The Real Reasons Behind Yo-Kai Watch's International Failure.

Hello everyone: it certainly has been an interesting experience as of late. While I'm mostly retired from this blog and recapping this subject today, there are still plenty of things I can address. Case in point: about five years ago, when an individual that I referred to simply as "Murdoch" announced their support for Yo-Kai Watch in lieu of other offerings around that time; I offered my rebuttal within the same day why I wasn't into it; as "the man who just didn't get it."

Courtesy: Destructoid

Five years have passed; and the franchise still sees an uncertain future. Though at the time; fans tried to explain the real reasons behind the series' success, to this day; others still rely on the same disproven talking points. Some common variations include "Pokémon fans think it's just a ripoff," "westerners only want to play AAA games," and one relatively new one that cropped up after the release of YW4 and Generation VIII goes so far to suggest that "Switch owners only picked up Sword and Shield because it's Pokémon." None of these claims are accurate. As I've pointed out before, if people keep bringing up these arguments; I'm just going to keep debunking them. It's also troubling one of the notable sites for the series in the West has seemingly gone inactive (the copy I linked to was thankfully archived on the Wayback Machine). Update As of 12/6/20: The article, and the website as a whole are back up, as linked here. Nevertheless, as they tried to outline the real reasons for the series' success; they asked readers collectively what they were going to do. I will tell you: I once again offer my rebuttal as we mark five years since the launch of the original game domestically; and explore the real reasons behind Yo-Kai Watch's international failure.

1. A "Relatable premise" gets lost in translation

One of the major selling points for the series in Japan was as follows: unexplained phenomena are caused by mythological Japanese creatures known as "yokai." Essentially, if you misplace something or your GPS gives you misleading directions, a yokai may be the cause. Though normally invisible, the titular "Yo-Kai Watch" allows the wearer to see and confront them. This worked well in Japan given how yokai are about as ubiquitous there as zombies are here; but proved to be a problem on multiple levels here. In hindsight, it was definitely a mistake to suggest that yokai were "not ghosts, monsters or spirits" when they are in fact; all of those things and more in the original Japanese myths that inspired the game. On top of this, what's "normal" and "expected" in one country might be considered "odd" in another. 

I'm no city planner, but I'm fairly certain there aren't any sakura trees or gashapon machines in Idaho.

These are by no means deterrents on paper: if audiences can get behind a 10-year-old kid traveling around the world with an electric mouse, it's not impossible when done right. "Kid Icarus Uprising" not only presented a unique take on Greek mythology, but also respected the original game that it draws influence from. Unfortunately, you can't just take a distinctly Japanese setting and mindset, then try to transplant them into a place like Idaho and expect people to understand. When generations of gamers have casually run over stoplights and pedestrians without a second thought in Liberty City; being forced to wait at a crosswalk or get eviscerated by a beast in a kabuki mask isn't something that sounds too enticing. Yet, this is just one of the many roadblocks the series had in the journey overseas.

2. The anime gets "tuned out"

In October of 2015, "Yo-Kai Watch" began airing its English dub on Disney XD. While this posed challenges as opposed to airing on the main Disney Channel (let alone Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network); it's clear that the network was banking on the anime to be the breakout hit it was in Japan. This ultimately never happened, with the anime only pulling in 500,000 viewers at best; less than half of the ratings it got in Japan typically. 

Dramatization of English dub team upon finding out the series they localized is tanking in ratings.

The humor wasn't too accessible to those not familiar with Japanese mythology, and the changes made in the English dub didn't endear it to those who were familiar with yokai and Japanese folklore. I don't claim to be an expert by any means, just an observer. I also concede that I don't think the idea of "everyday life with yokai" failed because it was "too weird," I'm more in the camp that didn't find it weird enough. 

A one-shoed Thai-American student in a world of frog people: sounds good to me.

