Project #4 - Case Study 2 - Ash's Pikachu

 

Everybody loves Pikachu (well almost everyone!) More specifically, many, many people love Ash Ketchum's Pikachu. Pikachu is very non-human character, clearly - in fact it's an electric mouse inspired by a real pika (yes, they exist!) And yet so many people feel attached to what is essentially just a fighting animal. 

The way in which we can look at it is similar to that of a man and his dog.
Dog owners are so emotionally attached to their canine companions, through the sheer amount of personality those dogs can express without a single word - perhaps the most import attribute being their loyalty.

Of course, no one can really say what EVERY Pikachu is like, since it's a relatively common Pokemon. But in the case of Ash's Pikachu - and even Richie's Sparky actually - it's safe to say that it has  A LOT of character.
Pikachu might just be the most sassy little Pokemon around, even after all these years. I suppose that's what people value about Pikachu so much: the amount of personality one little, bright yellow non-human character can hold.

Pikachu carries a lot of traits similar to our own - traits which clearly transcend just human nature, if we refer back to the man and his dog scenario again. He's (yes he's a he; he doesn't have a heart-shaped indent in his tail!) obstinate - refusing to evolve since he's obviously quite comfortable the way he is. He's happy with himself. I guess we could all learn a lesson from Pikachu there.What's more, he's got his little quirks and his funny moments, even his dumb moments. We can relate to all of these. What makes Pikachu so easy to relate to, actually, is the fact that he is a sentient creature who can talk to an extent. Okay so Pikachu can only say his name, but still, you can hear the personality and his emotions in his voice when he 'speaks'. Regardless of the fact he's a pokemon, he's Ash's best friend, not unlike the bond between a man and his dog ;) (there's that analogy again).

It's the little things like his obsession with ketchup that make Ash's pikachu so loveable and identifiable for a lot of people, since he has a unique personality much different many of the other other Pikachu's in the Pokemon world. Not much can be said for Ritchie's Sparky really, except that he clearly has enough of his personality to have a cool little quiff.

In other words, Pikachu displays an emotional connection with Ash, and by extension leaves the rest of us able to identify with him. It's not at all weird to like a fictional, electrically-charged, ketchup-loving non-human mouse of a character! ;)