A thorough review of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Pikachu's Mysterious Adventure!

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Pikachu's Mysterious Adventure - A Story of Ultimate Adventure and Friendship

■ Public Media

event

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

August 1, 2010 - January 1, 0000

■ How it first appeared

ANA In-Flight Screening

■Frequencies

23 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Original story: Satoshi Tajiri, Junichi Masuda, Ken Sugimori

■ Director

Kunihiko Yuyama

■ Production

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

■Works

©Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK, TV Tokyo, ShoPro, JR Kikaku
©Pokemon
©2010 Pikachu Project

■ Story

When Unown, who fell from the sky in a panic, asks "Where did it come from?", Pikachu and his friends can only answer "A sparkly place". Guided by Eneko, who says he knows where his friends are, they head to a dead-end underground waterway. When they press a strange pillar puzzle on the wall, they are suddenly sucked into a mysterious light. When they come to their senses, they find themselves in a very mysterious place where there is a stone maze floating in the sky and Pokemon have grown larger. Meowth and his friends are chasing them! Will Pikachu and his friends be able to safely bring Unown back to his friends?

■Explanation

An original anime that was only available on ANA in-flight screenings in the summer of 2010. For fans of the Pokemon series, this is a special experience, depicting the adventures of Pikachu and his friends in an unknown world. Though short, it features a deep story and beautiful visuals, and is a work that further expands the world of Pokemon.

■Cast

・Pikachu/Ikue Otani・Pochama/Etsuko Kozakura・Sawman/Yuji Ueda・Buizel/Kiyotaka Furushima・Dodaitose/Shinichiro Miki・Fusokie/Daisuke Sakaguchi・Togekiss/Kikuko Inoue・Mimiroll/Satsuki Yukino・Maril/Mika Kanai・Narration/Kenyu Horiuchi

■ Main staff

・Original story / Satoshi Tajiri, Junichi Masuda, Ken Sugimori・Supervisor / Tsunekazu Ishihara・Animation supervision / Yoichi Kotabe・Executive producer / Kenjiro Ito, Masakazu Kubo・Producer / Choji Yoshikawa, Yukio Kawasaki, Junya Okamoto, Susumu Fukunaga, Gen Moritake・Animation producer / Toshiaki Okuno, Shukichi Kanda・Screenplay / Shikichi Ohashi・Storyboard / Yuji Asada・Director / Yuji Asada・Chief animation director / Akihiro Tamagawa・Sound director / Masafumi Mima・Music / Shinji Miyazaki, Hirokazu Tanaka, Akifumi Tada・Director / Kunihiko Yuyama・Animation production / OLM・Production / Shogakukan Shueisha Productions・Production / Pikachu Project (The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan, TV Tokyo, Media Factory, Takara Tomy, JR East Japan Planning, OLM, Shogakukan Shueisha Productions)

■ Related works

・Pokémon Diamond & Pearl

■ Theme songs and music

・ED1
・Which one?
Lyrics by Choji Yoshikawa and Asakusa KIDS
・Composition: Keiroku Araki ・Arrangement: Keiroku Araki ・Singer: Moo Moo Milk and Araki-san

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

The appeal of the story

"Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Pikachu's Great Mysterious Adventure" is a short animated film that delves deeper into the world of Pokémon. The story begins with Pikachu and friends' adventure to rescue an Unown that fell from the sky. The scene where the Unown says that it comes from a "sparkling place" arouses the viewer's curiosity about the unknown world. With the guidance of Eneco, they reach an underground waterway where they are sucked into a mysterious light, drawing the viewer in.

The greatest appeal of this work is the various challenges that the Pokémon face in this unknown world, and the power of friendship that allows them to overcome them. Scenes such as the stone maze and the Pokémon growing larger will amaze and move the audience. The tension of Meowth and his friends chasing them also adds depth to the story. The process by which Pikachu and his friends bring the Unown back to their friends teaches us the greatness of friendship and adventure.

Visuals and animation

The visuals of this work bring out the world of Pokémon to the fullest. In particular, the stone maze floating in the sky and the scene where the Pokémon grow are drawn with beautiful colors and detailed drawings. This is a work that highlights the technical capabilities of OLM, the animation production company, and the visual appeal further enhances the story.

The characters' expressions and movements are also incredibly realistic, allowing viewers to empathize with Pikachu and the others' emotions. Pikachu's expressions in particular leave a strong impression on viewers, coupled with Ikue Otani's acting ability as a voice actress. Under the guidance of animation supervisor Yoichi Kotabe, the entire work has achieved a consistent, high-quality visual quality.

