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Pokémon animation (Pokémon anime in Japan and Asia) is a term that refers collectively to all animated works in the Pokémon series. These can serve as narrative works in and of themselves, or act as promotional material for other aspects of the brand. Most Pokémon animation adapts the events and world of the mainline series or spin-off games, with varying degrees of creative freedom. However, some works are independent of this theming, and can explore their own original concepts.
Background[]
The longest-running series of Pokémon animation is the eponymous Pokémon animated TV series, which debuted in 1997 in Japan and 1998 in the United States, and has spawned a number of tie-in movies and other related media. Since then, additional animated works such as miniseries, shorts, animated trailers, variety shows, radio dramas, a stage show, and a live-action drama series have also been released. Pokémon.com publishes a guide on where to watch Pokémon animation in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Latin America, and Brazil.
Animated works made in Japan are often referred to as "anime" in English, although TPCi generally avoids using the term outside of social media posts. Some event Pokémon in the mainline series games based on individual Pokemon from Pokémon animation, such as Ash Ketchum's Pikachu and Glaseado Mountain Cetitan, have their location set as "Pokémon Cartoon", "the Pokémon cartoon", or "the Pokémon animated show".
While the anime specifically refers to the television show, several other animated works take place within the series's continuity and world. These works can generally be identified by the presence of characters who have interacted with Ash Ketchum or his friends and later, Liko and Roy at some point.
Mainline anime series[]
The Pokémon animated series, currently titled as Pokémon the Series, is a Japanese anime television series, that began broadcasting in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 1, 1997, and in North America on September 7, 1998. The anime initially featured Ash Ketchum and Pikachu for the first seven series and later, Liko and Roy in the eighth. The anime was initially dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment for the first eight seasons and movies and later, TPCi since the ninth season and movie.
The anime is largely credited for allowing anime to become more popular and familiar around the world, especially in the United States, where many Pokémon films are among the highest-grossing anime films. It is also the most successful video game adaptation of all time, airing for over 25 years.
Movies[]
From 1998 to 2020, an animated feature-length work that served as a tie-in to the mainline anime was released in theaters annually, most often focusing on a Legendary or Mythical Pokémon. These films were initially a large success worldwide, with all 23 films having received wide releases in Japan, the first three movies receiving wide releases internationally, and later films occasionally receiving limited releases outside of Japan.
A live action film based on Detective Pikachu was released in 2019.
These special films, which run longer than the normal half-hour and are not usually separated into more than one episode in either the original or the dub, are often considered TV Pokémon movies, not counting towards the running total. They never appear in theaters, but are instead broadcast on the same networks that the regular anime is broadcast for their premieres. Though they may air around the same time as other episodes of the anime, usually in the anime's normal timeslot, they are not assigned episode numbers. There are also three short films produced by Pokémon Shanghai, even a fan-made movie directed by Kial Natale and produced by Dylan Innes and Lee Majdoub was released in 2010.
Miscellaneous animated media[]
- Pokémon Chronicles
- Top Secret Internal Team Plasma Genesect Video
- Pocket Monsters Premier 10
- Hoopa's Surprise Ring Adventures
- Pokémon XY Pre-Start Special: Road to Kalos
- New Series Pocket Monsters Pokémon Investigation Team
- Pikachu shorts
- Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
- A Ripple in Time
- Bidoof's Big Stand
- Challenge the World!
- Detective Pikachu and the Mystery of the Missing Flan
- Bubble Beam Berry Blast
- Turning the Tera Tide
- News Pokémon Satellite
- A Clefairy Bedtime Story
- A Mimikyu Bedtime Story
- A Sylveon Bedtime Story
Miniseries[]
- Pokémon Origins
- Pokémon shorts
- Pokémon Generations
- The Two Professors
- Pokémon: Twilight Wings
- Pokétoon
- Pokémon Evolutions
- Pokémon: Hisuian Snow
- Discover Pokémon Together
- Cube-Shaped Pokémon on Cubie Island?!
- Pokémon: Path to the Peak
- Pokémon: Paldean Winds
- The Adventures of Snorlax and Cubone
- Pokémon Concierge
- Pokévideodex
Variety and live-action shows[]
- Oha Suta (includes Pokémon content)
- Pocket Monsters Encore
- Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station
- Pokémon Sunday
- Pokémon Smash!
- Pokémon Get☆TV
- Meet Up at the Pokémon House?
- PokéDoko
- Pokémon Music Festival
- Pokétsume: Pack Your Pocket With Adventure
- Seeds of Good Night.
Stage[]
Radio drama[]
Other productions[]
- Twitch Pokémon Marathon
- Electric Tale of Pikachu (manga)
- Pokémon Puzzle League (video game)
Gallery[]
| Main article: Pokémon animation/gallery |
See also[]
- Pokémon Kids TV
- Fun Times on monpoké Island
- Pokémon Puppet Theater: Puppemon
- Beyond the Pokédex
- Pokémon: Trainer Tour
External links[]
- Pokémon animation at Bulbapedia, the Pokémon wiki.
- Pokémon the Series at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Pokémon the Series at the Internet Movie Database
- English website
- Japanese website (animation)
- Japanese website (main anime)
- Anime News Network
- Twitter page (@anipoke_PR)