8 Insane Urban Legends About Famous TV Shows
3. Pokemon Caused Hundreds Of Seizures Across Japan
Those who grew up enjoying the Japanese animated show Pokemon are bound to remember this rumour. The belief was that there was a lost episode that was never broadcast outside of Japan owing to the fact it triggered hundreds of epileptic fits across the country, even in those who were not epileptic.
Interestingly, this legend is actually based firmly in reality. The episode in question was a season one instalment titled Denno Senshi Porygon, and its use of several repetitive visual effects did indeed result in instances of photosensitive epilepsy. Where the discrepancy lies, however, is in the massively inflated number of people affected.
The rumour was that over six-hundred kids were hospitalized as a result of the episode, though the reality is that the number was substantially lower, perhaps even lower than ten. Despite this comparatively insignificant number the company took the incident incredibly seriously, putting the show on a four-month hiatus and vowing not to rebroadcast the episode worldwide.