The Rise and Fall of Yo-Kai Watch | Cinema Nippon

[@Aizuaka]

Yo-Kai Watch holds a special place in my heart, not because I've ever actually played the game or watched the anime, but because when I lived in Japan it was EVERYWHERE. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing it in some form. It was on posters, billboards, shop windows, products, and you would see kids watching it on their phones on trains. When I walked around with my host family their 8 year old son was constantly looking under cars and behind trashcans for Yokai. It reminded me a lot of how I and my friends were with Pokemon when I was a kid. It may not have been a hit here in the west but I'm willing to bet it made a pretty big impact on the kids of that generation.

[@Pixel_Rocket23]

Every time that I'm reminded that Yokai Watch is 99% dead in the west it makes me so goddamn sad. It also means we most likely aren't getting a localized Yokai Watch 4 any time soon, or ever.

[@Klonoahedgehog]

At the very least both the consoles the game was released on are completely region free so you could just import it.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@z521_zach6]

@@fabianw1383 just accept it man, the game has fallen of its prime and it’s appealing to the western market anymore

[@Dexisow]

@@fabianw1383 yeah l really hate to say it but yeah its dead and cant be revived

[@Topdoggie7]

Supposedly Four is in the works and being done.

[@zeldagameryt4018]

I think the problem with Yo-kai watch’s failure wasn’t because of the game(s) quality or advertising (there were literally medals everywhere in Walmart at the time), but because people immediately dismissed the games as Pokémon clones and nothing more which is a bad thing to do. But one thing is certain about all the games, SCREW TERROR TIME!

[@Gatorboy5678]

Fr Terror Time SUCKS! I like Zombie Night (sometimes) because it’s more involved but like in Yo-kai Watch 1 & 2 I ran into Gargaros intentionally just to get it over with.

[@Flufflord_Puffball]

terror time is awesome, but zonbie night sucks

[@jumentoqueanima]

Terror time is fun.

[@Topdoggie7]

Every other Hino quote contradicts the last just about. Hino wanted to yeet Jin and Koma, yet just kept making more nyans and sans. . . Making more Jinbanyans doesn't equal moving away from the old one. We're at like twenty Jin knock offs. Hino, you have no idea what your vision is, and that's eating away at your brand identity.

[@strsocerplaya9]

He underestimated the power of the familiar. You have to change things up, but you also have to have some familiarity. Pokemon does great and Pikachu is still a massive favorite that never gets old.

[@fox-anonymous3387]

I mean, Jibanyan is too! He may not be as recognizable as the yellow rat, but Jibanyan is definitely recognizable for people that have at least heard of yo Kai watch once.

[@LP-bt2dt]

Alright so here's my idea rant for rebooting the yo kai watch games: - Stop using numbers in the title - DON'T use springdale in the game at all (I honestly feel like it has hurt the series using it so much) - Make a brand new town to explore that's just as memorable as springdale. - This might be controversial but I would like a roster of about 200 brand new yo kai without any old ones. (Maybe yo kai like jibynan should be available through special quests in game) I feel like having all the yo kai will just harm it besides the mascots. - battle system go in the direction of 4s battle system expect make it more fluid and more unique to yo kai watch. - Let players use yo kai abilities to interact with the world and effect objects ,npcs, other yo kai. - Bring back medals - don't include much reference to the other games Basically I want them to go back to the roots of the orginal and evolve those ideas more.

[@nexo42069]

Agreed

[@hellou0007]

Yo kai watch 826283

[@cupiduwu]

they did that in 4?

[@wxnnter]

Yo Kai watch 4 much??

[@cupiduwu]

@@wxnnter no it is £60

[@Nyan_The_Cat]

I just want to thank you for covering this! I’m a long time yokai watch fan up to This day and I just trying to keep this franchise alive I love yokai watch and I will never leave it. It was my favorite franchise from the start and I still love it I just want the yokai watch anime to come back but it just can’t I have relised that now. and also the games are dead but luckily the games are region free for switch so that’s good too but it’s not the same for the 3ds. But the manga is what is keeping this franchise alive it has characters form the jappanise anime so that’s good but other than that nothing...... And yea I’m proud of that and I love This series and I will never leave it.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@Whispence]

I've loved it since I was 5, and it's all I would ever watch or play or buy merchandise from. I still play it to this day, and am constantly on the lookout for fans, so yeah, it's kind of a part of me.

[@fidelthemenace3968]

Same here …. I even collected the toys on my twice travel to Japan. Just sad that it never gain that much popularity in the west. When I was in Japan it was the time that Yokai Watch was so much famous every corner you will see jibanyan’s face. 😅 Still a big yokai watch Fan here. …. Jibanyan for Life!!!

[@princesspikachu3915]

I love the series too. It’s too bad that it didn’t do so well. I’m playing the 2nd game on the 3DS for the first time since I’m taking a break from Pokémon after beating Scarlet on Switch. I really wish that the 4th game gets localized but it’s been almost 4 years now and I’m doubtful it will ever release outside of Japan. But then again Fruits Basket got a 2nd anime years after it ended its original run and maybe, just maybe the same thing might happen with Yo-Kai Watch.

[@callmefried544]

If you didn't already hear. Level 5 NA has stopped production due to Covid and other things. So basically that means no more localized Yokai Watch games.

