If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Pikachu yet, then it is time you did. The ever-lovable mascot carries much of Pokemon on their shoulders but does so with glee. Over the decades, millions have come to recognize Pokemon through Pikachu, but the creature almost looked very different from how we know them today.
You know, since it turns out Pikachu was drafted originally as less of a mouse and more as a snack.
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Over on Twitter, it was Dr. Lava who translated an interview by the artist who created Pikachu. Speaking with Yomiuri Newspaper, Atsuko Nishida spoke about her work on Pokemon during its inception, and it was there she said the first prototype of Pikachu was made using a dessert as inspiration.
“I didn’t draw it on paper and directly designed the pixel art, so there isn’t any data of it now. But the first prototype I designed for Pikachu was a daifuku-like creature in the shape of a long daifuku with ears sticking out,” Nishida explained.
“I’ll leave the rest to your imagination, but it was nothing like the Pikachu you know today.”
For those unaware of daifuku, it is a sweet you should definitely try should you get a chance. The treat hails from Japan and comes in all sorts of flavor. It consists of a mochi round stuffed with sweet fillings such as fruit, red bean paste, or cream. They are easy to find overseas and rank as a favorite amongst millions… much like Pikachu. In the same way the pocket monster has stolen the hearts of Pokemon players so has daifuku with foodies. So even if Pikachu ended up getting a makeover, their original design is with them still.
Do you think Pikachu looks like a snack or…? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
Pokemon: The Series, is now airing new episodes weekly in Japan, but unfortunately is still not officially licensed for an English language release as of this writing. Staff confirmed for the new series include Daiki Tomiyasu serving as chief director for OLM, Maki Odaira as series director, and Kunihiko Yuyama as creative supervisor.
