Recap: Guardian of the Disks

Before I get started, I’d like to ask a question: Who reading this, besides me remembers Monster Rancher?

It’s really kind of funny that I’m just now getting around to covering this. I’ve been wanting to for a while; and not just to illustrate how in all likelihood; Yo-Kai Watch will probably remembered the same way in another 16 years. 

Based on the video game of the same name by Tecmo (Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive); it’s essentially what Pokémon would be like if the metagame aspects were brought to the forefront. As such, it’s a shame it got snuffed out when the DS rolled around; since I think it could benefit with the competitive circuit in Pokémon now being more prominent.

As for the anime; it’s time to see how this is easily the most ‘90s of the ‘90s gaming anime. It was essentially, for the uninitiated; that generation’s Sword Art Online. Let’s open up “Guardian of the Disks” and find out why. 

The intro is easily the most ‘90s thing you will see in a long time. It’s filled with monsters battling; fantastic imagery, kids playing video games while dressed in baggy clothes and backward hats; all set to this strange alt-rock/techno fusion track. I’m posting a link of it for you to see for yourself.

We open on our female lead; Holly, scoping out where the next Mystery Disk they need is; while Genki (in his words from the pilot, “means ‘energy’”); Suezo and Mochi look on.

After she determines the direction on her Mystery Stone; Genki pulls on his boots and emphatically declares nothing will stop them! Yep, looks like we have another all-loving hero on our hands. 

So, they set off on their way; with Mochi lamenting the fact that he’s hungry, Suezo even taking the opportunity to chastise him for the fact. He even outright asks “when are you ever NOT hungry?”

They come to a fork in the road, and try to determine which way to go.

They take the left path; and an old farmer warns them of a frightening enigma that lives down that path. While the others are not sure; Genki isn’t scared in the slightest.  Of course not. A man playing the game he got sucked into (long story, won’t get into it right now) would feel that way!

Even though there are bits of reused animation here and there; and the voice acting may not be as good as its contemporaries in that time (Pokémon, Digimon, Dragon Ball Z, et al.), the story is actually surprisingly creative in a manner that sets it apart from the usual “gamer insertion” shows of that time. Yeah, I'm talking to you, Captain N!

The other characters are understandably confused by Genki’s reaction.

After going through the woods; they determine they’re lost. Genki; undeterred, continues to tease his friends about the “enigma!” 

At that point, Genki then has to ponder what an Enigma is.

Enigma: noun. Oxford English definition: a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.

Sounds like you fellas are on a roll. Why not set up camp?

They come across a large castle; and they of course have to search it based on the reading from the Mystery Stone. This should be interesting.

Bathed in flashes of lightning, the Enigma has arrived in the form of Golem! No, not the Stage 2 form of Geodude: this one is kind of like a mix between The Iron Giant and the Rockbiter from The Never-ending Story; and I’m going to tell you why in a little bit.

The Golem leads everyone to a small glen where the disks are held; and stops Genki from stepping on a flower. I must say that the gentle giant has to be one of my favorite character types. Even if he must fight; it’s to protect the ones he cares for. Being someone who’s 6’2”, 215 pounds as of this writing; I love the idea behind a creature or person of large stature and even larger heart.

As everyone goes to bed, I must point out this little ditty that points out the monsters one can unlock; and in true 90s fashion, in rap no less. While not as memorable as the Pokérap, it does have a solid amount of 90s cheese to the whole thing. It’s a key reason why this anime is a bit underrated in my opinion; at least among gaming anime.

The next morning, we see Golem getting water for the flowers as a small bird lands on his shoulder. I would make a Team Four Star Android 16 joke; but I feel this scene is a key example of Golem’s character. That’s why I feel that even though there are many elements that would become fixtures of “mons” anime; this has an edge over Yo-Kai Watch for how it slowly draws you into the world it’s built rather than hammer you into submission. 

