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jbwarner86 — Onsen a Lifetime
Published: 2007-05-30 22:23:48 +0000 UTC; Views: 18882; Favourites: 150; Downloads: 316
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Description
One of the problems I have with the "Pokémon" anime is the gradual disappearance of the signature touches of Japanese culture. It was a lot more prominent in the first season, since those episodes were made before anybody knew the show was going to get picked up in America. 4Kids Entertainment ordered a lot of the Japanese culture toned down so that kids wouldn't know that the show was imported, which really grates my cheese since the foreign culture made the show unique.Fortunately, Japanese fan sites like PokéSho [link] recognize this dwindling culture issue and make an effort to restore it through fan art and such. Every so often, I like to do the same thing. One example of Japanese culture that gradually disappeared was the outdoor hot spring, which appeared in episode 131 "Dig Those Diglett" and the two part Season 2 premiere, 201 "Riddle Me This" and 202 "Volcanic Panic" before almost entirely disappearing from the show (although they made a brief return appearance in 715 "Poetry Commotion"). I think it's safe to say that they won't appear in Sinnoh, though, so I drew this up as a substitute. I fashioned it in the style of a typical PokéSho desktop, with the whole protagonistic cast and their team members.
Now, I trust that this is within the realm of DeviantArt acceptability, since no objectable parts are visible, and it's a fairly accurate rendition of Japanese culture, but if it does overstep a boundary of some sort, I'll remove it.
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Comments: 50
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Um.....Croagunk? What are you doing? *scared whimpers*
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Apparently from the day you posted this to now there were already two hot springs episodes: One in DP and the other one in BW.
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Um... it DID appear again, in Sinnoh AND Unova.
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I don't get why Dawn is bathing with Ash and Brock since their wearing nothing.
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I have to completely agree with you on this. I whatched Pokemon since the day it came out (yeah, im that old) and have noticed the progresivly reduction of the japanese culture hints
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This title, "Onsen a Lifetime", is exactly the kind of title 4Kids would use for one of the episodes, were it not for being so Japanese-related. (Or...?) Plus, those are some shocking insights into the methods of madness at work at 4Kids.
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"I agree, Pokemon lost all interesting aspects after it got 4kids-ed."
couldn't agree more
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I agree with these guys, you really made Dawn look cute here. I love girls that are a little modest.
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just as a side note, i'd put that buizel is looking at CROGUNK and NOT dawn's naked body, wouldnt want a great work like this getting up and deleted ^_^;
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Well, I'd run the risk either way, because Croagunk actually is supposed to be trying to sneak a peek at Dawn's birthday suit. See my above reply to goldtiger to understand why.
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Croagunk is just in the right place XD. Seriously, the sinnoh series sucks, but Croagunk makes for my favorite character.
I agree, Pokemon lost all interesting aspects after it got 4kids-ed.
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Indeed, Croagunk's character design just screams "sleazeball". From what I hear, they don't play up that angle on the anime (it is a kids' show, after all), but I still do ideas for my "Pokémon" comic strip, and I launched a running gag where Croagunk keeps leering pervertedly at Dawn at every opportunity, usually while breathing heavily and thinking things like "You're a dirty girl, aren't you?". I think one of my finest lines of dialogue came when Dawn lamented that Croagunk's lifelong goal is probably to "drag me off to his lair and enslave me as his perverted love kitten".
Yeah, odds are pretty good that this strip would never get in the papers, but it makes for good satire.
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I did notice the dissapearance of hot springs now that you mention it, but they did stop at one in one of the movies. It was "Locario and the Mystery of Mew" and I just watched last saturday.
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FINALLY SOMEONE NOTICED!!! here I thought it was just me!!
MT
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hehehe...^^ dawns really cute like that. i luv it ^^
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I love how dawn is covering heself.And you make a good point.Season 1 is by far the best.
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Thats exacly what i think! i hate 4kids they also got a hold of One Picece!!! but i heard that there giveing up rights to One Picece to some other thing thats better than them (cant remember name)
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Heh. Having seen far more offensive things on DA (that have sometimes even been given DDs), I personally don't see anything remotely wrong with this picture. I think you're just a touch paranoid.
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Ahh... Stupid 4kids. I hate it when shows are 'americanized'... I LOVE seeing imported shows so I can learn a little more about foreign cultures, and just learn about their daily lives and such. xp
Wow... Your the only person with very large messages/descriptions for their artwork that I actually READ! o.o! Wow! >.> I'm going to browse even more into your gallery.
