M01

is the first movie of the Yo-kai Watch animation series which premiered on December 20, 2014 in Japan and October 15, 2016 across select theaters in the United States.

The movie was aired on on November 12, 2016 in the United States, after the episode premiere of Whisper's Secret Past.

Summary
Nate, Whisper, and Jibanyan travel to the past to help Nathaniel and Hovernyan create the Yo-kai Watch when dark forces conspire to undo the history of the watch.

Plot
When the evil Kin and Gin steal the Yo-kai Watch from Nate Adams one night to help their master Dame Dedtime prevent humans and Yo-kai from being friends, Nate finds help in the Yo-kai Hovernyan who takes Nate, Whisper, and Jibanyan back in time 60 years to when the Yo-kai Watch was first invented by Nate's own grandfather Nathaniel while he was a kid. Together, the two boys fight Dame Dedtime and her evil Wicked Yo-kai minions to save the world from her evil plans.

Differences Between the Game and Movie Adaption

 * Nate finds Meganyan on a buidling with his Yo-kai Watch before it gets stolen by Kin and Gin. While in the games, Nate finds Meganyan in between the doughnut stores without his watch.
 * There is no war relating to the Bonies and Fleshies at all, even though Toadal Dude and Arachanus make an appearance in the climax.
 * In the movie, Dame Dedtime meets Nathan and the gang at a place in Old Harrisville after they meet Master Nyada rather than at Flatpot Plains.
 * In the game, Nathaniel only calls all of his Classic Yo-kai friends, as opposed to many other Yo-kai like Leggly and Chippa in the movie.

Humans

 * Nathaniel Adams
 * Lucy Adams

Yo-kai

 * Hovernyan/Darknyan/Meganyan
 * Buchinyan
 * Kumamon
 * Dame Dedtime/Dame Demona
 * Reuknight
 * Chippa
 * Frostina
 * Leggly
 * Mermaidyn
 * Eyesoar
 * Blandon
 * Pittapatt
 * Tongus
 * Predictabull
 * Singcada
 * Sushiyama
 * Castelius I
 * Chummer
 * Everfore
 * Blowkade
 * Chymera
 * Slitheref
 * Nird
 * Furgus
 * Arachnus
 * Mudmunch
 * Gnomey
 * Toadal Dude
 * Miradox
 * Master Nyada
 * Moximous N
 * Flicker
 * Schemer
 * Loiter
 * Bronzlow
 * Untidy

Major Humans

 * Nate
 * Nathaniel

Minor Humans

 * Lucy
 * Aaron Adams
 * Lily Adams
 * Katie
 * Eddie
 * Bear

Protagonist Yo-kai

 * Whisper
 * Jibanyan
 * Hovernyan/Darknyan/Meganyan
 * Kumamon
 * Buchinyan
 * Robonyan
 * Komasan
 * Blazion
 * Walkappa
 * Happierre
 * Roughraff
 * Noway
 * Manjimutt
 * Kyubi
 * Cadin
 * Dandoodle
 * Shogunyan
 * Tattletell
 * Reuknight
 * Chippa
 * Frostina
 * Leggly
 * Mermaidyn
 * Eyesoar
 * Blandon
 * Pittapatt
 * Tongus
 * Predictabull
 * Singcada
 * Sushiyama
 * Castelius I
 * Chummer
 * Everfore
 * Blowkade
 * Chymera
 * Slitheref
 * Nird
 * Furgus
 * Arachnus
 * Mudmunch
 * Gnomey
 * Toadal Dude
 * Miradox
 * Master Nyada
 * Moximous N

Antagonist Yo-kai

 * Dame Dedtime/Dame Demona
 * Kin and Gin
 * Flicker
 * Schemer
 * Loiter
 * Bronzlow
 * Untidy

Credits only

 * Fidgephant
 * Noko
 * Failian
 * Nekidspeed
 * Papa Windbag
 * Sergeant Burly
 * Enerfly
 * Heheheel
 * Coughkoff
 * K'mon-K'mon
 * Tengu
 * Swelton
 * Verygoodsir
 * Dimmy
 * Terrorpotta
 * Tengloom
 * Grubsnitch
 * Yoink
 * Sproink
 * Cynake
 * Lie-in Heart
 * Spoilerina
 * Poofessor
 * Supoor Hero
 * Hungramps
 * Komajiro
 * Brokenbrella
 * Baku
 * Pandle
 * Signibble
 * Dismarelda
 * Insomni
 * Negatibuzz
 * B3-NK1
 * Spenp
 * Illoo
 * Buhu
 * Espy
 * Nosirs
 * So-Sorree
 * Chatalie
 * Dazzabel
 * Negasus
 * Peppillon
 * Cheeksqueek

Tie-ins
A story tie-in to the film was included in Yo-kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters.

A manga adaption of the film, illustrated by Noriyuki Konishi, was released in December 2014.

In France, The Yo-kai Watch movie had a theatrical nationwide release with previews at selected locations on August 6, 2017 and across cinemas on August 9, 2017. People who attended the event will be given a Hovernyan Yo-motion Medal and a paper Jibanyan visor.

