• Our software update is now concluded. You will need to reset your password to log in. In order to do this, you will have to click "Log in" in the top right corner and then "Forgot your password?".
  • Forum moderator applications are now open! Click here for details.
  • Welcome to PokéCommunity! Register now and join one of the best fan communities on the 'net to talk Pokémon and more! We are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.

5th Gen SPOILERS: Ghetsis censorship

What do you think of Ghetsis trying to freeze you alive instead of killing you?

  • Good that they did it, it makes it safer for kids

    Votes: 3 5.5%
  • I like it, it makes the scene a bit scarier (intentionally or unintentionally)

    Votes: 14 25.5%
  • Indifferent

    Votes: 16 29.1%
  • They should have censored it but in a different way, or not to the same extent

    Votes: 1 1.8%
  • They should have just left it the same as in Japanese

    Votes: 21 38.2%

  • Total voters
    55
Status
Not open for further replies.

Darthrai

Dragon Tamer
65
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 31
  • Seen May 22, 2016
So Ghetsis doesn't try to murder Nate/Rosa after all in the English version. He simply tries to freeze them solid. But not only that, he does it so that they can "watch his glorious ascent".



What do you guys think?

Personally, I think this was kind of a stupid move. Lots of kids' shows and movies use "kill" and "die" without hesitation. It makes Ghetsis sound a lot more cartoonish and less of a monster, and the fact that they made a point of the protagonist still being alive isn't a good sign either (even "I'll freeze you solid right here and let you be" would have been way better while still being safe for little kids).

It reminds me a lot of "Han shot first" in Star Wars, where a change to a tiny little scene to make it more politically correct kinda ruins the characterization of a major character. I can see this becoming the "Han shot first" of the Pokemon fandom ("Ghetsis tried to kill you" T-shirts, anyone?)

And just for fun, here's a Dolan comic about it (warning: some (albeit misspelled) language):
http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/414357-dolan
http://www.http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/414357-dolan
 
Last edited:

Sydian

fake your death.
33,379
Posts
16
Years
Can you fix the link on the comic? lol Can't watch the vid cause I'm in class...anyway, I didn't even know he tried to kill you in the Jap versions. But hey, censorship is nothing new. Nothing new at all. If you're not Japanese, you're automatically in a super-sensitive country so there you go!
 

Killjoy

"He was a laser fish."
584
Posts
12
Years
Whatever. Generally freezing someone solid would kill that someone.... So I wouldn't read into it that much.


That being said, a lot of parent groups have it out for Pokémon. I think GF would just like to avoid giving them anymore ammo than they already have
 

shengar

♥ Mikan Enthusiast ♥
667
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Jun 25, 2013
This is suck really
Their effort to maturized the series still hindered by needless censorship.
Like you said, there are A LOT of show where the character threaten another character with "kill" or "die". Why should they censor it at all? There are worse thing out there and it not even censored.

EDIT: Actually, in my opinion freezes someone alive while they still conscious considere as fate worse than dead
Just imagine being frozen for Arceus-know-when while you still have your mind.
Seriously this kind of censorship would get us to nowhere as it only make things even worse than before
 

Darthrai

Dragon Tamer
65
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 31
  • Seen May 22, 2016
Whatever. Generally freezing someone solid would kill that someone.... So I wouldn't read into it that much.


That being said, a lot of parent groups have it out for Pokémon. I think GF would just like to avoid giving them anymore ammo than they already have

Well... at least to me, it looks like Ghetsis is making a point of keeping the protagonist alive.

As for parent groups, I do remember that they complained about Pokémon a lot in the '90s. Maybe that's why they're so prudish about censorship (this and censoring "Afro Break" and the word "afro" too, though that might have had more to do with the Jynx controversy too). Still, it's been 15 years, and I'm sure that they can safely stop doing that kind of thing...

This is suck really
Their effort to maturized the series still hindered by needless censorship.
Like you said, there are A LOT of show where the character threaten another character with "kill" or "die". Why should they censor it at all? There are worse thing out there and it not even censored.

Exactly - suddenly, BW1 seem like the darker games than BW2. I know it was only one line, but still, "Han shot first".

And the comic link has been fixed :)
 

shengar

♥ Mikan Enthusiast ♥
667
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Jun 25, 2013
Well... at least to me, it looks like Ghetsis is making a point of keeping the protagonist alive.

As for parent groups, I do remember that they complained about Pokémon a lot in the '90s. Maybe that's why they're so prudish about censorship (this and censoring "Afro Break" and the word "afro" too, though that might have had more to do with the Jynx controversy too). Still, it's been 15 years, and I'm sure that they can safely stop doing that kind of thing...



Exactly - suddenly, BW1 seem like the darker games than BW2. I know it was only one line, but still, "Han shot first".

And the comic link has been fixed :)
Yeah, Pokemon past experience with controversy in US make Nintendo take really conservative approach when handling this franchise. Just look at the needless redesign of Lenora.

Also you can check my edited comment ;)
 

Darthrai

Dragon Tamer
65
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 31
  • Seen May 22, 2016
Yeah, Pokemon past experience with controversy in US make Nintendo take really conservative approach when handling this franchise. Just look at the needless redesign of Lenora.

Also you can check my edited comment ;)

Actually, the Lenora redesign made sense in my opinion - from what I read, they even recursively applied it to Japan too. She seemed like less of a racist stereotype and more of a positive character in the English version, and IMO it's one of the few good censorship changes they've made (along with Jynx).

