The success of Yo-kai Watch will continue in 2015!
Akihiro Hino
Level Five
Level-5 President
What I Learned Interviewing Akihiro Hino
The Success of Yo-kai Watch Continues into 2015!
"Yo-kai Watch," which became the defining phenomenon of 2014 with unprecedented success spanning game software, anime, comics, and related merchandise. We interviewed Akihiro Hino of Level-5, who directs its production, to learn the secrets behind last year's massive hit and the new challenges for 2015.
Q1
Please tell us again about the hit status of "Yo-kai Watch" in 2014.
A1
In the gaming industry, it's being called the biggest hit in 20 years. "Yōkai Watch 2: Ganso/Honke/Shinuchi" alone surpassed 5 million copies sold, and related books, anime, and movies were all hits across the board. The character merchandise "Yōkai Medals" shipped a staggering 150 million units by the end of last year. We've also heard the wonderful news that products from companies we collaborated with became hits one after another.
Q2
Why did this phenomenon occur?
A2
The key factor was approaching it as a cross-media strategy centered around the game, encompassing comics, anime, and movies. The reason for its success lies in the experience, track record, relationships, and trust we built to create this. Within that foundation, we were able to take on new challenges and make decisions with speed. So, it wasn't just a lucky hit overnight.
Q3
Will this momentum continue into 2015?
A3
Fundamentally, we want 2015 to be another Yo-kai Watch year (laughs). Regarding overseas expansion, we've received numerous partnership inquiries, and concrete projects are progressing. From the start, Yo-kai Watch aimed to be a timeless work like Doraemon. For example, even when creating the first anime episode, we included elements appealing to adults, designing it so all ages could enjoy it together. In 2015, we want even more people to enjoy this world.
As symbolized by the large-scale segment featured on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen New Year's Eve music show, 2014 was truly the year of "Yōkai Watch."
Yōkai Watch originated as a video game series produced by Level-5. The first game was released in July 2013. It became a massive hit, selling over one million copies for that title alone. Starting in January 2014, the anime began airing on TV. When character merchandise like "Yōkai Watch" and "Yōkai Medals" hit stores, toy shops saw long lines and it became a news topic. In July, the second game, "Yōkai Watch 2: Ganso/Honke," was released. Combined sales with "Yōkai Watch 2: Shinuchi," released late last year, surpassed 5 million copies. The comic book series has surpassed 4.7 million copies in cumulative print runs, while related books like fanbooks have exceeded 6 million copies in total sales. The movie released in December set a new record for Toho distribution with 1,140,433 advance tickets sold, and its opening weekend box office revenue broke the company's previous record.
Furthermore, collaborations with companies have often resulted in popular products and significantly contributed to the improved performance of those companies. This power is the potential of Yo-kai Watch.
Level-5 President Akihiro Hino, who spearheaded this remarkable success, attributes the hit's reason to the success of its cross-media strategy. "The cross-media performance achieved by Yo-kai Watch has yielded the best possible results, and I believe it has created a roadmap for the future. Traditionally, games might sell well while anime does moderately, or vice versa—there's often a trade-off. Yo-kai Watch is different. It's rare for all media extensions—games, toys, comics, CDs—to sell so well across the board."
Achieving such a massive hit required the success and experience gained from the hit series "Inazuma Eleven" starting in 2008, along with strong teamwork with partners. "We've developed an eye for what not to do based on our past experiences with previous works, and we have the judgment to decide on actions. That's the big difference."
This year, they aim to extend this momentum overseas.
"This year is the critical test of whether we can sustain last year's success. To keep succeeding, we need to take on new challenges. One such challenge is expanding overseas with games, anime, and merchandise—a cross-media approach similar to Japan. We believe the fantasy elements inherent in the work can transcend cultures and resonate internationally."
This overseas expansion is planned for Asia, North America, South America, Europe, and other regions, with specific details expected to be revealed gradually. President Hino has stated in various interviews that he aims to make Yo-kai Watch a timeless presence like "Doraemon" or "Sazae-san," transcending generations. He sees taking on new challenges as crucial to achieving this.
"We want Yo-kai Watch to be loved for 20 or 30 years, like Doraemon. However, in today's world where consumers have so many choices, it's incredibly difficult to avoid becoming stale and to remain the king of content. Therefore, we must take proactive action to create new formats, rather than being constrained by existing ones with excuses like 'we've never done that before.' We intend to work closely with our partners to achieve this."
With Yo-kai Watch showing no signs of fading from the spotlight this year, all eyes remain on President Hino's leadership at the helm.
What is Yo-kai Watch?
Kenta Amano, an ordinary fifth-grade elementary school student, encounters Whisper, a yokai butler, by chance and is given a mysterious watch called the "Yokai Watch." This Yokai Watch allows him to find yokai lurking around town and summon friend yokai using Yokai Medals (obtained from yokai that become his friends). Kenta and his friend yokai then persuade troublesome yokai to stop causing problems, sometimes fighting them, to resolve issues. Ultimately, these opponents also become new friend yokai. This core framework is expanded across cross-media platforms like games, comics, and anime. Various characters and items are commercialized, and collaborations with companies simultaneously proliferate. This is the cross-media strategy President Hino speaks of, considered the key factor behind Yo-kai Watch's explosive hit.
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Author
Akihiro Hino
Level Five
Born in 1968. Founded Level-5 in 1998. Served as planner and original creator for "Yōkai Watch." Other notable works include the "Professor Layton" and "Inazuma Eleven" series.