[@SeiferA2001]

The more I keep watching this video, the more I keep wondering if Hino-san even knew WTF he was even blabbering on about with these quotes considering they get contradicted every time after a while Regardless great video!

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@digitalshadowfox720]

@@fabianw1383 wat

[@luawidi]

@ DIGITAL SHADOWFOX agreed

[@TheAlison1456]

of course not imagine if your comment got so popular it became a social phenomenon and people came to you asking how to be smart, why it happened, etc etc. you wouldn't know!

[@GojoStiglitz]

All hope isn’t lost people. I recently purchased and received YW2 for my 2ds. I’ve only put in a few hours but so far I’m loving it. I hope it’s somewhat comforting knowing that this series has acquired at least one fan in 2022.

[@pollpollson3646]

:)

[@SUperDuper2307]

nice and all but that is sadly not enough to revive the franchise💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@princesspikachu3915]

Same thing. I picked up the original game for $5 on clearance at my local Walmart back in 2020 and spent most of the covid lockdown playing it. And then I ended up impulse buying Yo-Kai Watch 2 Fleshy Souls last month on April 1st and I have already poured close to 40 hours so far. It’s a shame that the franchise died. It gives me Ghost Busters vibes except more light hearted.

[@wage942]

It's really sad that such a good game with cool gameplay etc. isn't as popular. It feels so empty playing yo kai watch now. I wish that the yo kai watch community was bigger and more popular. Yo kai watch was such a cool concept, i hope they keep on going with the series.

[@blueyjibanyan9648]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Thanks for releasing this video. I'm a huge fan and since it hurts so much to see as to how this series blew up and died in the West (thankfully, unlike Japan), I'm gonna keep these in mind and work towards something related to Yokai-Watch :P

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@NikeKicksCow]

@@fabianw1383 stop getting so angry kid

[@NikeKicksCow]

@@fabianw1383 just because your favourite series is dying

[@EvTheBadConlanger]

But it still is sad that the West was excluded on a series I grew up with. There was absolutely a downfall in the West, but I hear Japan still has it strong. My 3-DS is dead with no charger but I might eventually buy one to play the first two games again and possibly buy the third for the first time.

[@PRO-ww2dr]

@@fabianw1383 bro chill don’t fucking kill us chill

[@galarprince]

Yo-kai Watch 3 sold kinda poorly in Japan because Pokémon had their 20th anniversary and Pokémon Sun and Moon had the biggest sales. Also Yo-kai Watch 2 Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls releasing for North America that year selling kinda good but still bad Then last year for Yo-kai Watch 4 we got Pokémon Sword and Shield selling 18 million copies which was good but 4 selling bad at like 200,000. I really hope they get their marbles on and try to revive the franchise.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@galarprince]

@@fabianw1383 bruh you must be lazy to do your research then

[@hype5456]

The Franchise is still active in Japan just not in the west

[@tristennorris3725]

i agree with you

[@Chris-fz2ui]

​@@hype5456 not really

[@StronzoDBL]

I still love and play this series to this day

[@jumentoqueanima]

Yesir.

[@MGM_Think]

The uninspired recolors of existing Yokais (there is like 50 Jibanyans!) definitly contributed to the fall of the franchise.

[@qTravis666]

I think that was almost exclusively to jibanyan, also fun fact theres around 241 across all of the franchise.

[@MGM_Think]

@@qTravis666 "fun fact theres around 241 across all of the franchise" ... this is exactly what too much of a good thing means.

[@jumentoqueanima]

Nah Jibanyan is cool.

[@NotTheWheel]

As an adult who discovered yokai watch while I was still in the Navy. I loved the design and the unique premise of the games design and while never indulging was enamored by the merchandise Yokai watch created. I thought to myself "If I was 8 years old and I saw this game this would have been MY Game" But I think they pushed it too hard and were putting too many unrealistic expectations. It was a refreshing take on the collectable monster RPG genre. I'm sad to have seen its decline. I hope they keep trying. I really thought the series had potential it just needed breathing room.

[@conradojavier7547]

We should Reboot Yo-Kai Watch, but included it's version of International Folkghost for Variety sake like an Aswang, or a Jiang Shi, or a Jersey Devil, & a Chubacara.

[@snapbug750]

Wat th ......

[@illuforce]

No, I like what Akihito hino is doing right now in yo-kai watch y-academy.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@isauldron4337]

@@fabianw1383 stop spamming this it isn't helping at all

[@totalyaninja7580]

22:11 "yo kai watch 4 should see an American release" me in 2022: if only :(

[@jumentoqueanima]

It Will happen!

[@Dimitros99]

I was yokai fan 2016-2017 i stoped to watch yokai watch because in my country there are only 26 episodes, but this year i was having boring day and in my mind comes jibanyan whisper nate watch and when i google it and i found yo kai watch, i was late but im completed YW1 YW2 YWB YW3 YWB2 YWS in same year because i was have free time Plus i was rewatching show and its so nostalgic ! I watch movie 1 2 3 4. Now im big yo kai watch fan

[@crispycornflakes7850]

The game was my childhood, I was there on every SINGLE release but then came the 4th part... yeah it sucks. And the series got really unpopular.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@st1ckerz]

How’s the collection going?

