Detective Pikachu opened up a brand new world in the Pokemon Universe. Not only did it create new characters and scenarios, it explored a part of the universe, in continuity, that saw human beings working side by side with Pokemon in their day to day lives. While most of the “Pokemon mediums” saw fans following the trainers, Ryme City presented occupations outside of this realm. The world of pocket monsters is presented by the Pokemon Company and screenwriter Benji Samit was more than happy to share his experience working with them.
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In our podcast episode, “A Wild Podcast Has Appeared”, chatting with Benji, the script writer detailed how the owners of Pokemon wanted to approach this film and the process they took with bringing it into the real world wtih Detective Pikachu:
“I would add that, we and the Pokemon company were just as excited about doing this movie because it is showing this new side of Pokemon and a part of the Pokemon Universe that we haven’t seen before. Where humans and Pokemon are living side-by-side and that’s what they were really excited about the live-action movie and that’s why we were really excited about it. Just because it was a different way than I think most people were expecting for the first Pokemon movie.”
(Photo: Warner Brothers Pictures)
While there are certainly Pokemon battles to be found in the film, Detective Pikachu decides to focus more on the relationships between the battling creatures and their trainers. Tim Goodman and the Pikachu sleuth work well with each other, without having to constantly fight their way out of situations, though these moments are welcome as well.
The universe of Ryme City is an interesting one and we don’t expect for this to be the last time we enter its borders. With a potential sequel rumored to be on the way, who knows when we’ll next see this unique take on Pokemon spring back to life. The benefit of having so many different avenues of storytelling with the Pokemon Company is the ability to see the city portrayed not just in movies, but even in the anime or in upcoming video games.
What do you all think of Benji Samit’s experience with the Pokemon Company? What did you like the most about Ryme City? Let us know in the comments or feel free to hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is now out in theaters, and you can read our spoiler-free review of the film here. The official synopsis for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu reads as such, “The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself.
