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What is a spoiler? What is a speculation? Where do babies come from? and more!

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randomspot555

Well-Known Member
Fake edit: Chelc, I wasn't sure if you wanted this in Spoilers or PAD. Move if you need to.

Hi, welcome to the thread many (none) have been waiting for, the

Speculation Vs Spoilers thread!


Spoilers are confirmed events that will happen, but have not yet been aired. Spoilers are obtained via official sources, such as interviews with producers, writers, and voice actors, episode descriptions, or episode previews, and so on. It is no longer a spoiler once an episode is aired.

  • In the case of the Pokemon anime, episodes air in Japan months before they air elsewhere. When an episode has only aired in Japan, discussion of that episode is limited to the relevant Episode Discussions thread or the Anime Spoilers.
  • Once an episode has aired in North America, it is no longer a spoiler at all and can be discussed in the general Pokemon Anime forum.

Speculation is when someone attempts to predict what will happen in the future of the anime. This can go in either the general Pokemon Anime Discussion (PAD) or Anime Spoilers, depending on what speculation is based on.

Speculation based on spoilers is what it sounds like: Speculation based on confirmed events that are going to happen but have not yet aired. All speculation based on spoilers belongs in the Spoilers forum, because it's either based on airings of the Japanese anime, or confirmed future events for the Japanese anime (previews, interviews, etc...).

  • For example, if I wanted to make a thread about the future of Grotle post evolution, and this was before the episode aired in North America, I would post it in Anime Spoilers.
  • If I saw a preview for the episode before Grotle evolved, and it said something like "Is Turtwig evolving?!?!?!?!?", and I made a thread about a possible Turtwig evolution, it would ALSO go into Anime Spoilers.

Pure speculation is speculation based on absolutely nothing. It's glorified fan fic :) This could go into PAD, assuming it isn't a banned topic.

  • For example, that "Will Misty ever appear in Sinnoh" thread that's been in Anime Spoilers for months? It doesn't contain a single spoiler. It contains some decent discussion, but it's pure speculation. Similar threads pop up in Anime Spoilers all the time.

Some people think pure speculation has to go into the Anime Spoilers forum, since...if someone was right, it'd be spoiling? Sounds stupid, right? Because it is.

But what if you want to post about a spoiler (either aired only in Japan, or not aired at all) in a character discussion thread, Single Questions thread, etc.. in PAD? Simply use the spoiler tag.

The only reason a character discussion thread should really go into Anime Spoilers is if it focuses on a specific event that, so far, has only aired in Japan. And by specific event, I mean a BIG event. A battle with a rival, guest appearance from an old time character, a new evolution. When one specific event can be discussed a lot, and it's only aired in Japan, then that type of character discussion can go in the Spoilers forum.

But general character discussion threads should go in PAD, with spoiler tags if spoilers are ever mentioned.

but randomspot555, could you give me some awesome examples differentiating between all this confusing terminology?. Sure, glad you asked.

Let's pretend you just saw Episode 2, and there's a preview for Episode 3 (Ash Catches a Pokemon) at the end. It shows Ash throwing a Pokeball at Caterpie, leaving some suspense if Caterpie was captured or it wiggles away and escapes.

This would be the spoiler: Ash tosses a Pokeball at a Caterpie, and it cuts away, leaving the question of if it escapes or not.

Speculation based on a spoiler: I bet it evolves into a Butterfree later in the episode!

Random speculation: I bet Team Rocket shows up again to steal Pikachu!

I'm still confused :( :( :( :(

I'm sure you are. Let's try some non-Pokemon spoilers.

Luke is Leia's brother and Vader's son is NOT a spoiler because that movie was released decades ago. Same with "Uncle Ben dies at the end and Peter becomes Spider-Man" or any other ridiculously old story/episode/tv series/movie. There is no possible way it's spoiling for anyone because they were made years ago.

Let's pretend the prequels for Star Wars haven't been out yet.

Your hypothetical post, disucssing the Weird Al song about Star Wars: Episode I, the Phantom Menace:

Weird Al just released a song about the new Star Wars prequel. He even says it's based on fan spoilers from the Internet and confirmed in a preview screening. In it, he says
Anakin Skywalker, from Tatooine, will "probably become Vader someday" and he meets the woman who'll become Luke and Leia's mother ("do you see him hitting on the queen...they'll probably get married someday"). Jabba the Hutt also appears as the referee of some race, and Anakin/Vader created C3po.
 

