Pokémon for its fans, which includes me, is a great thing for them; they may consider it as being "top of their class". However, perception is a funny thing indeed, and people may feel differently toward different things, including Pokémon. For that, people may feel that Pokémon is "inferior" or even "second-rate", as I've suggested in the title of this post. As such, I feel that I have to pose the question as given in the title of this post and attempt to answer it based on what I can discern from current prevailing situations and perceptions.
A case might help to illustrate certain points, specifically involving the recent Indonesia Comic Con. As I've detailed in the post I made about the Pokémon loot that I had gotten from there, I had won a prize from the general cosplay competition, but it didn't come with a certificate, unless the prize itself is considered the certificate, which is a stretch by any means. Meanwhile, over the three days of the convention, I saw a dearth of Pokémon cosplayers, but this is more of a general observation from the events and conventions I've gone to over the years. And yet, the guest star of the event is Rica Matsumoto, suggesting that more Pokémon cosplayers should have been in attendance. This situation suggests the "second-rate" nature that people may have regarding Pokémon.
Two things might contribute to the situation. As I've observed (and written about) over the years, Pokémon has found much favor with children, even though it is - and has always been - meant for a more general audience. Naturally, when people think about this, they may be inclined to cast it aside and consider it as "second-rate", as it has less to do generally. It's a flawed assumption, and yet it seems to be something many people tend to hold on to as with many other flawed assumptions; I myself have some regarding other things, though I'm also trying to break free from them. And that seems to be the key to shedding the above perception regarding Pokémon.
For the other thing, that would be its (non-)mainstream quality, which I've written about in a separate post but I'd like to touch on because of it being pertinent to the discussion. Since I've written that post, Pokémon has broken a little more into the mainstream where I am, though still not by much, and by that situation, Pokémon can be construed to still possess a "second-rate" situation regardless of what happens, including the visit by Rica Matsumoto as above, which did not seem to generate the expected amount of visitors related to Pokémon. The solution to resolve this seems to be harder.
So, to answer the question posed in the title of this post, Pokémon itself may not be "second-rate", but the perceptions of the people about it is what seems to be as such. This appears to be illustrated by the convention situation and the perceptions as above. It is a bit of a shame for a franchise that has taken the world by storm, and the next challenge may be to get rid of its "second-rate" coat to show that it is truly "top class".
One year ago: Quickies: Living Around Magnets
Two years ago: Poké Ball Luggage Tag
Three years ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights - Mewmore Edition
Four years ago: The Art of Pokémon Adventures - 20th Anniversary Illustrations
Five years ago: Variegated Pokémon Patterns
Six years ago: I Side with Pokémon
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