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Mewtwo Returns (known in Japan as Mewtwo! I Am Here - MEWTWO SAGA) is a television special hour-long episode (and also first TV movie) of Pokémon the Series, and is a direct sequel to Pokémon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. It was first broadcast in Japan on December 30, 2000, and was released as a direct-to-video movie in the United States and Canada on December 4, 2001. The events of the special take place during the anime's fourth season, Pokémon Johto League Champions, between The Grass Route and The Apple Corp!.
Plot[]
Mewtwo, who has been hiding out in the Johto region since he was last seen, has been located by Giovanni. Now the Team Rocket boss wants to recapture the powerful Pokémon again to use him for his own purposes.
Cast[]
| Character | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Ash Ketchum | Rica Matsumoto | Veronica Taylor |
| Pikachu | Ikue Otani | |
| Misty | Mayumi Iizuka | Rachael Lillis |
| Brock | Yuji Ueda | Eric Stuart |
| Togepi | Satomi Korogi | |
| Jessie | Megumi Hayashibara | Rachael Lillis |
| James | Shin-ichiro Miki | Eric Stuart |
| Meowth | Inuko Inuyama | Maddie Blaustein |
| Narrator | Unsho Ishizuka | Rodger Parsons |
| Mewtwo | Masachika Ichimura | Dan Green |
| Giovanni | Hirotaka Suzuoki | Ted Lewis |
| Domino | Kotono Mitsuishi | Kerry Williams |
| Officer Jenny | Chinami Nishimura | Lee Quick |
| Luna Carson | Aya Hisakawa | Amy Birnbaum |
| Cullen Calix | Rikiya Koyama | Scottie Ray |
| Luka Carson | Yumi Toma | Megan Hollingshead |
Production[]
In the American dubbed version, the DVD (but not the VHS) features a second mini-feature in addition to the movie feature named The Uncut Story of Mewtwo’s Origin. This 10-minute segment was originally part of Mewtwo Strikes Back's running length in the Japanese version, but it was cut from the U.S. release of that movie because it was deemed too dark and morose for the film's American "G" rating. The German DVD release also includes the English language track. However, the DVD is now out of print across the world as the distribution rights for Warner Bros. Pokémon movies and specials appear to have expired.
Soundtrack[]
Three on Three from the Mewtwo Strikes Back score served as the ending theme. In Japan, OK! (opening) and To My Best Friend (ending) was played instead. The ending song used the original animation along with clips from the special.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In reruns on Kids Station and on VOD services such as Prime Video and Hulu, the special is split into three episodes listed as part of the original series between The Grass Route and The Apple Corp!, with each part including the regular opening and ending animations, title cards, and next episode previews.
- Sailor Moon stars Kotono Mitsuishi and Aya Hisakawa are reunited just like in Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One.
- Before being blasted off by the typhoon, Team Rocket said: "How many times must our plans be destroyed, before they're allowed to be tried? The answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind!", referencing the Bob Dylan song Blowin' in the Wind.
- This was the first time that any part of the anime, other than openings and segments, used digital coloring.
- In Mean With Envy, Brock comments that an ice sculpture of Giovanni looks "oddly familiar", thus confirming the events of this special to be canon with the anime proper, as this is the only time when Brock has ever met Giovanni.
- The design of Giovanni's airship would later be used as a basis of the Team Rocket airship in the Pokémon Adventures manga.
- A post-credits scene in Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution shows Mewtwo and the clones arriving at Mount Quena, foreshadowing the events of this special.
- At the end, Ash says "This time we'll both be able to remember." This may mean that Mewtwo informed him of their previous encounter. However, this is dub-only.
- At the end, Mewtwo overlooks a city whose buildings are similar to New York City's Empire State Building and MetLife Building.
- This ending is later referenced in the credits of Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened, when another Mewtwo is last seen overlooking a city at night.
- The United Kingdom VHS release refers to the special as Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns - The Movie.
- The design of Giovanni's airship would later be used as a basis of the Team Rocket airship in the Pokémon Adventures manga.
- The special was released as part of the "Mewtwo Box" in Japan on December 18, 2013, along with Pokémon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, The Battle of the Badge, Mewtwo — Prologue to Awakening, and Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened.
See also[]
- Pokémon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back
- The Birth of Mewtwo
- Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened (another Pokémon movie featuring Mewtwo)
- Mewtwo — Prologue to Awakening
- Detective Pikachu (another Pokémon movie featuring Mewtwo)
- Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution (Remake of the first movie)
- The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon (special featuring Mewtwo)
External links[]
- Mewtwo Returns at Bulbapedia, the Pokémon wiki.
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns at the Internet Movie Database
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns at Anime News Network