Detective Pikachu: Furry Pokémon divides Chinese fans

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The preview of Warner Bros' live-action Pokémon film, Detective Pikachu, has ignited discussion on Chinese social media since its release on Monday.

Rather than sporting the customary smooth yellow coat, Pikachu in this version is a very different Pokémon character: Covered in a mass of yellow fur with a manly voice of Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds.

Pikachu has short-haired fur in the film. /Gif via Warner Bros' first trailer for Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

While Pikachu has always been described as furry, many Chinese fans still feel shocked upon seeing their childhood favorite become a “textured nightmare,” calling it “grotesque to the extreme” and “not the Pikachu I know.”

Others, however, love the realistic 3D depiction and look forward to the movie, which integrates Pokémon characters in real-world settings with actors for the first time.

Nintendo Co salesman Koichi Hatakeyama demonstrates the company's newly-launched Pokémon, or pocket monster, video game on a large screen at Nintendo's Tokyo office November 24, 1999. /VCG Photo

Pikachu was designed in 1996 when Pokémon was first released on video game giant Nintendo's Game Boy handheld game console. Although the lemon-colored creature appeared as an electric mouse in the animation series over the years, its prototype was inspired by a squirrel.

Designer Nishida Atsuk combined the Japanese words “pika,” an onomatopoeic word for lightning, and “chu,” which has a cute sound. The red dots on Pikachu's face resemble a squirrel's plumped cheeks. The cute monster's thunderbolt-shaped tail was also inspired by a squirrel's fluffy, long tail.

Pikachu (L) receives a written appointment for the special envoy for Japan's bidding for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka from Foreign Minister Taro Kono (R) at Kono's office in Tokyo, November 28, 2017. /VCG Photo

In this case, the film's title character seems fair enough. But fans who refuse to accept the image believe that the hyper-realism is just too creepy. They are also angry with another creature's hairy exterior from the Pokémon world, Jigglypuff, who is known for its smooth pink flesh and quiff.

Hairy Jigglypuff (L) and animated Jigglypuff. /Weibo Photo

“If Pikachu has a voice, it should be a cute, high-pitched squeal - 'Pika pika!' I can't get used to the deep voice coming out of Pikachu's mouth,” wrote users on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo.

However, viewers who have been “electrocuted” by the fluffy character, defend their little cutie in earnest, as Weibo user @emuzoo posted the pictures of the rabbit-like pika, arguing Pikachu should have fur beyond doubt.

Weibo user's post saying Pikachu should have fur. /Weibo Photo

Regardless of whether or not fans agree with the bold choice for the new film, the attention the trailer has generated has made Chinese fans curious to see what the rest of the movie will be like. The movie, which tells a story of a young man joining forces with Detective Pikachu to unravel the mystery behind his father's disappearance, is scheduled for release on May 10, 2019, in the US.