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Shudo's novelizations

T

TTEchidna

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So now, since I've decided to eat every other section of the wiki, we're gonna be fixing up the anime section. Yay and yay. That's gonna be a big thing, coming out whenever I can get around to it, but most probably sooner than later.

Anyway, interestingly enough, Umeko began reading one of the novelizations that Takeshi Shudo, lead writer of the original series, wrote of the anime. Considering he was the lead writer... many of the things we get here are quite interesting... and of debatable canon.

For example... we've all heard Delia owns a restaurant according to these, but how about the fact that she's 29 as of EP001, apparently? And has been asked to be married by many guys in the absence of her husband, who she no longer has any real feelings for, yet said no each time?

How about Ash's birthday, which, if we go by the original airdate of EP001, would be May 22?

Pallet Town's original name of White Town? Hey, it goes with the rest of Kanto, being a color. Oak's great-great grandfather being a notable Trainer from there?

And of course the big bombshell. 10 is apparently legal age. For Pokémon training. For getting a job. For getting married... yeah.

I dunno. Follow [bp=User:Umeko/Shudo novelization tidbits]Ume's readthrough[/bp]. And of course, the big issue... discuss how relevant the novelizations are to the anime canon as it is today.
 
I just read that and well, hot damn, the Anime could have been buttloads better, like canon shipping and stuff.
 
Ten Years old to get married? I guess when you consider countries like "India?" where you're spouse is chosen at around that age I guess it's not that surprising but then again while your spouse is chosen at a young age I believe you still have to mature to the right age before both can be married.

Which makes this even a more interesting case. I suppose when Brock was "going" to get married to Temacu he was fifteen (or so) perhaps it is true, when you turn ten you are an "adult" although that is a bit consistent with what's been shown so far on the show. Although that would explain why certain kids call Jessie and James "old geezers" despite there being more obvious older people.
 
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Does the thing about Brock being 15 years old come from this book?

Sucks that they've forgotten so many things from that book. It gives some new flash in the Pokemon world. But they've forgotten so many things that I'm not even sure if we should consider this book as canonical (though when it doesn't contradict with the main anime, why not?).

Also, are thre any notable illustrations in those books? Like early concept arts or something.
 
Maxim Menschevick said:
Does the thing about Brock being 15 years old come from this book?
Click to expand...

I was guessing, he's obviously older than Ash, but he's still younger than most people on the show (he's younger than Jessie and James). It's not like he's 20 years old or something.
 
dman_dustin said:
I was guessing, he's obviously older than Ash, but he's still younger than most people on the show (he's younger than Jessie and James). It's not like he's 20 years old or something.
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I recall that there was indeed a source saying that he's 15 years old. And I think that it was this book.

But I think that in current anime he's at least 18.
 
Wasn't this book. It was early concept art for the anime that state that.
 
Wow, that is so interesting! 10 a legal age? I guess it makes sense in the pokemon world lol. That is also an interesting tidbit about Delia, being 29 and having so many other suitors... I would love to read more of it...
 
Probably none of this is considered canon anymore, but when the show was only Kanto, (remember how it was supposed to end after the first movie with that alternate future ending?), this might have been the early idea for it.
 
Stuff from these novels should definitely be considered on a case-by-case basis, in terms of canonicity. Prof. Oak's history as given in chapter two, for example, is far different from game canon (he was never even mentioned to have been a Pokemon trainer at any point in his life, unless I'm forgetting something). And while, yes, that's game canon, not necessarily anime, it's still kind of... idk.

Maxim Menschevick said:
Also, are thre any notable illustrations in those books? Like early concept arts or something.
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Not really. The most interesting illustrations are a picture of Gary with six fingers and one of Ash in love with a Pinsir or something. Oh, and there's an illustration in volume two of Brock dramatically posing in pajamas.
 
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I need those pictures, especially the Ash in love with a Pinsir.
 
Good thing that 10 is only the legal age in the anime.

It would be utter madness if it were so in the games and mangas. Getting married at ten? Talk about primitive.

If they used these ideas, the anime would be a lot more interesting. This is neat, good find, Umeko!
 
I've always wanted to read about these novelizations so I'm extremely happy about this!
The information really is a great help to understand the Pokémon animé world better, especially in certain areas. Although wth is up with the number ten?! Ash took ten days to research poses, he was ten years, ten months and ten days old when he started his journey (I'm shocked he was so close to his 11th birthday when he started his journey o_o) and then there's the Top 10,000 trainers charts.
Suuuure love that number ten, them writers.

