Pokémon the Movie: Everyone's Story: A thorough analysis of the moving story and the appeal of the characters

"Pokémon the Movie: Everyone's Story" - A Story of Wind and Bonds

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

July 13, 2018 - January 1, 2000

■Distribution company

Toho

■Frequencies

100 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・ Original story/ Satoshi Tajiri

■ Director

Tetsuo Yajima

■ Production

Animation production: OLM, WIT STUDIO

■Works

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

■ Story

In Fuura City, a town where people live with the wind, the Wind Festival is held once a year. It is said that since ancient times, people have made a promise that on the last day of the festival, the legendary Pokemon Lugia will appear and receive the wind of blessing there. Lisa, a high school girl who is new to Pokemon. Kagachi, a liar who can't stop lying. Torito, a timid researcher who has no confidence in himself. Hisui, an eccentric old woman who hates Pokemon. Largo, a mysterious girl standing alone in the forest. By chance, Satoshi and Pikachu, who were attending the Wind Festival, meet five friends. Each of them has their own worries and cannot take a step with their partner Pokemon, but when they meet, the gears of fate begin to move... Will the promise with Lugia be kept? And what is the true identity of the legendary Pokemon Zeraora? Now, the bond between people and Pokemon, everyone, will create a miracle.

■Explanation

"Pokémon the Movie: Everyone's Story" is the 21st movie in the Pokémon TV anime series, which was released on July 13, 2018. Like its predecessor, "I Choose You!", the story is not directly related to the currently airing TV anime series. While this work is based on the worldview of the games that are the origin of the Pokémon series, it depicts new characters and a storyline that can be enjoyed not only by fans of the series, but also by audiences experiencing Pokémon for the first time. In addition, with the theme of the bond between Pokémon and humans, it is a deeply moving work that depicts the growth and mutual understanding of each character.

■Cast

・Satoshi/Rika Matsumoto・Pikachu/Ikue Otani・Musashi/Megumi Hayashibara・Sonnance/Yuji Ueda・Kojiro/Shinichiro Miki・Meowth/Inuko Inuyama・Largo/Mana Ashida・Lisa/Rina Kawaei・Torito/Gaku Hamada・Kagachi/Koji Okura・Hisui/Masako Nozawa

■ Main staff

・Original story/Satoshi Tajiri・Screenplay/Eiji Umehara, Aya Takaha・Direction/Masahiro Sekino, Masami Torii, Tetsuaki Watanabe, Naohiko Kyogoku, Jun Owada, Nobuhiro Muto, Masakatsu Iijima, Tetsuaki Mata, Jun Nakagawa・Chief animation director/Yasushi Nishitani, Hirotaka Marufuji・Special effects/Noriyuki Ota・Art director/Katsumi Takao

■ Main Characters

Satoshi A boy who aims to become the world's best Pokemon master. He continues his journey with his partner Pikachu in search of new Pokemon he has yet to see.

A girl who lives in Largofuura City and is the daughter of the mayor. A young lady with a strong and kind personality. She seems to be related to the mythical Pokémon Zeraora, but...

Lisa: A high school girl who is new to Pokemon. At her injured younger brother's request, she came to the Wind Festival to catch an Eevee.

Torito: A Pokémon researcher who is not good at socializing. He attends the Wind Festival to present his research, but he lacks confidence and is constantly comforted by Lucky.

A braggart who can't stop telling lies. He comes to the Wind Festival with his beloved niece. Something happens that makes Lisbon fond of him. He says, "There's a super rare Pokémon in this town!" but...

An old lady who lives in Hisuifuura City and hates Pokémon. Due to past events, she has started to avoid Pokémon, but for some reason she is being followed by many Pokémon, including a Waninoko.

■ Main robot items

・Fura City The setting for this game is a city surrounded by the sea and mountains. Large windmills are set up all over the city, and they are constantly spinning in the fresh wind. The wind power generated by these windmills provides a stable supply of electricity to the city, making wind an indispensable resource for the people who live in the city. There is also a cable car that runs through the city, and from the top of the hill you can get a panoramic view of the sea. Once a year, the "Wind Festival" is held here, which is said to have started from a promise to Lugia.

