It’s no big secret that Pokemon is the world’s highest-grossing franchise since the late 90s. It encompasses video games, trading cards, toys, manga and books, food items, and clothing. Besides the games, the biggest draw is its different forms of media. These usually are its numerous animated series, spin-offs, and movies. They’re typically two-dimensional cartoons, but a new form will arrive in 2027.
The World of Pokemon
Everything started in 1996 when Nintendo released Pokemon Red and Green in Japan. These video games, created by Satoshi Taijiri and Ken Sugimori, focused on collecting unique monsters. They became popular practically overnight, thus sparking the flames of a phenomenon. The trading cards were released months later, and the anime premiered the following year. A craze eventually gripped Japan, leading to the establishment of the first Pokemon merchandise store. It peaked once the first animated short and feature film premiered in theaters.
1998 was the year Pokemon arrived in the United States, bringing the English-dubbed anime. The American games appeared soon after, and the card game followed almost immediately. Like Japan, a fad storm called Pokemania swept away America. The franchise expanded beyond the games, cards, and cartoons and practically integrated into society. Things didn’t slow down in the East either since the second generation launched in 1999. Pokemon took over the world and would continue to for the unforeseeable future.
The Show That Kept Everything Alive
The video games were the franchise’s heart, but the anime was the blood. It immediately gathered a massive fanbase of kids and adults upon debuting in the 90s. The series followed Satoshi/Ash, who desired to catch every Pokemon and become a Master. His partner Pikachu and his two companions join him on his travels. They would often have adventures revolving around learning about the monsters and growing as people. The protagonists also had to regularly deal with Team Rocket, a trio of troublemaking criminals.
The Pokemon anime is as popular as the games, if not more. Its earlier seasons helped keep the franchise alive as Pokemania faded during the 2000s. The drop in interest occurred because fans weren’t impressed with the new generations and games. Ironically, these new iterations kept the show from going stale, thus keeping its devotees’ attention. Its popularity eventually led to the creation of countless adored spin-off shows.
A Collaboration of the Century
A remarkable Pokemon spin-off full of new adventures is coming in the next two years! While it doesn’t sound like a huge deal, there’s a twist to this media undertaking. Aardman Animations, the studio responsible for Wallace and Gromit, will collaborate on this project. Not much is known about this venture except it’ll be in stop-motion claymation. A short video on the official Pokemon YouTube channel revealed that aspect. There’s no idea if it will be a new series or a movie.
Taito Okikura of The Pokemon Company International considers this team-up a dream come true. He’s also praised the people at Aardman for being talented masters of the claymation craft. Everyone on the other side is just as excited about this collaboration. Managing Director Sean Clarke emphasized how honored they are to work with Pokemon. They cannot wait to bring the characters and world to life with their renowned style. He even mentioned how the companies’ shared priority to fans will ensure everything goes well.
Final Thoughts
This team-up between The Pokemon Company International and Aardman Animations sounds epic! It’ll be interesting to see the human characters in the Aardman style. How the Pokemon will look remains to be seen, though hopefully, they’ll be appropriate. That aspect will likely be what attracts or repels the fans. However, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about with Aardman on the team.
Not only am I a Pokemon fan, but I’m also a lover of Aardman productions. Wallace and Gromit were a prominent part of my childhood, as was Chicken Run. I’m confident that Aardman will do Pokemon justice for this mind-blowing project. Either way, my excitement to witness the finished product is sky-high. There’s no official precise release date, though it should premiere sometime in 2027.
