The appeal and reviews of the movie "Yokai Academy Y: Can a Cat Become a Hero?": A thorough analysis of the hero story of a cat

A comprehensive review and recommendation of the movie "Yokai Academy Y - Can a Cat Become a Hero?"

■ Public Information

The movie "Yokai Academy Y: Can a Cat Become a Hero?" was released in theaters on December 13, 2019. It was distributed by Toho and consists of 100-minute episodes. The original story was by Level-5, the director was Shigeharu Takahashi, and the animation was by OLM. Copyright © LEVEL-5 / Yokai Watch Movie Project 2019.

■ Story

Y Academy is an ultra-elite school where only those with top class abilities are allowed to enroll. Our protagonist, Teraba Jinpei, was selected by the school's newly established selection criteria, "YSP"! Furthermore, Jinpei and his friends are given the school's "mystery solving mission". What exactly are the YSP criteria? What is the mysterious item "YSP watch"...? There's transformation! There's heated battles! There's giant robots! Jinpei and the "YSP Club" take on a number of strange cases! What is the mystery hidden in Y Academy...? Now is the time to solve the school's biggest mystery!

■Explanation

While based on the basic setting of the traditional "Yokai Watch" series, the world view and characters have been completely renewed. Set at Y Academy, the story revolves around a new item, the "YSP Watch," where "vengeful spirits" are summoned and possess humans to transform into Yokai HEROs. This new setting offers fresh surprises for existing fans while retaining the appeal of the series.

■Cast

・Jinpei Terabayashi/Mutsumi Tamura・Mataro Tamada/Marina Inoue・Santayu Koma/Aya Endo・Komadjiro/Aya Endo・Little Mander/Aya Endo・Fubuki Himekawa/Haruka Tomatsu・Mera Raidou/Toshiki Masuda・Ryusuke Kyuubi/Chiaki Kobayashi・Nine-Tail/Chiaki Kobayashi・Momo/Etsuko Kozakura・Bakera/Yuki Ono・Kengou Benimaru/Yuki Ono・Kazuma Shishikuro/Satoshi Hino・Shishio/Satoshi Hino・Ema Daioji/Ayana Taketatsu・Haruhiko Usumizawa/Tomokazu Seki・Kinya Daioji/Ryuzaburo Otomo・Natsuki Sonohito/Manami Numakura・Izuna/Shizuka Ishigami

■ Main staff

・Executive Producer: Akihiro Hino・Original Story: Akihiro Hino・Script: Akihiro Hino・Original Story: Level-5・Serialized in Monthly CoroCoro Comic・Original Story of Yokai & Character Design: Takuzo Nagano, Miho Tanaka, Yuriko Itabashi・Art Concept: Nobuyuki Yanai・Character Design: Toshiya Yamada・Sound Director: Shoji Hata・Music: Kenichiro Saigo・Director: Shigeharu Takahashi・Animation Production: OLM TEAM INOUE
・Production: "Yokai Watch" Movie Project 2019
Distributor: Toho

■ Main Characters

Jinpei Teraba is the main character. He enrolled as a YSP student. He has a strong sense of justice, is curious, and doesn't care about small details. He has the YSP (Yokai Special Power) ability to see spirits and control supernatural powers.
Tamada Mataro: Enrolled based on academic ability. He met Jinpei at the entrance ceremony and became friends with him. He has great luck and his catchphrase is "It just happened." He likes special effects and science fiction.
・Koma Sandayu
Enrolled under the YSP standard. Jinpei's childhood friend who also has YSP abilities. He comes from a famous family of Rakugo storytellers, but is easygoing and a little shy.
・Himekawa Fubuki
He enrolled as an IT student. He loves machines and invents various items.
・Raido Enrolled as a member of the Mela Sports team. He is a bossy character who is called the leader of Y Academy.
・Kyuusuke Ryusuke enrolled in the entertainment school. He is good looking, but he is narcissistic and tends to behave strangely. He has a different type of "YSP Watch Zero" from Jinpei and the others.

■ Main robot items

・YSP Watch An item that maximizes Jinpei and his friends' YSP abilities. By setting a medal, you can summon vengeful spirits or transform into a Yokai HERO to fight.

■ Related works

・"Yokai Academy Y ~Encounter with N~"
A sequel to this work that has been broadcast on TV Tokyo since December 27, 2019

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・"Let's go to Y Academy: School Chaos Edition"
Lyrics: Pinorino (Akihiro Hino)
・Composer: Sakamov (Hideki Sakamoto)
・Song by Riin (Strawberry Prince)
・ED
・"Meteor"
Lyrics: Nayutan Seijin Composition: Nayutan Seijin Arrangement: Nayutan Seijin Singer: Pink Lady

■ Evaluation

The movie "Yokai Academy Y - Can a Cat Become a Hero?" is a new attempt that goes one step further than the traditional "Yokai Watch" series, providing fans with a fresh surprise. The story is set at the ultra-elite school Y Academy, where the protagonist, Terabayashi Jinpei, and his friends use the "YSP Watch" to solve the mysteries of the school. This setting has succeeded in drawing viewers in by adding new elements while retaining the appeal of the previous series.

The character settings are also attractive, and the main character Jinpei in particular has a strong sense of justice and a curious personality that leaves a good impression on viewers. In addition, supporting characters such as Tamada Mataro and Koma Santaro are also unique and play a role in livening up the story. Furthermore, characters such as Himekawa Fubuki, Raido Mera, and Kyuubi Ryusuke also have distinctive personalities that leave a strong impression on viewers.

In terms of visuals, the technical capabilities of OLM, the animation production company, shines through. In particular, the transformation scenes and battle scenes using the YSP watch are of extremely high quality and provide visual enjoyment. The appearance of the giant robot is also one of the highlights, making it a film that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

In terms of music, the opening theme "Y Gakuen e Ikou Gakuen Dotabata Hen" and the ending theme "Meteor" play a role in livening up each scene and succeed in drawing out the emotions of the viewer. In particular, "Meteor" sung by Pink Lady is a song that combines nostalgia and newness, leaving a strong impression on the viewer.

■Recommendation

The movie "Yokai Academy Y - Can a Cat Become a Hero?" is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the traditional "Yokai Watch" series, but also to new viewers. It is a movie that is especially recommended for those who like school and hero stories. It is also a movie that can be enjoyed by both children and adults, making it perfect for watching with the whole family.

Furthermore, after watching this movie, be sure to check out the sequel "Yokai Academy Y ~Encounter with N~" broadcast on the TV Tokyo network. You can enjoy the continuation of the story from the movie and immerse yourself in the world of "Yokai Academy Y" even more.

Overall, the movie "Yokai Academy Y -Can a Cat Become a Hero?" has inherited the charm of the previous series while adding new elements, providing viewers with a fresh surprise. Please come and experience its charm at the theater.