Pokémon animated series

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This article is about the mainline animated series. For other Pokémon animated series, see Pokémon animation.

A cel from the 93rd episode of the series

The Pokémon animated series (Japanese: テレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター」シリーズ TV Anime "Pocket Monsters" Series) is the mainline animated series for the Pokémon franchise that airs on television in Japan. It is based on the core series Pokémon games originally created by Satoshi Tajiri.

The television series premiered with Pokémon - I Choose You! on April 1, 1997 on TV Tokyo in Japan, and has since aired nearly every week with the exception of a four-month hiatus after the Porygon incident and a seven-week hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The English dub premiered with Battle Aboard the St. Anne on September 7, 1998 in syndication in the United States. As of 2023, the series has aired in 192 countries and regions in over 30 languages.[1][2] Several movies and specials have been produced as tie-ins to the series.

Terminology

In English, The Pokémon Company International has referred to the series as the Pokémon animated television series[3], the Pokémon animated TV series[4], the animated Pokémon TV series[5], the animated TV series Pokémon[5], the Pokémon TV series[5][6], the Pokémon animated series[7][8], the animated Pokémon series[9], the animated television series[4], the animated TV series[7], the animated series[5][10][11][12], the TV series[13], and the animation[5][10]. The Pokémon Company has referred to the series as the Pokémon TV animated series[14], the animated TV series "Pokémon"[15][16], the animated TV shows[1], the TV Anime series Pokémon[17], the Pokémon TV anime series[18][19], the Pokémon anime TV series[15], the Pokémon TV anime[15], the "Pokémon" animated series[14][20][21], the Pokémon anime series[22][23], the TV Anime series[17], the TV anime[15], and the anime[24]. Prior to Pokémon Horizons: The Series, these terms were synonymous with Pokémon the Series.

In Japanese, the Pokémon animated series has been officially referred to as (Japanese: テレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター」シリーズ TV Anime "Pocket Monsters" Series)[14][25], (Japanese: TVアニメ「ポケットモンスター」シリーズ TV Anime "Pocket Monsters" Series)[26], (Japanese: テレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター」 TV Anime "Pocket Monsters")[25], (Japanese: アニメ「ポケットモンスター」 Anime "Pocket Monsters")[26], (Japanese: アニメ「ポケモン」 Anime "Pokémon")[27], (Japanese: TVアニメポケモン TV Anime Pokémon)[28], (Japanese: アニメポケモン Anime Pokémon)[29], (Japanese: ポケモンアニメ Pokémon Anime)[25], (Japanese: テレビアニメ TV anime)[30][31], (Japanese: TVアニメ TV anime)[32], and (Japanese: アニメ anime)[32]. The official abbreviation for the series is (Japanese: アニポケ Anipoké).[33] Some of these terms may also be used to refer specifically to Pocket Monsters (1997), Pocket Monsters (2019), or Pocket Monsters (2023), depending on the context.

Episodes

Main article: List of anime episodes

In Japan and Asia, the Pokémon animated series consists of over 1,200 episodes across eight series, with the first being Pocket Monsters (1997) and the newest being Pocket Monsters (2023).[34][35][31][18][36][19]

In the West, the Pokémon animated series consists of two animated series: Pokémon the Series, which consists of 1,224 episodes across 25 seasons focusing on Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, and Pokémon Horizons: The Series, which focuses on Liko and Roy.[2] The term "Pokémon the Series" was introduced in 2013 with the debut of Pokémon the Series: XY, with the episodes from the prior 16 seasons being retroactively grouped into five series in certain home video and video-on-demand releases.

Individual episodes generally follow the structure of a cold open, the opening theme, the title card, the first half of the episode, an eyecatch, a sponsor listing, the second half of the episode (ending with a "To Be Continued" message), the ending theme, a bonus segment, and a preview for the next episode. In the English dub, the sponsor listings, bonus segments, and next episode previews are typically removed. Prior to Fear Factor Phony, the Japanese version did not use a cold open and instead had an introductory scene after the opening theme and before the title card; the English dub had already begun using a cold open since A Goldenrod Opportunity by moving the introductory scene to the beginning of the episode before the opening theme.

