Recap: Keita's Big Dream/Yokai Yakimochi/Bakezouri

Hello everyone. It has been more than a year since my last recap of Yo-Kai Watch, and things haven't really improved for the franchise outside Japan since then. Although some fans are still confident that Yo-Kai Watch 3 and the Blasters spinoff will release before too long; official word has been scarce as of late, especially given others' growing frustration over the series' official Twitter account. I still stand firm behind my decision: unless I get official confirmation of the third game getting a domestic release, I will not recap the third movie. Since the third season of the dub is starting, however, I will finish what I started; and start tapping my backlog beginning with this episode I've had on my radar for a while from the subs. So, let's open it up.

Skipping the intro, our first segment is "Keita's Big Dream." Apparently, during a hot night where Keita summons Baku to help him sleep. This leads to a "Star Wars" spoof where he casts himself in bit parts. Though the humor might not tickle my fancy the way Mel Brooks ' classic "Spaceballs" does, I do have an appreciation for the ensemble dark horse of each given movie or other fictional work. A well-done Jek Porkins anyone?

There is also a literal space cowboy known as “Han Zo,” riffing both legendary samurai Hanzo Hattori and Han Solo. Even with what Disney has planned next, I will just deal with it as it comes. Again, might as well enjoy being mindfucked for the next half-hour.

To think people gave Alden Ehrenreich so much heat.

He doesn't even give himself the role of director, instead choosing to be a stagehand to help cool off the guy who's the body double for this Darth Vader knockoff, Mr. Epockman. Not the worst gag I've seen here, but still nowhere near as hilarious as the real body double for Vader, David Prowse before they cast James Earl Jones to voice him.

I can't breathe in this thing!

At the risk of editorializing, before I move on, I will note that I finally figured out how to take screenshots on my mobile and my iPad mini 2. Not ideal, but it's workable for now. The next segment deals with the Yokai Yakimochi (Minochi in English), of the Isamashi class. It's a reasonably tough yokai in the games, and he made a decent wall in Fleshy Souls, even if he lacks the same teeth here.

Want proof? His actual power is once again thrown out the window in favor of just being the source of jealousy. This also causes Fumiko to move in with Keita to be closer to him, something Keita is strangely fine with. I will say that it's somewhat more amusing in light of Shadowside, though I won't say exactly why just yet. I'll get to that later.

Even when Keita tries to summon more yokai to deal with Yakimochi, they're apparently all jealous of him because of the power of... mochi. While Monster Rancher managed to make that a somewhat amusing monster, the approach of this anime dilutes a lot of the potential of the series. I am somewhat pleased that Shadowside is starting to rectify this.

Before Keita can do anything else about all the cliched bitten handkerchiefs, other yokai actually start eating Yakimochi before they present him with his medal! ... Well, that's a dark way to sell that toy. Not as dark as the 1986 Transformers movie, but I had no idea Himoji (Hungramps in English) had it in him.

As Fumiko heads home, this segment doesn't really end so much as abruptly segue into the next one. With the dub finally starting up again on July 2, I thought I would go through a similar pattern to how I first started in 2015 with this series: to work with one that's not too bad before I start dunking on the real shit. I never bent to anyone else's will before, I'm sure as Hell not going to do it with my final year underway for this blog.

So, we enter the final segment of this episode, "Yokai Bakezouri." We see Keita walking down the street, wearing a pair of flip-flops instead of his usual spangled zipper boots. This is a setup for him hearing footsteps, knowing something's up when he hears the feet of a mecha. We are then introduced to the Classical Yokai, Bakezouri (Pittipat in English), who resembles a straw sandal.

Bakezouri is another yokai who wants Keita's help in trying to make amends with a little girl, who he pulled a prank on by impersonating her mother. ... I know the anime says she's in the hospital, but that came dangerously close to why Scott Freeman got blacklisted.

Also. little side note; but why wasn't the yokai with the running shoe on his head called "Nekidspeed" instead of "Nikespeed?" It was right there! Hell, just call him "Shoe" and he'd go great with Roostor and Lantron!

