There is a current bidding war going on between movie studios in order to take on the role of turning one of the largest children gaming franchises into a live action movie adaptation.
Many people have speculated that the new movie will be an adaptation of the very popular anime starring Ash Ketchum and his loyal Pokemon and friend Pikachu, but is that the best choice for a new movie? Ash Ketchum has starred in every incarnation of the Pokemon anime, outside of a mini series titled Pokemon Origins that follows the story line played out in the Pokemon Red and Blue video games. It is only natural that people assume a live action movie will do the same.
For anyone that is not a large follower of Pokemon, it may be a shock to learn that in the large Pokemon fan community, Ash Ketchum is somewhat of a hated character.
Most fans are quick to point out the fact that he is a very mediocre Pokemon trainer that does not earn half of the badges he makes on his journey. The flaw with criticisms of the character is the fact that he is based in a anime aimed toward small children. The character has no room to grow and most of his flaws are traced back to lessons that the writers are trying to point out to children.
With all the hate out there though Ash is also a well beloved character. He is the character that got most of us interested in Pokemon to begin with and making him the main character in a live action movie would be an easy way to keep some familiarity.
But, could the movie be more successful as an original story with all new characters?
This movie could be a fresh new take on Pokemon and if they plan on taking the same route as most live action adaptations of children's properties and breaking it more towards the adult side of entertainment, then making a new protagonist would be a better fit.
If this film is going to be more serious toned, then it might be better to steer away from Ash Ketchum who is more of a child icon as it is.
Straying away from the anime will also allow more creative freedom. It is going to be hard to actually adapt the whole anime to a two hour movie, and would there be any point in condensing all of that story when they could just start from scratch?
In a previous article I had actually already mapped out an idea for a Pokemon franchise: 14 Cartoons and Anime That Should Be Given Live Action Adaptations.
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