Pokémon: The First Movie is undoubtedly one of the most beloved creations in the long history of Pokémon animation. The movie had an emotional depth that didn't appear in every episode of the anime, and Mewtwo as an antagonist was appealing.
However, almost thirty years after its first release, a minor controversy has erupted over the English dubbing of Pokémon: The First Movie. This is dialogue delivered by Mewtwo, which has been significantly changed from the original Japanese version of the film.
The English version eliminates the nuances
As pointed out by TeshimaKairei and translated by Automaton, Mewtwo's dialogue was changed in the English version to make his motivations seem more one-note. In other words, Mewtwo seems to seek power for power's sake in the English version, while his dialogue in the Japanese version illustrates a more subtle goal.
Japanese version: “Who asked me to be born?! Who wished me to be created?! I hate everything that brought me into this world. Therefore, this is neither an attack nor a declaration of war, but a counterattack against you who created me!”
English (North American) version: “Those who defy me will be wiped from this Earth! I warn you now. The world will soon become Mewtwo's kingdom!”
Mewtwo's motivations are more subtle in the Japanese version. He rebels against his creation and punishes those who would create a being like him for power. Mewtwo does not wish to rule the Pokémon world as a tyrant; he wants to destroy the society that made his birth possible.
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There is a surprising amount of philosophical life advice in the Pokémon anime.
In the official English-language trailer for Pokémon: The First Movie, we can see that Mewtwo is portrayed as an evil enemy who will enslave the world unless our brave heroes stop him. Although Mewtwo certainly had destructive designs, his change of heart in the final act of the film makes a lot more sense with his Japanese rendition than his English one.
It may seem like a minor change, but portraying Mewtwo in this black-and-white way erases the film's philosophical undertones and helps change it from a commentary on creationism to something less thought-provoking.
Pokemon
- Release date
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1997–2023
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- directors
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Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Na Egami, Makoto Keni, Heoki Ken Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
- Writers
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Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku
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Rica Matsumoto
satoshi (voice)
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Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
