Of all the sequels on the 2026 movie schedule, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is unique as it's not a massive superhero blockbuster, but it has the fan base of one. The original film had some absolutely iconic performances, and catching up with those characters is likely to be a lot of fun. That said, there’s one group that is bringing a lot of attention to the new film that I certainly did not expect: Pokémon fans.

A post on Twitter is currently going viral that brings The Devil Wears Prada together with everybody’s favorite pocket monsters. It’s a character poster of Emily Blunt that one person thought made her look like she belonged in the Pokémon anime.

I’ll be honest, Pokémon Trainer wasn’t immediately where I went. I think she needs a red lightsaber with that outfit. But now that somebody has said it, I can’t unsee it. An animated version of Blunt, surrounded by Pokémon, would absolutely not look out of place, as more than one person in the comments proved.

If you didn't see the similarity at first, once she's surrounded by Pokémon, it bcomes more obvious. The authoritative pose and the sleek black outfit really work. Fans have a lot of thoughts about Blunt looking like a Pokémon Trainer, with comments in the post including…

• 1/2 the Rocket twins - @Kahin
• Gym leader or part of the enemy faction for sure. What type Pokémon would she specialize in? Is Dark too on the nose? - @TheDougFiles
• Shes a ghost trainer and her gym is a lesbian bar - @_neonheart_
• god forbid a woman have hobbies - @alex_abads

I am honestly now ready to see Emily Blunt cast as the evil Pokémon Trainer in a live-action Pokémon movie, which leads me to the important question: Where are the live-action Pokémon movies? Why haven't there been 10 of these things by now?

We haven’t seen one since Detective Pikachu, and despite that movie being incredibly successful, one of the first of the modern batch of “video game adaptations that are good, actually,” we never saw a sequel. A Detective Pikachu sequel was announced, but as far as we know, there’s been zero movement in years. It’s an utter shock that a movie that successful has no sequel after the better part of a decade.

It seems like only a matter of time before we do get more Pokémon movies, whether that’s in the form of a Detective Pikachu sequel or something entirely new. The franchise is still massively popular around the world, and the success of the last movie clearly shows there’s an audience for it. If and when that does happen, I know exactly who the casting director needs to call first.

When it comes to popular video game franchises that have transcended consoles and handhelds and become global phenomena, few come close to Pokémon. For 30 years now, the media franchise has launched dozens of video games, ever-popular trading card games, movies, an all-time great TV show, and every other type of media imaginable. And with the brand being as popular as ever, you’d think we’d see a Pokémon movie on the list of upcoming video adaptations.

I mean, it’s insane that while we’ve had a few shows in recent years, there hasn’t been a big-screen release since Pokémon: Detective Pikachu back in May 2019. That’s a seven-year drought in what has become the biggest video game movie boom period in decades. It’s just baffling that the Pokémon Company and its partners are pushing for another big-screen adventure, and I have a few reasons why this needs to change…

I Don’t Think Pokémon Has Been This Big Since The ‘90s

It could have something to do with the fact that the generation that grew up with Pokémon has money now, but it feels like the brand is as popular as ever. Between long lines at the Pokémon card vending machines, multiple social media channels dedicated to opening said card packs, and the Pokopia game causing a shortage of Switch 2 consoles after months of Nintendo’s latest device collecting dust in stores, per CNBC, everyone is going crazy for Pikachu and the rest of those pocket monsters.

The brand has never really fallen out of the public consciousness in the 30 years it’s been around, but even casual fans like myself are getting caught up in the madness like it’s the late ‘90s all over again. You know it’s been when outlets like CNN are reporting on the craze decades into its run.

Video Game Movies Are Tearing It Up Like Never Before

Another reason it’s so strange that there’s no Pokémon movie in the works right now is the fact that video game films are bigger than ever, both in terms of box office success and pop culture relevance. Dating back to 2021, adaptations like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Uncharted, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, A Minecraft Movie, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie have made more than $250 million at the global box office, with the first Mario movie making a staggering $1.3 billion back in 2023, per The Numbers. Those are bonkers numbers, if I’m being honest.

With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mortal Kombat II, and Street Fighter on the 2026 movie schedule, and others like Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and The Legend of Zelda coming out next year, it wouldn’t be shocking if this trend continues. However, there’s no Pikachu, no Ash, no Team Rocket, and no new Pokémon movie amongst them.

What’s even more confounding is the fact that the previous Pokémon movies have done quite well in theaters, with 1999’s The First Movie making $163 million, per The Numbers, and 2019’s Detective Pikachu making $433 million, per The Numbers.

