Anime REVIEW: Pokémon The Origin

Since the Pokémon anime first began life way back in 1997, there's always been one question burning on fans minds - will we ever see an anime series or special that follows the story of the games properly? Well, the wait is finally over with Pokémon: The Origin, which returns the franchise to its Game Boy roots to tell the story of the original games (that's Red/Green or Red/Blue outside of Japan) just before the worldwide release of Pokémon X and Y for the 3DS. It couldn't be a better time to be a fan.

Red and Green start their journeys

The four-part special follows original game protagonist Red on his quest to travel across Kanto and complete the Pokédex for Professor Oak. After leaving Pallet Town with his new Charmander partner, Red gets in a battle with his childhood rival Green and learns that in order to complete his journey, he'll need to take part in Pokémon battles and help his Pokémon grow stronger. Across the land he'll battle the eight gym leaders and eventually take on the Elite Four, but not before attempting to put an end to Team Rocket's evil schemes.

Since one and a half hours is nowhere near long enough to tell the whole story of Pokémon Red/Green, the special rushes through quite a lot of the details and pays attention to specific sections of the game. These include the start of Red's journey up to his battle with Pewter City gym leader Brock, the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town, Team Rocket's takeover of Silph Co., his gym battle with Giovanni, his battle against the Elite 4 champion and finally the capture of Mewtwo. So while not a whole lot, certainly key points in the game that evoke very different emotions. The battles provide action and suspense, while the Lavender Town segment offers one of the saddest side-stories the franchise has devised.

I dare you not to cry.

Watching Red on his Pokémon journey is a complete different experience to watching Ash (or Satoshi if you'd prefer) in the ongoing Pokémon anime. To praise Red for achieving more in 90 minutes than Ash has in 16 years is perhaps a little unfair since the two characters serve very different purposes, but it's hard to deny that watching Red is far more satisfying. Here is a character that features just as strong a bond with his Pokémon (especially his Charizard) but is unafraid to actually do what the franchise's slogan suggests and actually catch them all. The focus remains squarely on the starter, but we see Red catch and use a whole range of Pokémon - including legendaries such as Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres.

Why Brock, you're looking different.

Fans of the games will really appreciate the level of detail animators Production I.G., Xebec and OLM Inc. have put into The Origin. The animation is crisp and looks much nicer than the dated 90s style of the ongoing show, with the character and monster designs much more in tune with Ken Sugimori's original art. The Game Boy game's classic 8-bit score has had new life breathed into it, with orchestral versions of familiar tunes nicely complimenting the newly created music. Despite only covering key parts of the game, a series of montages are also included so we can see other parts such as the defeat of the other 6 gym leaders, the Celadon Rocket hideout, the S.S. Anne and more. Even the save function isn't forgotten about!

Giovanni. And without a Persian in sight.

However if you're expecting a light-hearted romp of nostalgia, be aware that The Origin doesn't skimp away from the darker side of the Pokémon franchise. In a very short time we see Team Rocket do some pretty deplorable things, and it makes it very clear that the battles involve Pokémon physically harming each other and feeling pain. Charmander's first battle with Squirtle is particularly haunting, as Charmander screams out in pain to the point where it seems almost like it's going to die.

But perhaps the biggest twist of Pokémon: The Origin is that it turns out not just to be a celebration of the original games, but a teaser of what's to come very soon. Red's final battle against Mewtwo introduces the concept of mega evolution from the forthcoming Pokémon X and Y, but instead of being the previously revealed Mega Charizard turns out to be an all-new one (which has now been announced as Mega Charizard X). The extra special twist is amazing even when you know it's coming, so I can't imagine how it felt to be watching it on television in Japan as it happened.

MEGA.

Pokémon: The Origin really is the Pokémon anime fans had been waiting for, and is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish. It pays loving tribute to the games fans had grown up with excellent attention to detail, while at the same time offering a new spin on the story to pump us all up for the next generation of Pokémon. Get the childish, repetitive notions of the standard anime series out of your head, The Origin is an absolute must-see for fans who grew up with the franchise. My only disappointment is that it couldn't have been longer.