Umeko said:
... and one of Ash in love with a Pinsir or something.
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omfg
 
Chatsy said:
The information really is a great help to understand the Pokémon animé world better, especially in certain areas.
Click to expand...

Now that you mention better understanding of the anime...

I'll add something related to the topic, not about Shudo's novelisations of the anime though, but I've found Shudo's articles written for Web Anime Style concerning Pokemon anime creation and his job as the series contructor and character creator. I've just read a few of these, but I'm gonna admit that the stuff he's writing is really... intriguing and even controversial (poor Kasumi D:) at times.

I've translated one of the many articles concerning Team Rocket. You can find it below, as well as the link to his other articles.
http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/showpost.php?p=1249679&postcount=10504
This is why Team Rocket trio never left the Pokemon anime and the most probably, they will never leave it until its end.

I don't have time to read all of them, so I hope that other people here who know Japanese may help, because the stuff contained in these articles surely interest whole fandom.
 
I know I'm dating myself here, but I remember a site called Encyclopedia Pokemonica getting shut down by Shogakukan. I remember the rumor for the shutdown was because the site posted sections of the books, both in Japanese and in English, up on the site.

Also, the "Takeshi is 15" thing comes from the Kids Pocket Books Pocket Monsters books, not these.

ages_takeshi_kasumi.png

Kasumi is also confirmed to be ten.
 
jessierocketka said:
Now that you mention better understanding of the anime...

I'll add something related to the topic, not about Shudo's novelisations of the anime though, but I've found Shudo's articles written for Web Anime Style concerning Pokemon anime creation and his job as the series contructor and character creator. I've just read a few of these, but I'm gonna admit that the stuff he's writing is really... intriguing and even controversial (poor Kasumi D:) at times.

I've translated one of the many articles concerning Team Rocket. You can find it below, as well as the link to his other articles.
http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/showpost.php?p=1249679&postcount=10504
This is why Team Rocket trio never left the Pokemon anime and the most probably, they will never leave it until its end.

I don't have time to read all of them, so I hope that other people here who know Japanese may help, because the stuff contained in these articles surely interest whole fandom.
Click to expand...

I started translating the one he wrote saying that Kasumi isn't in love with Satoshi, but I got bored. :P
 
I can't help but think we should show the information about 10 being the legal age to the guy behind Super Effective....

Dogasu said:
I know I'm dating myself here, but I remember a site called Encyclopedia Pokemonica getting shut down by Shogakukan. I remember the rumor for the shutdown was because the site posted sections of the books, both in Japanese and in English, up on the site.
Click to expand...

That's essentially correct. At the time, I know a lot of us thought that it was simply because they'd posted up translations that it was a problem, but with the benefit of hindsight (and university degrees in International Business), it's obvious that their reason for shutting it down was due to the sheer number of unauthorized scans that had been made available there, to the point where it would've been akin to book piracy, and could have had an impact on sales.

I expect that offering English translations may also have been a problem, as Nintendo still made a conscious effort at that time to keep the franchise very child friendly in the west.

I expect their policies have changed fairly significantly in the years following, the fact that neither Bulbapedia nor our Japanese partners at Pokemon Wiki have been taken down being evidence of that. Of course, we both make efforts to stay within fair use of images, and to paraphrase instead of quoting wholesale. Instead of making a webpage for a single book, with detailed page by page analysis, we'd instead rip out all that information and spread each piece of information around to different individual pages for all the different things that were discussed.
 
Archaic said:
Of course, we both make efforts to stay within fair use of images, and to paraphrase instead of quoting wholesale. Instead of making a webpage for a single book, with detailed page by page analysis, we'd instead rip out all that information and spread each piece of information around to different individual pages for all the different things that were discussed.
Click to expand...

Would it be best that I don't add direct quotes to that subpage of mine, then?


On that note, here guys, have some illustrations (digicam pics, I am currently without a scanner):

Gary with six fingers.
I had forgotten about this one, but it's pretty hilarious.
Ash in love with a Pinsir (or the bug catcher, I'm not sure)
IT'S BROCK!!
This illustration is from the Pewter Gym chapter... I am intrigued.
 
Please note: The thread is from 16 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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