Pokémon episodes removed from rotation
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There are over 400 episodes of the Pokémon animé. However, for various reasons, some have been taken out of the rotation of episodes in reruns.
Beauty and the Beach
This episode premiered in America on June 24, 2000, but was banned shortly after.
In this episode, the female characters all enter a beauty contest. Team Rocket also enters, with James donning an inflatable suit with huge, exaggerated breasts. As one scene of the episode was about James showing off his artificial cleavage for humorous effect, this scene had to be deleted for English-language release. Even given the edits, the episode was only shown once more after its premiere before being taken out of the normal rotation.
Tentacool and Tentacruel
This episode premiered in America on October 1, 1998, and ran normally for three years. However, following the September 11 attacks, it was taken out of the rotation because a key scene involves a giant Pokémon (a Tentacruel) demolishing towers with its tentacles. Another possible reason for its banning was because of Nastina's use of large guns. Even though it was banned on Kids WB, this episode continues to air on Cartoon Network. A clip of this is in the first season's title sequence.
The Tower of Terror
This episode premiered in America on October 7, 1998, and ran normally for three years. However, following the September 11th attacks, It was briefly taken out of rotation because of the episode's title rather than its content. More recently it has begun airing again, albeit rarely.
The Legend of Dratini
This episode was the first to be banned after going through the dubbing process. At several points in this episode, guns are pointed at people threateningly, and warning shots are fired. Also, Meowth shows up in a scene dressed with a Hitler-like mustache. Due to the sensitivity of the American public to guns in children's shows (particularly the image of a child being threatened with a gun), this episode was never aired for North American release.
The removal of this episode leads to continuity problems, as Ash captured 30 Tauros in this episode. The Tauros appear in later episodes, with no explanation as to where they came from.
Electric Soldier Porygon
This episode was aired in Japan on December 16 1997, around 18:30 Japanese time, and became infamous for causing a number of epileptic seizures in young viewers.
About 20 minutes into the episode "Dennou Senshi Porygon", occasionally translated as "Computer Soldier Porygon", there was a scene in which Pikachu stops some rockets with his lightning attack, resulting in a huge explosion that flashed red and blue lights. Although there were similar parts in the episode with red and blue flashes, this scene was extremely intense, with blinks at a rate of about 12 Hz for approximately 4 seconds in almost full screen, and then for 2 seconds outright fullscreen. At this point, viewers started to complain of blurred vision, headaches, dizziness and nausea, actual cases of the motif of harmful sensation. A few people even had seizures, convulsions and lost consciousness. Japan's Fire Defense Agency reported that a total of 685 children (310 boys, 375 girls) were taken to hospitals by ambulances. Although many children recovered during the ambulance trip, more than 150 of them were admitted to hospitals. Only two people stayed in the hospital for over 2 weeks.
Scientists believe that the flashing lights triggered "photosensitive seizures" in which visual stimuli such as flashing lights can cause altered consciousness. Although scientists know that approximately 1 in 4000 people (0.5 - 0.8% of children between 4-14 years old) are susceptible to these types of seizures, the number of people affected by this Pokémon episode was unprecedented.
A Pokémon website, Pokémon Press Battle, made the following observation: "(...) photo induced epileptic attacks can be caused by exhaustion, stress, and sitting too close to the television. All of the above are facts in most Japanese schoolchildren's lives, who live under constant academic and social pressure in small homes. Experts have speculated that the children were intensely focused and involved with the show, literally 'glued to the set' when the scene went off like a bomb in their faces."
An article in the Skeptical Enquirer, a publication devoted to debunking claims of the paranormal and junk science, made another interesting explanation for the phenomenon. It notes that in the first hours after the program aired, only 600-700 children sought medical attention and that most of the other reports of illness came days after the original incident, when clips from the show had been re-broadcast on the news and children had time to hear about it from friends and classmates. Most of the less severe symptoms reported (headaches, vomiting and blurry vision) had a lot more in common with the psychological phenomenon of mass hysteria than they do with epileptic seizures. The magazine also points out that collective hysteria usually breaks out in schools or public institutions in which people are under a great deal of stress.[1]
Italian scientists have since detailed an abnormal brain response to flashing lights in people who suffer from photosensitive seizures. For both normal volunteers and photosensitive volunteers, they examined the brain's electrical response to changing light patterns. The researchers found that in normal volunteers, as the flickering lights increased in contrast, the response of the brain increased. At high contrast levels, the brain's response levelled out. The brain response in photosensitive people also increased with higher contrasts, but it did not level out at the highest contrast. This was especially apparent when the lights flashed at rates between 4 and 10 times per second. The scientists believe that in the brains of photosensitive people, there is a defective or absent mechanism that controls the reaction to visual information. This may have caused the seizures associated with "Electric Soldier Porygon".
