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Pokémon Volume 1: I Choose You Pikachu!
review by Zach B.
Not Rated
Studio: Pioneer
Running Time: 75 Minutes
Retail Price: $24.99
Features: Full-length Pokérap, Episodes:
Pokémon: I Choose You!, Pokémon Emergency and
Ash Catches A Pokémon
Specs: 1.33:1 Standard, 2.0 English Stereo
Pokémon, the popular video game series, loads of
merchadise and new kiddie fad, is of course also a popular
animated Japanese Animated TV show (which you may recall
gave kids seizures in Japan and beat out NBC's "The Today
Show" in many syndicated markets).
For people who know nothing about the craze, the TV show
follows a Pokémon trainer named Ash Ketchum, a ten
year old boy who's main dream is to be the ultimate
Pokémon master. Along the way, he has many, many
adventures while meeting new friends as well as new
Pokémon. Pokémon, of course, stands for Pocket
Monsters, and Pokémon battle each other and are
trained by their masters to win the battles, and so the
trainers can get badges for their victories and battle
expierence for their creatures.
"Pokémon: I Choose You Pikachu!" is the first
volume of the ongoing Pioneer releases, which features a few
episodes per disc. Two or three discs with episodes are
released about every two months, having the series in
chronological order.
Anyhow, this first volume is sure to please fans of the
TV show, and a good introduction to the craze and show
itself. In the first episode, "Pokémon: I Choose
You!", we meet Ash Ketchum and his dream to become a
Pokémon master. Too bad for Ash, the day he can get
his Pokémon license and his first Pokémon, he
is stuck with a stubborn Pikachu, who's pretty much gone on
to symbolize the whole Pokémon craze. Ash realizes
this Pikachu is a really special Pokémon, and must
help rescue him from an attack from wild Pokémon. He
also steals a girl's bike, and the girl is Misty, who would
be joining Ash on his journeys.
"Pokémon Emergency" takes place right where the
first episode ended. Ash is struggling to rescue his Pikachu
and get him to the nearest Pokémon Center for
healing. We also meet the show's main villains, the evil and
crazy Team Rocket.
Finally, "Ash Catches A Pokémon" deals with Ash
catching a Caterpie, which is this bug/catapiller like
Pokémon. Man, after saying Pokémon so many
times I think it's lost all meaning. Pokémon
Pokémon Pokémon Pokémon! There, that
should get it all out of my system.
Anyhow, like all the episodes, it is pure standard kiddie
fare. If you're an older fan or have children who like the
show, then this DVD is for them. This edition should appeal
to most of the fans, since it does establish the series and
introduces us to the whole world of Pokémon. Too be
honest though, I thought the first episode was decent,
nothing spectacular, but the other two were pretty boring.
They're just average and to please the audience...
All three Pokémon episodes are presented in their
original TV aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The transfers of the
episodes are pretty crisp. There is some slight artifacting
and shimmer, but other than that, the crappy animation looks
pretty good with solid colors and a pretty naturual, digital
feel.
I guess this is for mainstream only. Pioneer, for all
editions, has not bothered to include the original Japanese
or English subtitles. They're just the dubs, just on
American TV. Anyhow, it's stereo, and sounds decent.
Everything can be heard, dialogue and sounds are easy to
understand, it's fine and no one should have a problem.
Included on this disc (and most of the volumes) is the
Full Length Pokérap. It's just a song where
they have every single Pokémon in it for about a
second. If you're a diehard fan or new to it all, you better
start memorizing.
It depends on how you like the episodes. These are dubs
only, but as I said, these should have a value to the fans
because they are the first three episodes. The sound and
video are good, but the extras are really subpar. Fans of
the show, it's all here for you.
 (3/5 (all three episodes),
NOT included in final score)
 (4/5)
 (3.5/5)
 (.5/5)
 (2.5/5, NOT an average)
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