After days of protest regarding the name change of Pikachu in the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Moon games, Nintendo’s Hong Kong division in conjunction with The Pokémon Company have released a statement surrounding the now-controversial change.
A reader --via Nintendo Everything -- has roughly translated the statement given to and distributed by Lonely Media, one of the organizers involved in the protest.
We’ve reached out to The Pokémon Company for the official statement and will update as soon as we learn more.
To ‘Petition to Keep Regional Chinese Translations of Pokémon’:
Thank you very much for your support.
After the announcement of Pokémon Sun/Moon being released globally this winter, the news of the Pokémon Sun/Moon’s inclusion of the Chinese language caused many reactions. At the same time, we received many opinions, which included the worry and the unfamiliarity to the new game title 『精靈寶可夢* (Pokémon) and the new names for the Pokémon that appeared in past games.
Following the announcement of Pokémon Sun/Moon info in May 10th, the new names of the 151 Pokémon appeared in Pokémon Red/Green was also announced. However, the suggestions in the petition was not reflected in the info announcement. At the same time, we did not give detailed explanations, causing severe negative reactions. We sincerely apologize for causing this inconvenience.
The decision of the inclusion of additional language in Pokémon Sun/Moon was reached after discussion between Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. To help everyone understand the development concept of Pokémon Sun/Moon …
As for the Chinese name of Pikachu – it will be displayed as「皮卡丘**」in game. However, we never intended to restrict the pronunciation as「皮卡丘 (PeiKaaJau)」, instead we wish that the global pronunciation “Pikachu” will be used. Because of that, whenever the name「皮卡丘」appears in marketing and promotional materials, the pronunciation “Pikachu” will be used.
We understand the unfamiliarity caused by changes in the pronunciation of some Pokémon. Even though Pokémon Sun/Moon’s content cannot be change [sic], the inclusion of the Chinese language is a meaningful first step. We truly hope that this franchise will reach greater accomplishments, and please continue your support and encouragement. Thank you.
Regards,
Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd.
Pikachu was always called 比卡超 or Bei Ka Chiu in Cantonese, and 皮卡丘 or Pei Ka Yau in Mandarin, but as the Pokemon Company stated that since this is the first time they are having a Chinese translation that this is a good first step however they recognize now that they were wrong to not be clear on the changes from the start.
Pikachu will be used globally in promotional material but the pronunciation will not be restricted to one dialect but will be up to the individual.
The controversy over Pikachu’s name change and pronunciation stems from the cultural divide within China.
Hong Kong, which acts like a democratic state within pseudo-communist China, has slowly but surely seen their way of life being switched with the rest of the country. Cantonese is used in Hong Kong while the rest of the country uses Mandarin, but the Sun and Moon translations have seemingly favored Mandarin pronunciation.
The Hong Kong Free Press also noted that changing Hong Kong/Cantonese translations to Mandarin have become a controversial issue in recent years.
A study published by the Neo Democrats revealed how Mandarin is increasingly affecting the status of Cantonese in Hong Kong, with less than 40 percent of primary schools teaching Chinese language in Cantonese.
So what do you think of the name change to Pikachu in China and Nintendo’s statement regarding the issue? Let us know in the comments section below.
