Description
Book SynopsisDiscusses the phenomenon of Pokemon in a transnational and multidisciplinary perspective
Trade Review“I took a peek at the table of contents for
Pikachu’s Global Adventure, then read a little of the introduction, and the next thing I knew I was deep, deep in the book and didn’t want to stop. The writing was that engaging, the information and arguments that compelling.”—Henry Jenkins, coeditor of
Hop on Pop: The Politics and Pleasures of Popular Culture“The contributors to this volume are the smartest scholars working today in the areas of global media and children’s media. This book tells an entertaining and surprising tale of how the little Japanese Pokémon transformed children’s culture and global media economics. The changes that Pikachu wrought are only the beginning of fascinating new trends in role-playing games, video games, cartoons, and toys and the accelerated spread of such fads via the Internet.”—Ellen Seiter, author of
Sold Separately: Children and Parents in Consumer Culture“
Pikachu’s Global Adventure is a compelling volume, as each essay offers new insights with few weak links or needless repetition.” -- Jason Mittell * Popular Communication *
“A valuable contribution to debates about the guiding forces and diverse effects of global media cultures. . . . The fascinating
Pikachu’s Global Adventure extends the study of contemporary Japan by taking seriously transnational media in reconfiguring the boundaries of ‘Japanese culture.’” -- Ian Condry * Journal of Asian Studies *
"The contributors to this volume provide thoughtful explanations to account for the popularity of Pokémon among children in Japan, America, Israel, and France. Although these essays focus on Pokémon, many of the insights found in this book are also applicable to other examples of children's popular culture that have Japanese origins." -- Mark I. West * Children's Literature Association Quarterly *
Table of ContentsI. Contexts and Issues
1. Introduction / Joseph Tobin 3
2. Structure, Agency, and Pedagogy in Children's Media Culture / David Buckingham and Julian Sefton-Green 1
3. Cuteness as Japan's Millennial Product / Anne Allison 34
II Global Circulation
4. How "Japanese" Is Pokemon? / Kiochi Iwabuchi 53
5. Localizing the Pokemon TV Series for the American Market / Hirofumi Katsuno and Jeffery Maret 80
6. Panic Attacks: Anti-Pokemon voices in Global Markets / Christine R. Yano 108
III Places and Practices
7. Initiation Rites: A Small Boy in a Poke-World / Julian Sefton-Green 141
8. Pokemon in Israel / Dafna Lemish and Linda-Renee Bloch 165
9. How Much Is a Pokemon Worth? Pokemon in France / Gilles Brougere 187
IV Pokemon Goes to School
10. Localizing Pokemon through Narrative Play / Helen Bromley 211
11. The Multiple Identities of Pokemon Fans / Rebekah Willett 226
12. Masculinity, Maturity, and the End of Pokemon / Samuel Tobin 241
13. Conclusion: The Rise and Fall of the Pokemon Empire / Joseph Tobin 257
Contributors 293
Index 295
