Pokemon were created in Japan

[Maelstrom]

I've just been thinking about how so many of the pokemon have strong asian backgrounds that we might not even notice at first glance. And that these new gen5 pokemon are even more asian-centric than in the past.

In the first generation, we actually had a lot of general, non-asian centric pokemon. still, there are some things that have more significance or make more sense if you know about japanese culture. like magikarp. karp are a good luck symbol. And gyarados itself looks like the infamous chinese dragon parade things with all the sections with people under 'em. Asian dragons are generally legless or just very serpentine in shape (dratini, dragonaire, milotic). More western dragons of course are more like Charizard and Dragonite (think puff the magic dragon). And meowth. It looks like the gold/black/white cats statues of good luck, even down to the paw pose and coin on its head. Ninetails is a fire fox. Why it's fire and legendary somehow and the fact that i has nine tails is all from japanese folklore. And arcanine being 'legendary' is certainly not western in origin as far as I understand it. Farfetch'd has to be asian in some way i don't understand, the way it uses a leek like a sword and has big bushy brows. Hypno/drowzee are tapirs and psychic and related to dreams, as is the new psychic tapir thing, which leads me to conclude it has some japanese background I'm unaware of. seaking and goldeen are colorful display fish similar to asain species of goldfish.

and there are others I just don't understand where their concept came from.
Golduck/psyduck.
Slowbro
lickitung
chansey
jynx
snorlax


Anyways, that's just the first gen. I'll leave it to you guys to help point out the references in the other gens (shedinja, ).
So yeah

Discuss:
Subtle/not so subtle references to something in asian culture

Which pokemon seem more influenced by the west or other places. (zapdos and the native american legend of the thunderbird, desukan, arbok, donphan, etc)

What would be some 'american' or western oriented pokemon if they were to make some? (ex. armadillo pokemon)

[Ikaru]

[url="http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ho-Oh_(Pokemon)#Origin"]From this Bulbapedia article:[/url]
[quote]Origin
Ho-Oh is based on the Huma bird, a legendary bird that is said to never rest, living its entire life flying continuously, and resurrects itself and others in its own ashes and flames. It is a symbol of fortune and friendship and will bestow happiness to anyone who simply glimpses it. Ho-Oh, like Moltres, is also based on the legend of the Phoenix; unlike Moltres, it is based more on the Fenghuang, the immortal phoenix of China. Many cultures view the Phoenix and Huma as symbols of resurrection; this is seen in Ho-Oh, which was reborn rising from its own ashes and had a hand in resurrecting Suicune, Raikou and Entei. It may also be based on many other firebirds; some examples are the Three-legged bird, Simurgh, and the Ember Bird. It also is similar to the rainbow-feathered bird god Achiyalabopa.

Name origin
Its English name is simply another way of transcribing 鳳凰 Hōō, which is the Japanese word for phoenix, specifically the Chinese phoenix, or Fènghuáng.[/quote]

Not quite Japanese, but, it's definitely close. I don't have any other examples cause I never really thought about it, but, I found all this out when I went to go figure out just what Ho-Oh was supposed to be.

...

On that note, I DO have another one.

[url="http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Lugia_(Pokemon)#Origin"]From this Bulbapedia article:[/url]
[quote]Origin
Lugia is based on Ryūjin, a dragon who was the Shinto god of the sea, and lived on the ocean's floor. This can be further evidenced through its shiny form's colors, red and white, which were the colors of the coral in which the palace of Ryūgū-jō was made of.

Appearance-wise, Lugia seems to be based on the Stegosaurus (back plates and tail spikes) and the Plesiosaur (long neck and swimming ability). Lugia may also be based on the Wyvern; a type of dragon that stands on two legs, has wings, a barbed or spiked tail, and usually has a long neck.

Name origin
Lugia's name may come from lutetium, a silverish element, which in turn is named after Lutetia, the Roman name for Paris, the city of light. Possibly also lugeo, meaning to lie dormant, alluding to the way Lugia lies at the bottom of the sea. The Lu- may come from luna, meaning moon.

Lugia's name may be based on the Beluga whale, a white whale of the Arctic Ocean whose white coloration, marine habitat, and body shape are similar to Lugia.[/quote]

[Will]

I know Golduck was based off the Kappa legend, if that helps...

[Stars]

Farfetch'd is based on a Japanese saying that has something to do with a duck carrying a leek being a symbol of good fortune since you've got a duck [i]and[/i] something to cook it along with.

Heard that while reading about the origins of the main character's animal companion in Negima. Negi being <onion> or <leek> and Chamo/Kamo being <duck>.

EDIT: The saying is simply, "A duck comes bearing a leek," and the pokemon's Japanese name is Kamonegi, or Duckleek.

[Kajj]

Gyarados is based off the mythical creature called the Leviathan.

[Maelstrom]

I dunno about gyarados being the leviathan. Not big enough. Maybe kyogre is though. Certainly a big whale looking thing. I think the leviathan is biblical, and most people think they refer to whales.

I see. well, now that you mention it, golduck does look somewhat similar to depictions of kappa, though i've also seen/read in places that they they're turtle like, with turtle shells on their backs. and that water basin on their head (golduck's jewel?).

Kingdra is definitely asian in origin. Cuz us westerners don't look at a sea horse and think "dragon." They used to see 'em in the water and with their S-shaped bodies, they thought they were baby sea dragons or something.