Box Office
The film set a new record for Toho for advance ticket sales, with 721,422 sold by October 26, reaching 840,000 by late November and more than 1 million by mid-December.

The film was number-one on its opening weekend, with ¥1.629 billion, a record for a Japanese film, previously held by Studio Ghibli film . It reached ¥5 billion by its third weekend, ¥6.54 billion by the fourth weekend and ¥7 billion by the sixth weekend. The film was the highest-grossing Japanese film at the Japanese box office in 2015, with.

DVD Release
The Blu-ray and DVD were released on July 8, 2015 in Japan, with both reaching the number-one place on the animation rankings, with 14,090 and 84,932 copies sold, respectively. By its thirteenth week, the DVD had sold 128,810 copies.

Trivia

 * According to the original release date, this film is located between EP049 and EP050. Here are some points that support this data:
 * After Whisper's Secret Past, Kin and Gin don't make an appearance again. Also, Nate doesn't ever make an appearance and the beginning/ending scenes take place at night.
 * When Komasan was summoned at the climax, he had his green sling pouch that was given by Komajiro in The Koma-Santa Clause, and was worn from that point on in the anime.
 * In the movie, Nate only uses his original watch but recognizes the Model Zero Watch when it reappears, as he obtained his in The New Yo-kai Watch, which means that both disappeared. In addition, Nathaniel gives his to Nate at the end.
 * Also, if the film had been placed in after later episodes, Nate would have summoned Venoct since he knew he is a strong warrior.
 * For promotion, the first five million attendants received an exclusive Darknyan Medal.
 * A similar thing happened in the United States, where attendants got a Hovernyan Medal each. They were later used for the Watch & Win contest promotion across their YouTube channel.
 * This movie was planned to be shown at select theaters across Canada, but it got cancelled for unknown reasons.
 * In the Japanese version, Nate apologizes to Whisper saying, "Sorry sorry I'm so sorry!" referencing So-Sorree.
 * Not counting the cameos of M02, this is the movie with the most Yo-kais appearing.
 * After the credits rolled during theatrical releases across North America, Legend of Poofessor was shown.
 * For some reason Hidabat and Komajiro don't appear as protagonist Yo-kais. Hidabat even doesn't appear.
 * Whisper says that he always have his weapon with him.
 * This movie features the first use of several Yo-kai's Soultimates.
 * This is the last time Nate summons Jibanyan with his normal Yo-kai Watch.
 * This is the first time someone other than Nate summons a Yo-kai.
 * This is the only time where Brave Yo-kais are summoned with the Yo-kai Watch Model Zero.
 * This is the first time when Cadin, Noway, Dandoodle and Kyubi are summoned.
 * It's unknown why Cadin was summoned, since he is a recurring Yo-kai in Anime. Unlike the others.
 * During the battle with Dame Dedtime's more monstrous form, both Nate and Whisper break the fourth wall whereas Whisper says that they turned her into a CGI monster to "make the movie more exciting" while Nate states this is the "final act."
 * Negasus appears in the closing song, even though he never appeared in the anime before his debut episode aired in Japan.
 * Hovernyan is summoned at the end of closing song. It's unknown why.
 * After the credits, there's a teaser trailer for M02 feaaturing Nate and Master Nyada that plays homage to Star Wars.
 * Ironically enough, M02 had nothing to do with said trailer nor it featured Master Nyada at all.
 * There is still no information about when the English Dub version will be released on DVD.
 * Hovernyan, Mermaidyn, Eyesoar, Blandon, Pittapatt, Tongus, Singcada, Castelius I, Frostina, Chummer, Everfore, Arachnus, Gnomey, Toadal Dude, and Reuknight made their debuts in the main anime series, While Blowkade, Sushiyama, Chymera, Furgus, Chippa, Predictabull, Leggly, Mudmunch, Nird, Slitheref, Miradox, Master Nyada, Kumanom and Moximous N are exclusive in the anime. (Blowkade made a cameo in EP095, and Sushiyama mades a shawdow cameo in EP025).

Dub Differences

 * The original movie featured an unique opening playing an alternate version of Gera Gera Po. Instead the dub just features the normal opening playing Yo-kai Watch feat. Swampy Marsh.
 * The scene of Nathaniel Adams beating the Wicked Yo-kai that inspirited Whisper has been cut short, likely because it looked violent.

Errors

 * When Nathaniel, Nate, Whisper and Jibanyan hear Dame Dedtime from far away, it was implied that Old Springdale was a short way away from Harrisville.

In The English Dub

 * None of the Z Medals or the Classic Yo-kai's Medals had the Yo-Motion symbols added to them.
 * When Reuknight was summoned, the Model Zero didn't announce "Summoning Brave."
 * It wasn't even corrected in the Latin-America dub.
 * The 'G' on Moximus Mask's helmet was never removed in the movie, but it was replaced with the 'M' used in Yo-kai Watch 2 for the Moxie-enhanced Soultimates.
 * During the scene where Hovernyan calls Nate and Nathaniel's attention after Dame Dedtime turns into Dame Demona, the subtitles refer to him as Robonyan, in spite of Robonyan not even appearing in that scene.