Monstrum

Those in the know already know Pokemon is a shortened name for the "Pokemon" games' main characters, pocket monsters.

The infamous "gotta catch 'em all" catchphrase is the anglicized interpretation of the Japanese getto suru, which more directly translates to "getting," the main objective of the game.

Through open-world exploration, trade, and battling, you play as a trainer trying to collect, nurture, and evolve as many Pokemon as you can.

These fantastical creatures exist as sentient beings somewhere between wild animal and beloved pet.

Monsters that are collected in stored in Poke Balls, Inspired by gachapon balls, round plastic containers used to house small collectible items in vending machines, the contraptions serve as storage containers and presumably mini bio-domes.

The Pokemon are inspired by flora and fauna, science, religion, yokai, and other supernatural beings.

But the series is teaming with not just Japanese folklore but versions of monsters from across the globe, made cute with softened features.

Quite a few of the "Monstrum" monsters have Pokemon counterparts, like the golem, Yuki Onna, Godzilla, Mothra, banshees, hellhounds, monstrous plants, and kasha.

The bond between Pokemon and trainer, monster and human, is one built on trust, loyalty, and reciprocal benefits.

In this way, Pokemon distinguish themselves from other monsters.

While there are monsters who may show kindness to humans or provide protection, they still use fear if not in behavior, at least in appearance.

Nintendo didn't think "Pokemon" would do well with the Japanese audience, let alone a global one.

They didn't even put any promotion behind the first game.

So what changed?

Why did pocket monsters become so freakishly popular?

[dramatic music] I'm Dr. Emily Zarka, and this is "Monstrum."

"Pokemon" changed the monster genre by making monsters cute, not scary, capitalizing on already popular monster consumer culture.

The first "Pokemon" game for Nintendo's Game Boy launched in Japan in 1996, with a 10-year-old protagonist and 151 creatures to discover, catch, train, and battle against one another.

The "Pokemon" game would become a global phenomenon, evolving into a card game, multiple anime series, movies, and a seemingly endless barrage of consumer goods like plush toys, makeup, clothing, and more games.

With Japan's intense focus on education, long commutes, and jam-packed schedules, "Pokemon" offered children a portable and communal space for play that was accessible and pleasantly distracting.

The game's inventor, Satoshi Tajiri, was mentored by one of Nintendo's greats, Shigeru Miyamoto, video-game designer and inventor of Mario.

Tajiri wove his own childhood into part of the "Pokemon" mythos.

Spending much of his childhood outside, Tajiri was an avid collector of bugs, tadpoles, and other small creatures.

Most kids are.

I remember a time I brought a frog into the house with a leach attached to it, a two-for-one catch I couldn't wait to show off.

My mom was not so thrilled.

Come to think of it, that combo might make a cool Pokemon.

We wouldn't have "Pokemon" if it wasn't for Japan's dense, eclectic, and vast folklore.

Influenced and inspired in part by polytheistic belief systems, the yokai tradition gives us some of the world's most unusual and unusually specific monstrous creatures, and there is a long history of collecting and profiting from depictions of these strange and supernatural beings.

Yokai-themed card games didn't even begin with "Pokemon."

Hundreds of years before, in the Edo period, yokai-themed karuta, decorated paper or cardboard cards, were all the rage.

Towards the end of the 19th century, these cards were immensely popular with children who collected the game cards with vigor.

In part because of the boom of yokai consumer goods like these, 19th-century Japanese philosopher Enryo Inoue was afraid the deep folkloric history of the strange creatures would prevent the success of industrialism and hinder Japan's journey to modernity, so he invented anthropological system called Yokaigaku that cataloged and debunked yokai stories.

Ironically, his detailed accounts have helped preserve yokai lore.

19th-century Japan also produced the first manga comics.

Prolific artists Hokusai is credited with naming this particular style of art-- entertaining, whimsical pictures that honored existing Japanese illustration traditions while incorporating European style-cartooning elements.

Respected manga artist Shigeru Mizuki is credited with reviving popular interest in yokai.

In 1960, his series "Hakaba Kitaro," which follows a young boy's encounters with various yokai, was deemed too scary for children, but of course, that did not stop its popularity.

The playful plots promoted harmony between humans and yokai, a message with a long tradition in Japan.

It was also in the 20th century that another part of "Pokemon's" unique heritage was born: kaiju.

The giant monster film genre began in 1954 with "Gojira," you can learn more about that here, and was immediately popular, remaining a mainstay of Japanese cinema to this day.

Saburo Ishizuki produced the first vinyl collectible kaiju figurines, notably cuter than their onscreen predecessors.

They merged the cute with the scary and created tiny consumers hellbent on holding their favorite characters in their own hands.

Seeing a kaiju battle onscreen was cool enough, but getting the chance to recreate that scene or better yet, create your very own with your friends?

Now that is epic.

Illustrated Kaiju guidebooks which I can't help but see as the modern homage to medieval bestiaries, gave more details and background stories to the characters.

"Pokemon" would adopt something similar with the Pokedex, a digital bestiary.

This brings us to the tech side of "Pokemon" lore.

Matt Alt author of "Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World," argues that the success of the game comes as a result of decades of positive marketing of influential toys and consumer electronics to the American market that began in the 1950s.

"Pac-Man" took video games from the arcade into the supermarkets, schools, and homes in 1980.

Then in 1989, the release of Game Boy meant that anyone anywhere could play video games, a massive market shift.

