>>55622277It's not really about being nu-gen per se, it's more because Pokémon mainly tries to pander to young people. That means that they want to follow current fashion and anime trends so that kids won't think it's old and lame. And it's still a Japanese franchise, they are far more familiar with the trends there than here.
"Strange looking male characters", often with long hair, are currently just popular. My example is honestly already outdated because I don't keep up with current anime releases, but Rengoku form Demon Slayer falls into that category as well. Just to name one, there's tons of characters like this.
Two tone hair is also just a popular fashion trend in Japan and Asia. You know that thing that Liko's hair does? Where the "inside" of the hair is a different color than the "outside"? That's really popular right now, I've already seen several Asians with that kind of dyejob despite living in Europe and not seeing that many Asians. And Kieran's hair is also kinda like that. They're just into that right now.
You (and many other anons) being so averse to these designs just means that you don't like the current trends, be it cause you're old, not Asian, or both. Has nothing to do with Pokémon's art direction at all.
