I was sitting here the other day, with 2 friends, watching some of the Pokémon movies and we got to talking and well, to put it frankly... Pokémon is the meanest, most crude, violent and twisted children's anime ever!
I began watching Pokémon when I was 8 years old and I, along with the rest of my generation, fell deeply in love with it. Here is how I saw Pokémon back then:
' Pokémon is about a young trainer, whom among with other trainers, catch and befriend Pokémon in order to become the Pokémon master. Pokemon trainers duel each other when they meet in order to train their Pokémon to become stronger and better. Then there is Team Rocket whom are up to no good and tries to steal Pokémon and turn them in to their Boss, Giovanni. Team Rocket are the villains of the Anime. Our main character Ash Ketchum has a rival: Gary Oak - grandson of Prof. Oak, a highly standing Pokémon Professor from Ash's hometown of Pallet. Ash meets Gary several times on his journey and Gary always seems one step ahead.
In the Gameboy game, Ash (Red) on the other hand, is the one whom always beats Gary (Blue) when they meet. And in the end of the Pokémon legaue, Gary is ahead of Ash and challenge his for the title of Pokémon master. Heroically enough: Ash wins.
In the story we are constantly shown that you can do whatever you set your mind too, as long as you are a good person.
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Aspect number 2:
Pokémon is a universe wherein so-called Pokémon trainers catch and enslave Pokémon which is this universe's alternative to animals. After they enslave these animals, a concept which is of normal ideology in this universe, the trainers assault other trainers and animals in order to pin these creatures against each other, in a battle which could easily lead to death. After a trainer has knocked another trainers Pokémon out cold, he takes half his fortune. It seems that all societies within this universe is build on the sole foundation of slavery. But is it really slavery? I believe that as long as the one's enslaved are as intelligent as any human being, it is indeed slavery.
Team Rocket capture's and steals Pokémon from trainers/Slavers and deliver them to their boss Giovanni, whom then uses them to overthrow the very societies that enslave them - in a way he is a classic personification of "Revolutionary Liberty."
When it comes to Gary, all I can see is a poor, mistreated and ignored boy. In spire of being Prof. Oak's grandson, his witty old grandpa seems to favor his rival Ash over him. Ash (Red) is continually pounding in Gary's (Blue) Pokémon, defeating him time and time again, sucking in the very last bit of respect and attention his grandfather has left for him. As soon as Gary beats the Pokémon and his peer is finally showing him some attention, Ash comes along, whoops his butt and leaves him in the dust.
We are shown that to rise higher, somebody else has to fall.
All in all, it's a world that encourages Enslavement, bigotry, Violence and so on, and quite frankly, I think we had enough of that in Germany during World War II
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