This is why the Pokémon Company won’t sell you a full-size Pikachu costume.
Every summer, there’s a huge Pokémon event in Yokohama where the city gets overrun with Pikachus. OK, they’re actually costumed performers wearing Pikachu suits, but they’re still adorable. They’ve got chubby, cuddly proportions, their friendly smiles actually have depth instead of being pasted-on patches, and their fluffy fur is made from the exact same material as the official Pokémon stuffed animals.
As a matter of fact, the suits are so well-made that many fans lament the fact that they can’t buy one. Sure, given their size, they wouldn’t be cheap, but no doubt there are hard-core Pokémon fans who would gladly shell out for such premium-priced collector’s items. Still, the Pokémon Company doesn’t sell them to the public, and it’s not hard to imagine why. The main supporters of the franchise are little kids, and the Pokémon Company is committed to maintaining a polished, pure-hearted image for its brand. Just like Disneyland doesn’t want its costumed cast members to be seen taking off their oversized cartoon heads in front of the guests, Pikachu’s corporate parents wouldn’t want their mascot to be caught in an inappropriate or disturbing snapshot that might affect Pikachu’s reputation as constantly cute and approachable.
Of course, if you’ve got a homemade or otherwise unofficial Pikachu suit, you can capture moments like this.
Official Pikachu artwork and merchandise gives the Pocket Monster only vaguely defined hands, so it’s not really clear how many fingers the character is intended to have, or whether or not an opposable thumb is one of them. Rather than rely on the slippery digits of the costume, though, this cosplayer decided to grab the subway pole in a much more sure-gripped yet visually traumatizing way.
Given the layout of the carriage and English signage, the photo doesn’t look to have been taken in Japan. But while we can’t say for sure what station this subway departed from, we can tell you that its final stop is most definitely our nightmares tonight.
Source: Hachima Kiko
Top image ©RocketNews24