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On the Origin of Species: Bronzor and Bronzong (view source)
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I've mentioned in previous columns how many Japanese legends seem to mix the tragic and the bizarre, and here we have a tale of suicide, poverty and eternal damnation that nonetheless involves the comical image of people smashing up objects in the hope that they'll be rewarded by a ghost. Hearn wasn't exaggerating when he subtitled his collection ''Stories and Studies of Strange Things.'' The motivations of the woman in the origin myth seem especially difficult to comprehend from a modern perspective: giving something away and then regretting it is certainly a very mild form of selfishness, and probably not shameful enough to merit suicide. And perhaps I'm just not romantic, but I have to wonder what sort of samurai pawns his armor to impress his girlfriend. | I've mentioned in previous columns how many Japanese legends seem to mix the tragic and the bizarre, and here we have a tale of suicide, poverty and eternal damnation that nonetheless involves the comical image of people smashing up objects in the hope that they'll be rewarded by a ghost. Hearn wasn't exaggerating when he subtitled his collection ''Stories and Studies of Strange Things.'' The motivations of the woman in the origin myth seem especially difficult to comprehend from a modern perspective: giving something away and then regretting it is certainly a very mild form of selfishness, and probably not shameful enough to merit suicide. And perhaps I'm just not romantic, but I have to wonder what sort of samurai pawns his armor to impress his girlfriend. | ||
One reference to the legends in the design of Bronzor and Bronzong that might not be immediately obvious is in their abilities. Both can have the {{a|Heatproof}} ability, rendering them immune to fire, just like the mirror that refused to be melted down. There are also a few oblique references to the myths in their Pokédex entries. Bronzong, incidentally, is mentioned to be a bringer of good harvests, and the {{wp|dōtaku}} (銅鐸), the type of bell on which it is based, was used to pray for good harvests in ancient times. But my favourite Pokédex entry for Bronzong has to be the one from {{bp|Pokémon_Diamond_and_Pearl_Versions|Diamond}}: ''"One caused a news sensation when it was dug up at a construction site after a 2000-year sleep."'' Might this Bronzong, then, be the actual bell of Mugen, finally recovered from the swamp? If so, one should exercise caution while battling it. The payout upon defeating it may be unexpectedly high, but once it's Game Over, there'll be hell to pay... | One reference to the legends in the design of Bronzor and Bronzong that might not be immediately obvious is in their abilities. Both can have the {{a|Heatproof}} ability, rendering them immune to fire, just like the mirror that refused to be melted down. There are also a few oblique references to the myths in their Pokédex entries. Bronzong, incidentally, is mentioned to be a bringer of good harvests, and the ''{{wp|dōtaku}}'' (銅鐸), the type of bell on which it is based, was used to pray for good harvests in ancient times. But my favourite Pokédex entry for Bronzong has to be the one from {{bp|Pokémon_Diamond_and_Pearl_Versions|Diamond}}: ''"One caused a news sensation when it was dug up at a construction site after a 2000-year sleep."'' Might this Bronzong, then, be the actual bell of Mugen, finally recovered from the swamp? If so, one should exercise caution while battling it. The payout upon defeating it may be unexpectedly high, but once it's Game Over, there'll be hell to pay... | ||
{{Origin}} | {{Origin}} | ||