A boy named Keita Amano, the protagonist in the story, happens upon a capsule machine in the woods and finds in it a peculiar device known as the Yo-Kai Watch. (image: Masahiko Satoh/flickr)
SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – The so-called “Yo-Kai Watch” fever is in vogue among Korean children, following an explosive popularity in Japan. The wristwatch became fashionable after the release of a cartoon of the same name. Originally a role-playing video game released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan about a year ago, the Yo-Kai Watch was produced into a TV “anime” series.
A boy named Keita Amano, the protagonist in the story, happens upon a capsule machine in the woods and finds in it a peculiar device known as the Yo-Kai Watch. With this, Keita can see various cute-looking Yo-Kais (goblin-like creatures) that are haunting people and causing mischief.
In Japan, toys and electronic devices featuring the Yo-Kai ran out only a few hours after launch. Some parents and children waited in line or camped out in front of the toy store the day before the launch.
Some industry officials projected the Yo-Kai will be as popular as the Tamagotchi, a handheld digital pet, in the mid-1990s. The Yo-Kai Watch cartoon is currently aired in Korea and Korean importers said they would begin selling Yo-Kai watches and medals from next month.
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
