REVIEW - POKÉMON ORIGINS
I expected the new Pokemon
reboot to ride solely on nostalgia, bringing Ash and the gang back for a
few more adventures in Kanto to revive interest in the franchise and
sell the new games - Pokemon X and Y.
What I experienced instead was a kind of tribute, seemingly made for
the fans of the original Pokemon games. Yes, nostalgia probably played a
large part in why I enjoyed watching this new miniseries, but
the quality of the show, along with just the right amount of Japanese
quirk, was what made it exceptional.
Pokemon Origins does not follow the life of Ash Ketchum. Instead, you follow the protagonist 'Red' in a television translation of the plot of the original video games (Pokemon Red and Blue). The show is filled with familiar characters, places and dialogues lifted directly from the game. As the original Pokemon games are kind of absurd (why are children encouraged to leave home in their pre-teens to travel the world and catch dangerous monsters?) you might think that this borrowing would lead to a confused, awkward show - it does not. The makers of this mini-series seem to be born of the same Pokemon loving era that birthed the fans, as its tone is self-referential, even a little cheeky. It knows that it is a story born of a fairly unbelievable setting, but instead of trying to justify itself to new audiences it plainly shows itself for what it is. It knows that mentioning seemingly insignificant things like Red learning how to fish and acquiring a bike may come off as strange for a wide audience, but they include these fan in-jokes in such a way that it is not detrimental to everyone's enjoyment of the show.
Another unexpected thing about this series is how it manages to give depth and reality to such a familiar setting. Its themes are dark compared to the original series of Pokemon which, despite having its serious moments, and even a few poignant ones, possessed a tone of fun and adventure. It was a comic show, written for kids (in the English translation at least. I am led to believe that the original Japanese was more adult). Pokemon Origins, however, can not be so easily classified as a children's show. Episode plots address issues and ethical dilemmas such as animal trafficking and the duty of humans to protect other species. To put it another way, I would not be sure how to explain the content of this show to an upset child without upsetting them further by having to explain some of humanity's darker features. To be certain, this new seriousness does not detract from the show. Far from it, it makes it a really engaging, interesting departure from our expectations of Pokemon.
As a miniseries, rather than a full length show one pitfall is its length. This may sound silly - complaining about how mini a miniseries is - but the pacing is a little frustrating. The entirety of Indigo League - a story which takes minimum 30 hours to complete in-game - is compressed into four 22 minute episodes. There aren't gaps in the story - rather things are skimmed over via montages, and altogether the series makes sense, but I am sure that I am not the only viewer who would have loved to see some of the shorter scenes extended into their own subplots - or even episodes.
Pokemon Origins is a deeply satisfying viewing experience. It truly is the television show that everyone who grew up in the 90s desired. But I suppose the fact that my biggest complaint about the show is that it is too short kind of gives that away.
Pokemon Origins does not follow the life of Ash Ketchum. Instead, you follow the protagonist 'Red' in a television translation of the plot of the original video games (Pokemon Red and Blue). The show is filled with familiar characters, places and dialogues lifted directly from the game. As the original Pokemon games are kind of absurd (why are children encouraged to leave home in their pre-teens to travel the world and catch dangerous monsters?) you might think that this borrowing would lead to a confused, awkward show - it does not. The makers of this mini-series seem to be born of the same Pokemon loving era that birthed the fans, as its tone is self-referential, even a little cheeky. It knows that it is a story born of a fairly unbelievable setting, but instead of trying to justify itself to new audiences it plainly shows itself for what it is. It knows that mentioning seemingly insignificant things like Red learning how to fish and acquiring a bike may come off as strange for a wide audience, but they include these fan in-jokes in such a way that it is not detrimental to everyone's enjoyment of the show.
Another unexpected thing about this series is how it manages to give depth and reality to such a familiar setting. Its themes are dark compared to the original series of Pokemon which, despite having its serious moments, and even a few poignant ones, possessed a tone of fun and adventure. It was a comic show, written for kids (in the English translation at least. I am led to believe that the original Japanese was more adult). Pokemon Origins, however, can not be so easily classified as a children's show. Episode plots address issues and ethical dilemmas such as animal trafficking and the duty of humans to protect other species. To put it another way, I would not be sure how to explain the content of this show to an upset child without upsetting them further by having to explain some of humanity's darker features. To be certain, this new seriousness does not detract from the show. Far from it, it makes it a really engaging, interesting departure from our expectations of Pokemon.
As a miniseries, rather than a full length show one pitfall is its length. This may sound silly - complaining about how mini a miniseries is - but the pacing is a little frustrating. The entirety of Indigo League - a story which takes minimum 30 hours to complete in-game - is compressed into four 22 minute episodes. There aren't gaps in the story - rather things are skimmed over via montages, and altogether the series makes sense, but I am sure that I am not the only viewer who would have loved to see some of the shorter scenes extended into their own subplots - or even episodes.
Pokemon Origins is a deeply satisfying viewing experience. It truly is the television show that everyone who grew up in the 90s desired. But I suppose the fact that my biggest complaint about the show is that it is too short kind of gives that away.
