Artists aren’t shy about imagining what the creatures populating the world ofPokemonwould look like outside its universe, and one artist chose to tap into classic Disney animation and use the water-type Buizel as their proverbial canvas. The look of classic Disney animation is one familiar to millions of viewers the world over, whether it be films such asBambito the hundreds of shorts across the media giant’s history.Pokemon’s inherently colorful aesthetic and unique designs for the creatures littering Kanto to the Alola Islands, in turn, make for the perfect subjects to transport into this classic animation look.
Buizel was part of the Generation 4 Pokemon introduced in theoriginalDiamondandPearlgamesin 2006, serving as the franchise’s debut titles on the then-new Nintendo DS handheld system. The water-type Pokemon’s design was reminiscent of both a sea otter and a weasel, with the fins and overall body taking more inspiration from the otter, while the orange hue and facial design more closely resemble a weasel. It can evolve once after hitting level 26, becoming the slightly larger and faster Floatzel, which, compared to its previous form, is very effective at fighting in the rain.
RELATED:Pokemon Fan Designs Mega Evolution for Tropius
The Disney-style remake of Buizel was shared on the r/pokemon subreddit by user Grapemunxher, making the Pokemon look like something audiences would have seen standing alongside a young Bambi. Grapemunxher appears to lean more into the weasel-inspiredaspects of Buizel’s design, especially with its orange fur and tails, though the otter inspiration is still present in the fins and feet. As a final touch, Grapemunxher’s art features a faded VHS-style filter to reinforce the tribute to classic Disney animation.
While the Disney inspiration is on full display, some users note Grapemunxher’s Buizel also has hints of famed animator Don Bluth in the art. Bluth, whose career in animation spans over 50 years, had a hand in animation starting from his time at Disney to going independent to direct his own animated features, the most successful being the 1997 filmAnastasia. He even broke ground in the world of video games with the beloved classicsDragon’s LairandSpace Ace, which effectively popularized the “interactive film” subgenre of games modern players would be familiar with thanks to developers such asDavid Cageor Supermassive Games.
The Bluth comparisons, along with various other comparisons, reflect how closely Grapemunxher was able to capture classic Disney in their Buizel art. Disney has never been shy about pulling from the past to promote the future especially as its reach hasgrown to include MarvelandStar Wars. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Grapemunxher continue giving Pokemon the same art treatment as Buizel to see just how many could have fit in classic Disney animation.