Golem then shows everyone the way out of the forest; but declines to join them on their journey for the Mystery Disk. You probably know where this is headed, but let’s keep going anyway.

Then, a group of strange blue shapeshifter arise as their captain (marked by his helmet) points out there are many mystery disks in the area.

The captain even laments that even if his minions are “worthless pieces of blue slime, they’re all he has to work with.” Dry humor, ha!

So, even though they are dismayed Golem would not join them; everyone continues on their journey. 

Then Genki steps in a puddle of monster seeking the disks; then decides to settle for them all. Then, in the scuffle; the monster accidentally crushes himself under a rock. No wonder the captain is disappointed in him. 

The Blue Slimes have found out the garden; and prepare to attack Golem! What are you preparing? You're always preparing! Just go!

I must say, their attacks are highly ineffective. While I can understand not being able to adapt the complexity of the games; the Slimes dog piling him aren’t even making him flinch.

Then, when the Captain launches his jewel at Golem, he’s tied down with the roots of his own garden as the Slimes loot the disks.

Just then, Genki comes rollerblading in to confront the Slimes! Oh, 90s cheese, don’t ever change.

He even reams out the Slimes for their actions even before he battles them! Atta boy! You may not have the synergy Ash or Goku do; but you do share their willingness to do the right thing, no matter the cost! 

At the sight of his friends’ struggles, this is the moment that finally causes Golem to spring into action; and here is the Iron Giant comparison I drew earlier: while normally friendly, this is what happens when Golem or those close to him are in high duress. This is why he’s reluctant to fight unless he absolutely has to. 

With one punch, he returns Captain Slime and his minions to disk form in the garden they were ironically trying to pillage! Yet, Genki stops him from eliminating the last guard from before!

Golem then realizes what he has done; and finally decides to join Genki on his quest.

Also, much like a phoenix, his tears have healing powers. In fact, the disk they’re seeking is even called the Phoenix Disk. What do you know?

With a kind shake of his finger; Golem officially decides to join everyone on their quest to restore peace to the land!

“Guardian of the Disks” is a solid entry in Monster Rancher; one of the lesser-known “mons” anime today despite its popularity in the midst of Pokémon fever. With decent animation and a surprisingly good story; I can imagine Yo-Kai Watch will be remembered similarly in another 16 years or so. Sorry it took so long to post this; but I’m going on vacation and I hope you’ll enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. See you in December! 

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Sizzles, Yo-Kai Watch Fizzles.

Hello again. I've been very busy with Spanish lately; and I also plan on going on vacation soon; so I hope to get the recap I've been working on posted before I leave.

Even so, I have a couple things to tell you. I just got Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon a few days ago; and I'm enjoying it so far. Despite not being familiar with prior entries (I had only played Red Rescue Team on GBA a while ago) or the "roguelike" subgenre of RPGs as a whole; I can honestly say the latest entry in one of the more successful Pokémon spinoff series is the best Mystery Dungeon title yet in terms of graphics, gameplay and story.

Now comes the part where I must once again address Yo-Kai Watch. There was an aura of doubt that the latest Japanese video game juggernaut could go toe to toe with Pokémon in the US; and it seems that my skepticism has once again been justified.

In its first two weeks on the market in the US; the title has only managed to sell slightly over 30,000 units, far less than even the initial launch in Japan. As I pointed out before, it doesn't help that the game was put against a murderer's row of anticipated entries from established franchises. Super Mystery Dungeon alone quickly snatched the eShop crown it briefly held (meaning my statement of being an eShop novelty may have been too generous); and launching against Call of Duty: Black Ops III effectively left the title dead in the water. This is further compounded by Fallout 4 launching the following week (note: westerners have often had "cute" RPGs that aren't Pokémon be a bit of a hard sell; tending to skew towards darker ones or ones that take themselves with some degree of seriousness like Fallout); and things could potentially get worse once sales for Star Wars Battlefront come up.

