Why so much hype?

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

WHAT I LIKED1. The anime stayed true to the Pokémon games (the events, music, etc.).2. The brutal suffering of Pokémon (Charmander getting mauled by Squirtle and Marowak's murder) were shown, even though they were brief and toned down.3. Mega Evolution is not supposed to be a part of this anime as it is a newer game mechanic and is not present in the original games, but it was an enjoyable addition.WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE1. Too short and rushed. Needed to be much longer to adapt the games completely.TOP EPISODES1. File 4 - Charizard2. File 3 - Giovanni3. File 2 - Cubone4. File 1 - RedVERDICTGood anime adaptation of the Pokémon games but needed to be longer to do full justice to the games.7/10 - Good

This is a shorter version of my review as there is word limit so.... Here's some why you will love Pokémon Origins (2013) and have a great time watching it! Firstly, there are so much references to the game which is quite unusual and unexpected. Secondly, it feels like playing a Gameboy Color by Nintendo which is creative. Then, a lot of the music, dialogues and scenes are adapted from the games; they are just so priceless! Most of all, it is entertaining to watch the rivalry and friendship between the main characters Red and Blue as each have their own distinctive personality and boyish charm!Since the animated special is split into four parts and directed by four different anime directors, I have four mini review for each of these too!The first part, File 1: Red, is about the beginning of Red's and Blue's Pokémon journey. My first impression was a wow as the games are seemingly coming to life! However as the animated special progresses, I realised that it isn't just that. This is seriously a comedy aimed to entertain, it is full of inside joke that Pokémon fans would find them damn funny most of the time but humorous or not, Pokémon Origins (2013) is certainly a tribute to all Pokémon fans!The second part, File 2: Cubone, is about Red's adventure in one of the towns he visited. Many days have passed since the first part but it does follows the storyline or gameplay. Fortunately, it is still as funny but what's more is that this part is quite heartwarming; there are some aww moments and the relationships between people and Pokémon shown here are just so sentimental. Thus, if you wanted to watch something uplifting with a hilarious plot, this is it!The third part, File 3: Giovanni, is an interesting arc featuring the Team Rocket's Boss. It is a dramatic one. Although this part also means Pokémon Origins (2013) is coming to an end soon, it is quite satisfying because there are intense actions and a plenty of wise words. You can't help but to feel happy to learn that these characters are moving on, forward!The fourth and last part, File 4: Charizard, is about Red challenging the Elite Four and the Champion, who happens to be his rival! I find most of the characters adorable and these two rivals especially are good-natured boys after all. Although the plot progresses pretty fast, Pokémon Origins (2013) is never boring. Like all of us who played the Pokémon games, there will always be more Pokémon, mysteries and never-ending surprises!Nonetheless, it would be a huge lie if I mention that there are no flaws in Pokémon Origins (2013). As I have mentioned in one of my previous movie review before; let it be a common knowledge that there is no one film that is perfect and that all of the people in the world would love it. What is perfect to me might not be perfect to you but for this one, you can trust me that it is extremely different than all of existing Pokémon films and TV anime series out there and it might just be your new favorite anime!Of course, I won't deny that there could be some flaws such as too little screen time for each gym leaders, all 151 original Pokémon does not appear on screen and that there are certainly plenty of other towns from Kanto which it obviously does not cover but it is about 90 minutes only after all. However, Pokémon Origins (2013) truly does not disappoint because the plot is entertaining and every moment in this animated special is epic!One note on the directors of Pokémon Origins (2013), I believe each of the directors from the different animation studio have performed well and collaborated perfectly. I did not know that it was a co- production until I read about it as everything is well thought out and the continuity is seamless! The evident is this animated special; it is not difficult to tell that their creativity and efforts have paid off! Kudos to all four of you, if you are reading this by any chance!Ending this post, Pokémon Origins (2013) is an admirable work. It is a true video games to film kind of movie and it is so awesome and epic that we certainly needed more of these! Please create... for every generation... Arigatougozaimasu!

