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Preview JN059: The Lost Sarunori! Who is the Trainer!?

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Kabuki theater and Geishas? Just joking.




Take it from a Japanese-American, but I don't see the issue with this episode. Gou's skin color is actually pastier than mine. Maybe it's probably because my parents are just that dark. I really don't see the racist connection people on Twitter have decided to pull.
It seems to be a matter of cultural differences. As an African-American, I can definitely see the issue that has people on Twitter upset. While it may not seem offensive in Japan, Go, a character who is depicted as a POC, has been given a dream sequence in which his parents are represented as a gorilla Pokémon. Given the history of non-whites being compared to apes in order to dehumanize them and justify vile treatment, something that to a degree still exists to this day, creating a sequence like that is basically a cultural land mine and exceptionally offensive.
 
My take on it is fairly simple. I am a person of color too but not black. The Dub is free to delete the scene or ban the episode but I don't think the Writers in Japan need to know every connection or hint that may be considered racist in the West. America isn't the only country that exists.
 
My take on it is fairly simple. I am a person of color too but not black. The Dub is free to delete the scene or ban the episode but I don't think the Writers in Japan need to know every connection or hint that may be considered racist in the West. America isn't the only country that exists.
That Passimian episode banning was oversensitive IMO. Banning this episode would be even more so in my eyes.
 
I don't think the Writers in Japan need to know every connection or hint that may be considered racist in the West. America isn't the only country that exists.
They absolutely do. One of the cardinal rules of international business is to always learn what is offensive to any culture that will be exposed to your media. I’m not really taking a stance on this episode yet since it has yet to air, but yeah.
 
So I was on Bulbapedia looking for today’s episode number, then I came across this
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That Passimian episode banning was oversensitive IMO. Banning this episode would be even more so in my eyes.

I disagree that that decision was being overly sensitive. I think that's a rude or at least too dismissive way to look at it when it does tie into a delicate topic. While Ash wouldn't, or at least shouldn't, be considered white, black face is still an issue and it was made worse with Passimian being based on a primate. African Americans have been associated with primates in racist imagery and terms for ages. I can't really blame them for wanting to be cautious to avoid offending people, especially when the Jynx controversy is still one of the more well known controversies within the franchise.

I doubt that they'll ban this episode though. The main reason why I think that they ultimately chose to ban the Passimian episode instead of editing it was because it was filler. If it was an important episode, then I think that they would have done something to get around the Ash dressing up as a Passimian plot point, if only to avoid another "How did Ash get 30 Tauros out of nowhere?" situation. Regardless of who is going to get Grookey, I don't think that they'd ban this episode if one of the two main leads get a new Pokemon or it become a new reoccuring Pokemon instead. If the problem is just on Goh dreaming that his family are Rillaboom, then that could probably be edited around to where he just says his parents were Pokemon in the dub or something like that.
 
I didn't mind them banning the Passiman Episode. I understand why that can be considered sensitive but people need to understand it was never intended that way. But sometimes it's ridiculous to me how people thought somehow that the Old Jynx Design was based off a Racial Stereotype when if you did research it was clear it was clearly based off of Ganguro, a Japanese fashion where women tan heavily, bleach their hair, and apply large amounts of makeup. Same thing with the entire Lenora Situation where people somehow were calling Game Freak Racist whereas in Japan, people just see it as a Black Women wearing an Apron. I don't have a problem with TPCi trying to localize things to meet the needs/wants of today's Society. Heck, I've been consistent and even said before that I don't even have a problem with the Dub editing Japanese Texts and Japanese References to localize things. But I simply do not think Japan needs to adjust to our culture and we do not need to adjust to theirs. That's probably the last thing I'll say on this matter before the Episode airs. That's just my take. Each one to their own.
 
But sometimes it's ridiculous to me how people thought somehow that the Old Jynx Design was based off a Racial Stereotype when if you did research it was clear it was clearly based off of Ganguro, a Japanese fashion where women tan heavily, bleach their hair, and apply large amounts of makeup.
That, and the blackness on Jynx wasn't even supposed to be skin but a black void with eyes and lips sticking out of it. This is most apparent in the Stadium games, where Jynx literally vanishes (besides the hair) upon fainting.
 
We can continue this conversation here:

Otherwise, let’s stick to the episode.
 
If we’re done talking about racism, remember that picture I showed? Yeah, I watched the preview and thankfully they didn’t show the capture, so it’s probably just a fake out. But I’m not holding my breath. At this point I’d say the odds of Goh getting Grookey are 96.5% and I am not liking those odds.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=06Zc3oU_93c
 
Should be noted that Grookey still doesn’t seem fazed at all at the fact it supposedly “missing” from its trainer.
This leads me to believe it either doesn’t know it’s trainer that well, promoting it to be a newly hatched Pokemon, or it’s from the Gatcha machine and hasn’t really formed a bond with TR, for obvious reasons.
 
Grookey being a Rocket Pokemon (likely coming from the Gatcha) is actually a cool idea, which gives me some AG/DP vibes and that pushes the boundaries of the Gatcha gag. It's weird that both times they have promoted a "secret trainer" appearing this series, the answer is Team Rocket...

I still think Grookey will stop being a villain and join the main cast eventually, more specifically Goh's team (the buildup can't be denied, unless the writers want to please the people who complained about Sobble going to Goh instead of Ash by creating an opposite situation, but that's highly unlikely). In pure Journeys fashion, I can see it happening around JN064-65 with Grookey having zero appeareances until then lol.
 
I'm having a hard time believing that Team Rocket owns this Grookey when they trapped it (and Pikachu) in a net.
Could just be that Grookey doesn’t seem to co-operate with TR, and they try to steal it back, since they lost the ball, but have to say, that’s a pretty good counter-point to the idea.
 
Could just be that Grookey doesn’t seem to co-operate with TR, and they try to steal it back, since they lost the ball, but have to say, that’s a pretty good counter-point to the idea.
I was going to say "Why would TR want to re-capture a Pokemon like Grookey?", but then I remembered that this is the same group that's been trying to steal Pikachu for 20+ years.

Who knows? Seeing TR with a starter would be interesting. However, when it's all said and done, I think Grookey will go to Goh here. Based off what was shown off, this is setting up to be another Goh capture.

Next Friday just can't come fast enough.
 
Yes, and? The summaries we've gotten all state Grookey already has a Trainer, so there's nothing to "fake out". This is likely how they find out Grookey was already caught.
Yes, but what if this is another Charmander/Chimchar situation? Not them being abandoned, but changing trainers. If so, I got a bad feeling.
 
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