Walker 1
Marissa Walker
6th Period
March 25, 2012
Pokémon: Its Origin and How it has Evolved Over the Years
Walker 5
Pokémon is an international brand that has been around since before I was born. The line of games, TV series, as well as countless other branch-off items has become a worldwide phenomenon with a target audience of anywhere from 6 to 60. These products are a staple of my childhood, and I had the pleasure of watching the brand grow as I grew. Being a true fan since age 4, I thought I knew everything there was to know about Pokémon. When I began brain-storming for an essay topic, I wanted to write about something I was really interested in. Automatically, my brain jumped to video games, then more specifically, Pokémon. I then thought "Oh, no, I can't research that, I already know all about it!", and in that moment, I realized I really knew nothing about Pokémon.
In this double battle, one of the player's Pokémo...
Beeld Japanse beeldhouwer Shinkichi Tajiri / Statu...
Kerwin White & TajiriSure, I had seen every episode, played every game, and could identify all 151 original Pokémon, but what I didn't know was the backstory. This inspired many thoughts about one of my childhood staples. Whose great mind created this fantastical enterprise? What changes did it go through to become what it is today? What inspired such an out-of-the-box idea? Where/how did Pokémon originate, and just how did it evolve into the brand it is today?
To begin my search, I wanted to learn where Pokémon originated. I already knew that it started in Japan and eventually moved its way into America, but other than that, I was clueless. I found many articles about the franchise's origin, and discovered that Pokémon was created by Satoshi Tajiri and Shigeru Miyamoto; childhood friends, who shared a passion for bug-catching (Larimer). Tajiri and Miyamoto...