Thankfully, before Keita can get involved and before Bakezouri can get any unintentionally creepy; it turns out that the little girl's mother really is all right as she runs into her arms! Note to self: rewatch My Neighbor Totoro again sometime, it's a better take on this plot thread.

While I've openly admitted that I'm not a fan of this franchise (more of a Pokémon/Ni no Kuni guy), part of me wanted to like it as much as the fans do. It's just that when the series just can't seem to get the Hell out of its own way to succeed outside its native country, I have little recourse but to just lament what could have been instead. It's particularly telling that not only is Level-5's own social media manager can't answer questions about the series (to say nothing of other IPs like Snack World), but even AbdallahSmash026, one of the biggest supporters for the series outside Japan; can't say for sure whether or not Yo-Kai Watch 3 or the Blasters spinoffs will be localized. Maybe it's some kind of NDA thing, but this interview; much like some rather cryptic social media posts have strung the fans along and raised more questions rather than answer ones they already have. You can see it here, and depending on what happens on the 27th in Japan, I might look at it in a future post if I feel like it.

Depending on what is announced with this mobile app, I might address their comments about this "timeline" after season 3 of the dub starts airing on July 2. It really is telling that even people who are fans of the series or who work for the company are hard-pressed to paint a good picture about the series. I will say for now that whatever it turns out to be, the idea that it will outperform Pokémon Go is laughable, especially with similar AR apps coming out I'm more interested in like Jurassic World Alive and the Ghostbusters app. I'm also enjoying Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery, but that's not important right now. Although they say that "Yo-Kai Watch isn't dead here," it is on life support. I'm not writing a eulogy just yet for the series (especially with the 3DS being supported through 2020), but even I admit this a make or break year for it. Seriously, guys, slow your roll: no other franchise has pulled the trigger on a fifth anniversary aside from a joke. Though I still have a few candidates I'm considering for my next recap in my backlog, I still stand firm on my plan for the third movie: no recap without a domestic release of Yo-Kai Watch 3.

I am also working on my next piece as I type this, and depending on what happens while I watch the house this weekend, I will possibly consider reworking an older post that I had previously canceled last year.  I don't have the answer to what will happen next for the series outside Japan, much less a remedy for its woes as an IP in Western markets. All I have is a keyboard, and uncertainty. That's all for now. Bang.

Recap: Mission-Total Recall

Hello again. With this being my final year of this blog, I am definitely going to have plenty to talk about, so I thought I would do material I've been wanting to for ages. So, for my next recap of the Sun and Moon series of Pokémon, I thought I would do an episode that officially made it the longest-running anime based on a video game ever. So, let's open up #1000EpisodesOfPokémon with "Mission: Total Recall!"

Please note that in order to explain some details in this episode, I will be addressing some plot points from the video games, so go play them if you haven’t already; because there will be spoilers. Also, they are great games; so let’s get started.

After a scene of Lillie writing in her diary (which some episodes open with), we open proper on a dialogue between Ash and Gladion about the events that led to this point. As I pointed out before, Lillie is afraid of touching Pokémon from an incident when they were younger; which was revealed to be an accident involving the Ultra Beast Nihilego in Episode 47. I did consider recapping it, but I ultimately decided this had more to work with.

We then see the hotel where Gladion is staying, which is just outside Hau’oli City like in the games; where Gladion ran away because of being emotionally abused by his mother Lusamine. However, Gladion determines something is amiss when the man at the front desk says someone from his family is waiting for him in his hotel room.

He opens the door, and Faba claims to be glad to see him, but Gladion is having none of it.  While not a nice character in the games, here, Faba is willing to do anything just to save his own skin. Gladion also knows the truth about Lillie's accident; but when he tries to confront Faba about it, Faba has his Pokémon subdue him and take Type:Null from him! Also, I never noticed this before, but it seems that Miracle Eye is being used in a manner accurate to the games; which improves accuracy on evasive targets and allows attacks that would normally not affect Dark types to be used.

