A bunch of ykw doodles where I think you can tell at what parts I gave up jshsnjssn I used these as warm ups and then they turned into my actual drawings bc I did not have the energy to do a real illustration after a couple of these !
Finding out casanono is also loved here makes me so happy, I love that loser w all my heart <33
I don't personally headcanon that, but at the same time smogmella is a weird one when it comes to gender cause I don't think she was ever human... or even "born" in the traditional sense.
Her yokai type, Enraenra, a smoke spirits typically born when negative energy is purged from the material world via burning of the object it was attached to. Meaning by all accounts she was likely "born" from a bonfire.
So I guess she is trans in the idea her gender identity can't align with sex assigned at birth because she was born as a puff of smoke. :p
Yokai Watch AU: Minna no Monogatari/Everyone’s Tale - General Story Structure/Ideas
Okay look, I’m not creative with AU titles.
As mentioned in my previous Yokai Watch rant, this AU is something I want to take a shot at, writing them in increments of short stories, structured almost similarly to what the original Yokai Watch anime is like, just with more human characters (and yokai partners) involved.
I’ll be honest with you, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually written anything at all, and up until this point I don’t think I’ve ever really finished any of the story ideas I’ve had. That’s why I want to break this cycle of inactivity and do something about it for once. Even if the execution is questionable, no other way to improve than to try, right?
Anyway, enough rambling. Here are some of my ideas under the cut.
(Side note: I switch between the Japanese and English names often, so bear with me)
So here’s who I think would be everyone’s primary yokai partners:
Keita - Jibanyan and Whisper
Fumi - Komasan, Komajiro, and Koenra/Smogling (as Whisper’s counterpart and evolves into EnraEnra/Smogmella later in the story)
Kuma - Shishimaron/Lie-In
Kanchi - Sunao/Sandmeh
Inaho - USApyon and Haku/Whapir
Kirara - Motemoten/Cupistol, Motenusu/Casanono, and occasionally Kon-tan/Krystal Fox
Mao - Orochi (who is disguising as Mao’s older brother and guardian, and lives together with him in an apartment near the Shopping District)
Additionally, there might be other humans involved in the story. Some of them have watches, some of them don’t need them to see yokai, and some of them, even after being aware of their existence, refuses to wear a watch themselves. For now, here are some additional human and yokai combinations:
Keizo - Fuyunyan
Fumiaki - Shishikoma/Komane
Mac/Buck - Tomnyan
Dorothy - KK Bros
(side note: In this AU, Keizo and Fumiaki are joint inventors of the Yokai Watch)
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The way this AU series would be structured, I would like to write a lot of different slice-of-life short stories with a similar feel to the Monster of the Week variety show format that the original anime had, but slowly connecting each story to an overarching plot. The AU will have 4 arcs overall, based off YW1, YW2, YW3, and an additional final arc that takes some elements from YW4/Shadowside, but still takes place solely within the present. The themes will emphasize on not only the strong bonds between humans and yokai, but also the long-lasting friendship between school friends who are able to share a fantastical secret together, with every day always having new surprises.
However, there is an underlying plot of yokai villains who want to sever the bonds between yokai and humans by spreading malice and distrust among both parties through time and space, and eventually gaining total domination over both worlds. Mckracken, Ubaune/Dame Dedtime, and The Ghoulfather, all have their own motives on what they want out of both worlds, but they are all connected by a single entity who is able to grant them their dark powers in the first place: Soranaki, the representation of hatred of all yokai. Formerly part of the elite Oni Tribe who cooperated with humans under Ancient Enma’s rule, his sealing was the reason for his hatred for human that lasted for thousands of years. Alongside that, Mao, one of the descendant’s of the Enma Tribe, will have to figure out his purpose as part of the yokai elite, and whether he has any responsibility to lead his yokai subjects.
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The story begins with both Keita and Fumi unsealing Whisper together, with Fumi being the one to insert the coin, and Keita opening the capsule. They’ll have a very different dynamic in this AU. Rather than a one-sided crush with hardly any chemistry, the two are longtime childhood friends who are opposites in a lot of ways. Keita and Fumi bicker often over the smallest things, but they’re still extremely close, and will stick with each other through thick and thin. I’ll elaborate more on this in a separate post.
