(optional yappin) Yes yes I know this isn’t the place for this but god dammit NO WHERE ELSE TAKES ME SERIOUS. I’ve been obsessed with this fucking rat for weeks now (actually a lifetime really). I can’t stop it, I need to know how this former fat fuck was chosen to star in one of the most popular 90’s anime for kids and parents alike and eventually became the most well known face for a media franchise. Ever.

I am what I am. Apologetically even. My brain was built to be obsessed with monsters I never stood a chance growing up. An index of monsters with unique abilities and designs and personalities on the screen, that is always growing and is now in the thousands?! How could they expect me not to love that. Into my adult life, I actually fell outta love with Pokemon because of how little effort they seemed to be putting into some of their content. It felt like one big money game rather than a series full of life. With all hope lost I said fuck it what if I created my own index of monsters for future generations to obsess over the way I got to, but actually putting love and effort back into the mix. But every monster taming series needs a face. Pikachu. Agumon. Pegasus from (the better) beyblade series. Dragonoid from Bakugan. So naturally I wanted to make my own. But ugh I don’t have the vision yet.

For ages I’ve been studying Pikachu to know more. Reading through 90’s interviews from the former creators, the anime team, and Atsuko Nishida herself to understand the process that went into Pikachu. Learning that it wasn’t initially planned to be the mascot, most people already know Clefairy was planned to be the mascot (weird pick I think Nidoran M woulda been dope if not for the gender difference). If anything Clefairy failed its marketing tests which is why Pikachu became the fall back. Yellow is a good gender neutral color scheme. Pikachu had a good balance of cute and cool which had something for everybody to enjoy. It could act as a biped and quadruped design which was very helpful when translating it to the anime. The pop of red to pair with the yellow seemed to be reminiscent of other famous mascots in media already at the top spot (Mickey Mouse and Pooh Bear). Pikachu was also initially designed to be more dessert like. A mochi themed mousy squirrelish Pokemon later given an electric tail when the teamed decided to add battle elements to the game. On top of that it’s electric type, a unique type that broke away from the traditional rock/paper/scissors circle of grass/water/fire.

I’m done for now. But I would love to engage in discussions more on this. For anyone wondering why I didn’t go to the Pokemon subreddit I had tired so many times they literally do not care :( if anything I was happy to talk about my hyperfixation anyway