Pokémon 101: The Evolution of the Avatar

When I’m writing this it’s still 2 weeks from the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (let’s call them ORAS from now on), but when this little article is published, I’m probably a long way into the game. Time to celebrate the newest installments of the Pokémon games with a new Pokémon 101! Note that this blog is about the main characters from the games, who cannot be confused with their counterparts from the manga and the anime.

Generation I

Red (Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow, 1998 or Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, 1996 if you’re hardcore or Japanese):

Red

• Home town: Pallet Town, Kanto
• Age: 11 (R/B/Y), 14 (G/S/C/HG/SS), 17 (B2/W2)
• Professor: Professor Oak
• Starters: Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander (R/B) or Pikachu (Y)
• Rival: Blue
• Evil organization: Team Rocket
• Name origin: Obviously, Red’s name is derived from the name of the game. 

Among fans, Red is considered the most bad-ass trainer of all. He started his adventure at the age of 11. We meet him again when he’s 14 in Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal/Heart Gold/Soul Silver. Here we learn that, after the Pokémon League, he travelled to Mt. Silver to train in solitude. When he’s 17, he enters the Champions Tournament in Unova (Pokémon Black 2/White 2). This is the boy who became a legend.

Generation II

Ethan (Pokémon Gold/Silver, 1999, Pokémon Crystal, 2000) and Kris (Pokémon Crystal, 2000):

Ethan

Kris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Home town: New Bark Town, Johto
• Age: Unknown (probably 11 or 12)
• Professor: Professor Elm
• Starters: Chikorita, Totodile, or Cyndaquil
• Rival: Silver
• Evil organization: Team Rocket
• Name origin: Ethan’s name origin is somewhat far-fetched. His Japanese name is ‘Hibiki’, which means ‘sound’ or ‘echo’. Biblically, Ehtan is believed to be a harp or cymbal player on King David’s court. Kris’ name is derived from ‘Crystal’, the name of the game.

Ethan was the only playable character in the Gold and Silver games. In Crystal, you had the option to choose for a girl for the first time. Of all playable characters, Ethan/Kris collect the most badges: After they collect the 8 badges of the Johto region and defeat the Elite Four at the Indigo Plateau, they travel to Kanto to defeat the 8 local gym leaders as well. After Ethan/Kris collect the 8 badges from the Kanto region, they are faced against Red in Mt. Silver. If you think about it, with 16 badges, they’re much stronger than Red. They even defeated Red!

Generation III

Brendan and May (Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire, 2002):

Brendan

May

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Home town: Little Root Town, Hoenn
  
• Age: 12
• Professor: Professor Birch
  
• Starters: Treecko, Mudkip, or Torchick
  
• Friend/Rival: May/Brendan
  
• Other allies: Wally
• Evil organization: Team Aqua and Team Magma
  
• Name origin: Brendan’s name comes from the word ‘brave’. May’s name in Japan is ‘Haruka’, meaning ‘spring flower’. May is a month in spring (duh).

In the Ruby and Sapphire games, if the player chooses the male option, Brendan becomes the playable character and May your friend/rival and vice versa. This is the first game where you have a friendly relationship with your rival, and where you have a second rival/ally (Wally). It’s also the first time you have a father, in this case the Petalburg City gym leader Norman.  Brendan/May do no defeat one, but two evil organizations. Their story ends with their participation to the Battle Frontier.

Brendan seems more concerned with his wardrobe than the previous two male characters. Also, is that a hat or his hair? Keep reading to find out the answer!

Red and Leaf (Pokémon Fire Red/Leaf Green, 2004):

1996 Red

2004 Red

Leaf

Remake time! Eight years after the original release, the first Pokémon games got a remake. That meant a drastic make-over for Red and the addition of a female character! Because the story is almost exactly the same, Red is still 11 years old in this game. But this version of Red looks a bit older than the original (left Red for comparison). He also looks a bit more approachable, although he keeps his bad-assery. Their clothes are practically the same, but totally different at the same time.

Leaf’s name obviously comes from the name of the game. Leaf looks like a female version of Red, but she looks more feminine than her predecessors. I really like her design, it’s practical and simple.

Brendan and May (Pokémon Emerald, 2004)

2002 Brendan

2004 Brendan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pokémon Emerald is the third installment of the Hoenn region series. But Brendan, what did you do!? Did you fall into your closet and came out this way? SHORTS OVER YOUR NORMAL PANTS!? Are you trying to set a new trend? Because it’s not going to happen. But, we have some clarification about your hair. It was dark all along (for proof, see left ear).

2002 May

2004 May

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah May, I’m glad too see that you can keep your head clear. You did a color swap and changed your shirt, but you still look as cool as you did before!

