Childish Disciplines

Childish Disciplines
[Home]
[Lectures]

Pokemon: Childish Disciplines

Discipline and Identity
Pokemon: The Phenomenon
Pokemon: The System
- Merchandising Phenomenon
- Studying the Pokemon Universe
Pokemon Transformations
- Training
- Evolution
5 Heroes and Teamwork
Identity and Discipline
Discipline: 1) Teaching; 2) A subject that is taught; 3) Training/experience that perfects; 4) Punishment; 5) Control gained by enforcing obedience; behavior in accordance with rules; 6) A rule or system of rules
Identity as behavior or performance
Identity as cultivated or constructed
Discipline produces particular behaviors => identities in comformity with certain principles
Discipline also produces particular behaviors => identities that resist said principles
Two Classrooms
How do "Kimpachi sensei" and "Urusei yatsura" differ in their representations of the classroom?
What do "Kimpachi sensei" and "Urusei yatsura" share in their representations?
Student/Teacher relations
Class identity/actions
Subject/object of study
POKEMON: The Phenomenon

Pokemon History

1996: Birth of the Phenomenon
After 6 years, Tajiri Satoshi finished "Pocket Monster" game for Nintendo "Game Boy" portable video game system
Bessatsu Coro Coro starts serializing "Pocket Monster" stories in manga form
78,000 applications for the promotional giveway of 20 "Myû" figures
Creation of Pokemon Club for acquiring Pokemon character goods
Marketing of Pokemon card game
1997: Pokemon Fever
Pokemon television animation series begins, by the end of the year dominates its timeslot with 17.4% of the audience
Single from the animation series becomes big hit with 1,850,000 CDs sold
JR sponsors a stamp rally & 100,000 participate
"Red," "Green," and "Blue" versions of Pokemon break sales record previously set by Super Mario Brothers
Infamous Pokemon seizure incident in December
1998: Expansion Overseas
The Pokemon animation series is broadcast in Hong Kong, then Shanghai
Pokemon "Red" and "Blue" sold in the US
Topeka, Kansas, has "Topikachû" Day
Pokemon Center opens in Tokyo, then Osaka
ANA and KFC have Pokemon campaigns
Pocket Camera, Pocket Printer, Pocket Pikachû; Pokemon Stadium and other games developed to revive Nintendo64
First Pokemon movie shown in Jpz theaters
Rolling Along
'99 Pokemon animation series broadcast in Beijing
'99 Kids WB picks up Pokemon animation series
- Took KWB to top spot in cable kids TV shows
- As of 2001, still #1 among kids 2-11 and boys 6-11
'99 Pokemon card game marketed in US
99 "Pokemon Pinball," "Pokemon Snap" and other software issued for Game Boy and N64
'00 Second Pokemon movie; first is big hit in US
'01 Third Pokemon movie; Pokemon Center opens in NYC
Hardly a "Pocket" Monster Anymore
As of 2/2000 there have been more than 74 million Pokemon games sold around the world, nearly 27 million of these sold in the United States
Of the top ten best-selling video games in 2000, six were Pokemon games
In 2000, seven Pokemon titles represented ten percent of sales for all software units
POKEMON: The System

Pokemon Merchandising
Diversification of product base
Synergy between video game, manga, and animation for television, movie theaters, and straight to video
Gotta Catch 'em All
- Narrative of acquisition/consumption
- Endless possibilities for new characters/products
- Manipulation of supply and demand
"Chimpokomon" Threat
Pokemon Universe
The Separate World of Pokemon
- Escape in the Fantastic and Exotic
- Opportunity for Interesting Challenges
- Safe and Child-Size
Exercising Encyclopedic Knowledge
- Variety, Depth, Infinite Expansion
- Acquisition of real life SKILLS and DISCIPLINE
Pokemon Time
Pokemon Space
Natural Science as a Model
Encyclopedic Knowledge for Kids: Precedents
"I Choose You! Pikachû!"
Is Ash ready to be a pokemon trainer? Why or why not?
What are Ash's strengths? What are his weaknesses?
What is the relationship between Ash and Pikachû? How does it change?
To track throughout Pokemon series: who changes, how and why?
"Evolution"
Pokemon
- Weak to strong
- Cute to scary
Trainers
- Gaining Mastery
- Learning Responsibility
- Learning to Work Together
Ambition
Greed
How Transformations Take Place
Battle
Exchange
Mechanical Stimulus
Travel
Study
Love
Sacrifice
Limits Leading to Choices
A pokemon can only remember four techniques at a time; must give up one for each new technique acquired
Some techniques can only be learned or used in certain "evolutionary" states; evolution too soon can lead to permanent deficiencies
Different states => different personalities, so relationship between trainer and pokemon may alter after evolution
For these and other reasons, trainer or pokemon may at times choose to refuse evolution
"Transformational Magic" & 5 Heroes
"Go Rangers" [Five Rangers] in 197
- Produced by Tôei Studios, aired on Terebi Asahi
- Version produced each TV season for over 20 years
Constancy within apparent change
- Satisfying Formula + Demand for Novelty
- Merchandising bonanza
- Success also in SE Asia, South America, Europe, and finally from '93 the United States
Major Characteristics
- Color-coding for hierarchy & division of labor
- Exploring themes of responsibility & teamwork
- Several levels of transformation
The Classic Configuration:Team of Five
Dynaman!
Dyna Battle
Specialized Skills
Coming Together
Main Points
Children's World
- Escape into the fantastic and exotic
- Exercising real-life skills in a safe environment
- Choosing what to study
Transformations: from Child to Adult
- The process of growing up
- The advantages of growing up
- The disadvantages of growing up
- Teamwork and negotiating other life's lessons
"Pikachû's Summer Vacation" (on reserve)
How are the themes of mastery, responsibility, and teamwork developed?
With whom might a young audience identify? Why? Is there one or are there multiple subject positions for identification?
What is the relation of the "short" to the feature film?