Pokemon Team Shares Why the Anime Needed a Female Lead
Liko is living in the big shadow of Ash Ketchum, but the higher-ups at The Pokemon Company think now is the perfect time for Liko's journey.
North American fans have been waiting some time to see how the Pokemon anime continues once Ash Ketchum and Pikachu departed from their roles as the show's stars. While news has come in fast and furious about Liko and Roy's exploits in Japan, Western anime fans have finally been able to catch Pokemon Horizons now that it's on Netflix. In a new interview, executives at The Pokemon Company explained why now was the right time to bring in Liko as the main star of the show.
Unlike Ash Ketchum, Liko hasn't made it her life's mission to become the world champion or learn what it means to be a Pokemon master. In Horizons, the new star is dodging the advances of the villainous group, The Explorers, as they are looking to snag the mysterious artifact that Liko is trying to protect.
Liko's Time is Now
Andy Gose, senior director of media production for The Pokemon Company, discussed why Liko taking the reins now was the right time for the franchise, "Ash is such an iconic character, very singularly focused on becoming a Pokémon master, and here we get to start with new characters facing their own personal, internal challenges. We get to understand where they're coming internally and watch them grow through the series. That's one of the most compelling parts to me, that character opportunity. Also having dual protagonists and our first female protagonist is really exciting."
The Pokemon Company's Vice President of Marketing, Taito Okiura, offered his thoughts on how Liko was introduced thanks to female Pokemon fans, "There are so many voices from passionate Pokémon fans, boys but also girls. You see in the initial episodes, Liko is kind of an introvert, but she bonds with Sprigatito."
Gose then takes the opportunity to dissect Liko's beginnings, touching on her partnership with Sprigatito, "She's paired with Sprigatito, who is very capricious and ready to take action. You start to immediately see that dynamic and that growth starting to take place from the very beginning. Similarly we have Roy, who is quite energetic and comes from a part of the world where Pokémon trainers don't exist but he's learned about them and yearns for this adventure. His dynamic with Liko is also an interesting relationship that we see evolve as the story progresses."