Generation IV

Lucas and Dawn (Pokémon Diamon/Pearl, 2008)

Lucas

Dawn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Home town: Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh
  
• Age: Unknown (probably 11 or 12)
• Professor: Professor Rowan
  
• Starters: Turtwig, Piplup, or Chimchar
  
• Friend/Rival: Barry
  
• Other allies: Lucas/Dawn
• Evil organization: Team Galactic
  
• Name origin: Lucas’ name comes from ‘lux-lucis’, the Latin word for ‘light’. Dawn’s name is probably derived from her Japanese name ‘Hikari’, also meaning ‘light’.

If you choose Lucas or Dawn as you playable character, the other becomes the assistant of professor Rowan. Their adventure ends with taking on the Battle Tower.

The guys in Pokémon become more and more stylish. Lucas even looks… metrosexual? I never got why someone would wear short sleeves and a scarf. But I guess fashion beats functionality in Pokémon nowadays. And Dawn… I just don’t like you. I don’t know if it’s because of the dumb look on your face, the fact that you’re not suited for travel at all, the fact that you’re wearing a super-short skirt, the fact that you’re wearing a massive bag around your arm, or the fact that you’re wearing a warm hat and a scarf with a cold dress. It just… doesn’t make sense.

Lucas and Dawn (Pokémon Platimum, 2008)

D/P Lucas

Platinum Lucas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D/P Dawn

Platinum Dawn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucas and Dawn are obviously clad for colder weather, that is, they wear a more functional scarf and a jacket. Dawn still doesn’t seem to have learned that you need something on your legs too to keep warm though.

Ethan and Lyra (Pokémon Heart Gold/Soul Silver, 2009):

1999 Ethan

2009 Ethan

Lyra

 

Ten years after the release of the original Gold and Silver games, they got a remake. Like Red in Fire Red and Leaf Green, Ethan got a make-over. Like with Red’s make-over, the new Ethan looks older and more approachable. His clothes and bag got an upgrade, but his cap still seems the same. Fashionable but practical!

Kris, not being a part of Gold and Silver, did not make a return in Heart Gold and Soul Silver. She got replaced  by the new character Lyra. In every country, the versions of Lyra’s name are derived from a musical instrument. Lyra is derived from ‘Lyre’. When you choose to be a gender, the character of the other gender becomes your friendly rival (no worries, Silver is still there too!).

Generation V

Hilbert and Hilda (Pokémon Black/White, 2010)

Hilbert

Hilda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Home town: Nuvema Town,  Unova
  
• Age: 14-16 (B/W), 16-18 (B2/W2)
• Professor: Professor Juniper
  
• Starters: Snivey, Tepig, or Oshawott
  
• Friends/Rivals: Bianca and Cheren
  
• Evil organization: Team Plasma
  
• Name origin: Hilda’s and Hilbert’s names contain the Germanic element ‘hild’, which means ‘battle’.

It seems like the creativeness when it comes to names has dried out a bit. Unlike in the previous games, the gender you do not choose doesn’t become your friendly rival. In stead, he/she becomes your partner in the Battle Subway. You do have two friendly rivals though: Cheren and Bianca.

Unlike all previous playable characters, who are all 11 or 12 when their adventure begins, Hilbert and Hilda are older. Their precise age is unknown however, different sources place their age between 14 and 16.

Nate and Rosa (Pokémon Black 2/White 2, 2012):

Nate

Rosa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Home town: Apertia City,  Unova
  
• Age: Unknown (probably between 11 and 16)
• Professor: Professor Juniper (the player receives their starter from Bianca, your rival from Black and White, who is now professor Junipers assistant)
  
• Starters: Snivey, Tepig, or Oshawott
  
• Friend/Rival: Hugh
  
• Evil organization: Team Plasma
  
• Name origin: Nate’s and Rosa’s names come from the word ‘resonate’.

The events of Black 2 and White 2 take place two years after Black and White. If the player chooses one of the two, the other one will become an NPC who fulfills a minor role in the story.

Nate looks like a male version of Hilda in the previous games. He looks pretty cool, but apparently the pants-over-pants thing is still a thing in the Pokémon world. Or is he wearing a wet-suit underneath? Rosa looks like… you know those dress-up flash games? She looks like the result of a 10-year old designing her own original character with it. Her clothes are random and bland at the same time. Big step back from Hilda. Both their bags seem kinda unpractical for traveling too…

Generation VI

Calem and Serena (Pokémon X/Y, 2013):

Calem

Serena

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Home town: Vaniville Town, Kalos
  
• Age: Unknown (probably between 11 and 16)
• Professor: Professor Sycamore
  
• Starters: Chespin, Fennekin, or Froaky (the player later can also receive Squirtle, Bulbasaur, or Charmander)
  
• Friend/Rival: Calem/Serena
  
• Other allies: Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor
• Evil organization: Team Flare
  
• Name origin: Calem’s and Serena’s names come from the words ‘calme’ and ‘serene’.

