Level-5’s Yo-kai Watch Puni Puni (also known as Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble) is a mobile spin-off game that’s no stranger to collabs, as its current Sword Art Online event is just about to end on August 16. But while you could argue those two IPs feature some shared fantasy elements, this latest mini-collab with the Rent-A-Girlfriend is unexpected, to say the least.
From August 17 to 31, players can take on limited-time missions in the game’s Mini-Collab Bingo event. Completing missions fills up a bingo card, which rewards in-game items and Date Tickets whenever you get a “Bingo.” The Date Tickets can be used to roll for Rent-A-Girlfriend heroine Chizuru Mizuhara, the event’s exclusive collaboration character (these tickets will also be available for purchase using real money).
For a franchise geared mostly toward families and young children, Yo-kai Watch’s mini-collab with Rent-A-Girlfriend has caught many fans by surprise. Some point out that, in the ad for the event, Keita Amano himself, one of Yo-kai Watch’s protagonists, seems unimpressed with Chizuru’s presence in his universe. Jibanyan’s apparent infatuation with Chizuru in the ad even prompted parodies of Rent-a-Girlfriend’s infamous Kazuya crying meme.
No matter which way you slice it, this collab is by far one of the strangest out there. Then again, fans of both Yo-kai Watch and Rent-A-Girlfriend will be happy to know that there exists a timeline where the two worlds collide.
Previously available worldwide, Yo-kai Watch: Puni Puni has since shut down its international versions and is only available in Japan on iOS and Android.
