{"id":3422,"date":"2016-08-27T23:51:30","date_gmt":"2016-08-27T23:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/?p=3422"},"modified":"2016-11-25T18:19:49","modified_gmt":"2016-11-25T18:19:49","slug":"japanese-culture-yo-kai-watch-real-problem-real-reasons-behind-yo-kai-watchs-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/japanese-culture-yo-kai-watch-real-problem-real-reasons-behind-yo-kai-watchs-success\/","title":{"rendered":"The Real Reasons For Yo-kai Watch’s Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Featured Artwork\u00a0<\/em>is art by @PiplupGoku<\/a> on Twitter.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some critics have claimed that YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> cannot succeed outside of Japan. Their reasoning? That its abundant\u00a0references to Japanese culture will confuse Western audiences. While it is true that the Yo-kai originate from Japan’s youkai mythology, that is not necessarily something that will dissuade consumers from giving it a try.<\/p>\n

I can understand the mindset behind this idea. Naturally, if the characters are based on culture elements not native to an outside audience, one might anticipate difficulty for YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> to gain universal attention. But I do not think that is the case, based on my research on social media.<\/p>\n

\"CjfDNdqWYAAWMrm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u00a0looked at SEVERAL opinions about the franchise across the current popular social media platforms, as I think it is the best to hear from the grass roots members. Whenever YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> is mentioned, in a negative or positive light, I rarely see anyone bring up its Japanese culture. When the opinion is negative, it is usually criticism of the battle system or concerns about the concept being too derivative of genre mainstays such as Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

So, why is Japanese culture barely mentioned?<\/p>\n

To start with, younger children generally\u00a0care the LEAST about where the Yo-kai designs originate from with the lack of\u00a0outside, cultural knowledge. And in the case of teens and young adults, they will judge more-so on how the designs look over all. In general, the origins of the designs\u00a0will be simply\u00a0glossed over by most people. This is because Pok\u00e9mon are widely praised for their simplicity in design and a similar aesthetic would be pleasing to long time fans of that franchise.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"yo-kai-group\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is very much true of YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>‘s Yo-kai designs. Most generally have the same simplistic design as Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>,\u00a0which can appeal to a universal\u00a0audience. Although, the difference is that\u00a0Yo-kai\u00a0take a more quirky approach with their designs. They may seem odd to some people, but they were designed this way for good reason, which we will get into later.<\/p>\n

Does YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> have the potential to garner universal success? I truly believe so, but what is keeping that success from blossoming outside of Japan? Part of it comes from the\u00a0moderately large portion of preexisting Pok\u00e9mon<\/em> fans that feel bringing down YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> is a valid way of honoring their long standing love for a pioneer in this genre.\u00a0Even when Nintendo themselves help\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon<\/em> and YO-KAI WATCH <\/em>coexist, working toward their successes, some fans feel aggressively opposed to the idea of\u00a0other monster collecting game becoming a huge hit.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There has been a lengthy history of fans reacting unfavorably towards\u00a0“Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>ripoffs” since Digimon, and this sentiment is still present today. Because it is the norm within the fandom to feel that way, it is very easy for\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon<\/em> fans and even the media to influence a large number of people into ignoring YO-KAI WATCH\u00a0<\/em>without much earnest thought.<\/p>\n

When fans do give\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH\u00a0<\/em>an actual look, they tend to criticize hard with the same mindset. They will try to look for anything that has ideas similar to\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>\u00a0so that they can\u00a0use those as their criticism, ignoring everything else original and charming that the game and it’s concepts, ideas, and entertainment value have to offer players.<\/p>\n

They will also seek for things missing in\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH that the believe have made\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon <\/em>a huge hit. They will say “There is no competitive community!”, “This game is not an epic adventure like\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon!<\/em>“, or “Where is the trading card game for YW?” to dismiss the franchise as less robust. They will ask, “Why should I bother playing\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> if it\u00a0does not have these things\u00a0that made\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon<\/em> great?”<\/p>\n

The problem with those statements, is that YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>\u00a0is not successful for any of those reasons (It should be noted that Yo-kai Watch game series and fandom is much farther along in it’s growth in Japan, and does<\/em> host a competitive community and TCG). While I understand the need to compare these two franchises,\u00a0what\u00a0should be realized is that\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> does not aim to be like\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>, it aims to be different and mergeing of the old and new. The truth of the matter is that there are different\u00a0reasons\u00a0why\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH\u00a0<\/em>is very successful in Japan. Be aware, that I will be comparing\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon\u00a0<\/em>a bit as I share these reasons:<\/p>\n

1. The relatable premise of\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Yo-kai designs I mentioned earlier connect with YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>‘s core premise, invisible beings causing common and relatable problems for people. Have you ever had a case where you just forgot something out of the blue, or you lost internet connection on your cell phone, or were in a situation where you needed to hold a fart?<\/p>\n

In YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>, the franchise addresses\u00a0that Yo-kai cause\u00a0these phenomenons. Yo-kai\u00a0are essentially to blame for these unexpected events and annoyances. Ask and think about it yourself while reading these next questions. Is a ghost causing these events? Are all of my cases of bad luck a result to spirits? Did something supernatural cause my cold to happen?<\/p>\n

It is a relatable concept naturally wondered\u00a0by people and especially today’s kids that makes YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>\u00a0universally appealing. We have seen similar\u00a0concepts of ghosts being used in other media like Ghostbusters<\/em> and Goosebumps,<\/em> and both\u00a0had their fair share of huge success with colorful characters and weird ideas. YO-KAI WATCH does that similarly, but in its own unique way that hits closer to real life than any other big-time media franchise.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a02.\u00a0<\/strong>The <\/strong>YO-KAI WATCH\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>anime<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Screen-Shot-2015-11-09-at-15.53.57\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A large part of the success comes from the anime, which\u00a0made the first\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH\u00a0<\/em>game sell over 1 million copies in Japan and even more for YO-KAI WATCH 2. The question is, what made the anime particularly stand-out?<\/p>\n

In\u00a0each episode, Nathan Adams (the main protagonist) encounters various Yo-kai that cause problems for people living in Springdale. Nate solves these troubles by negotiating with them using his Yo-kai. That is a quick summary of the show, the anime is more of a slice of life comedy than an action adventure like\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>. It might seem like a concept that could get repetitive over time, but each episode\u00a0Nate is involved in are unique and very interesting situations.<\/p>\n

YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>\u00a0utilizes the core premise\u00a0to create many hilarious, yet relatable moments and charming characters that makes it a treat for kids AND adults. In addition, there are also side stories with other Yo-kai that help keep the anime engaging. The most popular side stories are the ones that involve Komasan, who is one of the most adored Yo-kai in the anime. I was skeptical before deciding to watch the anime myself, but now, I have been hooked to its unique experience and have watched over 100 episodes.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a03.\u00a0<\/strong>The\u00a0songs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This might not be as well known in America, but there are a number of songs produced for the anime that are extremely catchy and popular in Japan.\u00a0The most well-known song is the YO-KAI Exercise<\/em>, which most of Japan knows about. The YouTube music video of the YO-KAI Exercise<\/em><\/a> has over 100,000,000 views.<\/p>\n

There are also other popular songs such as the opening of Gera Gera Po<\/em>, Uchu Dance<\/em>, and\u00a0Dan Dan Zombie Zubah<\/em> that Japan loves as well. These songs are sung and danced to in MANY concerts and activities because of their catchy sound and fun dance moves. These songs were so good, that it was enough to warrant the creature of the franchise’s own Just Dance<\/em> game.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There are also English versions of a few of these songs, which you can find here<\/a>. Gera Gera Po and the Yo-kai Exercise in particular have garnered over 2 million views in each official music video since published.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a04.\u00a0<\/strong>The\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH toys<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This one may seem a bit obvious for some, and it requires<\/em> understanding of the franchise\u00a0to see why this is a reason. Sure, you\u00a0could say that when a franchise is so popular it’s bound to sell toys easily. But the Yo-kai Watch watch toy and medals are particularly special.<\/p>\n

The watch toy does a fantastic job of imitating the watch from the show. When kids hold the watch in their hand, they feel more introspective and connected to the story. They are able to imagine their\u00a0own experiences and be fully immersed rather than merely imagining the scenarios using basic toy figures kids usually play with. To put it more simply, it is like\u00a0a kid playing with a toy lightsaber; They get to feel more like a real Jedi when holding the lightsaber toy rather than just having a collection of character figures to imagine scenarios with.<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a><\/p>\n

Not only that, the medals in particular\u00a0play a huge role in this same immersive play. Each medal is meant to “summon” a Yo-kai friend. They are basically a child’s contact with the Yo-kai they want to feel they have befriended and can summon. Being that these medals are meant to be tokens of friendship, it makes the toy medals feel more sentimental.<\/p>\n

Each Yo-kai medal is different, having their own personality, character design, medal design, jingle sound, and unique voice which plays when a child inserts a medal into the\u00a0watch toy. This makes them more than just trading cards. The medals interact with the watch as in the games and anime, adding more meaning and cohesiveness when kids play with them.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With each unique sound a Yo-kai medal produces, there is an incentive for kids to want to collect all of the medals just to see what each Yo-kai medal offers. Kids can store these medals in a toy medallium (shown above), which also stays true to the YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> game and anime.<\/p>\n

