Something we have been discussing in class this week was the ever-shifting border between science fiction and fantasy. A characteristic of science fiction that perhaps helps us best distinguish, is the genre’s curiosity about how things work. Like discussed in class, Iron Man feels much more SF than the rest of the Marvel superheroes because of the science that backs up Tony Stark’s gadget suit. Fans of the franchise can even remember the prototypes and earlier models of the suit, leading up to the super-advanced nanotechnology we see in the later Avengers films. Has the fact that we have seen a gradual evolution of the Iron Man suit from more straightforward tech contributed to our perception of Iron Man as SF? Perhaps.
I have recently been playing a lot of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and I noticed something very similar happening, although backwards. For context, the game is set in a time much earlier than the rest of the Pokémon games, when humanity is still figuring out how to coexist with the mysterious creatures. For the first time ever, we are given an explanation for how Pokéballs work: they activate the mons’ innate ability to shrink, and can be made from very simple materials found in the wild (wood and stone, and some iron for the more improved versions). In fact, Pokéballs are so simple that they can be crafted from these materials by the protagonist. Their appearance in-game features a wood-pattern and a simple-looking sealing mechanism. All this struck me as intriguing and relevant because it seems like a step by the Pokémon franchise toward science fiction. I wonder what you all think!
Hi Joosep– interesting to see this “retcon” (retroactive continuity) move in the Pokemon universe. That line between SF and fantasy does seem to be thinning here, and the desire to “explain” something central to a plot as having an origin story that involves an evolution of materials is fascinating. We’ll see a short film later in the semester (Zima Blue) that looks at this question.
I should preface this by saying i am certainly no expert on pokemon lore, but I think there is definately a tendency in the franchise toward science fiction: the example of this that first comes to mind for me is the origin story for Mewtwo, according to wikipedia: “In the games, Mewtwo is the result of genetic recombination of Mew’s DNA that was born from Mew similar to real life clones… [but] Mewtwo was rarely referred to as a “clone” in Japanese sources. Kubo Masakazu, executive producer of Mewtwo Strikes Back, explained that they “intentionally avoid using the term ‘kuron’ [clone]… because the word has a frightening feel”.” to me this certainly seems like an example of the franchise exploring social concerns about technological advancement, which i think is a key aspect of science fiction. I am also very intrigued by the fact that the word “clone” was avoided.