YMMV / Electric Soldier Porygon

• Common Knowledge: Because it was the Pokémon of the week, it's often thought that Porygon was the one who caused the seizure-inducing flashing lights when it was actually Pikachu.
  • The severity of the epilepsy cases are often over-reported. In reality, there were 600 reports of epilepsy, but only 72 hospitalizations, 2 ICUs, and thankfully zero deaths. So while it was serious to be sure, the damage ensuing from the episode was not too traumatic.
• Harsher in Hindsight: The episode opens at a panicked, busy Pokémon Center with all the nurses scrambling at the amount of Pokémon pouring in. It’s eerily prophetic in light of the children who were hospitalized for epileptic seizures after watching the episode.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Kids and their monster companions going into the digital world, eh? Actually beat the show more known for it by about 16 months.
• Never Live It Down: Porygon, who despite not actually being the one who caused the seizure-inducing lights, is still associated with the incident, and it and its evolutions haven’t had an appearance in the anime outside of cameos since.
• No Such Thing as Bad Publicity: More than a few curious fans have sought out this episode online on no basis other than the fact that it was banned. No further seizures have been reported (knock on wood), though it's probably in one's best interest not to seek this out if they have epilepsy.
• Overshadowed by Controversy: At this point, any knowledge of this episode comes from the fact that its airing resulted in hundreds of cases of epilepsy in children across Japan. If it weren't for the seizures this episode unintentionally caused, it'd most likely be a forgettable, one of a million filler episode.
• Signature Scene: The blaring explosions caused by Pikachu electrocuting the missiles because of how it caused mass seizures in Japanese children.