To celebrate the upcoming release of a new generation and highly anticipated Nintendo 3DS games; this week’s anime is dedicated to the currently airing show Pokémon Origins. Fans of the original Gameboy games will love this one and will recognize the music, characters, and story that is in this fantastic new show.
Pokémon Origins focuses on the adventures of a young Pokémon trainer named Red who is on his way to capture all of the Pokémon in the Kanto region. Red has been waiting for the local Pokémon professor, Professor Oak, to complete a secret project and Red has been chosen as well as Professor Oak’s grandson, Blue to be the first ones to test the project out. It turns out that Professor Oak has been working on a device called a Pokédex which he wants Red and Blue to use to learn about all of the Pokémon they come across. Professor Oak lets Red and Blue pick one Pokémon out of three to use on their adventure. Red chooses Charmander, a fire type Pokémon and Blue chooses Squirtle, a water type Pokémon. Red and Blue set out on a journey to learn about what it takes to be a Pokémon trainer and learn about Pokémon.
Unlike the on-going televsion series that has been airing since 1997; Pokémon Origins accurately portrays the events that happen in the original Pokémon games that were released on the Gameboy in 1998. Instead of Ash Ketchum, it follows the character named Red who Ash Ketchum was originally based off of. The detail in Pokémon Origins is amazing. It shows a more realistic picture of how Pokémon battles would be and the art is beautiful. Instead of showcasing “cartoonish” graphics, Pokémon Origins has a more “adult” feel to it. A battle between Squirtle and Charmander shows Squirtle brutally biting Charmander which would never be shown in the 1997 Pokémon series as it is more oriented to a child audience.
Die-hard Pokémon fans do not want to miss this special series especially if you’ve played the original games on the Gameboy. The anime features a unique take on Pokémon that differs quite a bit from the on-going children’s television series. Pokémon Origins is currently airing in Japan and a new episode is available every Saturday.