Pokémon Creepypasta: Lavender Town Syndrome

 *Trigger Warning: Suicide. Self Harm. Overgrown Millennial Nerds.*

Konnichiwa! Bonjour! Oi! Hey you! Yeah you, Straight Outta Kanto! What d'ya think you're doing still playing Pokémon!? You're an adult! Pokémon is a children's game! But... what if the only safe time to play Pokémon is as an adult? What, you think that's an excuse to be a giant over-sized child of a nerd? Nah-uh! Pokémon is DANGEROUS for children, haven't you ever heard of... Lavender Town Syndrome!?

Let me paint you a picture, dear readers. It's the mid-to-late nineties. “Pocket Monsters” is the hit new Nintendo Game boy craze in Japan, soon to explode globally and change Western Pop Culture forever. The first two Japanese Pokémon games Red and Green are being gobbled up by wee kiddies everywhere. Choosing their partner Pokémon, playing with balls and naming their rival “ass hat” and “butt face”. Fun, innocent times. Until... they reach the part of the game where they arrive in... Lavender Town.

Lavender Town. Ruining childhoods since 1996.

Lavender Town is a sleepy little village at the foot of Rock Tunnel, inhabited by... GHOSTS! It's main architectural point of interest is the Pokémon graveyard “Pokémon Tower.” Not only does that change things up in the lore because if there's a Pokémon graveyard, that means your furry little friends can die. Bit heavy for a “children's” game. Not only that, the Tower is completely haunted by menacing ghost sprites determined to banish you from the building.

AS WELL (yes, it gets worse!) The building is plagued with traditional Japanese Shinto style exorcists who are all displaying the behaviours of persons possessed by spirits. These possessed exorcists make various demands for your blood and your soul. Cheerful!

ON TOP OF THAT.

The chief ghost of Pokémon Tower is in fact the restless, vengeful spirit of a murdered Pokémon Marowak. Marowak was murdered for profit by the evil Team Rocket, much to her child, Cubone's, latent distress. So... dead friends, dead mothers, exorcists, ghosts... It can't get worse, can it?

YES.

It's the Lavender Town musical score that is the primary cause for concern and the fuel behind a decade or more of urban legends and creepypastas. The theme that plays throughout the town is deeply eerie and unsettling to begin with. Perfect atmosphere for a haunted AF town.

HOWEVER.

Rumour has it. In the original Japanese Red and Green versions of the Pokémon the initial Lavender Town theme score contained secret binaural notes only perceptible to children under the age of twelve. These binaural beats were allegedly included to subconsciously add a heightened level of terror in the children playing, giving old Lavender Town that extra spooky kick.

Unfortunately, these supposed binaural notes worked a little too well. Any child who played the game and heard these secret notes were driven mad and compelled to commit suicide by exceptionally vile and gruesome methods. Dismemberment and self-immolation are the most common methods of suicide associated with this urban legend. Those who were purported to have died were claimed to have suffered from “Lavender Town Syndrome.”

The notes were removed from later edits of the game and the original scores never made it over in the Western versions of Pokémon Red and Green, which in the West was Red, and, Green became Blue. The west never received a version of the Japanese Pokémon Blue.

Of course. Game Freak and Nintendo would never have actually put suicide-inducing binaural notes in to their video game scores. There's no denying the music of Lavender Town is freaky, but this ultimately is just a very sick, albeit intriguing urban legend.

It's almost impossible to find the origins of this urban legend. However, it's fair to say that the Easter Egg of you having possibly killed your rival's Raticate and landing them in the Lavender Town Pokémon Tower and the fact that the Lavender Town theme was played as the background to the viral “Hypno's Lullaby” video on YouTube in the noughties are most likely contributing factors.

If you feel like never sleeping again, there are videos on the internet of the “original” binaural note filled version of the Lavender Town theme, as well as a version of the score played BACKWARDS.

Sweet screams, I mean dreams! And one more thing... that white hand on your shoulder... it's not real...

