Shop Drop

Even though the United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, in a lot of ways, we’re secluded as a culture. We ignore the origins of foreign products and claim them as our own (how many stereotypical “American” foods actually originated in the United States?) and when we can’t whitewash its origin we alter it to make it seem less foreign (those Korean cars have awfully English-sounding names). I think this lack of exposure to other cultures is the reason that this country is so jingoistic and dismissive of neighboring countries today.

When the Pokemon cartoon first aired, it parodied Japanese movies and other anime, and used Japanese festivals as backdrops for its stories. But, localizers complained that these references were too obtuse for Americans, and the cultural stuff was dropped entirely, even in Japan. A few years ago, localizers decided that foreign language cards were a distraction at TCG tournaments, so Japanese cards were banned in every country except Japan. English cards remain viable for use worldwide, regardless of the country’s national language. So, in this case, Americans both altered a product to make it seem less foreign AND eventually claimed right of ownership.

For my project I decided to give fans a little reminder of where their favorite franchise originated. My hunch is that if a child buys this pack of cards, he or she will be excited because it’s something new and different, whereas if an adult buys the pack, he or she will be annoyed that the company did not translate the cards into English. This is because the child is still open-minded, while the adult has grown accustomed to being catered to and experiencing a lack of foreign presence. So, my hope is that a child will buy the cards, and it will prompt him or her to ask some questions about their origin, and maybe even do a little research on Japan.

Documentation!

It's been a few years since I've bought any cards. I want to replace the cards in the pack one-for-one with Japanese cards, so I have to check 5 or 6 stores before I finally find one that has some older product.

The pack on the right is the one I want.

With the help of a razor and some tweezers, I get it out of the blister pack. I use the same tools to open the booster pack without tearing it.

And here are my cards! I'm lucky(?) in that I get two foil cards. You can't do that in a Japanese pack, which kinda hurts my chances of making this look like an authentic mispack. I could just replace one of the foils with a rare, but then I'd feel like I was stealing some kid's shiny card. :(

Here are the cards' Japanese equivalents. I didn't have a Ninetales (bottom center), so I subbed in a different purple foil card from the same expansion.

I repackaged the cards, glued everything together, and went back to the store. I thought I had a picture of the resealed package, but I don't. Suffice to say, it looks exactly like the first picture I posted.

I got the cards into the store without issue, but when I tried to put them on the shelf, a security guard walked up to me. The trading card section is a high-theft area, and I guess I looked kind of dodgy with my camera and my big purse. I ignored him and he kept going...but he still had his eye on me, and I got really spooked, so I stashed my package on the shelf beneath another blister pack and left the store. When the employees clean the section at closing, they'll put it on the peg for me, assuming it isn't bought by then. I was pretty sure the guard was going to come after me on the way out, but luckily it was a very short walk to the door! If I get docked points for not putting the pack on the peg, so help me god. :(

There it is!