It's one thing to bring up stuff from VGchartz, though. How does the "sitch" sound coming from an ordinary person like me? Well, I wish I could say that my area took to it like a duck to water; but that is not the case. When I went to get minutes for my phone at Walmart, there were seven copies of the game in stock; as well as 2 of the 2DS bundles. When I came back a week or so later; they were still there. Nobody touched them.

At Gamestop; when I went to preorder Super Mystery Dungeon, there were two copies of the game and 2 more 2DS bundles on the shelf. When I picked it up; only one copy of Yo-Kai Watch had sold compared to most of the ones of Super Mystery Dungeon being gone.

Furthering this was the fact that on my Streetpass function; only two tags out of at least 170 users had the game in my area, factoring folks from multiple counties and other passersby. All of this, on a handheld which has sold 15 million units at minimum; points to the fact that using the same strategy as Japan to launch Yo-Kai Watch may not have been the best idea.

Despite this; Hino still plans to bring over the sequels in the near future, and the game has been doing a bit better on eShop than it has at retail. Still, it doesn't really inspire all that much confidence when Inazuma Eleven flopped in the US; and Ni No Kuni sold well enough to get a "Greatest Hits" label on PS3.

Personally, I still don't plan on buying the game anytime soon. I might pick up a used copy later on down the line, but that probably won't be till 2016 at the earliest. I'll probably recap more of the anime then too; because I'm stretched thin with the rest of this year and I want to see what happens with the toys in spring 2016. Since retailers are now taking preorders; only time will tell if it will be as big for Hasbro as Star Wars, Transformers, GI Joe and Marvel have been; but as for "the next Pokémon:" with that series turning 20 next year, the writing's on the wall. Bang.

My Thoughts on Pokémon The Strongest Mega Evolution Act IV+XY and Z Early Impressions.

You know, after watching The Strongest Mega Evolution Act IV, I can officially I liked these specials better when they were called Pokémon Origins. I may have been critical of parts of these specials before, but this is the first time I can say I didn't like Act IV.

This post is going to be addressing both Act IV and XY and Z, but I do like the latter. There will be some spoilers. Read no further if you intend to watch Act IV or XY and Z.

I can officially say that Alan had his chance as a character. He doesn't represent me at all as an older fan.  This isn't helped at all by the fact that Kensho Ono finally learned to voice act. Way too late for that, dude.

This could have been the moment where he could have been fleshed out more as a character. Instead, they decided that since this was the last special; they made it way too difficult to go back and do more. This is the special that will be officially tasked with killing the Mega Evolution specials.

He decides to have 10 battles with barely any rest between them; he doesn't treat anyone besides his Charizard with any decency, and rather than try to comfort his associate Maren in her time of need (I hesitate to call them friends at this point); he runs off seething with rage for no adequately explored reason at all, which comes completely out of nowhere since I don't know anything about these characters; hence I don't really care about them at all.

I mean, N acted the way he did because he wasn't used to being around humans; generally preferring the company of Pokémon. Alan, however, is never given a reason why acts this way. I don't think he will be at this point.

Generally, with characters like Ash, Goku, Monkey D. Luffy, and the Elrics from Full Metal Alchemist; we get to see what they want to do, see how they set about doing it and all the things they go through as a result. That is basic storytelling. While Alan has technically been introduced, he has been by no means established. Without any positive or redeeming qualities, he's just there.

Memo to the people involved: a distant, emotionally void character is not how to appeal to older viewers. He turns me off as a fan, and I also think he's a terrible role model for children.

Now for the XYZ series: the first couple episodes were pretty good, complete with a new opening and ending, with the latter involving Bonnie and the Zygarde Core (I got tired of the Little Glee Monster song a long time ago).

Team Flare has also been distinguished from their game counterparts; channeling Lysander's energy into the rest of Flare; especially in the case of the scientists. They seem downright gleeful of the fact they're willing to harm children to accomplish their goals. Xerosic in particular has this very creepy, Josef Mengele-type voiee that gives me chills every time I hear it.