Calem/Serena get their first pokémon from a friend, not from a professor (in name of the professor, that is). Later in the game, they can choose one of the Kanto starters from professor Lysandre.  This character does not have 1 or 2 friendly rivals, but 4! The playable character of the opposite gender will take the role of your main rival.

Calem and Serena are the first characters where the player has the option to alter their skin tone, hair color, haircut, and clothes. The pictures here are the default appearances, but they do not say anything on how your character will look like in the game: that’s entirely up to you! I was really happy with this option and I used it a lot. I don’t think I ever spent as much pokédollars as I did in this game, just because I wanted to buy clothes. The options they give you are really cool. If you want to check out which outfits and haircuts are available, visit http://www.serebii.net/xy/customisation.shtml .

Brendan and May (Pokémon Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby, 2014)

Brendan and May got their 3th make-over since their conception. This remake of Ruby and Sapphire was released 12 years after the original and Sapphire and 10 years after Emerald.

2002 Brendan

2004 Brendan

2014 Brendan

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014 Brendan’s clothes look like 2004 Brendan’s clothes, but his hat seems more like 2002 Brendan’s. He finally got over the pants-over-pants thingy. He also looks more… tanned?

2002 May

2004 May

2014 May

May got quite the make-over. Her color-scheme comes from 2002 may, and apparently the pants-over-pants thing moved from Brendan to her. I liked the bike shorts! She looks a lot more childish now. I’m a bit disappointed, since I liked her original design a lot!

That was it! All playable characters in the main Pokémon games until now! What is your favorite character?

 

Nintendo Updates!

Some important dates for Nintendo gamers are coming up in the near future! This is quite bad for me because I don’t have a job at the moment. Sigh, poor wallet, I guess I just have to skip some meals this month *priorities*.

Hyrule Warriors (Wii-U)

This Dynasty Warriors/The Legend of Zelda spin-off game is already released in Japan. I’m really looking forward to it! Also, check out this awesome scarf that’s in the Limited Edition!

– Europe: September 19
– Australia: September 20
– North America: September 26

Super Smash Bros 3DS

I’ve been a fan of the Smash Bros series since Melee, and I think off all my Wii games, I played Smash Bros Brawl the most! The new installment will have a lot of female characters: Zelda, Sheik, Samus, Zero Suit Samus, Peach, Lucina, Palutena, and Rosalina. You can pick both genders for the following characters: Animal Crossing Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, and Robin. I really look forward to this installment of the game! I even got so crazy I pre-ordered this 3DS-XL version (which includes a pre-installed version of SSB3DS). And then… stuff happened. Read further to find out what! Oh yea, there is a rumour going on that there will be bundles available which contain 2 copies of the game (for a slightly cheaper price). That will be great if you want to play together with you brother, sister, friend, or partner!

– Japan: September 13
– Europe: October 3
– North America: October 3
– Australia: October 4

3 Special 3DS-XL versions (US only)

The US was feeling a bit left out since the Limited Edition Super Smash Bros 3DS-XL version was only announced for Europe. But now they don’t have any reason to complain, since they will get the Limited Edition Super Smash Bros 3DS-XL both in red and blue (although the game is not pre-installed), a Persona Q 3DS-XL, and a NES-themed 3DS-XL. Damn you US.

– Super Smash Brothers 3DS-XL: October 3
– NES 3DS-XL: October 10 (GameStop exclusive)
– Persona Q 3DS-XL: October 10 (GameStop exclusive)

Bayonetta 2 (Wii-U)

To be honest, I haven’t played Bayonetta 1, but my boyfriend did and it looks pretty darn cool. And check this awesome limited edition box (which also contains an artbook). The limited condition as well as the normal edition contain a disc with Bayonetta 1 (which was exclusive for PS3 and Xbox360), and since my boyfriend ordered the limited edition I think I’m going to play both games.

