Youkai Watch Movie 5: Forever Friends

The main thought i had after watching Forever Friends was "What was the point?" Given it features a new protagonist (to the point of being a whole third of Yokai Watch 4), I was obviously wondering what different direction and tone LEVEL-5 would take to make it stand out from the goofy Keita era and the gritty Shadowside era. The answer: it's just more Shadowside. And if you're like me and hate all of the "Enma stuff" (which is all of the "cool anime guy" characters and swords and stuff) that's been defining the series for ages now, you're going to hate this.

The movie ... starts off promising. The plot works, the initial conflict is humble, and the three protagonists are all likable. However, it's shoved aside halfway through in favor of powerful men/spirit/demons fighting and getting more and more powerful just for the sake of spectacle. At least, when Shadowside did all of this, it was new and experimental. However, this movie is just more of the same (sometimes literally reused ideas) to the point where I wonder why it's separate from Shadowside. The focus being pushed away form Shin in the second half doesn't do it any favors for anyone hoping to learn more about the Yokai Watch 4 protagonist, either.


I feel like the point of Yokai Watch is the many yokai that inspirit people with their quirky traits, but the series has since pushed them to the wayside for ideas that aren't nearly as unique. This movie is no exception, and your enjoyment of it will depend on how you feel about the Enma stuff.