True Colors (...of a Logo)

Lately, I've noticed that the international Pokémon logo has appeared more distinctly than what I recognize it to be. Instead of blue and yellow, it's blue and orange for the outline and fill of the characters respectively. I've seen this variant on a collection package, and I've even seen it while watching the local dub of the anime. I'm told that this variant of the logo denotes that the item in question is for distribution in Asia. As much as I think that this is a unique way of doing things, I can't help but wonder if this is dividing up an identity.

The characteristic international Pokémon logo was designed by the late Eric Medalle, and it's been omnipresent since the very first games were released in English, using the blue-and-yellow color scheme. Internationally, Pokémon is lucky to have such a logo, used for pretty much everything and anything related to Pokémon; in Japan the games have a logo of one style and the anime has one of a different style, though this has remained consistent for both items.

In a way, logos constitute the identity of something, and I feel consistency factors in a bit too. It appears Japanese folks seem to be OK with keeping the identity of the games and the anime separate by the way they use the separately-styled logos. But since internationally there is one distinct logo for everything, there is a kind of oneness that is being presented, which could be construed as a little lost given the situation that I've explained above. Then again, the international logo is in a different world in regard to appearance compared to the Japanese logos.

So now logo-wise it seems there are already several identities for the franchise, yet the creatures are all the same. You know, I think that last bit is important. Since the creatures are all the same, if you overlook the difference in logo designs, then you'll find that's the only thing that really matters. It doesn't matter whether they're in the games, anime, or other places, Pokémon act and do things in mostly the same way. I personally feel that is a great thing indeed to keep in mind, regardless of the logo being used. Perhaps the song for which I titled this post says it best:

But I see your true colors shining through
I see your true colors
That's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors; true colors are
Beautiful like a rainbow
-- "True Colors"

I like that. And I like to see the true colors of Pokémon too. 😃