– Japan: September 20
– Europe: October 24
– North America: October 24
– Australia: October 25

Mario Kart 8 DLC (wii-U)


Last month Nintendo made some major updates available for the latest Mario Kart installment, and gave away free Mercedes DLC. No, I am not making this stuff up. We are now able to pick 3 different Mercedes carts (for the experts: the GLA, the W 25 Silver Arrow, and the 300 SL Rooster). But, we were in for a surprise! We were also able to pre-order 2 very awesome DLC packs, which will be available in a few months. The first pack is the Legend of Zelda Pack and adds 3 characters to the roster, namely Link (!!!), Tanuki Mario, and Cat Peach. It will add 4 new vehicles, including the Blue Falcon, and it adds two cups (= 8 tracks), which are called the Triforce Cup and the Yoshi Egg cup. The second pack is the Animal Crossing Pack and will add 3 characters, namely Animal Crossing Villager, Isabelle, and Dry Bowser. It will add 4 new vehicles and 2 cups, called the Animal Crossing Cup and the Super Bell Cup. Both packs will cost 8 Euro’s or Dollars seperately, but you can also buy them as a bundle for 12 Euro’s or Dollars. If you buy both packs, you will be able to pick between 8 different colours for Yoshi and Shy Guy.

I am extremely excited for this. This is the first time we will be able to play as charcters in Mario Kart which are not related to the Mario Universe, and I did really not see this coming. To be able to play as a character from my favourite franchise (I mean Link, duh) in Mario Kart is really amazing. Also, 16 extra tracks! That expands the game with 50%!

– The Legend of Zelda Pack: November 2014 (worldwide)
– Animal Crossing Pack: May 2015 (worldwide)

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (3DS)

I did not want this game. I did not understand why it was necessary to remake Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. But that was before these games were announced. NOW I NEED THEM. I can’t wait until November! There is also a limited edition steel box, but as far as I know, those are only announced for the UK. There is also a pre-order bonus (a small figurine of either Mega Groudon or Mega Kyogre), but it’s not really clear to me in which countries they give those away (sorry!). Also, remember the Smash Bros bundle I was talking about? I really hope they’re going to sell bundles with the 2 versions of this game too!

– Japan: November 21
– North America: November 21
– Australia: November 21
– Europe: November 28

Super Smash Bros U (Wii-U)

This game will contain the same characters as the 3DS version, but will have different arena’s and will have a different soundtrack. Also, if you register both the 3DS version and the Wii-U version on Club Nintendo, you will receive a CD with the full soundtrack! The Wii-U installment will be released in December. No further details about the release date are known.

The ‘New’ 3DS

So I just told you guys I pre-ordered the Limited Edition Smash Bros 3DS-Xl right? 1 week after I did that, the New 3DS was announced. This beauty has a C-stick and 2 extra shoulder buttons. The angle for 3D view is bigger, and there are some technical improvements too (like bigger RAM and stuff). Some games (like Xenoblade) will be exclusive for the New 3DS. It comes in a ‘normal’ edition and an XL edition. So yea… I cancelled my Limited Edition 3DS-XL and decided to wait for this one. Although it hurt my heart a little. Oh yea, New 3DS is the official name. Nintendo doesn’t learn fast it seems (to clarify, when Nintendo announced the 3DS, it wasn’t clear to a lot of people that the 3DS was a next-gen handheld, since the name didn’t differ much from the previous handheld, the DS. Nintendo made this mistake again when they announced the Wii-U).

– Japan: October 2014
– Rest of the world: Somewhere in 2015

So yea, Nintendo has a lot in store for us! I hope I can find the time to write a review of each game I just mentioned. Are you guys planning to buy any of these?

Hot cute girly geek’s epic giveaway!!!

 

Hi my hot cute girly geeks and boy geeks of course.

As promised, the hot cute girly geek’s epic giveaway. This to celebrate my 2 year blogiversary and to apologize for the fact I neglected you guys a bit.

So… what can you win…?

First prize:

A home-made, hand knitted geeky hat, knitted by me, or a tablet / e-reader cosy! Which you can choose from my own Etsy shop: I have Zelda hats, Sherlock hats, Torchwood hats and Doctor Who hats. The tablet / e-reader cosy comes in the same pattern.

Second prize:

A home-made, hand knitted geeky phone cosy, and you can choose from the cosies from my Etsy shop as well.

For both the first and second prize you can also opt to discuss something custom-made as well. So if you have a pattern you really like and you win this prize we can discuss things.

Third prize: Tekira makes these awesome figures with Ironbeads,  you can contact me, and Tekira will discuss what is possible with you.

The giveaway is open worldwide and will run from the moment this blog is posted (the 18^th of June) until the 30^th of June midnight Dutchie time. (GTM+2)

And now how to win.

1: follow my blog.
2: And leave your contact details in the contact form added.

3: leave a comment why you think you should win and what prize you want to win. The most original and funny comments will win and the winners will be picked by Tekira and myself. After I pick the winners, they will be announced on my blog and you’ll have 48 hours to respond to this. If you do not respond in time the prize will go to another contestant.

