Pokémon Adventures: Red arc review

Pokémon Adventures: Red Arc

Review

Right off the bat, I want to make it perfectly clear that I'm not exactly a big reader of Manga. I've read several issues of Death Note and Naruto, but that's it. So, at least I was prepared enough to be used to the fact that I need to read from right to left. However, I highly doubt that all of the Manga reading in the world would have been enough to prepare me for the Pokémon Adventures Manga.

Pokémon Adventures might also be known under the name Pokémon Special (PokéSpe for short). The creator of the franchise, Satoshi Tajiri, said that this manga most closely resembled the world that he was trying to create. The reason for this is that the manga follows the videogames instead of the anime adaptation. Volumes one through three of PokéSpe follows the adventures of a young trainer named Red, who's story differs greatly from the adventures of young Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. How different? Well, let's take a look.

Many of the individual chapters of the story are stand-alone pieces, that tend to flip flop forwards in time and location from any moments notice. In the games, and in the anime, the progression of the story only appears to flow more naturally because of that fact that the main characters actually travel. However, once you start to get with the flow of the story, you start to see that this way of storytelling is equally as good as the other. So, even though the story might jump from one city to the other with just one comic in-between, you wind up liking its fast paced nature. Since this means there's barely any filler.

Now, the story itself is quite interesting to say the least. From the very beginning of Red's adventure, it's quite clear that Team Rocket is a driving force of the plot. Luckily, Jessie and James are nowhere to be found. It's all about the menacing group of terrorists that made your life, and everyone else's life in the games, miserable. They're extremely dangerous, and aren't afraid of ending the life Pokémon if they have to. Another great aspects of the Manga's Rockets is that they have a few members of note that I had never seen coming. Characters from the game and the anime, who weren't part of Team Rocket, will now be key antagonists. Which actually brings more elements of the story together under one umbrella, which is in fact a very good thing when it comes to presenting your story. Though, like I said, the fast past progression is something to get used to. Because it made it appear like Red, our main character, buggered off on an adventure without telling his mum.

This in turns brings us to the characters. Who, despite having a part to play in the grander scheme, all have a miniature story of their own. Character driven, and equally as entertaining to follow. Of course you have Red, who immediately proves he is a far better character than Ash was during the Kanto region. On one side you have Ash, who didn't even know how to catch a Pokémon, that Pokémon have type strengths and weaknesses and that hitting Pokémon with ROCKS isn't a smart idea. Then there's Red, who already has a Pokémon and has formidable knowledge of the Pokémon world. Not to mention he showcases his strategic skills very, very early on. Throughout the course of the series, he stays his bashful and energetic self, whilst also learning a lot from his rival.

There are two characters in the series who are named Blue and Green. Depending on region, Gary Oak is either Blue or Green. My version has him as Green, so keep that in mind when I say that Green is his main rival. Totally opposite from Red, Green is a cocky bastard who uses his brain more than his heart. Then there's Blue, who is an amazingly fun con-artist. She's based on the design originally intended to be the female character in Pokémon Red & Green. You can never quite get a grasp on her character, as they really pull a few twists here and there to keep the mystery alive.

When the smoke clears, and the Red arc is done and over with, you can't deny that each of these characters is quite inspired and fun to follow. Definitely more so than the misadventures of Ash. Hell, even manga Misty is more enjoyable than season 1 Misty.

So, the story is good and the characters are great. However, that still doesn't mean that this isn't a weird as balls Manga. Trust me when I say that you will not be prepared. Many will agree with me that the Japanese culture can have a bit of a weird streak when it comes to their franchises. That was severely downplayed in the games and in the anime, but it comes through brilliantly in the manga. Here's a mental image that will help bring across the Pokémon world that was created here. Now, you remember that one time Ash tried to catch Pidgeotto? He used Caterpie, but then Pidgeotto actually tried to EAT CATERPIE. Well, that entire image … magnify it by ten and you'll have this manga.

Not to mention the weird way that Pokémon Battles and Gym Battles are presented. It's played out to be more like a real fight than the clean battles we see in the games and in the anime. There's no match. People just come, fight and seemingly use multiple Pokémon at a time even. Hell, many Gym Battles aren't even real battles when you stop to think about it.

As for the art itself... yeh, I can dig it. Sure, the panels can get a bit crowded. And sometimes you won't be able to tell what's going on. But, in the end, it's beautifully drawn and really old school cartoony in feel. Fluid is the better way to describe it, where animators weren't being cheap by duplicating the same panel a thousand times.

Overall, it's a pretty good experience. You'll want to know what happens next to Red and the weird stuff just gets you involved with the story that much more. A definite recommendation, for everyone who was or is a fan of the Pokémon franchise.