Gender Appeal

In my previous post, I discussed a girl who is not only a big fan of me, but also Pokémon. She's not alone in that regard, certainly; I'm a guy who is a big fan of Pokémon, if this blog is of any indication, and so are all my Pokémon fellows strewn across various groups, of either gender. And that is something important, because it means that the appeal of Pokémon for both genders is present, and it's a good one.

Many gamers are male, so it's no surprise that many players of Pokémon games are male as well. They may be more comfortable with the "hardcore" aspects or procedures that the games necessitate. Beyond that, they may also be quite interested in "action" aspects, such as in owning figures, especially figures that have great sense of action, that relate to Pokémon. Granted, I myself enjoy quite a bit of the more dynamic aspects of Pokémon, so it's no surprise that others of my gender do so as well, perhaps to an even greater degree than me. That's a great thing for me and them.

For those of the opposite gender, the games may have less of an appeal, but it's not totally absent either; I can recall a specific VGC-style tournament some years ago that involved only girls, and that had a pretty good turnout. Even so, it seems that female gamers attracted to Pokémon are comparably fewer in number. Those that aren't gamers may additionally be interested in merchandise along the lines of dolls or decorative things, which in other words means more artsy things. I suppose this is totally respectable, as are those who decide to pursue the more active side of things.

Meanwhile, for Pokémon things that are quite entertaining, the appeal seems to be universal. I like the anime, as does the girl, my figure fellows, my VGC fellows, a few of my other friends, and so on and so forth. Pokémon cosplay too is something that is an either-gender thing, with a variety of characters for either gender to portray; besides the one that a friend of mine showed off earlier this month, there are plenty of other examples out there, but it's clear that this one doesn't belong to either gender. The entertainment quality transgresses the dividing line.

Pokémon as a whole can be considered to be appealing to anyone of either gender. Despite some delineation with the games and merchandise, entertainment seems to be fairly universal, and this last point can be considered to echo overall. There's really something for anyone who appreciates Pokémon to be happy about, even if they don't pursue everything Pokémon like I do. I'd say that happiness is universal, as universal as Pokémon appeal seems to be.

One year ago: At a Loss... in Lavender Tower
Two years ago: GSC Nendoroid Series #425: Red