Toybox REVIEW: D-Arts Mewtwo

If you own a Nintendo handheld console, chances are you've played a Pokémon game in your life. If you were a child in the late 90s/early noughties, most of these fond memories were probably spent playing the original Red and Blue versions on the Game Boy or watching the anime series. While Pokémon has always had a huge following outside its target demographic, there hasn't been much in the way of poseable figures aimed at adult collectors. Until now that is, as Bandai welcome them into their video-game based D-Arts line. Their first release is the 150th Pokémon Mewtwo - clone of Mew, final monster in the original Pokédex and star of the very first Pokémon movie. Joining him later this year will be the fully evolved forms of the Kanto starters Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur.

While my reviews usually look at the packaging of the figure, I'm going to take an extra moment just to appreciate Mewtwo's. Being a Pokémon character, I had fears that the box could go two ways - the first being a colourful video game mess, and the second Bandai's usual standard of packaging - effective, but usually not particularly noteworthy. But I have to say this is one impressive boxes I've seen in a while. From the great art of Mewtwo on the front to the side window, foil silhouettes on the spines and lilac/pink/black colours, everything screams Mewtwo. The back is a little more typical of Bandai, featuring Mewtwo in a number of poses against a Pokéball backdrop. Opening it up there are three plastic trays - one containing the figure, one the included stand and then a third smaller one containing the effect parts (which rests on the first tray).

As you can see, this interpretation of Mewtwo uses the faint lilac colourscheme of the anime/later games rather than white of the original generation one artwork, which also means he has the much leaner proportions. The articulation is fantastic, with ball joints in the head, neck, hands, waist, legs and feet. The arms not only include double jointed elbows, but also a bicep swivel. But perhaps most interesting of all is the addition of finger articulation! While this may only be at the knuckle, it adds a lot of versatility to the figure without the need for constant hand swapping.

The only real downside is that because Mewtwo stands on his toes, posing without the aid of a stand is extremely difficult. I wouldn't say it's impossible, but I couldn't manage it and the weight of the tail just makes things all the harder.

One aspect of D-Arts Mewtwo's design that had everyone on edge was his tail. Given the sheer size of it articulation was a must, and Bandai's method of segmenting the tail in separate parts was not to everyone's tastes. However unappealing it may look into photographs, up close it is a lot more seamless (not perfect, but better than you might expect). The range of motion varies from section to section (with the most movement being at either end of the tail), but there's enough there to go as far as stretching it out for mid-flight poses. Just be aware that the tail is heavy, and some of the more extravagant poses will probably require a second stage arm to support the tail.

Mewtwo doesn't have a whole load in the way of accessories, but what he does have Bandai haven't taken half measures on. The main draw in the Pokéball themed Tamashii stand, which is much bigger than I was initially expecting. The stand comes with two arm sections (but only one claw piece), and the base has enough ports for a total of four arms. However if you don't want to use that many, there are pieces included to plug up three of the holes on the base. For Mewtwo himself there is a psychic energy effect part, as well as a hand featuring a plug to hold said part. Only one hand is included, as it can be used as either the left or right. I found the energy part plugs nicely into the hand, however the articulated fingers have a habit of falling off while trying to do so, making the process a lot more frustrating than it needs to be.

If you're buying the first release of Mewtwo, you'll also be treated to a first release bonus in the form of a small Mew figurine. While this Mew features no poseable parts whatsoever, it scales nicely with Mewtwo and can be plugged into one of the stand arms to also be posed on the stage. Perfect if you fancy recreating any of those Pokémon: The First Movie moments.

Overall I have to say I'm very impressed with my first foray into the D-Arts line. Mewtwo isn't a perfect figure, but many of my complaints are because of the design of the character himself rather than the toy's engineering. Despite the segmented tail looking off-putting in pictures, it doesn't look as bad in hand and pulls off the poseability required excellently. The inclusion of the stand and Mew only sweeten the deal. Rest assured, Mewtwo is a worthy addition to your collection whether it's part of a Pokémon display, a Super Smash Bros. melee or even a stand-alone figure to satisfy your nostalgia.