The next day at the Pokémon Academy, Lillie is still distraught at the events that led up to this point; but her classmates tell her will be there for her, as will Professor Kukui and his flame Professor Burnet. As for this change in their relationship from the games: hold that thought, I have something in mind for my final recap of this anime.

So, in an effort to get reacquainted with her Alolan Vulpix, "Snowy," Ash and Pikachu decide to walk Lillie home after class. While there are still some detractors of how the Sun and Moon series' story structure and how much it varies from previous incarnations (such as the XY series); for the most part, the series has come into its own. Personally, I rather like how the series has shaken up a lot of the conventions it had before, much like the video games they're based on.

Ash also recounts the meeting with Gladion on the beach, doing an impression of his comments and scowl. I must also point out that I still really enjoy the artwork of the series; which works in a different way from prior seasons. It still has plenty of action, but it's used in a different way, kind of like other anime that have Western animation influence such as Cowboy Bebop, One Piece and The Big O.

As for any arguments about how his character is handled compared to other protagonists: personally, I feel there's more than one way to define "competence." I submit he's just as valid as more "serious" leads, just as it's just as valid for James Bond to have one version take a knotted rope to his groin and another version try to defuse a bomb while dressed as a clown (miss you, Roger Moore).

So, for the second half of this milestone, Cosmog, who has been dubbed "Nebby" by everyone like in the games (essentially fulfilling the same role the Zygarde Core, "Squishy" did in XYZ) teleports Ash and Lillie to one of the places she used to live with Gladion and Lusamine when she was younger. This is her childhood bedroom, and we also see some of the places where she used to help tend the garden and some of the beaches they used to vacation at. Again, while Lillie's backstory was similar to Gladion's in the games, where she was emotionally abused by Lusamine for not wanting to follow her example, to the point of Lusamine disowning them both; here, her backstory is just as troubling in terms of her repressed memories, but in a different way.

Nebby then teleports them all to a darkened laboratory in the lower levels of Aether Paradise, effectively setting the stage for the remainder of the episode's runtime. Although this anime may be more comedic in tone than many previous incarnations, it's also quite effective at delving into darker parts of the franchise's premise; much like the games they're based on.

While Faba tries to hide Type: Null as he picks up Nebby's signal on his tracking device; Gladion, after learning the sickening truth behind Lillie's accident, decides to confront Lusamine.

Faba determines that he needs Cosmog to open up Ultra Space again to prove his theories, as well as to permanently prevent Lillie from regaining her memories. Although he asks Team Rocket (posing as Aether Foundation Employees) for their help, even offering to double their pay, they refuse! Disgusted at what Faba is proposing, they make a good contrast to how cruel he is. They may be a bunch of goofballs, but even they have lines they won't cross. This surprises Faba, but he realizes that he has do to this himself.

Faba decides to take matters into his own hands with Hypno and Kadabra, but Gladion has found Type: Null with Lusamine's help!

So, this episode not only confirms the events of episode 47, but also adds the detail that Faba was responsible for drawing out Nihilego from Ultra Space to prove his theories. Lillie is shocked to discover that Faba kept this from her all this time; which furthers the justification for her fear. Even though the show is admittedly different from what's come before, it makes effective use of a new art style and script structure without compromising what I liked about the series before.

All of a sudden, the mask Type: Null is wearing shatters, revealing its true form: Silvally! Just look at this beast: it's exactly what you would expect a genetic recreation of Arceus to look, complete with the RKS System of disc "memories" replacing the plates it would normally wield. I can use many words to describe my thoughts on Generation VII, "Boring" is not one of them.

The moment Silvally lunges after Faba's Kadabra and Hypno, Lillie realizes that Silvally is the one who saved her from Nihilego when she was younger! I am overall pleased with how the series is using the plot thread of the Ultra Beasts, as well as their unique; often otherworldly designs. I also don't really see the comparisons to Yo-Kai Watch, my personal headcanon of Alola often has more influence from Kingsman as well as Bill and Ted, among others.

