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.
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