Captivated yet deeply bewildered. That was my initial impression upon watching the first few scenes of Yo-Kai Watch. Based on a video game of the same name developed by Level-5, Yo-kai Watch is an extremely popular kid’s anime style animated series. Just how popular you might ask? The movie version of Yo-kai Watch beat out Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the top movie in Japan. The good folks at Hasbro sent me a set of Yo-kai Watch based toys and a dvd featuring episodes from season 1 of the anime style animated series. Myself, along with my in-house toy expert staff aka my children, couldn’t wait to find out if Yo-kai Watch lived up to the hype.
About the Yo-kai Watch series
Music. It’s the universal translator that bridges all language and cultural boundaries. Even in the Yo-kai Watch trailer, I defy you to not start feeling the groove upon hearing the pulsating beat.
Nate, which I’m guessing to be a middle school aged boy, is the main protagonist of the series. He’s introduced to the world of the Yo-kai (spirits, supernatural antagonists, trouble makers, etc.) when he frees the Yo-kai named Whisper. Nate’s given a Yo-Kai Watch granting him the unique ability to spot Yo-kai as well as summon them when needed.
The pacing and humor of the show can be jarring at first. For example, small awkward moments experienced by Nate are often expressed in a heightened dramatic visual style. “Go big or go home” seems an apt choice. Still, once acclimated, one can’t help being intrigued with the premise. Yo-kai Watch never takes itself too seriously and neither should you. Instead, you’re encouraged to join Nate on his crazy fun-filled Yo-kai Watch adventures.
The Yo-kai characters introduced in each episode distinguish themselves in both their abilities and physical appearance. Colorful and bold with a healthy dose of whimsy, these charasmatic entities hold your attention as the storyline plays out. More times than not, the episode’s resolution includes the Yo-kai awarding Nate a specific disc-like Yo-kai medal. These medals enable him via the Yo-kai Watch to summon the Yo-kai at a future time when he needs their help. He becomes a collector of medals and by default, each Yo-kai becomes a collectable.
About the Yo-kai Watch Toys
As mentioned previously, Hasbro sent a copious amount of toys including Yo-kai Watches, figures with exclusive interactive medals, Medallium collection books and more. My youngest child loved the Yo-kai Watch toy. Admittedly, it’s kind of on the bulky side for a watch but that makes it more durable in my opinion. The toy recognizes over 100 of the interactive Yo-kai medals. Each medal prompts unique music, phrases and sounds. I was surprised the watch lacked the ability to project an image of the Yo-kai character from an inserted medal but alas, perhaps that’s for a future iteration of the gizmo. It should be noted my in-house experts had zero complaints and lavished praise upon the toy with accolades such as “so cool” and “boss” respectively.
The action figures and collection book were well received too but more along the lines of accessories rather than the main attraction. In addition, the medals can also be collected virtually via a Yo-kai Watch app available on both iOS and Android based devices.
Final Word
Watching the popular Yo-kai Watch episodes with my children opened my eyes to a whole new genre. Anime animated series offer cultural nuances not often found in domestic shows. The learning experience plus the fun toys made for a winning combination.
Related information about Yo-kai Watch:
Yo-Kai World
Yo-kai Watch on Facebook
Yo-kai Watch YouTube
Hasbro on Twitter
Disclaimer: I was compensated both financially and in product by Hasbro for the #YokaiWatch campaign. All opinions remain my own.
