Those in the know already know
Pokemon is a shortened name for the "Pokemon" games'
main characters, pocket monsters.
The infamous "gotta catch 'em all" catchphrase
is the anglicized interpretation of
the Japanese getto suru, which more directly translates
to "getting," the main objective of the game.
Through open-world exploration, trade, and battling,
you play as a trainer trying to collect, nurture,
and evolve as many Pokemon as you can.
These fantastical creatures exist as sentient beings
somewhere between wild animal and beloved pet.
Monsters that are collected in stored in Poke Balls,
Inspired by gachapon balls, round plastic containers
used to house small collectible items in vending machines,
the contraptions serve as storage containers
and presumably mini bio-domes.
The Pokemon are inspired by flora and fauna,
science, religion, yokai, and other supernatural beings.
But the series is teaming with not just Japanese folklore
but versions of monsters from across the globe,
made cute with softened features.
Quite a few of the "Monstrum" monsters
have Pokemon counterparts, like the golem,
Yuki Onna, Godzilla, Mothra, banshees,
hellhounds, monstrous plants, and kasha.
The bond between Pokemon and trainer,
monster and human, is one built on trust,
loyalty, and reciprocal benefits.
In this way, Pokemon distinguish themselves
from other monsters.
While there are monsters who may show kindness to humans
or provide protection, they still use fear
if not in behavior, at least in appearance.
Nintendo didn't think "Pokemon" would do well
with the Japanese audience, let alone a global one.
They didn't even put any promotion behind the first game.
So what changed?
Why did pocket monsters become so freakishly popular?
[dramatic music]
I'm Dr. Emily Zarka, and this is "Monstrum."
"Pokemon" changed the monster genre
by making monsters cute, not scary,
capitalizing on already popular monster consumer culture.
The first "Pokemon" game for Nintendo's Game Boy
launched in Japan in 1996, with a 10-year-old protagonist
and 151 creatures to discover, catch, train,
and battle against one another.
The "Pokemon" game would become a global phenomenon,
evolving into a card game, multiple anime series, movies,
and a seemingly endless barrage of consumer goods
like plush toys, makeup, clothing, and more games.
With Japan's intense focus on education, long commutes,
and jam-packed schedules, "Pokemon" offered children
a portable and communal space for play
that was accessible and pleasantly distracting.
The game's inventor, Satoshi Tajiri,
was mentored by one of Nintendo's greats,
Shigeru Miyamoto, video-game designer
and inventor of Mario.
Tajiri wove his own childhood
into part of the "Pokemon" mythos.
Spending much of his childhood outside,
Tajiri was an avid collector of bugs,
tadpoles, and other small creatures.
Most kids are.
I remember a time I brought a frog into the house
with a leach attached to it, a two-for-one catch
I couldn't wait to show off.
My mom was not so thrilled.
Come to think of it, that combo might make a cool Pokemon.
We wouldn't have "Pokemon" if it wasn't for Japan's
dense, eclectic, and vast folklore.
Influenced and inspired in part
by polytheistic belief systems,
the yokai tradition gives us some of the world's
most unusual and unusually specific monstrous creatures,
and there is a long history of collecting and profiting
from depictions of these strange and supernatural beings.
Yokai-themed card games didn't even begin with "Pokemon."
Hundreds of years before, in the Edo period,
yokai-themed karuta, decorated paper or cardboard cards,
were all the rage.
Towards the end of the 19th century,
these cards were immensely popular with children
who collected the game cards with vigor.
In part because of the boom of yokai consumer goods
like these, 19th-century Japanese philosopher
Enryo Inoue was afraid the deep folkloric history
of the strange creatures would prevent the success
of industrialism and hinder Japan's journey to modernity,
so he invented anthropological system called Yokaigaku
that cataloged and debunked yokai stories.
Ironically, his detailed accounts
have helped preserve yokai lore.
19th-century Japan also produced the first manga comics.
Prolific artists Hokusai is credited
with naming this particular style of art--
entertaining, whimsical pictures that honored
existing Japanese illustration traditions
while incorporating European style-cartooning elements.
Respected manga artist Shigeru Mizuki
is credited with reviving popular interest in yokai.
In 1960, his series "Hakaba Kitaro,"
which follows a young boy's encounters with various yokai,
was deemed too scary for children,
but of course, that did not stop its popularity.
The playful plots promoted harmony
between humans and yokai,
a message with a long tradition in Japan.
It was also in the 20th century that another part
of "Pokemon's" unique heritage was born: kaiju.
The giant monster film genre began in 1954 with "Gojira,"
you can learn more about that here,
and was immediately popular,
remaining a mainstay of Japanese cinema to this day.
Saburo Ishizuki produced the first
vinyl collectible kaiju figurines,
notably cuter than their onscreen predecessors.
They merged the cute with the scary
and created tiny consumers hellbent on holding
their favorite characters in their own hands.
Seeing a kaiju battle onscreen was cool enough,
but getting the chance to recreate that scene
or better yet, create your very own with your friends?
Now that is epic.
Illustrated Kaiju guidebooks which I can't help but see
as the modern homage to medieval bestiaries,
gave more details and background stories to the characters.
"Pokemon" would adopt something similar
with the Pokedex, a digital bestiary.
This brings us to the tech side of "Pokemon" lore.
Matt Alt author of "Pure Invention:
How Japan Made the Modern World,"
argues that the success of the game
comes as a result of decades of positive marketing
of influential toys and consumer electronics
to the American market that began in the 1950s.
"Pac-Man" took video games from the arcade
into the supermarkets, schools, and homes in 1980.
Then in 1989, the release of Game Boy
meant that anyone anywhere could play video games,
a massive market shift. Nintendo was ready
to dominate and exploit.
