5 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Media depictions of Ainu culture
I'm not much of a gamer, but there was a Pokemon game that came out a while ago (Pokemon Legends Arceus), and I noticed it uses a lot of Ainu motifs and is based around Hokkaido. I don't know muh about it, but it might be something to look at?
Comment by AstuteStudent1 at 21/01/2025 at 09:11 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I still have to play that! I've heard that it's not exactly the best about it's colonial narrative, unfortunately, but I'll have to actually see for myself to be sure.
Pokemon itself has a very odd setting culturally, which naturally makes depiction of indigenous cultures difficult. In the mainline games, there are almost no characters who speak languages other than the one the game is in. We never really see people practicing different cultures or religions in game, which is something I've always found to be a bit ominous. Especially when the games, Gen 4 in particular, mention the existence of ancient and lost cultures.