Brazillianguy

Well-Known Member
Hehe, I love the idea, I think this is going to end in a good discussion.
Well, I particularly like the speculations, since I watch the japanese episodes...So, between the speculations only and the speculations based on spoilers, I think the most viable are the based on spoilers, because we're discussing some events that could really happen in the anime, but I don't know, there are some days that I'm really inspired and I imagine moments in a far future (e.g Hikari and Satoshi having a big moment, or Satoshi catching a new Pokemon and so), and on these days I like to speculate.

Just a final thought. IMO, the spoilers and the speculations are really close and even can end in a mash. In the Anime Spoilers, for example, we're discussing an event that will definitely happen, but the questions always come: "how's it going to happen?", "what will they be doing?", so at the end we're discussing about spoilers and making speculations at the same time.
 

dman_dustin

Well-Known Member
I have a question about spoilerish signature, I think its relevant.

A lot of people have spoilers in their signature, like a certain group of Pokemon that don't exist yet.

But couldn't someone argue, that they aren't spoilers, but just cool art of your favorite Pokemon.

Like say we're in the Hoenn Saga, near the Sinnoh League (in Japan). And someone had Pikachu, Swellow, Grovyle, Corphish, Torkoal, and Glalie in their signature in excellent art (anime). Keep in mind though that they only show the Pokemon, nothing else, but just the Pokemon.

Couldn't someone argue it's just a coincidence that Ash has the same Pokemon even if you watched the episode (in Japan) and the Pokemon are exactly like the pictures in the signature?

Because without mentioning who the Pokemon belong to and just saying "Best Pokemon ever" as a caption to the pictures, seems more like opinion than spoiler.

Besides you would have the "oh" factor, when the episode did air in the United States.

Person: Oh so that's where the art of the specific Pokemon came from.

It's not exactly the same as saying "Look Ash has Pikachu, Swellow, Grovyle, Corphish, Torkoal, and Glalie" because if a person who hasn't been spoiled will think of it as a mere coincidence that the picture shows a Glalie, when Ash only has a Snorunt.

Because only someone who has been spoiled can argue that the signature contains spoilers, ever other naive person will think its a mere coincidence.

Edit: Also they could just argue that the Pokemon are just Pokemon that appeared in the anime maybe even with different trainers . And surely anime art of a Pokemon isn't a spoiler, even if it implies the Pokemon will have an appearance in the anime in the future (if it hasn't already appeared).
 
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deathseer

Oh, u mad bro?
Its about time we got a thread like this.Alot of people just go on pure speculation and it gets annoying alot.People need to read this to actually know what they are talking about
 

randomspot555

Well-Known Member
and on these days I like to speculate.

That's fine. But if it's not based ona spoiler, it should go in PAD.

Just a final thought. IMO, the spoilers and the speculations are really close and even can end in a mash.

No offense, but did you read my post at all? I clearly demonstrated that they aren't close.

In the Anime Spoilers, for example, we're discussing an event that will definitely happen, but the questions always come: "how's it going to happen?", "what will they be doing?", so at the end we're discussing about spoilers and making speculations at the same time.

I....know. That's what the "speculation based on spoilers" is for. But if it's just pure mindless drivel, then there's no need for it to be in Anime Spoilers because it doesn't spoil anything.

I have a question about spoilerish signature, I think its relevant.

A lot of people have spoilers in their signature, like a certain group of Pokemon that don't exist yet.

But couldn't someone argue, that they aren't spoilers, but just cool art of your favorite Pokemon.

Signatures have their own rules to go by.

But from what you describe, if those are just Pokemon, and aren't noticably "anime character's Pokemon" , then it doesn't sound like a spoiler.
 

DANdotW

Previously Iota
I think with the signature thing, it's odd. If it's sugimori art or sprites, with no text about what they're based on, or what trainer owns the Pokémon, then it shouldn't be a problem.

