Pokémon Was Almost Denied a U.S. Release For Being Too Cute

When Pokémon exploded onto American television screens in 1998, it quickly became one of the most influential anime series ever localized. Yet surprisingly, the franchise nearly never made it overseas. Before 4Kids Entertainment took the gamble, another major distributor dismissed Pokémon outright, believing it would never appeal to American viewers. The reason was becuase they thought it was simply too cute.