Nintendo launched Tajiri's relatively simple "Pokemon" game
in 1996 when they were giving up hope
on the longevity of the Game Boy.
The game was produced with an unusual
and frankly genius feature.
Released in two cartridges,
"Pokemon Red" and "Pokemon Green,"
you had to trade with another player to collect them all
since 11 of the original 151 pocket monsters
would only evolve after trading,
an intentional design choice by Tajiri,
who aimed to promote social connection
in the real world.
It was this game design strategy that continues
to work for the franchise today.
Each iteration of the game contains unique Pokemon
and badges that can only be collected by playing
and purchasing both versions of the release.
Hell, I have "Pokemon Diamond" and "Pokemon Pearl"
sitting in my Switch carrier right now.
As "Pokemon" sales began to climb in Japan,
Nintendo decided to capitalize on the growing popularity.
A manga comic featuring the cute monsters
was quickly produced and published
in one of the most popular magazines for young boys.
An anime followed the next spring in 1997,
and then the first big screen film.
It was virtually impossible to escape
the game's presence in Japanese culture,
and its popularity kept expanding.
The game and its various products
were released in East Asia in 1997.
Part of the franchise's success was its ability to appeal
to all genders and a far wider age range
than previously believed possible.
And a big part of that appeal?
Pikachu.
While many Pokemon are undeniably cute,
with large eyes, expressive faces, and exaggerated features,
they create strong emotional attachments with consumers
when placed in narratives in the anime and manga,
contributing to their perception as kawaii.
Kawaii means more than just cute.
It's really a cultural touchstone
that began in the 1970s.
Something is kawaii only if its cute, soft, round,
childlike features are complimented
by their sweet and gentle attributes.
One of the anime's creators, Masakazu Kubo,
has said that the original anime's target demographic
was young girls and mothers.
Remember, the original Nintendo game's graphics
were far simpler than what they are today.
It's difficult to show cute in eight bit,
so which Pokemon could make the leap from the console screen
and into the hearts of the massive?
It's Pikachu.
Chosen for its bright, non-aggressive color,
easy-to-say name, sweet, expressive face,
and memorable, cuddly silhouette,
Pikachu became a global icon
akin to Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty.
"Pokemon" first appeared to American audiences in 1998,
as "Pokemon Red version" and "Pokemon Blue version."
By 1999, the series had earned $5 billion.
Kids across the world couldn't get enough.
I was one of those kids.
I collected the cards religiously and meticulously,
organizing my binder at school, on the bus, and at home.
I carried that thing to my friend's houses
where we would trade cards
with no intention of playing the game.
For me, it wasn't just about finding
an elusive holographic or balancing my stats.
I simply loved looking at the pictures
and learning the monster's traits.
I guess in a way, I never stopped being that little girl.
My monster collecting just looks different now.
Monsters aren't the only core appeal of "Pokemon."
It feeds that urge to explore the outdoors
at a scale few could achieve in real life.
It doesn't matter if you were a kid
in an apartment high-rise or an adult
trapped in a subway commuting to work.
Rain or shine, come hell or a dying battery life,
it allows you to organically experience
a colorful, diverse natural world, with the added bonus
of a seemingly unending array of wild animals
or better yet, monsters you get to keep as pets.
The protagonist of the first "Pokemon" game and anime
is named after the game's creator, Satoshi.
In English, he is called Ash.
He and the Pokemon professors, Oak, Elm, Birch,
Rowan, Juniper, Sycamore, and Magnolia,
emphasize the importance of nature
as an instructive, respected tool.
Viewed from an environmentally friendly lens,
the game teaches players to respect nature
and its inhabitants as living creatures
integral to biodiversity, not simple commodities.
Not all interpretations of the game are so positive.
Some naysayers and critics will argue
that Pokemon encourages children to not only
feel familiar with conflict, but seek it out,
citing the franchise's battle elements.
Others claim that capturing and trading
wild Pokemon animals promotes hunting
or the mistreatment of nature, where value is placed
on how they can work for or fight for humans.
The staunchest of critics will even point out
that trapping Pokemon, then transporting them to trade,
where they might end up as laborers or fighters,
has some problematic connections
to colonial history and slavery.
Debates about these interpretations
have been going on pretty much since "Pokemon" emerged
on the global marketplace.
Despite controversy, the game's lingering impact
cannot be denied.
There are now over 1,000 types of Pokemon,
and the franchise is stronger than ever.
The launch of "Pokemon Go" in 2016
broke gaming barriers again.
That became the most downloaded smartphone game in history,
reaching 21 million users only two weeks after its launch
in the U.S., with 40% of those users over the age of 25.
Tajiri's original intent is honored
with this next evolution,
encouraging players to interact with one another
outside of the insular gaming bubble.
"Pokemon Go" is a universal game you can play
from your phone literally anywhere in the world.
It requires going outside, moving around,
and often interacting with others,
promoting physical and mental health.
I've always believed that monsters have the potential
to unite us, a way for us to understand the lives
of other people and better know ourselves.
While folklore and oral storytelling began that trend,
with each new communication technology,
we've long profited from monsters,
socially and commercially.
"Pokemon's" heritage places it
within the realm of national identity,
reflecting and influencing Japan's cultural,
religious, social, and environmental ideals.
Globalization widens this worldview,
introducing Japanese history
into an unexpected mainstream global context.
"Pokemon" just further proves what I've always known:
monsters are meant to be shared.
I wanted to catch it.
No, 'cause now it's gone.
The main objective of the game-- [laughing]
Pocket monsters.
My eight-year-old self would be so proud.
Cut.