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Is there any way to find out who the most popular anime characters are in Japan?

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Cybersai

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I've always wondered if the Japanese fanbase had different views on the characters than overseas. For example I hear Cilan is really popular in Japan simply because of his voice actor.

Is there any way to find out which Pokemon characters are the most popular in Japan? Is Iris as well received over there as Cilan is? Did Brock have a decline in popularity which contributed to him finally being removed?

Are Team Rocket still popular characters in Japan? Is their revamp in BW because of how they were viewed back in DP? Is Meowth's sudden change with the group because Meowth is more popular than Jessie/James at this point?

Does anyone know how popular certain characters are in the Japanese fanbase?
 
They don't really do popularity polls on the anime as far as I'm concerned, Japan is known for having popularity polls for mangas but we got nothing for Pokemon or atleast as far as I know we don't.

Anyway you are just trying to find a way to hate on Dent now after your Iris crusade.
 
Zoro said:
Anyway you are just trying to find a way to hate on Dent now after your Iris crusade.
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No, I was just wondering how characters like Misty, Brock, May and Dawn were received over there, although I pretty much have a good idea how they were.

I'm pretty much going to assume Piplup was a hell of a lot more popular in Japan than it was anywhere else. They must have sold a ton of Piplup toys back in the DP era.
 
Piplup is still pretty popular, the thing is in the adverstising video of Super Pokemon Scramble with the Isshu pogeymanz, that part where they have a confrontation, I still receive some mail from pokemon.jp site and Piplup is there occasinally, so yes the thing is pretty popular.
 
Funny how they advertise Piplup alone with no Dawn, which means the Pokemon itself has probably become more popular than the trainer. Similar to how you sometimes see Pikachu with no Ash on those Japanese toys, or merchandize, etc.

I think Misty has been phased out almost completely in Japan, everytime I visit the Japanese sites I see almost nothing about the character anymore.
 
I don't mean to sound mean, but is this another replace SATOSHI, Kasumi sucks thread?

Yeah Piplup and croagunk are still very popular. :p There's no way to tell popularity unless it's an official site. Don't assume Dento is God's greatest gift thanks to his VA because you heard it from the grape vine. Nor should you assume that's why Takeshi was replaced.
 
gotpika said:
I don't mean to sound mean, but is this another replace SATOSHI thread?
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Not at all, I'm mostly curious about the other main characters, or even rivals like Trip, etc.

Don't assume Dento is God's greatest gift thanks to his VA because you heard it from the grape vine. Nor should you assume that's why Takeshi was replaced.
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From most of the Japanese sites I visit, it does seem that's why Cilan is popular. His VA is very famous in Japan.

I'm also curious if Iris became as popular as Dawn over there, although for some reason I don't think she is. :/
 
I fear of Iris becoming more popular than Dawn, which may cause Iris to appear in the next SSB title instead of her, which has been my life long dream. However, I was told that black characters aren't as popular in Japan when it comes to otakus.
 
Ghetsis-Dennis said:
I fear of Iris becoming more popular than Dawn, which may cause Iris to appear in the next SSB title instead of her, which has been my life long dream. However, I was told that black characters aren't as popular in Japan when it comes to otakus.
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Whaaa....?

1. Iris skin color has nothing to do with how popular she may become.

2. Dawn would never be in Smash Bros. to begin with.
 
Gliscor'd said:
Whaaa....?

1. Iris skin color has nothing to do with how popular she may become.

2. Dawn would never be in Smash Bros. to begin with.
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1. Then I've been lied to.

2. Yet Lucario made it in due to his popularity in the anime; without him, it could've been another 4th gen Pokemon. Plus we more female characters, as well as a female trainer based on the most popular incarnation in Japan.
 
Ghetsis-Dennis said:
2. Yet Lucario made it in due to his popularity in the anime; without him, it could've been another 4th gen Pokemon. Plus we more female characters, as well as a female trainer based on the most popular incarnation in Japan.
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Pokemon themselves obviously would make it into the game over trainers. Red is in Smash Bros. because he's the iconic original trainer, they would never do that for any other human character.
 
Gliscor'd said:
Pokemon themselves obviously would make it into the game over trainers. Red is in Smash Bros. because he's the iconic original trainer, they would never do that for any other human character.
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You said yourself that Piplup is still popular in Japan, so he may be promoted to being playable in the next game just like Charizard in Brawl. However, I was told that a single starter Pokemon must be with two more from the same gen in order to be playable, which means another trainer must be made in order to make all three playable. Dawn would be the perfect choice she was the reason Piplup's popular in the first place.
 