Good luck to everyone and let the games begin!

Love, your own hot cute girly geek Mendy.

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My 2-year anniversary of a cosplayer: an overview

With my third Tsunacon (see my previous blog) it is also my second anniversary as a cosplayer! Time for an overview. I cannot call myself a ‘pro’ cosplayer though, since I cannot make clothes myself. I just do what I can with clothes that I can buy in stores. But maybe, if you are an aspiring cosplayer with no clothes-making skills, money, or time like me, you can find some inspiration from this blog!

Tsunacon 2012 (February)

My first convention! If course I wanted to cosplay, and it was not very difficult to decide what I would do: Makise Kurisu from Steins;Gate. Steins;Gate was the hit anime of the summer of 2011, and it’s still one of my favourites. The main characters didn’t wear really difficult clothing, and by pure chance I already owned a black hotpants, a white shirt and the right shoes. The only things I needed to buy were tights, a red tie, a white belt and a labcoat. That turned out to be more difficult that I thought, but I managed to find everything in time! My boyfriend cosplayed as Okabe Rintarou, so we were a set (which is always good for photographs). In retrospect, I should’ve gotten a red wig, but at that time I figured that it was good enough if I just dyed my hair red. Tsunacon 2012 was an amazing experience nonetheless. People wanted to make pictures of me, like I was the character itself, and that’s the biggest compliment you can get as a cosplayer I think. The whole day was filled with new and amazing experiences!

Abunai 2012 (August)

Abunai is one of the largest conventions in the Netherlands and it takes three days. So or course, I wanted three different cosplay outfits. For the first day, I wore a steampunk-ish outfit, not based on any manga, anime or game. I just thought it looked cool (and it did, hehe). I already owned the shoes and the stockings, I bought the suit on a market in Italy for 5 euro’s or somehting, and I ordered the goggles online (I don’t remember where though, I guess it was amazon.uk). This is one of my cheapest outfits. On the picture you can also see I’m getting a little better with make-up. In daily life, I only wear some mascara and eye-shadow, so I asked my sister to learn me how to put on eye-liner :p .

The second day I wore my Makisu cosplay again. For some reason I still didn’t buy a wig and I didn’t feel like dying my hair red again, so I just managed with with my usual hair style. Me and my boyfriend were dressed as a set again, so a lot of people took pictures of us, and we met people who were also cosplaying as characters from Steins;Gate, which is also good for a lot of pictures 🙂

The third day I did a cosplay of a female form of Death the Kid from Soul Eater. This cosplay didn’t turn out the way I wanted though. I bought a wig at a party-shop and painted white stripes on it. I bought a skirt and a waistcoat, and sewed white stripes on it. But it just all looked better in my head. I think the wig was the biggest problem. I should’ve have bought better quality. But hey, I barely had half a year of cosplay experience at that time!

MGC-Experience 2012 (November)

Recycled my steampunk outfit but added gloves. No pictures.

Tsunacon 2013 (February)

Another failed experiment. I wanted to do a human form of the pokémon Umbreon. I bought a black dress and attached yellow rings to it with double-sided tape. I already owned the gloves and I wore my hair in pigtails to resemble the ears. But it turned to look very amateurish and I was not really happy with the result.

Abunai 2013 (August)

After some failed experiments, it was time for a comeback! For the first day I re-used my steampunk cosplay again, now with better gloves and a difference necklace. I kept my real cosplay for the second and third day: Wii Fit Trainer. Only two months before Abunai, the new Super Smash Brothers for Wii-U and 3DS was announced, with a few new characters, among which were Animal Crossing Villager and Wii Fit Trainer. I got inspiration for this cosplay when I saw two people make a kind of spoof cosplaying them on youtube. I was really excited over the idea of cosplaying Wii Fit Trainer and my boyfriend cosplaying Animal Crossing Villager, because the combination of the two was still very new and original. I even kept it a secret until the last moment because I was afraid that people would ‘steal’ the idea. I already owned a blue tanktop and black pants, and I bought white tights for my legs and white body paint for my face, arms, upper body and belly. Easy cosplay, wouldn’t you think? WRONG! Painting my body every morning was hell (couldn’t have done it without help of my boyfriend)! It took 1.5 hours to get everything an even shade of white! But the result was awesome, and we were the only ones!