All of this is to say that the Pokémon Company and their partners are leaving some serious money on the table by not striking when the iron is once again hot. They just need to find a way to make it happen!

There is no shortage of great and exciting LEGO sets out in the wild waiting to be found. While I would love to go out and catch them, in this day and age, I have to be more selective of the builds and models I add to my increasingly cramped display shelf. Well, I think I’ll need to make some room for this incredibly detailed and flashy Pikachu and Poké Ball set that’s just been released.

Capturing the look and essence of the most popular Pokémon (and iconic video game character), this massive, intricate, and electrifying LEGO set has me so excited I’m over here yelling “Pika Pika” at the top of my lungs. If you grew up playing what some would call “Baby’s First RPG,” collected the cards, or are looking for a way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Pokémon Go, this will do the trick…

Where Was This LEGO Set When I Was Growing Up?

When I first caught a glimpse of the Pikachu and Poké Ball LEGO set, I thought to myself, “Where was this when I was growing up?” This new model, which features Pikachu jumping out of a Poké Ball like he’s ready to take on Team Rocket with Ash Ketchum, is one of the first to come out through a new partnership between The Pokémon Company and LEGO, in honor of the former’s 30th anniversary.

This would have been right up my alley back in the late ‘90s when the popular game took over the world (seriously, it had a stranglehold on pop culture for a moment there), but I guess we can all make up for lost time with this. Coming in at 2,050 pieces, this thing looks way more complex than the Game Boy LEGO set my wife bought me for Christmas, and I’m going to take that as a challenge. If I could speak with the 1999 version of myself, I think he’d give me a big thumbs up!

Okay, These Different Poses Are Electric

It would be one thing if the Pikachu LEGO set just sat there looking adorable yet shockingly formidable, but that’s not the case. On top of being able to pose the iconic little dude busting out of his Poké Ball, this set also allows you to have him standing in front of it or completely on his own. The arms, legs, ears, and tail can be moved in a variety of ways and directions, making this a versatile and dynamic LEGO model like no other.

However, it should be noted that this isn’t a toy meant for young kids (just the young at heart). Coming in at $199.99 (plus shipping and handling and taxes), this set costs a pretty penny. It’s not on the same level as the outrageously detailed Titanic model or that wallet-busting Death Star build, but you know what I mean.

If you have a place on a shelf, or at least one in your heart, for more Pikachu and Pokémon collectibles in your house, this electrifying build is perfect for you. And if my wife is reading this, my birthday is right around the corner…

Pokémon is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and it means different things to many people. That's thanks in part to its longevity, which has allowed for several more generations of "pocket monsters" to emerge in pop culture for people young and old to get attached to. That said, it seems like IP wants to lean on the nostalgia for its upcoming video timed to Super Bowl LX, and it picked the perfect creature to warm my millennial heart.

Pikachu is often the go-to mascot for the Pokémon franchise, but the electric yellow mouse is as absent as the sequel for Detective Pikachu in this preview for the 30th anniversary ad. Instead, we see Jigglypuff pacing around and even singing its iconic song. Take a look:

There is nothing in the Pokémon franchise that appeals to me more than Jigglypuff singing that iconic song. I'm instantly transported back to watching Kids WB with my sister on Saturday mornings, and laughing my a-- off when everyone would fall asleep mid-performance, and Jigglypuff would draw on their faces.

As for what this ad is about, this is really all we have to go on outside of the indicator its tied to the 30th anniversary. I would love for there to be a live-action series or new movie announcement, but I wouldn't count on anything beyond the animated movies similar to what we've seen released over the years.

The good news is that there's a solid amount of Pokémon content waiting for fans on streaming, especially if you have a Netflix subscription. In addition to some of the classic shows, there are also newer offerings like Pokémon Concierge that are worth checking out for those who haven't seen them yet.

If I were to put out a big wish, it would be that this is an announcement to give the world an easy way to play the original Pokémon games all over again. I know I would love to give my kid a chance to play Red or Blue, but tracking down a copy is very pricey. Choosing Jigglypuff to promote the commercial feels like a deliberate choice to appeal to an older crowd, however, so I'm expecting this ad to cater more to 30-somethings than a younger crowd.

As someone who is unapologetically nerdy in my 30s, I think Pokémon's video just moved up my list of most-anticipated commercials on the way. I've already seen William Shatner's ad for Raisin Bran and Jurassic Park's tie-in with Xfinity, however, so I could be biased. Maybe when Super Bowl LX finally comes, there will be much nerdier things to talk about by the end of the night.

