Pokémon Crystal Raikou's Legend of Thunder - Review and Recommendation

Pokemon Crystal Raikou: The Legend of Thunder - In-Depth Review and All-Round Guide

■ Public Media

TV Special

■ Original Media

game

■ Broadcast period

December 30, 2001 - January 1, 2002

■Broadcasting station

TV Tokyo

■Frequencies

70 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Original story: Satoshi Tajiri, Junichi Masuda, Ken Sugimori

■ Director

・General Director: Kunihiko Yuyama

■ Production

Animation Production: OLM Production: Shogakukan Shueisha Productions Pikachu Project

■Works

©Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK, TV Tokyo, ShoPro, JR Kikaku ©Pokémon

■ Story

Kenta, a boy who continues traveling with the "Volcanic Pokémon" Typhlosion, arrives at a Pokémon Center and is reunited with his childhood friend Marina. Marina, who is accompanied by the "Nightmare Pokémon" Misty, is continuing her training with the aim of becoming an idol trainer.
Reunited for the first time in a long time, the two begin a Pokémon battle to test each other's level-up. However, in the midst of the heated battle, a tremendous thunderclap suddenly roars, thunderclouds gather, and lightning flashes. As if sensing something unusual in the atmosphere, Misty and the others rush towards the thunder. The two panic and chase after it.
At the same time, Team Rocket's Bashou and Buzzard activate the "Crystal System" in the wilderness near the Pokemon Center. It summons lightning, and the electric Pokemon are attracted to the energy emitted from it and gather under the Crystal System. Buzzard attacks the Pokemon using a giant secret mecha, the Chicken Walker, in an attempt to capture them. Kenta and Marina witness this.
Kenta was about to jump out, but before he could, a roar shook the earth. A silhouette wrapped in electricity rose from a small hill. As lightning pierced the sky, the "Lightning Pokémon" Raikou appeared.

■Explanation

"Pokémon Crystal: Raikou the Legend of Thunder" was the second of the year-end specials broadcast on TV Tokyo on December 30, 2001, and is an animated work based on the game "Pokémon Crystal." In this work, Satoshi and his friends do not appear, and new characters Kenta and Marina are depicted as the main characters.
This work is a story that focuses on the legendary Pokemon Raikou, and depicts the crystal system that utilizes the energy of lightning and the conspiracy of Team Rocket that is targeting it. The story begins with the reunion of Kenta and Marina, and the strong presence of Raikou, who appears with a thunderclap, is a work that leaves a strong impression.
This work also delves deeply into the world of Pokemon, offering a fresh perspective not only to game fans but also to anime fans. In particular, the beautiful visuals of Raikou and the powerful battle scenes are one of the highlights, making this a very visually appealing work.

■Cast

・Kenta/Kenji Nojima・Marina/Kazusa Murai・Junichi/Daisuke Sakaguchi・Dr. Deutzi/Kazuhiko Inoue・Minaki/Shinji Kawada・Basho/Tomoyuki Morikawa・Buson/Nobuyuki Hiyama

■ Main staff

・Original Concept / Tajiri Satoshi・Associate Producer / Yoshikawa Choji・Animation Supervisor / Kotabe Yoichi・General Director / Yuyama Kunihiko・Screenplay / Tomioka Atsuhiro・Setting Cooperation / Jinnai Hiroyuki, Kawamura Kunimi, Nomoto Takeshi・Character Concept / Sugimori Ken, Fujiwara Motofumi, Morimoto Shigeki, Yoshida Hironobu, Ota Satoshi, Nishida Atsuko, Saito Muneo, Yoshikawa Rena・Character Design / Ichiishi Sayuri, Matsubara Norihiro・Mechanic Design / Matsubara Norihiro, Goto Masayuki・Chief Animation Director / Ichiishi Sayuri・Animation Director / Matsubara Norihiro, Inoue Yuko・Art Director / Kanemura Katsuyoshi・Color Design / Yoshino Norimichi・Director of Photography / Mizutani Takaya・Music / Miyazaki Shinji・Sound Director / Mima Masafumi・Animation Producer / Kanda Shukichi・Animation Cooperation / TEAM WASAKI
・Animation Production: OLM TEAM KOITABASHI
Director: Masamitsu Hidaka Producers: Makiko Iwata (TV Tokyo), Gen Moritake

■ Theme songs and music

・Opening theme / A New Vow (Acoustic Ver.)
Lyrics: Shogo Toda; Composition: Hirokazu Tanaka; Arrangement: Hirokazu Tanaka; Singer: Naomi Tamura