Mendy’s B-day (November 2013)

As you guys might know, Mendy had a Doctor Who themed B-day party and she wanted everyone to do Doctor Who cosplay. I’d never watched Doctor Who at that time, so I decided to watch ‘a few’ episodes to get cosplay inspiration. ‘A few’ turned into an obsession and I watched all new seasons in three months. Even so, cosplay inspiration didn’t come until I just googled ‘doctor who cosplay’. But after that, I quickly found it: Tardis cosplay! This is my cheapest but one of my most awesome cosplays! I already owned a Tardis-blue dress, and I made the windows with regular paper and double-sided tape. The only thing I needed to buy was black tape (which I couldn’t find btw, I ended up with black-with-white-dots tape, but it turned out alright). The cosplay turned out great and I even won the first prize at Mendy’s cosplay contest!

Tsunacon 2014 (February)

I couldn’t get inspiration for cosplay this time and I was seriously considering not doing cosplay at ll. Lucky for me, Mendy had a newly developed knitting addiction and she asked me if I wanted to buy a Zelda themed hat from her. And then inspiration struck me: Knitted Female Link. With barely 2.5 weeks until Tsunacon, I didn’t have time to make an entire Link outfit, but Mendy knitted the hat for me in just one weekend and I managed to knit the gloves and belt within 2 weeks (I did not have knitting experience at all). I bought a green tunic (which perfectly matched the color of the hat!) and ordered elven ears. I already owned the boots, white shirt and tights, so this cosplay was done surprisingly fast. Costs for everything (including shipping) were a little higher that expected though (€75), but together with my improved make-up skills it turned out to be awesome!

My journey as a cosplayer was one with ups and downs. I’m still planning to learn how to really make clothes one day, but right now I just don’t have the time and money. I do plan to make a fully knitted link for Abunai 2014, so I’m going to knit a green tunic before August! I’m planning to make something also Zelda-related for Abunai, but I’m going to keep that a secret because I still have some difficulties with it and I don’t know if it will work out.

Do you guys have any cosplay experience? Share them in the comments!

Anime/Manga 101: Genres

Hello everybody! I’ve only written two 101’s until now so I thought it’s about time for a  third one. If you’ve read my reviews on anime and manga, you’ve seen me writing about genres. But what do those genres mean? Well, if you read further, you’ll find out!

Anime and manga are usually indicated by two categories: Demographic Aim and Subject. Demographic Aim says something about for which public the manga/anime is written. Subject speaks for itself I guess. I will discuss Demographic Aim and Subjects with subcategories and examples below.

The kodomo anime Hamtaro

Demographic Aim:

• Kodomo: Kodomo means children. These are anime and manga for the younger public. Kodomo often has a moralistic message. Examples are Pokémon, Hello Kitty.

• Shonen: Shonen is anime and manga aimed at teenage boys. It has lots of action and humor, and often has a male protagonist. It often emphasizes friendship and rivalry. It is said that this is the most popular genre. Examples are Naruto and Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball Z is a shonen anime.

• Shojo: Shojo is aimed at teenage girls. It often focuses on human relationships and emotions and has a girl protagonist, but it can have action too. Examples are Sailor Moon and Vampire Knight.

• Seinen: Seinen is aimed at adult men. Plots can more complicated, more violent or more sexual than Shonen. Examples are Steins;Gate and Berserk.

• Josei: Josei is aimed at adult women. It often has a female protagonist and the focus is often on relationships and emotions. Plots are more complicated or sexual than shojo. Examples are Chihayafuru and Bunny Drop.

The Josei manga Natsuyuki Rendevouz

Kodomo, Shonen and Shojo often take place in a fantasy world or a fantasy version of this world. Shojo and Seinen tend to be more realistic, but this is not a rule. In my experience, your age and gender don’t say much about your preferences. I’ve never liked Shojo much and my boyfriend is a fan of Sailor Moon. Anime and manga that appeal to both genders are often categorized under Shonen or Seinen, whereas typical girl anime are always Shojo or Josei.  So don’t be ashamed if you like something that isn’t aimed at your gender or age group! Demographic Aim gives information about the complexity and intensity of the plot and on what the main characters will probably focus.

Subjects

There are way more subjects than I can discuss here and a lot of them speak for themselves (like sports, supernatural, comedy, drama, etc.). Here I will discuss some of the less obvious ones and ones that are typical for Japanese media.

• Magical Girl (mahou shoujo): In Magical Girl anime/manga, a group of girls receive magical
  

  The magical girls from the shojo anime Sailor Moon

  powers. Each one often has a unique power and together they form a group of super heroes who must save the world.This genre is often used in shojo. Examples are Card Capter Sakura or Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

• Mecha: Giant fighting robots often controlled by humans. Often used in Shonen or Seinen. Examples are Gundam or Robotech.

• Slice of Life: An anime or manga that shows the everyday life of someone or a group of people. It often concerns a high school club or a working environment.
  

  Gundam!

  Characters cope with everyday problems and relationships. Examples are Gin No Saji (Silver Spoon) and Genshiken.