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Yen Press Manga Review: Ibitsu (Twisted)

Konnichiwa! Howdy! Dia Duit! If a gruesomely drawn extremity horror with sick fan service based on a Creepypasta style urban legend with a deranged Gothic Lolita as the lead is your cup of tea then...

Welcome! Welcome! Sit down, grab a seat and let Straight Outta Kanto pour you a steaming mug of undiluted nightmare fuel.

“Ibitsu” by Haruto Ryo is a 2010 horror manga by Square Enix and Yen Press. “Ibitsu” is the Japanese word for “Twisted” - as in twisted and perverse. The complete thirteen chaptered volume by Yen Press also features two bonus “Twisted” side stories “Hall of Dolls” and “The Curious case of The Editor.”

Ibitsu lead protagonist, Kazuki Ito, is an ordinary young Japanese man who makes the fatal mistake of answering an odd, if seemingly innocuous, question from a stranger at the garbage dump one night:

“Would you... have a little sister?”

Considering the fact that the question is asked by a strange, scruffy young girl lying amongst the discarded neighbourhood garbage bags... dressed in a Gothic Lolita outfit... at night... You'd honestly think Kazuki would have the wherewithal to see (and avoid) serious trouble when he sees it!? Bless his cotton socks.

Little does Kazuki know that the girl before him demanding his family history is in fact the Demon Lolita from the local urban legends. Legend has it, if you are approached by the Demon Lolita she will ask “Would you... have a little sister?” If you answer “No!” she will kill you there and then in a “twisted” way. If you answer “Yes!” Well...

Let's just say Kazuki finds out the bloody, brutal way that accidentally becoming an urban legend's onii-chan (Big Brother) isn't all it's... cracked... up to be. Demon Lolita is determined to not only be the ONLY sister in Kazuki's life (which poses a grave and gory inconvenience for his ACTUAL sibling), Demon Lolita is determined to be the ONLY person in his life full stop!

Cue envelope pushing (and often times erring on the psycho sexual side) violence, cliff hanger after cliff hanger, fantastically drawn cinematic style horror scenes and brilliant use of tropes from what seems like every urban legend out there.

If you're in any way squeamish or only a casual fan of light horror, this is definitely not the manga for you. I would also advise a trigger warning for anyone prone to distress from scenes of self-harm, abuse or sexual violence.

However, if you've a“twisted” taste sense of humour and a strong stomach then I cannot recommend Haruto Ryo's Ibitsu enough. Fun fact, I loved this manga so much I even got a tattoo of the Demon Lolita on my right arm shortly after reading and still don't regret it!

There's something perversely enjoyable about allowing yourself to be drawn in as a spectator of Kazuki's unravelling descent in to madness, the spiralling plot twists of Demon Lolita's origins and the dizzying realisation that Haruto Ryo is NOT afraid to “go there.”

But tell me quickly, before you go... Would you... have... a little sister?

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Horror Anime Review: Elfin Lied

Konnichiwa! Salut! Guten Tag! Fancy a retro anime review about a kawaii magical girl with an absence of clothes but an excess of psychic killing powers!? Of course y'do! Can you guess what show Straight Outta Kanto is talking about? Of course y'can! 'Tis none other than Lynn Okamoto's controversial horror “Elfin Lied.”

Originally a long running manga serialised in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump from 2002 – 2005, Elfin Lied was given the anime adaptation treatment in 2004. Not dissimilar to the Game of Thrones situation (but thankfully much less disappointing), the 13 episode long anime of Elfin Lied was made while the manga was still being written. Anime director Mamoru Kanbe had to get creative on how to satisfactorily wrap up the series, so the endings of both the show and manga do differ.

Elfin Lied centres on a world where unaware humans are not alone as a species. An underground mutant race known as the “Diclonius” are very much among us. Sadly for us humans, Diclonius are mankind's enemy; born with horns on their heads and equipped with super-strong psychic “vectors” that are dismember-ing-er-ific weapons of human annihilation. A secret organisation has been discreetly murdering new-born babies presenting as Diclonius and also conducting horrific experiments on any poor, dear murderous mutants captured alive.