On top of the show becoming less of a priority when Disney XD began broadcasting Pokémon as well as Beyblade Burst, it soon emerged that Disney's own shows (both acquired and in-house IPs) were getting better ratings. This led to the English dub being recast in its third season due to budget cuts, and eventually the anime being dropped altogether in early 2019. As of this writing, the series has had intermittent reruns scattered across this year; with no official word on more content airing. There is also just the first movie and first 26-episode streaming on Netflix; and while I will address this further later down the list.

3. Misreading the market

I've mentioned this before, but this is a major recurring issue that has plagued the series outside Japan: fundamentally misreading the market about how much people would be interested in the series. Sure, the fanbase was quite eager to see the series come stateside even before the official announcements; but for the most part, it wasn't that there were any "drill bits" rooting against the series actively: rather, it was that mainstream audiences as a whole were simply not interested. Even as the first game only sold 400,000 copies domestically during its initial year on sale; Level-5 was too eager to see the problem. In particular, Akihiro Hino believed once "Yo-Kai Watch 2" launched in English in September 2016 that the series would follow the same pattern as in Japan and "bloom like a flower" within a year's time. He even expressed interest in getting content from the same time as or before Japan; which ultimately hasn't happened. Instead, the release gap has gotten further and further away; with the release date for the fourth game officially in limbo as over a year has passed since the informal announcement of the localization at Anime Expo in 2019. Though I do not personally blame the company for this state of affairs, part of this problem can be linked to the nature of how they're still trying the same tactics that have been long since proven ineffective and have continued to release their titles in the same time frame as much bigger games.

I also understand that Pokémon hasn't totally been without this issue either. In hindsight, I'm glad the proposed idea to turn Pikachu into a Jellicle cat was rejected.

As for the over-optimistic "bloom like a flower" comment: in hindsight, it's not the worst statement I've seen about misreading the situation, since Ken Kutaragi's "work extra hours to afford the PS3" happened; but it's definitely become a go-to example I've cited in how maybe they reached their arm further than their sleeve in this area. 

Space travel and superhero comic books should make our game appealing to American audiences, right? Well, maybe not.

As time passed, there was more than enough time to re-evaluate their plans amid increasingly diminishing returns; but the people in charge insisted that the series would find its audience eventually. Even so, there was a series that also debuted stateside in 2015 which was thought to be a niche concept; but quickly grew into one of Nintendo's biggest series yet: it was called Splatoon. Though it too has trappings of Japanese culture in the game, the concept itself proved to be a much-needed hit not just for the Wii U; but for the company as a whole. When its sequel released in 2017; it managed to improve on its senior in nearly every way and continues to be enjoyed on the Switch. The main gameplay mechanic of that series centers around ink-shooting "turf wars." This is a much easier idea to convey to the uninitiated than "everyday life with yokai" outside Japan. Least of all, a "comfy" description isn't really a selling point that most fans of JRPGs would be interested in; though if they had embraced the insanity instead of trying to homogenize the game into something it wasn't meant to be; it could have been a much different story. Through sheer coincidence, that's a key factor that so many "Doom x Animal Crossing" memes have been in my feed; part of a mixture that involves a pandemic and shared release date. Yet, that's still only one of the reasons behind the series' international failure.

4. Toys in the attic

Ah yes, one of the big pieces of dramatic irony for the series outside Japan: the failure of the toyline. Though Hasbro was initially eager to push the series as its next big license; this goal was ultimately never realized. The toyline initially released in January 2016 (though some markets got them in late December 2015); but even though the merchandise was one of the key cornerstones of the brand in its native Japan, that element simply did not translate to the same level of success here. Despite the claims in the archived article, the way they were marketed was one sample of how the series never really established its own identity beyond "yokai cause hijinks, hilarity ensues." Though I agree that the license's world-building can enhance the appeal of a tie-in product; the key difference is how to convey that to newcomers. Even if someone is a relatively new fan of the material, someone could instinctively understand the purpose of a lightsaber, a gauntlet covered in Infinity Stones or an alien robot that can fit a semi-truck. A wristwatch that lets people befriend and summon ghosts? Not so easily, and thus the toyline floundered outside Japan. Expanding on the toyline also proved unsuccessful, leaving numerous products not being officially released outside the series' homestead. 

