Gijinka Guide: An Anthropromorthic Creative Phenomenon

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Pokémon is a popular franchise with tons of games appropriate for all ages, and it is popular for a reason.

Other than the splendid battle system, type system, the wide variety of Pokémon available, the world-building, and fascinating stories and dialogue, it is also beloved because of the Pokémon designs.

In every generation, there is bound to be a Pokémon that is well-designed that would stick out from the rest. One could even argue that all of them look unique and cool.

Who does not want a giant blue tortoise with canons loaded on its shell? How about a giant, powerful, green lizard that flies through the sky like a hot-seeking missile?

Or a floating, smiling, purple rock that spews out toxic poison clouds out of its body? These all sound very odd, but they are quite unique in terms of design. If you play Pokémon games, you would know what these Pokémon are because each of their looks is iconic.

With that said, many people appreciate the Pokémon designs so much; they would draw them as people. That may sound weird, but in truth, many of these creations look amazing and resemble a lot about the Pokémon they represent.

After all, each Pokémon has a distinguishable trait that tells them apart from one another, so turning them into people can be pretty exciting to think about. These creations are usually known, in Japanese culture, as gijinka.

What is Gijinka Pokemon?

Gjinka Art

Gijinka is a Japanese word that translates to “anthropomorphism” or “personification” in English. In literature, personification is the practice of giving personality to inanimate objects (a sort of human form or attributes).

For example, saying that your alarm clock is “yelling” at you to wake up is a form of personification because alarm clocks are not capable of literally yelling.

However, Gijinka is much more than that. In internet culture, it is an artistic creation of turning inanimate objects or animals into people.

Another name for it is “moe gijinka” because artists would draw these non-human beings into anime-like forms. Distinguishable characteristics of the subject would be incorporated into the design of this new form.

So, Internet Explorer, the popular web browser back in the early stages of the internet, would have its main colors be blue when it is transformed into an anime character, just like how Twitter user and professional artist Merryweatherey drew it.

Nothing is sacred when it comes to Gijinka art or “anime transformations,” as more commonly known to the public. Anything and everything can be turned into cute anime girls, from web browsers to Bowser himself.

Yes, even Mario’s arch-nemesis “King Koopa” Bowser became a subject of these types of transformations aptly named “Bowsette,” and it trended worldwide on the internet. So, it would not be a surprise that Pokémon would be a target.

Where It All Began

Gijinka’s earliest known appearance on the internet was way back in 1998 as an anime girl version of Apple’s iMac personal computer. The art form steadily grew to a wider audience, and one of the earliest fanbases that caught on to the trend was the Pokémon fanbase.

On January 29, 2007, a group was made in DeviantArt showcasing the different artworks people created about transforming Pokémon into anime characters.

In the same year, projects of Pokémon ROM hack games started. ROM hack games are games made through hacking a ROM file of a video game.

The practice would create different variations of a game by altering the assets of the files, such as graphics, dialogues, and other elements. This was fairly common for Gameboy games, and Pokémon was no stranger to the concept. This further opened the door for transformation and human form Pokémon.

The Pokémon ROM hack game featured cute anime girls dressed up as or resembling the different types of Pokémon, replacing the Pokémon in the game.

Soon, many more followed, and these games are now commonly referred to as Moemon games, a portmanteau of “moe” (the youthful and cute quality of making others protect, hug, and care for them) and Pokémon. As of 2021, there are still Moemon games being released as a big love letter to the genre.

Where To Find Pokemon Gijinka Artwork

On the internet, there are many artists, and it can be hard to find an artist that is dedicated to making Pokemon Gijinka artwork.

Back then, in the early days of the world wide web, there were groups dedicated to showcasing this art; however, now, it is hard to find some.

Then again, there are many artists now that occasionally draw Gijinka art. The easiest way to find them would be to Google for them, but you can find them on these websites:

  • Pinterest
  • Reddit (r/pokemon)
  • Tumblr
  • DeviantArt

Still, there are dedicated artists, and they are featured down below.

Tamtamdi

Tamtadi

An artist by the alias of Tamtamdi has been posting Pokemon Gijinka artwork since 2015, and they are not stopping any time soon. Their art mainly focuses on Pokemon Gijinka, although occasional posts about something else would pop up.

Their artwork has been highly praised by many and has been featured in a lot of media posts as well. Indeed, their art truly resembles the Pokemon they are supposed to represent, even in terms of age, gender, and degrees of cuteness and coolness.