I grew up with the original Pokémon (Seasons 1-5) and I still love it to this day. It was nice to go back to where it all started since right now I couldn't stand Best Wishes and the more recent XY. However, I feel that just 4-5 episodes is just WAY too short to fully tell a Pokémon story. In the regular show every episode was worth the watch as it was more than just formula, it felt like reading a novel. They made Red to be too perfect unlike Ash who really felt more alive. Sorry fans of this one, but Ash's faults were there for a purpose not to drive you crazy. And the whole "win only one tournament" was there for a reason as well. Here the ultra condensed version is just mostly action, very little adventure, comedy, and drama and that's it. I liked how they played it out in the fashion of the Gameboy Games, but the reason I preferred the anime more, is that it had more life. Characters thought, had deep psychology, and made tough if difficult decisions. Here we don't get that as much. Finally, I felt that the mega stone thing was out of place. The creators should stick where it was back then and what it should be.

I'll admit, I may be biased because I don't like the Pokemon anime in the least. However, the Pokemon Red Version was my first GameBoy game ever. I was only 7-8 years old, and I remember being very confused as to why the plot line for the show was so different from the game. I later got the Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition game, which was marketed as having some touches that were intended to be more faithful to the show, but in reality, even the Yellow version has only little in common with the anime show.(And yes, I do regard Pokemon Yellow as one of the greatest hand-held games of all time, with only two minor drawbacks. The first of these being the inclusion of the way-weird Jesse and James, and the second being that Pikachu's cry was altered to saying its name rather than the original cry that Pikachu has in Pokemon Red and Blue. I do very much like the other changes, such as improved artwork and the interaction with Pikachu.) When I grew out of liking the show in a few years, my parents were kind of confused why I still played the games so much and never seemed to move past them. Little did they realize that comparing the Pokemon Games to the show is like comparing apples and oranges.(And frankly, I really don't even like the word "Pokemon" as a title for the games and I wish the games were just called "Pocket Monsters," come on, that's not so hard to say. Partly because it's just a better sounding name in my opinion, but also partly because the games should be very distinguished from what aired on Kids WB on February 13th, 1999. And just in case you didn't know, yes, the games came before the television show. You probably already knew that if you're reading this review though.) The Pokemon Origins TV Special is Pokemon Red and Green (Blue in the USA) adapted into an anime. The differences in plot are only minor and are probably only even there in the interest of making everything fit into four short episodes. Interestingly, each of the four episodes has a different director, and they all do a very good job. *Very Minor Spoiler Alert!* There also happens to be an ode to the newest generation towards the end.*End of Very Minor Spoiler*Red is a likable enthusiastic protagonist (very unlike Ash) and seems to be a good representation of the eleven-year-old Pokemon league champion that we all remember, albeit now he finally talks. Green (the Rival) is very similar to how he was games, but maybe just a hair less obnoxious (which isn't saying much, but he doesn't say "Smell ya later").The animation is top notch, the recreation of the towns and settings from the GameBoy games is superb, and they even went above and beyond with the cool intro sequences of a GameBoy selection screen, the HP bars as Pokemon are battling, and the fact that the Pokemon don't say their names out loud as their cry, but instead make noises like they do in the games. All of these things are to be commended. You are really given a sense of how different the characters and worlds of Red and "Ash" truly are.The only depressing thing that keeps this from getting a perfect 10/10 score is the fact that it's only a television special, and not a full on anime series. Although this special does a fantastic job of summarizing the plot in four twenty-five minute episodes, this time constraint means they have to skip over a lot of parts of the games that would have been so fun to see. At the beginning of the second, third and fourth episodes, we see a brief summary of these events that those of us who grew up on the games are familiar with. Merely stating that such things happened just isn't quite enough, I would've loved to see these things played out, especially if it had been done with an equal amount of skill as the parts they did elaborate on. And worst of all, this results in there having to be a few minor plot changes from the games to make it fit the time block as I mentioned earlier.But I won't let that stop me from being delighted. Who knows? This is the first review on IMDb, but maybe this will catch on. Could we possibly be treated to a similar special about the generation II games (Gold and Silver)? That would be fantastic! In conclusion, may Red be known as the Pokemon League Champion, NOT Ash!