An unusual Pokemon midia for adults. Naive adults, yes, but adults.
This very brief mini-series brings the story of a young female that gets a job at a resort for Pokemons. The four episodes show her journey from insecurity of what it's expected from her to becoming a reliable employee.
That's it. The story is very simple and couldn't be much different considering both the short running time of the show and the show's direction. Considering the protagonist and her arc I'm not sure if this show would be popular amongst children even though the messages are told in a very naive and gentile manner and the art style is very cute. I would argue the show aims more towards adults that wants to consume a naive and simple narrative with a subject they can relate. The atmosphere is of a more calm and contemplative nature than the typical action, explosion, chases, screams, that usually is used when your public is more juvenile.
The art style is unique and fits the Pokemon universe quite well making all of them not only look but almost synesthestically soft and fluffy. The stop-motion animation might feel strange for a lot of viewers, specially younger ones that are more used to only the flashy CGIs from past decades.
It's a Pokemon midia that feels different from what the franchise usually delivers and one should be grateful that the Pokemon Company realizes that the franchise is already 25 years old and so it has fans that are not younger kids anymore. They don't need to abandon the naive and simple nature of its story and characters (Ghible movies are naive and simple, and yet not childish), but it is possible to do it focusing in adult themes and adult protagonists. Hopefully GameFreak will expand their view also in their games and create fresher narratives and mechanics so that the franchise doesn't stagnate in time. Embracing all layers of the fans from a franchise is a way of not end up becoming just a relic of time like many media made exclusively for kids (Teletubbies, Banana in Pajamas, Dora, etc).
That's it. The story is very simple and couldn't be much different considering both the short running time of the show and the show's direction. Considering the protagonist and her arc I'm not sure if this show would be popular amongst children even though the messages are told in a very naive and gentile manner and the art style is very cute. I would argue the show aims more towards adults that wants to consume a naive and simple narrative with a subject they can relate. The atmosphere is of a more calm and contemplative nature than the typical action, explosion, chases, screams, that usually is used when your public is more juvenile.
The art style is unique and fits the Pokemon universe quite well making all of them not only look but almost synesthestically soft and fluffy. The stop-motion animation might feel strange for a lot of viewers, specially younger ones that are more used to only the flashy CGIs from past decades.
It's a Pokemon midia that feels different from what the franchise usually delivers and one should be grateful that the Pokemon Company realizes that the franchise is already 25 years old and so it has fans that are not younger kids anymore. They don't need to abandon the naive and simple nature of its story and characters (Ghible movies are naive and simple, and yet not childish), but it is possible to do it focusing in adult themes and adult protagonists. Hopefully GameFreak will expand their view also in their games and create fresher narratives and mechanics so that the franchise doesn't stagnate in time. Embracing all layers of the fans from a franchise is a way of not end up becoming just a relic of time like many media made exclusively for kids (Teletubbies, Banana in Pajamas, Dora, etc).
- rudykawa
- Jan 21, 2024