Nintendo was ready to dominate and exploit.

Nintendo launched Tajiri's relatively simple "Pokemon" game in 1996 when they were giving up hope on the longevity of the Game Boy.

The game was produced with an unusual and frankly genius feature.

Released in two cartridges, "Pokemon Red" and "Pokemon Green," you had to trade with another player to collect them all since 11 of the original 151 pocket monsters would only evolve after trading, an intentional design choice by Tajiri, who aimed to promote social connection in the real world.

It was this game design strategy that continues to work for the franchise today.

Each iteration of the game contains unique Pokemon and badges that can only be collected by playing and purchasing both versions of the release.

Hell, I have "Pokemon Diamond" and "Pokemon Pearl" sitting in my Switch carrier right now.

As "Pokemon" sales began to climb in Japan, Nintendo decided to capitalize on the growing popularity.

A manga comic featuring the cute monsters was quickly produced and published in one of the most popular magazines for young boys.

An anime followed the next spring in 1997, and then the first big screen film.

It was virtually impossible to escape the game's presence in Japanese culture, and its popularity kept expanding.

The game and its various products were released in East Asia in 1997.

Part of the franchise's success was its ability to appeal to all genders and a far wider age range than previously believed possible.

And a big part of that appeal?

Pikachu.

While many Pokemon are undeniably cute, with large eyes, expressive faces, and exaggerated features, they create strong emotional attachments with consumers when placed in narratives in the anime and manga, contributing to their perception as kawaii.

Kawaii means more than just cute.

It's really a cultural touchstone that began in the 1970s.

Something is kawaii only if its cute, soft, round, childlike features are complimented by their sweet and gentle attributes.

One of the anime's creators, Masakazu Kubo, has said that the original anime's target demographic was young girls and mothers.

Remember, the original Nintendo game's graphics were far simpler than what they are today.

It's difficult to show cute in eight bit, so which Pokemon could make the leap from the console screen and into the hearts of the massive?

It's Pikachu.

Chosen for its bright, non-aggressive color, easy-to-say name, sweet, expressive face, and memorable, cuddly silhouette, Pikachu became a global icon akin to Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty.

"Pokemon" first appeared to American audiences in 1998, as "Pokemon Red version" and "Pokemon Blue version."

By 1999, the series had earned $5 billion.

Kids across the world couldn't get enough.

I was one of those kids.

I collected the cards religiously and meticulously, organizing my binder at school, on the bus, and at home.

I carried that thing to my friend's houses where we would trade cards with no intention of playing the game.

For me, it wasn't just about finding an elusive holographic or balancing my stats.

I simply loved looking at the pictures and learning the monster's traits.

I guess in a way, I never stopped being that little girl.

My monster collecting just looks different now.

Monsters aren't the only core appeal of "Pokemon."

It feeds that urge to explore the outdoors at a scale few could achieve in real life.

It doesn't matter if you were a kid in an apartment high-rise or an adult trapped in a subway commuting to work.

Rain or shine, come hell or a dying battery life, it allows you to organically experience a colorful, diverse natural world, with the added bonus of a seemingly unending array of wild animals or better yet, monsters you get to keep as pets.

The protagonist of the first "Pokemon" game and anime is named after the game's creator, Satoshi.

In English, he is called Ash.

He and the Pokemon professors, Oak, Elm, Birch, Rowan, Juniper, Sycamore, and Magnolia, emphasize the importance of nature as an instructive, respected tool.

Viewed from an environmentally friendly lens, the game teaches players to respect nature and its inhabitants as living creatures integral to biodiversity, not simple commodities.

Not all interpretations of the game are so positive.

Some naysayers and critics will argue that Pokemon encourages children to not only feel familiar with conflict, but seek it out, citing the franchise's battle elements.

Others claim that capturing and trading wild Pokemon animals promotes hunting or the mistreatment of nature, where value is placed on how they can work for or fight for humans.

The staunchest of critics will even point out that trapping Pokemon, then transporting them to trade, where they might end up as laborers or fighters, has some problematic connections to colonial history and slavery.

Debates about these interpretations have been going on pretty much since "Pokemon" emerged on the global marketplace.

Despite controversy, the game's lingering impact cannot be denied.

There are now over 1,000 types of Pokemon, and the franchise is stronger than ever.

The launch of "Pokemon Go" in 2016 broke gaming barriers again.

That became the most downloaded smartphone game in history, reaching 21 million users only two weeks after its launch in the U.S., with 40% of those users over the age of 25.

Tajiri's original intent is honored with this next evolution, encouraging players to interact with one another outside of the insular gaming bubble.

"Pokemon Go" is a universal game you can play from your phone literally anywhere in the world.

It requires going outside, moving around, and often interacting with others, promoting physical and mental health.

I've always believed that monsters have the potential to unite us, a way for us to understand the lives of other people and better know ourselves.

While folklore and oral storytelling began that trend, with each new communication technology, we've long profited from monsters, socially and commercially.

"Pokemon's" heritage places it within the realm of national identity, reflecting and influencing Japan's cultural, religious, social, and environmental ideals.

Globalization widens this worldview, introducing Japanese history into an unexpected mainstream global context.

"Pokemon" just further proves what I've always known: monsters are meant to be shared.

I wanted to catch it.

No, 'cause now it's gone.

The main objective of the game-- [laughing] Pocket monsters.

My eight-year-old self would be so proud.

Cut.