Availability

In Japan, new episodes have been broadcast every Friday at 6:55 PM JST on TX Network stations since October 9, 2020. Episodes are also made available on demand on YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, NicoNico, and several other platforms,[37] and have been physically released on rental DVD by Shogakukan. Previous timeslots for the animated series are listed in the table below:

Episodes Dates Timeslot
EP001EP038 April 1, 1997 – December 16, 1997 Tuesdays at 6:30 PM
EP039XY113 April 16, 1998 – March 24, 2016 Thursdays at 7:00 PM
XY114SM090 April 7, 2016 – September 13, 2018 Thursdays at 6:55 PM
SM091JN039 October 7, 2018 – September 29, 2020 Sundays at 6:00 PM
JN040–present October 9, 2020 – present Fridays at 6:55 PM

In the United States, new episodes are made available on Netflix every few months. Episodes are also made available on demand or for purchase on Netflix, Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, Hulu, and several other platforms, and have been physically released on DVD by VIZ Media.[38] Previous broadcasters for the animated series are listed in the table below:

Episodes Dates Broadcaster
EP001EP043 September 7, 1998 – October 30, 1998 Syndication
EP044AG145 February 13, 1999 – July 8, 2006 Kids' WB
AG146XYS05 September 8, 2006 – January 28, 2017 Cartoon Network
SM001SM146 December 5, 2016 – March 7, 2020 Disney XD
JN001–present June 12, 2020 – present Netflix

Internationally, the animated series is aired on various local broadcasters and available on various video-on-demand platforms, including Netflix.

Music

Opening and ending themes

Main articles: List of Japanese opening themes, List of Japanese ending themes, List of English opening themes

Most episodes of the animated series feature an opening theme and an ending theme, with the first opening theme being Aim to Be a Pokémon Master performed by Rica Matsumoto and the first ending theme being One Hundred Fifty-One performed by Unshō Ishizuka. In the English dub, these songs are replaced with shorter, original opening themes, with the first being the Pokémon Theme performed by Jason Paige. Shortened or instrumental versions of these songs are typically used in place of the original ending theme. These English songs are subsequently dubbed into other languages for most of the dubs based on the English dub.

Background music

Main articles: Pocket Monsters Original Soundtrack Best, Pocket Monsters Original Soundtrack, Pocket Monsters Original Soundtrack Volume 2

The background music for the animated series consists of both original compositions for the show and arrangements of tracks from the video games. The composer was Shinji Miyazaki until the end of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Yuki Hayashi for Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and Conisch for Pokémon Horizons: The Series. In the English dub and those based on it, the score is often replaced with new tracks by John Loeffler, John Siegler, Manny Corallo, John Lissauer, and Ralph Schuckett until the end of Pokémon the Series: Black & White, or by Ed Goldfarb, Akhil Gopal, Steve Mayer, and Geoff Li since Pokémon the Series: XY.

Staff

Main article: Staff of the Pokémon anime

The series is animated by OLM, specifically by Team Ota from EP001AG173, Team Iguchi from AG174DP136, OLM/OLM Digital from DP137-DP163, and Team Kato from DP164–present. Over the course of the series, Masamitsu Hidaka, Norihiko Sudō, Yūji Asada, Tetsuo Yajima, Daiki Tomiyasu, Maki Kodaira, Jun Ōwada, and Saori Den have served as directors. While the staff working on the animated series has changed over time, a few individuals and entities have been credited on the series across its entire run:

Created By
原案
  • 田尻智
Production Supervisor
スーパーバイザー
  • 石原恒和
Published by
掲載
  • 小学館
    • ちゃお
    • コロコロコミック
    • 小学一年生
    • 幼稚園
Color Keys
色彩設計
  • Noriyuki Yoshino
  • 吉野記通
Sound Recording Director
音響監督
  • Masafumi Mima
  • 三間雅文
Music Assistance
音楽協力
  • テレビ東京ミュージック
Production Assistance
協力
  • ジェイアール東日本企画
Casting Assistance
キャスティング協力
  • 81プロデュース
Backgrounds
背景
  • スタジオじゃっく
Sound Recording Producer
音響プロデューサー
  • Michiyoshi Minamisawa
  • 南沢道義
Recording Coordination
サウンドミキサー
  • Nobuhira Hirano
  • 平野延平
Sound Effects Supervisor
音響効果技師
  • Daisuke Jinbo
  • 神保大介
Music & Sound Effects Production
音響制作
  • HALF H・P STUDIO
Executive Production
製作
  • テレビ東京
  • MEDIANET
  • ShoPro

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 寶可夢電視動畫系列 Bóuhómuhng Dihnsih Duhngwá Haihliht
Mandarin 寶可夢電視動畫系列 / 宝可梦电视动画系列 Bǎokěmèng Diànshì Dònghuà Xìliè
French Série animée Pokémon
German Pokémon-Zeichentrickserie
Italian Serie animata Pokémon
Korean TV애니메이션 “포켓몬스터” TV Animation "Pocket Monsters"
Spanish Serie de dibujos animados Pokémon