Octillery certainly fits anime depictions of octopi.

[Bullet]

Burungeru I think is be based on this Japanese demon jellyfish from legend that I have no idea how to spell

That's all I can think of off the top of at the moment

[Maelstrom]

Does sudowoodo look like any tree you've ever seen?

Wobbufet? wobbu...wtf

Pineco is pineco... but wtf is forretress.

Gligar?

Heracross and pinsir... cuz they have these beetles and we don't, and they're apparently fun to bet on.

swinub- what kind of pig looks like that? And then they have those mole-pigs in Gurren-Laggan that look the same.

BlaziChicken- ???


Shiftry- is not evil pinocchio. It has something to do with something called a tengu, i believe. tl;dr (didn't research)

[Ikaru]

Experience with Maplestory confirms the Tengu thingy, or at least helps it.

There's a boss named Black Crow, and I don't get that name but the thing it drops when you kill it is called "Tengu's nose"; the boss itself is very similar to Shiftry, and it attacks with wind and everything.

(I also say this without researching the actual tengu thingy)

[Will]

[quote name='Kajj' post='6985' date='Nov 23 2010, 09:51 PM']Gyarados is based off the mythical creature called the Leviathan.[/quote]
That's Kyogre. Groudon is the Behemoth, Kyogre's the Leviathan, and Rayquaza is Ziz.

[Maelstrom]

What is Ziz? Might it not be referencing that aztez or mayan snake god? called uh... quetzlquatl. yeah, that's it.

[Amethyst]

There was a similar long-nosed Crow Tengu in Okami. The truth:
[quote]Tengu (天狗?, "heavenly dogs") are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai (monster-spirits) and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami (revered spirits or gods). Although they take their name from a dog-like Chinese demon (Tiangou), the tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. They appear in the children's story 'Banner in the sky' when the main character trips over one and falls off the face of the mountain. The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which today is practically the tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination.[/quote]

[Will]

[quote name='Maelstrom' post='7019' date='Nov 24 2010, 09:38 PM']What is Ziz? Might it not be referencing that aztez or mayan snake god? called uh... quetzlquatl. yeah, that's it.[/quote]
Behemoth, Leviathan, and Ziz are all powerful creatures in Jewish mythology. Behemoth saying some noise about the land, Leviathan the sea, and Ziz the sky.

[quote name='AmethystStorm' post='7026' date='Nov 24 2010, 11:07 PM']There was a similar long-nosed Crow Tengu in Okami. The truth:[/quote]
I believe Shiftry is based off of a Tengu.

[Amethyst]

Yeah... That's... what brought it up. ._. See Mael's post?

Plus this is all ignoring the generally cutesey puffball pokemon typical of modern japanese culture.

[Maelstrom]

yeah... I wish those could be erased from history... anyways...

That 3 headed dragon? Well, see king gidorah and the legendary Orochimaru, multiple headed dragons of legends and stuff. The only thing we have that's multiheaded is the chimera, and absol is not that particular depiction of the same beast.

Now there's also emonga, the momonga. clever, right? >.>
first time i heard of this flying squirrel thing was on a yugioh card. yep.... erase from history... /wish

[Stars]

[quote name='Maelstrom' post='7076' date='Nov 25 2010, 06:44 PM']The only thing we have that's multiheaded is the chimera[/quote]
Tiamat, hydra, and cerberus?

[Maelstrom]

ok, hydra. sure. tiamat though? don't think so... And cerberus is a dog, but yeah, i see what you mean, but still no. =D

[Stars]

I just thought you were talking about multi-headed things in general since you mentioned a chimera. And I meant the D&D version of Tiamat, not the original Babylonia god, if it makes a difference.

[Maelstrom]

yeah... i've little exp with DnD. i read one book about classes and stuff and.... yeah my friends did and i played more Brawl. Sorry.

[Stars]

I've never played D&D either. I just meant the 3-or-5-headed dragon versions instead of the weird but vaguely-described god.

[Kajj]

Wait... HOW did DnD get into this? O_o

[Stars]

Three-headed dragons.

[Maelstrom]

Derpface... wtf is he? a salamder thing, like quagsire line? (well, i assume it's a fat salamander thing)

[AZKnight]

As far as a animal counterpart, it's supposed be a lizard. Mostly resembles a Frill-necked lizard as they have a...frill on their neck. It also hints at being based on hip hop or punk since it has a mohawk and how its molted skin from its pre-evolution form a hoodie and pants of sort. I think this actually fits nicely under the notion of break dancing and "gangsta" as a fighting style, plus that these cultures are viewed as dark and edgy. And there's your typing!

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Chlamydosaurus_kingii1.jpg[/img]

[Maelstrom]

As far as a animal counterpart, it's supposed be a lizard. Mostly resembles a Frill-necked lizard as they have a...frill on their neck. It also hints at being based on hip hop or punk since it has a mohawk and how its molted skin from its pre-evolution form a hoodie and pants of sort. I think this actually fits nicely under the notion of break dancing and "gangsta" as a fighting style, plus that these cultures are viewed as dark and edgy. And there's your typing!

 

Heliosk's inspiration.

 

Zapdos is from the Native American legend of the thunder bird, which reportedly carried off children and smaller livestock.