Story
What is Yo-kai Watch About?
Below is a synopsis of Yo-kai Watch for those unfamiliar with the franchise. If you would like to skip to the main content of the AU, click here.
In the world of Yo-kai Watch, fantastical little creatures called Yo-kai cause mundane problems for humans by inspiriting them: making them forget things, causing them to sleep, or even cutting your wifi.
Humans normally cannot see Yo-kai, but with the power of a device called the Yo-kai Watch, humans can not only see but also summon these creatures to fight by inserting Yo-kai Medals--literal tokens of friendship--into the watch's face. These summoned allies assist in taking down more nefarious spirits, who have escalated from mundane mischief to tyrannical terror.
In most iterations of Yo-kai Watch we follow Nate Adams, a regular high school boy, along with Whisper and Jibanyan, his two main Yo-kai allies. Other human protagonists (called “Watchers” or “Watch Holders”) were added as the series expanded.
Below are some resources for more information on the franchise + some extras:
What is Yo-kaind Life About?
Yo-kaind Life maintains the general vibes of the original series, but stars an entirely new cast of human and Yo-kai characters, with the watcher Karrie being the main character. Uniquely, she is a protagonist raised around the very creatures the series is based around. As such, she has most knowledge about them pre-equipped...and perhaps, some new powers as well.
Yo-kaind Life also expands upon and speculates on aspects of the link between humans and Yo-kai established in the main series and games, introducing new antagonists that reflect both humans' and Yo-kai's perceptions on the members of the opposite realm. There are also some worldbuilding changes between the main series and Yo-kaind Life.
In the anime, most individual Yo-kai are the only representatives of their 'species' we see. While there are a select few examples of Yo-kai of the same species existing, we only ever see one Jibanyan, one Wazzat, one Roughraff, etc. throughout the series.
In the games, Yo-kai are organized in ranks based on their general strength, going from E (the weakest) to S (the strongest). You can get multiple types of the same Yo-kai relatively easily, with some exceptions for Yo-kai of higher ranks, Yo-kai obtained via special in-game events, and (some) befriendable boss Yo-kai that the game lets you befriend in the late game and/or post-game.
Yo-kaind Life abides closer to game logic in this sense, and Yo-kai populations work like so:
Most Yo-kai between the ranks of E through B are common and take up a good portion of the Yo-kai population. Yo-kai belonging to ranks A and S, and Yo-kai obtained through fusion are less common. Boss Yo-kai (Yo-kai that, as the name implies, are faced as boss battles in the games) are a case-by-case basis.
Obviously though, there is only one Lord Enma to rule the Yo-kai World.
The exemplary bosses from the games do exist in this universe, but aren’t part of the main cast.
Both the games and anime abide by the "Dog Named 'Dog'" trope in terms of Yo-kai names; most Yo-kai in the series will go by their species name. In at least one instance, a Yo-kai will have a human name as part of a joke or pop culture reference (something that Yo-kai Watch is no stranger to).
And, while you can name Yo-kai in the games, there are no instances of these nicknames being used outside of online play.
In Yo-kaind Life, Yo-kai having true names outside of their species name is more common, but not a requirement. Yo-kai may call themselves:
- A given name from parents.
- A name they came up with themselves.
- A name they used to have when they were alive.
- Their species name, because they don't remember their human name.
- Their species name, because they feel comfortable with it.
...And more!
There is one catch to this; Yo-kai will only give their true name to an individual they trust, and be especially wary if the individual is human. Names hold a lot of power; a Yo-kai giving their true name to the wrong person could mean eternity imprisoned forever.
There are several mechanics in the Yokai Watch game series relating to the battle system that have come and gone with each installation. Most of them were not adapted to the anime.
Many of these mechanics were related to player actions (purifying inspirited Yo-kai, pinning/targeting Yo-kai, rotating Yo-kai in and out of battle). In pursuit of giving watchers a more active role in combat, Yo-kaind Life re-incorporates many player actions, watcher-related mechanics, and other things including:
- Techniques
- Equipment
- Pins
- Yo-ki Weapons (Introduced in Yokai Watch 4)
- Purification
- Healing with food and Reviving Yo-kai after they are downed in a fight
- Yo-kai souls' ability to grant benefits to the holder
While this AU is generally lighthearted and silly, some character backstories may include darker themes. A more detailed list can be found here (may contain spoilers).