References

  1. Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 Pokémon in Figures | The Pokémon Company
  2. Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 Pokémon Brand Sheet (August 2023) (archived)
  3. About Us - The Pokémon Company International
  4. Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 WATCH POKÉMON ANIMATION ANYTIME, ANYWHERE WITH FREE POKÉMON TV APP - The Pokémon Company International Official Press Site
  5. Jump up to: 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Creator Profile: The Creators of Pikachu | Pokemon.com
  6. Meet the Director and Assistant Director behind Pokémon: Twilight Wings | Pokemon.com
  7. Jump up to: 7.0 7.1 Pokémon Offers Sneak Peek of First ‘Pokémon Horizons: The Series’ Episode and Behind-the-Scenes Look at Production During Comic-Con International Panel - The Pokémon Company North America Official Press Site
  8. Pokémon Horizons: The Series influencer gift box, excerpt: "Liko is a girl from the Paldea region and the first female protagonist in the Pokémon animated series."
  9. THE POKÉMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL AND NETFLIX TEAM UP FOR U.S. PREMIERE OF “POKÉMON JOURNEYS: THE SERIES” - The Pokémon Company North America Official Press Site
  10. Jump up to: 10.0 10.1 Ash Ketchum’s 10 Most Iconic Traveling Companions | Pokemon.com
  11. POKÉMON REVEALS MORE CHARACTERS FOR NEW ANIMATED SERIES - The Pokémon Company North America Official Press Site
  12. Pokémon Content Guidelines for Online Streaming Platforms – Pokémon Support
  13. Meet Sou Kinoshita, the Screenwriter behind Pokémon: Twilight Wings | Pokemon.com
  14. Jump up to: 14.0 14.1 14.2 TV Tokyo: To all fans of the Pokémon TV animated series
  15. Jump up to: 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Videos | The Pokémon Company
  16. Why We Created “Pokémon Sleep” | The Pokémon Company
  17. Jump up to: 17.0 17.1 What is Pokémon? | The official Pokémon Website in Singapore
  18. Jump up to: 18.0 18.1 TV Anime Series | The official Pokémon Website in Singapore
  19. Jump up to: 19.0 19.1 Pokemon TV Anime series - YouTube
  20. Pokémon Singapore on Facebook
  21. Pokémon Asia ENG on YouTube
  22. Encounter special Pikachu wearing Ash's cap during Pokémon GO Spotlight Hour! | Apps | The official Pokémon Website in Singapore
  23. Links: Official Pokémon content in India | The official Pokémon Website in India
  24. International Business | The Pokémon Company
  25. Jump up to: 25.0 25.1 25.2 「テレビアニメ放送1000回!!ゼンリョク!ポケモンスクール」イベントリポートを更新! | テレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター」1000回放送記念!
  26. Jump up to: 26.0 26.1 アニポケ25周年記念ベストアルバム「ポケモンTVアニメ主題歌 BEST OF BEST OF BEST 1997-2023」商品概要(2023年2月1日(水)発売) | アニメ「ポケットモンスター」 | ソニーミュージックオフィシャルサイト
  27. 松丸亮吾が作詞、思わずラップに挑戦したくなる!アニメ「ポケモン」新ED曲 | テレビ東京・BSテレ東の読んで見て感じるメディア テレ東プラス
  28. 新オープニング&新エンディングテーマソングマキシシングルCD発売!!|ポケットモンスター ADVANCED GENERATION
  29. あにてれ:ポケモン☆サンデー
  30. ピカチュウ誕生秘話(1ページ目)|株式会社ポケモン | The Pokémon Company (archived)
  31. Jump up to: 31.0 31.1 ポケモン、最新アニメシリーズの「テレビアニメ ポケットモンスター オリジナル・サウンドトラック」収録曲58曲の全曲配信が決定!本日より全曲試聴トレイラーも公開! | 株式会社ソニー・ミュージックレーベルズ レガシープラスのプレスリリース
  32. Jump up to: 32.0 32.1 アニメ|ポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト
  33. アニメ「ポケットモンスター」公式 (@anipoke_PR) on Twitter
  34. ポケモン第1話!全部見せますスペシャル!!(テレビ東京、2013/12/31 05:40 OA)の番組情報ページ | テレビ東京・BSテレ東 7ch(公式)
  35. ポケモンアニメがついに!放送1000回を迎えます!! | テレ東 リリ速(テレ東リリース最速情報) | テレビ東京・BSテレ東 7ch(公式)
  36. 電視動畫系列 | 台灣寶可夢官方網站
  37. 放送・配信情報|ポケットモンスター テレビ東京アニメ公式
  38. Where to Watch Pokémon Episodes & Movies | Pokemon.com

External links


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Horizons (list) HorizonsThe Search for Laqua
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.