At Anime Milwaukee 2024, I got to opportunity to interview Patrick Seitz, a voice actor who's worked several time in the Pokémon franchise, including the Generations, Detective Pikachu games, and Pokémon Masters EX:
What makes an 80's dance song a good fit for the trailer of a Pokémon movie? As it turns out, "Holding Out For A Hero" has a number of features and parallels to Detective Pikachu, some of which weren't even used:
Transcript:
With a driving beat and dramatic vocals, “Holding Out For A Hero” makes a great trailer song. In the case of Detective Pikachu, it’s used to showcase the more action-packed elements of the film. With shots from the Roundhouse, the lab, and the climax of the movie, the music helps sell that this isn’t simply a low-key crime story. There are lyrical parallels as well-the hook of the song responds to Tim’s statement that he doesn’t need a Pokémon, and the trailer makes a fairly obvious use of “like a fire in my blood”. To be honest, though, they could have gone even further, as “someone somewhere watching me” is definitely true for our heroes, and the references to thunder and lightning are just begging to be used. Then again, there’s only so much you can fit in a trailer. In any case, what are your thoughts on this pairing? Be sure to let us know. Thanks.
A late-60’s pop hit might have seemed like an unusual choice for the first Detective Pikachu trailer, but “Happy Together” does have some interesting connections to the movie, albeit mostly in tone:
Transcript:
As far as I can tell, “Happy Together”’s use in the first Detective Pikachu trailer wasn’t because of any super-specific lyrical parallel with the plot of the film. Sure, Tim whips out his phone a few times, and occasionally acts a little crazy, but really, it seems like the song was meant to highlight the “buddy cop” aspect of the movie, and perhaps to suggest that Tim and Detective Pikachu might have wound up with each other for a reason. Musically, the song’s melancholic verses and incredibly bright chorus parallel the film’s “darker but not too dark” tone and to a certain extent, the personalities of the main characters, with Tim being more low-key and Detective Pikachu more energetic. With all that said, however, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that this isn’t the first time the song has come into Pokémon’s orbit-fans of the original N64 Smash Bros. will remember that ads for that game also used this tune, adding another level of nostalgia to the mix. Anyway, do you have your own thoughts on any of this? Feel free to let us know. Thanks.
Last month, the "At the Movies" division of Music on Vinyl released the score to "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu" on a 2-LP set. This marks the first official vinyl release of Pokemon music in nearly 20 years. I ordered a copy of this limited-edition release and unbox the contents to show what you get. Be sure to stay to the end for a bonus unboxing:
Additionally, this weekend I held a livestream discussing Sunday's Pokemon Go Community Day featuring Turtwig:
In this episode, Anne from Pikapi Podcast helps me discuss the music of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. There’s a variety of tunes to cover, with multiple ending themes, a score, and promotional material. Be sure to listen after the outro to get all of it, including our opinions on the movie itself:
Wish you could get a physical copy of the ending theme song to Pokemon: Detective Pikachu? Well, there is a way, but perhaps owing to how much the music industry has changed, you'll have to pick up a promotional CD. Is it worth it? Check out this unboxing to find out:
