"Pokémon" (1998) TV series 1998-????

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Release Date:

8 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Gotta catch 'em all!

Plot:

Ten-year-old Ash aspires to be the greatest Pokemon (pocket monster) trainer in the world. To do this...

Plot Keywords:

Team | Pikachu | Trainer | Pocket Monsters | Grass

Awards:

1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 25	7:30 AM	TOON	A Crasher Course in Power	#11.31
Thur. Nov. 26	7:30 AM	TOON	Hungry for the Good Life	#11.32

Cast

Ikue Ootani	...	Pikachu / ... (492 episodes, 1997-2009)
Rachael Lillis	...	Misty / ... (339 episodes, 1998-2008)
Veronica Taylor	...	Ash Ketchum / ... (336 episodes, 1998-2006)
Eric Stuart	...	James / ... (330 episodes, 1998-2006)
Ken Gates	...	Narrator / ... (328 episodes, 1998-2009)
Madeleine Blaustein	...	Meowth / ... (303 episodes, 1998-2006)
Satomi Koorogi	...	Togepi / ... (227 episodes, 1999-2006)

Also Known As:

Pocket Monsters (USA)
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (USA) (tenth season title)
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension (USA) (eleventh season title)
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles (USA) (twelfth season title)
Pokémon: Advanced (USA) (sixth season title)
Pokémon: Advanced Battle (USA) (eighth season title)
Pokémon: Advanced Challenge (USA) (seventh season title)
Pokémon: Battle Frontier (USA) (ninth season title)
Pokémon: Master Quest (USA) (fifth season title)
Pokémon: The Johto Journeys (USA) (third season title)
Pokemon: Johto League Champions (USA) (fourth season title)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:U | Netherlands:MG6 | UK:(Banned) (one episode) | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:Livre | USA:TV-Y

Company:

Pokémon USA

Trivia:

At nine seasons and counting (2006), this the longest running television series based on a video game and the longest running show ever on American network Kids WB.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In one episode, an Exeggcute evolves into an Exeggutor without a Leaf Stone. This Pokémon requires the Leaf Stone to evolve - it can not evolve through experience points.

Quotes:

Jessie: Buried alive and trampled. We've hit rock bottom!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "What's New, Scooby-Doo?: E-Scream (#3.13)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

This Dream

Went WAY Down Hill

I used to love this show. In fact it's my first Anime, and I still give it my nods to that. But since then, it's just gone down hill. It's lost the freshness, the mystery sense, everything that attracted me to that show, and Anime to begin with. And seriously, why does it still keep going? Are little kids so easily entertained by repetitive drivel? I fear the future of America.

So again, I really loved this show when it first came out. When it was all the rage, I jumped on the Band Wagon, got cards, toys, games, the works, taped almost every episode, every week. Saw all the first movies, then, like a bomb shell, lost interest. As I grew older, and saw far more superior, and better Anime, I have to say I've just lost my taste in it. Another thing that gripes me about this show, is the way it has monopolized the market, and the genre. I look back with heavy nostalgia, at Digimon, and Monster Rancher, and noticed just how much Pokemon pales in comparison to Digimon. Digimon has the real coming of age feel to it, something Poekmon does NOT have. Digimon is fresh, dark and witty at the same time, I haven't seen one Dark Episode in Pokemon ever. The only episode that ever moved me was "Pikachus Goodbye." Heck I was so obsessed with this show, as well as my sis, that we even role played it. And we made FAR more progress in our Role Play then this show has ever. It's just the same lousy thing week after week. Ash and the Gang walk along, they come across X Pokémon, with X trainer, then we pull away to team rocket, and they plot some insidious and brainless ploy to steal the Pokémon. They get away, we track them down moments later, badda beem, badda boom, a few battles later, they go blasting off again. Ash and friends then walk into the sunset waving goodbye, and our narrator comes on with a cheesy closing line. To Be Continued.

YAWN. Seriously, I'm ready to shoot the T.V. after watching one episode. I could do far better than this, and I'm a teenager who writes in his spare time. I liked it until Johto, then I got sick of it. I just did. I saw the many flaws of this show, I saw how it monopolized the market, not only of it's Genre, but likely for every Anime on T.V. You want better Anime, watch Digimon, watch .hack//SIGN, watch Azumanga Diaoh, watch Rurouni Kenshin; far better than this show.