Is Brock black?

[Bacl]

I'd like to start by saying that I don't want this post to offensive or racial, and that I hope people can be adult about this topic.

Ever since I started watching Pokemon I've always wondered if Brock is supposed to be black. Of course, back then I didn't know that it was imported from Japan, or any of the other in depth details about the show. I just knew I liked the show. So naturally (being American) I assumed Brock was black. But since I now know the show is from Japan, it seems unlikely (but then again, what the heck do I know) that they would intend for Brock to be of a different ethnic group then the other characters. However, Pokemon does have a world market and so maybe they did...see my confusion? Regardless, it is quite evident that Brock has darker skin then Ash, Misty, and quite frankly all the other people we see in the Pokemon world.

Are there different ethnic groups in Japan, some with dark skin? If so, then a character with darker skin is just as natural in Japan as it is in America. I'm afraid I'm pretty ignorant about the world around me.

Although it could be as simple as he's simply shaded darker cause he looks better that way. Considering some characters have blue and green hair it could simply be a case of aesthetic coloring.

But I like the idea of brock being either "black" or "of a different ethnic group" from the rest of the cast. It adds a nice touch of diversity. Cartoons are often very homogenous, and i find it despressing when I see a cartoon that have years and years worth of episodes, hundreds and hundreds of people met, and all of them are the same race.

Just some thoughts.

[Rei_Zero]

Ya, there are dark japanese. They are called TANNED.

[The Rusted One]

I don't think he's supposed to be Black, but perhaps a charicature of a Japanese person. I mean, every single person in Pokémon is supposed to be Caucasian, or at least that's what we've seen so far - exept Brock and his family. If you look at other Animé, and there are Negro characters, the lips tend to be highly accentuated, and the skin darker than the tone Brock's is. Brock, on the other hand, appears to be tanned - or, perhaps, he is coloured differently because the animators wished to show he wasn't White. His face is basically that of the other Caucasian characters, apart from his eyes, which appear to never open; or, perhaps, are thinner, as Mongoloid eyes tend to be. If he was Negro, it'd be more accentuated, I think, than it is now.

Basically, I think he's supposed to be Asian.

[Rei_Zero]

Actually, I'm pretty sure Ash is asian.

[Hanada Tattsu]

Well, I believe that mostly all the characters on the show are Asian, but you do have a point in your topic.

Just like in every other race, there are light and dark Japanese. Misty and Ash represent the lighter Japanese with lighter features, and Brock and a few others represent the darker Japanese.

I don't think Brock is black, since he doesn't look as dark, but I think that he just has really dark features. I agree, I wish we had an African character on the show once in a while.

[Rei_Zero]

Misty's caucasian, unless your telling me she dies her hair a reddish color(pretty likely now) or she wears blue contacts(I doubt it).

[Bacl]

Originally posted by Rei_Zero
Misty's caucasian, unless your telling me she dies her hair a reddish color(pretty likely now) or she wears blue contacts(I doubt it).

That's an interesting point. Lots of the characters have different colored eyes and different colored hair. I believe James has green eyes.

But if Misty's re dhair makes her caucasian, then what is does James's blue hair make him?

[Rei_Zero]

What about the eyes? All the eye colors are either blue, green, or brown. Blue/green will be caucasian and brown will be asian/other race. Which reminds me, what if Brock's Indian XP. LOL

[pokehimon]

Brock did say he liked being at the beach, preferably with girls. So mabey he's just got a tan. I don't know.

[The Rusted One]

Misty's eyes are green - but I wouldn't say that ALL people with dark eyes are supposed to be Asian; I'm Caucasian, and have dark, dark brown eyes (and red hair) - so you can't say that all Caucasian characters have blue or green eyes, and brown eyes are reserved for Asian characters.

Also, with the variety in hair colours and eye colours, etc., that you get with lighter skinned people, it is easier to see that Misty, James, and Jessie are probably intended to be Caucasian. Ash's mother, therefore, likely follows the same path - and, remembering that not all people with dark hair are Asian, then it doesn't seem likely that Ash is Asian. He could be half Asian, perhaps, it is true.

Brock's ethnicity is still in question though - he seems, to me at least, to be either Asian, or, as has been suggested, perhaps Indian. I don't think he's Caucasian; I think it's him that would be the best bet for Asian, rather than the others, though.

[BenRG]

In the spirit of open discussion...

Firstly, I would say that Ash, Brock, Delia Ketchum and Gary Oak are all probably ment to be Japanese. It is simply a characteristic of the animé/manga style to give characters large eyes. That aside, however, Brock is clearly a caractature of the oriental race. There are as many variations in eye size in Japan as there are in other places, so Brock is just a guy with especially narrow eyes.

