Yo-kai Watch: the anime to debut on Disney XD this year, trailer; franchise headed to Latin America

Just like Inazuma Eleven, Yo-kai Watch is a cross-media franchise, and it was thanks to the anime series that the franchise’s popularity really boomed in Japan. Of course, Level-5 is well aware of that, which is why the company is bringing it along with the game and the merchandise outside Japan.

Way before we got any news about the games, Dentesu Entertainment USA announced that it had acquired the rights for the Yo-kai Watch animated series for the Americas. And yesterday, the company revealed that it had signed an exclusive deal with Disney, who will broadcast the anime series on its Disney XD channel. Apparently, only 26 episodes will be broadcast at first, most likely with more to come later.

Level-5 also announced the creation of a new, Los Angeles-based company, who will lead on rights management and marketing coordination for Yo-kai Watch (à la The Pokémon Company). But that’s not all: the franchise is also headed to Latin America, with MarVista Entertainment who recently picked up media, licensing and merchandising rights for that part of the world.

But that’s not all: it looks like the anime series is also headed to various asian countries (on Toonami), though with a different dub than the one from North America.

Here’s a trailer for the English version of the Yo-kai Watch anime series: