Disney XD, the kids cable network and home to the Pokémon cartoons, won’t be airing an upcoming episode of the Sun and Moon anime, according to its programming schedule for July 16. Instead, the channel will skip ahead to the following one in the season — leaving a Pokémon episode unaired stateside for the first time since 2002.
The Pokémon Company seemingly choosing to hold back an episode from the West is a surprising, but not unprecedented, move. Yet with this particular episode, which ran in Japan on March 1, the decision not to show it to American audiences makes sense. Episode 64 of Sun and Moon is called “Touchdown of Friendship!!” in Japanese, and involves Ash Ketchum developing serious sympathy for a tribe of the lemur-like Pokémon Passimian. His desire to protect and support the Pokémon runs so deep that he begins acting like them; he even walks on all fours, just like Passimian do.
The storyline of this episode sounds weird, but that’s nothing new for Pokémon. What’s most troubling is where Ash’s Passimian passion leads him: He ends up wearing a costume that resembles the Pokémon, which includes painting his entire face black.
That kind of gag definitely doesn’t fly in America, no matter how it fits into the context of the episode. It’s also an issue Pokémon has faced and handled before; the last episode outright excluded from the dubbed version of the anime dealt with a character in seeming blackface as well. The series’ 250th episode starred the Pokémon Jynx, whose original design saw her with an entirely black-colored face and appearance reminiscent of offensive African-American caricatures. She’s since been updated to have a purple face instead, but the original episode remains unchanged. As such, it’s not only one of the few episodes to never leave Asia, but also part of a small group of Pokémon cartoons that have been banned from re-airing.
Some fans have been quick to assume that Sun and Moon’s Passimian episode has suffered the same fate, and will never be seen outside of Japan. Neither Disney XD nor The Pokémon Company have said that’s the case — it’s possible that the episode has just been shifted to a much, much later date — but we’ve reached out to both for clarification. We’ll update when we learn more.
Comments
So Disney XD isn’t airing it but has it been dubbed? If it hasn’t then it shows that the Pokemon Company is aware enough of the cultural implications and didn’t bother with getting it localized in the West but in that case why make the episode in the first place? They’re making a product for international release after all.
By electric_sheep on 07.10.18 2:58pm
Polygon really dropped the ball on this story, for omitting any mention of Japan’s long and recent history of racial insensitivity. There is a recurring problem with actors/comedians going on TV in blackface, and every time it causes outrage. Producers and audiences know it’s offensive, not only in the West, but also to black people living in Japan, and still it happens. That’s what you call racial insensitivity, pure and simple.
This unmistakably racist caricature went on TV in January, 2018:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2018/01/10/our-lives/time-japan-scrub-off-blackface-good/
Pokémon does not exist in a bubble. And there is no excuse for the Pokémon company to even play around with blackface, given that they’ve made the same mistake before.
To all the people denying blackface is racist: maybe you just really love Pokemon, maybe you didn’t know, or maybe you’re in denial. Whatever the reason, you should rethink your own assumptions.
By 1bit on 07.11.18 5:03am
Except the definition of blackface is not merely "dark face paint", but a specific depiction of humans of African descent. If all uses of dark face paint were considered black face, then no makeup companies would produce any dark colors for fear of bad publicity and boycotts.
Is this blackface?
Is this blackface?
Is this blackface?
What about this?
Or this???
In all cases I’d argue "no". Dark face paint is used, but there is zero intention of depicting a person of African descent. Planet Of The Apes is full of white people wearing dark makeup to depict apes, and yet it’s considered a scifi classic rather than the largest-ever production of blackface theater. Cats are not black people, apes are not black people, nor are trees, or Beast or Donald Trump.
The controversy in the early 00’s over Jynx and Mr. Popo was totally understandable because those exactly match all the hallmarks of blackface cartoons. That’s simply not the case with Ash’s Passimian costume; there’s no big red lips, beady white eyes, turban, or grotesque attempt at ebonics. Literally the only resemblance to blackface is the fact that dark paint was used, just like all of the innocuous examples given above.
Granted, I don’t blame anyone at Disney or Pokemon Company for deciding it wasn’t worth the risk to air this episode. I probably would have made the same call. However, I totally blame people such as yourself who make this out to be a cut-and-dry case of blackface.
Moreover, the concept of Japanese people as racially-insensitive morons who can’t be trusted with dark makeup or even sharpee markers for fear that they will instantly start cranking out blackface, has become its own racist stereotype. Yes, the Japanese media has made blatant mistakes in the past… that doesn’t mean Japanese people should banned from using dark paint in their media at risk of being called racists.
By Gnalvl on 07.13.18 10:55pm
Can you please stop saying "west" as meaning USA? I bet you that they will play this in France or other European markets that does not get the USA release. (Latin America normaly get the USA release redubed).
By João Senna on 07.10.18 3:20pm
Many of those same European markets (Italy, Spain, and France to some degree) have notable problems with racism, especially regarding African heritage.
By k3omg on 07.10.18 4:36pm
They do, but not in the same way and not with the same signs. Blackface is way more powerful as sign of racism in the USA than in other countries, and generalising your culture as being "the west" (or even universal) is not a good way of talking about racism. It did not happened in the same way or is signified by the same things.