Music and Sound

Music and sound are also important elements that enhance the appeal of this work. The music by Shinji Miyazaki, Hirokazu Tanaka, and Akifumi Tada expresses the tension of adventure and the warmth of friendship. In particular, in scenes set in unknown worlds, the mysterious melodies stimulate the viewer's imagination. In addition, under the guidance of sound director Masafumi Mima, the voices of the Pokémon and the environmental sounds are realistically reproduced, drawing the viewer into the world of the story.

The ending theme "Docchinyo?" was written by Choji Yoshikawa and Asakusa KIDS, composed and arranged by Keiroku Araki, and sung by Moomoo Milk and Araki, further enhancing the atmosphere of the work. This song has the effect of making viewers feel the afterglow of the story and deepening their attachment to the world of Pokemon.

Characters and cast

The characters in this work are symbols of the world of Pokémon, and leave a strong impression on viewers. The voice of Otani Ikue, who plays Pikachu, gives viewers a sense of familiarity and security. In addition, the charm of the work is enhanced by a luxurious cast that includes Etsuko Kozakura as Piplup, Yuji Ueda as Wobbuffet, Kiyotaka Furushima as Buizel, Shinichiro Miki as Dodaitose, Daisuke Sakaguchi as Squirtle, Kikuko Inoue as Togekiss, Satsuki Yukino as Mimiroru, Mika Kanai as Marill, and Kenyu Horiuchi as the narrator.

In particular, the relationship between Pikachu and the Unown teaches viewers the importance of friendship. The sight of Pikachu struggling to save the Unown moves viewers. In addition, the scene in which Meowth and his friends chase after them is full of tension and humor, entertaining viewers.

Director and staff

Director Kunihiko Yuyama utilized his many years of experience with the Pokémon series to lead this work to success. Under Yuyama's guidance, a team of outstanding staff members, including screenwriter Shikichi Ohashi, storyboard artist and director Yuji Asada, and animation director Akihiro Tamagawa, came together to create the film. Asada Yuji's storyboards and direction in particular have the power to visually express the development of the story. Additionally, Tamagawa Akihiro's technical skills as animation director contributed to the realistic depiction of the characters' expressions and movements.

Many other staff members also contributed to the success of the work, including supervisor Tsunekazu Ishihara, animation supervisor Yoichi Kotabe, executive producers Kenjiro Ito and Masakazu Kubo, producers Choji Yoshikawa, Yukio Kawasaki, Junya Okamoto, Susumu Fukunaga, and Gen Moritake, and animation producers Toshiaki Okuno and Shukichi Kanda. In particular, Tsunekazu Ishihara's guidance as a supervisor played an important role in determining the overall direction of the work.

Connections with related works

This work is closely related to "Pokémon Diamond & Pearl." "Pokémon Diamond & Pearl" is a series that further expands the world of Pokémon, and this work depicts part of that story. In particular, characters such as Unown and Enko inherit the worldview of "Pokémon Diamond & Pearl." In addition, Pikachu and his friends' adventures symbolize the themes of friendship and adventure in "Pokémon Diamond & Pearl."

Through this film, viewers will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the world of "Pokémon Diamond & Pearl." This film will also be a special experience for fans of "Pokémon Diamond & Pearl." In particular, the fact that it can only be viewed in the limited environment of ANA's in-flight screenings further enhances the value of the film.

Recommendations and ratings

"Pokémon Diamond & Pearl: Pikachu's Mysterious Adventure" is a short animated film that delves deeper into the world of Pokémon, teaching viewers the joy of friendship and adventure. With beautiful visuals, detailed animation, moving music and sound, and a stellar cast and crew, this is a must-see for Pokémon fans.

In particular, the relationship between Pikachu and the Unown and their adventure in an unknown world leave a strong impression on viewers. The fact that it can only be viewed in the limited environment of ANA's in-flight screenings further enhances the value of the work. I highly recommend this work to everyone who loves the world of Pokemon.

Overall, this is a successful work that brings out the worldview of Pokemon to the fullest, and has the power to impress and amaze the audience. I recommend this work not only to Pokemon fans, but to everyone who loves stories of friendship and adventure. Please watch this work to gain a deeper understanding of the world of Pokemon and feel the wonderfulness of friendship and adventure.