Recap: Yo-Kai Rawry/Pandle-Monium

So, Wonder Woman was absolutely incredible. Even as someone who liked the previous DCEU films despite their polarizing reception, this was the movie that should easily give the franchise and the female superhero movie the shot in the arm it needs against their longtime rivals at Marvel.

Now, on a less positive note; I must address the second season finale of the English dub of Yo-Kai Watch. The Electronic Entertainment Expo will begin soon; and Nintendo's conference will be taking place on June 13 online. Two days after that will mark one year from the time that series creator Akihiro Hino said that the series would "bloom like a flower" in North America by this time frame. Unfortunately, it hasn't. As of April 29 of this year, Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls have only sold 160,000 copies in the US, though it has reached the 100,000 mark in Europe in just a few weeks on the market, a figure which took the US several months to reach. Even though Psychic Specters (known in Japan as "Shinuchi") is on track to launch in the fall; and rumors persist of localizing the third game as well as more anime and toys, I still submit that if Psychic Specters doesn't sell well here; it won't happen. I will address this more later on, but for now, let's open this episode up.

Once again, I am omitting the Komasan segment, given how it was one of the few decent parts of the episode and the opening theme music. While the dub theme may not be the worst one I've heard (I am still compiling a Top 13 Worst Anime Themes to offset the one I did a while ago), I know that Jeff "Swampy" Marsh can do better; given his contributions to Rocko's Modern Life, Phineas and Ferb, and now Milo Murphy's Law.

We open the segment "Yo-Kai Rawry" with the rapturous sound of trumpets in the neighborhood!

 

Then, it turns to a cacophony of discordant noise and drum beats! So, the lion's share of the top 40 these days; barring a few exceptions. The culprit is revealed to be Rawry, and apart from the bumper for Pokémon Sun and Moon (probably won't do any more of that until after class is finished or E3, whichever comes first); I never noticed in the Japanese version of this episode that this yokai was riding a tricycle or scooter of some sort. I submit appealing to me as an older viewer doesn't have to be making the show like Akira; but I would at least appreciate something a bit more complex then an obnoxious War Boy cosplayer on a big wheel!

If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die historic on the Fury Road!

Nate then summons Roughraff to deal with Rawry! Roughly 73 episodes later, and this beatnik voice hasn't improved at all. Personally, I would have preferred a somewhat more plausible 70s/80s punk rock accent; something in the neighborhood of Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols or Joe Strummer from the Clash.

As Roughraff's pompadour clashes with Rawry's mohawk, I regret that the latter's voice isn't much better. Comes off less like one of the Capsules and more like a chain-smoking version of Phil from Rugrats. I need an antagonist that's actually entertaining. 

Whip it out, babe!

Ah, that's better. So, after their little pissing contest; Roughraff hops on the back of Rawry's scooter and the two scuttle off into town. Well, that was pointless.

Yet, despite dressing like he's headed to a Limo Zeen concert; Rawry still decides to take a detour at a stoplight. I know in the game if you ducked too many signals, a high level yokai decimates your team; but someone who hasn't played the game probably won't get this joke. It's not quite as obscure as the Adam-12 references (seriously, no one in the target audience will get that joke; and I'm fairly certain not a lot of people under the age of 50 will), but still gives away the impression that this yokai may not be as tough as he seems.

Even though Rawry is obedient of traffic laws, he still somehow manages to send his loud music through the street signals. OK, might as well play that clip again.

More evidence of this yokai being a paper tiger is shown when Jibanyan attacks him and flops his sunglasses around, making him timid. Rawry then calls Jibanyan mean despite bothering the whole city with loud rock music. I'm reminded of the "Safe Space" on South Park and the lesson I took away from that: you can't paint a target on your back and then complain when the arrows start flying, it doesn't work like that.

Rawry heads for the hamburger shop, where he's confronted by Nate, Whisper; Jibanyan and Peckpocket. Just be glad you didn't run into Big Smoke at Cluckin' Bell.

I'll have two #9s, #9 large, #6, extra dip, number 7, two 45s, one with cheese and a large soda!

So, Peckpocket; still looking like an overinflated Empoleon and sounding like Pee-Wee steals Rawry's sunglasses; revealing him to be a total coward all along! I see: he acts tough, but he's really a sissy without his sunglasses? For a far funnier and actually useful character like this, see Ash's Krookodile.

Nate gives back Rawry's sunglasses; and Rawry gives Nate his medal for his trouble. So, James gets a Mareanie and Nate basically gets a glorified Pog. To any readers who don't know what those are: basically, they were to the '90s what all these Pop figurines are now. Rather astonishing how many chibi bobbleheads Funko has made out of R-rated IPs. Seriously, they have ones for characters from Deadpool and Logan. Nothing says adorable marketing like cutesy versions of characters that brutally skewer their enemies and swear in a manner that would be the envy of Quentin Tarantino and David Mamet alike!

So, we close on Rawry becoming a disc jockey; the one occupation where nobody gives a shit how loud you can be! Also, his loudspeakers are apparently attached to his pants rather than his bike like I thought.

