What is the Pokemon Anime's intended audience currently?

[Sunain]

As the 10th Anniversary has just been celebrated, many of us have been watching it for the last 10 years. I know many people have stopped watching the anime since it first started, but many of us have grown up watching the show. My brother and my sister and I would all watch the show when we were young, but they have moved onto other interests since then. I started watching when I was 15, which is what I assume the target audience is for this anime (teen's and pre-teens), unlike some of the more mature animes that are out. I know from talking with many of you that there are a lot of people that are in a similar situation as me.

Now I'm 26 years old, starting a family and the anime still continues. I find it ironic, yet somewhat fascinated that a show such as this could last this many years and at its current popularity and setup, could last quite a few more years. Perhaps passing the interest to another generation, anyone else in a similar situation? Now I'll have an excuse to buy all the toys and plushies!

This was discussed on Bulbacast I believe but not in any great depth or detail. Do you think the target audience has changed over these years or do you think that the focus has always been the same audience?

Do you think the anime staff recognize the fact there are still older viewers watching the show and accommodates this? Should the anime staff change anything in the anime to reflect this older audience?

Like many movies and television shows, double entendre is common place. Perhaps discuss fanservice, mature puns, mature jokes that perhaps might not be recognized by the younger audience but there to amuse the older one. Has this changed throughout the course of the anime? More blatant? Less blatant? Not enough? Too much? Over the top?

How old is *too* old for a Pokemon anime fan? Is there such a thing?

Do any of you show the anime to friends/family in your homes?

Has the availability of Japanese episodes reflected on your viewing habits or those you know? Would you show it to someone that hasn't seen Pokemon or watched it in ages?

DP anime looks like its going to go for about 3 to 4 years. Will you watch it to the end? Prehaps longer if it continues?

 

[Pie]

Taken from a Pokémon guide... because I love this quote, and I think it sums up the "age focus" of the series best.

But to answer your question about the maturity level of Pokémon games, I counter with this - are hide-and-seek and jump rope just for kids? The answer is no - kids love those games, but adults learn more complicated and intensive games, and soon lose sight of the fun and joy of simple games.
Even though concepts and ideas behind Pokémon seem complicated, the game is designed so that any gamer can pick it up and enjoy it. People tend to think that the anything that appeals to all ages is somewhat immature - fairy tales, for instance. Pokémon has become ageless and that is why many assume that it seems to be aimed at children.

Simple enough for a child to understand, fun enough for anyone to enjoy. Throughout the franchise, I think they succeeded.

 

[Yamato-san]

I find it worth mentioning that, very early on in the anime, all the episode titles and the song lyrics would be presented in pure kana (which is pretty overly juvenile from what I hear). It wasn't until, I think, Advanced Generation that episode titles started being written with kanji, though with furigana included (and in the case of song lyrics, the Whiteberry version of Mezase Pokemon Master! Though I think displaying lyrics during openings/endings at all is pretty much exclusive to tween-targeted series and younger, so... kanji+furigana song lyrics is still kinda juvenile, but not as much).

It's also worth mentioning that around Advanced Generation, there seems to have been a significant increase in the amount focus on action, and a bit less on overly cutesy Pokemon. In the end, I think it seems more like they're trying to reach out to an older male tween crowd, which is more action-oriented and focused on gritty, badass character designs judging from the various shounen series out there. That isn't to say the anime couldn't appeal to male tweens before, but emphasis seems to have shifted so that there seems to be more of a balance between them and the 5-year old/cute-oriented shoujo crowd (honestly, remember the days when they'd constantly try to whore out some mini-movie where Pikachu, Togepi, and others would have some pointlessly random misadventure?).

Of course, this is just the anime I speak of. I haven't really noticed the rest of the franchise trying to appeal to a more mature audience or anything.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Like many movies and television shows, double entendre is common place. Perhaps discuss fanservice, mature puns, mature jokes that perhaps might not be recognized by the younger audience but there to amuse the older one. Has this changed throughout the course of the anime? More blatant? Less blatant? Not enough? Too much? Over the top?

I think the dub's always known there were older fans watching, but it took the Japanese side until May and her, let's face it, boobs for them to think about that. Sure we'd get the occasional thing like Prima, but there wasn't anything really in dialogue.

Like let's compare Brock's pickup line to Domino. In Japanese (according to the fansub I have), he says the pretty neutral "As long as you're with me, I don't mind falling over." But in the English dub, he says "Let's go somewhere private and line up and see if we're a match." A lot more suggestive, wouldn't you say?

 

[Zhen Lin]

I find it worth mentioning that, very early on in the anime, all the episode titles and the song lyrics would be presented in pure kana (which is pretty overly juvenile from what I hear).

All episode titles in the original series had no kanji. The early ending theme songs had no kanji. However, all the opening themes had kanji from the beginning.

 

[Yamato-san]

you sure? I mean, aside from the credits (and what little kid reads those?), as I said, I don't think kanji came up in the lyrics until the 4th opening.

 

[Cybersai]

Well a character like Harley HAD to be created for the older audience, right? In fact, I'd argue that most of the Contest arc seems to be aimed at 10-14 year old girls since its very shoujo at times.

May had one rival who hit on her the entire series and another who hated her guts, it doesn't get more shoujo than that!

 

[Habunake]

They pretty much have a flaming gay character in every kids show now. Welcome to 2007.

 

[Zhen Lin]

you sure? I mean, aside from the credits (and what little kid reads those?), as I said, I don't think kanji came up in the lyrics until the 4th opening.

I'll just point out that the first line of MPM has always been たとえ　火の中　水の中　草の中　森の中.

 

[Dogasu]

The show is, and pretty much always has been, aimed for the 6-11 crowd.

Well a character like Harley HAD to be created for the older audience, right?

Not at all. After all, Hard Gay is extremely popular with elementary school kids.

 

[Chatsy]

My impression is that Pokémon seems suitable for any age, though because the younger audience aren't allowed to see a lot of what adults see, the show'll seem pretty much aimed at pre-teens.

Not that I overall care who the show is aimed for because I'll watch it either way.