Awesome! The hidden magic in the Pokémon movies that will make you smile

Since its inception in 1997, Pokémon It has accumulated more than 1200 episodesremaining relatively constant in its structure. Fans know what to expect: Ash catching and training Pokémon to compete in leagues and tournaments. However, those who explore the Pokemon movies They are in for a surprise, as these productions often adopt very different tones and genres from those of the series.

The films aren't afraid to throw Ash and his friends into adventures that break with the usual anime expectations, which, while it may seem like a risky choice, is a good one.

An unexpected journey with Mewtwo and Entei

Since the first installment, Pokémon: The Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back By 1998, it became clear that the films were different from the series. In this story, Ash and other trainers are drawn to an island for a mysterious competition, but soon discover that Mewtwo, a clone of the legendary Mew, is the one who has summoned them.

Mewtwo questions the nature of his existence and feels a deep resentment towards humanity, leading him to pit the trainers against each other in a battle for supremacy between originals and copies. Although the American version attempted to soften the message, at its core, the film addresses deep issues such as the ethics of cloning and what it means to be human, something the series does not touch on in as much depth.

This trend continued in Pokémon 3: Spell of the Unown, where Ash must save his mother from an Entei that has hypnotized her into believing she is the mother of a little girl named Molly. The film mixes elements of fairy tales and surrealismstanding out for its unique atmosphere and its departure from the usual tone of anime.

Adventure and fantasy in the Pokémon movies

Another notable example is Pokémon 4Ever, where Ash meets Sam, a young trainer who has been transported 40 years into the future by Celebi, setting off a time-travel adventure with sci-fi elements. Movies such as Pokémon: White—Victini and Zekrom and Pokémon: Black—Victini and Reshiram take Ash into a thousand-year-old magical conflict reminiscent of medieval fantasy stories, further departing from the traditional tone of anime.

Benefits of gender changes in films

These shifts in tone and genre benefit the franchise in several ways. First, they allow the films to have more contained and structured storiessomething difficult to achieve in an episodic format like anime.

By breaking away from the main continuity, the films become accessible to a wider audience, including parents who don't follow the series. They also give writers the freedom to explore new ideas and show different facets of the characterspreventing the story from becoming monotonous.

At the end of it all, the Pokémon movies make the most of these changes to offer memorable experiences that complement the series without overshadowing it. Other anime could learn from this strategy to enrich their own film productions.