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The Pokémon shōnen manga series is based on the Pokémon anime. The manga is made by Toshihiro Ono. In Japan, the series is known as Pocket Monsters: Dengeki Pikachu.

The manga was released in four volumes, or tankōbon. In the North American English adaptations, they are named: The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Pikachu Shocks Back, Electric Pikachu Boogaloo, and Surf's Up, Pikachu. The Singapore English version uses "Electric Tale of Pikachu" for all four volumes. The characters and storylines are all drown closely from the anime series, although the world itself has a visibly higher level of technology.

The manga was published in English in North America by Viz Communications. The English manga is flipped to the Western left to right format. In Singapore, the manga is published in English by Chuang Yi.

Editing in the North American version

The initial printing of the manga in North America drew ire from parents who read the manga, so the graphic novels were edited for American audiences.

In the original Japanese version, Toshihiro Ono drew most of the female characters with oversized busts and revealing outfits. There were a few scenes that could be construed as risqué by American parents, including one involving Misty relaxing in a hot tub, only to be interrupted by Ash clumsily bursting in. Any excess skin was covered up by American translators. Some purist fans are disgusted by this 'butchering' of the manga, and sites were created on the internet requesting the removal of these edits.

Characters

Japanese names in Western order (given name before surname) are given first, followed by the English name. For the sake of simplicity, English language names will be used in this and other articles in Misplaced Pages about Pokémon, unless explicitly referring to the Japanese version.

• Satoshi / Ash Ketchum - The main character, whose name in the Japanese version (Satoshi) is named after Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of the Pokémon games. Ash aspires to be a Pokémon Master, and together with the various friends and Pokémon that travel with him, embark on many adventures. In a similar fashion to the game, Ash does this by entering various Pokémon League competitions.
• Pikachu, a little yellow mouse-like creature with a lightning bolt tail and the ability to create an electrical jolt from its cheeks. Unlike the games or anime, Ash finds this Pikachu chewing on the electical wiring in his house, and keeps it as his first Pokémon when he qualifies to be a trainer.
• Shigeru / Gary Oak - Unlike his anime counterpart, this version of Ash's rival does not hang out with a pack of cheerleading girlfriends, nor does he travel by car. In fact, about the only thing this Gary has in common with the anime Gary is his mean attitude towards Ash. Nevertheless, he ends up traveling with Ash in the manga's epilogue.
• Musashi / Jessica "Jessie" - The female half of Team Rocket.
• Kojirō / James - The male half of Team Rocket. He and Jessie are apparently married and with child in the epilogue.
• Nyarth (ニャース Nyāsu) / Meowth - Team Rocket's third member. One of very few Pokémon that can speak a human language.
• Sakaki / Giovanni - The seldom-seen leader of Team Rocket.

Other Pokemon mangas

• Magical Pokémon Journey (knowed in Japan as "PiPiPi's Adventures")
• Pokémon Adventures (knowed in Japan as "Pocket Monster Special")
• Ash & Pikachu (knowed in Japan as "Satoshi to Pikachu")
• Pokémon Gold & Silver (manga series)
• Pokémon (anime)}

External links

• Dogasu's Backpack page on the Pokemon manga series
• Pokemon Dengeki Pikachu Uncensored - site telling differences between Japanese and American versions of the manga
• Rocket-Heart - A fairly new site which is working hard on getting info up and might be good in the future.
• Aquastar Valley - One of the best sites on the web dedicated to Pokémon!

• Shōnen
• Pokémon manga
• Viz Media manga