I dont care how old you are, you gotta love Pokemon.

This all started a few days back when, incredibly bored, I downloaded some old Pokemon games on the computer. More for nostalgia than anything, I thought it might be fun to spend some time playing the game I was pretty much stuck to from 8 years old to...well...15. So I downloaded it, started playing and ended up, once again, pretty much addicted.

And as I sat their training my level 8 Weedle, it got me thinking; how could a franchise like this become so damn popular? How on earth did they do it? What was making me, at that moment, so into the game? Granted, Pokemon in the west has definitely lost the popularity it once held in the nineties, but boy oh boy, back then it was the real deal. Everywhere you looked, people were playing game boy in the street, trading cards, watching the Anime show and movies on every television screen. It was a phenomenon and it was definitely fun to be a part of. But as I sat there playing the game, enjoying the memories it brought back, I decided to delve in a little deeper.


I went and watched the first Pokemon film. The one where Mewtwo blows a whole bunch of things up and then clones everyone's pokemon! Well, watching it, it suddenly became obvious to me why Pokemon took the world by storm like it did.

It inspires!

There is a scene where a whole bunch of Pokemon trainers decide to brave a ferocious sea storm in order to reach Mewtwo's island. And there is a little speech that goes with it...

"Some trainers have no fear. To them this is just one more challenge. They follow their hearts and that's what sets them apart. That will make them Pokemon masters!"

Add some inspiring music, some heroic, high angle shots and there you have it...tingles up your back and you're an 18 year old film student who stopped being into Pokemon ages ago! I mean lets face it! Change the word "trainers" to "people" and instead of "Pokemon master," make it "hero!" Anyone can relate to that! We all want to be that hero!

In a similar way to Star Wars, Harry Potter, Dragonball Z, the genius' over in Japan created a franchise that could appeal to everyone on the sheer feel good factor it radiates! The theme tune alone makes you feel ready to do anything! Like you want to grab life by the horns and sail into the wind, purely because through the music and the lyrics, it makes you feel good. And they do it throughout the whole 12 series! LOOK!

Season 1

Every challenge along the way,

With courage I'll face.
I will battle everyday,
To claim my rightful place.

Come with me, the time is right,
There's no better team.
Arm in arm, we'll win the fight,
It's always been our dream.

Season 5

No time to question my moves
I stick to the path that I choose
Me and my friends, we're gonna do it right
You'll never see us run away from a fight

To be a Master is my dream
All I've got to do is believe (I believe)
I've got a chance to win
I'm on my way to victory (Pokemon!)

I can be a champion if I just believe ...

I'm on a Master Quest (Master Quest!)
I want the whole world to see (I believe!)
I'm gonna be the very best
'Cos all I've go to do is believe in me!

It's all about belief, adventure, fighting for a cause, friendship, courage, being the best! Listening to the music, at any age, makes you pumped! Imagine kids listening to it. With the imagination kid's possess, Pokemon plays off it to offer them a broad outlet where they can challenge all of these good will feelings into any medium! Looking into it deeper, this reasoning seems a little foolish. A bunch of anime kids leave home and go out and capture little magic monsters in 'pokeballs' and then make them fight. Well, on a consumer level, it has everything, but more than anything else, it inspires escapism! This is something kids never have to stop thinking about. They can play it the school yard, at home alone in their bedroom, dream about it when they're sleeping!

And like I mentioned before, almost every mainstream phenomenon such as Star Wars and Harry Potter plays off these attributes. This is nothing new, but looking back on it now that I'm not a kid anymore, it's interesting to see how these franchises affected me and how I could use there techniques. Everyone likes a feel good movie! Sure, we can watch Schindler's List or Babel sometimes, but nothing makes us smile like a kid showing unnatural courage for the good of mankind against a highly sellable, evil foe and then changing his morals for the better!


NOTE TO SELF:

In the future, make movies that are inspiring, feel good, action/comedies with empty characteres anyone can relate and can be used in outer mediums like comics, television shows and wallpaper in order to sell more toys to unsuspecting children.

God, you gotta love Pokemon, eh? I might go out and buy a poster.