Chinchou

Chinchou.

Quite obviously based on an anglerfish, I decided this was the best way to go for a sketch. Sorry the colouring couldn’t be watercolours at that time. This is the last marker one.

I like the concept of chinchou and lanturn, but I can’t say I fancy the design all that much. They could stand for a bit more effort.

I’ve also NEVER caught or used a chinchou. One of the things I like about this blog is that I draw a Pokémon I never gave a thought to before, but it makes me want to check it out. Then I quickly stop caring all over again.

As for chinchou banter, I had imagined a name like chinchou to be pretty popular for naming Chinese babies. I was kind of right. It’s also the name of a province, Jinzhou. I wish I knew what it means, but I just know that zhou means province, and that Jin is a girl’s name that means gold. Maybe that’s what it means.

When I said I was “kind of right” that Chinchou was a popular Chinese name, I meant that it certainly appears all over the internet, but in no extraordinary places. I’ll show you the most interesting chinchous I could find.

Chin-chou Wang

Professor and Doctor, specializes in respiratory diseases and lung cancer.

Chin-chou Huang

Doctor, lecturer. Specializes in adult cardiology and “Invasive Treatment in Catheterization”

Of course, chinchou, the Pokémon version of these people, is Japanese. The name is apparently related to the Japanese word for lantern, and/or a breed of fish swimming around in that ocean over there.

As far as Pokéworld goes, chinchou are pretty remarkable. They can walk on land and communicate underwater by flashing the lights on their antennae. In high-school, a friend and I worked out a system of morse code by blinking our eyes across class rooms. Blinking the left eye equals a long dash, and blinking the right eye translates to a short dash.  It’s basically the same thing.

One last thing before links: One of chinchou’s Mystery Dungeon phrases is “Want me to light you up from behind?” I won’t be too juvenile about that, but instantly it reminds me of every single blue angel story and joke I’ve heard in my life.

GENERAL:

• Scary.
• “Chinchou and background”. That is not a background. I wrote a comment about what it really was, but just deleted it because it was kind of vulgar.
• This is a cool concept for chinchou. Cooler than actual chinchou. And Chin-chou. And the other Chin-chou.
• I will never take Pokemon this seriously.
• This reminds me of lopunny.

COSPLAY:

• This makes me feel like an idiot for looking at it.
• Masks are the ultimate lazy way to make costumes.
• Worst use of pipe-cleaners I’ve ever seen.