Why Pokémon’s Most Banned Episode Would Still Be a Hot Mess Today

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Even a popular and generally harmless franchise like Pokemon isn’t immune to censorship concerns. With more than 1,300 episodes under its belt and still growing, it’s inevitable that some content may cause issues. Remarkably, only a small number of episodes have required significant edits or been taken off the air entirely. However, even this small number has sparked significant controversy over the years.

The “Beauty and The Beach” episode, for reasons of a specific scene, was prohibited from being shown in any countries outside Asia for about three years. Despite 4Kids’ plan to bypass this banned episode entirely, it ended up being the one that was eventually broadcast – albeit heavily edited – under the title “The Lost Episode” in 2000. This was surprising given that there was a significant gap between its initial Japanese airing and its first English dub release.

“Beauty and The Beach” Breakdown

The story commences with Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock taking a break in Porta Vista, enjoying some time at the beach. However, their exuberance for a great seaside trip gets them into trouble as they unwittingly damage a boat they’d taken without permission. The boat owner, Moe, scolds them, but they make amends by agreeing to work at his restaurant to repay the damages. Coincidentally, Team Rocket members Jessie, James, and Meowth find themselves working at a rival eatery owned by an elderly woman named Brutella to cover the costs of fixing their own boat.

However, when the children attempted to win over customers with enticing offers of clam juice snow cones, it seemed that patrons preferred Brutella’s competing restaurant instead. Ash brainstormed a solution and enlisted his Pokémon for assistance. Pikachu and Squirtle distributed flyers, Charmander set the grill ablaze with flares, Pidgeotto fanned the flames, Bulbasaur served tableside, while Butterfree was conspicuously absent. The coordinated efforts of the Pokémon soon drew in customers. Regrettably, Team Rocket thwarted their progress by irritating customers into departing.

Due to Moe owing Brutella and needing to return the debt by tomorrow, she warns him that she might seize his boat as payment. Despite Moe expressing his ambition to sail around the world with the boat, Ash urges him not to abandon this dream. Ash’s mother and Professor Oak then propose that a beach beauty contest would be an excellent opportunity to promote their restaurant. Intrigued by the idea, Misty expresses her interest in participating in the contest. Consequently, the group decides to enter the competition, aiming to attract customers and earn enough money to help Moe settle his debt and pursue his dream.

In the competition, Gary’s blunders and Ash’s responses, along with Team Rocket creating chaos, make the situation more complex when Jessie and James shift their plan to seize control from participating to using stronger tactics. However, Ash foils Team Rocket’s schemes with his Pokémon’s assistance. The narrative then concludes unexpectedly as Moe embarks on his sea voyage while Ash, Brock, and Misty carry on their journey separately.

Controversial Content

While observing the competition, I witnessed an infamous incident that led to its prohibition globally. Upon orders from Brutella, Jessie and James attempted to disrupt the event. Initially, their interpretation of sabotage was rather literal as they aimed to defeat the beauty contestant Pokémon. However, in the original Japanese version, it becomes clear that Jessie and James themselves participated in the contest, with James donning an inflatable costume and boasting about his endowments to Misty, promising she’d one day have a figure like his. This, of course, sealed the fate of this episode’s worldwide broadcast.

In the original version, a sequence featuring Jessie and James wearing bikinis, which was later followed by Brutella’s intervention after Brock mentioned Gary’s group of female companions, was removed in the English dub. The main reason for this edit is believed to be censorship, but there are several other potentially controversial moments in the episode as well. One such example is that Misty appears to attract a suspicious amount of attention throughout the episode.

In the initial broadcast of the Japanese dub, there’s a subtle image that flashes briefly, showing Misty in a swimsuit with Pikachu holding a sign stating “Japan’s #1 best”. This appears when the beach ball Misty throws at Ash hits its target. Initially, Moe seems to have a resemblance to Master Roshi, as he comments on her in both English and Japanese versions; in the former, he notes she reminds him of his granddaughter, while in the latter, he expresses anticipation for seeing her eight years later. Later, Misty confesses her desire to participate in the beauty pageant even before learning about the monetary reward, then bemoans it as “humiliating and degrading, but we’re desperate for the money”. Although this doesn’t justify viewers leering at a ten-year-old, it raises questions about the contest rules, as they should have prohibited underage participation from the outset.

In addition to numerous strange events during the episode, we have the ridiculous incident of Ash stealing a boat without reason, crashing it into a dock. It’s questionable how Ash’s mom and Professor Oak ended up together on a “tour,” especially since their explanation is far from convincing. Moreover, it seems odd that Brock, who’s only fifteen and new to the contest, was the sole judge for the event. Despite a later episode being removed due to gun violence, this one featuring Charmander and Pidgeotto fighting against a missile surprisingly escaped censure. However, maybe it didn’t raise any red flags compared to James himself being explosive.

Despite being banned for apparent reasons long ago, its notoriety continues to thrive and makes it worth watching, albeit it may not be suitable for younger viewers.

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2025-03-28 00:11