in December 2015, adding characters and settings from the second Yo-kai Watch movie.
A sequel, Yo-kai Watch Busters 2: Secret of the Legendary Treasure Bambalaya, was released in Japan in December 2017. The first Blasters game was released in English as Yo-kai Watch Blasters on September 7, 2018. The Moon Rabbit Crew update for the English versions came out on September 27, 2018.
Other Games and Apps
The Yo-kai Watch series also has other games. Yo-kai Sangokushi was made with Koei Tecmo and combines Yo-kai with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. There was even a special Just Dance game for the Wii U in Japan, featuring songs from the anime.
In 2018, a mobile game called Yo-kai Watch World was released in Japan. It's similar to Pokémon Go and uses a Google Maps-based engine. Many Yo-kai Watch apps are also available for smartphones, including puzzle games and dictionaries for Yo-kai.
Manga and Comics
Six different manga series based on Yo-kai Watch have been published by Shogakukan.
- A series by Noriyuki Konishi started in December 2012. This manga has been released in North America by Viz Media.
- A shōjo manga (girls' comic) series by Chikako Mori, called Yo-kai Watch: Exciting Nyanderful Days, began in December 2013. This story follows an alternate timeline where Katie Forester gets the Yo-kai Watch instead of Nate.
- Two yonkoma (four-panel comic strip) series were also created: 4-Panel Yo-kai Watch: Geragera Manga Theater by Coconas Rumba (2014) and Yo-kai Watch 4-Panel Pun Club by Santa Harukaze (2015).
- A series about the Yo-kai Komasan, called Komasan 〜A Time for Fireworks and Miracles〜, ran in 2015.
- A manga based on the Yo-kai Watch Blasters game by Atsushi Ohba was published in 2015.
In 2017, a comic book series was also released by IDW Publishing.
Anime Series and Movies
An anime TV series based on the games, made by OLM, started airing in Japan on January 8, 2014. Most episodes show Nathan "Nate" Adams solving problems caused by Yo-kai. The anime focuses more on comedy than the games. Some episodes have a "Mini-Corner" that features one of the main Yo-kai characters.
A second season of the anime started in July 2015. It introduced a new main character, Hailey Anne Thomas, and her Yo-kai friend Usapyon. It also showed new models of the Yo-kai Watch. The third season began in January 2017. In February 2018, a new series called Yo-kai Watch Shadowside started airing after the original series ended. This series lasted for 49 episodes.
A revival series, Yo-kai Watch!, ran from April to December 2019 in Japan. It continued the original story and acted as a lead-in to the fourth movie. This series introduced some new Yo-kai but kept elements from Shadowside, like Yo-kai Arks.
New anime series have continued to air, including Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y: Encounter with N (starting December 2019) and Yo-kai Watch ♪ (starting April 2021).
Over the years, six Yo-kai Watch movies have been made:
- Yo-kai Watch: The Movie (2014)
- Yo-kai Watch: Enma Daiō to Itsutsu no Monogatari da Nyan! (2015)
- Yo-kai Watch: Soratobu Kujira to Double no Sekai no Daibōken da Nyan! (2016) - This movie mixed anime with live-action.
- Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu (2017)
- Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends (2018)
- Yo-kai Watch Jam the Movie: Yo-Kai Academy Y - Can a Cat be a Hero? (2019)
The anime series is available on DVD in Japan. You can also stream every episode on various video on demand services in Japan, like Hulu.
Overseas Broadcasts
Level-5 announced in 2015 that the Yo-kai Watch anime would start airing around the world.
North America
Dentsu Entertainment USA announced in 2014 that they were looking for partners to broadcast the anime and sell merchandise in North America. The anime began airing on Disney XD on October 5, 2015. The official Yo-kai Watch YouTube channel also posted episodes a month later. Because the show did well, a second season with 50 more episodes aired starting August 1, 2016. The third season premiered on July 2, 2018, and finished in December 2018.
In 2019, Disney XD removed the Yo-kai Watch anime from its regular schedule. However, it returned to the network in a weekend-only time slot in January 2020. The first season's first DVD set was released in February 2019.
The first movie was shown in special one-day screenings in the US on October 15, 2016. People who went to these screenings received a special Hovernyan medal. Outside of the US, the first season and movie are available to stream on Netflix.
The English voices for the first two seasons of the anime were done by Sprite Animation Studios. For the third season, SDI Media took over the voice acting. MarVista Entertainment has licensed the series for Latin America.
Europe and Africa
Viz Media Europe has licensed the series for Europe, Russia, and Africa. It premiered in the UK and Ireland on Cartoon Network on April 23, 2016. In France, it aired on Boing, Gulli, and Cartoon Network France. It also aired in Germany, Austria, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Israel. Cartoon Network also aired it in Portugal, Turkey, Poland, and other parts of Europe.
Other Asian Countries
An English version of the anime, using the original Japanese names, began airing on Cartoon Network Asia and Toonami Asia in Asian countries starting June 27, 2015. Shogakukan Asia also licensed the series in the Philippines. For a few years, GMA Network also made a Tagalog-dubbed version of the original anime.
For Yo-kai Watch Shadowside, a version with Japanese voices and subtitles aired in Southeast Asia in 2019 on Animax Asia.
Australia and New Zealand
The Fusion Agency handles the licensing and merchandise rights for the series in Australia and New Zealand. It aired in Australia on 9Go! starting December 14, 2015.
Merchandise
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Many toys have been made based on the Yo-kai Watch series. These include the Yo-kai Watch itself and collectible Yo-kai Medals. These toys have been very successful. Hasbro released a toy line for the series worldwide in December 2015.
In July 2016, the MMORPG (a large online role-playing game) Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn had a special event. Players could collect Medals from battles in the game. They could then trade these Medals for small characters (minions) that looked like Yo-kai. They could also get weapons inspired by the series. In January 2018, McDonald's started offering Yo-kai Watch toys in US Happy Meals.
Images for kids
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Japanese promo art
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Japanese DX Yo-kai Watch "Model Zero” toy
See also
In Spanish: Yo-Kai Watch para niños
