Pokémon in Portugal

Pokémon in Portugal
Flag of Portugal
Language	European Portuguese
Continent	Europe
Original anime airdates
EP001	October 2, 1999
AG001	July 27, 2004
DP001	January 31, 2009
BW001	May 19, 2012* May 26, 2012*
XY001	March 2, 2015
SM001	October 6, 2017
JN001
HZ001

The Pokémon franchise first reached Portugal around 1999, when the anime started to broadcast on SIC.

Pokémon video games

All Pokémon video games have been released in Portugal in English. However, the box features a sticker with a Portuguese translation that is glued over the information on various other languages (English, French, German, and Dutch) and instruction booklets in both English (in color) and a black-and-white copy translated into European Portuguese. Up until April 2009, games were not launched in Portugal in time. On April 3, 2009 Nintendo opened a branch in Portugal, and now all the games are launched in time. The first game events were held in 2010 with the first one being Michina Arceus. Like in the rest of Europe, Pokémon Black and White was released on March 4, 2011.

Pokémon anime

SIC's logo at the debut of S01 (used from 1997 until 2018)

Biggs' (at the time named "Panda Biggs") logo at the debut of S10

The television station that started broadcasting the Pokémon anime in Portugal is SIC, Sociedade Independente de Comunicação, a station based in Lisbon that was owned by a consortium led by Francisco Pinto Balsemão, and backed by Controljornal (now Impresa Jornais, a holding that contains Impresa's newspapers and magazines), Impala Editores, BPI and Rede Globo. It is the third terrestrial television station in Portugal, launched on October 6, 1992. It aired seasons 1-10 and Pokémon Chronicles, and had several breaks in the process. The show aired in an irregular pattern, shifting from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M., but always in the same programing block, named LOL@SIC. Seasons 1-9 were dubbed in the Nacional Filmes studio, in Lisbon.

Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl season was dubbed in Dialectus, a studio located in Lisbon. It premiered on SIC on January 31, 2009, airing more or less consistently one new episode each Saturday, around 7 A.M. After DP037 aired on October 4, 2009, the show went on a hiatus. The 14 last episodes of the season aired from February 6, 2010 to March 13, 2010. These last episodes were sponsored by the Italian toy company Giochi Preziozi.

In Fall 2010, the rights to the series were purchased by another Portuguese channel, Panda Biggs. Production of the dub was moved into the Cinemágica studio in Porto, which led to replacement of the entire voice cast. TPCi took over the control of the series, adding a Portuguese subtitle below most of the season titles' English names', retaining the episode titles written in European Portuguese introduced in the Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl season, editing the ending credits with information from the Portuguese dub staff and replacing the "To be continued..." message with a translated one. It became known that the series' translator would be Sérgio Figueiredo.

Panda Biggs aired the 10th season from September 20, 2010 to October 25, 2010, airing two episodes each day of the week and repeating the 10 episodes shown on workweek in the weekend. Notably, this version had fixed some audio errors in the dub, along with replacing select lines from the original dub with ones of the new actors, which were presumed by the fans to be tests for the new voice cast. Midway through the airing of the 10th season, the channel started a promotion campaign of their new ownership of the series, conducting a contest in which 70 winners would win two tickets to a first-hand premiere of DP053 and DP054 in cinemas. There were two premieres: one in Lisbon (40 winners) and one in Porto (30 winners). Both premieres were held on October 23, 2010, with the winners notified two days earlier.

The Pokémon Dimensão Combate dub premiered officially on October 26, 2010. Unlike the previous season, Panda Biggs broadcast 1 new episode each day of the workweek. The airing of the season ended on January 5, 2011 and the channel aired reruns twice until the end of May.

Pokémon DP: Combates Galácticos premiered on June 1, 2011 and finished its airing on August 4, 2011. Reruns were held twice until December 23, 2011, though the last three episodes were skipped in the second rerun.

Pokémon DP: Vencedores da Liga Sinnoh premiered on December 25, 2011 and ended on February 9, 2012. The season filled Pokémon's time slot on the channel during the workweek (including a rerun the 5 episodes aired from Monday to Friday, on Saturday) up to the time when new episodes of the following season only aired during the weekends.

Like Dimensão Combate, the first two episodes of Pokémon: Preto & Branco got a promotion campaign for a first-hand premiere on cinema on May 19, 2012. Those competing for the special tickets had to send their participation notifications until two days earlier. 55 winners saw the episodes' premiere in Lisbon, and an additional 47 saw it in Porto. The series premiered on TV on May 26, 2012. Only two episodes premiered each week during the weekend, until the 28th episode. However, starting from the 29th episode (which aired at the start of September, when the channel usually changes the schedules of its series) and until the end of the season, the channel aired one new episode every day, until it was completed on September 20, 2012. Reruns of the episodes were aired as before, for nearly one year.

