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A classic animated movie from the late ’90s is now free to watch on YouTube, and longtime fans are feeling pretty nostalgic. The movie is Pokémon: The First Movie, which first hit theaters in Japan in 1998.

It was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and brought the Pokémon franchise to the big screen for the very first time. It takes place during the early part of the animated series, back when Ash was just starting out as a trainer.

At the center of the story is Mewtwo, a powerful Pokémon that was created in a lab. Dr. Fuji, the scientist leading the project, used DNA from the legendary Pokémon Mew to make him. Fuji also hoped the experiment would somehow bring back his daughter, Amber. But things didn’t go as planned.

Mewtwo eventually becomes aware of himself and starts questioning why he was made. Once he realizes he’s being used,...

A well-known animated movie from the 1990s is now available to stream for free on YouTube. It’s a big deal for fans of the franchise, especially those who grew up watching the series when it first came out. Pokémon: The First Movie originally came out in Japan in 1998 and was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. It was the first time the franchise hit theaters, and it takes place during the early days of the animated show.

The film tells the story of a powerful Pokémon named Mewtwo. He was created in a lab by a group of scientists, led by Dr. Fuji, using the DNA of a rare Pokémon called Mew. Fuji’s reason for helping with the experiment was to bring back his daughter, Amber, in some form. In the process, Mewtwo ends up becoming self-aware and starts to question why he exists. After seeing how the scientists treat him,...

Pokémon is taking franchise fans back to the early '90s for a healthy dose of childhood nostalgia, dropping over 50 episodes of its original anime series for free streaming right in time for the holidays.

The Pokémon TV YouTube channel is now streaming the anime's first season, Pokémon: Indigo League, adding over 50 episodes since the series' debut on the channel just 10 days ago. Not only are fans set to have the entire first season in mere days, but Indigo League is also streaming in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), and Swedish subbed and dubbed. Readers can check out Pokémon: Indigo League Episode 1 below.

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Significant changes to how the Pokémon anime can be watched have occurred throughout 2024. While the Pokémon TV app once served as a free means to watch full episodes, movies, clips and more, it was shut down and de-listed from all platforms this past March -- until now.

The Pokémon TV app had been active for over a decade, first launching in 2010 and gaining a significant following since then, with a reported 467,000 active users at the end of 2023. Prior to March 2024, fans had the option to download it from their choice of the App Store, Google Play, Roku Channel Store, Pokémon.com, the Nintendo Switch eShop or the Amazon Appstore. However, following its previously announced closure, The Pokémon Company has announced that as of Dec. 6, 2024, Pokémon TV will be relaunched as a YouTube channel.

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The Pokmon anime had a long-running tradition of having Ash lose in the regional tournaments, beginning with his loss in the Indigo League and culminating in his crushing second-place finish in Kalos. That all changed when Ash claimed victory in Alola, but if the director of the series had had his way, Ash's losing streak would've continued.

In a private discussion about the future of the Pokmon anime dated May 2022 that was leaked in the Game Freak "Teraleak," the topic of Ash's victory in Alola came up. Initially discussed in the context of what it means to be a "Pokmon Master," Ash's champion status was brought up as an example of what that could mean, but which ultimately wasn't chosen. They noted the bittersweet feeling fans felt about Ash's victory, as many feared it was a sign that his time in the anime was coming to an end. That ultimately...

A recent data breach at Pokmon developer Game Freak has revealed for the first time the existence of the 24th Pokmon movie, which would've seen a new protagonist take the wheel from Ash, even before Pokmon Horizons. This film seems to have been caught up in development hell, and looks to have been very different from any Pokmon movie released before.

Over the weekend of October 13, 2024, a hacker who managed a successful phishing attempt uploaded nearly 1 TB of information taken from Game Freak's servers. Included among the information is development tools for prior generations of Pokmon, beta Pokmon designs, and even full source code for some of the games. Surprisingly, however, there is also some information related to the Pokmon anime, and part of this anime-related information involves the 24th movie in the franchise, which was set to radically shake up everything fans know about Pokmon movies.

Pokmon's Lost Movie...

Many fans of the Pokmon anime have longed to see its characters actually get a chance to grow up, but as it turns out, at least one character has had the honor of being shown as an adult in official media--or so it seemed. However, this appearance really only raised more questions than answers, as the scene it comes from remains an absolute mystery.

