Every Pokemon is interesting and worth talking about. I don’t play a ton of Pokemon, but I do enjoy the universe and I love learning more about the creatures in it. So, Here’s Another Pokemon! It’s Buizel!
Buizel Details
Type: Water
Average Height: 2′ 04″
Average Weight: 65.0 lbs.
First Added In Generation IV
Quick! Name the video game creature that is a cute animal covered in orange fur with two tails that flies through the air by spinning its dual tails like helicopter propellers. Did you say Tails, from the popular video game franchise Sonic The Hedgehog? Well, no, I’m talking about Buizel, a Pokemon. Duh. Totally different. Nothing similar between them at all. Well, except for almost everything.
I’m not a lawyer, never claimed to be one (if I did I was lying) but this feels like a clear example of the legal crime known officially among lawyers as “COPYCATTING.” After reading all the info about Buizel listed on Bulbapedia, I’ve come to the conclusion that yes, this is just a cheap knock-off of Tails, the beloved fox from the Sonic games created by Sega.
Here’s the evidence that I, not-a-lawyer Zack Zwiezen provide to you, members of the not-a-jury:
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- They both have two tails!
- They both are sort of orange.
- Both of them are cute animals.
- They both appear in video games!
- Sonic is friends with both creatures. (Just a rumor I heard…)
Now, Buizel does also have a weird yellow sac around its neck that it can quickly inflate with air, allowing it to float easily in the water and hunt its prey. That’s…not something Tails possess, as far as I know. (I’ve not read all the fan-fiction and comics out there.) But honestly, that feels less like a useful adaptation and more like an artist or designer trying to cover up the truth: that this is just a Tails ripoff, created to cash in on the huge(?) Tails community.
Sure, it supposedly uses its two tails to swim through the water too, but come on, we all know Tails can do that. I mean, again, I assume he can. I don’t know. I didn’t really do much research before arguing my case in front of you all today. Anyway, here’s my closing statement: I’m right. Thank you.
Random Facts
- Tails has a real name and it’s Miles Prower, which is not only clever and funny but 10x better than Buizel.
- Every Buizel that has appeared in the anime so far has been male. That’s straight from Bulbapedia, so blame them if it’s a boring fact.
- To be clear, I call these random facts. Not FUN facts. Or REALLY INTERESTING facts. So don’t come at me for a few stinkers.
Best Comment From Last Week
“I’m always amused when the Pokedex casts a species-wide net on personality. The idea that every single Tyrunt just suuuuuuuuucks is extremely funny to me.”
-RTLewis
I like to think someone in that universe had a really shitty experience with a Tyrunt and was like “Fuck all these things!” and wrote up some bullshit in the Pokedex entries before quitting their job.