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Gliscor'd said:
Not at all, I'm mostly curious about the other main characters, or even rivals like Trip, etc.



From most of the Japanese sites I visit, it does seem that's why Cilan is popular. His VA is very famous in Japan.

I'm also curious if Iris became as popular as Dawn over there, although for some reason I don't think she is. :/
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What JNP sites are ya talking about I wanna read it?

Again don't assume Irising isn't as popular or Dento is GODS greatest gift cause you heard from the grape vines assuming your right with no official and none bias[meaning NO FANSITES] poll only generates hear say and rumors.
 
To answer the thread's question...we don't know.

As far as I know, none of the official websites do any sort of popularity polls. Some Japanese TV shows do these general "most popular cartoon characters" shows every now and then, but that's not quite the same thing.

The reason we seem to know more about other series is because this sort of thing is more common with manga than with animation. I know One Piece does this sort of thing a lot, for example. I think Pocket Monsters Special has popularity polls every now and then, but of course that doesn't really help us figure out who's popular in the TV series.

All we can really do is guess based on how certain characters are handled throughout a region. I think it's reasonable to guess, for example, that Potchama ended up being a lot more popular than the producers of the TV series thought it would ever be.
 
Heres what I've been tolled by some one whos friends with some one in Japan..I asked if Ash was still popular in Japan and that person said yes and that hes the most popular out of the Best Wishes group. Theres some who feel that Ash should grow up and blah blah blah but thats out numbered by fans who like him now. We know Dento is really popular of course, not sure about Team Rocket yet, never asked about them. I know Negaishipping is number 3 or 4th most popular ship in Japan.
 
It is hard to get numbers and statistics about character popularity in Japan when popularity polls are not very often being made.At least as far as i know theyre not.

However from what i heard Piplup is still incredibly popular over there and out of characters Ash(Satoshi)is probably most popular main character like its pretty much case with rest of the world.Cilan or Iris may seem currently more popular than Ash and others but that is because of usual hype being present for first few months whenever some older character returns or new one gets introduced.

However when things go back to normal there usually isnt present some huge discrepancy between character popularity giving clear view in whole picture.Several of older pokemon characters are still going strong.

Gliscor'd said:
Did Brock have a decline in popularity which contributed to him finally being removed?

Are Team Rocket still popular characters in Japan? Is their revamp in BW because of how they were viewed back in DP? Is Meowth's sudden change with the group because Meowth is more popular than Jessie/James at this point?
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Brock being replaced or Team Rocket getting revamped has nothing to do with how popular this characters are.And it certainly doesnt have anything to do with how people viewed them.Somehow i doubt writers waste their time reading pokemon message boards on internet and what some fans thing,otherwise some of their complaints and demands would be taken in account long time ago.

Gliscor'd said:
I think Misty has been phased out almost completely in Japan, everytime I visit the Japanese sites I see almost nothing about the character anymore.
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Last time i heard from some people who visit Japanese sites she is still popular over there.Maybe not in same amount like its case with USA and Europe but she has respectable and strong following.
 
pokemon fan 132 said:
Last time i heard from some people who visit Japanese sites she is still popular over there.Maybe not in same amount like its case with USA and Europe but she has respectable and strong following.
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It seems to me as if Japan just "goes with the flow" and accepts whatever characters are currently on. While of course they still like old characters, I don't think they're obsessive over it.
 
Dogasu said:
All we can really do is guess based on how certain characters are handled throughout a region. I think it's reasonable to guess, for example, that Potchama ended up being a lot more popular than the producers of the TV series thought it would ever be.
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While it doesn't relate to anime characters all that much, we can also look at the merchandise being produced. The most popular Pokemon in Japan right now seem to be Pikachu, Mijumaru, Reshiram, Zekrom and Victini.
 
There's also the fact that despite this being the Isshu Gen of Pokemon, Croagunk and Piplup C-Gear skins were released.
 
Adamant said:
While it doesn't relate to anime characters all that much, we can also look at the merchandise being produced. The most popular Pokemon in Japan right now seem to be Pikachu, Mijumaru, Reshiram, Zekrom and Victini.
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Well, they've really been pushing to have Mijumaru be this generation's Potchama, so the fact that they're shoving its merchandise down our throats isn't surprising.

And I'd chalk the latter three up to the movie. If new Victini toys are still being made a year from now, *then* that would be telling.
 
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