The Banned Ones

[Palamon]

There are quite a few banned episodes in the Pokemon, some worldwide, some only in the US, and some elsewhere. To name a couple, Electric Soldier Porygon, The Legend of Dratini and the Jynx episode. Episode banning can be for any reason, some are reasonable, such as the infamous Porygon one, and the Dratini one in the US. Now... have you seen any of the banned episodes? What is your opinion on this practice of "banning" the episodes from airing? Do you feel this is censorship?

 

[Caite]

I've actually seen the banned ones and sometimes you just have to sit there and laugh about it. I know the US has shown Beauty and the Beach just without James and his inflatable breasts. (LOL) I also think we in the US are over sensitive about things. We use to have Ren and Stimpy and now Sponge Bob. And people get bent out of shape over inflatable breasts.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

I've actually seen the banned ones and sometimes you just have to sit there and laugh about it. I know the US has shown Beauty and the Beach just without James and his inflatable breasts. (LOL) I also think we in the US are over sensitive about things. We use to have Ren and Stimpy and now Sponge Bob. And people get bent out of shape over inflatable breasts.

I believe the reason for this ban is because 4kids doesn't want Pokémon's TV rating jump into G or PG due to inflatable breasts. They could've just make them smaller that's TV-Y7 appropriate. Besides, like the Legend of Dratini, they should not have banned it, because a scene from that episode appears as a flashback for the Hypno episode, which isn't a filler episode due to Misty catching Psyduck by accident.

 

[Caite]

I believe the reason for this ban is because 4kids doesn't want Pokémon's TV rating jump into G or PG due to inflatable breasts. They could've just make them smaller that's TV-Y7 appropriate. Besides, like the Legend of Dratini, they should not have banned it, because a scene from that episode appears as a flashback for the Hypno episode, which isn't a filler episode due to Misty catching Psyduck by accident.

The reason they banned The Legend of Dratini is for the fact that there are guns in them. The Warden points it at Ash and Co. and asks if they want to get shot for their singing. He also shoots at Team Rocket. Though later on Team Rocket hold him hostage with even having James hold the gun to the guys head.

We wouldn't even get the first episode until Sep of 98 and by the time that episode would have aired in the US would have been around the time of the Columbine shooting. US networks also deemed it to dark for American children to see.

 

[Horn]

Still, they should edit that episode. By banning it, and not only in US but everywhere where US dub is aired and dubbed, which is most of the world, they created a big plothole with people not knowing where and how Ash got his herd of Tauros. This episode is not filler, like that breast or Jynx episodes, this is important plot-advancing episode and banning it prety much worldwide, only showing how little they cared for the show and its continuity.

But there are even episodes banned by Japanese creators and at least one such two-parter also created plothole. I am talking about that early BW two-parter, which should introduce Team Plasma. They were originally just postponed, due to the earthquake and tsunami happening in Japan back then, but since TPCI later edited the previous episode removing cliffhanger leading to this two-parter and Team Plasma was later introduced to the series without mentioning this two-parter, it is prety safe to say it's banned now, creating quite a plothole :(

 

[Palamon]

Still, they should edit that episode. By banning it, and not only in US but everywhere where US dub is aired and dubbed, which is most of the world, they created a big plothole with people not knowing where and how Ash got his herd of Tauros.

Honestly, editing that many gun scenes out would be kind of drastic. There wouldn't be enough footage left for an entire episode, if done this way. As Catie-chan said above, The Columbine shooting happened around then, I can see why the Legend of Dratini didn't make it to the states. Probably hit too close to home. I'm also not a fan of children being exposed to guns. But I will agree they could have found a way to clear up the plot hole with the Tarous. Perhaps the writers could have mentioned how he got them in another episode, since this one was skipped altogether.

And to answer the question, yes, I've seen a few banned episodes myself. I refuse to watch the Porygon one for many reasons. Also, I'm going to be honest, what's acceptable for children to see in Japan is not always acceptable for children to see in America, (for example, the inflatable breast scene. Not acceptable for children to see here in the states.) Censorship etiquette is very different there than it is here. Is it censorship? Yes, and no. Since our cultures are different, it's not exactly censorship. This anime was always for kids, and you wouldn't want a child seeing adults point guns at children, correct? No, I don't, either. However, it's censorship because it's telling people they're not allowed to see it, but considering the audience, it's not a bad thing. Nothing evil comes out of it, when it gets down to it.

 

[Horn]

Yes, to cut off all the offending scenes in Safari Zone episode, it would be too much. But they could also paint them off or repaint them with something not offensive, like, let's say, water gun. I could even imagine how funny it would be for the warden pointing water gun at Ash & co., saying: "If you don't want to be totally soaked, stop singing!" or something like that. After all, 4Kids did even worse things with their anime.
But the biggest problem I have, which I already tried to point out, is that the creators of foreign dubs (most likely every dub outside of Asia and even some in Asia) are forced to dub US dub, hence are forced to accept US cultural views, even though their own view on things may be different. If the companies behind Pokémon anime did not want to give free will to foreign dub creators to dub uncut Japanese version, unlike many other anime (including things like Digimon or One Piece), they should still dub these episodes and leave it to the foreign dub creators' discretion if they want to dub and air it or not. That's my main point here.

 

[Itcheeee]

I have seen every "banned" episode or just undubbed except for the 2nt Diamond Pearl clip show, and Electric Soldier Porygon. If I ever find a version with the flashing scene removed, I'd watch it in a instant. >_< The clip show just is not to be found, anywhere for some reason. .-.
Most of the banne episodes could of been simply edited, especially with everything that happened in the Safari Zone. I always thought I just missed an episode as a kid, like when did he catch all of those?! xD It was frustrating and confusing for many.