Super Bowl LX kicks off on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, February 8th. Tune in to see the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks battle to be the NFL's latest champions, or to see Bad Bunny and Jigglypuff in the duet of a lifetime.

If you know me, you'll see that I'm a big fan of Pokémon. But honestly, I never realized just how deep it went.

I've discussed the series for years, even when it was part of the 2025 TV schedule and other times when it wasn't. The franchise is beloved for many reasons, from the anime to the games to, of course, its movies. One film that I'm sure many fans of all ages are familiar with is Pokémon: The First Movie.

Released in 1998 (the literal year I was born), the film has cemented itself in pop culture over the years and, of course, in the hearts of Pokémon fans everywhere.

However, since the it's available to watch for free on YouTube through the official Pokemon channel, I decided to check it out for the first time since 2023, and realized just how much this movie taught me about death at a young age. What do I mean by that? Well, keep reading to find out.

I've Always Loved The Movie

Yes, I love Pokémon, obviously, but I have to say that Pokémon: The First Movie is probably my favorite of the franchise's movie.

There have been numerous films in the Pokémon franchise. Most of which were made for television or released in Japan and then brought to America for distribution on Cartoon Network or elsewhere. For me, many of the films I liked were from the generations I grew up with.

Generation 3 and 4, which often involved The Rise of Darkrai, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and more.

Even so, I think The First Movie is one of those films that surpasses any film from your generation of Pokémon. It's the defining film of the type of content we like to see from the franchise, where it's mainly happy-go-lucky, but it's not afraid to explore darker themes.

As we grow older, we realize that some of the movies we enjoyed as children contain adult topics that we didn't fully grasp at the time. And death is very much a part of that, as well as the evolution of life.

But the topic of death and life didn't come from Mew-Two and the clones of all the Pokémon for me. It came with Ash.

However, I Think Ash's 'Death' Is The Moment I Realized What Dying Truly Is

Does Ash truly die in the movie? No, he doesn't. I mean, it's Pokémon. We don't really see people die in this franchise. It's made for kids; it's one of the best anime series to start with. This isn't Attack on Titan.

However, the closest we really get is when Ash is turned to stone in The First Movie, when he puts himself between a psycho blast that Mew-Two sent towards Mew. It petrifies him, and then, of course, we see the classic scene of Pikachu crying over Ash's body and trying to bring him back to life by shocking him with electricity.

Watching this as an adult, I realize that this was the moment that I learned as a child what death truly was. That we are not all meant for this mortal coil forever.

The idea that Pikachu wouldn't see not only his trainer again, but his friend and companion, was something that hit me hard, and I don't think I ever truly understood that until now. After watching this film, I began to realize that life truly does come to an end, and sometimes it's because of our own decisions.

Keep in mind that the first time I watched, I was about eight years old, and it was on my brother's old VHS tape. However, that still hit me hard, and it's only now that I've realized just how significant it is.

The Pokémon Crying Set Off Something In Me As A Kid

There are many moments within the franchise where it's easy to see how someone could become emotional over a particular scene. Ash finally winning the championship was a major one, which came decades after this film. Watching Ash set Butterfree go is another example I could use.

But to me, seeing every single Pokémon cry set me off.

I do consider myself a pretty emotional person. I will cry at just about anything. Nothing really scares me as much anymore, not even the best horror films, but crying? Give me an emotional death in any dark anime, and I will be sobbing for hours.

However, I think this was the origin, this anime movie that honestly told me that every kind of species could feel this sense of sadness; this grief that surpassed even human emotion, and traveled into these Pokémon who didn't even know who Ash was, just because Pikachu felt this intense grief for him.

That's the kind of serious storytelling I wasn't really expecting from Pokémon, and something I only understand now.

The Fact That They Brought Him Back From Stone Erased That Trauma

I think one of the biggest things aboutThe First Movie is that Ash does not stay dead, as we know. The Pokémon anime continued, and he spent twenty-something years being a perpetual pre-teen with his buddy, Pikachu.

I genuinely believe that because of that, I blocked it out. My mind was so overwhelmed with the idea of grief that, because Ash was brought back from stone, I ended up just blocking out the fact that I literally learned about mortality from a Pokémon movie.

But I'm almost glad I did. That might have ruined the series for me as a child, and I may not have become the fan I am today. I now have at least a greater respect for it than I ever did before.