Take into account these samples of artwork from them. Their Gijinka for Mothim has its iconic yellow and orange wings as their cape while sporting a black, white, and orange attire matching Mothim’s main body. Their Bastiodon Gijinka sports its unique head as their shield while clad in iron armor, and their Rampardos Gijinka wields a heavy, round, blue bludgeon mace matching Rampardos’ thick head that bludgeons anyone who crosses its path.

If you want to see more from them, you can find them here:

ho_mori

ho mori

Twitter user @ho_mori is a very detailed artist that draws intricate art about several subjects. Their artwork resembles that of a slice of life anime series, with the occasional mix of shounen art style. When it comes to Pokemon Gijinka, however, they tend to draw them in a very accurate manner. Take a look at their artwork below.

At the top row from left to right, the Pokemon Gijinka are Polteageist, Sandaconda, Eternatus, and Sceptile. Meanwhile, at the bottom row from left to right, are Lucario, Hatterene, and Cursola. Notice that the character design is high quality in terms of attention to detail.

Each artwork has extremely detailed clothing and forms while retaining the spirit of the Pokemon. For example, Lucario’s Gijinka would make you think that they are a fighter, and Lucario is a Steel and Fighting-type Pokemon.

If you want to see more from them, you can find them here:

Aaron Schmit

Aaron Schmit

Another talented artist with a cute and unique art style is Aaron Schmit, who draws a lot of anime characters. While he is not mainly a Pokemon Gijinka artist, he still draws them from time to time. In fact, he admits in a Reddit post once that he loves drawing them. His artwork is also quite detailed and different from the rest. Below is a sample of his art.

Here, there are a lot of Pokemon being transformed into anime characters. Compared to other artists, his Gijinka resembles the most to their respective Pokemon, and sometimes in amusing ways too.

Notice Electrode’s Gijinka? Many have pointed out that it looks like Ball Man from Pokemon Sword and Shield if he had trained a lot at an actual gym. Cobalion’s Gijinka is a centaur, while Toxapex has pink skin. Indeed, it is quirky similar to My Hero Academia’s characters.

If you want to see more from them, you can find them here:

miki_DHmaniya

dhmania

If you have watched Nichijou or Lucky Star and you like their art style, then you will like miki_DHmaniya’s Gijinka artwork. Their Pokemon Gijinka artwork features petite and cute anime characters while keeping the respective Pokemon’s unique features. If you are looking for true “moe” art, this is what you are looking for. They have been drawing a lot of Pokemon Gijinka, so there is a wide variety to admire at.

The first picture features Gulpin and Swalot Gijinka artwork bearing the same colors as their respective Pokemon. Their distinguishable features such as Gulpin’s yellow feather-like adornment on its head and Swalot’s yellow whiskers.

The Plusle and Minun Gijinka artwork are similar in style, just like how the respective Pokemon are similar. The Meditite and Medicham Gijinka artwork have similar poses, color schemes, and clothing to their respective Pokemon. All of these are extremely cute and well-made.

If you want to see more from them, you can find them here:

FluorescenceFuture

Gjinka emerald

Reddit is home to many talented artists, and FluoresenceFuture is one of them. She is a Filipino artist and character designer who has drawn several Pokemon Gijinkas from different generations. She truly is a Pokemon fan, as she has drawn her Pokemon team in different games such as Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon HeartGold, Pokemon White, and more in Gijinka form. 

The art featured here is her Pokemon teams in Pokemon LeafGreen, Pokemon Gold, and Pokemon Emerald, respectively. You can see the details of the Pokemon being incorporated in their Gijinka forms, such as Blastoise’s big backpack as their shell, Haunter’s ghost-like appearance and separate hands, and Harimaya’s sumo body build.

If you want to see more from them, you can find them here:

How To Make Your Own Pokemon Gijinka

If you are an aspiring artist who wants to make their own Pokemon Gijinka, but you do not know how, then you can follow these basic guidelines and tips. If you want to make some but you do not know how to draw, then that is okay too. You just need to practice your skill in your art, and you can begin doing so by making Pokemon Gijinka artwork.

Find Your Own Art Style

Gijinka

Again, if you are new to the practice of drawing art, then you should begin by finding your own art style. There are a lot of different art styles, as shown in the samples in the section before this. Twitter user miki_DHmaniya has a “moe” art style of petite and cute girls, while Aaron Schmit designs his characters in a quirky anime way. Of course, you need to be able to draw humans to make Pokemon Gijinka artwork, so practice doing that.

You can learn to draw human anatomy through tutorials on Youtube, and in the process, you can find something that suits you. You can copy other artists’ art styles that you love and admire and begin from there as yours evolve through time. But overall, you need to practice a lot because making art is not a one-time process; it is a series of continuous improvements.

Follow the Color Scheme

The first distinguishable feature when looking at any artwork is the color choice, and Pokemon themselves can be discerned by their colors.