[@CaralisTrevorum]

I wonder if the collapse of Yo-Kai Watch had an impact on the axing of Level-5's American branch a few months ago? Will Level-5 ever recover?

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@CaralisTrevorum]

@@fabianw1383 Hardly - look at the evidence. Level-5 America is gone, no plans for any Level-5 games to be released outside Japan. Yo-Kai Watch is effectively dead.

[@paulitics3629]

That American branch was founded in 2015, wasn't it? I'd imagine it was created for the sole purpose of handling Yo-kai Watch, and shut down due to the fact that Yo-kai Watch is practically irrelevant over here. That said, I don't believe the series is dead over here. Every other Yo-kai Watch game has taken 2.5 years to be brought to the west. Going by that schedule, YKW4 should be coming this winter. If they end up putting the game on steam, I honestly believe it could do well.

[@CaralisTrevorum]

@@paulitics3629 Founding Level-5's American branch solely for Yo-Kai Watch would be foolish in the extreme - then again, it wouldn't be the first or last foolish mistake made by Level-5 management. I can't imagine them putting the effort into porting Yo-Kai Watch 4 onto Steam, as in Japan it was only released on Switch (where it sold poorly) and PS4 (where it sold abysmally). Besides which, who's going to localise and distribute it? Level-5 is in a dreadful position of their own making. If only Nintendo would buy Level-5 and turn the company into a Monolith Soft-style hit factory...

[@paulitics3629]

@@CaralisTrevorum just checked, level 5 abby was founded in early 2015, so yokai watch was likely the reason for its existence. Another thing of note is that Native Prime posted an ad looking for translators from japanese and chinese to english. The only Japanese studio Native Prime has worked with is Level-5, and ykw4 is in both chinese and japanese, so I think it is very much possible that theyre working on it. A PC port was really helpful for digimon cyber sleuth, so they could be trying to imitate that success. Iirc bandai published both ni no kuni and cyber sleuth, so they would probably be the ones handling ykw4 as well. Of course, this is all speculation. Perhaps its never coming, or maybe it'll be silently announced later in the year to absolutely no fanfare, only for the game to sell pathetically. Only time will tell. And yeah, none of this would be a concern if level 5 acted a little bit smarter.

[@cloudkitsune17]

From the sound of things, Yo-Kai Watch wanted to be the next Digimon, where each season has new characters and tackles more mature content that is still available for kids. I can't say that they succeeded with Shadowside, as I never got to watch it, nor finished the original anime (though what I did watch was very silly and enjoyable). I still *love* Yo-Kai Watch 2, and appreciate what they were trying to do with 3--I love a lot of the youkai in it, just wish they didn't change the battle system from 1-2. Yo-Kai Watch 4 was also very fun, but I'm sad it never got translated... And that humanoid version of the game. DX *Waaant~!*

[@CinderLitten]

I really wanted YKW4 to be localized. It seemed like an awesome game with the hack-and-slash mechanics. In addition to multiple playable characters. If the series didn’t decline, they probably would’ve made that game of the best out there in my opinion.

[@lord_caccum]

Tecnichally we could still get it! There are some rumors that we could get it at December. (I really hope we do)

[@sayyestofairness4266]

I have a feeling that if it gets localized, either Bandai Namco or Activision will do it.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@qTravis666]

@@sayyestofairness4266absolutely no chance that activision does it, lol, bandi is the inly chance we have.

[@jamesblake5215]

R.I.P. Yokai Watch and Level 5 North America

[@sousou6251]

I like the Anime a lot! In Germany they only translated 26 episodes. 26! Literally everywhere else you could watch more yokai watch, but not in Germany. I'm excited about the new announced anime Yokai Watch🎵. I was really sad, when they said Yokai Watch! was going to end.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@xxBuju09xx]

Oh, I should add that Canada also had some bits in regards to merch. 18:45 Well, if I recall, Dollarama had plenty of the stuff for at least the $4 range.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@xxBuju09xx]

@@fabianw1383 how about no. I also saw your other copy paste comments.

[@Terranigma23]

@@xxBuju09xx Lol yes, this guy is so cringe.

[@kerrygligorovic9758]

I really wished Yo-Kai Watch Season 2 and 3 are finally released onto complete DVD collection at last because I already got the first season on DVD collection with 26 episodes and no news of Season 2 and 3 of being released for years.

[@spree9945]

Bro I'm going to cry man I loved this series 😖😭

[@RKR2969]

I will truly miss yo Kia watch I been there ever since it came out and it filled me with joy and I’m disappointed that they had to dump yo Kia watch I will miss it 😞

[@princesspikachu3915]

Funny thing is now that the eShop has closed all of the games have went up in price for Yo-Kai Watch. Even the original game that was over printed and was sold for $5 at the Five Below is now being sold for $30 something according to price charting. Yo-Kai Watch 2 Fleshy Souls is $50 for a used copy and Bony Spirits has a similar price. Don’t get me started on Psychic Specters and Yo-Kai Watch 3 and Blasters prices.