By João Senna on 07.11.18 1:59am
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2018/01/10/our-lives/time-japan-scrub-off-blackface-good/
By 1bit on 07.11.18 5:08am
People today don’t know how severely evil black face is. To put it in simple terms, the KKK exists because of black face. Specifically birth of a nation, which features a white actor in black face portraying a black man as immoral rapist, revitalized the KKK and ushered in a new era and wave of white terrorism against Black people and other minorities. Thousands of Black people were murdered and tortured.
By IAmUnanimousInThat on 07.10.18 3:38pm
Yes, because Ash is totally portraying a black man and not a fictional animal. Way to blow something out of proportion.
By ImNotPuttingMyMouthOnThat on 07.10.18 5:37pm
Nobody is saying this is an intentional case of blackface. Nobody is saying this is actually racist. They’re saying this happens to resemble it, and we’d rather just avoid the entire hurricane of negative feelings associated with everything IAmUnanimousInThat is talking about popping up unintentionally.
By Wunderbarr on 07.10.18 5:47pm
I would have loved to see the looks on the faces of the localization team when they watched this episode for the first time.
By Lerkero on 07.10.18 3:40pm
It may not even have registered for them. Just seeing the picture, I thought his face was painted dark green. I still don’t think it looks black. I see why they’d skip it anyway, but I’m not seeing blackface when I look at that image.
This is also why you need multiple perspectives, though. Like I said, I didn’t see anything at all when viewing that image, but that doesn’t mean others won’t. I’m not sure why changing the color wouldn’t help, though, say just making it bright green or something, to ensure it can’t be confused with black.
By MazokuRanma on 07.12.18 12:39am
Seeing the screenshots in this (another article I read didn’t have screenshots) and it doesn’t look AS BAD as I was expecting it to look, but yeah it’s still not good. Definitely for the best that they just chill on this episode.
I’m glad they seem to at least have the foresight to realize "Yeah, this won’t fly in the US" instead of doing it and then try to backpeddle a whole bunch. The best would be just not doing this in the first place, but that’s sadly not gonna happen
By DoctorSasquatch on 07.10.18 4:02pm
Curiosity question (because I know little about anime localization): could they easily redraw the scenes without Ash in blackface? Looking at the screenshots it seems you could revert that back to the typical face and get the same idea across to the kids
By xPutNameHerex on 07.11.18 1:02am
No kid would think this is blackface in the first place, they would see the pokemon and be intelligent enough to realize he painted his face like the animals. No reason to edit it, and no reason to not show this episode.
By Unconcerned_Man on 07.11.18 5:38am
He could dress up like the animal in a multitude of other ways though. He could’ve put on a mask that looks like the Pokemon, for instance. Apparently it’s not even important that he matches skin tone to the Pokemon because he left his hands and feet unpainted even though it’s black on the Pokemon. It’s the fact that he is literally painting his face black that puts it in proximity with black face.
By electric_sheep on 07.11.18 12:36pm
Adults are ideally supposed to filter what children see… An average American adult sees this on Ash’s face, racial-based thinking takes over.
Our society is messed up, man.
By wingedgenius on 07.11.18 7:17pm
It probably wouldn’t be that hard to with digital animation nowadays, no.
By mokinokaro on 07.11.18 7:39am
So is the problem that kids don’t understand that sometimes people pretend to be things they aren’t? Or is the problem that adults are too sensitive and lazy to explain context? Please remember that racism and taboos are taught and programed.
By isoducky on 07.11.18 3:42am
Let’s say a kid saw a swastika somewhere and thought it was just a cool, swirly design and started drawing it all the time in his notebook. As adults, we know it’s a loaded symbol and that can represent hate and discrimination. The kid obviously doesn’t know anything about all the things that symbol can represent, but you’d probably tell him to stop doing it or better yet explain why he should stop doing it because of all the negative things associated with the symbol.
Is there anything inherently wrong with painting your face a different color? No, but painting your face black has certain connotations in some societies and, I think, it’s better to respect others and avoid anything that could hurt others.
By electric_sheep on 07.11.18 12:44pm
Lol this decision makes no sense. It’s a young kid wearing an animal costume and the paint on the face to match. This level of stupid is spreading too far.
By Unconcerned_Man on 07.11.18 5:35am
Defending blackface is not a good look, dude. Read my post, above. This runs up against a known, long-running problem in Japan, and a long, violent history in the US. The simplest thing would have been to leave his face unpainted. Presumably wild animals are even less perceptive than children? It’s unnecessary, and needlessly provoking.
By 1bit on 07.11.18 5:50am
That’s not what he’s doing no matter how many times you repost that link.
My feeling is that it’s only provoking if your mind is in the gutter all time. I used to have a co. in an office job years ago.
Guy brought in bananas and offered it to just a few people; but didn’t know how to offer it to a black woman in the office because he thought it would sound racist. He thought he was trying to be sensitive but it was stupid and insulting.
Pulling this episode feels the same way to me.
Maybe not all dark skinned people are constantly thinking about a slavery past identity and are just trying to enjoy life like everyone else. I sure don’t need anyone to try and save me from my feelings and don’t associate my dark skin with negativity all the time. Let Ash be dark he looks cool.
By NYCman100 on 07.11.18 8:59am
*co worker
By NYCman100 on 07.11.18 9:04am
You do realize this article is written by a black woman, right? This is not the same as a white person assuming black people get offended by everything.
By Wunderbarr on 07.11.18 12:16pm