Not long after "Pokémon Red and Blue" (the first "Pokémon" video games) were released, a "Pokémon" anime was created. It was first shown in Japan in late 1997, and in the United States in late 1998. The anime started what has been called "Pokémania", which meant that after the anime came out, it became very popular among children, and many parents assumed it was a fad and no one would care about it in a couple years. However, it was never cancelled, and it is still running.