[@nnuggit]

I got really into the mobile game like a month before they took the servers down :( I was so freaking sad, I wanted to get farther in the game and it was so fun and satisfying to play, with some interesting challenges. I loved the characters, they were so cute, and it was a way for me to connect to Japanese culture while I live in the US. I wish I hadn't been so late to this!

[@quack-orange]

I think that Yo-Kai watch was a great series. I still think that this game was one of the better from the 3DS. I always love seeing videos about this game.

[@PrincessOfPink]

Its extremely sad! I recently beat both yo kai watch 1 and 2 and now want to play 3 but i cant find it anywhere and i doubt it will get restocked 😔

[@cream2406]

Eshop+32 gb SD card or higher. Purchase it on the eshop and enjoy. It also has a blasters side in the game that’s optional. One of the best YW games imo.

[@PrincessOfPink]

@@cream2406 I actually did do that about a week ago after i found out you could do that online! The game is so much fun!!!!

[@windowsos4029]

Would you recommend Yokai Watch to someone who likes and grew up with Pokémon?

[@PrincessOfPink]

@@windowsos4029 Yes I totally would! It's a lot of fun!

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@isakjohansson7134]

Too bad Yo-kai watch never took off, i love the games, the first one especially

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@username_taken250]

I really wish Yo-Kai Watch stuck around here in the US

[@iheartwinnie4]

I STILL PLAY IT EVERYDAY AND I DONT KNOW AN OUNCE OF JAPANESE BUT YOU BEST BELIEVE THAT I GOT YO-KAI WATCH 4

[@JackDSquat]

I hope that at least Yo Kai Watch 2 and 3 will be remastered on the switch

[@manjiknights5793]

Hi again, job well done once more! You pretty much touched on every major misstep I've noticed over the years. Unfortunately I have to agree that the actual Hasbro merchandise was a mixed bag here. I liked the plushies and figures but the watch and medals were a big step down in quality imo; I own two of the Bandai watches and a couple boxes of medals for each and they generally look and sound less cheap than the Hasbro ones though I can understand why the production values may not have been as high. The medallium pages are awful for storing lots of medals, the medals fall out of them all the time. The main unique toyline not being as high-quality as the Japanese version probably didn't help matters combined with the oddly paced releases you mentioned. I also really appreciate the inclusion of the quote at 26:26 because I've personally always had the theory that they made a big marketing mistake focusing on the more "gross-out" Yo-kai than the more traditional/cool-looking ones and, more importantly, trying so desperately to keep up the facade that the series wasn't Japanese. They took a late 90s/early 2000s marketing approach for a mid-late 2010s series, and nowadays many kids (both in and out of the US and possibly even more in areas like Europe and Latin America) know of the origins of manga and anime thanks to the Internet, so I always felt kids today would find it cool to learn about Japanese culture through the series-and there's a TON of it in the anime, especially when Tomnyan is introduced and the series starts juxtaposing Japanese and American culture. The official translators did the best they could given the setting restrictions imposed on them (we have the privilege of being able to keep it in Japan, being unofficial translators) but the end result with the BBQ thing comes out as rather awkward (less so in other countries where the original series took place in their home country instead, so the new location in YW3 could still be America). I do have some more insight on the global situation that might interest you: I would definitely suggest looking into the recent news that came out about Level-5 Abby shutting down (published originally on gamesindustry.biz but spread to other outlets pretty quickly) and the anonymous supposed ex-employees that gave a wealth of information about the company's management and localization process on 4chan that I personally believe given how the output of the series turned out to be here in the US. Assuming all of this evidence is true the YW4 localization seems to be cancelled so it's definitely worth following (and once again I'm open for discussion if you're interested in the whole story, which is a bit long for KZbin comments). Also, other areas of the world did get a little bit further into the brand than America did, which I think is worth noting. For example, the second movie was dubbed in Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, and Europe (specifically Spain and France afaik) got the Model U Watch by Hasbro while the US didn't. There's also the situation with Animax, the station that broadcasts the anime in Southeast Asia (the same region that got Inspirit Card Battle in English), who have been producing dubs and subs(!!) for the series that, because of their no home releases practice, never see light outside of that region and definitely will not be distributed on the Internet. Later Shadowside subs on the station allegedly used what might be the official localized names for those characters. Ultimately all these regions are still in an awkward middle ground between the US and Japan in terms of success, and the property is declining in a way no matter where you look, but these are still interesting cases imo. Nevertheless-this was a very nice watch once again :)

[@lbspartyhouse8265]

To follow up on your claim that YW4 is probably cancelled, I slightly agree with that, but I’m thinking in a slightly more optimistic way. So technically since what a lot of people are using as evidence it’s cancelled, that the America Studio of Level-5 shut down, I believe it was technically a smart marketing decision as no studio in America might save a lot of money, as well as working all in one area. I’ve also heard that they released games before they built the studio so hopefully that can still happen. Also with the other research you listed, I can only hope that Disney, I believe is the company who manages most of the anime distribution in America gives more to the franchise. As well as hopefully at least the second movie, and Shadowside series. Hopefully we get updates soon, and if we don’t...we’ll have to be patient fellow Yo-krew...

