Pokémon Wrapping Paper

Another thing I came away with from last Sunday's event is a pair of wrapping paper sheets. Now, you might think wrapping paper is somewhat of a common thing to find and that this is not something worth bringing back from a remote location as this event. By my experience, this isn't so. Some time ago, I passed a child who held a roll of Pokémon wrapping paper, which I thought could be found in a nearby store, but when I tried to find it, I couldn't. Since then, I've tried to find Pokémon wrapping paper in a local shop, but without success. It was only when I came to this event and stopped by a craft shop that I finally found Pokémon wrapping paper, and even then I almost missed them. So I'm glad to have come away with them.

It should be noted that the two wrapping paper sheets have certain similarities. They were sold in sheets, not rolls, although the shop offered to roll them up for my convenience in bringing them back. They're also apportioned to a size of about 48 x 64 cm, which may be good for a small present but lacking for a bigger one. Further, the sheets are slightly rougher in texture, compared to more typically found wrapping paper which is glossy. Beyond these remarkable characteristics, the sheets have quite different yet striking appearances.

One of the sheets of wrapping paper has an orange background and the graphical elements are quite eclectic. In addition to the Pokémon logo and a Poké Ball, it also has Pikachu, Piplup, Snivy, and Ash as he was depicted in the first and second generations. The art style is gaudy and childish, but it's a unique interpretation, which is OK. What is maybe not so OK is the fact that the "m" in the logo is inverted, making it read as "w"; I discovered this just as I was writing up this post. It's a little bit of a shame, for without this flaw, the art is interestingly designed otherwise. Had I realized this flaw, I might have thought twice about buying it. Oh well.

The other sheet of wrapping paper has a purple background and the graphical elements are of a more conventional design, but they're still eclectic. It has Pikachu, Squirtle, Tepig, and Ash as he was depicted in the fourth generation. The Poké Ball and the Pokémon logo is also present, but the logo also has the Go emblem below it, making the overall design odd, but not as odd as the other sheet. Were it not present, it would have made for a more spectacular look, considering all the elements and composition. It's still a spectacular sheet of wrapping paper nonetheless, especially compared to the other one.

So both of these sheets of wrapping paper have something that keeps them from being perfectly designed in appearance. On the other hand, these two sheets of wrapping paper seem to be pretty good quality-wise, and that makes me able to appreciate them. On that note, I'd like to use them in such a way that they remain nice-looking and mostly intact - perhaps not even to wrap gifts as is their suggested use. In that way I can keep the memory of the event alive, which could be considered as great as these sheets of wrapping paper.