{"id":63497,"date":"2026-03-20T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=63497"},"modified":"2026-03-19T12:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:14:13","slug":"pokemon-pokopia-has-made-japanese-players-obsessed-with-the-idea-that-bulbasaur-is-a-joyous-and-whimsical-gyaru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/pokemon-pokopia-has-made-japanese-players-obsessed-with-the-idea-that-bulbasaur-is-a-joyous-and-whimsical-gyaru\/","title":{"rendered":"Pok\u00e9mon\u00a0Pokopia\u00a0has made Japanese players obsessed\u00a0with the idea\u00a0that\u00a0Bulbasaur is a joyous and whimsical\u00a0gyaru\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Holding the #001 spot in the National Pok\u00e9dex, Bulbasaur is as old as the franchise itself, but the recent release of Pok\u00e9mon Pokopia<\/strong> has revolutionized how fans in Japan view the Pok\u00e9mon. What started out as a few people going \u201cDoesn\u2019t Bulbasaur feel a bit like a gyaru in Pokopia?\u201d at launch has since exploded into a collective headcanon in the fanbase, spawning a wealth of fanart<\/a> depicting Bulbasaur as a bubbly, preppy schoolgirl.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this stems from the way the Pok\u00e9mon is characterized in the franchise\u2019s new life-sim sandbox title. In Pok\u00e9mon Pokopia, only one Pok\u00e9mon of each species is represented, but the game goes to great lengths to showcase their unique temperaments and personalities. While it\u2019s not so apparent in the English version of the game, this also applies to the Pok\u00e9mon’s speech patterns and use of personal pronouns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bulbasaur<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And when it comes to how Pok\u00e9mon speak in Pokopia, Bulbasaur stands out among the rest for sounding not only feminine, but like a jolly gyaru character. To illustrate, Charmander uses the first-person pronoun \u201core,\u201d which is about as masculine and assertive as it gets, while Squirtle uses \u201coira,\u201d which comes off as rustic and easy-going, but is predominantly used by male characters (Undertale\u2019s Sans uses it in the official Japanese version). Bulbasaur, on the other hand, uses \u201cuchi\u201d a feminine pronoun that comes off as youthful and chill, often used by gyaru characters in fiction (think Momo Ayase in Dandadan). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only that, but Bulbasaur\u2019s overall style of speech conveys a gentle and cheerful personality \u2013 frequenly using exclamation points and openly expressing emotions. For many Pokopia players, it seems the \u201cfinishing blow\u201d that left them enthralled by the idea of gyaru Bulbasaur was the heart it forms using its vines when showing affection, which is reminiscent of the \u201cfinger heart\u201d gesture often used by idols. Since the game\u2019s launch, there\u2019s been an increasing number of fanart depicting \u201cgyaru Bulbasaur,\u201d with anthropomorphized schoolgirl depictions naturally being the most popular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u30ae\u30e3\u30eb\u30d5\u30b7\u30ae\u30c0\u30cd\u306e\u6982\u5ff5 pic.twitter.com\/hgs8SKkUBF<\/a><\/p>— \u771f\u306e\u70b9P\ud83d\udc3c (@sinnop10) March 6, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>