Every banned Pokémon episode and why they were pulled from TV

We’ve mentioned it earlier than, and we’ll say it once more: it’s robust on the market for a Pokémon anime completionist. Monitoring down each episode throughout all 26 seasons makes nabbing the franchise’s many colourful critters appear downright simple by comparability. And the kicker? Even if you happen to do technically “catch ‘em all,” there are nonetheless a handful of Pokémon episodes which might be difficult — if not outright inconceivable — to look at. Why? As a result of these suckers had been banned.

We don’t imply they by no means aired (which means no one noticed them), or had been postponed, or had been briefly yanked from circulation. The banned Pokémon episodes we’re speaking about had been pulled following public outcry and haven’t been seen of their authentic kind — or any kind, in some circumstances — since. We’ve rounded all of them up under, full with a full rundown of the explanations they had been banned, from offensive stereotypes to public security issues.

“The Magnificence and the Seaside”

Picture: OLM/The Pokémon Firm

Plenty of what made it onto TV within the late 90s wouldn’t fly at this time, besides, Pokémon season 1, episode 18, “Magnificence and the Seaside,” was an apparent non-starter. It boasts a frankly astonishing quantity of sexually-charged materials, together with a number of individuals — Ash and Brock amongst them — ogling Misty in a bikini. Oh, and Group Rocket’s James struts round with a pair of blow-up breasts and physique shames Misty, only for good measure. It’s bought “ethical panic” written throughout it, which is why authentic Pokémon licensor 4Kids Leisure didn’t hassle producing an English dub of “Magnificence and the Seaside.” Youngsters’ WB later aired an edited model of the episode (with James’ faux-cleavage excised) twice in 2000, earlier than banning it altogether.

“The Legend of Miniryu”

Picture: OLM/The Pokémon Firm

Pokémon will not be a violent property — probably not. Certain, Pokémon tournaments are a key side of the franchise’s lore, however Squirtle’s ultimate kind sprouts a water cannon, not a howitzer, if you happen to catch my which means. As such, it’s extremely unsettling when Safari Zone warden Kaiser begins waving round a realistic-looking revolver in Pokémon season 1, episode 25, “The Legend of Miniryu.” In equity, these scenes are largely performed for laughs and no one really will get shot. Nonetheless, the sight of Ash Ketchum being held at gunpoint most likely wouldn’t have gone down effectively with worldwide audiences. 4Kids Leisure actually thought so, contemplating they — like just about each different worldwide rightsholder — preemptively banned “The Legend of Miniryu.” In contrast to “Magnificence and the Seaside,” Youngsters’ WB didn’t hassle taking a crack at this one, so there isn’t even a bootleg English dub floating across the web.

“Electrical Soldier Porygon”

Picture: OLM/The Pokémon Firm

If there’s a poster baby for banned Pokémon episodes, it’s “Electrical Soldier Porygon.” For those who grew up within the mid-late ‘90s, you’ll bear in mind the worldwide hubbub this one precipitated after it despatched tons of of Japanese kids to the hospital with epileptic seizures. The in-episode wrongdoer? Franchise mascot Pikachu, whose flickering red-and-blue “Thunderbolt” transfer proved too intense for a lot of viewers (except for seizures, there have been stories of youngsters vomiting, quickly going blind, and extra moreover).

In response, TV Tokyo instantly eliminated “Electrical Soldier Porygon” from syndication — completely. The Pokémon anime additionally went on a four-month hiatus, whereas its artistic group and a bunch of medical consultants tried to determine what the hell was occurring. As soon as they zeroed in on the flashing lights, animation studio OLM tweaked season 1’s different strobe effect-heavy sequences to keep away from one other kid-centric well being disaster. The Porygon Pokémon additionally discovered itself ceaselessly relegated to the sidelines, regardless of being innocent in the entire affair.

The lasting impression of “Electrical Soldier Porygon” extends past the Pokémon anime itself. Japanese broadcast laws modified and the broader anime business overhauled the way in which it handles excessively vibrant, fast-paced sequences in TV exhibits. Immediately, widespread motion collection corresponding to My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen make use of “dimming” and “ghosting” strategies — decreasing the brightness and smooshing animation frames collectively — to reduce the potential for triggering seizures.

Unsurprisingly, no worldwide community has (or doubtless ever will) broadcast the episode since, making it the one Pokémon episode banned the world over.

“Vacation Hello-Jynx,” “Stage Struggle,” “The Mandarin Island Miss Match,” “The Ice Cave!” and “Satoshi and Nagetukesaru! A Landing of Friendship!!”

Picture: OLM/The Pokémon Firm

We’ve grouped the ultimate 5 banned Pokémon episodes collectively as a result of they had been all spiked for a similar purpose: blackface. “Vacation Hello-Jynx,” “Stage Struggle,” “The Mandarin Island Miss Match,” and “The Ice Cave!” all prominently function Jynx — a Pokémon whose preliminary dark-skinned, full red-lipped design bore an uncomfortable resemblance to minstrel present make-up. Whereas OLM ultimately recolored Jynx purple within the authentic Japanese variations, The Pokémon Firm quietly pulled the English dubs from streaming providers, dwelling media, and the like (apart from “The Ice Cave!,” which by no means bought an English dub to start with).

What concerning the fifth episode? Right here, Jynx isn’t the wrongdoer — Ash is. The OG Pokémon protagonist will get paint smeared on his face in “Satoshi and Nagetukesaru! A Landing of Friendship!!” to go as a black-and-white Passimian, and it’s not an ideal look. Admittedly, the blackface overtones are virtually actually unintentional — accessible stills make it clear Ash’s face paint types a part of what’s primarily a lemur costume (though that might itself be thought of offensive) — however The Pokémon Firm wasn’t risking one other scandal. To at the present time, no English dub of “Satoshi and Nagetukesaru! A Landing of Friendship!!” exists, in one other occasion of a Pokémon episode getting pre-banned.