After the airing of "Electric Soldier Porygon", Pokémon went into a four month hiatus. TV Tokyo discontinued some program specials that were supposed to air around the end of December:
- 64マリオスタジアム スペシャル, 64 Mario Stadium Special, 30 December 1997
- 大みそか ポケットモンスター！ アンコール, New Year's Eve Pocket Monsters! Encore, 31 December 1997
- ミニ番組枠ポケモンクイズ１, Mini Program Pokemon Quiz 1, 1 January 1998
- ポケットモンスター・冬のスペシャル Pocket Monsters Winter Special, 6 January 1998
Before the series reaired again they aired a special on April 11 1998 titled 「検証番組 アニメ ポケットモンスター問題検証報告」 Inspection Program: Anime: Pocket Monster Problem Inspection Report.
After episode 38, the opening theme was also redone. Originally, black screens showing various Pokémon in spotlights were broken up into four images per screen. However, after the "seizure incident" of EP037, the opening was changed to have one Pokémon image per screen. Many Japanese television broadcasters and medical officials got together to find ways to make sure this never happened again. They established the following guidelines for future animated programs:
- Flashing images, especially those with red, should not flicker faster than three times per second. If the image does not have red, it still should not flicker faster than five times per second.
- Flashing images should not be displayed for a total duration of more than two seconds.
- Stripes, whorls and concentric circles should not take up a large part of a TV screen.
Japanese broadcasters also began broadcasting an on-screen advisory at the beginning of animated programs. Some example warnings:
- 「テレビを見る時は部屋を明るくして離れて見て下さい」
- "When watching TV, please brighten the room and sit at a distance from the TV."
- (as seen on TV Asahi broadcasts of Ichigo 100%)
- 「テレビアニメをみるときは、部屋をあかるくして近づきすぎないようにしてみてくださいね。」
- "When you're watching cartoons on the TV, please brighten the room and don't sit too close."
- (as seen on TV Tokyo broadcasts of Naruto)
- 「犬夜叉からのお願い・・・テレビアニメを見るときは部屋を明るくして画面からはなれてくださいね」
- "A request from Inu Yasha... When you're watching cartoons on the TV, please brighten the room and sit away from the screen."
- (as seen on Nippon Television broadcasts of InuYasha)
The episode is no longer broadcast anywhere in the world. Porygon, along with its evolutionary form Porygon2, have never been seen in the animé since, possibly also as a result of this incident. Interestingly though, Porygon has appeared in a "Who's That Pokémon?" segment in a later episode. Also, Japanese printed materials omitted any reference to that episode, as if it never existed.
In The Simpsons episode "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo", the Simpsons travel to Japan and happen to see a television program called "BattleSeizure Robots", which gives the entire family seizures (pictured). The program is an obvious parody of the Pokémon episode.
Holiday Hi-Jynx
This episode aired on North American television several times. There is controversy because of Jynx's original appearance. Her dark skin, exaggerated lips, and light hair, inspired by yamanba, are strikingly similar to performers in blackface, and the racially-charged image drew a great deal of criticism. The episode was pulled from rotation after Carole Boston Weatherford published an article in Black World Today about Jynx's appearance.
Jynx was later redesigned and now has purple skin, but Jynx's cameo appearances are still often edited out of episodes, and occasionally episodes featuring Jynx aren't aired at all.
It is not, however, banned in the UK. The episode often airs on Toonami UK, out of order.