It's also just as well that Alan kept walking at the end of the pilot; since I personally don't want him and Ash to meet, much less battle. If the opening is any indication; there could be a whole Civil War/Dawn of Justice type situation going on, with the cynical Alan contrasting the idealistic Ash.

It may not have been as good as the pilot of XY in general, but like I said; it should be an overall satisfying series.

If the Mega Evolution Specials could not show what Alan was capable of, then XY and Z is going to be their last chance. The 20th anniversary is coming soon, and at best; I could see their dynamic being handled similarly to Paul, and to a lesser extent, Trip. He may be an asshole, but at least he's not 100% a dick.

He may not be a sociopath like Paul; but with Origins and the mainline series, Red and Ash are at least written like leads. Alan was written more like a rival or even a villain. After four specials, I really don't know anything about him. Thus, I am forced to conclude that I don't consider Alan to be a relatable character, I consider Ash to be one. Overall, I can say the Mega Evolution Specials were an interesting experiment; but compared to Origins as potentially replacing the mainline series, they failed. At least they're better than Chronicles, especially in the case of The Legend of Thunder. To quote the Agony Booth, "it committed movie-suicide in only one installment."

Tell me what you think of this arc; and I'm going to get back to work on this project I was working on when I'm done with my Spanish homework. See you space cowboy.

Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow Coming to Virtual Console for 20th Anniversary. Childhood enhanced.

It's not a joke this time. For the 20th anniversary of their original release; Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow are finally coming to Virtual Console on 3DS. The announcement came out of tonight's Nintendo Direct and had a trailer uploaded to the official Pokémon YouTube channel.

While the selling point is in itself monumental; the fact is made all the more remarkable by the fact the games are being presented entirely in their original form, with the exception of the link cable on the Game Boy now making way for full wireless trading.

In every sense imaginable; this development will not only allow people like me to relive their favorite adventures, but also appeal to a new generation of players as well.

With this on the table, you can bet your booty that I'll be downloading these the moment they go live on 3DS Virtual Console on February 27, 2016;  20 years after the original release in Japan. Nostalgic fun: I choose you. Bang.

Recap: The Dancing Digimon

Hello again. It seems that early US sales and reviews for Yo-Kai Watch are surprisingly favorable; even given how the game has launched amid a season filled with a myriad of anticipated titles. I can’t be sure how things will be in the long term; especially as my data is based on checking online review sites and Nintendo eShop (as physical sales will more than likely have Call of Duty: Black Ops III lead by a country mile; Activision’s whoring be damned).

So, I still don’t plan on doing any more Yo-Kai Watch right away. Rather, I shall take the opportunity to illustrate how some competitors of Pokémon were once everywhere; then nowhere just as quickly. Also, I’ve mentioned I wanted to do this recap for Halloween; but I was ill and busy with schoolwork. Now, however; I can finally get this out. So, let’s open up “The Dancing Digimon” and see another part of the fandom rivalries I’ve been engaged with in the past!

Again, we open on a “previously-on” recap of a prior episode involving Mimi and Izzy having to work together to get out of a maze. I’m personally not doing that one, as I don’t have enough material to give it a recap. Besides; I like it enough that I don’t think a positive recap or even a good-natured ribbing is necessary. 

Then, we once again get that great electro theme song; a tune that easily signaled the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s. Gives me chills every time I hear it. 

We open on Devimon sending out his minions to stop the Digidestined. Not merely being satisfied with separating them; he wants to defeat them individually so they can’t reunite File Island! That’s actually a nice tactic: to undermine the teamwork of one’s enemies by not only separating them, but demoralizing them as well.

We cut to Joe, my favorite member of the Digidestined lamenting his seasickness as he quips that “beds don’t make good boats.”

I haven't felt this bad since the last time I watched Yo-Kai Watch!