Being frozen alive being a "fate worse than death" is probably unintentional Fridge Horror rather than an honest attempt on their part to keep Ghetsis scary while censoring. They're probably trying to give the impression that Nate/Rosa are just frozen in the same (relatively minor) way that Pokemon are frozen during battles. >.<

You know things are bad when the ANIME is the incarnation of the franchise that uses "kill" and "die" the most often.

EDIT: And meanwhile, the game has this in it too... inconsistent standards anyone?
z2j5lfbxQEOxmxyuRo7-oA2.jpg
 
Last edited:

Superjub

Pokémon Aureolin
2,288
Posts
16
Years
'eh, I'm not too fussed. As long as they're not removing content *cough* Game Corner *cough* or changing the storyline massively (such as getting rid of a character, completely changing the plot or whatever) then I don't really mind. :)
 

Darthrai

Dragon Tamer
65
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 31
  • Seen May 22, 2016
Added a poll so you guys can express your opinions :)
 

shengar

♥ Mikan Enthusiast ♥
667
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Jun 25, 2013
Actually, the Lenora redesign made sense in my opinion - from what I read, they even recursively applied it to Japan too. She seemed like less of a racist stereotype and more of a positive character in the English version, and IMO it's one of the few good censorship changes they've made (along with Jynx).

Being frozen alive being a "fate worse than death" is probably unintentional Fridge Horror rather than an honest attempt on their part to keep Ghetsis scary while censoring. They're probably trying to give the impression that Nate/Rosa are just frozen in the same (relatively minor) way that Pokemon are frozen during battles. >.<

You know things are bad when the ANIME is the incarnation of the franchise that uses "kill" and "die" the most often.

EDIT: And meanwhile, the game has this in it too... inconsistent standards anyone?
z2j5lfbxQEOxmxyuRo7-oA2.jpg
Woa, that was something new to me:surprised:
I always though that Lenora's "apron" supposed to keep the dust away from her clothes while see cleaning up relics and stuff.
Well, it just me but I never saw Lenora as racist stereotype whatsoever. Because yeah, her character :)

Unintentional Fridge Horror, yeah so damned true >__>
Does Nintendo give a further thought about this when censoring? It already gave me the chill how Ghetsis keeps you alive while he doing his evil deeds. Its the same when Bane keeps Batman alive just toa make sure he witness the destruction of Gotham. Even Batman ask someone to kill him outright.


I even vote poll number 2 for the sake of sarcasm:laugh:

EDIT: uhh, what that picture supposed to mean? Is the biker getting......
 

BZW Golem

Conspirator~
142
Posts
12
Years
Well, freezing means dying in most cases anyway.

But that sharp icicles don't make it look like trying to "freeze", but to pierce o.0

Oh well, I HOPE that my european version will not have this change.. but that may be only my hope >..>"
 
1,479
Posts
15
Years
Does Nintendo give a further thought about this when censoring? It already gave me the chill how Ghetsis keeps you alive

BAHAHAHA pun *smacked*

Anyway, I'm not too upset over it. I figured they would do something like this- in fact, I was under the impression that when Ghetsis said 'kill' he was just going to have Kyurem freeze the protagonist anyway...although that doesn't exactly guarantee death, but meh.
 
589
Posts
12
Years
  • Seen Mar 29, 2015
Here's the way I see it: Being frozen alive is a slower & more horrible way to die, so I'm not seeing what all the fuss is about with this regard.

Think about it, you've got hypothermia & frostbite mixed together, & if left that way, your going to die. Also, if Ghetsis threatens to kill the MC, we won't know how he's going to kill him/her - It might be some quick & painless method, or the worst thing anyone can imagine. We'll never know.
 

droomph

weeb
4,285
Posts
12
Years
I mean, English has a much bigger vocabulary by default - and in Japanese, how they say it is a lot different, though they use the same word.

I don't really care but I'm kinda disappointed that that would happen?
 

Lord Varion

Guess who's back?
2,642
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 29
  • Seen Jan 6, 2015
To be fair, The general rule in gaming, is you can't harm the children. Which makes every single pokémon trainer main character invincible.

And in my eyes, Freezing em alive and killing them would have the same outcome.
EDIT: Also, unless you speak and read fluent japanese, do you really know what ghetsis said, and if he was trying to kill you, or still freeze?
 

Lord Varion

Guess who's back?
2,642
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 29
  • Seen Jan 6, 2015
I never said the post was directed at you. xD
And i didn't see your post.
 

Darthrai

Dragon Tamer
65
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 31
  • Seen May 22, 2016
To be fair, The general rule in gaming, is you can't harm the children. Which makes every single pokémon trainer main character invincible.

And in my eyes, Freezing em alive and killing them would have the same outcome.
EDIT: Also, unless you speak and read fluent japanese, do you really know what ghetsis said, and if he was trying to kill you, or still freeze?

It's possible that they might have been trying to give the impression that it's "temporary freezing that can be undone by the tears of poor Pokémon to bring you back". You know, just like in the Pokémon movies! *facepalm*

Or, they might have translated it so that little kids interpret it that way, while older players take it more seriously and know how lethal it is. I wish we had an interview of some kind where we could find out what they intended when they translated it...

It's also possible that they bowdlerized it just to prevent the games from getting an E10+ rating, anyone think of that?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top