In one of the first ads for Pokmon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, the trailer begins with a scene of two adults and a child watching clouds in the sky, which happen to look like Pokmon. One of these adults happens to strongly resemble an adult version of Misty, which has prompted mountains of speculation as to just what exactly the context of this scene might have been. No such scene appears in the final version of the movie, nor is there even a moment which resembles that scene.

Rachael Lillis, who voiced the English language roles of Misty and Jessie on the popular Pokémon TV and movie adaptations of the Japanese anime series, has died. She was 55.

Veronica Taylor, who voices Ash on the the Pokémon animated series, on Monday announced via social media that Lillis died Saturday after a battle with breast cancer.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of Rachael Lillis on Saturday evening, 10 August 2024. Rachael was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing. She will be forever remembered for the many animated roles she played, with her iconic performances as Pokemon’s Misty and Jessie being the most beloved,” Taylor said in her post.

“Rachael was so thankful for all the generous love and support that was given to her as she battled cancer. It truly made a positive difference.

Maintaining Pikachu's inability to speak human language was crucial to preserving the unique bond and communication between Ash and Pikachu. Pikachu's non-verbal communication with Ash defined their relationship and added depth, showcasing a strong emotional connection. Pikachu's inability to speak maintained the iconic 'A Boy and His Pet' dynamic, highlighting their unique relationship.

One of the most iconic elements of the Pokmon anime is Ash and Pikachu's relationship, but in the earliest versions of the anime, Pikachu was very different from how he eventually turned out. In fact, it was actually considered at one point to have Pikachu speak human language, like Team Rocket's Meowth, which would've radically altered the entire tone of the series.

One of the things that makes Ash and Pikachu's relationship so special is the fact that they are able to understand one another, despite not speaking the same language. While it took them...

Mew is a rare Pokmon with vast psychic powers, the genetic ancestor of all Pokmon, and the basis for Mewtwo. Mew is depicted as a force of nature, detached from humanity and indifferent to human values. Mew's character was intentionally created as capricious, representing nature, and contrasts with Mewtwo's human origins.

Mythical Pokmon are incredibly rare and special species, in both the games and the anime alike. Few are more iconic than Mew, the original Mythical Pokmon, and the Pokmon anime's director confirmed how they managed to capture the elusive creature's traits when it came time for Mew to make its anime debut in Mewtwo Strikes Back.

In-universe, Mew is an incredibly rare Pokmon that wields tremendous psychic power, and is said to be the genetic ancestor of all Pokmon, enabling it to use a wide variety of attacks. Mew's DNA also served as the basis for creating Mewtwo, who...

Professor Oak's true first meeting with Ash as a youngster creates a plot hole in the Pokemon series. Pokemon 4Ever, released in 2001, unveils this revelation but Ash never learns the truth about Oak. Sammy, revealed to be Samuel Oak, had a deep connection with Ash that remains a secret, altering their dynamic.

In Pokmon, Ash and Professor Oak supposedly first meet when the young trainer is growing up in Pallet Town, but their true first meeting actually introduced a huge plot hole. The much older professor actually met the future world Champion when Oak was a youngster himself. Pokmon 4Ever revealed this detail, but Ash never actually finds out the truth about his friend.

Pokmon 4Ever released in Japan in 2001 and in the United States in 2002. It is directed by Kunihiko Yuyama with a screenplay from Hideki Sonoda. The film follows the usual formula for the franchise, in which Ash...

BBC has unveiled a new Pokémon-themed live-streaming channel on its video-on-demand service, BBC iPlayer.

This dedicated channel will offer non-stop 24/7 live stream of the Pokémon anime, and will stream over 600 episodes, which is roughly half of the entire Pokémon anime library.

Included in the line-up is the original series, which follows the adventures of Ash Ketchum, as well as the latest series, titled Pokémon Horizons: The Series.

The new Pokémon channel will exclusively be available to viewers in the United Kingdom. Due to regional restrictions, the BBC iPlayer service won’t be available elsewhere.

Pokémon is a Japanese anime television series, part of The Pokémon Company’s Pokémon media franchise, which premiered on TV Tokyo in April 1997.

The anime franchise consists of eight sequential series in Japan, each based on a main installment of the Pokémon video game series. In the international broadcasts, these series are split across 26 seasons,...

Pokmon's Diamond & Pearl era (Generation 4) has been regarded as one of the greatest periods of the entire franchise, with both the video game and tie-in anime series being hallmarks of their respective series. Of course, as was the case with the previous Gold & Silver (Generation 2) and Ruby & Sapphire (Generation 3) eras, the popularity of Diamond & Pearl led to a few anime movie specials being created.