Usually, the colors correspond to their particular typing. For example, there are many Grass-type Pokemon that are green in color, while Water-type Pokemon have shades of blue in their bodies. If you think of a yellow rodent with red cheeks and black ends, you would instantly know who it is.

So, if you are making Pokemon Gijinka, you should be mindful of the color scheme of the Pokemon you are making. As an example, a Jigglypuff Gijinka should have pink attire and clothing.

A Blaziken Gijinka should have a red attire with hints of yellow at the end of its legs and on its torso while having white hair or head covering. If you are making a Jigglypuff Gijinka, but you make it wear green clothes, they might be mistaken for something else such as a Skiploom.

Study the form

Pokemon can differ from each other in terms of form. In fact, the Pokedex differentiates the Pokemon based on their shape. This feature is available as a searching method from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl to Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon. In total, there are 14 body shapes, and they are listed down below.

  • Pokémon consisting of only a head
  • Pokémon consisting of a head and legs
  • Pokémon with fins
  • Pokémon with an insectoid body
  • Pokémon with a quadruped body
  • Pokémon with two or more pairs of wings
  • Pokémon consisting of multiple bodies
  • Pokémon with tentacles or a multiped body
  • Pokémon consisting of a head and a base
  • Pokémon with a bipedal, tailed form
  • Pokémon with a bipedal, tailless form
  • Pokémon with a single pair of wings
  • Pokémon with serpentine bodies
  • Pokémon consisting of a head and arms

This can be pretty useful information when making Pokemon Gijinka. If the Pokemon you are making a Gijinka form of has wings, then you should incorporate wings into their attire. If the Pokemon is floating or flying like Alakazam, then it would be a better representation of them if they would be floating or flying too. Another example would be that you should draw muscular Pokemon as muscular characters. Again, form is important.

Incorporate the Pokemon’s unique features

Pokemon Gjinka

Each Pokemon has a unique design, even to the most minute detail. Metagross has four arms and a giant “X” on their head. Lucario looks like he is wearing a black bandana and a scruffy, collared yellow jacket. Altaria has fluffy, white cotton surrounding its body. They have something that distinguishes each of them easily.

When you are making Pokemon Gijinka, it is best to incorporate the Pokemon’s unique features. So, in the previous example, a Metagross Gijinka could have a giant “X” on its head as a form of mask or as an attachment of a helmet it is wearing. Lucario could wear a black bandana and a scruffy, collared yellow jacket. Altaria could wear cotton-like clothing such as a wooly coat or a wooly scarf.

While gijinka adaptations are widespread, some of the more popular and highly regarded gijinka include:

  1. Clefable gijinka
  2. Mismagius gijinka
  3. Arcanine gijinka
  4. Wooloo gijinka
  5. Rowlet gijinka
  6. Bowser ginjinka
  7. Kartana gijinka
  8. Toxapex gijinka
  9. Buzzwole gijinka
  10. Metagross gijinka
  11. Hatterene gijinka
  12. Polteageist gijinka
  13. Blaziken gijinka

FAQs

Question: Are there Gijinka forms of Eeveelutions?

Answer: Yes, there are. For those who do not know, Eeveelution is a term for the various evolutions of Eevee, such as Flareon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, etc. There are Gijinka forms of these Pokemon, such as the one made by u/ProfessorGemini in Reddit posted in r/pokemon.

Question: Are there Gijinka forms of Legendary Pokemon?

Answer: Yes, there are. Twitter artist ho_mori, for example, made a Gijinka artwork for Arceus, and it is very detailed. There are others as well, like Yveltal, Xerneas, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, etc.

Question: What is the difference between Gijinka and Furry?

Answer: Furry and Gijinka artwork may be similar to each other, but they are quite different. Furry artwork leans more on making animals more bipedal, just like humans, while still retaining their animal-like qualities such as fur, feathers, snouts, etc. On the other hand, Gijinka artwork focuses more on making inanimate objects into anime-like characters while still retaining some attributes that would identify said object.

Question: Is there Gijinka art of anything else other than Pokemon?

Answer: Of course, there is. There are even anime series that are Gijinka forms, such as Cells at Work. This series made the cells in the human body into anime characters. They portray how the body works in comedic ways. There are many famous and trending Gijinka art out there, such as Earth-chan, a Gijinka form of the planet Earth, and even Corona-chan, a Gijinka form of the coronavirus.

Question: Where can you commission Gijinka art?

Answer: Many artists accept commissions for Gijinka art. You can reach out to the artists featured here and see if they are accepting commissions. Some artists who do not typically draw Gijinka art even accept such commissions.

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