Gomamon has unfortunately eaten all the rations; leaving the bag as empty as a theater showing Jem and the Holograms! Joe, of course, reams out Gomamon for this.

You fool, the packaging said PER SERVING!

Yet, he seemingly has the dry heaves as he continues to vomit off the side of the bed. Please, you could show him his role int he movie and it would have the same effect.

Then, who should show up in a crate but Ogremon in a foul humor! 

Your package of Ogremon has arrived!

Joe, of course, is less than pleased about this encounter.

Look, when I said I wanted to die in bed; I kind of meant my own!

Gomamon then digivolves into Ikkakumon in order to rescue Joe! 

Get on my back, Atreyu- I mean Joe!

Yet, they end up getting fished out by Sora; who was trying catch dinner herself. He’s even delirious as he tries to recover from almost drowning.

Oh Queen Amidala, let me live in your castle on Naboo!

When he comes to, Sora and Gomamon suggest him being an interim leader to help boost his morale. Joe is unsure of the idea.

Me a leader? I can't even tie my shoelaces! You have any idea how hard it is to find velcro Jack Purcells in my size?

Yet, after some encouragement; he does decide to lead them. 

By the power of Skullgreymon, I HAVE THE POWER!

They come across a creepy church in the middle of the island. Joe quickly deduces where there’s a party, there’s bound to be food!

Even amid all the spooky imagery; Sora pushes her “leader” further. 

Go on, you goony! Take a look!

So, Joe and Sora sneak around the back, and discover the party.

Then, everyone is led into the church itself by a very suspicious looking priest.

Aside from the cheap Halloween mask; his speech patterns are just a step above Torgo in articulation.

There IS no way OUT of here. It WILL be DARK soon. There is NO way out of HERE.

Of course, there’s a reason for that: he’s really a Bakemon! In hindsight; that’s actually a pretty clever way of introducing westerners to one of the Japanese terms for monster, “Bakemono.” Also, little side note; I want to finish Bakemonogatari so I can work on the other Monogatari series as well. Definitely would recommend them. 

Forgetting you is the thing that I'd rather do...

It turns out the church is full of Bakemon, as they were the guests in disguise! Joe and Sora run from the premises as a result! 

Well, good thing my trousers are brown!

The Digimon try to fight, but they’re out of energy from a lack of food!

Then; Joe and Sora are captured and taken back inside to be eaten by the Bakemon!

I'm not supposed to die like this! I'm supposed to die licking whipped cream off Carrie-Anne Moss's fingertips!

They’re also taken in Gomamon and Biyomon, presumably to be made into seconds! They start formulating a way out!

First I plan to soil myself, then come up with another plan!

Of course, things are much easier since they’re only left in with one inept guard! “I’m just going to leave them in an easily escapable situation and assume the whole thing went to plot!”

They trick one of the Bakemon into giving them some food; then bust out the door with their regained strength just as the other Bakemon are performing some sort of rite to make the Digidestined taste better! 

We, Bakemon, beseech thee to make our new movies hits, unlike that crappy one from 2000!

Ikkakumon and Birdramon then rescue Joe and Sora; but the next step is stopping Bakemon! Joe decides to try a chant of sorts to stop him. Also, I have watched the Japanese version for a frame of reference, so I thought I’d let you know that it is indeed different depending on which version you watch.

To give it a boost, Joe then borrows Sora’s hat to use as a makeshift drum! Yeah, it’s weird like that. Sometimes it’s a helmet, other times it’s all squishy. This is the former.

Sure enough, Bakemon is now cowering before the combined might of Ikkakumon and Birdramon, as if he were just another guy just waiting to be run in by these Scoobies.

I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids and your Digimon!

Also, I know I keep mentioning this; but all the fashions in this anime seem very ‘90s. Sora here appears to be sporting a variant of the Rachel haircut with her hat off.

