Pokémon is not known for taking big risks. The franchise constantly refines its comfortable, addictive, and approachable formula to appeal to long-time fans and newcomers alike. Cards, plushies, and the anime series all use this same iterative design process and heavily contribute to making Pokémon the biggest media franchise of all time.
It’s rare to see The Pokémon Company deviate from its winning formula, but upcoming TV show PokéTsume, or “Pack adventure in your pocket,” breaks away from tradition in the franchise’s first live-action series. PokéTsume takes a risky new direction as no creatures are included in this series. Instead, humans are seen mimicking the traits of Pokémon in a surprisingly grounded manner.
PokéTsume is a slice-of-life comedy featuring female protagonist Madoka Akagi at her new job at an advertising agency, appropriately named ADventure. After picking up Pokémon for the first time since childhood, Madoka realizes the themes of the game can be seen in her daily life. The trailer shows Pokémon Red being played on an original Game Boy and it’s safe to assume that characters and situations will be based on the first 151 monsters.
TV Tokyo’s official website says the main actor Nishino Nanase was chosen to play the role of Madoka due to her understanding and love of the franchise. Alongside this, Madoka has a backstory in Kanto before moving to modern-day Tokyo for her job, which reinforces the Gen I theme.
Despite not having any Pokémon in the show, it’s clear that a lot of love has been poured into the creative decisions and details of the upcoming series and fans are curious and eager to check it out. The series drops on Oct. 19, but unfortunately, there is no word on a Western release at this stage.