So, with Faba being outed as a traitor; he leaves the Aether foundation to formulate a new plan, and we close on Lillie embracing Pikachu, Nebby and Snowy in her arms. Definitely worthy of its milestone, and another entry on the list of my favorite Sun and Moon episodes.

I know I already addressed this in my look at "Partner Promises" and "One Journey Ends, Another Begins," but I definitely feel like mentioning it again. There are still parties who shall remain undisclosed that are dismissive of the series in this incarnation, who are adamant that the rebrand has left it little more than an attempt to cash in on Yo-Kai Watch; and that it's incapable of reaching the heights of its seniors (especially the XY series).

"Mission: Totall Recall" is another strong counterargument toward that belief, with great use of the video game source material that has some great animation and many similarities to its lineage in ways you might not realize at first glance. There are entire series that don't even get to a fraction of 1,000 episodes, and I guarantee that doesn't happen if absolutely no one still likes it.

Though some are demanding a total reboot of the series still, I submit a better way to approach that would be to use the model of Origins and Generations would be an alternative in the vein of the Netflix Castlevania series or GI Joe Resolute. 

I have also discovered some things about Yo-Kai Watch: after some delay, the third season of the English dub will begin airing on July 2; and apparently there's some reveal of a new game in Japan on the 27th. So, I guess I will finally start tapping my backlog before then, you'll just have to wait and see what I have lined up next. That's all for now. Be excellent to each other.

Recap: The C's World

So, my final presentation went well; and I officially am on break for summer. I have also enjoyed E3 this year, and I will address why at the end of this post. In the meantime,  I might as well keep going with my 15th recap of Code Geass R2, so let’s open up “The C’s World” and get to it.

I still don’t like the intro, and the introdump is so sloppy that I still can’t justify resurrecting my “previously on Code Geass R2” joke.

Picking up where we left off, Lelouch confronts the Emperor in the Sword of Akasha. After 7 minutes of faux dramatic rambling hinting at a better story than this slog; it turns out that the much-lauded “gefjun disturber” doesn’t work on him; and neither does shooting him. Christ on a bike: can this anime make any logical decision at all? They’ve taken what was more than enough for a compelling villain and made him more OP than Thanos, minus anything that made his character interesting!

Furthermore, Suzaku backs out of using the Refrain to interrogate Kallen. Kind of a cocktease, but I’m glad he stopped short of trying to Cosby her. Topical humor, ha!

Charles has also taken VV's Code, effectively leaving him to die; and add that to another plot thread that could have been handled better. Maybe the remaster can fix it, but I'll see.

Seriously, they just gloss over the fact VV is CC's older brother while they cut between not only Lelouch and Charles, but Villetta and Ougi as well. Seriously, the latter's betrayal is trivial to me compared to this mess of a story.

Likewise, when Lelouch asks his father "what is Geass," the emperor refuses to tell him outright! That's not just a dodge, it's straight up bad writing! To think people gave Rian Johnson so much heat. Seriously, what the fuck, Taniguchi?

Moreover, the whole thing devolves into a bad trip at 10 minutes in. (Sighs) Okay, if I'm going to be mindfucked for the 15th time, might as well enjoy myself doing it.

Suffice to say, the episode presents material that could have made for an engaging story; but it just devolves further into nonsense in the second half.

CC apparently wants to die, and again, I would have liked if the concept of mortality was explored more instead of just treated like a plot device on its own. Also, no comment on Lohmeyer's bit with Nunnally. If I don't give people in her position the time of day in real life, I won't do it here either.

The denouement of this episode is giving us CC's backstory. If this was the main focus of the episode; maybe that would have been more engaging, as would her world, but instead it's just flung at you two-thirds into this episode and three-fifths this series.

So, we close on a sort of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Code" as Lelouch and CC are able to escape from the Sword of Akasha safe for now, but CC has lost her memories as a result. Great, now we can add the "amnesiac savant" cliche into this. (sighs) Fifteen episodes down, ten more to go.