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@board-qu9iu]

Idk I can’t find sources how successful the games were from a sales perspective. The US does have a figure of around .5 million in the first game so it didn’t do too bad for a first attempt (less than Japan but still a notable amount) I feel like the 2nd game is when they dropped the ball and killed their small foothold on the US market. They needed to find a way to separate themselves from Pokémon but never did

[@Sigismund697]

I find it weird that Hino constantly compares the franchise with a variety show I just don't see how that's the case when both the game and the show were very dedicated to a handful of characters even if it was mostly episodic, if each episode featured different characters interacting with the yokai maybe but I really liked Nathan/Keita and his group. Also I heard that both the introduction of Inoha and the backslash she created didn't help the show at all while shadowside was such a mess it finished killing the animated side of things

[@BronzeBalla2k00]

Sad I wasn’t a fan during its prime

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@spree9945]

Oh I was

[@lookatme5939]

@@fabianw1383 are you ok?

[@lookatme5939]

@CapuChino same man

[@thomaslocaltwat81]

@@fabianw1383 The real yokai watch was the friends we made along the way

[@aurnknight2813]

Ngl i think there biggest problem was simply putting numbers on their products, no one will by number 2, 3 and 4 if they never bought 1. And with so many games it hard for newcomers to know where to start.

[@arthurferreira4243]

pokémon company knew how to answer yokai watch, they made ash win the league and changed the anime trait without turning off the competitive side of the whole thing, even if dinamax sucks here, japanese love kaijus so it worked really well there.

[@Blingy]

I became a fan of the series during 2 so the games were slightly falling but I didn't pay enough attention to Yokai Watch 3 during physical copies were being released so I unfortunately can't find a physical copy anywhere. The games just died and it's sad to see. The only game I have is 2 now

[@srfrancium9728]

You can find the first one at 5 and below and it's a toss up if you find the used copy at a Game shop, I'd recommend downloading 3 before the 3ds discontinues its eshop because it's by far the best in the series.

[@jbanimations9767]

I miss this franchise

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@jumentoqueanima]

​@@fabianw1383 There is hope now.

[@cadmiarjw]

I only found out about yo kai watch cause it was pre installed in a 2DS I am very lucky

[@Salah-ig5ye]

OMG same

[@cadmiarjw]

@@Salah-ig5ye wow

[@illuforce]

I watched the anime when it came out on Disney XD. Thats how i found out about yo-kai watch.

[@shirqzul]

same lol

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@CROWNED-YEET]

Please come back yo Kai watch

[@DaveXteme]

Why is it that only Pokemon is allowed to breathe air?

[@Dexisow]

I think it was because maybe its older

[@MGM_Think]

In my mind, I blame greed, LEVEL-5 were too greedy when they released 2 versions of YW2 and then a whole 3rd version with DLC! it wasn't even a good sequel and they released 3 versions! They thought themselves "The Pokemon Killer" and were equal with Pokemon as a franchise! how stupid were they to think that?! if they only released YW2: Psychic Specters as the only game, and then released YW3 they wouldn't have shot themselves in the foot. I will miss it.

[@board-qu9iu]

I feel like they overestimated themselves and spent too mush resources on the west in a poor manner. I feel like they needed to try to separate themselves from Pokémon something that Palworld did successfully

[@BatDanNight]

Just found these videos. A year and a half later and things are much worse. In Japan, Y School Heroes ended at 63 episodes and now there's another relaunch of the original anime (known as Yo-kai Watch ♪). But there hasn't been a new console game announced in a while. No fifth mainline, no spin-offs, not even a Switch version of 2. Though Puni Puni is still going and getting big crossovers. So it seems that's the franchise now... And in America, Level-5 Abby died. Well, not "died", but it's basically nothing now. Zero news about Yo-kai Watch 4 since the 2019 Anime Expo announcement. Frankly, I think a lot of it is down to Level-5 being terrible at management. Take Megaton Musashi. It was announced in 2016 for 3DS, but kept getting delayed over and over and over and over until it finally came out on Switch and PS4 at the end of 2021. It flopped on release, only selling around 10k across both consoles. Don't expect a localization as Level-5 let the American trademark lapse. No joke. The next Inazuma Eleven game was announced in 2016, and currently has a tentative release of 2023. Something definitely went wrong there. Take this next part with a grain of salt, but the story with Snack World is that they demanded the localization be finished by Holiday 2018. Then they sat on it for a long time, eventually releasing the game in 2020. Supposedly it was a first draft that was loaded with innuendos and memes (like Covfefe) and Level-5 just sent it out to die.

[@dangernoodle5831]

Honestly it seems like Level-5 is just way too ambitious for their own good and that has pushed them to make hasty and poorly thought out decisions. Yokai Watch is the perfect example. They had a solid first game, and YW2 benefited enormously for the series sudden surge in popularity. The sales numbers seem to suggest that that boost was from somewhat a fad, but instead of playing it safe, they pushed and continuously changed the series and overextended. Once the fad died down they had oversaturated the market with YW and had alienated some of its original audience. Pokémon somewhat experienced a similar initial event. Pokemania resulted in Pokemon Red and Blue having the highest sales to date and it was everywhere. However they were more conservative with their games and the whole series has grown and expanded built around them releasing consistent and solid games continuously. The mainline games were essentially the backbone of the franchise, changing in design and focus very little outside of incremental improvements. So when the Pokemania frenzy died down they still had that core appeal that kept loyal fans coming back.

