Pokémon controversy

The Pokémon] series has been subject to controversy since its creation. Various religious (Christian, Jewish, Muslim) and activist (animal rights) groups have expressed concerns over the franchise due to prominent themes found in the games. These controversies have even caused the series to be banned in some countries.

Major

 * The Pokémon Jynx was highly controversial due to its resemblance to characters from The Little Black Sambo, critics insisting that the species enforced a negative stereotype against African Americans. Due to this, Nintendo later altered the design of Jynx to be purple instead of pitch black.
 * One episode was removed from television after it caused seizures to many children, some of which had no history of seizures. This episode is one of the prime reasons why Nintendo changed the name Pocket Monsters to Pokémon once it reached Western territories due to the widespread media coverage of the event.
 * All products related to Pokémon have been banned from Saudi Arabia due to supposedly Zionism, which is strictly against Muslim doctrine.

Minor

 * The concept of "evolution" has caused controversy with devout Christians, who believe in the concept of "creationism". Despite this, the Vatican has made an official statement that the games and cards are "full of inventive imagination".
 * Pokemon battles have been compared to such sports as cockfighting, which has caused controversy with animal rights activists.
 * One episode was removed from television due to a heavy use of guns.