I'm Kind Of Shocked A Pokémon Movie Is The One That Did It

Genuinely, like…I really didn't think this would be the movie to do it out of everything that I have watched in my life.

I'm a self-proclaimed cinephile who has watched some of the most depraved films of all time because I just wanted to see what the fuss was all about. I've wasted hours viewing over-hyped horror movies. I've seen some of the best films that've gone on to win the most prestigious awards in the movie industry.

Yet the one film that touched me when it comes to mortality and death was Pokémon: The First Movie. That's hilariously heartfelt in so many ways.

I think it's just sort of a testament to the power of what we watch as kids – something we don't understand until we get older. We may not think that this one show or movie shaped us into who we are today. But as we revisit said shows or movies, everything starts to click into place.

And I'm proud of it. Go little me for finding that connection.

Even so, it makes me want to revisit older movies/shows that I've loved and see the connections I made because of them about life when I was a kid. It might be time for another marathon.

In a world that is overpopulated by television shows, there is one art form that I will always recommend to anyone who will listen if they want new, original storytelling, and that, my friends, is anime. There are plenty of options out there to pick from if you're new to it, and these are some of the many picks that would be perfect for you.

Pokemon

I mean, obviously. It would be a crime if I didn't put Pokemon on this list. The iconic franchise has run for nearly thirty years and tells the story of Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon, creatures with powers, as they fight for their way to the top of the Pokemon Championships. From the iconic Pokemon films to all the regions of the Pokemon series and everything else, this is a series anyone can get into.

Bleach

Based on the manga of the same name, Bleach is about a boy who can see spirits and is put in charge of fighting bad ones and guiding good ones to the afterlife, but when his friend is punished for giving him her power, he has to rescue her from forces you could never even imagine. There's so much action that for an action movie lover, it's the perfect show to get into.

Berserk

While this is an older pick, Berserk is a great anime. The series mainly follows a swordsman who joins a group of mercenaries but eventually decides to go his way, and this one moment causes changes for everyone involved. I know that from this premise, it doesn't sound like much, but this is a dark anime, and if you're looking for something that will test your limits, this is the show for you.

The Dragon Ball Franchise

I don't even need to explain what this anime is about. Everyone knows about Dragon Ball and the story of Goku and their quest to gather Dragon Balls in order to summon a dragon that grants wishes and everything else. There's not much to convince you to watch it because everyone knows it.

Naruto

I'm pretty sure everyone is aware of the iconic story of Naruto in one way or another. The series follows the titular character, a young boy named Naruto who is a ninja and hopes to become a leader one day. This series has lasted decades, with new iterations that are released consistently.

Delicious In Dungeon

Delicious in Dungeon was one of my favorite anime of 2024 for a good reason – because it is just so cute. The anime mainly follows several characters as they descend deeper into dungeons in order to revive a friend of theirs that was consumed by a dragon, cooking and eating monsters as they go through it. Yes, this series is so silly, but for a first-time watcher, it's just light enough for you to enjoy.

Attack On Titan

Attack on Titan is, hands down, one of the best anime of all time for its incredible story, delectable character developments, immense world-building, and so much more. The main premise follows Eren, a teenager who joins the Survey Corps with his friends in order to take down Titans, giant humanoid creatures. But whatever you think is going to happen in this story – unthink it. It's an incredible series, full of intrigue and so much more.

Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War

If you're looking for a cute romance anime to start on, Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a great pick, as it was actually my first romance anime. The series itself follows the story of two student council members who have feelings for each other but will never admit it, so they purposefully scheme to make the other admit it first. It's hysterical and lovely all at the same time.

Hunter X Hunter

Hunter x Hunter is one of those anime series that is truly perfect for everyone. The series is about a young boy who is on a quest to find his father and goes on a wild adventure to do so, but really, this is the type of anime that anyone can get into. Its characters are lovely and easy to enjoy, and the story isn't too complicated.

Sailor Moon

I mean, it's Sailor Moon. We all know about Sailor Moon. The series follows a young woman who is given the power to become a "Pretty Soldier" who is given the ability to fight alongside other soldiers to defend the Earth against evil people. Sailor Moon is a great anime and iconic for a reason.

Solo Leveling

If you want something that's more based on video games and other action shows, Solo Leveling is a great one for you. The anime follows a young man who gets a second chance at life and wishes to get as strong as he possibly can in a world that is filled to the brim with monsters that must be taken out. So, he aims to level up through the strange prompts that he sees, but no one else does.

