Pokékon |
 | Summary:Hugely successful anime saga features the continuous quest of an ambitious trainer and his pesky electric/yellow-rodent. Appeals to young fans for it's colorful animation and vibrant atmosphere. However the often enervated characters, frequent clichés holds little appeal to fans seeking less lackluster RPG-adulations. |
| Title Aka: | Pocket Monsters |
| Company/Distributors: | 4Kids Entertainment;T.V. Tokyo;Viz;Pioneer Entertainment |
| Year: | 1995 |
| Length: | 30 Minutes Per Episode |
| Rating: |   |
| Genres: | Family, Fantasy, Comedy, Kids |
| Format: | T.V. Series |
| Content Level: |
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| Comments: | N/A |
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Review:
It's quite possible that there isn't a single person on the face of the Earth who is not aware of this runaway Japanese phenomenon. "Pokemon" is a true example of what the sheer aspects of smart advertising and enourmous hype can do to a television show. Which has done so much for it in fact, that I can hardly believe how incredibly popular this show really is. This particular anime series has gained so much success in the United States alone, I sometimes find myself forgetting that this really is anime. I find this series to run much along the lines of "giga pets" and "beanie babies"; "Pokemon" is truly a commercial triumph in Japan and the United States. This show was probably most well known for the incident which took place on December of 97'; when over 700 Japanese children were rushed to hospitals after reports of experiencing convulsions, after they had watched an episode of Pokemon. This was due to the affects of "flashing lights" from the eyes of the character "Pikachu". This event has already been recorded in the "Guiness Book Of World Records", as most fits caused by a T.V. Show; making "Pokemon" (In My Opinion) one of the most controversial shows of all time. Despite the show's technical problems (Which were corrected before it's move to the U.S.), Pokemon has become even more popular than ever; the success of the series has gone beyond anything we expected. Almost everywhere I go I seem to see some sign of this "Japanese Craze" (Which I might add can easily become a parent's worst nightmare). It often amazes me to see tons and tons of children roaming with parents in shopping malls begging them if they can buy a 'Pokemon' card game, or a Pokemon guide book, video or whatever it may be; and it's even scarier to realize that I actually find myself watching the show on television. One stops and thinks about things like this, about why the show is actually as popular as it is; and why it has gained so much success and had Japanese business men counting the "$$$" in their wallets. For those of you who don't already know, Pokemon is actually based upon the popular RPG, which is arguably more successful than the show itself. The story basically centers around a young boy named Ash Catch'em (Hence the phrase: "Gotta catch 'em all!"), along with his pokemon companion "Pikachu", attempt to gain entrance into the "Pokemon League". This is done by catching several of the 150 different varieties of pokemon and training them to battle other pokemon for badges. Ash encounters many adventures and friendships durring his quest, two he befriends are a young girl named "Misty", and a young boy named "Broc". As Ash travels with his two friends, attempting to gain entrance into the "Pokemon League" (Where all trainers compete to become pokemon masters), he must deal with the evil forces of "Team Rocket" the (supposedly) central villans in the story. Most of this is what makes up the central storyline of the show. It contains your basic random elements: Action, suspense, drama and a little comedy for extra flavor; resulting in what most fans can pass off as decent anime. And as for the dialouge of the show: "Ash!, Misty!, Broc!, PIKACHU!!, Oh No!, it's Team Rocket!, get 'em PIKACHU!!, Pika, Pika! PIKA!!" There you have your basic typical dialouge pattern for one episode of the show (Ok, so maybee I'm overexaggerating just a bit; then again, not really). As you know, POKEMON is aimed at kids, and is categorized as a childrens' television program; and holds up a good foundation in that right. Although the show is pretty decent technically, we must remember that it is aimed strictly at kids; and is intended usually only for kids (I can't imagine an adult actually sitting through one episode of this thing). Therefore making Pokemon a kids' show, holding apsolutly no appeal for serious anime fans in my opinion. Every single "saturday morning cartoon" aspect is present; flat humor and dialouge, corny predictable sub-plots; and downright child oriented entertainment. I often like to think of this show as a saturday morning cartoon with a Japanese twist. I myself cannot take a series like "Pokemon" seriously; let alone judge it along the lines of any other anime series. Although the characters are somewhat amusing and the humor sometimes effective, the show has more than enough flaws in it, which is the main reason why it isn't as good as other series. Pokemon just seems to be all too familiar and cliche. That it truly is. Although I feel it is unfair to compare an anime like Pokemon to something like, say "Evangelion"; but other childrens' anime has done quite well what Pokemon fails to do correctly. Entertain a wide variety of audiences, which is what I feel makes anime unique from any other forms of animation. "Pokemon" is a series which fails to accomplish what this sort of anime should be. Which is what makes this title in my opinion, far from being anything close to something great in my book. |