While "The C's World" may not be the worst episode I've covered of Code Geass R2 so far, it is astonishing to remark how much potential was wasted in this anime. Even if the animation and editing aren't as messy this time around, the script felt like it tried to cram elements from an entire different season into this one episode; and the amount of problems with the characters just keeps growing. Having just come off my screenwriting class, I know full well that sometimes you have to take ideas as they come, but sweet baby; this teleplay needed a lot more rewrites.

On that note, I have enjoyed this year's E3. Though the conferences for Square Enix and Ubisoft left me underwhelmed overall; I am pleased to hear more about Beyond Good and Evil 2, and get an official release date for Kingdom Hearts III next year. Bethesda and EA did well, since they're really pushing the whole "no loot boxes, no season pass" platform after last year. Sony definitely had a big edge in 1st-party content with Death Stranding, Days Gone and The Last of Us Part II, to name a few. Microsoft is also making more of an argument for 4K with more content, and even as someone who's not the biggest Halo fan, Infinite might be cool; and I really hope they fix the issues with Master Chief Collection. Nintendo has lots of great content, since I'm officially sold on the Switch with Pokémon Let's Go and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Mum is still the word on any more Yo-Kai Watch content, short of a few cryptic tweets from their official account. I will say that the anime is ostensibly starting the third season of the English dub on July 2, and my plan is to finally start tapping my backlog of subbed and dubbed episodes. My plan is still the same on the third and fourth movies: no word of the third game being localized; neither one will get a recap. That's all for now. Bang.

Pokémon Post: Everyone's Story Theme Song, #Let'sGo coming November 16, Generation VIII coming 2019.

Hello everyone. I am just about finished with my screenwriting class; and I hope to have more content out to you soon. So, this post will be addressing a handful of developments in the Pokémon series that I have been eager to talk about, but things have been getting in the way.

First, there is a video promoting the theme song for Pokémon: Everyone's Story. While not showing too much new footage, it will be sung by the band Porno Graffiti. Despite the unfortunate name (it has nothing to do with naked street art, honest), the band; as I pointed out my look at my favorite episode of My Hero Academia (sorry about all the "mys") does good work. The PV can be seen here.

Regarding the video games, I am pleased to say that I have two major motivators for getting a Switch soon: Generation VIII will officially be coming in the second half of 2019, and Pokémon Let's Go: Pikachu and Eevee will be launching on November 16. Even if it wasn't what everyone was expecting; I personally expect to enjoy these games, and I will make a more detailed post with my thoughts on the matter after Nintendo's E3 conference. Much like the 3DS, the news in itself personally clinched my desire to get a Switch just to play these games, and once again explore this world of pure imagination. There will be more to come after my final on Tuesday. Later.

A Word about Level-5 Abby.

I was hoping I wouldn’t have to make a post like this, but this needs to be addressed. I normally wouldn’t be taking the risk of taking part in online drama, but in this case; I will make an exception.

It seems Level-5 Abby, as shown in this post; has been accused of mismanagement of their workforce and the IPs they manage in the US.

This is just a small sample of complaints, but it might explain some of the silence about the licensing of Yo-kai Watch and other content; and does not reflect well on the work environment for the company at all. It’s particularly telling that the only notable positives by former employees of the Abby are the selection of food trucks and the Santa Monica location of their workspace.

I do not bear any ill will towards the developers themselves or Akihiro Hino; but if anyone else has had a bad experience working at Level-5 Abby, feel free to come forward and let others know about it. You don’t have to tell me personally, but if you have any information or grievances, people need to know about this. I don’t know the full extent of the problems just yet, but if you have personally been wronged by the company or the people in charge of it, share your stories with others; because something has to be done. If this is true, it would not be the first time a company has had these kind of working conditions, and it most likely won’t be the last.

Recap: Geass Hunt

So, I definitely enjoyed my vacation. Hawaii and Solo were fun, and I enjoyed my time on the plane. Dealing with over-zealous security measures, not so much. With that in mind, I might as well keep the ball rolling with my work on Code Geass R2. Since I'm more than halfway done with my work on the series, my goal is still the same for my final year on this blog: to finish what I've started. So, let's open up "Geass Hunt", because I'm declaring open season on this bitch.