[@board-qu9iu]

@@dangernoodle5831they also did a poor job with trying to get to the west. I never got why they didn’t try to just have the 2nd game just be on switch. It being on the 3ds in its Twilight years was a bad idea not helped with Pokémon sun and moon releasing. They should have known that a new console was going to occur b/c it was pretty obvious by late 2016

[@monke7344]

Hearing that theme song gave me a heart attack with the level of nostalgia

[@Noctis-fr3uc]

I have the feeling that they tried to particularly sabotaged the games on my country: Spain. Here YKW made a really big hit and became really popular. But everything started to tumble down after the second games. As a spin-off, Blasters did well but on the anime, they did just the 3 or 4 first seasons and the first movie, after that the channel that aired the anime: Boing, not only censored it HARD without reason, cheaply cutting chunks of episodes, but also started to quickly air it less and less until they acted as if they never had it. And in the terms of games, Yo Kai Watch 3 not had a ridiculously low number of copies made but was also released earlier than America so it would launch the exact same day that freaking Super Smash Bros Ultimate. If that's not intentionally shooting yourself in the foot, I don't know what it is.

[@wanghosom]

That's why nobody could never beat Pokémon. Nintendo, Creatures Inc. and Game Freak know what they're doing far beyond videogames.

[@Lilfern710]

Fun Fact, the Japanese release of Yo-Kai Watch 2 came out on my birthday

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@maciller8461]

How is this a fun a fact if only pertains to you? Narcissist.

[@Crowtenzz]

Cool!

[@Crowtenzz]

@@maciller8461 calm tf down. Let the dude enjoy themselves

[@sharkEnabler]

the absolute vitriol i felt and still feel towards the words "pokemon killer" why can't we just let two or more monster collecting games exist in the same space when they have vastly different stories creatures to offer i wish people can just let these franchises coexist without looking at yw or other games for that matter with scorn for simply existing lol

[@TheFnfExpert]

Year 4 of waiting for yo Kai watch 4 eng dub

[@DennisTamayo]

This summer or fall, Digimon will return to the United States with the 2020 reboot of the 1999 anime.

[@snapbug750]

Yo kai watch will not Die in are 💜 we love you Even som peploe dont like it i engoy it forever

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@Terranigma23]

It's so sad because Yokai Watch 3 is better than any recent Pokémon game (huge modern world, a lot of side content, tactic battle, correct difficulty, etc).

[@beachbengaming5278]

I only completed like 5% of fleshy souls because I was a scaredy cat as a kid. I really wanna go back and beat that game :|

[@KirboWurbo]

amazing game, go back and play it.

[@RubyAPBT]

I don't know how it was in USA. Here in Brasil there was barely no market about it, I learned about youkai watch in 2017. Most didn't care about it, they were more on pokemon or beyblade.

[@susmagician3683]

I doubt they'd try again in the west due to how poorly it did. However, just for fun, if they're going to reboot yokai watch for the west, a few recommendations are: 1) translate the switch release of 1 as most of the translation has already been done in the 3ds version but fix translation errors(e.g. Skill encycloped.) and market it better. 2) put the anime on Netflix and some on youtube, and if they are airing on TV then put it on a free chanel or a more well known one then Disney XD 3) Regarding merch, just do the medals and make both watches (the white wristwatch and the pink pocket watch) and plushes, maybe release a yokai pad like in japan but that's a fun maybe. As for Japan, they should have kept it too the base series, no shadowside, no academy.

[@eikooowiesnowyowlchannels1921]

Agreed

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@eikooowiesnowyowlchannels1921]

@@fabianw1383 true

[@isaacnuketon]

I got yo Kai watch 1 and yo Kai watch 2 on eu launch I loved it and have collected every yo Kai on each of the games I bought the yo Kai watch toy and got every yo Kai watch medal for the watch (season 1-4) even the Japanese exclusive, I collected plushes of most of the official ones. All I want is Ykw 3 and 4 ported to the switch in English because I’m not Japanese and don’t understand the dialogue, even subtitles would be fine

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@isaacnuketon]

Right

[@isaacnuketon]

Tell the people at Nintendo that

[@Chaotic_Overlord]

Uh. Yokai Watch 3 does have an european release.

[@isaacnuketon]

@@Chaotic_Overlord to the switch

[@Scott_Inksmith]

Lived here in Osaka for 15 years as an international school teacher. Watched this one die fast. Just didn’t seem to be any character kids latched onto.

[@BiigRJ]

Gera Gera Po, Gera Gera Po Whoo! Gera Gera Po, Gera Gera Po Come On! So sit back here's their story Nate say "Hey YO No!" Whisper go cracka-lacka-boom-boom! There's more Yokai than taters in Idaho Like Cheeksqeek and his popo Feel that there? Way down low? Fidgephant makes you need a quick commode All is Gerap Po, turn back the clock yo Ha ha! See what we can see OH my lost friend, who cares for him?

[@BiigRJ]

A home is wha he so needs Kids in this town they have family He wants that safety With nightfall comes great danger And things go from strange to so much stranger Gera Gera Po, Gera Gera Po Yeah Gera Gera Po, Gera Gera Po It's easy, come on! Those Yokai make life awry Cause he's got that Yokai... Yokai Watch! Whoa Yeah!

