Friday, April 30, 2021

Road of 25th Anniversary: Shaping for Success

Before leaving off the month, it is wise to tread back the path of that major anniversary of Pokémon this year. Last month, I had covered a few attractively special things for the anniversary that "beckon" those who might be interested in them to obtain them. This month, I'm about to do the same, only with a different approach. The things I'm about to describe may be the building blocks for success, whether real or figurative, and/or may have gained a unique shape as a result of of the success. Therefore, the description for the things is as stated in the title - they involve shapes along with success.

One of those consists of things that can shape the success of young fans and Trainers, in the form of a series of books called "Pokémon Primers". The two books in the series are an ABC and 123 book, obviously designed for the learning of letters and numbers, complete with interactivity in the form of flaps. These books therefore in a way constitute a "study aid" for younger audiences to help them learn the most basic of comprehension skills. At the same time, they're also getting introduced to and learning about the world of Pokémon, which in the eyes of a fan doesn't seem to be half bad.

Then there are shapes that a fan can manipulate, in the manner of a "toy block"... or in fact, some of them are. Mega Construx has a line of Pokémon (figure) construction sets, and the celebratory addition to this lineup is something called Celebration Pikachu, along with a few others with different Pokémon. The line is actually pretty extensive in its coverage of Pokémon objects besides the aforementioned celebratory additions, and this being an official licensed product should please Pokémon fans, tinkerers, or Pokémon fans who are tinkerers to actually assemble and toy around with their favorite Pokémon.

Speaking of figures, Funko has a couple of vinyl figures - from its Pop! line - that are special for the occasion. One of these is a "Silver Metallic Pikachu", which is pretty significant, because this is a true acknowledgment that the 25th anniversary is indeed the silver anniversary. The other figure is just a simple Raichu figure; both are still interesting for their bobblehead geometric appearance, which is novel by all regards. The silver metallic figure is still the significant one for the silver anniversary this year, and it's likely the one that fans ought to be able to get, considering the special anniversary.

Given the above, there is a lot of shaping for success for the big anniversary. Young Trainers are being shaped for their prospective careers in Pokémon and everything else, while older Trainers have something to play with or just purely to exhibit. If last time the special things are "beckoning", the "shaping" of the special things at this point becomes something to behold. It becomes crucial - in a way - to the success of certain groups of Pokémon fans and for exemplifying the success of Pokémon in general, especially its existence after a quarter-century of wonderful times.

Two years ago: A New(?) Pikachu Doll
Three years ago: A Sun & Moon Doujin Manga

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