3.5c Pokémon Animation (TV series & Film)

The Pokémon television series was produced soon after the success of the Nintendo video games and is still releasing new series up till today. Today, Pokémon has over 900-episode run which is more episodes that The Simpsons (have been known for its long broadcast life) with only around 587 episodes.(Minotti, 2016) As a result of its global recognition, Pokémon originally in Japanese language, has been dubbed into many different languages making it universally understandable to everyone. (Though most people prefer watching the original, with subtitles of their language)

" The show follows the adventures of young Trainer named Ash Ketchum and his Pokémon pal, Pikachu as they travel around the world of Pokémon, visiting exotic destinations, meeting many interesting new people and Pokémon and having lots of exciting adventures. Along the way, they learn about teamwork, compassion, friendship, and fair play as Ash works towards his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master " (Pokemon, n.d.) The character of the show plays an important role in storytelling as their characteristics varies and makes the show a whole lot interesting. Ash is incredibly selfless, Misty is ' kawaii ', Brock have soft spots for females and finally, Jessie and James from Team Rocket, the protagonist attempts to steal other people's Pokémon.

Though initially the cartoon was targeted to children, people of all ages are attracted to its captivating storyline which made it a huge success and has spawned to a series of animated films. The films involve a greater stakes compared to the television series, involving legends of the Pokémon world. (Pokemon , n.d.)

“The first Pokémon television series sets up the events of the first Pokémon movie and the second Pokémon movie introduces new elements that are featured in subsequent seasons of the TV series (Pokémon GS) and the Game Boy releases Pokémon Gold and Silver (Patten 338). Pokémon therefore develops as a fully functioning multi-platform ecosystem, developing complexity through the addition of new layers of narrative, new challenges in gaming and new merchandising opportunities. The network grows as a child would grow, plugging the audience into an increasingly larger and more complex networked assemblage of artefacts” (Bainbridge, 2014)

The extension of Pokémon story "adds a greater sense of realism to the fiction as a whole". ( Jenkins, 2007) As Pokémon story is based on different regions, the connections between the game, tv series and film are able to give the audience a different point of view into the world of Pokémon. Furthermore, giving the opportunity of providing cheeky insights to audiences before releasing a new debut.

Reference
Bainbridge, J. (2014) "Gotta Catch 'Em All!" Pokémon, Cultural Practice and Object Networks. The IAFOR Journal of Asian Studies. (Accessed on 30 June 2017)

Jenkins, H. (2007) Transmedia Storytelling 101. Available at: http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html

Minotti, M. (2016) How the Pokémon Cartoon and Games Form One of Media's Best Symbiotic Relationships. Venture Beat [online]. Available at: https://venturebeat.com/2016/03/02/how-the-pokemon-cartoon-and-games-form-one-of-medias-best-symbiotic-relationships/ (Accessed on 30 June 2017)

Pokemon (n.d.) Pokémon Animation. Available at: http://www.pokemon.com/us/parents-guide/ (Accessed on 30 June 2017)

Bibliography

Convergence is Here (n.d.) Transmedia and Crossmedia Convergence in a Connected World: Case Studies. Available at: http://convergenceishere.weebly.com/mario-and-pokemon.html (Accessed on 28 June 2017)

Butler, J (2012) Television : Critical Methods and Applications. Routledge; 4th edition (Accessed on 28 June 2017)