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Level-5, the game developer behind hits such as Ni no Kuni, Professor Layton and the mega-popular Yo-Kai Watch, are no strangers to success. They’ve even turned their mega-hit Yo-Kai Watch into an ongoing 90-episode anime series. Since then, the popularity of the show, the game and the characters has really risen, especially Jibanyan, who has surpassed Pikachu in popularity. It was only a matter of time before this huge hit would dip a toe into international waters, and on Disney XD it finally happened.

A TV show about spirits based on Japanese folklore would probably have needed a few adjustments when screened for a Western audience, so we were wondering, what did they decide to name their main character in the English version?

When Pokémon debuted outside Japan, the titular character Satoshi (no last name) became Ash Ketchum, a name that was more palatable to an English-speaking audience. When adapting Yo-Kai Watch, the translators decided that the same kind of name change would be necessary. You won’t hear the name Keita Amano being screamed out by excited elementary school students in the US—his name is now Nathan “Nate” Adams!

▼ Keita, we mean Nate, isn’t sure about his name.

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Nate’s two human friends have also undergone a bit of a name change, with Fumika Kodama becoming Katie Kodama and Gorota “Kuma” Kumashima now known as Bear Kumashima. Whisper, the ghost-butler who always accompanies Nate, and Jibanyan, a charming class Yo-Kai that befriends him, both retain their original names. Here are other peaks into the English version of the show.

▼Official Season 1 Trailer. How does Nate get involved with the Yo-Kai?

▼ The English version of the opening. Epic

▼Yo-Kai Watch ending. The English version of the Yo-Kai exercise!

Thankfully, the spirit of the theme songs from the Japanese version are retained in the English version. It wouldn’t really be Yo-Kai Watch without a bit of Yo-Kai Watch exercise. It’s always important to figure out what is the Yo-Kai’s fault (pretty much everything) and to keep your body limber and moving throughout the day. For those who are wondering where this all came from, the video game will also be making its U.S. debut on November 5, so expect it to sweep across the nation this holiday season. You can also look forward to a number of related toys and merchandise starting in 2016. Why do we have a feeling 2016 will be the Year of the Yokai?

Source: Asahi Shimbun
Images: YouTube/Yo-Kai Watch Official Channel