The famous anime TV show Pokémon: Gotta Catch ‘Em All follows an intrepid ten-year old named Ash Ketchum with a passion for Pokémon as he sets out on his dream to become a Pokémon master. Ash is accompanied by his friends Misty and Brock, both gym leaders; and Pikachu, his signature pokémon with electrifying qualities. Since the release of the Pokémon franchise, it has gained a massive following and garnered much popularity the world over, as children everywhere delighted in the individuality and qualities the Pokémon represented.
The setting of the series is set in the Pokémon world where trainers capture wild pokémon in their element, and then train them to battle each other in either gym or trainer battles. Location settings vary greatly as Ash and his friends travel from town to town, and it changes from wild terrain to enormous gyms. It is not explicit, but the series occurs in the Kanto region of Japan, Japan being the country where the original pokémon game originated.
Character themes revolve primarily around Ash and Pikachu,with Misty and Brock (along with their own Pokemon) to a lesser extent. The themes mostly concentrate on the friendship between trainers and their Pokemon, as the Pokemon mostly demonstrate a high level of loyalty after being captured and are even willing to fight for their trainers to the extent of being hurt. The series highlights Ash in particular as he cares about pokemon so much that he views them more as friends, and allows them to walk free away from their pokéball (a pokémon’s usual domain) in faith that they will not run away. Even though Ash is naive, his good heart and supportive qualities prove significantly important qualities that help him better himself as a pokémon trainer. These qualities also help him capture Pikachu’s heart and loyalty, whose electric demeanor had initially proven to be difficult.
Action themes primarily involve battling, and helping the less fortunate. An important step to becoming a Pokémon master is to win all the gym badges by defeating the gyms’ accomplished trainers in a fierce pokémon battle, and then going on to defeat the Indigo League, the elite of pokémon gyms. Smaller battles with minor characters occur as Ash and his friends are challenged by ordinary trainers on the way to these gyms as trainers utilize their wits and pokémon knowledge together with their pokémon’s abilities to defeat their opponent. Also, wherever Ash goes, there seems to be a situation that he and his friends need to remedy as they stop on the travels to help those in need; whether it is from pokémon thieves or a flash flood.
Furthermore, the series showcases the fantasy themes of the underdog, and to a lesser extent, good versus evil. Ash is an underdog because he is a naive ten-year old who initially does not have much knowledge of pokémon at all despite his love for them; and he is faced by several trainers and scenarios where his knowledge and experience would have proved insufficient. However, even despite this, his good intentions frequently prevail as he is awarded gym badges because he proved himself as a great pokémon trainer some way or the other. Ash and his friends also confront Team Rocket, pokémon thieves, on a regular basis, as well as battle darker forces in the pokémon world when they come across them.
Thus, the rhetorical vision constructed by these themes is that the world is a place that is just waiting to be explored and (like all original 150 Pokémon) conquered. Even though evil and malevolence may arise, the power of good will always pull through with the help of courage, teamwork, and a little help from friends, making Pokémon an enchanting series for children (and adults) everywhere.
Pop Studies and Rhetoric 