[@Methodic18]

Idk, when I bought YW3 there was alot of people playing it. I think something behind the scenes led to downfall. It didn't help that YW biggest competition is also owned by the platform that the game is on. I think low key Nintendo didn't want YW to gain any traction. It's unfortunate because as a huge Pokemon fan I have to admit YW3 is the best monster collecting game I have ever played, even to this day.

[@rena6602]

In my opinion Level 5 couldn't hold the success that yokai watch was globally, I think this might have happened because of other franchises that were made by Level 5

[@ninjajack6457]

I miss it…

[@dunsparcetv9036]

I love yokai watch it’s great better than Pokémon no not actually It’s far better than Pokémon, it has voice acting has a good difficulty s rang and legendarys yokai aren’t op as in Pokémon,has a great postgame,multi savefiles it has such good feature I love it, i hate that people that hate or thing it’s a Pokémon fake most of them never played it. I’m sad that it died out outside of Japan now I have to buy the games from Japan on Japanese

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@dunsparcetv9036]

@@fabianw1383 ok but don’t replied to this to everyone I want it to rise from the death in our country’s

[@doggo83]

I found this game from my friend and it's my childhood but Level 5 ended in the us

[@adraxas13]

It makes me so sad that yokai watch is dead over here

[@BobBob-qg4lo]

For me the series died after 3, the whole darkside anime just rubs me the wrong way half of the yokai look like something you'd see on the degenerate side of deviantart. It's like they forgot their entire design language and identity in their attempt to appeal to tweens. Should've just built upon what worked like the ykw3 era of stuff did, as opposed to reinventing the wheel.

[@jumentoqueanima]

Good thing It's rising again. :D

[@zeanone9257]

Actually no the game series is dead in the water

[@kirbylover2.038]

wait so this is part 2?

[@hammermania973]

I remember Yokai-watch.

[@arthurferreira4243]

Well now im sad....

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

yokai watch is dead apparently, yk4 is no longer on the localization

[@Minecrayey]

Proof?

[@chich-ai]

@@Minecrayey Level 5 shut down their studios in America sadly...

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@fabianw1383]

😡AND BY THE WAY, YO-KAI WATCH IS NOT DEAD AND YO-KAI WATCH 4 IS COMING TO AMERICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@drhfff1715]

they should just stick to medals and get nate a little bigger

[@snapbug750]

Yo kái willlllll never wil not die

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@AxelWedstar411]

Shadowside was weird. From the second I saw the designs of Jibanyan and Komasan, I knew it'd kill the franchise internationally if it made it that far.

[@crispycornflakes7850]

my Childhood.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@spree9945]

Has been crushed just like mine

[@whatsrow]

I just wish that the public didn't view the series as a pokemon ripoff. It's much more than that, and it had great potential.

[@st1ckerz]

True

[@Kesselgod]

Childhood game

[@thiccpink9948]

Just add Jibanyan for smash!

[@seangrogan9393]

I need him!!! I grew up with yo Kai, him and Oliver from ni no kuni are the guys I want!

[@eikooowiesnowyowlchannels1921]

I'm grew up with L5 too you knows LBX, IE, Yo-kai watch hype megaton kyuu musashi so much please bring Level-5 abby back

[@whowantstotalkaboutmurders4177]

Same I feel like with him or any Yokai Watch characters being in Smash can make some kind of impact on the franchise. Though I'm not sure if that impact is enough to revive this franchise in the west.

[@eikooowiesnowyowlchannels1921]

@@whowantstotalkaboutmurders4177 Exactly

[@PikachuJaden]

wonder what is going on with yokai watch now

[@joshuataylor7443]

How did Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y do?

[@lamiamekni2802]

I was gald the English dub of Yo-Kai Watch is almost the same as the Japanese dub (beside name changes)

[@stevennocher4189]

bro I remember this!

[@venoctisbestyo-kai1356]

I am so sad yokai watch why😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@benobrien7920]

24:25 what article? Where?

[@thomascircle245]

There's one big factor you didn't note, and neither did Akihiro Hino, if your quotes sum up his overall attitude. Contrary to what he said, I do not think Americans are at all un-receptive to Japanese things. Godzilla does well over here, many Japanese-developed video games do well over here, many anime do well over here, etc. There are lots and lots of people in the USA and other western nations (not sure about Africa and the Middle East) who are fascinated to Japanese things BECAUSE they're Japanese. And Yokai, as a base concept, actually DO fall into that zone. Anyone can be thrilled by a scary-looking monster or laugh at an absurd-looking one. The problem is that this series' take on Yokai was less about the traditional and famous ones and more about ones that it made up to be puns...and puns don't translate. This is an aspect of the franchise that I think a lot of people won't notice unless they actually know a lot of the Japanese language, and it seems quite possible that the ones in charge of localization did not. Japanese, as languages go, does not have a large variety of different sounds, so inevitably it has enormous quantities of homophones. They've been able to get around this because their writing system utilizes lots of Chinese Kanji, which are symbols for THINGS rather than sounds. But the sounds are still there, so you get strings of syllables that can mean wildly different things, like "Unchikuma", which depending on which Kanji are used to spell it, can mean either "Demon of vast knowledge" or "Poop bear". In Yo-kai Watch, often the joke is that the Yo-Kai are BOTH. It's the sort of joke that resonates well with its original audience, and it might even have special value to children since they are first taught words phonetically and then gradually learn the correct Kanji for them. But almost none of these sorts of jokes can be translated. Sure, they are often given new puns as names in whatever new language they're translated into, but some of the original logic is inevitably lost. The aforementioned Unchikuma got rendered into "Poofessor", which doesn't really convey WHY there is a bear that is simultaneously a pretentious intellectual and eats poop. The result is a series that not only comes off as more bizarre than funny a lot of the time, but undoubtedly puts localizers in a bind with how to twist it back into something that makes sense again. They were never going to have the same appeal as they achieved in Japan, for that reason. If a bit more of what their monsters did was fight, a la Godzilla or Pokemon, and a bit more were designed to look good instead of be visual puns, things might have been different. For most Japanese monster franchises, they ARE different. But choosing to have a very particular sense of humor, while it definitely made for a unique and memorable franchise, also made it one impossible to take out of its original context. Ironically, the Shadowside series that apparently didn't resonate with their original audience might have done better abroad, had they just kept exporting it a little longer.

