Pokémon in the Arab world: Difference between revisions

Pokémon in the Arab world
File:The Arab world Flags.png Flags of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian National Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, and Yemen
Language	Arabic
Continent	Asia and Africa
Original anime airdates
EP001
AG001
DP001
BW001
XY001
SM001
JN001
HZ001

The Pokémon franchise first reached Arab world in late 2000, with the first broadcast of EP001 in Arabic language on MBC Channel.

The word Pokémon is written as بوكيمون in Arabic script. In Arabic, a plural form of Pokémon is بوكيمونات (Pokémonat), as used in Anime. Pokémon are always referred to as either male or female.

While all characters, Pokémon, and locations have kept their English names in the Arabic version, some objects in the franchise received Arabic names. The Poké Ball, for example, has been dubbed as كرة البوكي (Kurt Al-Poké), and the PokéFlute received the name مزمار البوكي (Mizmar Al-Poké) and so on. The only Arabic name that is different from the English dub is Team Rocket, which has been translated as: عصابة الرداء الأبيض 'isabat Ar-Redda Al-Abiadh

Controversy

In 2001, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, who is the highest religious authority is the kingdom, issued a fatwā banning the Pokémon franchise, claiming it encourages gambling and promotes Zionism. High Muslim authorities in Qatar and Egypt then joined the ban. As this happened during the second Intifada, a Jordanian newspaper printed a caricature of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sitting in a tank and laughing at an Arab man chasing a Pokémon. This is meant to convey that Arabs are distracted from their conflict with the Israelis by popular franchises, with Pokémon as an example of such "distractions."

Despite the initial banning, which quickly wiped away Pokémon merchandise, especially the card game, from markets in Saudi Arabia, Pokémon video games quickly returned to be sold normally, but under much less demand from local consumers. Some Pokémon merchandise, such as the Expedition Base Set reappeared in certain stores a few years later, but newer sets were never brought. Generation III and Generation IV games seem completely unaffected by the ban.

Pokémon anime

Pokémon airs or has aired in the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian National Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, and Yemen.

Dubbing

The Pokémon anime is dubbed in the Arab world firet by Venus Company (مركز الزهرة Markaz Az-Zuhra), then by Super M Productions. This anime was aired Exclusive in MBC Channel in the first year, But after the end of the first season, this Anime spreads rapidly in all channels, but it was aired mainly in MBC, Spacetoon, TRT and New TV.

Cast and crew

There are 2 companies that have dubbed this Anime. The first and the second seasons was dubbed by Venus Company, but it stoped in dubbing cause of the controversy, after that Super M Productions has dubbed this Anime. Tha total Arabic episodes untill now 366 episodes.

Venus Company

Ash Ketchum was voiced by Buthaina Shia بثينة شيا, Misty was voiced by Majd Zaza مجد ظاظا and Rafat Pazo رأفت بازو provides the voice of Brock.

For Team Rocket, James has been voiced by Ziad Ar-Rifa'i زياد الرفاعي, and Jesse has been voiced by Fatima Sa'ad فاطمة سعد, and finally Meowth who was voised by 'Adel Abu Hassoun عادل أبو حسون.

Professor Oak is voiced by Marwan Farhat مروان فرحات. Other notable voice actors in the Arabic dub include Amaal Sa'ad Ad-Din امال سعد الدين as Nurse Joy and Fadwa Suleiman فدوى سليمان as Officer Jenny.

Super M Productions

This article is part of Project Globe, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon franchise around the world.