Pokemon Season 1 Box Set - Indigo League
by Kunihiko Yuyama, Masamitsu Hidaka
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ikue Ootani, Mayumi Iizuka, Rica Matsumoto, Y?ji Ueda, Y?ko KobayashiDirector: Kunihiko Yuyama, Masamitsu Hidaka
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); English (Original Language); English (Dubbed)
Format: Animated, Box set, Color, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 650 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-11-21
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Viz Video
Movie Reviews of Pokemon Season 1 Box Set - Indigo League
Movie Review: Good for nostalgia, but that's about it.
Summary: 3 Stars
I enjoyed watching Pokemon when I was growing up, and so when they released the box set I had to get it. Unfortunately, Viz Media doesn't quite live up to the anime DVD standards set by other companies. The overall lack of quality was really disappointing.
- The cases themselves feel really flimsy and weak. My first thought when I touched them was "bootleg." The box art is colorful but really kind of plain. It just didn't look as polished and professional as other anime DVDs, which was shocking since I dare say Pokemon is probably one of the most popular (or at least well-known) anime series of all time. Furthermore, there are no included inserts: just an episode list that looks exactly the same as the one on the back covers of each DVD. (I wonder why they even bothered?)
- DVD menus are colorful, albeit very plain and minimalistic (only options are "play" and "episodes"). No Japanese track, and no subtitles. No extras either. You get the dubbed episodes plus the full Pokerap (which isn't a menu option, so you have to skip to it). Again, the price is comparable to the Cowboy Bebop or Big O collections, which also have 26 episodes, but those collections include the full Japanese language track, subtitles, and extra bonuses. AND the box art, DVD menus, and overall quality just feel more professional.
- The skipped American episode "Beauty and the Beach" is missing, nor is it in any of the later sets. This isn't that big a deal, but it does throw off the chronology for certain events. Plus it just doesn't make sense: by the time these box sets were released, the episode had been dubbed and broadcast on American television. So why couldn't it have been included here?
- These videos aren't uncut and uncensored, like what you'd find with most typical anime. That's fine with me, since it's not like 4Kids censored or cut a whole lot of stuff from these episodes anyway, but it's still worth noting here. Digital paint is out in full force, mostly just to cover up Japanese text that was present in the original. If you didn't care when you first saw these episodes on TV, you won't care now.
- The video and audio quality are beautiful, and exactly what I had hoped for. Certain scenes might seem kind of "glitchy," but that's because the original animators went back and slowed down the framerate and muted the colors because of the infamous seizure incident. Those scenes really stick out and look funky and ridiculous, but that's not Viz's (or 4Kid's) problem.
Even though I love these episodes, I cannot in good conscience give this collection higher than three stars, an "average" rating: these DVDs contain only the bare minimum to be considered a "collector's box set." Poor production values, combined with zero extras and a rather steep price, hold this back from being really exceptional. If they threw in the Japanese track, a handful of extras, and stronger DVD cases, then we'll talk. As it stands, these are only slightly better than my old VHS recordings of the show, and those tapes didn't cost me $35.
Again, I compare this collection to Cowboy Bebop or Big O: all three series include 26 episodes, but Cowboy and Big O just have so much more. I would've expected Viz to handle Pokemon, part of a multi-billion dollar franchise, with the same kind of respect and reverence afforded to these relatively obscure series.
Summary of Pokemon Season 1 Box Set - Indigo League
Pok?mon scored an immediate hit when it debuted on American TV in 1995: Adapted from a Gameboy game created by Satoshi Sajiri, the diminutive "pocket monsters" spawned a multibillion dollar franchise on both sides of the Pacific. The initial mania died down after a few years, but the games and the animated series and features have remained popular. Although it's unabashedly product-based and overly cute at times, Pok?mon remains an agreeable children's entertainment that stresses friendship, perseverance, and good sportsmanship. The first broadcast season introduces the main characters and follows them through first part of the game in its original Red and Blue versions. Aspiring Pok?mon trainer Ash Ketchum must establish a bond with Pikachu, the ultra-cute, but initially recalcitrant "electric mouse." He leaves his home in Pallet Town and quickly befriends fellow-trainers Misty and Brock. As the trio wanders through forests and towns, Ash begins collecting Pok?mon and fighting other trainers. (The fights are very tame: Pok?mon faint when they're exhausted, but are never injured or killed.) The three friends also outwit inept comic villains of Team Rocket, Jesse, James, and Meowth. Ash gradually matures through his experiences: In episode 20, he learns self-sacrifice when he allows Butterfree, the first Pok?mon he caught and trained, to find a mate and depart for their nesting grounds. The original motto, Pok?mon Getto Daze! (Let's Get Pok?mon!) became "Gotta Catch 'Em All!" and many fans are still trying to do just that, although the initial number of 151 Pok?mon, has more than tripled over the years. (Unrated, suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) --Charles SolomonEnjoy the Pok?mon story from the beginning! Meet our hero, Ash, in his hometown of Pallet Town where boys and girls are encouraged to begin their Pok?mon journeys! Join the Indigo League in this special box set of 26 episodes from Season 1 of Pok?mon!
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