Race, Racism, And Representation Within The Anime

[Kurolegacy]

I don't like how we are using cultural appropriation of making Goh a black person when he a dark skin Japanese person like Nobuaki Kakuda and Shinsuke Nakamura. It feels like we are ignoring that he was born in Kanto which is based on real life region in Japan in a country that population is 98% Japanese people. If this Rillaboom thing happened to Iris or Kiawe who were born in U.S. based regions I would say screw Pokemon I'm outta here. But it feels like we are using are own insecurities to tell Japanese people off on using a character who is japanese because we are only are seeing everything the world in black and white.

That’s not exactly the issue that’s at play here though. Just as in the case that Ash isn’t meant to be white but the Passimian episode was banned for cutting close to blackface, there is a degree of offensiveness to how things appear. In this case, Go, who is a dark skinned character, is being portrayed as having a dream sequence in which his parents are portrayed as Rillaboom. That’s cutting dangerously close to racist imagery. Now had it been Ash having such a dream, it’d be a different story but with Go, there’s definitely a basis for the outrage.

 

[nickdt]

Lets say TPCi in other countries doesnt broadcoast this episode due racism. How would they fix Grookeys debut?

They can't. And it becomes even more problematic if its getting caught here.

 

[FelipePR]

That’s not exactly the issue that’s at play here though. Just as in the case that Ash isn’t meant to be white but the Passimian episode was banned for cutting close to blackface, there is a degree of offensiveness to how things appear. In this case, Go, who is a dark skinned character, is being portrayed as having a dream sequence in which his parents are portrayed as Rillaboom. That’s cutting dangerously close to racist imagery. Now had it been Ash having such a dream, it’d be a different story but with Go, there’s definitely a basis for the outrage.

Wait... why will his parents be portrayed as Rillabooms? Are his "parents" real Rillabooms or it is just a racist imagery ?

 

[RileyXY1]

Wait... why will his parents be portrayed as Rillabooms? Are his "parents" real Rillabooms or it is just a racist imagery ?

It's a dream sequence, but it can be viewed as racist because Gou is dark skinned and "ape" is a common derogatory term for a black person. After the Jynx incident, I don't think that TPC want any more accusations of racism against them.

 

[FelipePR]

It's a dream sequence, but it can be viewed as racist because Gou is dark skinned and "ape" is a common derogatory term for a black person. After the Jynx incident, I don't think that TPC want any more accusations of racism against them.

I got it, but why will his parents be portrayed as Rillabooms?

 

[ShieldFan]

I got it, but why will his parents be portrayed as Rillabooms?

Gorillas are humanoid ("human like"), so there's a link. Humans and gorillas had last shared a common ancestor roughly 11 million years ago. Oranguru, Inferneape, Primeape, Aipom also would be reasonable, since they look like us. If Goh were a dog, then his parents should be portrayed as Arcanines or Stoutlands.

 

[Phosphene]

I got it, but why will his parents be portrayed as Rillabooms?

Probably because the episode involves Grookey, and judging by the preview it was near him while he was asleep. So Grookey’s presence = dreams about Grookey’s evolutionary family.

 

[FelipePR]

Gorillas are humanoid ("human like"), so there's a link. Humans and gorillas had last shared a common ancestor roughly 11 million years ago. Oranguru, Inferneape, Primeape, Aipom also would be reasonable, since they look like us. If Goh were a dog, then his parents should be portrayed as Arcanines or Stoutlands.

Man, are you babbling nonsense?

Mr. Mime, Jynx, Machoke and Hitmontop are much more "human like" than these ape Pokémon and, as far as I know, nobody ever dreamed that these pokémon are its parents. Well, I never dreamed that my parents are monkeys and I believe that you don't either. And if I know of someone who had such a dream, I would recommend a psychiatric.

Then, why will his parents be portrayed as Rillabooms and not as human beings ?

Probably because the episode involves Grookey, and judging by the preview it was near him while he was asleep. So Grookey’s presence = dreams about Grookey’s evolutionary family.

So, one theory is that Goh's dreams were mixed with those of Grookey? And well, you know...

 

[ShieldFan]

Man, are you babble nonsense?

Mr. Mime, Jynx, Machoke and Hitmontop are much more "human like" than these ape Pokémon and, as far as I know, nobody ever dreamed that these pokémon are its parents. Well, I never dreamed that my parents are monkeys and I believe that you don't either. And if I know of someone who had such a dream, I would recommend a psychiatric.

Then, why will his parents be portrayed as Rillabooms and not as human beings ?




So, one theory is that Goh's dreams were mixed with those of Grookey? And well, you know...

