Yo-kai Watch is unstoppable! Five reasons for its explosive success

If you have children, you may already know
Recently, there's something that's become a huge hit among kids (especially elementary school students).
Pokemon and Pretty Cure are of course popular,
Among them, something suddenly appeared like a comet.
Yes, that isYokai Watch"is.
※Official websiteHere
 
Yo-kai Watch was originally released by Level-5 in July 2013.
A game software for Nintendo 3DS, featuring many media such as CoroCoro Comic.
It is a product that has been strategically developed throughout the years. Recently, an anime series has also been released.
This is a monster piece of content that has just started and is now on the rise.

 
This time, we will be talking about yokai and child-rearing support.
Also, as a developer of Yokai applications,
Why did it become such an explosive hit?
I have thought about the reasons for this and would like to share them with you.
 

The naming of the monsters is amazing

Below are the names of the monsters and what to do when you are possessed by them.
Let me summarize some of the symptoms.

• Outlaws: Monsters that make you want to fart
• Donyorine: A monster that makes you feel gloomy
• Tohohogisu: A monster that makes you feel sad
• Jimmy: A monster who dresses modestly
• Shareko-fujin: A super flashy monster
• Murikabe: A monster that refuses whatever is asked of it by saying "It's impossible"

As you may have noticed,
There are some puns that will make you chuckle.
When you get possessed just by looking at the name
Isn't the name such that you can easily guess the symptoms?
So what about the old monsters we've been familiar with up until now?

• Rokurokubi: Long neck
• Mikoshi Nyudo: The higher you look up, the bigger it becomes
• Woah: Scream and scare
• Azuki bean washing: Azuki-arai

Although the name has come to represent the substance,
There are no puns that will make you chuckle.
I like this "punny element"
I think this is one of the things that led to the success of Yokai Watch.
I have my eye on it.Easy to understand and interestingThat is it.
Furthermore, unlike other anime characters,
Even when adults tell children, "You'll get into trouble!"
It is very easy to use. This is not because it is a Yokai Watch.
It can be said that it is an element of the yokai itself,
Easy for adults to acceptI think that is the case.
 

I empathize with certain elements

Secondly, Yo-kai Watch is set thoroughly in the present day.
The modern superstition is "Yokai scandal case"
The fact that it is set as a monster and is labelled as such is a great point.
For example, "Bakuro Granny: When possessed, she reveals everything."
However, the main character, Keita, is possessed by this monster.
The whole class found out that I had a "big toilet"
I told everyone in my class about it.
There's always going to be bullies who tell tales, right?
They believe that such scandals were the work of monsters!
People watching will say, "Oh, so true! That's what I see."
I can't help but sympathizeThat is it.
 

Exciting Yokai Hunt

As the name suggests, the Yokai Watch is a wristwatch.
It has a function to discover hidden monsters. The main character says, "Something's suspicious!"
By holding the Yokai Watch over the place you feel,
You can discover the monsters.
In fact, even on 3DS games,
You can experience searching for these monsters.
This is also like the insect hunting element of Mushiking.
The Pokémon find and catch element is intertwined.
Strongly stimulates children's sense of adventureI think that's what they are doing.
I used to think that there were monsters in mysterious places.
If a game like this existed now, I'm sure I would be hooked.

Create your own Yokai-like feeling with training elements

Just like Pokemon, you can raise the yokai you obtain.
By leveling up like in an RPG, you can get a higher grade.
It will become a high-level yokai.

• Murikabe → Murida Castle
• Gurerurin → Gokudo → Ani Oni
• Nogappa → Tabigappa →

In this way, both the appearance and the name are upgraded.
This upgrade also feels natural.
The names have been carefully thought out down to the smallest detail.
As the yokai you get grow,
I grew attached to it.I want to brag to my friendsMy sense of monstersis what appears.
 

Yokai medals that tickle the collector's spirit

The best part is the Yokai medal. In Yokai Watch, you can defeat a Yokai and become friends with it.Make it into a medal
By setting the medal in the Yokai Watch, you can summon it at any time.However,
They come in a variety of patterns, are compact, and can be filed in the Yokai Encyclopedia, which I will mention later.
A design that will inspire collectorsIt is as follows.
A while back, it would be something like Bikkuriman stickers. The heads were kind of sparkly.
Furthermore, medal-shaped items have a high sales effect (sales effect as a hobby),
The children not only played the games but also got to try out the actual Yokai medals.
They start collecting them and showing them to their friends.
The system works in proportion to this, and related goods, which have become a hobby, sell like hotcakes.
As mentioned earlier, the hobbyist's encyclopedia of monsters is a good example.
I've included this video as it provides a good explanation of the Yokai Encyclopedia.

 

summary

To summarize, what made Yokai Watch a huge hit was

• Easy to understand and interesting naming
• Very high empathy
• A design that tickles your sense of adventure
• Training elements that will make you want to brag to your friends
• Addictive collectibles

I think these are the five most important things. This is no coincidence.
From past hits such as Pokemon and Mushiking
Children's needs and the actual buyers
I think this is the result of fully understanding the needs of adults as well.
The scary Yokai Watch. Second only to Gegege no Kitaro.
The Arrival of the Second Yokai BoomLike a certain Pokemon,
I hope that the yokai will continue to transcend the world.
I want to stop this yokai boom while keeping the children in mind.
I had a strong desire to push it forward.