Yo-Kai Watch is a popular franchise, but there is an important question that arises: Why was the series cancelled? Its success and lack of sequels are largely responsible for its cancellation. The franchise has seen rapid development and marketing in Japan. The Yo-Kai Watch series had three entries and two sequels, including the popular Yo-Kai Watch Blasters. In total, 11 games were released in just five years.

Anime

The anime series Yo-Kai Watch started airing in Japan on Disney XD in October 2015. The English dub was cancelled soon afterward due to low ratings. The franchise was revived a year later when the video game was launched. The game features new gameplay and plot elements. The series has been a hit in Japan, but the U.S. market has not shown as much interest in it. However, fans have not given up hope for the upcoming Yo-kai Watch movie.

The decision to reboot the series after the first series was canceled is understandable. Pokemon is another franchise in the same genre, and this has led to a few negative comparisons. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that Yo-Kai Watch’s popularity in Japan has spawned two new sequels: Pokemon Sun & Moon. While Pokemon was a huge hit in Japan, the Anime failed to gain traction in the United States.

Game

The third and final part of the Yo-Kai Watch franchise has been cancelled due to poor sales. The North American operations of Level-5 will be shut down by October 2020, and the studio has no plans to develop or release any more games in the series. Its publisher, Viz Media, is the only company licensed to publish the manga adaptations outside Japan. This is unfortunate news for fans of the series who were hoping to continue the franchise.

The latest game in the series, Yo-Kai Watch 4, ties in with the 2018 movie Yo-Kai – Forever Friends. Despite the game’s popularity in Japan, the movie didn’t receive a western release. A Level-5 representative previously stated they hoped to release the movie in the United States, but that office closed in 2019. This could indicate a lack of interest in the game in the western market.

Manga

The popular Nintendo DS game series sat unused and under-performed for several reasons, one of which was the popularity of the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon exploded in popularity during the same time that the third Yo-Kai Watch game was released in Japan, overshadowing the game’s third installment. In addition to this, the game’s popularity was starting to fade as the sequel series failed to attract as many fans as the original series did. As a result, the series was cancelled by Disney XD for declining ratings. It was replaced by another anime series, Inazuma Eleven: Ares.

During the same period, the yonkoma series Komasan: A Time for Fireworks and Miracles was serialized in the Japanese magazine Hibana. The manga series was cancelled on September 10 of the same year. The series returned the following June in the form of a 4-panel comic, Yo-kai Watch Blasters, and was released in October. Its cancellation was largely attributed to the lack of commercial success and negative reviews.

Unbelievaboy!

Anime reruns of popular Japanese cartoons are rare, but one reason the Yo-kai Watch anime was canceled is because of poor ratings. While the anime did not make its run on the western market, it was a hit in Japan, where it was aired from January 8 to March 30. It ran for three seasons and 214 episodes. However, it has been cancelled by Disney XD.

The first two seasons of Yo-Kai Watch did not do well, even if they were critically acclaimed. The second season of the anime was so-so, and the franchise failed to stay relevant in the West. In my opinion, the series’ creators failed to prepare for the American market and underestimated how different tastes were in the West. Unfortunately, this resulted in an uneven series.

Hinozall

A member of the Shady tribe, Hinozall first appeared in Yo-kai Watch 2 as a Psychic Specter. In the third installment of the franchise, Hinozall is the first Yo-kai to acquire an awoken form. His awoken form is known as Jue Xing Ri noShen Kakusei Hi no Shin. The game has three ways to fight Hinozall, including punches, special attacks, and summoning an employee, Pandle.

The main character of the game is based on the CEO of Level-5, Akihiro Hino. Hinozall has disheveled red hair with purple loose ends and wears a crown on his head. His skin is pink with a green tint from his head to his nose. He wears a black jacket over a gray shirt, has six arms, and has a wristwatch on his right arm.