The Look of Pikachu

Anyone who is familiar with recurring art such as that of characters for games, comics, animations, and so on know that over time, the art style develops. The character progressively changes in appearance or look as the artist(s) continue to illustrate the character. It's not hard to expect that this would apply to some Pokémon characters as well (in fact, I've in effect already detailed one of them), and there is one for which this is rather evident: the de facto series mascot Pikachu. Over time, the look of the Pokémon has changed quite a bit, and this can be described as a few different styles.

In the early days, Pikachu had a "plump" style, which made it look very close to the organism it was based on, the rat. This was evident in the games, promotional media related to the games (such as instruction manuals and strategy guides), and even early episodes of the anime. Its main body was almost indistinguishable from its head and it looked rather rounded, plus back then the gender differentiation wasn't evident. It was a rather unique look, though the "plump" state could have had its detractors for an apparent suggestion of unhealthiness. At least this look cannot really be seen today unless one were to review the materials above.

Later, Pikachu "slimmed down" and got a new look. Its head became more distinct and its body shape appeared to complement its tendency to walk on two feet rather than on all fours. The head shape can be considered slightly "rectangular" in a way, rather than circular. This style can be seen in the anime after its early days and has been rather consistent since. Many current Pokémon games that feature Pikachu models also have this style. In some ways this look is rather "archetypal" for Pikachu today, especially if the games and the anime are involved. Yet it's also not really the only one.

A different "archetypal" look also coexists today for Pikachu. Its head and body remain distinct as with the previous look, but the head shape is oval or circular rather than being close to rectangular. The background of my blog features the head of Pikachu with this look. Much of the promotional media for Pokémon (social media stickers, site graphics, and so on) as well as most merchandise, especially those from the Pokémon Center use this appearance rather than the previous distinct look. One may wonder why there is this look and the previous, but one could also equally enjoy them both.

Whatever the look, Pikachu remains recognizable as the de facto series mascot. It also cannot be argued that as Pokémon has developed, so too has Pikachu, with all its looks and characteristic appearances throughout time as I've detailed. It's a natural thing for any recurring artistic work, even more so if it's had different guises and different artists to go along with those guises. They all still may earn appreciation from Pokémon fans of any time, and that seems to show that the familiarity with Pikachu is as recurrent as the art style of its appearance, regardless of how it may be.

One year ago: There Is Always a Way

Two years ago: (More) Plastic Poké Balls

Three years ago: Cosplay: Tomodachi 2