Fans Have Finally Learned Why Pikachu Doesn't Talk
Ever wondered why one of the most popular characters in all of the anime doesn't talk? Fans now might finally have gotten an answer, and it is just as sweet and darling as Pikachu himself.
While Pikachu is heard talking a couple of times in the movie, this Pokémon has a legitimate reason not to talk in the anime.
With Pokémon being one of the most famous and successful long-running anime franchises there are, it seems borderline impossible that no one actually heard him talk.
While other Pokémons, like Mewtwo or Meowth, are known to have talked on the show.
Pokémon's long-time director Kunihiko Yuyama has brought up the issue in an interview with Animedia magazine (the part of it that tackles the matter at hand was first published in Japanese, then translated into English and graciously provided to the masses via NintendoLife).
Turns out the real reason why Pikachu doesn't utter nothing more than "Pika" or "Pika-pika" if he's feeling more talkative, is actually pretty sweet and deeply logical.
It all comes down to the Pikachu's communication with Ash and that special bond the two have.
Kunihiko Yuyama highlights the importance of communication of Ash and Pikachu being based on gestures and sounds as opposed to a verbal one.
Having this non-verbal communication between them is what makes their bond so unique and special in the first place.
However, at the very beginning there actually were ideas of Pikachu being able to speak, but those ideas were later abandoned in order to make a more interesting and memorable connection between Ash and Pikachu.
And boy, did it become memorable.
There's a new iteration of Pokémon anime series on the horizon, with a new version of Pikachu. But the Ash and Pikachu duo that audiences all over the globe came to love and cherish will go down in history as unique, legendary, and truly timeless.
It will do so not in small part because of the depiction of their bond and that very special connection they both had with one another.