• Harem and Reverse Harem: In harem anime, the guy protagonist is surrounded by female supporting characters and in reverse harem it’s the other way around. The focus is on romance and the protagonist has to chose someone at the end. It’s often based on visual novels or dating sims. Harem is aimed at boys and reverse harem is aimed at girls. Examples are the World God Only Knows and Ouran High-School Host Club.

• Ecchi, Smut, and Hentai: Ecchi comes from the English term ‘on the edge’. Expect losts of panyshots and sideboobs. It is mostly used as a comic relief. Shonen can be ecchi. Smut goes one step further. There is kissing and groping, sometimes an actual boob, bare butts and heavily censored sex scenes. Hentai is porn. This must not be confused with ecchi or smut. The aim of hentai is to get the audience aroused, just with ‘normal’ porn, whereas ecchi and smut are subordinate to the actual story. There are different genres and intensities in hentai, but I’m not going to elaborate on that. Fun fact: It is forbidden to show genitals on Japanese media, which results in censoring specific parts of genitals in official hentai.

• Bishonen and Bishojo: Bishonen means beautiful boy and bishojo means beautiful girl. It’s a way to describe a character and not really a genre on its own.

• Shonen-Ai, Shojo-Ai, Yaoi, and Yuri: Shonen-ai means ‘boys love’ and shojo-ai means ‘girls love’. The first focuses on romantic relationships between men and the last on romantic relationships between women. Shonen-ai is aimed at women and Shojo-ai is aimed at men. The emphasis is on the development of the relationship and emotions of the main characters. Yaoi is gay porn (or a story that focuses more on the physical part of the relationship) aimed at women and Yuri is lesbian porn aimed at men. Male gay porn aimed at men is called ‘Bara’ or ‘Gei Comi’ and female gay porn aimed at women doesn’t seem to have a specific term (if you know it, tell me).
  

  The bishonen protagonists of the shonen-ai anime Sekai-Ichi Hatukoi

To get rid of some prejudices: Shonen-ai and shojo-ai are a common phenomenon in Japanese media since Japan is a lot less homophobic than the US. Western people often associate it with porn, but as I said before, shonen- and shojo-ai focus more on the emotional part of relationships. Shonen-ai is often created by female mangaka and shojo-ai by male mangaka. Shonen-ai is often about accepting who you are and has a deep romantic plot. There can be ‘physical action’ in shonen-ai, but it’s not the main focus (unlike yaoi). Fun fact: In yaoi and shonen-ai, one man in the relationship is the ‘uke’ or ‘bottom’ and the other a ‘seme’ or ‘top’. An example of shonen-ai is Sakai-ichi Hatsukoi and an example of shojo-ai is Strawberry Panic!.

I realise now it looks like all anime and manga have sexual themed genres but these are just the genres that aren’t common in western media or need some extra explanation. Like I said, there are of course also genres like action, drama, adventure, supernatural, comedy, horror, etc. But those don’t need an explanation. Also, it’s important to realise that one manga/anime can have multiple genres and that there are a lot of grey areas.

So, I hoped you learned something because this was a long read! Until next time!

Pokémon 101: References in the Kalos Region

Like many other gamers, I’ve been busy playing the new Pokémon game the last few weeks. It took me a while to finish it, but hey, the more time I had to enjoy it. And I did enjoy it. The last two gens were kinda ‘meh’ for me, but I’m all sucked up in this one again.

It’s well known that the Pokémon regions are referring to real world regions or countries. The first region, Kanto, is the most obvious one. It’s name is the same as the Kanto region in Japan. The second region, Johto, is based on Kansai and western Chubu. Hoenn is based on Kyūshū, and Sinnoh on Hokkaido. While all these regions are based on parts of Japan, the creators took a different turn with Unova, which is mainly based on Manhattan. You can read a lot of information about that here: http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_world_in_relation_to_the_real_world#Kalos

A quick glance at the new Kalos region is enough to identify what this region is based on. France. And there are tons of in-game references too. The most obvious reference is the position of Lumiose City. It’s the main capital in the game and it’s in the exact same position as Paris. If that wasn’t obvious enough, there is a sort of antenna-tower-thing in the middle. The name of the city, Lumiose, looks like the French word for light: ‘lumiere’. And I think it’s safe to say that Paris is always shining with light, day and night. And let’s not forget the sight of the Eiffel Tower at night.

Characters in the game randomly shout French words or phrases like ‘très bien’,and routes, some cities and Pokémon can be translated from French. Here are a few examples:

Santalune City:

Translates to Holy Moon city (random brainfart: since it’s one of the first towns you encounter, maybe this is a reference to Monday, the first day of the week),

Laverre City:

Looks like the French word for green, ‘vert’, and since it’s a town in the woods it’s safe to say it means something like ‘the green city’.

