Recap: Yo-Kai Blazion/Negatibuzz/Signibble

Hello again. Well, E3 is almost upon us. In addition to new hardware being teased by Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo plans to expand on content for the Switch and 3DS through 2018. There are a myriad of titles I am looking forward to, ranging from follow-ups from existing IPs such as Super Mario Odyssey and Splatoon 2, as well as new potential obsessions such as Arms and Ever Oasis. There is also persistent talk in unannounced but confirmed new installments in the Pokémon and Super Smash Bros. series; to say nothing of the first batch of Gamecube games on Virtual Console.

That said, (sighs), Nintendo's conference will take place on June 13; livestreaming online at 9AM Pacific time. By June 15, one year will have passed since Akihiro Hino claimed that the Yo-Kai Watch series would "bloom like a flower" by this time. So far: it hasn't. Even though it's been eight months since "Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls" have launched here, the games have only sold a combined 160,000 copies as of April 22. They have also sold about 80,000 copies in Europe just two weeks; a fraction of the time it took the US release to sell that amount. It seems the flowers are not blooming in America, but in Europe. Still, the third version of the game, "Psychic Specters" is on track to launch in the fall.

Even with that on the table, is it even worth the effort? There's only so many times that the fans can say "give it time" before the words lose their meaning. It doesn't help that the anime is winding down its second dubbed season when it's yet to pass its peak of 500,000 viewers per episode; yet somehow a third season is being teased. It's been two years since I found out about the series and started writing about it. I've said it before, I'll say it again: it's stories and characters, not jokes and toys that make a series endure. It is OK to have the latter, but not if it comes at the expense of the former. So, let's open this episode up and talk about it.

As per usual, I'm skipping the intro and first sketch with Manjimutt. You're not missing anything; and I have more to talk about than just a perverted poodle wanting to be a pastry chef; a dated Adam-12 joke (seriously guys, the target audience is not going to get it) and a cook that looks like Mario and sounds like the French taunter from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.


Exhibit A in our trilogy of errors is "Yo-Kai Blazion." While there have been many episodes since this one, there really hasn't been much change between the voice acting in the newest dub episode and this one. I still have to wonder where they found Paul Greenberg, since he and most of the other voice cast have credentials that are conspicuous by their absence. Every time I hear Bear speak, I keep reminding myself how much better Kaiji Tang would have been in this role. When he asks what kind of dummy would volunteer for all the cleanup duty; I just can never shake this poor-man's fusion of Patrick Star and Ralph Wiggum without the qualities I liked about either one.

I have a finger trap! Fighting only makes it tighter!

Of course, Nate volunteers in an instant. Ladies and gentlemen: our dummy! On top of that, I still feel that Johnny Yong Bosch's voice acting talent is wasted here. Even when other characters say he's "fired up", he just sounds like he's reading a to-do list. I blame Steinberg and Kogan's direction.

I'm going to do my laundry! Could I have some change?

Everyone gets caught up in the fever of cleaning up, and the whole thing is caused by the Yo-Kai Blazion (Meramelion in Japanese). Again, while the counterpart in the video game is at least somewhat useful and entertaining; you wouldn't know it here, since it only amounts to being a discount Pyroar.

Whisper laments that because of his eager attitude, Nate even volunteered to scrub all the school's toilets! Honestly? Just once I'd like to see one episode without bad puns, dated pop-culture references or toilet humor. You don't see that stuff in Your Name.

After trying to coax it with Hungramps fails, Nate is able to subdue Blazion and get his medal with the help of Happiere (Honobono in Japanese). The segment then abruptly ends with the teacher deciding to play dodgeball. Why? If you think they're going to explain this, by now; I still submit you're giving the writers way too much credit. Still, got a joke that I've been saving for a while.

If you can dodge traffic, you can dodge a ball.

Exhibit B: for your consideration, "Yo-Kai Negatibuzz." The last segment may have been serviceable, but now things are going to get really lame; really fast.

Apparently, Nate is having trouble with his teeth; and even though his mother schedules an appointment with the dentist; Eddie and Bear tell him not to worry: Dr. Smiles will take care of everything. I really hope that's the name of the clinic, not the actual dentist. As someone who's been encouraged to go by video games in the waiting room (Donkey Kong Country in California, the original Xbox and vintage arcade cabinets in Nevada); I am skeptical of Bear's optimism. Again, he seems rather sedate for a character that's supposed to be our "infantile idiot" in our group. You stay away from the leprechaun in the sandbox, Bear.

When the doctor said I didn't have worms anymore, that was the happiest day of my life!

Yet, when the time of his appointment comes; it turns out the good doctor is even more frightened than Nate is! Excuse me while I go hit myself over the head with my omnibus copy of the Lord of the Rings.

Pies esu domine! WHACK! Dona eies requiem! WHACK!

OK, now I think I can handle this. It seems that the dentist's pessimism is caused by the yokai Negatibuzz (Negativoon in Japanese). An emo mosquito? My knowledge of yokai may not be the best, but I'm fairly certain that isn't an actual yokai in their folklore. Plus, despite the tweedy voice that seems to be leftover from Melvin in old episodes of Sailor Moon; it's fairly well-known that it's female mosquitoes that do the biting, not male ones. Once again, if you expect me to shut this off and not watch it; you have come to the wrong place. In spite of what many think, you don't get something for nothing, even with what this series would have you believe.

