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Satoshi Tajiri, the quiet, complex man

crobatman

Well-Known Member

BCVM22

Well-Known Member
He is, as you point out, a very private individual. I believe I had read somewhere that he has Asperger's syndrome as well, so you can imagine that he largely keeps his public correspondence to a minimum.
 

Rex Kamex

Well-Known Member
It was said ten or so years ago, but...

TIME: How does that translate to the U.S.?
Tajiri: It's interesting, because in Japan, everybody goes for Pikachu. In the U.S., the characters Ash [Satoshi in Japan] and Pikachu are grouped together. American kids seem to like that. In America there are more products sold with Ash and Pikachu together, not just Pikachu alone. I think Americans actually understand the concept of Pokémon better than the Japanese. The Japanese focus on Pikachu, but what I think is important is the human aspect--you need Ash.

I've said before that if the writers had to choose between getting rid of Ash and Pikachu, they'd get rid of Ash. And actually, I still think that. But of course, it's not like they'd actually put themselves in that position.
 

randomspot555

Well-Known Member
Interestingly enough, even though Pokemon has a number who have been working on the franchise (games or otherwise) since the beginning, it doesn't look like Tajiri has much to do with the current generation.
 

Rogue

Member
Interesting read... a little old but thanks for posting. He's quite a guy coming from such a small start (writing his own magazine by hand?!) and then making something as big as Pokemon.
 

~-Overheat-~

Black/White!
Good read, explains why pokemon faint instead of dying. Its all true.

Also interesting that he got the idea from bugs. Kinda ironic because when i was young and into pokemon a lot more than now, my parents used to tease pokemon calling it 'pokamon'. 'Poka' means bug in our language so....
 

Shadow Gamer

The Shadow Trainer
That guy's sitting on a pile of money.
 

crobatman

Well-Known Member

Kutie Pie

"It is my destiny."
(I want that Mew plushie.)

Satoshi Tajiri is a genius, and always will be. He planned ahead, not at the last second, and that's why the games are so wonderful, because it wasn't slapped together in a pitiful attempt to make it look good. Everything was planned and planned, even years before when he was pursuing working with games. And the fact he based Pokémon off of his childhood is the best thing he's done. He's had a good childhood, so why not keep it alive?

I was familiar with a few answers like Mew being a secret character (his knowledge about the outside and inside of games was what probably allowed him to secretly put Mew into the game), but others like the violent games were a surprise. It's so ironic how Americans enjoy violent games, yet oppose them at the same time. The Japanese really are peaceful in that content, despite the violence in the anime. But it has been ten years, so I don't know if that concept has changed. And the comment on how America actually gets Pokémon is a shocker, too. I was aware that Pikachu is extremely popular in Japan, but not to the point the humans were pushed into the shadows just for Pikachu. That's deep, really deep.

He's a good man. Thanks for posting this interview up. I don't think there has been anymore since then, huh?
 

TomDraco

I'm a /tr/ainer.
Loved the interview, sorta inspiring...

But what's with the weird GIFs of Shellder, Mewtwo, and Ditto?

They kinda ruin the interview...
 

ChaosMage

Izit cuz I is black?
Yeah, I read this a few years back- the imagination required to come up with those first 151 pokemon and the entire world of Kanto (I don't know how much of a hand he has had in subsequent generations)... he's certainly a man with a lot to offer the world, and someone with a very interesting philosophy
 

crobatman

Well-Known Member
I think he originally planned more than the first 151 for the first games.
He just saved some for Johto( or pokemon 2).
 
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