# Yo-kai Watch: The Movie
**Yo-kai Watch: The Movie** (*Eiga Yo-kai Watch: Tanjō no Himitsu da Nyan!*, 映画 妖怪ウォッチ 誕生の秘密だニャン！) is a 2014 Japanese animated film and the first theatrical entry in the [Yo-kai Watch](https://www.edgepedia.org/yo-kai-watch) franchise, based on the Level-5 video game released in 2013.[1](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/) It was released in Japan on December 20, 2014, runs 97 minutes, and was distributed by Toho.[1](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/) • [2](https://jfdb.jp/title/5491)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Japanese title | 映画 妖怪ウォッチ 誕生の秘密だニャン！ (*Eiga Yo-kai Watch: Tanjō no Himitsu da Nyan!*)[2](https://jfdb.jp/title/5491) |
| Release | December 20, 2014 (Japan), Toho; 97 minutes[1](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/) |
| Directors | Shigeharu Takahashi and Shinji Ushiro; animation by OLM[2](https://jfdb.jp/title/5491) |
| Creative producer | Akihiro Hino (planning and original scenario), original work by Level-5; screenplay by Yoichi Kato[2](https://jfdb.jp/title/5491) |
| Main voice cast | Haruka Tomatsu (Keita), Tomokazu Seki (Whisper), Etsuko Kozakura (Jibanyan), Yuki Kaji (Fuyunyan), Romi Park (Keizo)[3](https://www.youkai-watch.jp/archive/eiga/01/) |
| English release | Limited US theatrical run October 15, 2016, distributed by Eleven Arts, directed by Mark Risley[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/yo_kai_watch_the_movie) |
| Reception | About $99 million box office; 80% Tomatometer (5 reviews) and 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes[5](https://auteurgraph.com/director/shigeharu-takahashi/ratings) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/yo_kai_watch_the_movie) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Keita Amano (Nate Adams in the English version), an ordinary fifth-grade boy, wakes one day to find that the Yo-kai Watch on his wrist has glowed and vanished.[1](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/) Searching for clues, he travels to Kemamoto Village, where his grandmother lives, and meets the yo-kai Fuyunyan, who holds the key to the mystery.[1](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/) To recover the watch, Keita, Whisper, Jibanyan, and Fuyunyan time-slip 60 years into the past, where a powerful enemy awaits.[1](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/) • [2](https://jfdb.jp/title/5491)
In the English-language synopsis, the villain is Dame Dedtime, whose minions Kin, Gin, and Bronzlow make the Yo-kai Watch disappear from time to prevent humans and yo-kai from being friends; Hovernyan takes Nate, Whisper, and Jibanyan back to when the watch was first invented by Nate's grandfather Nathaniel Adams as a boy, and the two boys fight Dame Dedtime and her Wicked yo-kai minions.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/yo-kai-watch-the-movie)
## Production
The film was produced as part of the cross-media Yo-kai Watch franchise, which grew from the 2013 Level-5 game into comics serialized in Monthly CoroCoro Comic and a television anime.[1](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/) According to a CoroCoro Online interview with Level-5 president Akihiro Hino, work on the first film began while the game itself was still unfinished, and the production period was shortened by a year before the film opened in 2014.[6](https://corocoro-news.jp/news/57560/)
The staff included Shigeharu Takahashi and Shinji Ushiro as directors, Yoichi Kato on the screenplay, Takao Nagano and Miho Tanaka for the original yo-kai and character design concepts, and Kenichiro Saigo composing the music.[3](https://www.youkai-watch.jp/archive/eiga/01/)
## Cast
[Haruka Tomatsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/haruka-tomatsu) voiced Keita, Tomokazu Seki voiced Whisper, Etsuko Kozakura voiced Jibanyan, Yuki Kaji voiced Fuyunyan, and Romi Park voiced Keizo.[3](https://www.youkai-watch.jp/archive/eiga/01/) The film featured special guest appearances by comedian Ken Shimura as Master Nyada, kabuki actor Ainosuke Kataoka as Ubaune, and AKB48 member Haruka Shimazaki as Yukippe.[3](https://www.youkai-watch.jp/archive/eiga/01/) • [1](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/)
## English-language release
An English dub was shown in limited US theaters on October 15, 2016 under the title *Yo-kai Watch: The Movie Event*, distributed by Eleven Arts, with Mark Risley directing and a cast including [Johnny Yong Bosch](https://www.edgepedia.org/johnny-yong-bosch) as Nate, Joey D'Auria as Whisper, and Alicyn Packard as Jibanyan.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/yo_kai_watch_the_movie) The film later became available digitally and on disc in North America, and has streamed on services including Hoopla.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/yo-kai-watch-the-movie)
## Reception
The film earned about $99 million at the box office, and later entries in the series did not match it: the 2015 sequel grossed about $93 million and the 2018 film *Yo-kai Watch: Friends Forever* about $10 million.[5](https://auteurgraph.com/director/shigeharu-takahashi/ratings) On Rotten Tomatoes it holds an 80% Tomatometer from 5 reviews and an 82% audience score.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/yo_kai_watch_the_movie) Critics writing around the English release noted that the story assumes familiarity with the series and moves quickly for newcomers, while praising its humor, including parodies of *Star Wars*.[8](https://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/1566329/yo-kai-watch--the-movie) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/yo_kai_watch_the_movie)
## References
1. [映画 妖怪ウォッチ 誕生の秘密だニャン！, 映画.com](https://eiga.com/movie/80540/)
2. [映画 妖怪ウォッチ 誕生の秘密だニャン！, JFDB](https://jfdb.jp/title/5491)
3. [映画 妖怪ウォッチ 誕生の秘密だニャン！, official Yo-kai Watch site](https://www.youkai-watch.jp/archive/eiga/01/)
4. [Yo-kai Watch: The Movie Event, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/yo_kai_watch_the_movie)
5. [Shigeharu Takahashi Ratings, AuteurGraph](https://auteurgraph.com/director/shigeharu-takahashi/ratings)
6. [日野社長から映画妖怪ウォッチの制作の裏側が明かされる！, コロコロオンライン](https://corocoro-news.jp/news/57560/)
7. [Yo-kai Watch: The Movie streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/yo-kai-watch-the-movie)
8. [Yo-kai Watch: The Movie review, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/1566329/yo-kai-watch--the-movie)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Anime 'the Movie' franchise entries*
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