The theme behind Youkai Watch is “Everyday life with Youkai”. The game is set in an average town called Sakura New Town, which might seem normal to most people, but it is actually bustling with all kinds of Japanese folklore monsters, known as youkai.
Here’s a look at some of the characters and youkai that will be involved in Youkai Watch’s story.
Keita Amano
The 11 year-old 5th grader, who is one of the two main characters of Youkai Watch. He’s a relatively straightforward character who seems to be quite the unlucky young boy.
Fumika Kodama
Fumi is also an 11 year-old fifth grader, who happens to be Keita’s classmate. She is Youkai Watch’s alternate main character for players who pick the female gender to start the game.
Whisper
Whisper is a youkai who suddenly appeared from the inside of a capsule ball machine and follows Keita around. He helps the young boy by explaining to him the many wonders of the youkai world.
Jibanyan
Jibanyan is a spiritual ghost of a cat who died after being hit by a car. He seems to be able to cause different sorts of curses to anyone by having them touch his waistband.
Kanchi Imata and Gorota Kumajima
Kanchi is part of a theory group who goes by the principle of realism. He doesn’t believe in spirits, at all. Gorota is the fearful ringleader of the kids, who Keita and the others call ‘Kuma’.
Here are some more youkai who spend their lives in Sakura New Town:
Nogappa
Nogappa always feels the need to go anywhere that water can be found. When he gets tired, he gets water from his bottle to splash on his head to refresh himself.
Tsuchinoko
Being around this youkai will make you greatly lucky. It seems to bring luck wherever it goes.
Himojii
This old-man youkai has the ability of… being able to make people hungry. However, it seems like that’s all he can do.
Bakurobaba
Bakurobaba has the ability to possess faces. When she possesses someone’s face, that person starts to mindlessly speak their mind, putting them in a state where secrets can no longer be kept.
Donyoriinu
Donyoriinu is a giant youkai that haunts rooms. When she’s inside a room, she expands, which causes the surrounding atmosphere to ‘worsen’.
Negativuun
This youkai has the ability to amplify any negative parts of a person’s heart. Being haunted by Negativuun will cause you to have nothing but negative thoughts.
Keita didn’t always know about the many youkai that live around him. Here’s a look at his story and how it started:
One Summer day, Keita was looking for rare insects in the deep ends of a forest located behind the shrine.
Keita discovers a mysterious capsule ball machine. After giving it a turn, Whisper suddenly appears.
“Heheh, are you satisfied by just hunting bugs? Don’t you want to look for something more interesting?” Whisper says. After he hands Keita the Youkai Watch, it would mark the beginning of a slightly different everyday life.
The Youkai Watch is a device that allows you to see the many youkai out there, who are invisible to the naked eye.
Upon further inspecting the above scenario with the Youkai Watch, you’ll notice a violet color in the radar. After the gauge fills up around the circle, it reveals Donyoriinu hidden in the corner of the room. Could she be the cause of the couple’s dispute?
You can also use the Youkai Watch to spot youkai insects around trees and fish in the water. There are also non-youkai insects and fish that can be caught, as well.
Quests will be done by listening to people around Sakura New Town and accepting their requests to solve various things that have been troubling them.
This is where Keita and his Youkai Watch will come in handy to help solve their troubles, which are often caused by the youkai, themselves.
Youkai Watch also offers a 3DS camera mode, called “Youkai Lense”, which allows you to look for any youkai that might be hiding in your world. If you find any youkai with your 3DS camera, you’ll be rewarded with various items.
Youkai Watch is slated to be released on July 11th for Nintendo 3DS.
Published: May 22, 2013 02:00 pm