Yo-Kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu

Families across Japan witnessed the origin of the Yo-Kai Watch in the first film, then witnessed five dramatic stories a year later, and last year, they got sucked up by the malevolent force that turned their favorite anime into a live-action flick. Now, in tradition of the holiday spirit (pun intended), families are bracing themselves into what is know to be the most terrifying installment yet as everything they know about Japan's favorite franchise has changed.

Yo-Kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu

As the fourth outing of the Yo-Kai Watch films, Yo-Kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu envisions the world of Yo-Kai Watch thirty years after the main story when the original hero forgot about the existence of Yo-Kai upon bracing adulthood. We get to introduce the new heroes of this film starting with Natsume Amano (played by Mone Kamishiraishi, famed for playing Mitsuha from last year's blockbuster anime film your name.), the daughter of the original Yo-Kai Watch main character Keita, a mysterious teenage boy named Touma Tsukinami (played by one of Japan's breakout actors Yudai Chiba), and a spiritual teenager named Akinori Arihoshi, while we are reunited by old Yo-Kai Watch favorites like Jibanyan, Komasan, and many others. Thirty years later and looks like most of the cuteness Jibanyan and Komasan possess are all gone and what's going to happen later on is very terrifying indeed but first, the story.

A mysterious asteroid crashed into earth and then later, a malevolent virus spreading around the world, turning humans into monsters. As the world's population plagued into a malevolent force, these mysterious viruses tempted Touma to become one with the plot orchestrated by the powerful demon king. That's when Natsume comes in and upon the sudden encounter with Whisper, fate throws a bone, knowing that she's the last hope to save the world from a malevolent force.

This film introduces two Yo-Kai Watches such as the Yo-Kai Watch Elder, the one Natsume wore in the film, which can summon the forces of light, and the Yo-Kai Watch Ogre, the one Touma wore, that can summon the forces of darkness. Speaking of darkness, this film features a terrifying form unheard from Yo-Kai Watch fans everywhere. Called Shadowside, it turns our favorite Yo-Kais such as Jibanyan and Komasan into grizzly and grotesque beasts, turning the family movie into a snuff movie.

Little kids are definitely want to hide with their mommies and daddies right now because one look at their Shadowside Yo-Kais will make them crying with fear knowing that their favorite Yo-Kai characters became scary monsters. For big boys, however, the terrifying versions of their Yo-Kai favorites are awesome indeed and so are the thrilling fight scenes that will keep them the edge of the seat. I know this film is downright scary to the last breath but to help balance it out, they brought in some guests...big-time guests...as the stars of the legendary anime GeGeGe no Kitarou making special appearances in the film. Best thing ever done since putting the Kumamoto prefecture mascot in the first Yo-Kai Watch film three years ago, and since this is GeGeGe no Kitarou, the semi-scary Jibanyan, thirty years later, dons Kitarou's outfit, just to pay tribute to the legend itself. This is exactly why the celebration of 100 years of anime comes full circle with this.

This new Yo-Kai Watch film gave us the terrifying vision of the future of Level 5's supernatural hit franchise and while it became a snuff movie because of the terrifying flesh-eating monsters appeared on this flick, it's still the typical Yo-Kai Watch we all love and with franchise celebrating its 5th year on 2018, looks like this film is on the right path.

My rating: 4.0 out of 5.