With the day saved; Joe and Sora then vow to find their friends and send Devimon back where he came from! 

Joe and Sora will return in Captain America: Civil War.

“The Dancing Digimon” is one of the better episodes in the early days of Digimon Adventure; consisting of several episodes where the Digidestined must reunite with each other and reunite File Island as well. This episode has enough of a genuinely scary atmosphere and solid animation to make a fun way to closeout my lapsed Halloween festivities. As such, I will definitely be working on another recap to illustrate how competition in the industry is nothing new; and how Yo-Kai Watch is just another newcomer in a crowded market even if I’m not doing any more of Yo-Kai Watch itself right away. See you, space cowboy. 

Why I'm Not into Yo-Kai Watch: Words From the Man Who Just Didn't Get it.

Okay, I may still be preoccupied with Spanish and work on my Digimon recap; and I did say that there would be no more Yo-Kai Watch recaps until after the game or toys launched, but I thought I would address my experience with the whole thing with one last post before that.

While I may have been severely let down by the anime and the game demo; it's not just the fact that it's been popular in Japan for quite some time now. My disappointment with it came not just from the work itself being less complex than Ni No Kuni from the same developer; but from the fact that everyone else seemed to value it so highly.

This hasn't been helped by the fanbase's behavior; with a few posts on Tumblr bemoaning the fact that larger releases around this time of year will more than likely bury the game, not realizing that many players genuinely like the series that they're parts of (Call of Duty Black Ops III, Star Wars Battlefront, and Assassin's Creed Syndicate seem big targets of what they derisively refer to as "AAA lemmings").

However, in my case; the issue is not mere blind hate, despite of what they claim. Even though the work I did my recaps was quite scathing; I didn't merely not enjoy the show because of a perceived
rivalry with Pokémon (which has now become very real in this country; much like Japan). I found the writing and voice acting decisively lacking; in stark contrast to the praise it was given (or perhaps even because of that praise). The animation being high-quality was the only thing I liked; and I wished that energy could have also been channeled into the story.

Despite the disclaimer that the demo was not entirely indicative of the full game; generally, most ones do give a solid taste of the finished product. Even though the presentation and mechanics were competent; I also found them a tad too simplistic to pay $40 on launch day or preordering/preloading the game when it might sell better at a reduced price on eShop. While the demo for OR/AS showed off the revamped mechanics and granted you bonuses for the full game; Yo-Kai Watch's battles were all on autopilot. With the exception of the final battle with Dismerelda before the demo cuts off; I very rarely lost any Yo-Kai battles, to the point where I won some even putting in the bare minimum of effort (barring the occasional quicktime event or minigame). The graphics may have been sharp and colorful; but I found them to be a might cartoony compared to how well Pokémon made the transition to full 3D in X and Y. Being forced to play as Nate put the final nail in the coffin for any day-one purchases for me (depending on what happens, I'll pick it up at a later time; then play as Katie instead).

As for the anime: the newest episode got a bump to a 0.2 share over the last episode, with 277,000 viewers tuning in for the debuts of Komajiro (who in the dub, is pronounced Coma-GEE-row rather than Co-MA-jiro); Cadin (who was my lone source of challenge in the demo due to trying to keep the Yo-Kai lens on him), and Robonyan (which now has me thinking there should be a statute of limitations on Terminator references in kids' shows. Granted, I may have been 12 when I saw the first three movies for the first time, but still.).

Even so, while I admire the fans' enthusiasm, I simply do not share it. Even Kohdok, who had been trying to remain optimistic throughout the whole thing; estimated the game will sell 10,000 units on launch day. At best, 20-30,000. Even my biggest guess is 100K units; given how scant advertising for the game has been (I've only seen online spots for the game; with Black Ops III, Battlefront and others making a more traditional advertising push).

