Pokémon: Difference between revisions

The [[Editing of anime in distribution#Localization|localization]] of the [[Pokémon (TV series)|''Pokémon'' anime]] was done by 4Kids, and directed by [[Norman J. Grossfeld]]. Grossfeld strongly believed that the anime should be [[Americanization|Americanized]].<ref>{{Cite web | first=Peter | last=Oehlkers | title=Pokemon Case Study | date=1999 | url=http://w3.salemstate.edu/~poehlkers/Emerson/Pokemon.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060503234642/http://w3.salemstate.edu/~poehlkers/Emerson/Pokemon.html | archive-date=3 May 2006 | url-status=dead | quote=We looked at Pokémon and said, let's make this an American show for American kids.}}</ref> At [[NATPE]] 1998, he asked ShoPro for a "kind of [[:en:wikt:carte blanche#Noun|carte blanche]], to let me change the show as I think would work for this market," to which ShoPro agreed.<ref name="Dockery_(2022)_p43-44">{{Cite book | first=Daniel | last=Dockery | title=Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All | date=5 October 2022 | publisher=[[Running Press]] | pages=43–44 | isbn=978-0762479504}}</ref> However, no national TV station was interested in buying the anime or financing its localization.<ref name="Tsukayama_(2016)" /><ref name="Lippman_(1999)" /> Kahn then decided to self-finance ''Pokémon'''s production costs, despite realizing this "could very well bring down 4Kids" if the show would fail.<ref name="Dockery_(2022)_p43-44" /> According to Kahn, they "spend a fortune" on the localization.<ref name="Mallory_(2001)" /> To have it [[Broadcast syndication|broadcast in syndication]], 4Kids offered the show for free to local TV stations across the country, in exchange for a portion of the advertising revenue.<ref name="Lippman_(1999)" /><ref name="Tsukayama_(2016)" /> NoA assisted, persuading dozens of stations to carry the series by offering to buy some of their advertisement space, spending a total of $5 million (c. ${{Inflation|US|5|1998|r=2}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}).<ref name="Gellene_(1998)" /><ref name="Dockery_(2022)_p43-44" /> Despite all this, most broadcasters were still reluctant to carry ''Pokémon'', with Grossfeld experiencing difficulties getting through their "preconceived notions or their snobbery for Western-produced animation over something from Asia".<ref name="Dockery_(2022)_p43-44" /> At the time, anime had not yet found mainstream popularity in the West. Contemporary news reports cited ''[[Sailor Moon]]''{{efn-ur|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="Mcfarland_Parvaz_(1999)" /><ref name="Gellene_(1998)" /><ref>{{Cite news | first=Bill | last=Keveney | title=Japan's latest export to U.S.: 'Pokemon' Viewers won't see cartoon episode that was blamed for making kids sick | work=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]] | date=18 February 1998 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/260665712/B5CC38A0EE164EBCPQ}}</ref><ref name="Keveney_(1998)">{{Cite news | first=Bill | last=Keveney | title=Japan's 'Pokeman' [sic] Heads West | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=1 March 1998 | page=7 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-mar-01-tv-24117-story.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717073128/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-mar-01-tv-24117-story.html | archive-date=17 July 2019 | url-status=live | ref={{harvid|Keveney|1998b}}}}</ref>}} as an example of an anime that had failed to catch on with American youth.{{efn|However, ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' did gain a cult following at the time.<ref name="Allison_(2006)_p154">{{Harvp|Allison|2006|p=154}}.</ref> After being pulled from syndication in spring 1996 due to low ratings,<ref>{{Harvp|Allison|2006|p=151-152}}.</ref> it was broadcast again on [[USA Network]] from June 1997 to March 1998.<ref name="Lenburg_(2009)_p613">{{Cite encyclopedia | first=Jeff | last=Lenburg | date=2009 | title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons | edition=3nd | publisher=[[Facts on File]] | page=613 | isbn=978-0816065998}}([https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofan0000lenb/page/613/mode/1up link])</ref> The anime subsequently had a successful run on [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Toonami]] [[Block programming|block]] from June 1, 1998 to July 5, 2002.<ref name="Allison_(2006)_p154" /><ref name="Lenburg_(2009)_p613" />}} Still, with NoA's help, 4Kids ultimately succeeded in contracting 112 broadcasters for ''Pokémon'',<ref>{{Cite news | first=Gary | last=Levin | title=Notorious 'Pokemon' cartoon poised for fall | work=[[USA Today]] | date=11 June 1998 | page=03D | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/408816962/948D2F2B9AE24235PQ}}</ref> reaching "about 85 to 90 percent"<ref name="Saunders_(1998)">{{Cite news | first=Michael | last=Saunders | title=Subdued 'Convulsion Cartoon' Heads to US | work=[[The Boston Globe]] | date=16 February 1998 | page=A1 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/403945497/3A24FA989CB640DFPQ}}</ref> of television households. However, many broadcasters gave it off-peak time slots, with starting times like 06:00 or 06:30.<ref name="Tsukayama_(2016)" /><ref name="Gellene_(1998)" /> Prior to the late 1990s, this was the case for many anime in the US.<ref name="Stewart_(2004)" />