Editoiral: Pokemon: Anime's Savior or Curse

There is a craze sweeping America. Its a craze captivating young minds. It occupies 9 year old's time. Schools ban its accompanying card game. Toy companies and stores are selling everything possible and its selling fast. What is it you might ask or maybe you already know? What I am talking about is the super craze around an anime known as Pokemon. But is it helping anime by bringing it into the mainstream or is it hindering its development even further. That is what this column will attempt to find.

As I have stated before one problem with anime is that in America anything animated is treated as child's play. That is one of the reasons our beloved DBZ is butchered. Americans would have an incredibly hard time accepting anime as a mature form of entertainment. Now Pokemon is huge in the US. Its everywhere and the craze of every 9 year old like my brother. He and his friends love it and can't get enough of it. But is it only reinforcing the American stereotype on animation? Look at it this way; Pokemon is anime, Pokemon is in the mainstream, Pokemon is loved by kids. Therefore anime equals Pokemon for the majority. Do we want people associating anime with a show blatantly aimed at younger kids? A show associating with kids being to obsessive and getting in trouble in school? Could Pokemon ruin everything we the anime fans have worked for. Now don't get me wrong the show is a guilty pleasure of mine. But that's it I am not an open fan like I am with DBZ. Its a guilty pleasure because it is aimed at 9 year olds. There may be one positive though. Could Pokemon be a stepping stone for these kids into better and more mature anime like our beloved DBZ or even others like Gundam, Neo Genesis etc. There is hope for this craze yet. But we must work hard. So if you have a little brother or neighbor or anything into Pokemon try and show him or her other anime (milder these are little kids). Show them that anime covers a wide variety of genres. Let us take this opportunity to show the world the greatness that is anime.

Son Gohan.