As a closing statement, let me make clear that I have nothing but respect for Level-5. It's just that I feel Ni No Kuni took a lot more risks as a game coproduced by Studio Ghibli; especially with how it dealt with elements such as grief and the paranormal. After witnessing Yo-Kai Watch turn a mythical creature into a glorified crossing guard; I personally wanted to be challenged more. I didn't just want a game that was more complex as an RPG; I wanted more of a story and characters I could get invested in. Despite the title of this blog; I don't just make pieces because I'm annoyed. I do it to show and explain how things can be improved because of how much I genuinely enjoy the medium and my fandom of it at its best. That is why even though I may not understand Yo-Kai Watch; I do genuinely believe the concept has potential. The only question remains: will it emerge from the chrysalis and evolve the way Pokémon has over time, or is it rushing toward a date with Monster Rancher, Redakai, and Monsuno? Only time will tell in that case. So, if anyone agrees or disagrees with this post; either way, I suggest you vote with your wallets. Regardless of what you decide to play this holiday season; don't be afraid to wear your fandom on your sleeve. Even if you must act the way you do; be sincere about it. The future is now, so let's make it a good one. Bang.

Yo-Kai Watch Launches Friday on 3DS. Will it be the Next Pokémon or a Japan-only hit?

Hello again. First off, happy day of the dead to you all. Second; I am almost done cropping the screencaps for my intended Halloween Digimon recap; which you should see out soon.

In the meantime; it seems Yo-Kai Watch is officially launching in the US on 3DS this Friday. While Level-5 does have an uphill battle on their hands from being not only a niche developer in the US compared to their status in Japan as well as launching against the titan that is Call of Duty: Black Ops III, now the time has come to see how the franchise will truly do against the franchise that it's being hyped as a successor towards.

While news of a new mainline Pokémon game has been conspicuous by its absence; Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is making an attempt to crossover with the broader audience of those games. While the "roguelike" subgenre of RPGs has traditionally been a hard sell in the US; the Mystery Dungeon series has been one of the more successful Pokémon spinoffs, selling a healthy amount of units despite being polarizing among critics and fans. I have only played Red Rescue Team on Game Boy Advance to date; and I'm willing to give the side series another chance after all this time. I may even look at one of the anime adaptations in the near future. Couple that with Pokkén Tournament being granted a US release on Wii U; the highly-anticipated cell phone game Pokémon Go; and the forthcoming 20th anniversary in 2016, speculation of what's next is high to say the least (further fueled by the XY and Z anime, now in progress).

All of this begs the question: Will Yo-Kai Watch be able to live up to the hype? I may not have been swayed by the demo; but I might consider buying the game at a reduced price at a later date. While many fans enthusiasm is admirable; even they are wondering if the game will sell as many units as it has in Japan. There has been a slight bump in Disney XD's ratings on the anime since the Fidgephant episode aired; but even that capped out at a paltry 193,000 viewers, less than half of the network's current staples such as Gravity Falls; Star Wars Rebels, and Wander Over Yonder. Unfortunately, the dubbing practices enacted seem to deliberately go against ones that have been in place for years; to the point where the dub writers seem proud of their poor writing and lip-syncing. Critics and fans, to say the least; do not share their sentiments (even my associate Kohdok; in a video on the matter, lamented the dub's poor quality to the point of saying it may even be WORSE than 4Kids' policies).

It's also worth noting that Hasbro has pushed the launch of the toys to spring 2016; seemingly realizing that launching a new toyline on New Year's Day is a bad idea. So, depending on how the game does; I mean what I said. I will not do any further Yo-Kai Watch recaps until after the game or toys officially launch; so I can see how they do compared to the anime. Will it be the next Pokémon everyone has hailed it as, or will it join the ranks of many Japan-only hits that failed to click with Western audiences? I have already stated my preference of Ni No Kuni from the same developer; and Inazuma Eleven was largely ignored in all forms here.

The time is at hand to see what happens. After that; the series' prospects are in the hands of a much higher authority than mine. Bang.