# Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends

Yo-Kai Watch: Forever Friends is a 2018 supernatural anime film produced by OLM, Inc. and distributed by Toho. It is the fifth film in the Yo-kai Watch film series, following the 2017 film Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu, and is the second film set in the 1960s before the series' storyline, featuring a boy named Shin who adventures into the Yo-kai World with his Yo-kai friend Nekomata. It was directed by Shigeru Takahashi, and was released on Japanese theaters on December 14, 2018 alongside the first Dragon Ball Super movie, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, and the Japanese dub of The Grinch.

## Plot

Sakura Motomachi, Tokyo in the 1960s. Shin, a boy who lived happily, despite being poor, loses his mother, his only family member, and falls into deep misfortune. Itsuki, a boy who saves Shin, also lost his older sister. Those two boys are joined by Tae, a girl who can see Yo-kai, and together with Shin's guardian spirit Sū-san, and new Yo-kai such as Nekomata, they take on a mysterious incident in order to retrieve the souls of their precious family! And what is the shocking truth that awaits them...!? This is a story about the friendship formed between three children and Yo-kai―"
The film also tells the origin of how Lord Enma became the ruler of the Yo-kai.

## Characters

* Atsumi Tanezaki as 下町シン (Shimomachi Shin), a wielder of the Yo-kai Watch Arcane Zero. Despite his poverty, he lived happily until his mother died, after which he fell into great despair. He then met his fellow Yo-kai friends and was joined by two children named Itsuki and Tae, with the three planning to return the souls of the citizens of Japan from the soul-devouring fox Yo-kai Tamamo no Mae.
* Etsuko Kozakura as 猫又 (Nekomata), a classic black cat Yo-kai who meets and befriends Shin, who lost his mother, later adventuring alongside him and a group of children in the Yo-kai World. He has both a Shadowside form and a Godside form, the latter being known as 猫王バステト (Nekoō Basuteto).
* Ryōhei Kimura as 高城イツキ (Takashiro Itsuki), a boy who saved Shin and is a wielder of the Yo-kai Watch Arcane God. Like Shin, his older sister is gone because her soul was devoured by Tamamo no Mae.
* Nao Tōyama as 有星タエ (Arihoshi Tae), a female sorcerer from the Arihoshi Clan who is likely related to Akinori from the fourth film. She is one of the Three Children who adventures in the Yo-kai World during the events of the film.
* Shun Oguri as Shien (紫炎, Shien). He's one of the candidates for the Yo-kai World's next ruler and is the main antagonist of the movie, teaming up with Tamamo to devour souls and gain power.
* Chiemi Blouson as Tamamo (タマモ, Tamamo), a humanoid fox Yo-kai who devours the souls of the citizens of Japan and works alongside Shien. She's also known as Tamamo no Mae (玉藻前, Tanamo no Mae) in her Shadowside form.
* Ryōhei Kimura as Lord Enma (エンマ大王, Enma Daiō), one of the candidates for the Yo-kai World's next ruler and the son of Ancient Enma. As initially teased in Corocoro, Enma has three new forms that were introduced in the movie: Yasha Enma, Yasha Enma Rasetsu, & Yasha Enma Benibana.
* Takehito Koyasu as ぬらりひょん (Nurarihyon), a servant and apprentice of Ancient Enma and later to Lord Enma.
* Shintaro Asanuma as ざしきわらし (Zashiki-Warashi), a guardian spirit focused on pursuing his beauty. Like Nekomata, he has a Godside form, which is based on a Tengu.

## Release

The film released on December 14, 2018 and opened at #4 at the Japanese box office. Early pre-orders of the movie tickets allowed viewers to obtain a Yo-kai Ark of Nekomata's Lightside form, which can be scanned through the Nintendo Switch to obtain Nekomata in Yo-kai Watch 4.