The Ice Cave
While most of the banned episodes were part of the original Pokémon series set in Kanto, this episode is unusual in that it was the first banned episode in four seasons. For a while, many fans wondered why this episode was banned. Some thought it could be that the main plot of the show, Brock catching a cold, could have been a reference to the SARS epidemic and may have been the reason why this episode was skipped. However, this is not the case, for there have been a few other episodes when characters got sick (such as the episode which Tracy, Ash and Jessie get sick from inhaling Vileplume's fumes) that have been airing regularly and the plot can easily be changed. Like Holiday Hi-Jynx (see above), the real reason why this episode was banned was due to the controversial appearence of Jynx. Since she plays a major role in this episode, 4Kids had decided to skip it.
Shaking Island Battle! Barboach vs. Whiscash
- English: (Shaking Island Battle! Barboach vs. Whiscash)
- Romaji: (Yureru Shima no Tatakai! Dojotchi vs Namazun!!)
- Japanese: (ゆれる島の戦い!ドジョッチＶＳナマズン!!)
In the plot of this episode, as Ash and friends are caught in an earthquake caused by a Whiscash.
The episode was originally set to air in Japan on November 4, 2004, but was skipped due to the episode's similarities to the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake on October 23, 2004. The episode was later postponed, and then discontinued. While most of the other episodes were either not dubbed for English-language release or taken out of English-language syndication rotations, this episode of Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation was the first episode to be banned inside Japan prior to its first scheduled airing.
Similar fates have befallen episodes of other anime series in Japan during that season, such as a cancelled episode of the 2004/2005 remake of Black Jack and Gundam Seed Destiny following the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake.
The episode was supposed to be aired between AG100, "Solid as a Solrock" (トクサネジム!ソルロックとルナトーン!, translated into English as "Mossdeep Gym! Solrock and Lunatone!", in the Japanese version), and AG101,"Vanity Affairs" (海の男!四天王ゲンジ登場!!, translated into English as "Seaman! The Elite Four Drake Enters!!", in the Japanese version).
The episode was never dubbed, most probably because 4Kids did not receive it. However, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan may have also affected the decision not to air it.
In the plot, Ash Ketchum has finished at the Mossdeep City Gym, and so he decides that his next goal is the final Gym at Sootopolis City, so they journey toward Johto Island. They meet a Pokémon Trainer named Chouta who tells them about a battle between the Barboach and Whiscash; Ash seeks to stop the battle.
Rollout! Loving Donfwan!
- English : (Rollout! Loving Donfwan!)
- Romaji: (Korogare! Koisuru Donfwan!)
- Japanese: (ころがれ！ 恋するドンファン！)
- UK title: (Date Expectations)
Disorderly Melee! Pokemon Contest - Kinagi Convention! (Part 1)
- English : (Disorderly Melee! Pokemon Contest - Kinagi Convention! (Part 1) )
- Romaji: (Konran, Konsen! Pokemon Kontesuto - Kinagi Taikai! (Zenpen) )
- Japanese: (混戦、混乱！ポケモンコンテスト・キナギ大会!(前編) )
- UK title: (Mean With Envy)
Disorderly Melee! Pokemon Contest - Kinagi Convention! (Part 2)
- English: (Disorderly Melee! Pokemon Contest - Kinagi Convention! (Part 2))
- Romaji: (Konran, Konsen! Pokemon Kontesuto - Kinagi Taikai! (Kouhen))
- Japanese: (混戦、混乱！ポケモンコンテスト・キナギ大会!(後編))
This episode is skipped in the US. It was between Disorderly Melee! Pokemon Contest - Kinagi Convention! (Part 1) and Haruka Deliciously Captures Gonbe!!. It is unknown why the second part in skipped.
External links
- Electric Soldier Porygon Episode from Youtube (Warning: do not view if photosensitive)
- Flash animation scrolling through "Electric Soldier Porygon" frames
- Neuroscience for Kids (About "Electric Soldier Porygon")
- The mass hysteria surrounding "Electric Soldier Porygon"
- An article about Pokémon controversy, (includes the seizure scene)
- Pictures from the Preview of "Shaking Island Battle! Barboach vs. Whiscash!"
- Japanese Web Newtype (using the 'web archive')
- Japanese article about the seizure episode
- Dogasu web site describes episode 18
- Information about the Shaking Island Battle! Barboach vs. Whiscash! episode