Kids feel that they are a real Yo-kai befriender when they collect these medals. And whenever kids get a new medal, it feels rewarding to finally complete the collection. Not only that, the medals can be used to unlock content in the games too, giving yet another incentive to collect medals. This is why the YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> toys and medals sell phenomenally well in Japan, making a profit for Bandai<\/em> of over 10 billion yen<\/a> (approx. $93 billion in U.S. currency) total. The medals and watch are affordable enough for anyone to join in on the YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> fun.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a05.\u00a0<\/strong>The games.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The games are the main draw and origin of the\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> franchise. In the games, the plot is essentially the same as the anime. The core concept of the games is that players are able to explore a rich world of YO-KAI WATCH, <\/em>and participate in the story that unfolds before them as they meet and battle yo-kai.\u00a0<\/em>Springdale is\u00a0full of\u00a0people walking around the streets and cars driving by that is intentionally close to real life, making the world feel immediately and profoundly immersive.<\/p>\n

Gameplay-wise,\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>\u00a0is a turn-based, auto-battle RPG that requires the player to interact with the Yo-kai using team building techniques, items, and mini actions to pull off special moves called Soultimate attacks. You can decide which three of your Yo-kai friends should battle at a given time, as making useful team match-ups are a more subtle, yet rewarding unlike other JRPGs.\u00a0The battle system is designed to be simple enough for all-ages to play, but having enough depth of customization and nuance that older gamers can appreciate once they delve in, with the ability to modify a Yo-kai’s behavior and creating a powerful Yo-kai team in other ways.<\/p>\n

Unlike Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>, Yo-kai maintain their personal autonomy as a real friend to the player, rather than a pet or a tool to be commanded at will. This is one of the ways in which Yo-kai Watch has brought more heart and soul to this genre.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Players are able to find more kinds of Yo-kai in various places such as sewers, trees, and beaches. Finding and befriending these individual Yo-kai is incredibly rewarding, just like collecting the toy medals. Players\u00a0are also able to meet human characters not seen or having had little exposure in the anime. You can help these people out by taking on side quests, and that\u00a0also feels rewarding when you\u00a0solve their\u00a0problems with the mischievous yo-kai. Each character and yo-kai has their own unique personality, stories, and characteristics that prevent the experience from feeling stale. This is why the games have sold over 10 million\u00a0in Japan<\/a>, with its\u00a0immersive world, charm, quirky characters, and over 100+\u00a0hours of gameplay.<\/p>\n

So What Can We Do Now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"CjosYnuUUAEX44Z\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Art by @Carbon_Coal<\/a> on Twitter.<\/p>\n

Now that you know the\u00a0different reasons for YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>‘s success in Japan, is it really fair to harshly criticize the franchise for being similar to or not having the same things as Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>? After learning all of this information, what can you do now?<\/p>\n

First, watch the\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>\u00a0anime. The anime really helped in part to grow the popularity of the franchise as a whole, and is often the first place that fans get to meet new and upcoming yo-kai. You can only truly understand things by giving\u00a0things a shot and keeping an open mind, you will see the clear difference in tone and charm. You can find the first season available on Netflix, Disney XD, and on YouTube here<\/a>, but those are only available in North America. I do not want to spoil much of the anime to you, because I honestly think it is good enough to have others give a look.<\/p>\n

Second, if you do decide to play the games for the first time, I recommend waiting for\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH 2<\/em>\u00a0Bony Spirits\/Fleshy Souls\u00a0<\/em>to come out on September 30th, the 3DS sequel is where YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> truly shines. Or if you want to get into it immediately, there is a free mobile puzzle app called\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH: Wibble Wobble\u00a0<\/em>that gives you a small taste of\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>‘s unique charm.<\/p>\n

Because of those false claims of YO-KAI WATCH<\/em> being a Pok\u00e9mon rip off, some potential new fans may feel put off from experiencing this franchise\u00a0that could potentially be very appealing to them. I think YO-KAI WATCH\u00a0<\/em>has that potential to appeal to lots of people, just like in Japan.\u00a0I have seen and heard many stories of kids, teens, and adults who gave\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH<\/em>\u00a0a chance, and as a result adored\u00a0its unique charm, characters, and world.<\/p>\n

Let’s create a large community of people who can like\u00a0YO-KAI WATCH,\u00a0<\/em>Pok\u00e9mon,<\/em>\u00a0and other monster collecting franchises\u00a0<\/em>at the same time. You have the power to make\u00a0the decision and change the course of history for the monster collecting gaming genre. What will you do now?<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Ci94A_-UoAEuz4Q\"
\n<\/a>Art by @petalblade<\/a> on Twitter.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Featured Artwork\u00a0is art by @PiplupGoku on Twitter. Some critics have claimed that YO-KAI WATCH cannot succeed outside of Japan. Their reasoning? That its abundant\u00a0references to Japanese culture will confuse Western audiences. While it is true that the Yo-kai originate from Japan’s youkai mythology, that is not necessarily something that will dissuade consumers from giving it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7,394,242],"tags":[395,58],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3422"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3422\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchofyokai.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}