<p>In Japan, the answer seems no. <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%89%E9%81%8E%E6%95%8F%E6%80%A7%E7%99%BA%E4%BD%9C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This Wikipedia article</a> mentions, in connection with <em>YAT Anshin Uchu Ryoko</em> (broadcasted by NHK), NHK apologized that sufficient investigation on the incident by <em>YAT Anshin Uchu Ryoko</em> could have prevented Pokemon Shock.</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6728071.stm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this BBC article</a>, there was a similar incident with a TV commercial in 1993, which was banned.</p>
<p><a href="https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E3%83%9D%E3%82%B1%E3%83%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF#h2-4" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This wiki article</a> lists some animes prior to Pokemon that use the same visual effect, and there seem to have been some reports of PSE, but they are much lesser-known and there were fewer victims. Thus most probably the incidents weren't widely known.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-14T11:49:26.950Z
2024-04-14T12:21:44.900Z
2024-04-14T12:21:44.900Z
sundowner
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denn%C5%8D_Senshi_Porygon#Notes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia on <em>Electric Soldier Porygon</em></a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The anime technique &quot;paka paka&quot; uses different-colored lights flashing alternatively to cause a sense of tension.<br />
The anime technique &quot;flash&quot; emits a strong beam of light.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://tvtropes.org/MissingEpisode/AnimeAndManga" rel="nofollow noreferrer">TVTropes: MissingEpisode: Anime And Manga</a>: On <em>Electric Soldier Porygon</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In fact, anime had been like this for years and it wasn't until the Porygon episode that this kind of thing stopped.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It makes sense that those techniques weren't new to the industry, but now I'm wondering if they had ever been reported to have caused photoepileptic seizures too?</p>
<p>Other than <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAT_Anshin!_Uch%C5%AB_Ryok%C5%8D#Controversy" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>YAT Anshin! Uchū Ryokō</em></a>'s incident earlier, in March of the same year, 1997.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-11T16:03:43.420Z
Preliminary research on [Japanese Wikipedia](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9D%E3%82%B1%E3%83%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF#%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E6%A5%AD%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AE%E5%AF%BE%E5%BF%9C) mentioned that Square's *Final Fantasy V* also induced the same seizure in 1992, but I haven't searched further if it made news or not.
Aki Tanaka
<anime-history>
Were there news reports of seizure incidents due to "paka-paka" and "flash" before Pokemon's Electric Soldier Porygon related incidents?
# Were there news reports of seizure incidents due to "paka-paka" and "flash" before Pokemon's Electric Soldier Porygon related incidents?
Posted by: username_0 on 2024-04-11
[Wikipedia on *Electric Soldier Porygon*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denn%C5%8D_Senshi_Porygon#Notes):

> The anime technique "paka paka" uses different-colored lights flashing alternatively to cause a sense of tension.  
> The anime technique "flash" emits a strong beam of light.

[TVTropes: MissingEpisode: Anime And Manga](https://tvtropes.org/MissingEpisode/AnimeAndManga): On *Electric Soldier Porygon*:

> In fact, anime had been like this for years and it wasn't until the Porygon episode that this kind of thing stopped.

It makes sense that those techniques weren't new to the industry, but now I'm wondering if they had ever been reported to have caused photoepileptic seizures too?

Other than [*YAT Anshin! Uchū Ryokō*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAT_Anshin!_Uch%C5%AB_Ryok%C5%8D#Controversy)'s incident earlier, in March of the same year, 1997.
**Tags:** anime-history
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Preliminary research on [Japanese Wikipedia](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9D%E3%82%B1%E3%83%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF#%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E6%A5%AD%E7%95%8C%E3%81%AE%E5%AF%BE%E5%BF%9C) mentioned that Square's *Final Fantasy V* also induced the same seizure in 1992, but I haven't searched further if it made news or not.  
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## 1 answers
### Answer by username_2 on 2024-04-14. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
In Japan, the answer seems no. [This Wikipedia article](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%89%E9%81%8E%E6%95%8F%E6%80%A7%E7%99%BA%E4%BD%9C) mentions, in connection with *YAT Anshin Uchu Ryoko* (broadcasted by NHK), NHK apologized that sufficient investigation on the incident by *YAT Anshin Uchu Ryoko* could have prevented Pokemon Shock.

According to [this BBC article](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6728071.stm), there was a similar incident with a TV commercial in 1993, which was banned.

[This wiki article](https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E3%83%9D%E3%82%B1%E3%83%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF#h2-4) lists some animes prior to Pokemon that use the same visual effect, and there seem to have been some reports of PSE, but they are much lesser-known and there were fewer victims. Thus most probably the incidents weren't widely known.
---
