BY MARCY MAGIERA
Yo-Kai Watch, the hottest kids’ property in Japan over the past 18 months, will land in North America on Oct. 5, when cable’s Disney XD will begin showing the animated half-hour five days a week. The TV premiere marks the beginning of a licensing campaign that will see a legion of mischievous Yo-kai spirits unleashed across video games, comic books, toys, t-shirts, bedding and bean bag chairs over the course of the next year.
Date | Licensee(s) | Details |
---|---|---|
10/5/2015 | Disney XD | Begins broadcasting half-hour Yo-Kai Watch episodes 5x week. |
11/3/2015 | Viz Media | Manga launches. New print issues available bi-monthly. |
11/6/2015 | Nintendo | 3DS game launch. |
December 2015 | Level-5, Hasbro | Digital app launch. |
January 2016 | Hasbro | Toy and game launch centered around a Yo-Kai watch and collectible medals. |
Spring 2016 | Various | Softlines launch. |
Summer/Fall 2016 | Various | Remainder of products launch for back-to-school. |
More than a Game
Like Pokémon, in which players, collect, trade and battle “pocket monsters,” Yo-Kai Watch has a strong collectible hook. In Yo-Kai Watch, a boy obtains a special watch that allows him to summon and befriend Yo-kai, or pesky spirits that cause minor troubles. Hasbro’s line will include toys and games centered around collectible medals, each representing a unique Yo-kai, and in Nintendo’s 3DS game, players use a Yo-Kai Watch to discover more than 200 Yo-kai, then befriend them and turn them into a team to battle other Yo-kai.
“We look forward to introducing kids to the amazing Yo-Kai Watch franchise through play experiences that give them the fantasy of befriending the Yo-kai characters and participating in their mischievous adventures,” said Jerry Perez, SVP Marketing at Hasbro.
Sales Expectations
Based on licensee and retailer response, Evolution expects 2016 retail sales to hit “the multiple hundred million dollar mark,” Rutherford says. He is realistic, however, about the level of competition in the marketplace, where Yo-Kai Watch will have to compete not just with other anime, but also with properties ranging from Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Disney/Lucasfilm’s Star Wars for retail shelf space. “Good content with consumer demand puts properties at the forefront,” he says, noting that Yo-Kai Watch should appeal to kids of both genders and has TV content delivered every day. “I like the TV model when it’s got that consistency,” he says.
“Yo-Kai Watch is not your typical animated series, in the sense that it was first developed as a robust video game, with an incredibly diverse story world and over 230 characters, all with back stories,” explains Hayakawa. “As we developed the television series, we already had this incredibly rich, diverse universe to tap.”
Yo-Kai Watch Lead Licensees
- Hasbro (toys)
- Nintendo USA (videogames)
- Viz Media (publishing)
*Extension or renewal. †If no territory designated, for the U.S. |
||||
Granted To | Products Manufactured (Territory)† | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Accessory Innovations | Backpacks, bags, cold weather accessories, headwear, hosiery, luggage, lunch bags, suspenders, ties, umbrellas, wallets | |||
Acco Brands | Binders, composition books, folders, notebooks, pencil pouches (U.S., Canada) | |||
BrownTrout Publishers | Calendars, desk pads, planners, sticker books (U.S., Canada) | |||
Calego Intl. | Backpacks, bags, handbags, luggage, pencil cases, pillows, rainwear, storage (Canada) | |||
Cortina Leomil | Footwear (U.S., Canada) | |||
Cra-Z-Art | Airbrush, arts & crafts kits, coloring kits, puzzles, rubber stamps, stationery (U.S., Canada) | |||
Franco Manufacturing | Bath accessories, beach towels, bedding, furniture, kitchen accessories, rugs, storage, throws (U.S., Canada) | |||
Freeze div. Central Mills | Apparel, tops (children’s, junior’s, men’s, toddler’s) | |||
Global Brands Group | Intimates, loungewear, sleepwear, underwear | |||
Good Stuff/Basic Fun div. The Bridge Direct | Amusement plush, banners, flags, novelties | |||
Hasbro | Figures, games, master toy, playsets, role play, trading cards (Worldwide, excluding Japan) | |||
Hori | Video game accessories (U.S., Canada) | |||
Isaac Morris | Apparel (children’s, toddler’s, men’s), subscription gift boxes | |||
Just Toys Intl. Ltd. | Badges, buttons, key chains, standees, stickers (U.S., Canada) | |||
Little Buddy | Jigsaw puzzles (U.S., Canada) | |||
MB Wolverine Holding Co. | Coin bank, construction block sets, dog tags, flashlights, glow sticks, key chains, stickers (U.S., Canada) | |||
Nintendo of America | Video games (3DS; Worldwide) | |||
Northwest Co. (The) | Beach towels, pillows, throws (U.S., Canada) | |||
Panini America | Photo albums, photo cards, sticker sets (U.S., Canada) | |||
Pyramid America | Canvas art, metal signs, posters, wood signs (U.S., Canada) | |||
Radz Brands | Candy dispensers, candy-filled containers, confectionery, Easter eggs, novelty candies (U.S., Canada) | |||
Rubie’s Costume | Costume accessories, costumes, masks (U.S., Canada) | |||
Topps | Chocolate candy, confectionery (U.S., Canada) | |||
Underground Toys | Drinkware, inflatables, mobile device cases, storage, talking key chains, talking pens, throws, wristbands | |||
Viz Media | Comic books | |||
World Trade Jewelers | Accessories (children’s), jewelry (U.S., Canada) |