A new video released by Japanese YouTuber is making waves on the internet as it debunks a long-believed claim about the creator of the beloved Pokémon franchise. Satoshi Tajiri, who created Pokémon in 1996, has long been claimed to have been inspired by his childhood love of collecting insects in order to create the universe and characters of Pokémon. The video posits that this narrative was likely fabricated for marketing purposes and does not necessarily reflect the truth.
The History of Pokémon
Pokémon’s history has evolved since its inception in the mid-90s. Originally released as an RPG game for Nintendo’s Game Boy console, it quickly grew in popularity, spawning numerous sequels and remakes while garnering massive international attention. It gained so much traction that by 1997 there was an anime series, multiple manga publications, and even a trading card game.
The premise for the entire universe is based around pocket monsters (as they are called in Japan) being trained and battling against each other or against computer-generated opponents. It follows a child protagonist as they travel from city to city collecting various creatures with whom they form strong bonds.
The Creator’s Inspiration?
The man behind this incredibly popular franchise is Japanese video game designer Satoshi Tajiri. Throughout his career he has mentioned a love of bug hunting during his childhood that helped inspire the designs and characters of Pokémon. This narrative has become so pervasive over time that many believed it to be true.
In fact, Tajiri himself has mentioned this connection when talking about his inspiration for creating games like Pokéman: “I wanted to create my own version of insect-collecting… I thought it would be cool if there were these monsters that you could collect and