The Pokémon Suicide Song

In this podcast episode, the host delves into the urban legend of the "Lavender Town Suicide Song" linked to the Pokémon game series. They examine the chilling claim that the game's music led to suicides among Japanese schoolchildren, focusing on the original Japanese version's unsettling musical features, such as dissonant tritones and quarter tones. The discussion also ties this legend to a larger narrative about music's association with dark supernatural forces, tracing back to the Satanic Panic of the 1970s and real-life events like the Pokémon anime episode that caused seizures in kids. This exploration reveals how folklore and actual incidents can merge to form compelling urban legends.