・Wind Festival A festival held in Fuura City. The Wind Festival venue is on the sea and is connected to the city center by a long bridge. A large Ferris wheel stands in the center of the venue, and many pavilions, attractions, restaurants, and other establishments are lined up around it, making it a very lively event. On the final day, Lugia appears, and it is said that if the bond between people and Pokémon is confirmed, he will send a "wind of blessing."

A regular event in the Wind Festival where players use special Pokéballs to catch various types of Pokémon that have been released around town. Commonly known as the "Get Race." Points are awarded based on the level of the Pokémon caught, and the player who catches the most strong Pokémon wins.

■ Related works

Pokémon the Movie

■ Theme songs and music

・ED1
・"Breath"
Lyrics by Haruichi Shindo; Composition by Akihito Okano; Arrangement by tasuku, Porno Graffitti
・Song: Porno Graffitti (SME Records)

■Detailed review

"Pokémon the Movie: Everyone's Story" is a film that offers new appeal and excitement to fans of the Pokémon series, and even audiences who are experiencing Pokémon for the first time can enjoy the charm of its world view and characters to the fullest. The greatest appeal of this film is the deeply moving story that depicts the growth and mutual understanding of each character. Below, we will provide a detailed critique of each element of the film.

Story and Themes

The story of this work is set at the "Wind Festival" held in Fuura City, and depicts the encounters and growth of five characters with various worries, along with Satoshi and Pikachu. The Wind Festival is said to have begun with a promise to the legendary Pokémon Lugia, and there is a legend that on the final day, Lugia will appear and send a "blessed wind" if it confirms the bond between people and Pokémon. With this Wind Festival as the backdrop, each character faces their own worries and grows through their bond with Pokémon.

The main themes are the bond between people and Pokémon, and the growth and mutual understanding of each character. Despite being a Pokémon beginner, Lissa tries to catch an Eevee to fulfill her younger brother's wish. Torito is a researcher who is not good at socializing, but regains his confidence with the support of Bliss. Squirrel struggles to break his habit of lying, and his encounter with Squirtle changes him. Hisui used to hate Pokémon, but opens up through his interactions with the Waninoko. Despite being the mayor's daughter, Largo finds her role in exploring her relationship with Zeraora. The growth and mutual understanding of these characters is the key to ultimately keeping her promise to Lugia.

character

Each character in this work has their own story of troubles and growth. Satoshi and Pikachu are the protagonists of the series, and play a role of guiding the other characters. Although Lisa is a beginner at Pokemon, she finds the courage to take action because of her love for her younger brother. Torito loses confidence as a researcher, but with the support of Lucky, he stands up again. Kagachi struggles to break his habit of lying, and his encounter with Lisbon changes him. Hisui used to hate Pokemon, but opens up through his interactions with the Waninoko. Although Largo is the daughter of the mayor, she finds her role in exploring her relationship with Zeraora. The growth and mutual understanding of these characters is the key to ultimately keeping the promise with Lugia.

Visuals and Music

The film's visuals vividly depict the beautiful scenery of Fuura City and the hustle and bustle of the Wind Festival. It is full of visual appeal, including scenes of spinning windmills and the Ferris wheel at the Wind Festival venue that stretches out over the sea. The Pokémon's movements and expressions are also depicted in detail, expressing the characters' emotions in a rich way. As for the music, Porno Graffitti's "Breath" is used as the ending theme, further deepening the emotional impact of the story. The lyrics and melody of this song symbolize the characters' growth and bonds, and resonate strongly with the audience.

Directing and scriptwriting

The direction of this work skillfully advances the story to depict the growth and mutual understanding of each character. The screenplay carefully depicts the individual worries and growth of each character, emphasizing the bond that is the key to keeping the promise with Lugia in the end. The direction and screenplay are well balanced, making it a work that deeply moves the audience.

■Reasons for recommendation

"Pokémon the Movie: Everyone's Story" is a work that offers new charm and excitement to fans of the Pokémon series, and even audiences experiencing Pokémon for the first time can enjoy the world view and the charm of the characters to the fullest. In particular, the deeply moving story, which depicts the growth and mutual understanding of each character, resonates strongly with the audience. The visuals and music are also excellent, and the visual appeal and moving ending theme further deepen the story. The direction and script are well balanced, and it is a work that deeply moves the audience, so it is one that we would like many people to see.