What a fascinating insight: How Pokémon’s U.S. Censorship Almost Gave Pikachu Unnaturally Impressive Chest Potential

The Unlikely Rise of Pokémon: How a Japanese Franchise Conquered the World

The Early Days of Pokémon

Thirty years ago, the Pokémon franchise was an unknown quantity. Its creators were unsure if the franchise about catching cute, pocket-sized monsters would resonate with an audience outside of Japan. Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokémon Company, recalled in a 2000 interview that he gave the franchise a one-in-10 chance of appealing to overseas customers.

A Wild Story: The Original Pikachu Design

In that same interview, Ishihara tells a wild story: When he tried to pitch Pokémon to colleagues at Nintendo of America, he was shown a design for Pikachu that was unlike the beloved character we know today. According to Ishihara, the design was a "tiger cat with big breasts" that was inspired by a character from the musical Cats. The design was so bizarre that it was compared to something a woman might cosplay at Comiket, a Japanese comic convention.

The Rejected Designs

Ishihara revealed that there were two design proposals meant to appeal to American audiences: a fearsome and muscular Pikachu, and a slightly sexualized one. Thankfully, neither design was approved by The Pokémon Company. The original Pikachu design has remained largely unchanged over the years, with only slight tweaks to its appearance.

The Evolution of Pikachu

While Pikachu’s design has evolved slightly over the years to be a bit slimmer, the iconic Pokémon has never officially veered into muscular or terrifying redesigns. And only in the dark corners of the internet does Pikachu have boobs.

The Rise of Pokémon

Despite the initial doubts, Pokémon went on to become a global phenomenon, with a multibillion-dollar business spanning trading cards, video games, anime, movies, toys, and more. The franchise’s success can be attributed to its ability to adapt to different cultures and appeal to a wide range of audiences.

Culture Shock

This week on Polygon, we’re exploring how cultural differences affect media in our special issue, Culture Shock. From rejected designs to cultural adaptations, we’re diving into the fascinating world of Pokémon and its global impact.

Image: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company

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