#koiking

My anime figure of the day is:

Psst, Koiking (Magikarp) taiyaki.

Ash follows a school of Magikarp to Tankan/Rind Island out of curiosity. (English localizers are running out of citrus species to make puns out of, I see.) This gives Tracey a chance to learn from a much more experienced Pokemon Watcher: Midorikawa/Quincy T. Quackenpoker.

The basis for Magikarp or Koiking as it's known in Japan is rooted in a a popular myth found in China, Japan, as well as some other countries in Asia. The legend speaks of some type of carp who struggles to climb a great waterfall; Koi carp, specifically, in Japan.

Many carp have tried to climb the waterfall and failed. But this one carp who makes it to the top gets acknowledged by the gods for their perseverance and grit, and is transformed into a majestic dragon. Extremely simplified version but you get the idea.

This is why Magikarp works like that. The XP system is literally the unassailable waterfall that the meager Magikarp must climb through sheer perseverance. As their Trainer, your job is to coach them to the top.

This episode takes the metaphor and makes it plain text. On Rind Island, there's a giant waterfall that the Magikarp all return to in order to try and climb it. Those who make it to the top are rewarded with evolution into Gyarados.

Me: Okay. Sure. I just wanna look at pics of Magikarp anyway.