Pokemon's Anime Team Responds to a Big Issue From Detective Pikachu

By Evan Valentine

Pokemon's first live-action feature-length film featured a very different version of Pikachu from the one that anime fans came to know thanks to Ash Ketchum's journey. Voiced by Ryan Reynolds, the live-action electric rodent had the ability to say the entirety of the English language thanks in part to telepathic shenanigans from the all-powerful Mewtwo. In a recent interview with the anime adaptation's director Kunihiko Yuyama, the creator discussed why Ash's Pikachu wasn't able to talk in the same manner as Ryan Reynolds' version and Team Rocket's Meowth.

Detective Pikachu recently confirmed that a sequel was in the works, with Chris Galleta of Portlandia fame confirmed to be writing the return of the English-speaking pocket monster. Considering how the first Detective Pikachu came to an end, it will be interesting to see if Ryan Reynolds returns to the role or if we are introduced to a new Pikachu that takes up the mantle. The mystery-solving rodent might not have been prevalent in games such as Pokemon Go, Pokemon Scarlet, Pokemon Violet, but he did receive a video game o his own on the Nintendo 3DS of the same name. 

We're Seeing Double, Four Pikachus

In a recent interview with Animedia, anime director Kunihiko Yuyama broke down the importance of Ash's Pikachu not speaking English, confirming that initial plans would have had the pocket monster speaking like Meowth and the live-action detective. Here's how Yuyama explained the decision, "Ever since the beginning of the anime, I've wanted to get across the sense that they communicate using nothing but gestures and noises as much as I could. At first, we actually toyed with the idea of having Pikachu talk just like Team Rocket's Meowth does (laughs). However, we talked about how it would be both more realistic and more interesting if they had to communicate non-verbally, so that's the way it ended up. I think it'd be really difficult to find a pair of humans that can understand each other as near perfectly as Ash and Pikachu can, but I hope we managed to depict a duo everyone can look up to."

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Do you want to see Pikachu talk to Ash Ketchum before they both depart the anime series? Do you think we'll see Ash and his right-hand 'mon' return to the television series following their leave? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Pokemon. 

Via Serebii

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