Viral Video Resurfaces of 'N Sync Hilariously Covering the 'Pokemon' Rap

When it comes to dubbed anime, dark times have come and gone and come back again. Nothing bad or [...]

By Megan Peters

When it comes to dubbed anime, dark times have come and gone and come back again. Nothing bad or cringeworthy ever truly dies, and a viral video about Pokemon has proven the iconic franchise has experienced a blip or two over the years.

Just, you should know you can thank 'N Sync for this special gift that fans will never be able to unsee.

Recently, a viral video hit up social media and reminded the world of a dark time Pokemon would rather forget. Way back in May 1999, the franchise made the bold decision to team up with one of the world's biggest boy bands, but it turns out 'N Sync might not have loved Pokemon as much as — well — fans did.

As you can see above, a clip from Kids WB was cut and taken to Twitter to show off a piece of top-notch programming. The reel shows an episode bumper teasing the arrival of more Pokemon episodes, and it used 'N Sync to hype its marathon. To do so, Kids WB got the boy band to do the dubbed anime's infamous Pokemon Rap, and it went about as well as you'd expect.

After all these years, this 'cursed' footage proves Pokemon has stumbled before in marketing... even if it was in part thanks to Kids WB. When you watch the clip, fans can somehow tell the members of 'N Sync are less-than-familiar with what they're singing. Justin and Joey seem to have some sort of clue, but fans have been quick to laugh at the looks being served by J.C., Chris, and Lance. That laughter only multiplies when you listen and realize the band mispronounced Pokemon names like Muk.

This resurfaced video may make fans cringe a bit, but it preserves an important part of history. The 1990s marked anime's big arrival in the U.S., a time which thrust franchises like Pokemon and Dragon Ball to millions of fans. Even today, Pokemon continues to live well through its anime and games, so maybe there is room for the series to remake this video. 'N Sync might be defunct, but there are other boy bands around to rerecord this clip... so someone better pass this reel over to BTS real quick.

Do you think Pokemon needs to remake this treasure trove of a clip? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

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