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YO-Kai Watch: Japan’S Monster Craze Set to Go International Ove Over Pokemon, a Legion of New Cutesy Monsters with a Handheld Console in His Back Pocket

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YO-Kai Watch: Japan’S Monster Craze Set to Go International Ove Over Pokemon, a Legion of New Cutesy Monsters with a Handheld Console in His Back Pocket Amy Winehouse statue unveiled37 in London TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2014 Photo provided by The Miss America Organization shows Kira Kazantsev, representing New York as she waves to the audi- ence after being crowned Miss America 2015 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. — AFP photos Miss New York crowned Miss America o it’s official: America’s most beautiful women come tour and appearances as a national goodwill ambassador from New York. Miss New York Kira Kazantsev was for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. And her Miss Scrowned Miss America late Sunday, the third straight America title comes with a $50,000 scholarship to continue year that the Big Apple’s local beauty queen has gone on her education. For the talent portion of the competition, to win the national pageant. The former Miss America, Nina Kazantsev performed a version of the Pharrell Williams Davuluri, also from New York, ceded her crown to song “Happy” in which she sat cross-legged on stage and Kazantsev after the competition at Atlantic City in New used a red plastic cup and the palms of her hands to sound Jersey. Kazantsev, 22, isn’t just a pretty face. She chose pro- the rhythm.—AFP tecting women against domestic violence as her advocacy issue and says she’s aiming for a master’s degree in busi- Kira Kazantsev, representing New York as she is crowned File photo shows Miss New York Kira Kazantsev ness administration and a law degree. Miss America 2015 by Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri attending the ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ New York The crowning kicks off a yearlong national speaking at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New premiere at Ziegfeld Theater in New York City. Jersey. YO-Kai Watch: Japan’s monster craze set to go international ove over Pokemon, a legion of new cutesy monsters with a handheld console in his back pocket. Yuuichi Ishii, who them. YO-Kai Watch shares with its predecessor Pokemon “a handheld console and released in July, saw its sales exceed 2.3 is haunting Japan and set to break out all over the runs the Toy Cats toy store in Tokyo, said the demographic very similar sort of collecting mechanism” said Alt, where the million units by early September, on top of over 1.2 million Mworld after trampling the competition at home. “YO- spread of fans is indicative of how popular the monster-col- main character battles monsters and then owns them. “The big copies of the first version, released last year. Financial data for Kai Watch” is a nexus of manga comics, anime cartoons and lecting phenomenon has become. The secret to its success, he difference between YO-Kai Watch and Pokemon, however, is the sales were not readily available, but the company con- computer games that revolve around the life of a school boy says, is its cute characters and the non-violent way the main that Pokemon is set in a pure fantasy world... whereas YO-Kai firmed plans to release products in foreign markets. Level-5 and the monsters-”Yokai” that he summons with his wrist character interacts with monsters-defeated ones aren’t killed, Watch is definitely set in at least a version of Japan,” he said. president Akihiro Hino will be at the Tokyo Game Show when strap. While the name is unfamiliar in the West, it’s already very but become friends. “It’s becoming like a second Pokemon,” he Events take place in Japanese streets, with children living in it starts on Thursday, just outside the Japanese capital. Alt said big business in Japan. “We bought a lot-about 20 items-as we said. Japanese houses and eating Japanese food, he said. “I think he expected YO-Kai Watch would make the jump abroad, can rarely buy them,” Shoji Takayama said as he came out of a that’s one of the reasons it’s so popular with kids here, because where Japanese companies are formidable because of the store with his wife, two children and a big plastic bag full of Folklore it makes you feel like these monsters could be just around the tight interweaving of their product lines. “They all work togeth- toys. The family spent about 30,000 yen ($280) at YO-Kai Watch Matt Alt, a pop culture commentator who co-authored corner,” he said. And that appeal is certainly paying off for the er in what’s called the media mix where the video game, the Town, a temporary shop on “First Avenue Tokyo Station”, a “Yokai Attack!” a book detailing the monsters and spooks of manufacturers. Replica versions of the watch worn by little comic book, the animation, the toys all support each other,” he street inside the Japanese capital’s main train station. “It’s fun Japanese popular culture, says the series draws heavily on folk- Keita-which allow the wearer to insert different medals to pro- said. “Japanese toy companies have figured out a system for to catch Yokai and become friends,” nine-year-old Naoya said lore archetypes. “These have been around for hundreds of duce different sound effects-are in such short supply that their strengthening and cross-promoting their products that is unri- of the video games. “The characters are cute,” added his sister, years as folktales. And now this series has woven them togeth- price has rocketed on online auction sites. Bandai Namco valled anywhere else in the world.” — AFP Sae, 11. Such is the demand that tickets to get into the store er to make a new sort of content out of them,” Alt told AFP. Holdings said it would produce two million units this year, were distributed in online lotteries, allowing up to 432 people Protagonist Keita Amano is an “average” fifth-grader (around along with around 100 million medals, contributing to the eye- to visit every day. 10 years old) who happens to get a watch that can summon popping 10 billion yen ($93 million) worth of YO-Kai Watch The first group of customers included an eight-year-old boy monsters. toys they have sold in the six months from April. And that’s not who got an early Shinkansen bullet train with his mother from With the assistance of a “butler” monster and friends, he including software sales. neighbouring Shizuoka prefecture and a middle-aged man fights beings that trouble humans, beats them and befriends YO-Kai Watch 2, developed by Level-5 for the Nintendo 3DS ‘Jibanyan’, main character of popular ‘Yo-Kai Watch’, a nexus of manga comics, anime car- A little girl holding a stuffed doll of ‘Jibanyan’, main char- Photo shows little children and their parents enjoying a character show ‘Jibanyan’, main toons and computer games at an event to meet little children at a shopping mall in acter of popular ‘Yo-Kai Watch’. character of popular ‘Yo-Kai Watch’. — AFP photos Tokyo..
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