Interest
Japanese Gamers Discover Joys, Quirks & Frustrations of Pokémon Go
posted on by Eric Stimson
The smash hit smartphone game Pokémon Go debuted in Japan a week ago today, enabling Japanese gamers to discover what all the fuss is about. Like their counterparts overseas, they have enjoyed themselves while getting into bizarre, humorous or inappropriate situations with the game.
@0315_kc found an Exeggcute in an odd position. (Incidentally, the Japanese name for Exeggcute can mean "balls.")
How Magikarp ended up there, we'll never know. (@Tamaki_Shion)
@carnivoralist found a Pokémon. Or is it a Pidove?
One Krabby apparently decided to power up the old-fashioned way. (@AP0__)
@mosaiclive0512 walked in on a dire situation.
Even Japan's spotless bathrooms aren't safe from the occasional lurking Pokémon. (@tomozawa_mamoru)
@plmn_1226 pits a cockatiel against a Pidgey.
This looks like a normal commuter to @mm_tr_28.
【注意】新幹線乗ってる時にポケモンGO始めるとチュートリアルが終わりません。気をつけましょう✋ pic.twitter.com/uoUBBsSlkx
— さんでりー@サンダー (@KSLA_0401) July 22, 2016
@KSLA_0401 found another bad place to play Pokémon Go: the bullet train. The tutorial won't stop due to the speed of the train.
Hokkaido also seems to be a unpromising place to go searching for Pokémon. (@photograph0420)
Meanwhile, Yoshihide Suga, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, notes that Pokémon have even appeared in the prime ministers' residence's entrance and in the Diet (Japan's parliament). (@cranberry1110)
On the game's first day this foreigner challenged Japanese players at the Diet with a Dragonite that's way more than anyone could handle at the time. (hafu_KNG)
@sameanko points out that dogs love Pokémon Go most of all, since it means five walks a day!
@akimasaJAM compares the launch with the Battle City arc of Yu-Gi-Oh! "Pedestrians should get outta the way! This town's gonna become a battleground today!" Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi also made this comparison.
@stk_ found an Eevee that's "not the Eevee I know."
鶴舞公園でミュウ確認。現場からは以上です。 pic.twitter.com/Vl1fpHCKYa
— ひでき (@pad_mimo) July 23, 2016
Something drew a very large crowd to Tsuruma Park in Nagoya... although probably not a fake Mew.
世田谷公園、スマホバッテリー10分/100円レンタルの商売する奴出始めて草 pic.twitter.com/VnQu4U3I1t
— ぷりにー@デレマス4th行きたい (@prinny_nm) July 26, 2016
Meanwhile, an entrepreneur in Setagaya Park is renting out smartphone batteries. 100 yen for 10 minutes.
ポケモンGO初心者がボールではなく
— ポケモンGO☆ (@pokemongo_trend) July 22, 2016
スマホを投げてる動画です。
※皆さんはくれぐれも
しっかりボールを投げましょう。 pic.twitter.com/R3bpndvm0z
These intelligent youths tried a new method of catching Pokémon. It doesn't work very well.
Several figures connected with the anime industry have also joined the fun.
Mai Aizawa (The Future Diary, Ange Vierge, Lucky Star) attempts to catch her cat in a Pokéball.
Suzuko Mimori (Love Live!, Digimon Adventure Tri.) poses with an Eevee.
出不精の嫁にはポケモンGOも太刀打ちできなかった pic.twitter.com/g83RrMQqDR
— コザキユースケYusuke Kozaki (@kymg) July 23, 2016
Pokémon Go character designer Yusuke Kozaki finds a way to play at home.
Rica Matsumoto, the voice of Satoshi/Ash in the Pokémon anime, reports only finding dangerous Pokémon in her house.
Other members of the industry tweeting about Pokémon Go include:
- Emiri Katō (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, Log Horizon)
- Himika Akaneya (PriPara, ReLIFE, Dance with Devils)
- Junta Terashima (KING OF PRISM by PrettyRhythm, This Boy Caught a Merman)
- Kappei Yamaguchi (Inuyasha, Ranma ½, Death Note)
- Kenta Tanaka (Reikenzan: Hoshikuzu-tachi no Utage, World Trigger)
- Mariya Ise (Pokemon XY, Hunter × Hunter, Yurikuma Arashi)
- Megumi Ogata (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sailor Moon S, Cardcaptor Sakura)
- Megumi Toda (New Game!, The Perfect Insider, Etotama)
- Mikako Komatsu (Bodacious Space Pirates, Heroman, Ushio & Tora)
- Miyu Kubota (PriPara, Urawa no Usagi-chan)
- Yū Serizawa (PriPara, Twin Star Exorcists, When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace)
- Yui Fukuo (Time Travel Girl)
- Yuichi Nakamura (Sweetness & Lightning, Clannad, The irregular at magic high school)
- Hisanori Yoshida (announcer at Nippon Broadcasting System)
- mimimemeMIMI (musical group)
- Noriyasu Agematsu (composer)
Nakamura and Ogata reported having problems registering their own names.
[Via: Yaraon!, (link 2), Otakomu, (link 2), and Animate Times]
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