Within these Diamond & Pearl movies, there's a decent amount of continuity linking them together as an almost saga-like storyline. This, in turn, helped project the Diamond & Pearl movies to become fan favorites among the Pokmon anime fans, which was only bolstered further by many fans' admiration for the Diamond & Pearl era. But while these movies receive particular fanfare, which ones were the best, and which ones were only close to great?

Master of Illusions Had A Great Maternal Storyline But It Didn't Feel Like It Was...

The concept of becoming a Pokémon Master has always been unclear, even to the writers and creators of the series. Ash's goal of becoming a Pokémon Master was deliberately left open-ended to allow the series to continue regardless of his achievements. The idea of befriending every Pokémon ultimately defined what it meant to be a Pokémon Master for Ash, giving his journey a fitting goal.

The Pokémon anime, up until its reboot last year, had always been about Ash Ketchum's journey to become a Pokémon Master. However, according to one interview, the writers and creatives behind the series never had a solid idea of what it meant to become a Pokémon Master.

Since the first episode over 26 years ago, Ash Ketchum's plan was to set out into the world and become a "Pokémon Master." However, just what that meant was vague, even to Ash himself at times. Did it mean catching every Pokémon?...

It’s officially the dawn of a new era for Pokémon.

Just three months after it was announced that Ash Ketchum would be stepping down as the anime’s main character after 25 years, we now have our first look at the franchise’s next series Pokémon Horizons — as well as the new characters that will fill the Ash and Pikachu-shaped holes in our hearts.

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The most underrated Pokémon movie is undoubtedly the series' very first, Mewtwo Strikes Back, and the franchise's attempt to remake it proves why it can't be replicated. The Pokémon franchise isn't in short supply of movies. Ever since the series' debut in 1997, there have been 23 films with some even earning theatrical runs. The franchise's popularity has allowed for a new movie to be released every year except for the most recent film, Secrets of the Jungle, which was delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fans have discussed for years which Pokémon film is the best, but that title to this day belongs to the series' very first movie.

Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back is a 1998 film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama that follows Ash and his friends invited to an island to meet and battle the world's best Pokémon trainer. However, they're shocked to discover that their host is actually Mewtwo,...

In an early issue of Hidenori Kusaka's 1997 manga "Pokémon Adventures," based on the game by Satoshi Tajiri, the definition of a Pokémon was laid down as merely "a mysterious species not recorded in traditional biological taxonomies." A look around the Pokémon universe, however, finds no animals that have been recorded in traditional biological taxonomies, either. There are no cats and dogs in this world, only Pokémon. Some have theorized that Pokémon takes place in a distant future, a post-post-apocalyptic world where animals evolved into superpowered creatures. Others simply repeat to themselves it's just a show and fans should really just relax, understanding that Pokémon exists in a fantasy world.

In this world, 10-year-olds are offered the opportunity to leave home with a bindle with a superpowered animal in their charge, all in the hopes of garnering the honor (there is no cash prize) of becoming a Pokémon Master.

The volume...

Earlier this year on February 27, widely known as “Pokémon Day” to many fans, Netflix released Pokémon Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution, a CGI remake of Kunihiko Yuyama’s original film which debuted in 1999.

Having already released in Japan and South Korea, this marked the first time the film was made available worldwide. Just like the original, which has taken on the moniker Pokémon: The First Movie, the film follows the story of Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock, as they’re invited to battle the self-proclaimed “best trainer in the world”. The group soon finds themselves face-to-face with a new legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo, along with its army of cloned Pokémon.

Related: Pokémon’s Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution: 5 Things We Loved (& 5 Things We Didn’t)

Acting as a direct remake, Pokémon Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution was still able to capture the attention of many devoted fans 20 years later for its play on nostalgia and charm,...

"Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution" is the Japanese-produced computer-animated feature directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Motonori Sakakibara, streaming on Netflix February 27, 2020:

"....scientist 'Dr. Fuji' is hired by 'Giovanni', leader of 'Team Rocket', to utilize his expertise in cloning in order to create a living weapon based on an eyelash from legendary 'Pokémon Mew'. 

"Soon after the weapon is created, it gains sentience and is named 'Mewtwo'. Several years later, Mewtwo has fully awakened from a long slumber in a laboratory on 'New Island', and learns of his origin as Mew's clone from Dr. Fuji.

