Why it Works: Lullaby

No, you're not mistaken, the "Bad Girl of Pop" really did a Pokemon song before evolving (?) into her current form. The track she contributed, "Lullaby", very clearly indicates which character it's intended for, but I decided to dive a bit deeper:

Transcript:

“Lullaby” by Willa Fo-er, I mean Mandah, probably didn’t need those Jigglypuff samples to indicate what character prompted its inclusion, as the lyrics match quite well. The puffball isn’t the largest, strongest, or most intimidating Pokémon out there, but it does have another trick up its sleeves that it’s more than willing to share, and the first verse summarizes that pretty accurately. As for the second verse, the primary Jigglypuff from the anime does appear many times throughout the series, making the term “déjà vu” very appropriate.  Even the chorus manages to provide a good parallel, as the repeated use of the song’s title mimics how most Pokémon say their name when talking. Finally, the inclusion of the word “capture” in the bridge hints-unintentionally of course-that sleeping Pokémon are easier to catch. As for the musical aspects, while the Latin influence might seem more appropriate for a singing and dancing mythical Pokémon that would come many years later, it is still fitting for our cheery pink balloon. In any event, what do you think of this adopted character song? Be sure to let us know. Thanks.

Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution Coming to Netflix?

Twitter user NLScavenger has dug up what appears to be a listing for a content rating for Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution. The listing indicates that the film was submitted by Netflix, suggesting the movie will appear on the streaming service at some point. It's unclear what this means for the possibility of a theatrical release, as although Netflix has done theatrical runs for its movies, they have typically been limited distributions intended to qualify the films for award considerations (or constrained due to disputes with movie theater chains over exclusivity), sometimes followed by a subsequent expansion.

Further Reading:
IndyWire: Now That Netflix Saved the Paris Theatre, Here's What to Expect
Variety: ‘The Irishman’ Is Netflix’s Biggest Theatrical Release at Home and Abroad

What's Happening with the Western Release of "Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution"?

After debuting in Japan back in July, the latest animated Pokemon movie hasn't had much revealed about its Western release. While I can't tell you exactly how and when the movie will be released here, I have done a little digging and I have some ideas:

Transcript:

Earlier this year, a CGI remake of Mewtwo Strikes Back was released in Japan. It grossed similar numbers to "The Power of Us", and if it followed the same Western release pattern as that movie, it would be having a digital event right around the time this video is uploaded. However, aside from a bit of TCG merchandise, we really haven't seen anything, other than a comment from Fathom Events stating that they're not in charge of distributing it. Like many of you, I wanted to know what's happening, so I asked one of the folks at the press agency that represents Pokemon, and (somewhat predictably) all they could tell me was "stay tuned", which suggests there is a plan to release it at some point, but doesn't provide any real insight.

While it is possible the movie could go straight to TV, disc, or even a streaming service, the lack of any news on those fronts, along with the current market trends regarding remakes of 90's kids' movies, suggests to me that most likely the movie has been moved to some sort of wide release next year, probably smaller than Detective Pikachu but considerably larger than the digital events for the past few animated movies. If that is the case, the question becomes "when?" To find some possibilities, I looked at the schedule for movies in 2020, and it turns out there are some slots for "untitled event films", which could really be almost anything that studio is working on, but seem like logical options.

As for when we might get an actual announcement, the next opportunity I can see would be something related to the upcoming Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which as usual features a Pikachu balloon. If nothing comes out then, we'll probably have to wait until early next year, perhaps in conjuction with Pokemon Sleep, Mewtwo's birthday, or Pokemon Day. In any event, do you have any thoughts on this situation? Feel free to leave us a comment. Thanks.

Pokemon Go November Community Day + Pokemon Sword & Shield Music Impressions

It's a busy weekend for Pokemon, as not only are the new Pokemon games Sword and Shield coming out, but there's also a Pokemon Go Community day featuring Chimchar, and some other things here in Madison:

Poke Press Digest Podcast: Episode 30-The Music of "Hoopa and the Clash of Ages"

In this episode, Anne from Pikapi Podcast comes over to talk about the music of the 18th Pokemon film, "Hoopa and the Clash of Ages". We compare "Tweedia" and "Every Side Of Me" as end themes, and also do a fair bit of discussion on the movie's scores. If you want to know what we thought of the film itself, be sure to listen after the outro:



Links:
Pikapi Podcast
Gated Reverb Information

Cosmic Eclipse Prerelease Recap-Loves Park, IL

I recently attended a Pokemon TCG Cosmic Eclipse Prerelease in Loves Park, IL. Find out what I got, and what the experience was like:

Why It Works: Happy Together

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.