Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Game-inspired anime explores emotions in a creative way.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Yo-Kai Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 14 parent reviews
Parents say that while the show is generally enjoyable and clever, there are significant concerns regarding inappropriate content for younger viewers. Many reviews highlight the presence of suggestive material and themes that some parents feel are unsuitable, particularly for children under 10, with discussions about nudity, sexual innuendo, and inappropriate behavior leading to a ban in some households.
- inappropriate content
- age suitability
- suggestive material
- parental concerns
- clever humor
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 40 kid reviews
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?
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
- Premiere date : October 5, 2015
- Cast : Johnny Yong Bosch , Melissa Hutchison , Brent Pendergrass
- Network : Disney XD
- Genre : Anime
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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