Pokémon Preto e Branco: Destinos Rivais began airing on September 16, 2013 (just a year after the end of the previous season) and was completed on November 21, 2013. The season title was fully translated onscreen for the first time.

Pokémon Preto e Branco: Aventuras em Unova aired on March 15, 2014, with two new episodes being aired on both days of the weekend.

Pokémon, A Série: XY begun airing on March 2, 2015, airing five new episodes on weekdays and a repeat on weekends.

Pokémon, A Série XY - Desafio em Kalos begun airing on December 21, 2015, two days after the conclusion of the season in the United States.

Pokémon, A Série: XYZ began airing on October 17, 2016.

Pokémon, a série: Sol e Lua began airing on October 6, 2017.

Pokémon, A Série: Sol e Lua - Ultra-Aventuras began airing on December 22, 2018.

Movies

Movies 1-4 were dubbed in Matinha, a studio known for dubbing Disney and DreamWorks movies, with nearly the same voice actors from the anime.

Pokémon 7: Alma Gémea was dubbed in PSB, an amateur studio in Lisbon, and was poorly received by the fans, due to it using amateur and unknown voice actors.

The dub of A Ascensão do Darkrai aired on 25 December 2010 in the channel, as part of the Christmas campaign. It was produced in the Cinemágica studio (Who dubbed the series from 11th season onward and all the subsequent movies) and the movie was the first to have its ending songs dubbed into European Portuguese.

Giratina e o Guerreiro Celeste and Arceus e a Jóia da Vida premiered on 13th and 23rd of June 2011, respectively.

The dub of Zoroark - Mestre de Ilusões aired on 22 February 2012. DVD releases of the movies 10 and 11 appeared in the stores on 1 May 2012, with later movies following suit afterwards.

Preto - Victini e Reshiram premiered in the channel on 15 August 2012, while Branco - Victini e Zekrom first aired on 26 August 2012.

Kyurem Contra A Espada da Justiça premiered on 25 December 2013. Like its accompanying season's title, the movie title was translated onscreen for the first time.

Genesect e a Lenda Revelada premiered on April 20, 2014 at 5:30pm.

Diancie e o Casulo de Destruição premiered on November 1, 2015.

Hoopa e o Duelo Lendário premiered on June 1, 2016 on Netflix, and on December 25, 2016 on BIGGS.

Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel premiered on October 1, 2017.

Pokémon: O filme - Escolho-te a Ti! premiered on December 15, 2018.

Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, Jirachi: Wish Maker, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea were dubbed.

Music

Cover artwork for Pokémon Vamos Apanhá-Los!

All themes used in the Portuguese dub are translated versions of the themes used in the English dub, except for Pokémon World, where the previous theme was used, and Diamond and Pearl theme, which was aired in English. However, fans can still hear Pokémon World in the opening sequence of the second movie.

A Portuguese version of the Pokémon 2.B.A. Master soundtrack was released, titled Pokémon: Vamos Apanhá-Los!. This soundtrack included a video of the English version of the Pokérap that could be played on computers. The Totally Pokémon soundtrack was also released, under the title Pokémon Total.

Cast and crew

Many main characters in the Portuguese dub of the Pokémon anime have switched voice actors several times.

Ash Ketchum, for example, had no less than ten different voice actors over the years. The first voice actress to dub Ash was Maria João Luís, who stopped doing it regularly after EP031, but oddly did it one final time in EP033. In addition, she returned for the first and the second movies. In EP032, and from EP034 until EP094 Sandra Faleiro replaced her. Starting from EP095, Sandra de Castro voiced the character, until EP128. She reprised the role from EP158 to EP209, AG093 to AG177, and finally, from DP001 to DP052. During the breaks between Sandra de Castro's returns to the cast, the role was given to Alexandra Sedas, from EP129 to EP157, Bárbara Lourenço (5th and 6th seasons, along with Pokémon Chronicles), Raquel Ferreira (7th season) and Ana Madureira from AG178 until AG192. Two other actresses to voice the character were Cristina Carvalhal (3rd and 4th movies) and Sara Marques (in the 7th movie). With the production being moved to Porto in 2010, the VA was replaced again. Raquel Rosmaninho took over the role starting from the 11th season, being notably the first voice actress since Maria João Luís to give Ash Ketchum the voice in both episodes and movies, all starting from the 10th one.