I don't think art from the show should be allowed unless the Pokémon has been featured before. For example, if someone had the show art in their signature of say...Magmortar, it shouldn't be allowed, because it hasn't been seen in the Animé outside of Japan (except for the movie).

Iota
 

FlashCannon

I Love Miltank!!
Im sure that 80% of these fourms know what the defination of "speculate" and "spoiler"


Just writing more obvious facts.
 

DANdotW

Previously Iota
Actually, about 80% have no idea there are threads with rules in, let alone the difference between spoilers and speculation. This is actually a good idea for a thread, even if only the 20% of people who know what they're doing will look at it.

Iota
 

hmmm

Scuffle of Legends
I have a question:

Some people have Ash or Dawn's current Japanese roster in their signature. That is all fine and dandy, until they post in the Anime Discusion Forum. Now when you look through the Anime Discussion Forum, you see pokemon like Staraptor are there, and Ambipom is not. Is this considered a spoiler, which leads to an infraction?
 

randomspot555

Well-Known Member
Im sure that 80% of these fourms know what the defination of "speculate" and "spoiler"


Just writing more obvious facts.

Yes, it's obvious.

You're new. I'm sure you have inherent faith in your posting brothers and sisters, but you'd be wrong.

Tons of threads are posted in here that don't spoil a single thing.

A thread on Misty? Here. No spoilers.

A thread on Larvitar? Here. No spoilers.

And many more.
 

STICKTOPIA

Well-Known Member
I have a question:

Some people have Ash or Dawn's current Japanese roster in their signature. That is all fine and dandy, until they post in the Anime Discusion Forum. Now when you look through the Anime Discussion Forum, you see pokemon like Staraptor are there, and Ambipom is not. Is this considered a spoiler, which leads to an infraction?
That's an interesting question and I would like it answered too.
 

hmmm

Scuffle of Legends
i like how this thread was made and not closed, so it's clearly open for questions....but then out questions don't get answered....
srsly i asked that in july
 

randomspot555

Well-Known Member
i like how this thread was made and not closed, so it's clearly open for questions....but then out questions don't get answered....
srsly i asked that in july

I'd suggest PMing one of the anime mods. I personally have signatures turned off, so I don't see them anyway.
 

CptScorpion

Scrafty Artist
Why do I want to know where babies come from? I know pokemon hatch from eggs in specific weird-looking patterns.
 

mjcheetah

Pokemon Breeder
a spoiler is something like say a new book was coming out. a spoiler would tell you what happened at the end of the story
 

DaAuraWolf

I’m Back...
So,Speculating is whet people says "I hope this happens or I think random pokemon will evovle in this episode".And, A Spoiler is like when a game comes another country and that what is said by some who has it to someone who don`t.Ok,I get it now.
 

allaboutthecute

When I grow up
Let me put it this way...

If the thing you are talking about hasn't occured outside Japan, or hasn't aired in Japan, but has been otherwise confirmed, it is a spoiler.
If you are speculating on something you think should/will happen, and there is no discussion of stuff that hasn't aired outside of Japan, it is speculation.
 
hi please
you never answered the question about babies? hi please answer?
 

allaboutthecute

When I grow up
There's a problem: thread titles. See, a spoiler-ful thread title in anime spoilers doesn't seem like a big deal, since if you're there to see it, you're probably okay with knowing. But it is a problem-see, next to the link to the particular forum, they show the title, last poster, and time of the last post in a thread with new posts (or at least that's how i think it works-but no matter, they show it). That includes threads from subforums of that forum. Like, for example, one time as i was scrolling down looking for a forum to lurk/post in, i saw something that said, "what do you think about *SPOILERS!* not making it past the grand festival appeals round?" Now, that one wasn't so bad because of the spoiler alert, and they didn't say who didn't make it, but still, that could be a problem with less vague thread titles-an innocent forumgoer could have a critical plot point revealed to them just by scrolling down! What should we do?
 

Juputoru

M-m-m-m-onobear?!
Actually, the mods try to catch that when possible, but it can be easy to let bad titles slip by when you get used to being bombarded with spoiler info all that time.

If you see a spoilerific title, let us know and we'll take care of it. (note that the person who made the thread can't actually do anything about it - only moderators can edit thread titles)
 
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