'Yo-kai Watch' Announces New Anime Series

It would appear that the mixed-media franchise Yo-kai Watch is going back to the drawing board for its anime.

According to Anime News Network, Shogakukan's Coro Coro Comics magazine has revealed that there will be a new Yo-kai Watch anime series starting April 5th. The new series will reportedly return to the base name of Yo-kai Watch and will feature longtime franchise protagonist Nate.

Most recently, the anime had been called Yo-kai Watch: Shadowside and features Nate's children. This shift back to the original protagonist as series lead mirrors the Yo-kai Watch manga's upcoming return to using Nate as well. Though commonly compared to the Pokemon franchise, Yo-kai Watch has never quite reached those heights in the West despite being incredibly popular in Japan. Returning to its roots might be setting up for another attempt at global popularity.

What do you think about this new? Are you excited to see more Yo-kai Watch or is this something you're going to pass on? Let us know in the comments!

If you are not familiar with Yo-kai Watch, the series of video games, comics, toys and more from Level-5 traditionally follows a young boy named Nate who is granted the ability to see small yo-kai or mischievous demons running amok. Gifted with a special tool called a Yo-Kai Watch, Nate teams up with a few critters to ward off evil creatures who'd threaten his home. Yo-kai Watch 3, the latest video game from the franchise, released in North America on February 8th.