Pokémon Celebi movie review: A timeless and moving encounter

Pokémon the Movie: Celebi - A touching story of time travel and friendship

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

July 7, 2001 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■Frequencies

75 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Original story: Satoshi Tajiri, Junichi Masuda, Ken Sugimori

■ Director

・Director: Kunihiko Yuyama

■ Production

Animation Production: OLM Production: Shogakukan Shueisha Productions Production: Pikachu Project 2001 (The Pokemon Company, Shogakukan, TV Tokyo, Media Factory, Takara Tomy, JR East Japan Planning, OLM, Shogakukan Shueisha Productions)
Distributor: Toho

■Works

©Pikachu Project 2001 (The Pokemon Company, Shogakukan, TV Tokyo, Media Factory, Takara Tomy, JR East Japan Planning, OLM, Shogakukan Productions)

■ Story

Yukinari, a boy who traveled back in time with Celebi, is rescued by Satoshi and his friends in a world 40 years in the future. Then Team Rocket's top executive, Vicious, appears and tries to capture Celebi in order to take over the world. Will Satoshi and his friends be able to save Celebi and the forest?

■Explanation

The 2001 Pokémon the Movie: Celebi - Encounter Beyond Time is one of the most unforgettable films for fans of the Pokémon series. This film delves deep into the world of Pokémon and introduces a new element of time travel, providing viewers with fresh surprises and excitement. It was shown alongside Pikachu's Exciting Hide and Seek, making it a film that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

■Cast

・Satoshi/Rika Matsumoto・Pikachu/Ikue Otani・Kasumi/Masayumi Iizuka・Takeshi/Yuji Ueda・Musashi/Megumi Hayashibara・Kojiro/Shinichiro Miki・Meowth/Inuko Inuyama・Professor Oak/Unsho Ishizuka・Yukinari/Keiko Toda・Towa/Mami Koyama・Celebi/Kazuko Sugiyama・Vicious/Shiro Sano・White/Takashi Fujii・Miku/Anne Suzuki

■ Main staff

・Screenplay: Hideki Sonoda ・Storyboard: Kunihiko Yuyama ・Direction: Masamitsu Hidaka, Hirohito Ochi, Akira Yoshimura, Kiyotaka Izakaya ・Character design: Sayuri Isishi, Norihiro Matsubara, Akihiro Tamagawa ・Design works: Kenichi Chikanaga, Masayuki Goto, Yasuhiro Nishinaka ・Chief animation director:
・Chief animation directors: Akihiro Tamagawa, Sayuri Ichiishi, Norihiro Matsubara, Yuji Ikeda, Yuko Inoue, Chisato Ikehira, Masaru Fukumoto ・Sound director: Masafumi Mima ・Animation cooperation: Studio Cockpit, Doga Kobo

■ Main Characters

Vicious: A top executive of Team Rocket. He plots world domination and tries to capture Celebi.
A boy who loves observing Pokémon. While traveling with a sketchbook in hand, he travels 40 years into the future using Celebi's "Time Travel."
An old woman who has been protecting the forest of Towahateno Village for a long time. She helps Satoshi and friends fight Vicious.
・Mikutowa's grandson. He guides Satoshi and his friends through the forest.
A young man who met Satoshi and his friends on the White Liner and guided them to Hateno Village. He has a ship that can transform into an airship.
・Pokémon Hunter
40 years ago, a hunter chased Celebi in Hateno Forest, trying to capture her.

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Aim to be a Pokemon Master 2001
Lyrics: Shogo Toda; Composition: Hirokazu Tanaka; Arrangement: CHOKKAKU
・Song: Rika Matsumoto・Ending theme
・Please make tomorrow a sunny day・Lyrics by Fumiya Fujii・Composition by Hirokazu Tanaka・Arrangement by Yasuhiro Tomita・Vocals by Fumiya Fujii (SMEJ/SEASKY) courtesy of SEASKY/Sonymusic Entertainment(Japan)Inc.

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

Story and Themes

"Pokémon the Movie: Celebi: An Encounter Beyond Time" is one of the most moving stories in the Pokémon series. It skillfully uses the time slip setting to depict the connection between the past and the future, as well as the importance of friendship and nature conservation. A new character, Yukinari, appears and the story progresses from his perspective, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the story with a fresh feeling.

Celebi, who is at the center of the story, is a mysterious Pokémon, and the time slip caused by its powers will amaze and impress viewers. The appearance of a powerful enemy called Vicious creates tension in the story, and there are many scenes that test Satoshi and his friends' courage and friendship.

character

In addition to familiar characters such as Satoshi, Kasumi, and Takeshi, many new characters appear in this movie. Yukinari in particular is portrayed as a boy who loves observing Pokemon, and his pure heart and courage add excitement to the story. The relationship between Towa and Miku, a grandmother and granddaughter, is also touching and warms the hearts of viewers. Vicious is portrayed as a powerful enemy, and his ruthlessness and ambition add depth to the story.

The voice cast is also impressive, with the voice actors who have supported the series, such as Rika Matsumoto as Satoshi and Ikue Otani as Pikachu, continuing to play their roles. The voices of new characters are also provided by talented voice actors such as Keiko Toda and Mami Koyama, who express the characters' emotions realistically.

Visuals and Music

Visually, the time slip scene and the scene depicting Celebi's mysterious powers are particularly impressive. The technical skills of OLM, the animation production company, shine through, with beautiful backgrounds and smooth movements that are visually pleasing. The character designs and design works are also top-notch, with the characters' expressions and movements carefully drawn down to the smallest detail.

In terms of music, the theme song "Aim to be a Pokémon Master 2001" and the ending theme "Make tomorrow a sunny day" add excitement to the story. The ending theme in particular resonates with the viewer's heart with Fumiya Fujii's powerful singing voice and moving lyrics, enhancing the afterglow of the movie. The background music is also used skillfully to match the development of the story, playing a role in bringing out the viewer's emotions.

Recommended points

This movie is recommended not only for fans of the Pokemon series, but also for general audiences. The story, which incorporates a new element of time travel, will provide viewers with fresh surprises and excitement. In addition, the themes of friendship and nature conservation will resonate with people of all ages, from children to adults.

In particular, the story that delves deeply into the world of Pokemon, and the beautiful images and music are elements that can be enjoyed visually and aurally. The appearance of new characters and the growth of existing characters are also highlights, making this a must-see for fans of the series.

Related information

This movie is also linked to other works in the Pokemon series, especially the game version of Pokemon. The Pokemon Celebi is depicted as a mysterious being in the game version, so its exploits in the movie version are interesting for game fans. In addition, you can enjoy the simultaneous screening of "Pikachu's Exciting Hide and Seek", so it is recommended for those who want to enjoy the world of Pokemon more deeply.

Conclusion

"Pokémon the Movie: Celebi: Encounter Beyond Time" is one of the most moving films in the Pokémon series. The story incorporates a new element of time travel, and the beautiful visuals and music, as well as the moving character growth, will captivate viewers. This film delves deeply into the world of Pokémon and is recommended not only for fans of the series, but also for general audiences. Please experience this moving story at the theater at least once.