It’s big in Japan, but will it catch on?
I’ve been noticing a lot of downwards trends when it comes to the western rollout of Yo-Kai Watch, starting with its US release today. People don’t seem to be paying as much attention to it when it comes to news in particular, and the English version of the show hasn’t seemed to gain much traction yet, even on YouTube, where the first episode is free.
But in Japan, it’s absolutely one of the biggest things out right now, spanning games, toys, manga, and of course, the anime. They’re already on their third major 3DS iteration (soon to release next year), not including the numerous spinoffs, and its presence is everywhere. Having visited Tokyo recently, I saw tons of Yo-Kai posters and merchandise plastered nearly everywhere I went. That merchandise, by the way, can get exceedingly rare, like the actual toy of the Yo-Kai Watch that was sold out everywhere in the nation last year.
Maybe it just needs time before the Yo-Kai sensation really hits it big in the west. Maybe it’s a bit too esoteric, and a little further out there when compared to Pokemon, and it will never be quite as big. Whatever the case may be, I’m curious as to whether or not you personally will be picking up the first Yo-Kai Watch game this week.
