Ask John: Is the Pokemon Fad Dying in Japan?

Question:
I was wondering about Pokemon recently. I remember that a few years ago it was all the rage here in America but now that seems to have died down. The games still sell well, to my knowledge, but the movies are not all that big of a thing anymore. I am fairly sure that the fad is almost dead in America, but what about in its homeland?

Answer:
There seems to be quite a bit of curiosity about this, as I receive this question relatively frequently. Proving that anime fandom in Japan isn’t exactly the same as it is in America, and what anime is popular in America may not have been popular in Japan and vice versa, Pokemon is still as popular in Japan as it ever was. As of this week, Pocket Monsters has 244 TV episodes and shows no sign of ending anytime soon. The series still earns ratings in the very respectable 8%-9% range, on par with shows including Ojamajo Doremi, Shaman King, Tottoko Hamutaro and Devichil. While this is only half the ratings of more popular programs like One Piece and Detective Conan, the ratings for Pokemon in Japan are still as much as four times higher than those of anime series including Hikaru no Go, Project Arms, Final Fantasy: Unlimited and Super GALS! Kotobuki Ran. The fifth Pocket Monsters movie is scheduled for release in Japanese theaters this July, and the first Pokemon title for the Gameboy Advance will debut in Japan later this year.