Dr. Stone

When the entire world is suddenly turned to stone, a teenager emerges thousands of years later with a bright mind and a desire to rediscover everything that once made the Earth great. Dr. Stone really makes an effort to make its science make sense, and it's a great show to dive right into.

Jujutsu Kaisen

If you're looking for a good dark anime, Jujutsu Kaisen is a great one to take a glance at. The series mainly focuses on Yuji Itadori when he swallows the finger of a cursed sorcerer, Sukuna, and now has to learn how to control his new powers while staying alive in order for the chance to kill him finally. The series is crazy and has a considerable following.

Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is an intense anime, but it's worth every second of watching it. The series follows Denji, a man with no goals in life who lives homeless with the Chainsaw Devil as his companion until he is given the powers of the Chainsaw Devil in a last-ditch effort to save his life. From there, he's recruited to fight against Devils.

Dan Da Dan

Dan Da Dan is one of those anime that is truly out of this world—literally—but it's so much fun. The show follows two teenagers who try to convince each other that the occult or aliens are real. One ends up being abducted by aliens, and the other is possessed by an evil spirit, and shenanigans evolve from there. Plus, it has a kick-butt female protagonist.

Little Witch Academia

If you're a fan of the best fantasy shows out there, then Little Witch Academia is a good one for you to get into. The series follows a young witch who attends the Luna Nova Magical Academy and aims to become great. It's light and fun and is perfect for fans of the Harry Potter films.

Haikyu!!

If you want a sports anime, then Haikyu!! is the one for you. The series mainly follows the lives of students on a high school volleyball team, but there's a lot more to it than just that, with characters that are indeed done well and sports scenes that are awesomely animated.

Black Clover

Black Clover is mainly about a young boy who seeks to become Wizard King even if he doesn't have the magic to do so, but he uses that to his advantage with his allies surrounding him. If you love fantasy, this is the series for you.

Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer just gets better and better with time. The series focuses on the story of Tanjiro, a young boy who takes it upon himself to become a demon slayer to find a cure for his sister, who was turned into a demon, and to kill the king of the demons, Muzan. It's an epic tale with even more epic animation from Ufotable.

Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop is the sci-fi adventure you're all looking for. This series mainly follows several characters and their crew as they journey across space. Essentially, it's a Western show that's turned sci-fi, and it's the best thing ever.

Blue Lock

As someone who genuinely loved the heck out of Blue Lock when it first came out, I loved the anime. The sports show is a battle royale for those who want to become the best striker in Japan, but if you're kicked out of Blue Lock, you will never be able to play soccer again. It's brutal – and awesome.

One-Punch Man

Following the story of Saitama, One-Punch Man follows the fact that he can defeat literally any person with one punch, leading him to a boring life. The series itself is hilarious in many ways, and really, you can dive right in. That's what makes it so good.

Erased

With only twelve episodes, Erased is the best anime to get into when you want an intense story but don't want to commit to a fierce multiple-season show. The series follows a manga author who can rewind time in order to prevent tragedy, but when he is connected to a murder that he didn't commit that is related to his time as a child, he rewinds all the way in order to prevent it. It's a brilliant story.

One Piece

Look, One Piece is just that – you all know what it is. It follows the story of the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail across the ocean for treasures beyond their wildest dreams. It's a fun show with a lot of story. Yes, there are thousands of episodes, but hey, if you're in it for the long haul, there's nothing quite like it.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

This fantasy series mainly follows the story of a young elf on a journey to the resting place of souls to reunite with a former comrade, but the animation is absolutely spectacular. I will fully recommend it to anyone who wants a good fantasy anime.

My Hero Academia

If you're into the best superhero movies, then My Hero Academia is a great anime to begin with. The anime follows a young boy who is suddenly gifted powers from a superhero and must learn how to control them in U.A. High School, a place where kids go to learn to be heroes.

Spy X Family

If you want a wholesome anime, then Spy x Family is the one for you. The series mainly follows the story of a spy who goes undercover for a mission, adopts a child, and marries a woman in order to keep his cover. The only thing is that the child is a telepath, and the wife is an assassin. Yes, it's just as badass as you can imagine and so fun.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

The anime mainly focuses on two brothers who search for a Philosopher's Stone to aid in regaining their bodies after a botched attempt to revive their mother. It's considered to be one of the best anime of the last few decades.