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Nice Pun with the Onsen! :3
Oooo, I remember in the first seasons Brock would always serve up Rice balls with seaweed. Now it's always stew
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You remind me of the artist who drew the Pokemon american-ized comic strip called: Pikachu meets the press Just in the way you draw Pikachu... 
Cool art!!!
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Actually, I attempt to avoid emulating Ashura Benimaru's style at all costs - for an official "Pokémon" comic strip, that thing looked hideous (not to mention the writing was horrible). In fact, I own the book collection so I'd know what not to do with the characters. I instead try to draw my influence from Ken Sugimori, the artist who does most of the official promotional artwork for the "Pokémon" video games, but my heavy American influence is hard to mask.
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i couldn't agree more with this. its probably the main reason why i stopped watching it all together, because it was a nice little source of Japanese. but after the second.. it got bad, and i just stopped caring about it... (that and digimon helped a bit... they at least tried to keep it Japanese before 4 kids raped them too ><
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Brock looks WAY too comfortable there |D
4Kids... T--T;
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The Americanization never bothered me with Pokemon. As the show seems to take place in a fictional world, I thought it made more sense if it didn't have any distinct country to it. Honestly, the more Japanese culture was prevalent as it went on, the less interested I became.
Now, if there was an Americanized version of Ranma 1/2 or InuYasha... Yeah, that would be confusing to me. Very confusing.
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Personally, I think it's pretty cool that the show inserts the culture of its native country - it gives American viewers a chance to learn a little something about Japan (or it would, if 4Kids hadn't been so intent on muting it). I never thought of the anime as taking place anywhere other than Japan, since in addition to all the culture, the regions are based on actual geographical regions within the country itself. Besides, just 'cause the towns and cities are fictional, it doesn't necessarily mean the anime's entire world is - plenty of American shows take place in fictional towns and cities, and it's pretty clear that they're still in America.
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Yes, but Pokemon is actually supposed to take place in another world. It's like Sonic the Hedgehog including elements of Japan when we all know it takes place on another planet. It just never made sense to me, that's all.
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Well, whenever I find myself bamboozled by the logistic inaccuracies in the anime's world, there's one phrase that solves every problem I have...
'Just repeat to yourself, "It's just a show, I should really just relax."'
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And Pokemon takes the MST3K motto to an entirely new level!
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It is heartbreaking at some points how shows are, even though I loathe the term, 'Americainized'. While some parts of violence I can understand, it's tettering between comical and sad when they try to pass off a Riceball as a Doughnut (although I do beleive that was recified in a later episode.) It's been some time since I've seen the show, although I have quite a few earlier episodes on VHS. Now for a show that really makes me sad in it's 'translation', One Peice. But I'll save you the examples unless you care to hear them.
For the picture itself, I like the use of slightly muted colors. Particularly the violets for the shading on the trees. I'm also pleased you didn't over-use Photoshop to make overly complex backgrounds, sometimes they just need to be simple. Overall, the scene might be a little bit busy, but it still has a sense of relaxation.
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Calling onigiri "donuts" was just the tip of the iceberg. Starting at the end of Season 7, 4Kids began digitally repainting them to become sub sandwiches. I'm just glad they lost their licensing contract after Season 8 - I shudder to think what might have happened had they kept going.
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I dislike that the cast keeps shifting and the voice actors are also changing.
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Is Greggle peeping? Or is he staring at his new arc-rival Buoysel?
Or maybe both?
Onsen pictures are cool in general. I miss those scenes...they feel so..japanese.
A very nice picture. I like it´s whole atmosphere.
Cheers, Takeshi!
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4Kids? UUAAAAAHH *flashes golden stubbly hair and eyes go blue*
Kahn...shall...PAY!
*Mr. Saturn agrees*
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It doesn't seem like it would overstep any boundaries to me. Nicely done, BTW.
I don't watch so much Pokèmon, any more, though I don't know if my decreased interest in the show has anything to do with the decrease in Japanese culture represented in it. It is a pity, though, that they feel they need to "Americanize" a show that everyone already knows is imported from Japan.
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I think it's great.
I also don't think it oversteps any boundraries - I've definately seen worse.
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Ooh sweet, ya got a lot of my favorite pokemon from Diamond and Pearl in there...and one I hate. I hate that tree guy >_< lol
Very cute
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lol, i nicnamed the pokemon that evolves into the tree looking pokemon tree guy, its called sudowodo by the way
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Yeah, I know his name...I just dislike him so much I didn't wanna try to spell it
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A*squeal*Pikachu looks so cute! And of course, great job! *favs* ^.^
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