Parents' Guide to

Yo-Kai Watch

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Game-inspired anime explores emotions in a creative way.

TV Disney XD Kids' Animation 2015
Yo-Kai Watch Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 12+

Based on 16 parent reviews

Timbued
Timbued Adult
February 20, 2022
age 13+

More harmless than things that aired when i was a kid.

I want to start by saying this show is up to Japans standards for children & I also feel it is fine for children 13+ and something everyone can enjoy! Compared to a lot of other cartoons there is basically zero violence. no real battles or fights and problems solved in creative ways which can inspire children to think outside the box and not bash heads together thinking violence is the only way. I see a lot of people here complaining about the "Suggestive TV After Dark episode" and i want to lead by saying, there where worst innuendos on TV when i was growing up. for example? A Show called Rainbow with Zippy counting banana skins.. 1 skin.. 2 skin.. 3 skin.. 4.. you get the picture. as well as the host telling all the boys to bounce their balls and all the girls to borrow boys balls to bounce as they won't have any. Yokai doesn't show suggestive things anywhere on par with the gross stuff i grew up with. I honestly wish Yokai watch was around when i was younger, it's charming fun and has an awesome sense of humour! and the characters are mostly adorable to the point i'd probably of colelcted the plushies! Honestly ignore all the reviews about it showing porn? Those are misleading. it was not the focus of the episode and there was no porn. it was 3 children being naughty in their sleepover getting access to channels they shouldn't be watching and getting in serious trouble. the message of the episode was to not do things without permission and those clever parents somehow missed the entire point of the episode. I imagine they don't even have kids and are just "Social Justice Warriors" on the internet trying to blow things out of proportion.

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Jesse8511
Jesse8511 Adult
October 18, 2019
age 10+

Best Show Ever!

I love watching this show! I don't care what my age is. I think Yo-kai Watch! is the best I've ever seen. It's a shame that not all of the Series/Episodes are in English I really would like to see them all

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What's the Story?

In YO-KAI WATCH, during an excursion in the woods, a boy named Nate happens upon an ancient tree with a machine that dispenses a mysterious capsule. Upon opening it, Nate meets Whisper, a ghost-like spirit who schools him in the lore of Yo-Kai, unseen beings who influence people's behavior in mischievous and cruel ways. Whisper gives Nate a special watch that allows him to see the Yo-Kai and to call on others who can counteract those who cause trouble for unsuspecting victims. Together with a cat Yo-Kai named Jibanyan, Nate and Whisper set out to battle the troublesome spirits causing mayhem in his town.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (16):
Kids say (39):

This anime series takes a surprisingly intuitive and visual approach to exploring emotions, even if the whole unseen-forces-controlling-people's-actions angle is a bit disconcerting for younger kids. Viewers can see the Yo-Kai causing the ruckus even if the characters can't (minus Nate, of course), and each one's appearance directly relates to the specific mood it evokes. The juggernaut Dismarelda causes people to argue; persistently annoying Negatibuzz makes people doubt their self-confidence; and so on. Similarly, positive influences such as Happiere and Blazion light up the scene as courage, joy, and hope incarnate.

Not only does this make for many colorful, creative characters, it also encourages kids to identify different emotions and accept them as normal. Their mood swings may not be caused by spirits, but to be honest, sometimes it feels that way, and often the best remedy for a bad mood is an influx of positive energy. In any case, Yo-Kai Watch is a great starting point for talking about feelings and behavior with kids and tweens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about feelings. Kids: Is it always easy to identify when you're sad, angry, or frustrated? Do your feelings sometimes appear without your knowing how and why? What are some constructive ways to cope with them?

  • Kids: How do the Yo-Kais' appearances reflect their personalities? Is it always so easy to pick out positive and negative influences in the real world? Have you ever been surprised by a person's real nature after passing judgment on them?

  • Had your kids heard about or seen the Yo-Kai Watch video games and characters prior to watching this show? If so, did that inspire them to watch? If not, are they curious to try the games now? How does what we see on TV influence the things we want? Is that always a bad thing?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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