Report Examines Claim Nintendo of America Once Suggested Pikachu Should Look Like 'A Kind of a Tabby Cat With Huge Breasts'

Fresh airy has been shone connected an interrogation that claims Nintendo erstwhile suggested Pokémon's beloved mascot Pikachu should person breasts.

The interview, with The Pokémon Company's seasoned CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, dates backmost astir 25 years, and is successful Japanese — thing that has prompted statement implicit the nonstop translation of what Ishihara primitively said.

Now, however, Japanese tract Game*Spark (via Automaton) has examined the archetypal interrogation successful item to uncover arsenic steadfast an mentation arsenic imaginable — and yes, it truly does look to beryllium what it sounds like.

Firstly, let's analyse what Ishihara says, earlier further discussing the circumstantial contented implicit the connection "breasts." For context, Ishihara is discussing an aboriginal speech helium had with Nintendo of America employees regarding the localisation of the Pokémon franchise — earlier it launched successful the West and became the planetary improvement it is today.

"When I archetypal showed Pokémon to them, they told maine it was excessively cute," Ishihara recalled. "The unit astatine Nintendo of America past suggested their ain designs for the characters – I won't amusement those illustrations to anyone arsenic agelong arsenic I live, but they benignant of looked similar the characters from the Cats musical.

"So, for example, Pikachu was changed into a quality shaped similar a benignant of a tabby feline with immense breasts."

Taylor Swift successful the Cats Musical movie. Image credit: Universal.

As Automaton notes, determination is immoderate statement present astir the nonstop Japanese connection utilized to picture "breasts," which could besides mean pronounced masculine pecs. However, there's added discourse successful what is said next.

When Ishihara is asked whether helium means breasts "like those girls who bash Pikachu cosplays astatine anime conventions," the CEO replies successful the affirmative.

"Yes, exactly," Ishihara states, "they presented that benignant of plan to america for real. I thought it was interesting, successful a consciousness of appreciating specified taste differences. However, I didn't privation to vie successful the [overseas] marketplace with that benignant of thing."

Cosplay Pikachu.

One last wrinkle successful the substance is simply a consequent anecdote from the precocious Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who successful 2008 recalled aboriginal localisation conversations that featured a westernised Pikachu conception with large muscles, successful an effort to marque the mascot "stronger and scarier."

But, arsenic Game*Spark notes, this could simply notation to an further conception besides being discussed successful the aforesaid meetings, arsenic Nintendo suggested a scope of alterations. And, if anything, it's yet much impervious that Nintendo erstwhile had immoderate eye-opening ideas to alteration the plan of immoderate Pokémon for the franchise's rollout extracurricular of Japan.

Judging by the popularity of Pokémon today, and the nonaccomplishment of Cats' movie adaptation, that's astir apt for the best.

Image credit: Universal.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social