However, Misty and her sisters are probably meant to be European (it is an odd quirk of Japanese culture that makes an ideal out of the specific 'European' look over their own). Given her blue-green eyes and ginger hair (and the fact that two of her sisters are a blonde and a redhead) I would say that her family might even be Irish/Gaelic by descent. Based on that principle, I would assume that May is also European (possibly Slavic or Flemish).

[Rei_Zero]

I'm going by higher chance here. Chances are much higher for Ash to be asian than caucasian (in my experience) because most caucasians have blue/green eyes, but all asians are brown eyed. As for the hair color, I'm chinese and my hair is naturally brown-black with some strands being reddish brown.

EDIT:I'm using myself to point out the possible diversity of asians...)

[Hitori]

Actually, I do not think that Pokemon characters have a particular race. Yeah, so, some characters might be wearing traditional Japanese clothing, but maybe it's because the Pokemon worlds are just based on Japanese culture, not race. There was also one time when there was a girl in Chinese clothing and a guy in a cowboy suit, but I think that the world of Pokemon is just make-believe and is just multicultural. The characters have different skin color-dark and light-but that is all. And if you're wondering, there are Japanese people with tanned skin, too. Also, Brock is not the only one in Pokemon with darker skin.

I forgot to add something. To your question: Yes, there's different ethnic groups in Japan, but the majority is the stereotyped Japanese person, which is: Light skinned (some males have darker skin) and have black hair, and are anciently from Mongolia and some are mixed with some Chinese/Korean and some mixed with Ainu.

[Hanada Tattsu]

Well, some of your statements are stereotypes. There are light skinned Asians with light features that match those of Ash, Gary, Misty, and her sisters, and also dark skinned ones, like Brock and Prof. Oak.

[Hitori]

Ermm, who?

[Hanada Tattsu]

Originally posted by Hitori
Ermm, who?

Dude, read the post. A lot of people are saying that just cause Misty has light features she has to be European. Ermm, why?

[Hitori]

Ah, then maybe you should quote the person you're talking to. I was confused since you used the word "you" in your post directly after mine.

[Hanada Tattsu]

Originally posted by Hitori
Ah, then maybe you should quote the person you're talking to. I was confused since you used the word "you" in your post directly after mine.

Oh, sorry. I'm sorry for sounding rude, nothing personal.

Misty does look Japanese though, there are red-haired Japanese.

[Ultimate Charizard]

Originally posted by Hanada Tattsu
Oh, sorry. I'm sorry for sounding rude, nothing personal.

Misty does look Japanese though, there are red-haired Japanese.

Since when does any race have naturally Green or Blue hair.

You cant take appearance as any indication of race in anime. Unless its wanted to be blatantly obvious.

Most of the people you may take for your average western/caucasion hero are probably intended to be Japanese.

The only way you can tell is if theres some mention or sterotypical sign (Asuka swearing in German in Neon Genesis for example)

[Hanada Tattsu]

Originally posted by Ultimate Charizard
Since when does any race have naturally Green or Blue hair.

You cant take appearance as any indication of race in anime. Unless its wanted to be blatantly obvious.

Most of the people you may take for your average western/caucasion hero are probably intended to be Japanese.

The only way you can tell is if theres some mention or sterotypical sign (Asuka swearing in German in Neon Genesis for example)

I get your point, but I still think that Misty was meant to be Japanese. As for a race having green or blue hair, this is the anime world, not the real world.

Abitger way to see where someone is from is if there is backstory involved. For example, if Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks take place in England, then it is easy to presume that the characters are British.

[Rei_Zero]

How do you explain blue eyes than?
Like I have already stated, there are asians with reddish hair, but there are no asians with blue eyes. That is what makes everyone sure Misty is Caucasian. And in the pokemon world, all well known cultures exist, so it is hard to tell from background. The best you can say is that he's a Kanto guy or a Johto guy and even then you can't be certain, as people move across all over the different continents.

[Hanada Tattsu]

Originally posted by Rei_Zero
How do you explain blue eyes than?
Like I have already stated, there are asians with reddish hair, but there are no asians with blue eyes. That is what makes everyone sure Misty is Caucasian. And in the pokemon world, all well known cultures exist, so it is hard to tell from background. The best you can say is that he's a Kanto guy or a Johto guy and even then you can't be certain, as people move across all over the different continents.

No, there has got to be at least one Asian in the world with blue eyes. Plus, maybe Misty's mom was Caucasian and Misty's dad was Asian or vice-versa.

[Rei_Zero]

Nope. Genetically, Asians only have the genes needed for brown eyes. Saying Misty is a mix (like Asuka) is another story.

[Ultimate Charizard]

Since when was Asuka mixed?

I never heard that part. I thought she was just german.

The point i was trying to make is that Blue/Green hair doesnt occur on any race in real life so why cant an Asian girl have Blue eyes if the artist so desires?

