Pokemon fans around the world are rejoicing for a special Pokemon film coming out soon. To mark both the anime’s 20th anniversary as well as the 20th movie to boot, Pokemon decided to do something special for all of the fans of the original series: a movie retelling the origin of Ash Ketchum and how he first met Pikachu at the start of his journey. Pokemon: I Choose You is a cinematic version of Ash’s first Pokemon adventure in the Kanto region.
Since 1997, the Pokemon anime series has followed the journey of Ash Ketchum, a rebellious yet determined young boy and his partner, the feisty Pikachu who has grown to become the series mascot. For 20 seasons, this duo has traveled to seven Pokemon regions, captured dozens of Pokemon and made lots of friends along the way. Their inseparable bond has allowed them to overcome even the toughest of trials and more. The Pokemon company knows how these two have made an impact on the hearts of fans, and wants to give back to the fans with a movie full of nostalgia and childhood dreams. While there is no definite release date outside of Japan at this point, several fans wait eagerly to see Ash and Pikachu become friends all over again.
To give a little background: Pokemon is an incredibly powerful and entertaining franchise that has captured the hearts of fan since 1996; many have argued that one has to have lived under a rock under a rock to not know what it is. Crafted by the genius minds of Satoshi Tajiri, Ken Sugimori, as well as Game Freak and Nintendo, Pokemon is a role-playing game in which player characters try to “Catch ‘em All!” and “Be the very Best like no one ever was.” Battling trainers, their rival, the evil organization, and the Pokemon League, the formula has been embedded into all players’ minds, but continues to bring in so many who can’t get enough Pokemon.
Pokemon has moved beyond just the main video games and have introduced several spin offs and additional franchise. From trading card games that have spawned world champion competitions to manga and novelizations of the games to a well-received web series, and most importantly the very successful anime Pokemon: The Series. Pokemon is a full throttle force of Japanese nature that isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon.
Pokemon has celebrated its franchise’s 20th anniversary in 2016 and wanted to give as much to the fans as they could. Treats for the fans have included replays of the original series, the opportunity to collect rare Pokemon in the X and Y and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games, even the release of the cultural phenomenon Pokemon GO was released in time with the celebration. The celebration has continued into 2017 with the anime’s 20th anniversary, and celebration is sure to be one for the ages.
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