Later in the first arc, Keita and Fumi agreed to let in Kanchi and Kuma in on the secret, and asking Whisper to give them yokai watches on seperate occassions, leading them to befriend their very first yokai, Sunao and Shishimaron, respectively. The 4 kids’ reaction to yokai and their solutions to deal with them varies from person to person, from fear, to annoyance, to sympathy, and much more. Eventually, the main 4 meet Mao, a mysterious classmate who is able to see yokai without a watch, and has a lot of strange dreams that relate to his hazy memories. The first arc eventually ends with the main cast discovering Mao’s heritage, defeating McKracken, discovering that McKracken is not alone, and all the yokai in the entire town having to be temporarily sealed off in the yokai world, while Lucas tries to sort things out in the Yokai World as his half-brother and heir to the throne, the new Lord Enma, is currently absent (for reasons I have yet to figure out)
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The second arc continues in the beginning of summer vacation (tentative? lol) where the gang reunites with all their yokai friends. The slice-of-life adventures continue, but this time, the gang takes frequent trips to Kemamoto/Harrisville during the summer. It is there that Keita and Fumi reunites with their grandmothers, and the gang frequently goes on camping trips, discovering the great countryside. They also discover about the new types of yokai that now wander both Sakura Town and Kemamoto, as well as the famous Classic Yokai. It is also here that Fuyunyan and Shishikoma request for the gang’s help with Keizo and Fumiaki, the joint inventors of the yokai watch 60 years ago. Kin and Gin’s antics have turned them against each other, preventing the watch’s invention. With things getting even more complicated as the two boys are taken advantage of by the Ganso (Bony Spirits) and Honke (Fleshy Souls) factions, it’s up to the humans of the present to unite both human and yokai alike against the powerful Ubaune, who has a deep hatred against humans.
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Now by YW3, this is where I’m starting to go into unknown territory, because I just started playing YW3 lol, although I have watched at least some of the episodes involving Inaho and USApyon. But one thing’s for certain, this is where Inaho and Kirara are introduced, and later befriends the rest of the human cast so far. Besides Inaho meeting USApyon and going through the rocket-building arc, Kirara would also get her Yokai Watch through Cupistol, who is a certified yokai butler himself, and was fascinated by Kirara’s natural grace. Over time, she will eventually gain the confidence to speak for herself, learn the difference between real and fake friends, befriend Inaho and the rest of the gang, and cut off her toxic friends. Later, Keita will also move the US and transfer to a new school, separating him from his friends for the first time. There will be a way for him to travel back and meet his friends, but Mirapo might be introduced rather late. He manages to become friends with Mac too. Oh, and everyone just started 6th grade, because why not.
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The final arc is where Im REALLY blind to at the moment. I’ll be taking certain elements from Shadowside, but I actually haven’t seen anything at all about Shadowside, so that’s something I have to do my research on. I want to focus on the elite yokai, the ones who are closest to Enma as well as the Oni Tribe. You already know that Soranaki will be the main overarching villain in this entire AU, but I want to drastically change his backstory from his original one in Shadowside, mostly because I wanted his motivations to be the antithesis to the theme of the bonds of friendship between humans and yokai. This is also so that I can have a common link between all the final bosses throughout the series so far. Plus, I really love Dark Matter/Void from the Kirby series, why not implement that here? Lol.
The slice-of-life stories still continue, but I want things to be more sentimental, since the gang are nearing the end of elementary school, and Keita will most likely graduate in the US in a different school instead of alongside the rest of his friends. I want this last arc to be rather sentimental, and reflect on everyone’s friendship with one another, and their yokai partners’ undying loyalty to their human friends. Alongside that, Mao and Enma will tie loose ends regarding their heritage, responsibilities, and their rocky brotherly relationship with each other.
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Whew! That’s all for now! I understand it’s a lot to take in, but it feels really satisfying to be able to dump everything out. Next time, I’ll be posting some headcannons regarding the individual characters in this AU. Alongside that, I should REALLY rewatch the OG anime and start Shadowside for the first time, as well as play YW3. My memory of this franchise is rather spotty, please bear with me!
