The Yo-kai Watch manga is a serialized adaptation by Noriyuki Konishi, which was released Corocoro Comics December 15, 2012 in Japan before they were released in volumes starting on June 28, 2013. An English adaptation by Viz Media was released on November 3, 2015 in North America and November 10, 2015 in Europe.
It follows Nathan Adams, Jibanyan and Whisper who encounter Yo-kai behind problems which lead to unexpected circumstances. The manga is notably different from the game and anime, such as earlier designs of characters being used along with some personality changes in comparison.
There has been some spin-off adaptations of the manga, such as Yo-kai Watch: Wakuwaku Nyanderful Days featuring Katie Forester as the main protagonist illustrated by Chikako Mori which was seralized in Ciao Magazine on December 27, 2013.
Overview
The Yo-kai Watch manga adaptation began in Corocoro Comic on December 15, 2012 In Japan, before the video game came out in July 2013 and the anime series in early 2014. It is illustrated by longtime manga artist Noriuki Konishi who is known for other manga adaptations of popular Japanese anime franchises.
Compared to the anime and video games, there are noticeable differences such as several characters having different personalities and earlier designs, like the Yo-kai Watch. Some of the design aesthetics and liberties were kept after the video game and anime was released in Japan.
Volumes 16 and 17 would later be carried under the Yo-kai Watch! branding, to keep it in line with the 2019 anime series of the same name as well as some of it's elements borrowed from Yo-kai Watch 4.
Western Localization
An English-language adaptation was released on November 3, 2015 in North America and November 10, 2015 in Europe, published by Viz Media. The first ten volumes were published by the Perfect Square division before the credit was changed to simply Viz Media.
Like how the anime and games have different localization teams, Yo-kai like Papa Windbag and Brushido have Japanese text on their designs translated.
In France and Spain, the manga is published by KAZE. The manga in Italy and Latin America are ordered differently.
In Mexico it was brought by the Italian publisher Panini,dividing the volumes into two volumes, the volumes being uneven with the original covers and the pairs with covers perhaps created by a panini artist.
Other Adaptations
Wakuwaku Nyanderful Days
- Main article: Yo-kai Watch: Wakuwaku Nyanderful Days
In the Nyanderful Days manga series, the story based on the alternate storyline of the Yo-kai Watch video game, where instead of Nate Adams as the main protagonist, Katie Forester is the main character. The series starts in Volume 1; like the second Yo-kai Watch game, the story begins with Katie seeing a new antique shop, where she meets Jibanyan and Whisper. At first, she got a little scared of the two Yo-kai, but along the way, she soon realizes they are not so evil.
In the second and third volumes of the manga series, it is mainly focused alongside Yo-kai Watch 3's storyline, which can also relate to two Sukiyaki side missions that involves the same kind of plot as the manga series.
Yo-kai Watch Movie Manga Series
The Yo-kai Watch Movies have been adapted into manga volumes, exclusively in Japan. All six of them are known to be released which can vary in plot compared to the movie.
Yo-kai Watch Blasters
The spinoff Yo-kai Watch Blasters series got a single volume exclusive to Japan, which is loosely based around the first Yo-kai Watch Blasters game.
Yo-kai Watch Shadowside
Volumes
Yo-kai Watch
| Cover | Release Date | ISBN | ||
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Volume 1 | JPJune 28, 2013 NANovember 3, 2015 EUNovember 10, 2015 |
JP4091416551 NA1421582511 EU142158251X |
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Volume 2 | JPDecember 27, 2013 NANovember 5, 2015 EUNovember 10, 2015 |
JP4091400183 NA1421582528 EU142158252X |
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Volume 3 | JPMarch 25, 2014 NAJanuary 5, 2016 EUJanuary 21, 2016 |
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Volume 4 | JPJuly 25, 2014 NAMarch 1, 2016 EUMarch 29, 2016 |
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Volume 5 | JPOctober 28, 2014 NAMay 3, 2016 EUJune 2, 2016 |
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Volume 6 | JPFebruary 27, 2015 NADecember 20, 2016 EUDecember 20, 2016 |
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Volume 7 | JPJune 26, 2015 NAMarch 7, 2017 EUApril 6, 2017 |
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Volume 8 | JPSeptember 28, 2015 NAJanuary 2, 2018 EUFebruary 8, 2018 |
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Volume 9 | JPFebruary 26, 2016 NAJuly 3, 2018 EUAugust 23, 2018 |
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Volume 10 | JPJune 24, 2016 NAJanuary 8, 2019 EUFeburary 7, 2019 |
NA1421597535 |
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Volume 11 | JPJune 24, 2016 NAJanuary 8, 2019 EUFeburary 7, 2019 |
NA1421597551 EU1421597551 |
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Volume 12 | JPApril 28, 2017 NASeptember 10, 2019 EUSeptember 2019 |
NA1421597551 EU1421597551 |
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Volume 13 | JPSeptember 28, 2017 NAJanuary 14, 2020 EUFebruary 20, 2020 |
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Volume 14 | JPNovember 28, 2017 NAMay 12, 2020 EUJune 11, 2020 |
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Volume 15 | JPNovember 28, 2017 NASeptember 8, 2020 |
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Volume 16 | JPJuly 26, 2019 |
JP4091430465 | |
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Volume 17 | JPOctober 28th, 2019 |
JP4091431097 | |
Yo-kai Watch Movies
| Cover | Release Date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|
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MM01 | JPDecember 20, 2014 |
JP4091418392 |
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MM02 | JPDecember 19, 2015 |
JP4091421385 |
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MM03 | JPDecember 17, 2016 |
JP4091422667 |
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MM04 | JPDecember 16, 2017 |
JP4091426387 |
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MM05 | JPDecember 14, 2018 |
JP4091428878 |
Yo-kai Watch Shadowside
| Cover | Release Date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Volume 1 | JPSeptember 28, 2018 |
JP409142824X |
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Volume 2 | JPJune 26, 2019 |
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Running gags
- Yo-kai, mostly Jibanyan, get run over by cars.
- Yo-kai, mostly Jibanyan or Whisper, die but get revived somehow.
- Usapyon becomes more cheery after deactivating Invader Mode in the manga version.
- The Last Nyanmurai is often shown malnourished with a thin neck, and he is seen eating grass and is appears very thin as an result.
Trivia
- Because the manga was released before the first game and the anime series, Noriyuki Konishi's adaption uses slightly earlier designs of the Yo-kai Watch & Medals. Somehow, that would later be kept in all volumes
- In the Latin American version (Mexico) the volumes are divided into 2, bringing with them two covers (1 the original and 2 an alternative art)
- The manga volume 17 appears to be the first adaptation to adapt the story of Yo-kai Watch 4.