 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Pokemon, Vol. 1: I Choose You! Pikachu!
- Review Date: September 8, 2005
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1998
Common Sense Media says
A captivating series for the under-10 set.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that kids will see cartoon battles. Pikachu gives extreme electrical shocks to opponents. The hero and Pikachu are attacked and injured by menacing bird Pokémon. The series emphasizes friendship and loyalty over winning, despite the heroes oft-repeated obsession with being the "best Pokémon Master in the world."
What's the story?
This volume contains the first three episodes of the popular Japanese animated TV series Pokémon, which debuted on U.S. television in 1998. In a future world, 10-year-old Ash Ketchum sets out on a mission as a Pokémon trainer to seek out and capture prized Pokémon (pocket monsters), mutant animals and hybrid creatures which populate the wild. In episode one, "Pokémon, I Choose You!," Ash begins his journey accompanied by his chosen Pokémon sidekick Pikachu, whose electrical powers come in handy in battle with the Spearows, malevolent winged Pokémon. In episode two, "Pokémon Emergency!," Ash is joined by Misty, a girl his own age, and first meets his opponents, Jessie and James, a brother and sister collectively known as Team Rocket, whose mission is to capture the most valuable and exotic Pokémon. In episode three, "Ash Catches a Pokémon," Ash manages to use his first Pokémon capture, Caterpie, a bug Pokémon, in battle when Team Rocket tries to abduct Pikachu.
Is it any good?
As Japanese animated TV imports go, Pokémon is neither as visually sophisticated nor as starkly dramatic as Dragon Ball, an action-packed series designed for slightly older kids. However, quest narratives for children are hard to find on American television and this one has captured its target audience, the under-10 crowd, as completely as an earlier Japanese hybrid, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, once did. Pokémon draws its viewers into a complex alternate universe populated by a host of youthful human characters and a cast of 150 Pokémon who all pop up in the course of the series.
While the animation is often static and the character design streamlined, even by Japanese standards, the animators compensate with lots of movement, fast cuts, and expertly rendered backgrounds. The action is underscored by a rousing, full-bodied music score, supplemented by the tape's closing feature, the full-length "Pokémon Rap," a clever hip hop-style musical number which introduces (and spells out the names of) all 150 Pokémon. The English-language voice cast does an above-average job of dubbing.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about cartoon violence and commercialism. What happens when Pikachu "shocks" someone? What happens when people really get a shock. Why do the shows drill viewers on the names and characteristics of different Pokémon? After watching the shows, do you want to collect all the Pokémon cards, toys, etc.? Why or why not? Who gets the money when you buy Pokémon goods?
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AGE
GOOD
Ah. I just miss the first episodes of pokemon....
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Kid, 11 years old
August 17, 2009
AGE
best thing ever
i love it but i am on 1
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AGE
Gotta catch 'em all!
I've been watching Pokemon since I was able to look at a TV- that's about 1 years old. It was way back in the popular days of Pokemon, where everywhere you turned, someone was trading Pokemon cards or talking about the show or battling with their Game Boys. I had 5 animals in my home- one dog, four cats- and this show NEVER caused me to make them fight against each other, like some people say Pokemon will cause. It made me treat animals better!!! I respect the pets we have. They are like little humans, with personalities and all.
I chose to post this review on this page, because this was the overwatched Pokemon VHS I had as a child. The first episode of the show, along with 2 or 3 others that I can't remember for the life of me...
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AGE
Oh, the theme song spells out marketing, it has no plot and it's too violent? Well let me tell you something.
Sometimes, people make stuff for the entertainment of others, not cheesey advertising! Do you really want TV shows all about marketing? Ben 10 and Bakugan! Both of their DVD's come with a free toy! You can't get more commercial than that! And I don't understand why people don't like Pokemon. Parents: "Oh too violent, too violent!" Kids: "Oh, Pokemon's dumb, there's not enough violence." The point here is, everyone hates Pokemon and kids don't watch TV for plot anymore! Anyway, let me guide you throughout the world of media. Some shows are too horrid and stupid to have possibly been made by competent human beings, like Chowder, Flapjack, Total Drama Island, the and the like. And then, there's the actual violent stuff that kids watch because they love to see people die or something, like Halloween, Saw, Scream and other stuff. Then, there's the advertisement and commercialism of our world. Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles(don't get me wrong, they're good sometimes), Chaotic, Yu-Gi-Oh, and in common sense media's eyes, I'm pretty sure the characters in the Lego catalogs resemble the tiny toy men. Now, sometimes, the internet can take us away from the truth. That's okay, that's why we created it! But don't be mislead by people like the radical religious people, who will tell you stuff like it is too violent, or that and I quote, "Demons are instructing the Nintendo and Hasbro companies on how to corrupt a child's innocence and create an army of junior satanists that will one day rule the world." If you believe that, you might want to have your head checked out.
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AGE
The good old days..
The old ones are the best....show 'em what they're really missing!
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, adventures |
| Studio: | Actual Pictures |
| Directors: | Kunihiko Yuyama, Masamitsu Hidaka |
| Cast: | Eric Stuart, Megan Hollingshead, Veronica Taylor |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 75 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 24, 1998 |
| DVD release date: | November 24, 1998 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
| MPAA explanation: | General Audiences |
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