[Rei_Zero]

If they wanted to make her asian then they, in my mind, would automatically have made her brown eyed, as in the case of most Anime. It doesn't really matter though, since in the pokemon world you don't really have groups like Azn Pride. Everyone is integrated into the world as people, not races. As for Asuka, it is mentioned somewhere, (forgot where), that she is 3/4 German and 1/4 Japanese, or something like that.

[Bacl]

Originally posted by Rei_Zero
If they wanted to make her asian then they, in my mind, would automatically have made her brown eyed, as in the case of most Anime. It doesn't really matter though, since in the pokemon world you don't really have groups like Azn Pride. Everyone is integrated into the world as people, not races. As for Asuka, it is mentioned somewhere, (forgot where), that she is 3/4 German and 1/4 Japanese, or something like that.

Well, there is always hair dye and contact lenses. Not at all far fetched, such things are common nowadays.

A weird thing about Brock is that his skin tone has changed colors in different forms. While the anime has been pretty consistent. I have seen Brock depicted in all the thousands of Pokemon merchandise that was out during the height of Pokemon. In some illustrations he was exactly the same shade as Ash and Misty. I can't help but think this is idiot American mentality of "white-washing" everything. God forbid a toy for five year olds has black skin.

It may not be as sinister as that. It could simply be ignorance on the part of the manufacturers. Except then that ignorance reflects just as poorly as the prior. "Well of course the character has white skin. Why wouldn't he?"

EDIT: One final thought occurs. Brock originally, before ANYTHING else, appeared in the Pokemon game as a gym leader. I just flipped on my Pokemon Red, started a new game and ran up to Pewter to have a second look at brock. Sure enough, the character does have a darker complexion (mind you this is OLD gameboy graphics). However if you check out the redesign of Brock in Pokemon G/S, he is as white skinned as all the other Trainers. Not quite the anime, but the games are where Brock and Misty came from.

[Rei_Zero]

I hardly believe Misty would be wearing contacts and dying hair (although she might not need to), because then that would mean her sisters do that too, unless she's adopted
Or even better, wearing contacts is why the sisters like water pokemon
Ok. That was lame....

[Hanada Tattsu]

Brian, if I remember correctly, the Japanese versions of the G/S/C have Brock the same, dark complection as G/R/B/Y, I may be wrong, but I think NOA changed Brock's skin color to white in the American versions of the game.

[Bacl]

Here is an example of what I mean by the American merchandise "white-washing" Brock. Take a look at this Japanese image (by the way, THOSE ARE NOT DONUTS) : http://www.angelfire.com/alt/bacl/brockcardonigiri.jpg

And then compare it to this American merchandise: http://www.angelfire.com/alt/bacl/ejibrockdoll.jpg

Puh-lease.

[Pidgeot018]

How is a slighty lighter tone on a toy considered "white-washing?" It's not like it's as white as a snow.

[The Rusted One]

If Misty was to be wearing contacts and has died her hair, wouldn't something like that be brought up in the animé? If she was supposed to be Asian, and she had totally changed the way she looked, and the story supported this, then it would also be an important element in the story itself. You don't make up a character specifically with an Asian background, but with no Asian features in a cartoon like that if you aren't going to incorporate it into the animé.

[Hanada Tattsu]

LOL, is Brock flexing in that toy? Cause if they wanted to make him "strong" they would have at least made him topless or something , LOL.

Is the Japanese merchandise a box for onigiri?

[Bacl]

Originally posted by Hanada Tattsu

Is the Japanese merchandise a box for onigiri?

Yes, I believe it is. I'm not 100% sure because I found it on the internet, but it was listed as being off an onigiri box.

[Hanada Tattsu]

Originally posted by Bacl
Yes, I believe it is. I'm not 100% sure because I found it on the internet, but it was listed as being off an onigiri box.

Thanks!

The Japanese are so creative; onigiri is good, LOL.

Who's tried onigiri? I love it!

[Sunkern336]

Just 1 question after talking about Ash & co. and Team Rocket's races. What is May's race? Can anyone out there provide me with a answer?

[Hanada Tattsu]

Originally posted by Sunkern336
Just 1 question after talking about Ash & co. and Team Rocket's races. What is May's race? Can anyone out there provide me with a answer?

Both May and Masato look half-Japanese and half-Caucasian. Masato looks very Japanese, as does his father, Norman. Mitsuko, their mother, looks Japanese, but she also looks Caucasian, like May. But they both have darker features than Misty, so I'd say they're Asian.

[Rei_Zero]

Again, not with blue eyes they're not.

[Hanada Tattsu]

Originally posted by Rei_Zero
Again, not with blue eyes they're not.

Doesn't May have brown or black eyes?

I always thought she did. I know Masato has hazel eyes, and I thought May had the same.

[Rei_Zero]

Nope. They're blue...

[Hanada Tattsu]

Originally posted by Rei_Zero
Nope. They're blue...

I just checked. May has blue eyes, but Masato has hazel eyes. I'm almost positive.