Pokémon is for kids!

Nah, I've never been one to give up stuff due to peer pressure, well ok sometimes, but not with Pokémon. I think it's important to find ways to express myself and Pokémon provides a great way to do this. In fact, through Pokémon, I've developed my skills as an artist, so I have no regrets for playing at all (except the shiny chansey I'm 75% sure that I saw and was unable to catch in my old Fire Red game)

 

Pokémon IS FOREVER!

Seriously though. I've never let go, and I probably never will

 

When people tell me Pokémon is for kids, I usually say "yeah, that is in fact a part of their target demographic." Form there I can either point out that Pokémon acknowledges and caters many events to their older demographic, or that the competitive aspect of Pokémon is far too complex for most younger kids to figure out and work effectively, or that why the hell should I care what demographic it's widely considered to be aimed at if I'm having fun.

I did lose a bit of interest in Pokémon for a while, but after coming here I learned about the competitive side of the game and it renewed my interest in the series greatly! I'm still a competitive noob really, I've only being playing the competitive scene for about two years now, but it's a ton of fun to me and I love seeing how far I've come.

 

I was just about to post something similar regarding their target demographic. It is for kids, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying something for kids; however, as Shiny said, there's the competitive part for older people. And, there's nothing stopping adults from liking it. If it upsets someone that you "still play Pokémon", then that sucks for them. They don't dictate how you have fun. Unless it's illegal.

But it's really important to acknowledge that their target audience is kids, and to keep that in mind when say, making art. There's at least one very big kid's show that has been corrupted to a point where it can be unsafe for children to even Google the characters. It's fairly obvious what that show is, but if you don't know, it has to do with ponies. That topic, though, is something for a different thread and a different time.

 

Oh yeah, Pokémon is totally for kids. That's absolutely true. I, for one, am still a child. No matter how old I technically am, I will always be a child in some ways.

I got peer pressured about it a few times but it didn't really bother me or cause me to stop playing Pokémon. I don't care what people say because I'm having too much fun to be bothered by them being a stick in the mud. If they can't let loose and have some silly fun, then they aren't someone I want to listen to anyway. I'd tell them that if my personal activities bother them so much, then they are highly encouraged to never speak to me again so that both of us can be better off in the future.

 

Is Pokémon for kids? Yes. Definitely. As mentioned above, the game's targeted towards children. However, that doesn't and shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying the game and having a genuine good time.

I played Platinum and watched the anime religiously growing up (around the third grade), and the series has followed me into my high school years (where I am right now). Even though I am technically still a child, I can recall plenty of circumstances where I've been urged to stop playing. It's pretty peculiar to see how parts of todays society try to prohibit people from having fun, and that toys are "childish" and it is frowned upon to indulge in something considered "outside your age group". If you enjoy something, there's no shame in playing/doing it. Just be smart, and keep the target audience itself safe.

 

Shh, let me enjoy the things I like, I'll let you enjoy the things you like

I guess I'm lucky I'm not really affected by peer pressure. I too still find people joking about it. I guess I'm really lucky no one picks on me because I still like Pokémon. Whenever I hear people say something like "But isn't Pokémon for kids?", I always reply: "Yeah, but there's actually a whole world behind it, a world most kids never learn about, a world with some insane competition." At that point, I'm ready to start ranting about how the metagame, EVs and IVs work, but I usually spare my conversation partners with that, unless they ask about it.

 

I hear it a lot from my family, my step father will say "aren't you old for that?" but I don't really care.

So suffice to say I won't be giving in to that "pressure" soon.

 

Pokémon is for kids, but I'm pretty sure the old Batman comics were too, and other than the darker varieties that started with Frank Miller et al in the 80s, they are (or can be) still for kids. I still watch the 1990s-2000s Batman, Justice League, and Young Justice cartoons, and nobody bashes on me for those. The thing is though, these things are all so good there's a flexibility in its intended and actual audience. Pokémon is made for the 5-12 (or so) demographic, those other cartoons are probably 12-17, but they've clearly made a product that can reach beyond that range. The only reason people bash on Pokémon instead of Batman is because they're afraid of Batman Pokémon has more child-like design. Bright colors, happy animal sounds, all that.

When I try to explain to people that Pokémon is still interesting outside of that 5-12 age range, I try to explain that I'm not going on a silly adventure to catch 'em all and protect the world from Team Rocket blasting off again, rather I'm a coach/tactician recruiting fighters from across the known world to demonstrate my dominance in group martial arts competition and maybe saving the world from utter destruction in the process (but that's on the side). It's like XCOM minus the guns and death, and I think that's a good thing.

 

I'd never had someone telling me that Pokémon's for kids. I mean, I was always into things that are supposedly for children. It's probably why no one looks at me strangely while saying why am I into something kiddy. My older brother's into things that are for children, but nobody tells him that a grown man like him should enjoy something like Transformers. There's nothing wrong with enjoying something for a much younger demographic. I'm still gonna enjoy playing Pokémon until the day I retire from the series.

 

Here's advice I've heeded all my life: Ignore it and move on

 

HA! HA! HA! I've had friends who gave in to peer pressure but me?? Why would I join this site if I gave in to pressure to not like it. Yes, Pokémon is directed to a more child like audience but recently, they've taken it to suit all ages.