This might be one of the hardest posts I want to and have to make (although the previous post is arguably just as hard to make and furthermore has some ties to this one). So, this post concerns spoilers, in particular regarding that of the Pokémon anime and my experiences with this matter. It's also why I put up the wiki-esque warning at the top of that post, because it is and has been something pertinent to this matter - and will always be, given the breadth of Pokémon fans then, now, and later. Consequently, it has to be discussed sooner or later, which is why I'm prompted to discuss it now along with the circumstance that realized the previous post.
Spoilers in this case pertain to the story gained by the experience of a player, viewer, or the like. I don't consider something gained through repetitive-technical means (like Pokémon with certain properties, specific items, particular procedures, and the like) as spoilery, although something like a Special Research task being revealed by someone could be considered to be a minor spoiler; moreover, these are related to the Pokémon games and have little bearing on the story. The Pokémon anime, meanwhile, is pure story by its inherent nature and is therefore rife with the potential for spoilers, and that's where this post enters the grand state of things.
For that, the state of things is that... for those in the know (particularly with the Japanese dub involved), they will have known about the state of affairs that I discussed yesterday well in advance of someone who is not privy to them and/or is not involved with the Japanese dub. As a result, the former has the potential to spoil the latter, and I could be said to fall into this category - and it's not the first time (but this is a digression and a gateway to further spoilers). Even so, I had (recently) found that putting myself in strict denial about it helped to mitigate the effects and allowed me to experience that state of affairs as if it was really the first time. Still, the damage has been done.
At this time, I have to make an aside and an admission, though as far as Pokémon goes, it's still relevant. I don't watch the Japanese dub for the anime, and for that matter, I don't watch the Japanese dub of any anime - with rare and few exceptions; consequently, most of the anime episodes I've watched are dubs in either of the two languages I do understand: English (essentially my primary even though it's secondary) or Indonesian (which is technically my native but my fluency in it is somewhat less). As much as I consider Japanese an authentic and real language of the world, I also consider it fantastical and contrived, especially as it is used in animation, understandably including Pokémon. It is thus somewhat ironic that I'm dealing with it for the purpose of pop culture conventions and showing what I enjoy - Pokémon.
Back to the case of things being spoiled, I feel gypped (cheated) that I cannot follow the non-Japanese dubs at my own pace and without being "affected by outside information" - especially in light of major occurrences as the one I detailed previously. Even so, it's pretty much a tall order for that to happen, given that the Japanese dub comes first and all others come second. Yet the "outside information" seems to remain a problem ex post facto, as it is present where one least expects it, including on references such as BulbaPedia and - as I've discovered - the Encyclopedia I obtained some months ago. I have stopped browsing or looking at both for that very reason.
It also seems that it might be in part karma that the above happens. As I've divulged ages ago, I'm also a fan of the Myst series of games, and these games are story-heavy and lore-heavy that spoilers are also abound in great quantities, particularly for those new to the series. I (and others) have inadvertently spoiled others on particularities that we thought weren't spoilers but in fact are, even if that was not the intent. While this is a whole different area compared to Pokémon, the essence is considerably the same when the anime is taken into account; while karma may be up to higher powers to decide, it seems so fitting as well.
Regardless, the matter of spoilers is a particularly sensitive one, even when Pokémon (and particularly its anime) is involved, for which the anime is wholly different from the games that make up the rest of the franchise. Yet wherever there is a story and/or specific and particular matters with a sensitive nature, spoilers are bound to be able to manifest... which is in fact the case, if anything is worth telling about my case and likely that of others as well. Avoiding it and its invocation is also a matter of grave difficulty, especially given certain predispositions and preferences. All I can say, given the Pokémon things I deal with and how they have turned out, is to consider yourself warned.
One year ago: Longing for Pokémon Donuts
Two years ago: The Fate of My Local Pokémon Hangouts
Three years ago: Competitor Ranks of the Silph League Arena
Four years ago: Personal Branding
Five years ago: To Judge and Be Judged
Six years ago: Catering to Old and New Players
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