Pochi (ポチ) (or Spot in Viz Media's English translation) is the pet name given to a strange but overly friendly water-dwelling yokai who used to live in Shūtarō Mendō's hotel pool before being adopted as a pet by a very caring young boy.
Personality[]
Pochi is a very friendly and humble creature who suffers from severe loneliness and simply wants someone to talk to and spend time with him. Because of his need for company he tends to be quite clingy which will make him oblivious to the feelings of those around him who may find his clinginess annoying, he may even be oblivious to his "visitors" drowning when he forces them to stay in his underwater living room. Regardless Pochi means no harm and will do his best to be accommodating to visitors, and while initially intrusive when he moved into Ataru's bathroom for a while, he had no issue with Ataru's Mother tying him up in a net and kicking him out, understanding that he had outstayed his welcome and warmly accepted his eviction. Thankfully this would lead to him accidentally finding a new and happier home with a very loving family who adopted him as a pet and have shown to be very accommodating to his needs.
He also has romantic feelings for a blowfish named Mimiko at an aquarium, loving her enough that he was willing to abandon his human family in order to be with her as they could not afford another pet; in the end though his family loved Pochi enough to allow him to take Mimiko back home.
Appearance[]
Pochi resembles a small amphibious creature with wide eyes, a round nose, blue skin, a lighter-colored belly and a small tail. He has two small fins on the side of his head which may or may not be his ears. Overall he somewhat resembles a chubby axolotl.
Trivia[]
- His exact species is uncertain as Pochi is simply referred to as either a monster, a goblin (english translation), a fish and a pool yokai.
- He somewhat resembles the sentiment-eating yokai from episode 40 and like the former he seems to yearn for company and sentimentality, but unlike the sentiment yokai, Pochi is not malicious or duplicitous in his intentions.
- He and the sentiment yokai may be based on various artistic depictions of the Hōnengyo or the Ningyo, amphibious and occasionally anthropomorphic fish-like yokai from Japanese folklore, the former of which inspired Toho's iconic monster Godzilla.
- They may also be parodies of the Gill-Men/Fishmen monsters in western folklore and 20th century horror cinema which have been parodied several times in Urusei Yatsura.
- The origins of the word Pochi (ポチ) are debated amongst linguistic historians, with theories as to its etymology including the French word petit (meaning small), the English word spotty, and even the English term Pooch, a popular name for dogs whose own origins are unknown, but which is theorized to have evolved from the German endearment Putzi, commonly used for lapdogs. A less foreign origin may be as a diminutive of the Japanese koreppocchi (これっぽっち), meaning something small. Whatever its origins, Pochi is a very popular dog's name in Japan, comparable to the name "Spot" in America.
- In Viz Media's English translation of the manga, Pochi is given the name "Spot", as a cultural translation.
Media Appearances[]
Manga
- Chapter 86
- Chapter 91
- Chapter 191
Anime
- 1981
- 2022
Gallery[]