Death Note

There's really no other anime out there like Death Note, which is perfect to dive right into. The series follows a high schooler who finds a journal that, when a name is written on its pages, the person dies. This leads to him being consumed by madness in order to take everyone terrible out there, only to become a monster himself.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

If you're a fan of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, you'll love this anime. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an anime series that tells the story of Scott Pilgrim, a bassist who falls in love with Ramona Flowers and must defeat her seven evil exes. This time, he is seemingly killed during the first battle—but not everything is what it seems.

The Devil Is A Part-Timer

Did you ever think the devil would work at a fast-food restaurant? Well, The Devil is a Part-Timer is for you. This anime tells the story of Satan literally becoming trapped on Earth and having to find a way to return to Ente Isla (a place he was trying to conquer) because he is turned into a human when he arrives in Tokyo. It's hilarious and fun to watch.

Violet Evergarden

With only thirteen episodes, Violet Evergarden is an anime that is truly unlike any other. It follows the titular character, a girl raised in violence, who is given a second chance at life when she becomes an Auto Memory Doll, something that can transcribe people's thoughts and feelings. In doing so, she goes on an adventure unlike any other. The series itself is so well done. I could talk about it for hours and how it deserved so many more episodes.

Hopefully, these will give you some ideas on what anime to check out if you haven't yet. And maybe when you're done, you could check out the best Studio Ghibli movies to continue your love of anime.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu proved to be a solid hit in 2019 and in some circles, has been dubbed one of the best video game movies ever made. So it's surprising that we're still waiting on news of a sequel. Outside of a potential director being attached in early 2023 and lead actor Justice Smith being frustrated by a lack of news, we've heard very little about one. Now, fans may have reason to be optimistic after an apparent leak from Game Freak, which contained a lot of sensitive information about the franchise's reported plans.

Information from Pokémon's development company, Game Freak, hit the web just recently. The loose information that's been divulged reportedly contained everything from company secrets about the franchise's hidden lore to future product and project plans. There's also some news regarding Detective Pikachu 2, which we'll dive into now.

What The Game Freak Leak Mentioned About A Detective Pikachu Sequel

While CinemaBlend did not access the leak directly, @CentroLeaks shared on X that a sequel to Detective Pikachu titled The Great Detective Pikachu is mentioned in the files. It's alleged that the movie has been quietly in development since 2021 and that Jordon Vogt-Roberts -- who helmed the well-reviewed Kong: Skull Island is attached to direct it. Be warned, readers, the entire plot of the sequel is said to be in the leak, so don't seek out too much about it if you don't want to know specifics.

Is The Detective Pikachu Sequel Still Happening?

Though the leak is out there, some might wonder whether The Great Detective Pikachu is still happening. The movie is listed as having been in the works since 2021 but, as mentioned earlier, a director was allegedly attached to the sequel in 2023. Portlandia's Jonathan Kriesel is not Jordon Vogt-Roberts and vice versa.

It's worth noting that many elements could be happening here. It's possible that Game Freak was and is still quietly developing a sequel to Detective Pikachu and confirming it now would only drive people to look up spoilers and reveal the entire movie before anything is even shot. I'd assume everyone involved in the theoretical production would sooner wait for this news to blow over rather than confirm it.

Another possibility is that the movie is trapped in what's commonly known as "development hell." For example, look at the series of false starts the Star Trek franchise has had trying to get a fourth movie made set in the Kelvin universe. This is to say The Great Detective Pikachu might've been a project in development at one point, but various logistics have changed, causing it to be stalled.

The final and bummer possibility is that this project is dead and that what's surfaced now is what could've been the sequel to Detective Pikachu. If this were the case, it's possible Game Freak and others have already moved on from the project, and there may no longer be plans for a sequel. Or there could be a totally separate production in the works.

Even in that final scenario, there seems to be enough information for fans to be hopeful that there are currently attempts being made to produce a Detective Pikachu sequel. I would argue the market for video game movies and TV shows has only risen since the first movie was released, and Pokémon's general popularity remains intact as well. Given all that, I would say the odds of a sequel happening are still high, even if it doesn't happen precisely as this leak suggests.

While you await official word on what's happening with a potential sequel, stream Detective Pikachu with a Prime Video subscription. As a fan of the franchise who loved the movie, I'm continuing to cross my fingers for a sequel to reach the big screen at some point.

For those who know me and for those who don't, I'm a big fan of Pokemon. Whether it's watching the best Pokemon movies or ranking each of the Pokemon anime, I tend to absolutely love this series and consider it really the first anime I had ever watched, even though it was technically on Cartoon Network as a kid. So, in honor of it, I'm going to talk about the kinds of Pokemon that I would give anything in real life to have. Let's get into it. 