Geosenge Town:

Looks like a abbreviation of ‘geo’ and ‘Stonehenge’

Dendemille Town:

This one is funny. It sure sounds French, but the translation of ‘mill’ is ‘moulin’. It seems like an abbreviation of the name of the new Pokémon Dedenne (which is in his turn based on the French word ‘antenne’) and ‘mill’.

Flabébé:

Abbreviation of ‘fleur’ (flower) and ‘bébé’ (baby).

These are just a few examples. There are plenty more, but I want to discuss other things in this blog too.

At some point in the game, there is a guy who says: ‘Pokemon sind im Pokeball. Ich sitze auf dem stuhl’. Well, that’s not French. That’s German for ‘Pokemon are in pokéballs. I sit on the chair’. This makes me think; is Kalos solely based on France, or are there references to other European countries as well? So I went looking for some of the lesser obvious or lesser known references in the Kalos region.

Let’s look at route 8, which is also called Muraille Coast (which translates to Mural Coast), the name explains itself but I’ll show you a picture of it.

The rocks going straight up from the sea resemble the coast of Normandy, but also the coast of some parts of the UK (it’s proven that the two coasts were connected a long time ago, so it’s not that weird that the coasts look like each other).

Now let’s look at Geosenge Town (look out, spoiler alert!). This town is known for it’s mysterious stones that are there for as long as people can remember. This town is directly based on Carnac, because of it’s placement and the fact that Carnac is famous for its menhirs. But stones like that can be found all over Europe. Think about Stonehenge in the UK. I immediately thought about dolmen, which can be found all over Europe, and resemble the entrance to the Team Flare base in Geosenge, and the entrances of Geosenge itself. While the stones in Carnac and Stonehenge were probably used for rituals regarding the measurement of time or honouring ancestors, dolmen were used as graves, which is also the use of the stones in Geosenge. So it looks like the stones in Geosenge are a mix between dolmen and the menhirs in Carnac and Stonehenge.

Another part of Kalos that peaked my interest is route 14 and 15. It’s obviously fall in this region and somehow I associated it with the Ardennes, a region that overlaps parts of Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Geographically, the position in Kalos is the same as where the French Ardennes are.

From there you encounter Dendemille town. The entry on the in-game map says: ‘A rural town where Pokémon and windmills work together to farm the land in a chilly latitude’. I think I speak for the majority of Dutch players that that rang a bell. The Netherlands is known for it’s chilly climate and it’s windmills. And there is lots of agriculture here. Visiting the town, you can see that the houses are very close to each other and the roads overlap, which made me think of big cities in the Netherlands like Rotterdam, The Hague or Amsterdam. But maybe I’m a bit biased on this one. A friend on facebook pointed out some big differences with the Netherlands; in Dendemille it almost constantly snows, the Netherlands only has 1-2 weeks of snow a year, and north of Dendemille there is an icy cave. Except for some old mines, there are no caves in the Netherlands.

Now there are coming some major spoilers. This theory is a bit far fetched and I think I may be a bit controversial on this one, but bear with me. These are just theories and I actually don’t think that Nintendo would refer to this consciously, but I couldn’t help but notice some things.

The big evil guy in Pokemon X and Y is called Lysandre. Lysandre is the inventor of the Holo Caster, a device that let you holo-chat with your friends. Now this name is really poorly chosen because of the similarity with the word Holocaust. Why not name it Holo Phone of Holo Communicator? Nope, Holo Caster. Lysandre ideology is to erase the world from all humans except for a few chosen ones (his followers) and erase all Pokémon from existence, to create a new and better world. Where have I heard that before? Wasn’t there some mustached German guy about 70 years ago who had similar ideas? Lysandre often refers to a war 3000 years ago, where an ultimate weapon was used to end the war and make the world a better place, as he wanted to recreate those events. This makes me think about the way Hilter referred to the Holy Roman Emprire and the German Empire as the First Reich and the Second Reich (witch Nazi Germany as the Third Reich).. Like I said, this may be far fetched. Second World War is still a very sensitive subject in Europe and it isn’t like Nintendo at all to make references to such events. But maybe, in a historical sense… It’s fun to speculate. Let’s leave it at that.

There are many more references in Pokémon X and Y than the ones that I just discussed. But this blog will become way too long and I don’t have enough time to discuss them all. Of you’re intrested, play the game yourself to find out if you can find references yourself or google it! I’m going to write a review about Pokémon X soon, so I’ll see you then!