The story was quite heartful. I believe the anime would show us courage, love, and what is the most valuable--life, and touch us through the drama.
An artistic animation in which cute volleyball-sized monsters are active (they usually dwindle to be in pocket-sized balls), the source story from exciting game softs in which monsters unroll battles, started to be aired since April, '97. Children - and adults also - liked them immediately when they saw them, and the animation is one of the most popular TV programs in Japan. Thousands of goods were made, each sold to millions of children and adults.
The end of the last year an accident on the program happened. Near the climax of a telecast, over 600 children got so sick that most of them entered hospital after then. It was analyzed that there is a problem in the scene near the climax, that the hero's monster, Pikachu, the most popular monster, shot an electric beam. A red light and blue flashed five times per second then. The method is well-known as dangerous on the brain, especially of children. The following day of the telecast, a disturbance was made in the small land. The media and the TV nets which were not involved by Pocket Monsters began to castigate the animation all of a sudden, as if it is responsible of the accident.
Yes, they are not, of course. However, the media and the Ministry of Welfare critisized that monsters are monsters, helping to cease televising the animaiton program for the past season. The union of commercial broadcasting corporations created a team to survey the accident, and they concluded in their report that the animational technich caused the situation.
And then, now, Pikachu was back. He gave his cute smile on the TV screen as before.
It's sad that a newspaper bashes a whole anime series, especially when it's a good one like Pokemon. I'm sure my opinion doesn't count, since all I've seen of the anime is five minutes of the fourth episode, but I find that the show is a good example to young children to use their imagination to solve problems, and not to give up. I find that Satoshi-kun is an energetic person who believes that he can beat all the challenges that come towards him, and this should encourage the children not to give up in what they do or what they believe in, either. The plot may be rough at times (from what I saw on your web page), but life is rough, too, and while it's not a good example of today's reality, it lets them know that all's not nice and sweet out there.
We Pokemon fans know that the animation is a fantastic, dramatic and humane work. And animations are one of important elements for children's emotional education. Adults' bashing their favorite animations would cause their distrust against them.
The hero of the animation is Satoshi, a ten-year-old boy. He starts on a journey with Pikachu to be a great trainer of pocket monsters. Pikachu is shy, but hard to be tamed, and doesn't like Satoshi when they meet. However, on the journey, strong bonds of friendship are born between them, and they go their road with joy. Other monsters and two kids, Kasumi, and Takeshi join on the way. Usually the villain is found in this kind of story for children, and the one in it is the Rocket gang; Musashi and Kojiro, a young couple, and a cat monster, Meowth, is dull-witted, playing an amusing role.
The first episode was impressive, though hard to see. Pikachu is attacked insistantly by Spearows and in serious conditions. Satoshi takes to shield him and escapes the flock by bicycle. On the way, the bicycle tumbles and they are thrown to hit the ground. At the following scene that Pikachu was slumped on the ground, I couldn't stop tears which roll on the cheeks. I don't see the scene ever since then.
To join the pocket monster tournament, trainers should collect several budges from strong trainers. To get the third budge, Pikachu and Satoshi have a hard time then. The budge's owner is Matis, and his pocket monster is Raichu (Pikachu evaluates to be Raichu). Raichu is so powerful, and defeats Pikachu thoroughly. Pikachu enters hospital, feeling vexatious. The only way to win Raichu left is that Pikachu evaluates, too, and he sees the chance of it. However, he rejects to, hoping to defeat Raichu with all his might he has now. He returns to challenge Raichu with a strategy. It successes, and Pikachu wins.
The most memorial for me is his smile he gave after he fought bravely. It was very cute.
He is not warlike, yet a bad loser. And hardworking. After defeated by Raichu, he decided to train himself for the return match, not evaluating, so that he could wipe vexation off his heart. The Rocket gang were moved, sent him an yell. After the battle, Raichu gave Pikachu a big hand sincerely and Pikachu scratched his head in great embarrassment. It was a purified scene.
The most strong element that parents would like children to watch the animation program is that monsters battle, but no matter what happened, they don't kill their opponent. This animation is humene. Monsters strive to get stronger, yet are pure and friendly to others. They are rivals only when they battle. Parents and children can watch it without anxiety. As for this kind of animation, their are a few in Japan. After the accident, children, including even victimized, rage at the media. 'Pikachu is not responsible!''Why the media are so mean to pockemons (Japanese call pocket monsters so)?' are their claims, and parents make much of them. In Taiwan, they already decided not to import the animation. The ones who produced the dagerous scene are responsible.
Pikachu snaps his fingers, clicking his tongue in the right one.
Copyright(c)1998 Shou Tsurugi All rights reserved.