Takeshi (Brock) - a Look on a Pretty Tragic Character

[Blob]

So, at first glance, you may not notice it, but dig deeper and you'll see just how tragic he really is.

First of all, he had to singlehandedly raise 9 siblings, until he found his father and left on a journey with Ash.
It doesn't end there, however, as a book written by the former head writer of the Pokémon anime (Takeshi Shudo), wrote a book called "Pocket Monsters: The Animation", where it states that Takeshi never grew up knowing his mother. What's more, is she would go off marrying various men, have babies and leaving them with Flint (who, himself, left them with Takeshi). This could be why Takeshi seeks out so many older women, as he may do it to fill some kind of void is mother left behind.

If that's not enough, then let's take a look the lyrics to his theme song, Takeshi no Paradise:

Spoiler

Lalala la-la-la, how beautiful
Lalala la-la-la, the line of characters!
La-la-la, it is
La-la-la, it is....

OK, seems fine.

O-NE-E-SA-N!

Pretty much a respectful way of talking to a woman

I fall in love easily
I know!
My heart is breaking
Spilling and falling

A foothold for my feet
Isn't there!

U... huh.

A frivolous man
They thought I was
The things I did
Made them laugh at me

Could this have anything to do with Prof. Ivy? Did he do something that made her laugh at him? I don't remember women really laughing at Takeshi, or did they do that more before he left with Ash?

Of me I have
Of me I have
Of me I have
A dream!

So la-la-la, how beautiful
Lalala la-la-la, the sound of the word!
La-la-la, it is
La-la-la, it is....

O-NE-E-SA-N!

OK, back to normal

Heartbreak is painful
I know!
My heart is weak
And withering

And now back to the pain.

Any option but to laugh
Isn't there!

A man who never learns
They thought I was
My clownish ways
Made them laugh at me

Aww, I don't know who hurt him, but I hope he finds someone someday

Of me I have
Of me I have
Of me I have
A dream!

So la-la-la, how beautiful
Lalala la-la-la, the sound of the word!
Lalala la-la-la, how beautiful
Lalala la-la-la, my paradise!
La-la-la, it is
La-la-la, it is....

O-NE-E-SA-N!

So la-la-la, how beautiful
Lalala la-la-la, the sound of the word!
Lalala la-la-la, how beautiful
Lalala la-la-la, my paradise!
La-la-la, it is
La-la-la, it is....

O-NE-E-SA-N!

As you can tell, he really thinks his paradise is with a woman, but at the same time, doesn't want to go through heartbreak again

Now for women who HAVE liked Takeshi back...

There are a few, but Takeshi almost seems to be unaware of when someone likes him back (despite how perceptive he usually is), unless they outright say they love him. Even then, maybe he's just not used to women liking him back and even then, he's dragged away before he can find out, usually.


Anyway, this has been a look on one of the most tragic characters in the Pokémon anime.

 

[garrison-san]

The Takeshi Shudo books aren't officially canon to the anime so I wouldn't put too much stock in the things he comes out with therein. At most, they represent his personal vision for how the anime world might have worked, but many of his particularly wild or outrageous ideas aren't reflected in the anime itself and in some case simply don't fit. The notion of Lola's children all coming from different fathers in particular has long gotten stuck in my craw because, as depicted in the anime, all of them were very blatantly sired by Flint.

 

[technickal]

While the canonicity of the Shudo novel is questionable, I do feel bad for him. Sure, it's funny watching him ask out every girl he meets and get shot down every time, but deep down he's just a kid who wants to be loved. Poor guy.

 

[Shinobi789]

This could be why Takeshi seeks out so many older women, as he may do it to fill some kind of void is mother left behind.

Or maybe he's just horny? Let's not make things more complex than they need to be.