’Pokemon' Fans Cannot Unsee This Tragic 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Connection
Leave it to the Pokemon franchise to get anime fans all choked up. Last week, the world caught [...]
Leave it to the Pokemon franchise to get anime fans all choked up. Last week, the world caught wind of a Pokemon Gold leak and lost its cool over the demo's host of prototype Pokemon. However, fans of Fullmetal Alchemist say they've found something sinister they can never unsee in the data mine.
So, if you still aren't over the anime's treatment of Nina, you will want to grab a tissue.
For those of you unaware, the Internet began buzzing last week when a leaked ROM of Pokemon Gold went live. The illegal upload shared plenty of data which fans mined, giving the fandom access to dozens of never-before-seen Pokemon. One of those prototype monsters was an early version of Suicune, but the Legendary Pokemon looks less like a pocket monster and more like a — well — chimera.
So about that Pokemon Gold beta... pic.twitter.com/XNoYSFFFME
— Blick Winkel⁉️(H. Anthony Israel) (@blockwonkel) May 31, 2018
Man I wasn't expecting Pokemon to be going for that FMA crossover. #pokemon #pokemongold #beta #fma pic.twitter.com/VYFCJVYfC7
— Joshua 'NantenJex' G (@MrNantendo) May 31, 2018
I'm convinced that Suicune from the pre-release demo version of Pokémon Gold and Silver is just Nina from Fullmetal Alchemist... pic.twitter.com/Nlt15q8S2g
— Steven Isbell (@StevenIsbell) June 1, 2018
Just, look above. You can decide for yourself how much the early design looks like Nina's chimera from Fullmetal Alchemist. Sure, the anime beast didn't have a horn or beaded tail, but Suicune's long hair is spot-on. It's lengthy layers and bangs make it a ringer for the hairdo Nina brought to her chimera, a fact that fans cannot get over.
Of course, there's no actual connection with this comparison; This Pokemon Gold demo dates back to 1997 while Fullmetal Alchemist was first published in August 2001. The age gap between these franchises is clear, but that doesn't mean fans cannot have their fun finding connections when possible. That is, if you find it fun to think about Nina's tragic fate.
For those unfamiliar with Fullmetal Alchemist, the series was first created by Hiromu Arakawa. The story follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who learn alchemy in order to bring back their deceased mother. After a terrible miscalculation, however, the two brothers pay a terrible price with Alphonse even losing his body and linking his soul to a suit of armor. As the two boys search for an alchemy that will restore their bodies to their original forms, they join the military and deal with a whole host of new political, ethical, and moral issues.
Do you see the similarities between these creatures? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!