・Ending theme / New Vow ・Lyrics / Shogo Toda ・Music / Hirokazu Tanaka ・Arrangement / Hirokazu Tanaka ・Singer / Naomi Tamura

■Detailed review

"Pokémon Crystal: Raikou - The Legend of Thunder" is one of the most memorable works in the Pokémon series. Below, we will take a closer look at this work from various perspectives, including story, characters, visuals, and music.

story

The story of this work begins with the reunion of Kenta and Marina. As the two childhood friends enjoy a Pokemon battle, a sudden thunderclap occurs and Raikou appears, drawing viewers in. The plot of Team Rocket and Kenta and Marina's adventure to fight it delves deep into the world of Pokemon, offering a fresh perspective even for fans of the game.
In particular, Raikou's presence is overwhelming, and the connection to the crystal system that utilizes the energy of lightning adds depth to the story. The friendship and growth of Kenta and Marina is also depicted, making it an enjoyable human drama.

character

Kenta and Marina are the central characters of this work. Kenta is a boy who continues his journey with his Tyrannosaurus, and is portrayed as someone who values ​​his bravery and friendship. Meanwhile, Marina is a girl who aims to become an idol trainer with her friend, Misty, and her efforts towards that dream are impressive.
Team Rocket's Basho and Buson also appear as important characters. Their plot and the fight between Kenta and Marina against it add tension to the story. In particular, Buson's fight scene with the Chicken Walker is one of the highlights.

visual

The visuals of this work are considered to be particularly beautiful among the Pokémon series. In particular, Raikou's silhouette and the lightning effects are very impressive and highly visually appealing. In addition, the Pokémon battle scenes are carefully drawn, with the movements and expressions of the Pokémon being reproduced realistically.
It is a masterpiece by art director Katsuyoshi Kanemura, and the color sense of color designer Noritsugu Yoshino also enhances the appeal of the work. The technique of cinematographer Takaya Mizutani also stands out, and the overall visuals are worth seeing.

music

The music was composed by Shinji Miyazaki, and it really brings out the atmosphere of the Pokémon series. The music in the scenes where Raikou appears is particularly impressive and captures the hearts of viewers. In addition, the opening and ending theme song "Ataranaru Oath" deeply expresses the worldview of the work with the singing voice of Naomi Tamura.
The sound director Masafumi Mima's skills are outstanding, and the sound effects and voice acting add excitement to the story. In particular, Kenji Nojima and Kazusa Murai's performances bring the characters of Kenta and Marina to life.

■ Recommendation points

"Pokémon Crystal: Raikou - The Legend of Thunder" is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the Pokémon series, but also to anime fans. Below are some points that I would particularly like to recommend.

Raikou's Presence

The biggest attraction of this work is the presence of Raikou. Raikou's visuals and battle scenes, which are linked to the crystal system that utilizes the energy of lightning, are very visually appealing. In particular, the music and sound effects in the scenes in which Raikou appears capture the hearts of viewers.

Kenta and Marina's Friendship

The friendship between Kenta and Marina is also one of the charms of this work. The two childhood friends reunite and enjoy Pokemon battles, and their fight against the Rocket Gang's conspiracy will warm the hearts of viewers. The two characters' growth is also depicted, making it an enjoyable human drama.

A fusion of visuals and music

Another point not to be missed is the fusion of visuals and music. Art director Katsuyoshi Kanemura, color designer Noritsugu Yoshino, and cinematographer Takaya Mizutani's skills shine through, firmly expressing the world of Pokémon. In addition, the music by Shinji Miyazaki and the sound direction of Masafumi Mima combine to create a work with great visual and auditory appeal.

Related information

This work is an animated work based on the game "Pokémon Crystal" and is a must-see for fans of the Pokémon series. The story focuses on the legendary Pokémon Raikou and delves deep into the world of Pokémon, offering a new perspective.
Furthermore, this work is the second year-end special broadcast by TV Tokyo, and occupies an important position in the history of the Pokemon series. One of the attractions is the story of new characters that do not appear in Satoshi and friends, allowing you to enjoy the world of Pokemon more widely.

■ Summary

"Pokémon Crystal: Raikou - The Legend of Thunder" is one of the most impressive works in the Pokémon series. It is full of various charms, such as Raikou's presence, Kenta and Marina's friendship, and the fusion of visuals and music. It is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the Pokémon series but also to anime fans, so please give it a watch.