“I took a peek at the table of contents for Pikachu’s Global Adventure, then read a little of the introduction, and the next thing I knew I was deep, deep in the book and didn’t want to stop. The writing was that engaging, the information and arguments that compelling.”—Henry Jenkins, coeditor of Hop on Pop: The Politics and Pleasures of Popular Culture “The contributors to this volume are the smartest scholars working today in the areas of global media and children’s media. This book tells an entertaining and surprising tale of how the little Japanese Pokémon transformed children’s culture and global media economics. The changes that Pikachu wrought are only the beginning of fascinating new trends in role-playing games, video games, cartoons, and toys and the accelerated spread of such fads via the Internet.”—Ellen Seiter, author of Sold Separately: Children and Parents in Consumer Culture “Pikachu’s Global Adventure is a compelling volume, as each essay offers new insights with few weak links or needless repetition.”
Jason Mittell
Popular Communication
“A valuable contribution to debates about the guiding forces and diverse effects of global media cultures. . . . The fascinating Pikachu’s Global Adventure extends the study of contemporary Japan by taking seriously transnational media in reconfiguring the boundaries of ‘Japanese culture.’”
Ian Condry
Journal of Asian Studies
"The contributors to this volume provide thoughtful explanations to account for the popularity of Pokémon among children in Japan, America, Israel, and France. Although these essays focus on Pokémon, many of the insights found in this book are also applicable to other examples of children's popular culture that have Japanese origins."
Mark I. West
Children's Literature Association Quarterly