Dark Moments in the Pokemon Manga

We previously wrote discussions about the darker side of Pokemon, particularly the Pokemon games and television series. We must admit, we thought the examples we covered were pretty grim. Until we invested time into the darker moments of the Pokemon Manga… Some of us aren’t going to look at Pokemon the same for a while.

Though the Pokemon series, and Pokemon games, are filled with hints of death and demise, violence, and deep seeded issues. The Manga over shadows these two with more death, in more gruesome ways and situations. If the television series would have followed the manga, kids wouldn’t be watching it. So, for this discussion we are going to talk about the darker moments of the Pokemon Manga. We would love to know your responses afterwards, so leave a comment and share it with your friends.

Cutting the Head off the Snake

Ah, Pokemon battles. The thrill, the excitement, the beheading… No really, in chapter 14 of Pokemon Adventures, Blue’s Charmeleon rushes to protect Red and Blue by Slicing the head off Koga’s Arbok. The worst part is, the Pokemon trainers are unphased by this action, they actually admire Blue’s training abilities. We know death is a part of the Pokemon universe, but this is very blatant and awesome. Off to the PokeCenter.

All The Little Children

Team Rocket is known to do some dirty deeds, but kidnapping and attempted child murder? In the Gold and Silver series, Elite Four’s Pryce decides to disguise himself as the masked leader of Team Rocket in order to attack the protagonists. Freezing the lake, claiming victory by sending the protagonists to the bottom and their doom. Luckily a surprise appearance by Entei saves them from death. That was ice cold Pryce, ice cold.

Falling to Pieces

The mysterious leader of Team Rocket, Giovanni, is surrounded by motive and driven by questionable ambition in Pokemon media. However, in the Pokemon Manga, he is more ruthless, with a less of a grasp of right or wrong. The proof is in chapter 9 of the Pokemon Adventures manga, where he runs into a wild Magmar and instructs Cloyster to freeze him. He then proceeds to remove Magmar’s limbs. Someone should have given him a hand.

Who is that (Young) Girl?

One of the major censor points of the Pokemon Manga when it came to American book shelves was the oversexualization of underage girls. One example of this is the actions of Misty bending over in very small bikinis, as well as being spied on while she is washing up. In one instance, Pokemon were released under her bosom. This was edited out in the American version; however, the rip dress can be viewed still.

In conclusion, the Manga is so much darker than what we are used to experiencing in the Pokemon games and series. The Pokemon manga is definitely not for children. What do you think? Does any of this make you want to read the Pokemon manga? Let us know in the comments and thank you for reading.