A thorough review of the movie Pokémon Advanced Generation: Jirachi's Wish Star

Pokémon the Movie: Advanced Generation - Jirachi

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

July 19, 2003 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■Frequencies

80 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 (The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan, TV Tokyo, Media Factory, Tomy, JR East Japan Planning, OLM, Shogakukan Shueisha Productions)
Distributor: Toho

■Works

©Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK, TV Tokyo, ShoPro, JR Kikaku ©Pokémon
©2003 Pikachu Project

■ Story

Satoshi and his friends meet Butler, a popular magician, at the "Pokémon Park, a traveling amusement park" where they can get a good view of the Millennium Comet, which appears for seven days once every millennium. During a magic show, only Masato can hear the voice of his assistant Diane's "sleeping cocoon." It is the voice of Jirachi, a legendary Pokémon that is said to wake up once every millennium and grant wishes. Soon, Jirachi wakes up from its millennium sleep in Masato's hands. Despite Satoshi and his friends' joy, Butler plots to use Jirachi for his own ambitions.

■Explanation

"Pokémon Advanced Generation: Jirachi - Wish Maker", released in 2003, is the sixth film in the Pokémon series. This film further deepened the world of Pokémon, providing fans with new adventures and excitement. It was shown alongside "Dancing Pokémon: The Secret Base", making it a film that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

■Cast

・Satoshi/Rika Matsumoto ・Pikachu/Ikue Otani ・Takeshi/Yuji Ueda ・Haruka/KAORI
・Masato/Yamada Fushigi ・Musashi/Hayashibara Megumi ・Kojiro/Miki Shinichiro ・Meowth/Inuyama Inuko ・Jirachi/Suzuki Tomiko

Butler/Kouichi Yamadera Diane/Riho Makise Bogey/Papaya Suzuki

Narration by Unsho Ishizuka

■ Main staff

・Screenplay / Hideki Sonoda ・Storyboard / Kunihiko Yuyama, Hatsuki Tsuji, Shinji Higuchi ・Director / Kazuya Murata, Koji Fukasawa, Norihiko Sudo, Yuji Asada ・Assistant director / Yoshinobu Tokumoto ・Character design / Sayuri Isishi, Norihiro Matsubara, Kazuaki Mori ・Design works / Koji Fukasawa, Kazuya Murata, Kenichi Chikanaga, Shigeyuki Koresawa, Kazumi Sato, Yuko Inoue, Yasuhiro Nishinaka ・Chief animation director / Kazuaki Mori ・Animation directors / Norihiro Matsubara, Takuya Matsumoto, Yuko Inoue, Masato Sawada, Kazumi Sato, Ryo Sato, Koichi Taguchi ・Sound director / Masafumi Mima

■ Main Characters

Butler is a popular magician at the Pokémon theme park. He used to be a scientist for Team Magma, researching the legendary Pokémon Groudon.
Diane: A beautiful woman who works as an assistant in a magic show for the revenge-seeking Butler. She is Butler's childhood friend.
Bogey: He runs a store selling Wish Makers at the Pokémon Amusement Park. He has a friendly personality, unlike his appearance.

■ Theme songs and music

・ED
・Little Things・Lyrics by Tomoko Miura・Music by Takahiro Yamai・Arrangement by Takahiro Yamai・Vocals by Asuka Hayashi (Toshiba EMI) by courtesy of TOSHIBA-EMI LTD.

Detailed evaluation and recommendation

Story and Themes

"Pokémon Advanced Generation: Jirachi - Wish Maker" is a film with one of the most moving stories in the Pokémon series. The story centers on Jirachi, a legendary Pokémon that awakens only once every thousand years. Jirachi has the power to grant wishes, and the story of Battler, who has his eye on this power, trying to use Jirachi to his advantage, delves deeply into the themes of "friendship" and "adventure" that are part of the Pokémon series.

Various human dramas intertwine, such as the brotherly love between Satoshi and Masato, their friendship with Jirachi, Butler's ambition and Diane's desire for revenge, and leave viewers deeply moved. In particular, the time Masato spends with Jirachi and the scene where Jirachi bids farewell to Satoshi and his friends are so moving that it is impossible to watch them without crying. This movie has a strong appeal not only to fans of the Pokémon series, but also to general movie fans.

character

The characters in this movie are all unique and play an important role in the story. Satoshi is as brave as ever and does everything he can to protect his friends. Masato grows through his friendship with Jirachi and develops a deep brotherly love for him. Jirachi is adorable and will capture the hearts of viewers.

Butler appears as a villain, but through his past and relationship with Diane, he is portrayed as a character with a complex background, not just a villain. Diane also follows Butler's ambition, but is portrayed as someone who tries to support him deep down, which elicits sympathy from the audience. Bogey is a comical character who adds humor to the story.

Visuals and Music

Visually, the beautiful scenery of Pokémon Park and the fantastical depiction of the Millennium Comet are impressive. In particular, the scene where Jirachi awakens and the scene where Battler tries to use Jirachi's power are depicted with powerful images that make full use of CG, enhancing the visual appeal.

As for music, the ending theme "Chiisaka Mono" sung by Asuka Hayashi is very moving. The song's gentle and sad melody symbolizes the separation between Jirachi and Masato, further deepening the emotion of the story. Music is also used effectively in the film to accompany the Pokémon battles and tense scenes, enhancing the emotions of the viewer.

Background and influences

This film was the sixth movie in the Pokémon series, and it played a role in further increasing the popularity of the series. Director Kunihiko Yuyama has worked on many Pokémon movies, and his experience and skills are utilized in this film. Screenwriter Hideki Sonoda has a deep understanding of the world of Pokémon and has created a moving story.

The success of this movie had a major impact on the further development of the Pokémon series. In particular, the appearance of a new legendary Pokémon, Jirachi, led to its popularity in games and anime. In addition, the new setting of Pokémon Park further expanded the world of Pokémon and stimulated the imagination of fans.

Recommendation

"Pokémon Advanced Generation: Jirachi - Wish Maker" is recommended not only for fans of the Pokémon series, but also for all movie fans who want a touching story. It is a perfect movie to watch with the family, and can be enjoyed by both children and adults. Satoshi and Masato's friendship with Jirachi and their brotherly love will be deeply engraved in the hearts of viewers.

We also recommend watching this movie along with the game and anime to gain a deeper understanding of the world of Pokemon. By experiencing the charm of Jirachi and the beauty of Pokemon Park, you can become even more immersed in the world of Pokemon. Please do experience this touching story.