Picking up from the events of the last episode, this is going to deal with the aftermath of Shirley's death. In most other anime, this would actually cause the characters to re-evaluate their course of action. Here, however, Lelouch blames his Geass powers for causing all this rather than the consequences of the other actions of the series. Feel free to start banging your head against the wall for the 14th time, I know I am.

Moreover, there’s another reminder of the last episode’s events before that sappy new theme song! Christ on a bike: they pull that again, I’m pulling my running gag out of mothballs.

We then get a flashback to how Charles met VV, which once again raises more questions than it answers. Also, it apparently takes place in 1997. That takes me back. Note to self: finish watching Everything Sucks when I get a chance.

Back in the present timeline, it turns out that Rolo was the one who pulled the trigger on Shirley; and Lelouch tries to feign gratitude for protecting his secret; because heaven forbid an emotional impact stick on the characters even if it does on the viewers. Thirteen episodes of this crap down, twelve more to go.

Furthering the problems VV is causing for the plot, now he's apparently holding Cornelia hostage. It would have been nice to see this actually happen to her, but instead it's just flung at you just shy of the five-minute mark. 

VV then goes onto say that he believes "that the relationship between siblings is the most beautiful thing in the world." I wonder if he also believes the Garden of Eden is in Jackson County, Missouri.

As Shirley is laid to rest, I find it rather disappointing that after spending the whole denouement of the last episode on Shirley's death; that her autopsy, funeral and other characters' grief is all but glossed over in moments. Actual emotional resonance in the story? We can't have that! We need to have a nonsensical plot thread about blaming the Geass!

So, after thirteen episodes, eight minutes and 11 seconds of screentime, Lelouch and VV apparently meet via satellite. Between the dialogue and all the clerics surrounding VV, makes about as much sense as watching that horrible Dune movie. Really hope the remake is better.

VV also is apparently responsible for the events of this whole damned season up to this point, and before any questions about the matter can be answered, the facility is stormed by Knightmare Frames and we get another incoherent action sequence. Damn it, Taniguchi.

Now, not only has Nunally been taken to another location, Kallen has once again been given an outfit with an absurd cleavage window, while Nunally has a more modest outfit. Now you're just messing with me: one female character has a reasonable dress, the other looks like an exotic dancer in Dryden Vos' private club.

As Suzaku meets with Nunnally and Kallen, the break-in/massacre at VV's compound is still going on, still making less sense than everything going on with Sakaar.

The Black Knights catch wind of Zero's raid on the research facility, Britannia tries to make a move on CC, and I have once again lost all ability to give a damn at the halfway point in this episode.

There's also a mention of getting the support of Italy and Poland. Somehow, this ends up being less believable than how they were portrayed in Hetalia.

Also, there's some foreshadowing about what Ougi has planned to do; but to be frank, that's the least of the problems with this anime in my book.

Villetta is also trying to leave from Kanazawa in Area 11, and it's honestly less compelling than Birdemic at this point.

Not even the use of children with Geass can satisfy me, especially after they pulled the trigger so quickly with VV in that regard. Once again, we're barely 15 minutes in; and I honestly don't care what's going on anymore.

Even with Rolo having control of a Knightmare Frame, the whole battle is one of the most visually bland experiences I've had with this series; taking place in a darkly-lit, purple corridor. Makes me wonder what Hideki Anno would have done with this anime.

Seriously? VV has taken control of the Siegfried through some sort of "nerve link?" It took me almost an hour to download the demo for the Wipeout Collection on my PS4! Also, Lelouch tells VV he likes him because he reminds him of his dad. I don't.

The escape from his compound devolves into another incoherent mecha battle, because we haven't had enough of those already! It has neither the grace of Evangelion nor the sheer raw power of Gurren Lagann, and comes off like playing Zone of the Enders on some of those "special" gummy bears I have whenever I have trouble sleeping.

