M04

is the fourth theatrical film in the Yo-kai Watch franchise. It is was released on December 16, 2017 in Japanese theatres. The playtime of the movie is 1 hour and 24 minutes. The movie is produced by and distributed by  with Akihiro Hino supervising the film's screenplay.

Blurb
"There used to be a boy who could control Yo-kai with a mysterious watch. However, he became unable to see Yo-kai when he became an adult. With the boy's duties finished, the watch was buried away in space-time. Then 30 years later, quiet everyday life comes to an end as a fateful day beging with a comey drawing near. The terrible Yo-kai virus Onimaro infects people's malevolent intentions and spreads infinitely. The one chosen by the Yo-kai Watch is the one who can save humanity from its crisis. The bond between humans and Yo-kai may be recovered with the attainment of a new Yo-kai Watch."

Story
A legend tells that there was a boy had a wristwatch that could control Yo-kai. However, when the boy grows into an adult, he was unable to see any Yo-kai and the Yo-kai controlling wristwatch existance threatened to disturb the balance between the human and Yo-kai world which eventually was casted away into the oblivion beyond time and space.

30 years later, a boy named Touma Tsukinami wakes up after receiving a message from his mother apologizing that they had to work overnight and that she and his father will be coming late. Out of bed, Touma turns on the television were there is a news report about a mysterious comet that will be see by the public eye overnight. After Touma has cleaned up himself, he turns off the television and walks out of the building, there, three strange creatures are following him. Then, a girl is seen running revealing that she will be late stating that she will miss the bus. On her way, she sees a crowd standing at the bridge and stopped wondering what is happening. She sees a boy that is in the river and a man is trying to save him. She then takes action to save the boy and the man warns her that it is dangerous, until he is controlled by one of the strange creatures that followed Touma saying that she will die as well. The girl dives into the river to the boy and hold him asking if he is OK. She swims back ending up saving the boy. The boy's mother came running towards him which the mood switches the same with the man who warns the girl by saying that he can't be saved. The girl who saved the boy then gets a flashback by when she was a kid seeing that she was drowning with a hand reaching out to her putting her on land. She remembered that someone saved her as well and wondered if she hallucinated it. Due that someone saved her, it inspired her to do the same with the boy.

Cast

 * Mone Kamishiraishi as Natsume Amano: She is the 13-year old daughter of Nathan Adams and the wielder of the Yo-kai Watch Elder to fight the Onimaro. Natsume is a person who likes to care of others. She was nearly drowned when she was very young and remembers "something" that saved her from drowning.
 * Yudai Chiba as Touma Tsukinami: He is a 13-year old boy whose parents are busy with work, which he is always alone and as well the wielder of the Kigan Gear to spread evil.
 * Mutsumi Tamara as Akinori Arihoshi: He is the oldest son in a family that has used Yo-kai energy in fortune-telling for generations.

Staff

 * Director: Shinji Ushiro
 * Script: Akihiro Hino
 * Music: Ken'ichiro Saigō
 * Original Concept: Akihiro Hino
 * Original creator: Shigeru Mizuki
 * Original Character Design: Miho Tanaka, Takuzō Nagano
 * Sound Director: Shoji Hata
 * Art Concept: Nobuyuki Yanai
 * Monster Design: Miho Tanaka, Takuzō Nagano
 * Supervising Producer: Akihiro Hino

Pre-release information
The movie was first revealed by the staff behind Yo-kai Watch the Movie: The Great Adventure of the Flying Whale &amp; the Double World, Nyan!. They've stated that the fourth movie will be released during the winter of 2017 and that they would reveal its release date and its title on a later date.

In July, 2017, the title and its release date has been revealed in which features Lightside and Shadowside transformations. It is revealed that Yo-kai will have the ability to transform into "lightside" and "shadowside" forms. In these forms, Yo-kai show different personalities, abilities, and appearances. The magazine shows pictures of Jibanyan, Komasan, and Whisper in lightside and shadowside forms.

The key to the story will be three new human characters, each of which may hold a Yo-kai watch of their own. The first character is Akinori, a boy who can see Yo-kai whose family manages a shrine. The second character is Natsume, a lively middle-school girl who is friends with Yo-kai. The third character is Tōma, a boy with a mysterious air that attracts Yo-kai.

More information about the three key characters has been revealed on the movie's official website. Natsume is a 13-year-old girl who nearly drowned in a river when she was very young. The girl who likes to take care of others remembers "something" saving her from drowning. Tōma is a 13-year-old boy whose parents are busy with work, so he is always alone. Akinori is the oldest son in a family that has used Yo-kai in fortune-telling for generations.

In July 15, 2017, visual details about the movie were shown. The official website of the movie revealed the plot, a teaser visual, and character designs. It was also revealed that Akihiro Hino is overseeing the production of the film, as well as providing the original concept and writing the script. Akihiro Hino described the film a "completely new horror comedy" that both children and adults can enjoy. Compared to previous films, the new film will have both scarier and funnier content in addition to intense battles.

Coro Coro revealed in August 2017, that the film will be adopted into a manga series.

In September 2017, the staff revealed that 's characters from his famous manga  will appear in the movie. The movie will also feature a Kitarō-themed "Kitaronyan" appearance for Yo-kai Watch's lead character Jibanyan.

In October 2017, the franchise began streaming the film's second trailer which released on a Friday. The trailer reveals the last names of the protagonists as well their respective voice actors and actresses. The movie also revealed two different Yo-kai Watches with Natsume wielding the Yo-kai Watch Elder to fight the Onimaro, and Tōma wielding the Kigan Gear to spread evil. It also reveals the film's antagonist Rasen, the titular Oni King.

In December 2017, the franchise began streaming a new trailer that reveals more visual information of the characters and the story of the movie. At the end of the trailer, characters of Shigeru Mizuki's manga GeGeGe no Kitarō are making an appearance as well the Kitarō-themed, Kitaronyan. There were also three commercials released of the film, one being the Kitarō Version, Guest Version and the last one being the Battle Version.

Release information
On the day of its release in the Japanese theater, the movie received its final information about the movie, revealing new information about the characters and the story of the movie. They also showed response from ones who have attended the movie. At the end of the special they also released one of the already released trailers of Yo-kai Watch Busters 2 on the day of its release.

The movie debuted at the second spot next after  during the weekend of its release. The movie sold 355,200 tickets and earned around 399 million yen which is about $3.6 million. It is expected that the movie will earn 2.5 billion yen which is about $22 million.

On the day of the release of the movie, a theater greeting was held with Akihiro Hino, Mone Kamishiraishi, and Yudai Chiba at the TOHO Cinemas at Roppongi Hills. They were talking about what Yo-kai they would like to be and talked further about the film's settings.

On December 18, 2017, the movie gained first place in movie review, gaining very positive review from Japanese fans who's seen the movie in the theater. During the second week of December, the movie stayed on its second spot earning a total of 689,731,100 yen which is about $6,117,914.

Trivia

 * Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: The Return of the Oni King release date in the theatre's coincides with that of Yo-kai Watch Busters 2. Both of the media project will release on the same day, December 16, 2017.