I must say, with Disney XD having now used up their entire order of episodes; it's actually a bit disappointing that the series hasn't caught on here. On one hand, I feel like taking pity on people like a loony fan that I am referring to only as Rupert Murdoch to protect them; on the other, I still feel like finishing what I started. I'm not stopping until I decide I want to: I'm not in politics, I don't just pull out whenever I don't like what other people say.

Now we arrive at "Pandle-Monium," where a horde of Pandle have apparently chosen to hold their gathering at Springdale Elementary the same day that the principal is visiting. I prefer the Cosmo-Con, located in scenic Timmy's bathroom.

Also, the two running gags are the principal not remembering Nate's name and the students dumping out their bags every time they bend over. Neither one made me laugh, and this is coming from a guy who couldn't stop laughing at TAZER FACE!

Seriously, this happens to everyone that walks everyone that walks in the front gate; and Whisper mistakenly calling Pandle "Little Pinky" isn't funny either. There's being an absent-minded buffoon, then there's just being stupid. My recommendation is still the same: less is more.

Also, while the Pandle may be fairly common in the game (I found a fair amount of them before I traded it back in towards Sun and Moon), I highly doubt there'd be so many of them at the school that they'd rival the amount of Rattata in Pokémon Go; and Nate is nowhere near as endearing as Spark (despite being a Mystic, Instinct seems to have given him a surprisingly cute charm, even with how attractive Candela and Blanche are).

This leads into a very lengthy explanation of the festival, capped off by the Venue Scout stating that the festival will end when the captain sets off the fireworks. Nate decides to find him, but once again dumps his bag while putting on his inside shoes. Cue the Red Forman clip.

The reason bad things happen to you is because you're a dumbass.

Immediately after that, the same fate befalls the other children!

Crow T. Robot: Yeah, try it eight more times! Maybe it'll work!

Even the teacher has a backpack just for the purpose of this nonsensical gag! This supposed comedy anime honestly has to be the least funny anime I've seen since Wolf's Rain. 

Katie then points out that Nate's fly is down, and FYI: I'm not doing the later episode involving this gag. Between me and others more having the opposite problem of zipping on a tender spot and the episode's culprit Packer being a mix of a Banette and a green gimp, maybe Nate should invest in some pants with a button fly instead.

I wish I could hang around just like Spider-Man!

After a whole school day of looking for the fireworks chief, he finds Nate and introduces him as the man who made all this happen! Yet, Nate is still covering his crotch like he was doing something naughty in a Starbucks. Why don't you do it like the rest of us: big screen TV, 50 channels of Pay-Per-View?

So, we close the episode and the second season on the fireworks going off, with everyone remarking "things will be back to normal!" I only wish it were that simple, I really do.

Unnamed people in the past have tried to tell me that this isn't a bad anime. Personally, this doesn't work in favor proving that, and as for breaking out here: it's probably not going to happen. Honestly, I've heard wet farts that made more impact than this anime.


This ends the second season of the English dub of Yo-Kai Watch. Given how the ratings never did reach more than 500,000 viewers; I honestly don't know how Viz and Disney XD will approach a third season. As for the games: with E3 drawing ever closer, I am honestly more excited for other announcements that Nintendo has planned apart from Psychic Specters: More content for the 3DS and Switch as well as more info on Super Mario Odyssey. Given how Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls are selling faster in Europe than they have in the US, it would seems that the flowers bloomed in Europe by this time, not America. It's particularly telling that despite being hyped as "the next Pokémon," the series has shown a staggering 90% drop in sales in the past year; and Hino's reaction has even caused me to cancel an article I had planned for this blog and write a different one.


By contrast, the Pokémon Company has seen an increase in profits 25-fold over the past year; largely attributed to the success of the 20th anniversary of the series and the mobile game Pokémon Go, to say nothing of Sun and Moon selling over 15 million copies as of this writing (the games are only a few hundred thousand away from passing X and Y). Bringing up the successes of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (both the Wii U and Switch versions) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would just be overkill. While more than 700,000 copies sold for Sukiyaki is respectable, it's still significantly less than its seniors sold through the same time frame; as well as how Sun and Moon have done.


If Hino is willing to cater to older players, I will accept that. However, as it stands; there is very little that the Yo-Kai Watch series has that I personally want. Even with a fourth movie on track for Christmas in Japan (unless there is official confirmation of the third game being localized, I won't do the third movie) and a fourth game in development; I am more interested in other Level-5 IPs such as Lady Layton and Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. I am also potentially interested in Megaton Musashi (the spiritual successor to the company's previous mecha series, LBX: Little Battler's Experience). Otherwise, it's clear to me that the series being successful in the US was never meant to be.

I will bring you any further information on the future of the series as I get it, and I have other content planned for the series and this blog before I go see my father in California; including some Transformers anime to help get ready for The Last Knight. Finally, here is my response to people demanding that I stop before I finish.  



Next up will be something I enjoy more: the first episode of the anime Transformers: Robots in Disguise. See you space cowboy.