Brock was originally dubbed by Peter Michael, from his debut until EP083. He also gave him the role in the first and the second movies. Rui Quintas then dubbed the character from EP115 until AG192 and also in Pokémon Chronicles. The role was given to Luís Barros in the 10th season. Vítor Emanuel voiced him in the 3rd and 4th movies, with an unknown VA filling the role in the infamous 7th movie dub. Starting from the 11th season and until his last main series appearance, Brock was dubbed by Pedro Almendra, who also provided the voice in the DP movies.

For the first 128 episodes, Misty was voiced by Helena Montez, including the first 4 movies. After she left the cast, the character was dubbed by an unknown actress from EP129 to EP157. Paula Pais gave her the voice in the 4th season. She was replaced again by an actress presumably named as Carla, who dubbed her in the Master Quest season, her cameo appearance in the two-part arc in AG044-AG045 and in Pokémon Chronicles. The last VA to give her the voice was Isabel Ribas, in AG132-AG134.

Jessie's first VA was Teresa Madruga, from EP002 until EP041. After that she left, but returned one more time, from EP100 to EP128, including the 2 first movies. In the break between EP042 to EP099 she was voiced by Sandra de Castro, who also did it from EP263 to AG065. After that, Dora Cruz took over, from EP129 until EP209. Raquel Ferreira then picked the role, dubbing Jessie in the 5th, and from 8th to 10th seasons, except for the last three AG episodes, where Rita Fernandes took the job. Bárbara Lourenço voiced her between AG066 and AG092 and in her Pokémon Chronicles appearances. Cármen Santos was the VA in the 3rd and 4th movies, with an unknown VA filling the role in the 7th movie dub. Raquel Rosmaninho started giving the voice in the 11th season, due to the series' dubbing being moved from Lisbon to Porto. She also dubbed the character in all movies starting from the 10th.

James was first dubbed by Peter Michael, from EP002 until EP093 and was also his VA in the first 4 movies. Rui Quintas then took the role, dubbing the character from EP094 until DP052 and in Pokémon Chronicles. Another VA to give the voice to the character was in the 7th movie, but his name (like almost all of the other voice actors from the movie) remains unknown. He was replaced by Pedro Mendonça in the 11th season, who also gave the voice to James in all the movies starting from the 10th.

Meowth's original voice was Rui Luís Brás, from EP002 until EP093 and was also his VA in the first 4 movies. The role was then given to Pedro Carneiro, who dubbed the character from EP094 until AG092 and from DP001 to DP052. Luís Barros was the VA in the 8th, 9th seasons and also in Pokémon Chronicles. An unknown actor gave Meowth the voice in the 7th movie. Since the 11th season the voice has been performed by Mário Santos, who also dubbed the character in all movies starting from the 10th.

May's original voice was an actress known as Carla. In AG109 she was replaced by Isabel Ribas. She played her main role until the end of AG. Sara Marques played her voice in the 7th movie, the only VA to be identified from the movie's voices. In her cameo in the Diamond & Pearl series her role was performed by Marta Mota.

Max's voice was first given to Sandra de Castro, who dubbed the character in the 6th and 7th seasons. Raquel Ferreira replaced her from AG093 until AG177. An unknown VA performed the role in the 7th movie. Another unknown VA provided the voice in the last 15 AG episodes.

Dawn's voice was first given to Raquel Ferreira in the 10th season. She was replaced by Joana Carvalho in the 11th season and provided the voice until her last appearance, as well as in all DP movies.

Iris' voice was given to Isabel Queirós.

Cilan's role was performed by Pedro Manana.

Serena's role was done by Sissi Martins.

Clemont's voice actor was André Lourenco.

Bonnie's voice was given to Vânia Blubird.

The original Narrator's voice was Rui de Sá, in the first four seasons. Rui Quintas replaced him from the 5th to 10th seasons, along with doing the role in Pokémon Chronicles. Paulo B was the VA exclusively in the 1st movie, Carlos Freixo only in the 2nd movie, José Jorge Duarte in the 3rd and 4th movies, and finally, an unknown one in the 7th movie. After the switch of the rights of the series in 2010 between SIC and Panda Biggs Mário Santos took over, beginning from the 11th season and 10th movie, respectively.

In Portugal the anime is available on Netflix.

Events

A Portuguese version of Pokémon Live! was performed at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon from March 21 to March 27, 2002.

Related articles

• List of European Portuguese Pokémon themes

This article is part of Project Globe, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon franchise around the world.