Japanese live-action Pokemon show trailer will hit you with Gen 1 nostalgia
TV TokyoThe first trailer for the Pokemon-inspired live-action Japanese TV show PokeTsume has debuted, and its story and music are sure to resonate with nostalgic fans longing for the era of the original Gen 1 games.
Over the years, Pokemon has inspired a long-running anime, plenty of animated mini-series, and even a big-budget live-action film in Detective Pikachu. However, the franchise is entering a new space with an upcoming Pokemon live-action Japanese TV show.
PokeTsume, which debuts later this month on TV Tokyo, is a Pokemon show that, unlike previous examples, takes place in the real world.
The show’s first trailer has dropped, and it’s sure to take fans – especially those who grew up with the original Generation 1 games – on a nostalgic ride.
PokeTsume is a Pokemon show set in the real world
The trailer for PokeTsume was released on Twitter ahead of the show’s October 19 debut.
While it’s entirely in Japanese with no English subtitles, fans shouldn’t need to understand what’s being said to get a feel for the show.
As shared by Serebii, PokeTsume follows a young woman named Madoka Akagi who grew up in the Kanto prefecture of Japan – which inspired Gen 1’s Kanto region. After graduating from university and moving to Tokyo to pursue her dreams, she finds the real world is not what she’d imagined.
However, after finding a Game Boy and a Pokemon Red cartridge, Madoka plays the game for the first time in 20 years and finds it might just help her with her real-life problems.
PokeTsume marks the franchise’s first dive into human drama. Unlike other Pokemon shows and movies, this live-action series is set in our world and shows its protagonist imagining those around her in Pokemon terms rather than actually living among these creatures.
Madoka appears to view completing work tasks and interacting with co-workers in terms of Pokemon battles. For example, an encounter with one unhelpful individual reminds her of a Magikarp flailing around uselessly, the forgetful company president is compared to Slowbro, and another character is clearly meant to be a rival.
If that wasn’t enough, the trailer uses memorable songs from Pokemon Red and Green, such as the Route 1 theme and title screen music.
All this seems certain to resonate with long-time Pokemon fans in the same way as other Gen 1 throwbacks like the Pokemon 151 TCG expansion. PokeTsume seems particularly aimed towards millennials who grew up with the classic titles and are now navigating the real world like Madoka.
There’s no word on whether PokeTsume will receive an international release or an English sub, but either way, the trailer shows the show has a good chance of really resonating with older Pokemon fans.
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