Eevee

Okay, so let me explain. Eevee in Pokemon is kind of like a jack of all trades. There are plenty of Eeveelutions that I would also give anything to have in real life, but there's really nothing better than having the base model that can evolve into any of the other Eeveelutions out there. Plus, it's cute. It's Eevee. How can you not want an Eevee? 

Machop

You know, usually, I'm not a big supporter of Fighting-Type Pokemon just because I tend to lean more towards the ones that are focused on certain elements. But Machop is one of those that I have a particular spot in my heart for as a gym junkie. If I had this Pokemon, they would inspire me to workout every day and probably be the best gym buddy ever. 

Flareon

I might be biased when it comes to Flareon, but it's one of the best Eeveelutions. Not only is it cute and fluffy, but Flareon can get extremely hot without burning you, so if you need a cuddle buddy for the night, then Flareon is your Pokemon. And I may have a plushie of one, but we don't have to talk about that. 

Turtwig

As someone who grew up with Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl and absolutely loved anything to do with this anime series (especially Sarah Natochenney voicing Ash), I loved all the starters for the Sinnoh region, and Turtwig was, of course, one of them. Obviously, like most Grass Types, it feeds off of being outside, and when Turtwig is out in the sun, it becomes energetic. Talk about forcing you to get outside. 

Pikachu

It would be a sin if I didn't put Pikachu somewhere on this list. As one of the original 150 Pokemon, Pikachu is the face of the franchise, and yes, I cried so much when Ash and his Pikachu went on to win the Championship for the first time ever. But the real reason I put Pikachu is that they are obviously insanely powerful when it comes to electricity. Do you have a power outage? Bam, right there. He can fuel your whole home in the blink of an eye – just don't let it go too far. 

Ditto

I remember when I was a kid, I was scared of Ditto – a Pokemon with beady eyes was never my cup of tea. But as I've gotten older, Ditto is actually perfect for the type of person who likes to play pranks. It can mimic any kind of Pokemon out there, so you could use it to play harmless tricks on others. Plus, it can also be pretty cute when it wants to be. 

Rotom

At-home tech support all the time! Rotom is another Electric-Type Pokemon that is able to basically possess any type of electrical device, but it can also transform into various different appliances and use those types to influence what moves he can do. Like if Rotom transforms into a Laundry Machine, they can use water moves. That's cool. 

Happiny

Happiny is a Pokemon that a lot of people don't remember because it was a big one during Sinnoh but ended up not being featured as much in later iterations of the series. However, Happiny is the cutest little Pokemon and is the form before Chansey, so when it evolves, you'll get at-home healing. However, I put Happiny down first because not only is it sweet, it's super strong. Like, it can lift up anything. 

Bulbasaur

I can't tell you how many times I have seen Bulbasaur in the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon is part of the original set that was released to the public back in the 1990s, but it has remained one of the most popular ones. And, of course, as an OG-Grass Type, Bulbasaur is fantastic with anything outdoors – as we've seen in the anime when it helps out its trainers and owners in gardens. 

Sprigatito

Okay, so I may love Sprigatito because it resembles a cat, and it's so cute, but it's also another Grass-Type that's exceptionally useful. The biggest thing about this Pokemon is that it has a particular scent that, when released in a helpful way, aids in helping itself and other Pokemon relax. In battle, it can literally make a foe stop fighting you. Talk about multi-useful. 

Sylveon 

Sylveon is hands down one of the most potent Eeveelutions out there – because all Fairy-Types are ridiculously overpowered, and I stand by that. But there's a straightforward reason that I'd want this Pokemon out of many others – when you are able to evolve an Eevee into a Sylveon, it means you've reached the highest form of friendship that you could have with that Eevee. This Pokemon comes from the love that you share with your Eevee, and that's adorable. 

Jigglypuff

As someone who has trouble sleeping, I need a Jigglypuff in my life, as if I need food in my body to survive. Jigglypuff, with its voice, has the power to make anyone pass out within seconds – before it gets upset that you fell asleep while it was singing, and it will most likely draw something on you. But come on, who doesn't want instant sleep? 

Charmander 

One of the original starters, Charmander is one of the most-loved Pokemon out there. The Pokemon itself is powerful as a Fire-Type but, of course, evolved into Charmeleon, which later evolved into Charizard, one of the most kick-butt Pokemon. However, the main reason I'd want Charmander is that, honestly, it seems very easy to take care of – precisely because it has a flame on its tail that tells you exactly how it's feeling, and you really know how to take care of it once you know. 