Part of the controversy of Elfin Lied is the fact that the sadistic and vicious Diclonius presented in show are all doe-eyed, daddy issue filled, very young females. “Kawaii” indeed. By today's standards, it does feel unacceptable to watch a show that overly-sexualizes mentally incapacitated infantile female characters. (For example, could Chobits realistically be made today?) However, it was a different era back in 2004 and must be judged accordingly.

Not only that, the show is absolutely rife with gut-wrenching story lines and plot twists featuring some of the most wretched and socially pathetic characters you will ever weep for. The brutality, hardship and bloodshed each human and Diclonius goes through in this harrowing yet beautiful anime are all designed to provoke the viewer in to wondering who is really the threat to mankind here? Mutants, or man itself?

The sexual abuse, extreme gore and psychological trauma means Elfin Lied is not exactly the ideal choice for a casual watch. However, the gorgeous old school gouache background animation, heart wrenching musical motif and brief glimpses of camaraderie and kinship that the characters strive to maintain throughout some truly vicious odds make this a worthy watch.  

I can guarantee you though, “Lucy” is one “Elf” (in Lied) you won't want on your shelf this festive season.

Tell Straight Outta Kanto what you think on:

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Listen to the Straight Outta Kanto Podcast Radio Show https://open.spotify.com/show/0FRul8v6Xpy8JFD8clhlok?si=-f1uecxqT5erPBqigRIALg and the music of Venus de Vilo https://open.spotify.com/artist/7hSAeNpNk7ydf8lgE93sHn on Spotify.

Diamond Pearl Remake & Pokemon Snap News

Alola, fellow Pokemon nerds! Happy new year to you all, and, happy (soon to be!) 25th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise! Yes, February 27th 2021 will mark twenty five whole years since Pocket Monsters was Quick Attacked on an unsuspecting Earth... Well. That escalated quickly! 

No doubt all eyes will be on the annual Pokemon Direct announcement that usually coincides with International Pokemon Day. (February 27th) Eyes will open extra wide this year as once again, "Gen 4" remake rumours are more rampant than an Eevee and a Ditto in DayCare. However, as this year is the the 15th anniversary of Pokemon Diamond & Pearl's release (Yikes, I feel old!) and there have been a series of leaks from allegedly reliable leak sources - things are looking more promising than usual. 

Plus, a 25th anniversary during a period where it's still too early to announce a new region/generation means if Game Freak want to make a Splash to celebrate them turning a quarter of a century old... they'll have to pull something BIG out of the bag. (And not just a bicycle...)

Something that we are definitely are getting on Nintendo Switch this year is Pokemon Snap, release date April 30th. 

Pokemon Snap, while most clearly a fan favourite is an odd choice to me for a remake. In past generations there's always been a photographic element included in main games - from Cameron the Photographer (Just when you least expect it...) in Johto all the way to the Rotom Camera in Alola... has this feature been played out? Are Game Freak just floundering for a choice of game to knock out for spring because that's what they normally do? Why Pokemon Snap, why now? Why on the Switch?

I never played Pokemon Snap as a youngster so I am extremely curious as to whether or not this is a game worthy of its legendary love and adoration. Or, will this reboot fall flat on its face as a victim of nostalgia that just can't quite be replicated?

That being said, I can't wait to finally experience this game first hand and I have high hopes of its aesthetic achievements. The Switch is a gorgeous little machine, I'm sure Snap will be executed with style - let's just hope there's some substance to go with it to...

Tell Straight Outta Kanto what you think on:

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Listen to the Straight Outta Kanto Podcast Radio Show https://open.spotify.com/show/0FRul8v6Xpy8JFD8clhlok?si=-f1uecxqT5erPBqigRIALg and the music of Venus de Vilo https://open.spotify.com/artist/7hSAeNpNk7ydf8lgE93sHn on Spotify.