A common place where the titular Yo-Kai Watch is found, taken from my last visit to 99 cents Only in Berkeley, CA.

Though Hasbro originally planned more merchandise as of 2018; the company quietly moved onto other licenses (such as acquiring Power Rangers); with some wares only being released in Europe. As shown by that photograph I took, the toys are a common staple of bargain bins; dollar stores and crane games. While this isn't totally uncommon for stock of some toys (again, Pokémon briefly went through this earlier on in its run); it's honestly astounding how quickly this happened.

5. Not "the next Pokémon," but just another game?

Now, comes where it all began: the video games. While the "Pokémon killer" narrative did not sit well with fans, as time passed; it also proved to never come to fruition. Once the international release took place, not only did it not kill Pokémon; it didn't even wound it. It was like trying to use a Magikarp against Eternatus. For the record, I never really bought into the "ripoff" narrative as it didn't make much sense to me: that's like saying Fire Emblem is a Zelda ripoff just because they both have Warriors/Musou spinoffs and their protagonists use swords. Nor I do I think the Japanese culture motifs are a deterrent in and of themselves (I love the Yakuza games, for example): I do believe however that maybe the people in charge tried to turn the game into something it wasn't; which in turn stopped the momentum of the series' localization cold. 

This is what happens when you leave your door to the spirit world unlocked.

The series did not grow as expected, nor did the plans to get content at the same time or before Japan ever happen. Each subsequent game sold less than the one before it in North America. The first game sold 440,000 copies; the sequels cut those sales in half at 220,000 copies domestically in the span of just under a year. When "Psychic Specters" launched, the game sold 120,000 copies; another significant drop and notably less than previous-generation versions of that year's FIFA. The "Blasters" spinoffs (changed from the Japanese "Busters" to avoid legal issues with Sony) launched the same day as Spider-Man on PS4; which had a record launch (looking forward to the Miles Morales spinoff on PS5) that easily dwarfed the yokai, and the spinoff only sold 70,000 copies stateside. The third main game, which was ironically developed to appeal to American audiences ended up having the lowest sales in the entire series at just 4,000 copies in North America, not helped by launching just after both Kingdom Hearts III and the remake of Resident Evil 2.

Insert "who wore it better?" joke here.

Yet, that same summer, after six months of delays; there was a chance that the next main series game could return the series to its former glory: "Yo-Kai Watch 4: We're Looking Up at the Same Sky" released on the Nintendo Switch on June 20, 2019. The game launched at the top of the Japanese bestseller charts: while marking a decline from the previous installments; it still sold a respectable amount of 150,000 copies. Eight days later, however; the game would be outsold by Super Mario Maker 2: building on the success of the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game, it sold 2.4 million units in its first three days; more than YW4 sold in its first five months.

Though Hino did express interest in localizing the game as well as the anime films that were key to its plot, there was another factor in play in the form of another game: "Pokémon Sword and Shield." Despite skepticism to the changes made from previous games (not to mention some controversial behaviors in the fandom), the games have ultimately proven to be successful, selling over 19 million copies to date.

A "G-Max Gold Rush" in both battle and sales, so to speak,

If anything, the series declining so rapidly in Japan and not catching on elsewhere can be linked to several factors. Despite the claims otherwise, "charm" is not enough to sell a concept to someone. Even if a game world is influenced by our own, without any connection to that world; it's not likely to entice players unless the world is presented in a way they can make it their own. It also doesn't help the human characters in the series aren't as relatable as suggested. Even with the jokes that I keep seeing about the trainer avatars in Pokémon, since character customization entered the series in Generation VI onward; it's become much easier for myself and others to feel like part of the world with their own playstyles and behavior. Even though some people are mixed on the limited distribution window among other factors; reactions to Super Mario 3D All-Stars have been highly-positive to finally return to some of the best entries in the Mario series. Even before Breath of the Wild featured in-game dialog (not counting the infamous CDi games); characters in Zelda could pack a whole game's worth of character into a single expression. Put simply, when the player feels like a stranger in a strange land and finds no relatable qualities in the characters; the premise of the series just doesn't work.