"Infuriated that Fuji and his colleagues see him as nothing more than an experiment, he unleashes his psychic powers and destroys the laboratory, killing Fuji and the rest of the scientists. Giovanni, witnessing the carnage convinces Mewtwo to work with him to hone his powers. 

"However, after Mewtwo learns of his purpose...

2019 looks set to be the biggest year yet in the history of the Pokémon franchise. We’ve got Detective Pikachu hitting cinemas in less than a month, Pokémon Go still breaking records and the hugely anticipated next full installment in the RPG series Pokémon Sword and Shield. But that’s not all, because we’re also getting a CG remake of Pokémon: The First Movie.

First released in Japan in 1998, the film went on to get a domestic theatrical release in November 1999 and proved to be a global box office hit. Now, 20 years on from its original debut, directors Kunihiko Yuyama and Motonori Sakakibara have reimagined the movie as Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution, and today brings our first proper look at it.

Judging by the trailer, the pic seems to be a pretty close recreation of the original plot. But the real draw for fans will be the new 3D CGI aesthetic.

The first trailer and poster for Pok&#233mon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution have arrived online. The Pokemon brand has been going strong for more than two decades and, in that time, there have been more than twenty movies made, to go along with hundreds of episodes of the TV series, tons of playing cards and everything in between. Now, we're going back to where it all began as this first trailer reveals that the upcoming movie is actually a remake of the very first Pokemon movie from 1998.

While the footage doesn't offer much of a look at the movie, as it's really just a teaser for what's to come, we do see a fully realized, 3D animated version of Mewtwo. The final shot of the teaser is something that Pokemon fans will recognize, as the Legendary Pokemon comes face-to-face high above the clouds with his counterpart, Mew. This...

Zombillenium announced as opener; China named as guest country, Guillermo del Toro to return.

French animator and illustrator Arthur de Pin’s child-friendly comedy-horror tale Zombillenium (pictured) - set against the backdrop of an amusement-terror park were the staff are a motley crew of vampires, zombies and werewolves - will open this year’s edition of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, running June 12-17 this year.

It is among nine special event screenings including Pixar’s Cars 3, which will be proceeded by a presentation of footage from Mexico-set, Day of the Dead-inspired drama Coco in the presence of director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla K. Anderson and co-director Adrian Molina; Despicable Me 3 and The Big Bad Fox And Other Animals.

Zombillenium will also compete in the 10-title feature film competition.

Other contenders for Annecy’s Cristal for best feature film include Iranian director Ali Soozandeh’s Tehran Taboo, exploring sexuality...

Tokyo – Japan World Cup star Atsuto Uchida has voiced a character in the new Pokemon film, the first athlete to take on such a role in the popular franchise. Pokemon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, will be released by Toho in Japan on July 19, and is the 17th installment in the series. The film's producers are hoping that Uchida's participation and the hype around the World Cup will provide some extra buzz around its release. Photos Goal! Hollywood's Best Soccer Movies Right-back Uchida, one of Japan's brighter spots in the

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Miramax Films

NEW YORK -- This fifth installment in the commercially declining kiddie franchise -- those tykes are fickle in their attentions, don't you know -- is unlikely to win many new converts to the Pokemon phenomenon. But "Pokemon Heroes" is a reasonably entertaining entry that, thanks to its exotic setting and several new characters, should prove engaging for the Small Fry and not too painful for their adult chaperones. Being shown as part of the family weekend at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, it will be released theatrically May 16 via Miramax.

This edition, co-directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Jim Malone, again finds Pokemon trainer Ash, his pet Pikachu and the rest of his gang battling -- as our current president would put it -- some evildoers, in this case a pair of sexy thieves cutely named Annie and Oakley. The nefarious duo, wearing skirts so short that if this were a live-action film would garner an R rating, are in pursuit of something called the Soul Dew, located in a city on water named Altomare that bears more than a slight resemblance to Venice. Helping Ash and Pikachu in their struggle against the pair are two new Pokemon, Latia and Latios, who possess both psychic powers and the ability to disguise themselves as humans. Unfortunately, they also sound like a pair of high-pitched seagulls; hopefully, the action figures certain to be found in a toy store near you will be blissfully silent.

After a short introduction for those parents who till now have been spared the Pokemon experience, the action kicks into high gear with an entertaining water sports contest, with the plot rolling along quickly for the 80-minute running time. Less convoluted and more streamlined than earlier entries in the series, "Pokemon Heroes" also displays decent animation quality, especially in its depiction of the exotic watery city, as well as an admirable ecological message.