Not long after "Pokémon Red and Blue" (the first "Pokémon" video games outside of Japan) were released, the anime was created. It was first broadcast in Japan in early 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, and continues to maintain a fanbase consisting of people of all ages.