Then there's the market saturation that ended up damaging not just the international release, but the brand on its home turf as well. Though the series was never shy about releasing spinoffs and revisions, the year 2019 saw the release of not only the base version of Yo-Kai Watch 4, but the Switch port of the first game; an expansion to the game only a few months after release and a port of said expansion to PS4 around the same time. As someone who's old enough to remember when Sega released the Sega CD, 32X and Saturn in the span of just three years; this led to a similar outcome of disappointing sales, as they were effectively competing against themselves as well as other titles. There are now even reports of the western operations ceasing altogether; which will be important for my last point.

6. Lack of a consistent identity.

On top of all this, there is an underlying problem that has now reared its head in light of the recent content that's come out of the franchise, with the Jam project being a big example of this: a lack of a concrete identity. With other series, there is a clear idea of the basic concept even as said concept has been applied in different ways over time. Pokémon has always been quite clear about the adventure aspects of its series, and I'm eager to see what's done with the open-world designs they're introducing. Even though I'm not the biggest Dragon Quest fan (personally more of a Chrono Trigger guy), I understand its appeal and significance. Though this series hasn't been as experimental as Paper Mario has (I can understand how others feel even if I personally don't have a problem with the creative decisions made in the recent games), it is clear that each main installment has tried to appeal to new players by shaking up the gameplay each time rather than simply expanding on what works and refining what doesn't. Granted, I admit the second and third main games were improvements over the original; but the gameplay at its core would have been fine if they just kept fine-tuning the mechanics instead of essentially trying to use foreign parts to modify a GM car. 

Gob Bluth: "I've made a huge mistake..."

This is especially evident in the anime, which; while showing the potential of taking the series beyond the slice-of-life genre; never really stuck for long. "Shadowside" was one that I actually preferred, largely because it played up the supernatural horror elements of the story; and had a more coherent plot and consistent characters. The "Forever Friends" movie, which I still don't plan on covering; was also quite good as a prequel, excellent even for focusing on the bonds that I wish were more emphasized instead of the jokes and toys (which I don't have anything against within reason). I still have not seen the Jam Project movie, but what I have seen of the TV series is all right. Not the best thing I've ever seen; but it works fine as a sort of smaller-scale version of My Hero Academia by way of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls; where the yokai are humanized and the watch turns them into superheroes that wouldn't be out of place in one of my tokusatsu series.

That is ultimately the biggest problem the series faced outside its own country; and even within it: a lack of a real identity beyond "charm" and "yokai cause wacky hijinks." It's why I declined the offer to join the proposed community on the grounds that there wouldn't be one unless the games sold enough to make an impact on our shores, let alone a profit; and I was right. I also made a counteroffer to have people vote with their wallets. To those who doubt the power of the popular vote, let it be clear: to the tune of millions of copies, people in my position voted to not only stick with Pokémon; but also alternatives that went in completely different directions such as Persona 5. That is how things have transpired over the past five years: the stigma of being a "ripoff" has long since passed for this series. In its stead, is a different stigma and the real lasting impact of "Yo-Kai Watch" outside Japan: an international failure.

As for what will happen with the proposed localization of "Yo-Kai Watch 4," I cannot say for certain, especially given the news of Level-5 Abby closing down. If they actually position the game and its anime films as a soft reboot of the brand outside Japan, then there might be a chance it could be more successful than it was before. If it flops, though; then nothing will have changed. That is what I have decided, and that will be all for now.