[@SpotMan2011]

I think I have like at least 100 pounds worth of yo-Kai watch stuff

[@tdub4302]

Good video

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@colonelnoodles871]

I honestly wish that more people in the west would've given it a shot. I feel that if some people actually sat down and played it instead of comparing it it would've succeeded. This video was a very good analysis of the series. I'm glad it was brought up.

[@Brownyan]

At this point, I don’t care if it doesn’t keep going in the west, I just don’t want it to die period.

[@Pduarte79]

Is happening with YW4 the same that happened with Inazuma Eleven Go Galaxy and the new game. Be delayed, not knowing if they gonna release it or not outside of Japan.

[@Pikachu-sc1yc]

I like being part of the community. But yokai watch twitter is f*cked. It's only full of toxic 12 year old kids. This needs to change.

[@Dexisow]

Uh l dont really use twitter so have no idea

[@Pikachu-sc1yc]

@@Dexisow well now you know

[@Dexisow]

@@Pikachu-sc1yc Like what do they do?

[@Pikachu-sc1yc]

@@Dexisow they're being toxic

[@Dexisow]

@@Pikachu-sc1yc like what?

[@rokmare]

The problem is the first game wasn’t very good those who played the entire series even say it was the worse game out of all three main games and when the second game was released it was split into two versions which is probably a bad idea since it’s a follow up to a mediocre game to justify the decision, if level 5 had focus on creating one single game instead and improved upon it would have been much better so by the time the third game release it was dead on arrival because it had so few copies available. And contrary to pokemon RBY are good games out of the gate and even remain a classic today so the first game of the series can really make or break a entire franchise.

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@ClairvoyantDreams358]

The first game was great, definitely the worst of the series but it’s still enjoyable to this day.

[@Chaotic_Overlord]

Honestly I would say yokai Watch 2 would be the worst if It didnt have like all of the 1st game's bosses and stuff. The game doesnt really have that much variety on it's own.

[@ellisp276]

5:53 the thing is yo Kai watch is changing too much from its roots yokai watch 4 is as far as they should change it

[@RubyAPBT]

One thing anoying about ykai watch is they make too much useless copy of youkais especialy jibanyan. I bet there is like 100 versions of it, but very few are really interesting. also our main youkai could have a nice evolution or power up, while it is nice change the team around it is not nice need to change around especialy if it your partner who is aways with you on cinematic. Not even digimon who changes humans all the times leave agumon behind or make it useless after a certain point. Cuz Agumon is digimon mascot, in games you have other options to choose, but you are not obliged to do it.

[@PikachuJaden]

yoooo when i stopped watching everyone stops watching :o

[@codycolchado318]

Is sad 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@scorpidoo3643]

They should reboot yokai watch with some major differences. Whisper is actually absent Nate's yokai friends include jibanyan, komasan, komajiro, blazion, blizzaria, venoct, tenguriginal, sergeant burly, buhu, babblong, suspicioni, robonyan, reuknight, dismerelda, happiere, pittapat, sandmeh, noway, noko, pallysol, smogmella, wiglin, steppa, rhyth, hydroplane(new yokai legendary yokai of the slippery tribe), blandon, singcada, hideabat and negatibuzz Happiere and dismerelda are still married and wiglin, steppa and rhyth still the dancing trio Suspicioni and babblong happened to be frenimies Buhu is a male Pallysol and smogmella have interests on each other Nate's friends Katie, Bear, eddie and their class have learned about Nate's Yokai friends despite not having watches, but they're not telling everybody it's a secret

[@fabianw1383]

😡ATTENTION ALL KZbinRS! THERE'S NO DOWNFALL OF YO-KAI WATCH! YO-KAI WATCH IS STILL RISING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YO-KAI WATCH IN AMERICA!!!!!😡

[@fabianw1383]

😡AND ALSO, WHIPSER'S NOT ABSENT! HE'S THE BEST YO-KAI BUTLER EVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡

[@ClairvoyantDreams358]

I only agree with the final one. It would be cool for them to finally learn about Yo-Kai.