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Forum - View topicNEWS: Yo-kai Watch TV Anime Enters Shadowside Arc in April
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CastMember1991
Posts: 859 |
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I'm still really disappointed Yo-kai Watch didn't do so well here in the States. It would have been interesting to see it become the next big phenomenon, but in the end, poor marketing sunk it stateside.
At the Walmart and Walgreens where I live, I didn't see one chunk of merchandise. And yet SpongeBob and TMNT were everywhere, as well as Nintendo's own Mario. |
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Haterater
Posts: 1727 |
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I think one of the main reasons it didn't do well is because of the Yokai designs. Not enough "basic" concept designs that are easy to relate to.
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OjaruFan
Posts: 60 |
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Does this mean that the show will no longer focus on Nate and Hailey? If so, then I’m totally fine with that. The show needs a change in format to stay fresh.
To be fair, the franchise focuses on Japanese-centric ideas that aren’t as easily accessible and appealing to mainstream consumers in the US. Sure the English version has various Americanizations thrown in, but it still has that Japanese feel that mainstream consumers in Asia are more likely to identify and appreciate. The big boys, such as Pokémon, Dragon Ball and Mario, are popular in the US because they focus on universal ideas that anyone can identify and appreciate. A good amount of Americans aren’t curious about foreign cultures and ideas. When they consume entertainment, they want to be entertained, not educated. |
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Primus
Posts: 2777 Location: Toronto |
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If you want Yo-Kai Watch merch, check your local clearance chains (Big Lots and Dollar Tree in the US, Dollarama in Canada). That's where everything Wal-Mart/ToysRus/Target didn't sell went. |
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michaeltanzer
Posts: 168 |
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Wait wait a minute, does that also mean the Pokemon anime is doing OK on Disney or something? |
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CastMember1991
Posts: 859 |
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Obviously. Even though it's not as big of a franchise as it was in the '90s, Pokémon is still an established brand that's had a big footing in America for a long time. There are even plans to build a Pokémon Training Academy at Universal Studios' new Nintendo-themed land. |
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KH91
Posts: 6176 |
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Well, it appears that we didn't watch the same thing otherwise 4Kids wouldn't have had to change the Japanese-centric jokes/food/text/etc. to something that English folk would understand. |
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CastMember1991
Posts: 859 |
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That's because Nintendo probably requested 4Kids (R.I.P.) do that. The games - from my understanding - never had any direct in-your-face references to Japanese culture like some instances of the anime did. Yo-kai Watch, despite the game being localized, was still referencing Japanese culture. And that's why despite having a brief period of popularity in Japan, the latter was such a disaster in the US. And speaking of which, Hasbro just announced a pretty big sales loss due to Yo-kai Watch's failure. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/hasbro-reports-surprise-sales-drop-fourth-quarter-52904680 |
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