Seriously, the effects of Negatibuzz cause the dentist to worry about everything from screwing up filling Nate's cavity to tripping over his shoelaces. My recommendations are to grow a pair of nuts, and invest in a good pair of loafers.

After deciding against using Manjimutt, Nate decides to use Blazion to restore his dentist's work ethic. The last thing we see after this image of the dentist doing his best Wolverine impression with his tools, is the image of the setting sun and Nate's anguished screaming. Arceus: last time I had a filling done, I got pumped with so much Novocain I couldn't feel anything between my nose and my neck until the day after the procedure was done. On the plus side: Coca-Cola Icees afterward! Those are like a delicious nectar, and it was a pretty fun challenge drinking through a straw when I couldn't feel my lips at all.

Now, we have Exhibit C; and in my opinion, the weakest segment of the episode: "Yo-Kai Signibble," also known as "The Sleepover," also known as "The Forbidden Sleepover," also known as "Not Broadcast Standards and Practices Approved." As Nate is joined by Eddie and Bear for a sleepover, this time I'm going to try something a bit different: I am going to do a comparison of select scenes from each version of this episode the moment Eddie turns on the late-night TV station, as well as share how the episode may make even LESS sense if you've actually done what these kids have at their age (and not just the obvious stuff either).

First off, before I even start comparing scenes, is the mention that Eddie disabled the V-chip on the TV. His counterpart, Kanchi makes no such mention, he just says they're going to watch a late-night program they normally wouldn't be able to. Personally, I was roughly their age when I started watching Adult Swim in this scenario (11 years old at least). That's how I not only got amused by all these offbeat in-house cartoons, twisted reversions of old Hanna-Barbera shows; and all these other anime that I was experimenting with at the time. My favorites were probably Cowboy Bebop, Trigun and the 2003 version of Full Metal Alchemist (still enjoying the manga and Brotherhood so far, and the live-action remake looks really cool).

Anyway, the program is a sort of adults-only party with the band Next HarMEOWny/NyaKB. Setting aside why they included this at all, apparently the swimsuits were redone to be made more modest for the US; even though the ADR adds lines about doing something naughty in the bath. 

The original scene with NyaKB.

The edited scene with Next HarMEOWny.

But wait- it gets dumber! While the original version had the sexy pool party replaced with a bunch of musclemen, the dub instead has it replaced with the pastry chef from the segment I mentioned before! Honestly: I know sometimes things have to be changed for a dub, but they have to be changes that make sense! This is in the neighborhood of a steel prison rig being turned into a rock quarry, and yes; I am still astonished at the idea of imprisoning earthbenders on land. It's like locking Mario in a room full of mushrooms!

Original scene with musclemen.

Edited scene with the pastry chef.

Disregarding whatever the episode is trying to accomplish, I never really found it all that amusing this happened to the boys. Personally, I was 8 when I saw the first four Alien movies and the original Predator for the first time. I was 9 when first saw the original Robocop and played the original Mortal Kombat (I had the Genesis version, which could have the fatalities unlocked). I was 10 when I saw my first PG-13 rated movie in the theater (the original Spider-Man with a friend and my late grandmother, in case you're wondering). I was 11 when I first saw The Matrix Trilogy, and I was 12 when I saw the first three Terminator movies (as well as many other Schwarzenegger and Stallone action films from the 1980s and 1990s). Last but definitely not least, I was 13 when I saw the original Die Hard trilogy; so anyone in the target audience who hasn't had this specific setup probably won't find the joke funny regardless of editing. 

Original scene with musclemen lifting weights.

Edited scene with pastry chef mixing ingredients.

That is the inherent problem of basing an episode around one joke: if you don't find that joke funny, the whole thing falls apart. Applies in any situation really.

Anyway, the whole thing is revealed to be the work of Signibble (Denpakukozo in Japanese); a sort of discount Kremzeek or Rotom if you will.

Instead just trying to summon more Yo-Kai to help after his friends shush him; Nate decides to do something even noisier and try to get him with the vacuum cleaner, like a series that may or may not have involved using them to bust other ghosts.

Long story short,  the episode basically ends with Nate's parents unplugging the TV and telling him and his friends to go to bed; and with Whisper still inside the vacuum. How fittingly unsatisfying.

While this episode may not have been the worst one I've covered, it just shows how even though I believe Yo-Kai Watch has potential as a concept; I still have yet to see it live up to the potential it has. While Hino was initially optimistic about the future of the series; he now has changed his mind about the future of the series based on the sharp drop of sales over the past year. He has expressed interest in trying to attract older players; seemingly admitting that the target audience isn't enough to sustain the series in the long term. I am actually interested in this idea, since Pokémon has been able to adapt to the changing desires of its fanbase as well as keep its target audience happy over the past 20-odd years. Can you imagine if Yo-Kai Watch did something similar? I can. Show me, Hino.

The second season finale of the dub will be on June 3, and I will address it as soon as I can find a good quality copy of it online. There will also be more to address after Nintendo's E3 conference; and I have something in mind regardless of what Hino has to say about Psychic Specters. That will be all for now. Bang.