Even as Zero activates the "Gefjun Disturber," VV is still able to escape. Well, that was pointless; much like everything else I've observed over these past fourteen episodes!

Suzaku then decides to use some Refrain in order to interrogate Kallen about Lelouch's true intentions. (sighs) You know, one of the things my screenwriting class has helped reinforce is how I like to have my storyline and character traits/motivations planned out before I make a single keystroke. I can understand that deadlines are common and sometimes you have to take ideas as they come, but this season needed a lot of rewrites.

So, we close on VV escaping to the "Sword of Akasha," and Lelouch somehow being transported there too by Charles. (sighs) Fourteen episodes down, 11 more to go.

"Geass Hunt" comes off more like a wild goose chase, given how the story is saying a lot about itself and yet saying almost nothing about its characters at the same time. I know the term "witch hunt" may get tossed around a lot these days, but whenever someone actually finds who they deem a witch; it's common that said witch gets burnt at the stake. It's a fair cop.

I will address more after I'm finished with my class and go see Solo a second time. That's something I will definitely enjoy more, overzealous TSA agents and clickbaiting YouTube channels be damned. That's all for now. Bang.

Further Thoughts on Yo-Kai Watch Shadowside and Localizing More Content.

Hello everyone. By the time you read this, I will have returned from vacation; and it will be much closer to E3, with many games I'm looking forward to.

With that in mind, I thought I would give some more thoughts on Yo-Kai Watch Shadowside and localizing more content.

I will start with the latter first, given the timing of all this. Despite persistent rumors of localizing
Yo-Kai Watch 3 and the Blasters spinoff, there is a notable lack of talk from official sources on the matter. Even people who are much bigger fans of the series than me (such as my associate Kohdok) noted on Twitter they have doubts about the whole thing. Amid the mixed reception to the anime and toys, Level-5 is apparently making plans to reset their licensing deals; which may explain part of the delay behind more toys and the third season of the anime's English dub.

Even as someone who isn't a fan of the series, I have to admit that sometimes being right isn't all it's cracked up to be. For example, when I began recapping the dub; I pointed out that Manjimutt's backstory that led to him becoming a yokai stemmed from being let go from his job as a salaryman due to "budget cuts." Two years after I wrote that, the exact same thing happened to the cast of the English dub. Me personally insinuating that might happen didn't exactly help.

Still, even with me rejecting requests to stop watching it; it's clear to me that the show wasn't getting enough ratings to justify continuing with the existing cast. It didn't matter if I personally stopped, because the show didn't really live up to the lofty expectations the top brass had for it. Regardless, my plan is still the same: no tapping my backlog without official confirmation of season 3 airing, and no recap of the third movie without an official release for Yo-Kai Watch 3 outside Japan.

Furthermore, people claimed that Shadowside isn't the answer to the problems the series is facing outside Japan, but I disagree. They've been trying to find out a way to make it successful in the US since the beginning. Now, there's something that can potentially do so; and they reject the possibility. This is exactly what I said needed to happen for the series to continue, as the original format was running out of steam even in Japan. The future of the series is still less about jokes and toys, and more about stories and characters.

While there are some occasional dirty moments and goofy scenes, the series is a vast improvement over the original version. Even if the fans wonder if the brand's western failure tainted any chance of getting Shadowside, I personally think it might fit better as a soft reboot than the second game. To be honest, I think it's more likely the disappointment of the US release ended up tainting the brand on its home turf. It's the ultimate irony that the third game was deliberately made to appeal to American players, yet word of localization is highly conspicuous by its absence.

With E3 starting soon and Nintendo's conference taking place on June 12, it will be when my decision will be finalized. So, my plan is as follows: if the US release of Yo-Kai Watch 3 is officially revealed, I will start work on recapping the third movie; with my coverage of the series ending with a recap of the Shadowside movie in October (pending an English subtitled copy). If not, then I shall end with a recap of the final episode of the original anime and the first two episodes of Shadowside. That will be all for now. Later.