Gorillas and humans share a lot of common characteristics, since we are all apes. Also we share a very early common ancestor (just google it). Goh's parents could be portrayed by any humanoid pokemon like Primeape, Conkeldurr, Sawk, Machamp, I give you that. Goh lives in a pokemon world, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if his parents are portrayed by an Oranguru or a Simisear on his dreams. I don't know if you own a dog, but I'm sure when my dog look at any random wolf or fox it thinks they are friends on his dreams. Crocodiles and alligators, polar bears and grizzlies, etc, they all look alike.

 

[Phosphene]

Gorillas and humans share a lot of common characteristics, since we are all apes. Also we share a very early common ancestor (just google it). Goh's parents could be portrayed by any humanoid pokemon like Primeape, Conkeldurr, Sawk, Machamp, I give you that. Goh lives in a pokemon world, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if his parents are portrayed by an Oranguru or a Simisear on his dreams. I don't know if you own a dog, but I'm sure when my dog look at any random wolf or fox it thinks they are friends on his dreams. Crocodiles and alligators, polar bears and grizzlies, etc, they all look alike.

I don't think "humans look like apes" is the reason that his parents are Rillaboom in his dream. I think it has more to do with the fact that the episode is centered around a member of the Rillaboom evolutionary family, Grookey. If Grookey and Scorbunny had swapped roles in this series so that Grookey was Goh's first Pokémon and this was Scorbunny's big debue, then I'd imagine his parents in his dream would be Cinderace instead.

 

[FelipePR]

Gorillas and humans share a lot of common characteristics, since we are all apes. Also we share a very early common ancestor (just google it). Goh's parents could be portrayed by any humanoid pokemon like Primeape, Conkeldurr, Sawk, Machamp, I give you that. Goh lives in a pokemon world, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if his parents are portrayed by an Oranguru or a Simisear on his dreams. I don't know if you own a dog, but I'm sure when my dog look at any random wolf or fox it thinks they are friends on his dreams. Crocodiles and alligators, polar bears and grizzlies, etc, they all look alike.

I know that and that other primates also share a very distant common ancestor. However, in theory, almost any form of life on earth will share a very, very, very distant common ancestor. On the other hand, we don't know in detail about Pokémon world biology. Could it be that humans were also created by Arceus? See more in Pokémon Legends.... Lol.

Bah, the issue now is that I am afraid to visit a zoo. Because, you know, I don't want to see my relatives or friends jailed.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I once told my mother about the Jynx controversy revolving around Holiday Hi-Jynx, and she shook her head at the whole thing.

 

[Antiyonder]

I once told my mother about the Jynx controversy revolving around Holiday Hi-Jynx, and she shook her head at the whole thing.

So you never flown off the handle or taken offense to anything in your life?

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

So you never flown off the handle or taken offense to anything in your life?

Of course I have. But I'm not racist. Also, I only mentioned what my mother thought of the thing.

 

[Antiyonder]

Of course I have. But I'm not racist. Also, I only mentioned what my mother thought of the thing.

I was also responding to your previous comment:

That Passimian episode banning was oversensitive IMO. Banning this episode would be even more so in my eyes.

Even if you're not racist, it's pretty iffy to suggest you're allowed to give into your own emotions while others should suck it up.

In short give others the courtesy you'd expect.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

I was also responding to your previous comment:



Even if you're not racist, it's pretty iffy to suggest you're allowed to give into your own emotions while others should suck it up.

In short give others the courtesy you'd expect.

I didn't say anything about how others should feel or act. I merely stated my own opinion on the controversy.

 

[Konja7]

Wait... why will his parents be portrayed as Rillabooms? Are his "parents" real Rillabooms or it is just a racist imagery ?

It is pretty difficult there is a racism intention, since they probably don't think Go as Black. They likely think Go and his parents are dark skinned Japanese.

Go's dream is related to Grookey. We don't know why Go is dreaming that, but Grookey will appear in that episode.

If the dub censored the scene is because USA people often associate dark skinned people with black people.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

I didn't say anything about how others should feel or act. I merely stated my own opinion on the controversy.

You could be a bit more courteous branding something as "oversensitive" specially if the "sensitive" part doesn’t concern you per se. Your post basically declares that any PoC offended by that was being overtly sensitive.

Regarding Gou's nationality:
Comparing dark skinned people to monkeys isn’t a necessarily US exclusive phenomenon. There was a fair amount of animalistic imagery around Indians going on when the UK colonised our country. My countrymen were deemed to be less than human. Let’s not even delve into the Bengal famine.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

You could be a bit more courteous branding something as "oversensitive" specially if the "sensitive" part doesn’t concern you per se. Your post basically declares that any PoC offended by that was being overtly sensitive.

I repeat: I only stated my own opinions. Everyone else is free to feel about it as they wish.

 

[JinksChow]

I repeat: I only stated my own opinions. Everyone else is free to feel about it as they wish.

Just because you prefaced your views on actions against questionably racist writing as "opinions" doesn't make it okay.