 

[Videreludus]

Honestly, editing that many gun scenes out would be kind of drastic. There wouldn't be enough footage left for an entire episode, if done this way. As Catie-chan said above, The Columbine shooting happened around then, I can see why the Legend of Dratini didn't make it to the states. Probably hit too close to home. I'm also not a fan of children being exposed to guns. But I will agree they could have found a way to clear up the plot hole with the Tarous. Perhaps the writers could have mentioned how he got them in another episode, since this one was skipped altogether.

And to answer the question, yes, I've seen a few banned episodes myself. I refuse to watch the Porygon one for many reasons. Also, I'm going to be honest, what's acceptable for children to see in Japan is not always acceptable for children to see in America, (for example, the inflatable breast scene. Not acceptable for children to see here in the states.) Censorship etiquette is very different there than it is here. Is it censorship? Yes, and no. Since our cultures are different, it's not exactly censorship. This anime was always for kids, and you wouldn't want a child seeing adults point guns at children, correct? No, I don't, either. However, it's censorship because it's telling people they're not allowed to see it, but considering the audience, it's not a bad thing. Nothing evil comes out of it, when it gets down to it.

I think Horn means something more like what was done with the first season of Yu-Gi-Oh and cutting out the guns instead of deleting scenes. In other words invinsible guns lol.

 

[BH]

I've seen a clip of the infamous "seizure scene" that made pokemon TV show cancel it's airing but i don't get it

And i could sworn 4kids cut the pokedex scene in "bye bye butterfree" in which it said that "butterfrees die when mate", but i think it's just my memory messing up

 

[Sycamorph]

The Porygon one can become safe after like 5 minutes of editing these flashes, but I guess it's just easier to remove the whole episode.
The episode with weapon was banned for no reason, Pokemon is rated PG and not G (it's even 12+ in Russia).
Jinx was banned for no reason, too, because honestly no one cares about color of Pokemon. Why didn't they change Throh? It offends Native Americans. And Mewtwo completely offends my feelings of white man.

 

[Horn]

I remember Maddie Blaustein said 4Kids actually dubbed the Porygon episode and edited the offending scene, but before they could air it, Japanese producers banned it worldwide. Not sure if it's true, however. I may remember it wrong.

 

[Palamon]

Jinx was banned for no reason, too, because honestly no one cares about color of Pokemon. Why didn't they change Throh? It offends Native Americans. And Mewtwo completely offends my feelings of white man.

Honestly, in America, if one parent complains, it ruins the fun for everyone. Someone complained about Jynx being a "negative racial stereotype towards African American women", which is why the entire episode was banned in the first place, it would seem. Rather than having banned the Jynx episode, they could have made her purple instead, like in subsequent games and episodes. I watched the Jynx episode myself at one point, but never really saw its appeal to begin with. The episode itself isn't banworthy, but oh, the everloving 2000s where all "blackface" characters were "offensive". I could give a whole list of the characters edited out from this alone. =/

I remember Maddie Blaustein said 4Kids actually dubbed the Porygon episode and edited the offending scene, but before they could air it, Japanese producers banned it worldwide. Not sure if it's true, however. I may remember it wrong.

That would be correct.

To prevent any similar incidents from reoccurring, Nintendo quickly ordered the episode pulled, and it has not aired since, not even outside Japan. Maddie Blaustein, the English dub voice of Meowth, has said twice on the Serevii.net forums that this episode was dubbed in the United States by 4Kids Entertainment. On the other hand, Veronica Taylor, the English voice of Ash, claimed that this episode was never dubbed and will not be dubbed. Regardless, any plans to release this episode outside Japan were abandoned after Nintendo objected, and it was never broadcast anywhere else in the world. Coincidentally, the episode aired around the same time Pokémon was being adapted for American audiences. 4Kids Entertainment took extra precaution in bright and flashing lights in the show, altering lighting and the frequency of flashing lights for earlier episodes of their American release.

Never happened, possibly because of the worldwide ban put in place for it.

 

[BH]

The episode with weapon was banned for no reason, Pokemon is rated PG and not G (it's even 12+ in Russia).

Say what? So there are places in the world, in which Pokemon is not consirded "a show for little kids"?

 

[Mewtwolover]

And Mewtwo completely offends my feelings of white man.

How?

If the companies behind Pokémon anime did not want to give free will to foreign dub creators to dub uncut Japanese version, unlike many other anime (including things like Digimon or One Piece), they should still dub these episodes and leave it to the foreign dub creators' discretion if they want to dub and air it or not.

This, forcing the US dub and therefore US cultural views isn't fair.

 

[Hikamaru]

Honestly, in America, if one parent complains, it ruins the fun for everyone. Someone complained about Jynx being a "negative racial stereotype towards African American women", which is why the entire episode was banned in the first place, it would seem. Rather than having banned the Jynx episode, they could have made her purple instead, like in subsequent games and episodes. I watched the Jynx episode myself at one point, but never really saw its appeal to begin with. The episode itself isn't banworthy, but oh, the everloving 2000s where all "blackface" characters were "offensive". I could give a whole list of the characters edited out from this alone. =/

I know how parent complaints can impact on a kid-friendly show, and I guess the woman who claimed Jynx was a racial stereotype wasn't aware that Jynx's design was actually based on ganguro, a fashion in Japan where women heavily tanned their faces, bleached their hair and wore lots of makeup. Pokemon did start to make a mark on the international scene, so the complaint did come at an unfortunate time.

And regarding Electric Soldier Porygon, I remember hearing about Maddie Blaustein mentioning that an English dub for the episode was made, before it was prevented from airing due to the worldwide ban placed by the Japanese government to likely prevent another seizure incident from happening again. Part of me wonders what the dub would have sounded like had it ever been able to go to air.