Pawmi

Look at this adorable little rodent-like Pokemon. Look at it. I love it so much. Pawmi is an Electric-Type and would be great to help you charge up your phones or your home in a storm or stuff like that, but it's genuinely just so cute you can take it anywhere with you. Plus, from my experience, Pawmi can learn to Dig (meaning it can go under the ground), so it would be great to help your garden. 

Chimchar

There are a million reasons to want Chimchar. One is that it is adorable, but it's remarkably powerful for a Fire-Type once you're able to train it and evolve it properly. However, even at its lowest form, Chimchar is agile and quicker than most other Pokemon, so in battle, it would be the best one to use if you're trying to get one quick jab in at the last minute. 

Litten

I'll be honest and blatantly say that I love Litten for the fact that it reminds me of a black cat. But, like many other Pokemon I would want, Litten is also a Fire-Type and is able to use the hairballs it collects in its stomach to spit them out into fireballs, and yes, I know that sounds gross, but also so cool. Also, Litten is perfect for introverted people, as it likes solitude. 

Squirtle

I could go on for hours about Squirtle. Any time I look at this Pokemon, I think of watching the first Pokemon film and feeling like a kid all over again because Squirtle always seems to be having a good time. And for me, I'd love to have a Squirtle as a swimming buddy. Every time I see this Pokemon, it's always in some form of water, and I can use that companionship when I go to the beach. 

Pidgeot

Pidgeot is the final form of Pidgey, another Gen 1 Pokemon, and personally, I put it on here to be able to fly anywhere. Pidgeot is enormous, and if you have a strong enough connection, it will fly you anywhere, as seen in the anime. Not only that, but it's insanely fast as well, so you'll be able to get where you want to go quicker. 

Espeon

There are a total of eight Eeveelutions, but Espeon is definitely one of my favorites. Yes, it does look like a cat, so it certainly wins in the looks department, but Espeon is also a Psychic-Type, so inherently, it's extremely powerful. of course, Espeon evolves with high friendship with its trainer, so you know that it loves you deeply. 

Butterfree

I would not usually put an Insect-Type Pokemon because personally, I find most of them to be completely useless. However, Butterfree is the exception because it's really helpful when it comes to gardens. Butterfree has unique types of wings that allow it to collect honey and nectar even when it's raining, so for the gardener out there, this is your type of Pokemon. 

Hisuian Growlithe

Is Growlithe on its own fine? Of course, it is. But is Hisuian Growlithe even cuter and reminds me of a distinguished gentleman? Yes. This version is a different form of Growlithe, which, no matter what form, is extremely loyal. It's strong and will follow any order it gives you as long as you're close enough to it. It's basically the Pokemon version of a German Shepherd. 

Tropius

Who doesn't want free bananas? Tropius is basically a walking tree that supplies bananas on its neck but is also able to fly despite its large frame, so of course, it has to be on here. We love multifunctional Pokemon. 

Piplup

Piplup is a starter Pokemon from Sinnoh and is an example of a Water-Type that, if trained well, can indeed be a showstopper. Piplup is also a great swimmer and can dive underwater for extended periods of time in order to hunt, so if you're looking for a fishing buddy, Piplup is the way to go. 

Arcanine

Arcanine is the evolved version of Growlithe and is basically Growlithe but better and faster. So much faster. In fact, according to Bulbapedia (the Pokemon online database), it can run 6200 miles in 24 hours. Yeah. Try and beat that. You can go anywhere with this Pokemon 

Pachirisu 

Pachirisu is excellent for two things – electricity and dashing, which it can use to help others. Pachirisu also happens to be related in some way to Pikachu, so you'll find that it can develop a lot of the same powers as Pikachu can. Plus, I think it's just cuter in general. 

Cubone

Okay, so my reasons for Cubone aren't because it's useful. It's a fine Pokemon. But truthfully, Cubone just needs a hug. If you know its Pokedex entry, you'd know that Cubone is so sad that the skull on its head is actually from a deceased relative – its mother. Like, come on. How can you not want to give any kind of Cubone love after hearing something like that? 

Buneary

Buneary is one of those Sinnoh Pokemon that has cemented itself into my mind. Not only is it cute and looks like a bunny, but it's also a great Pokemon to have if you want one that doesn't look powerful but is actually remarkably good. Buneary can hop high and hit hard. You'd have the best guard on your hand with this Pokemon. 

Alakazam 

Because who wouldn't want an all-powerful Psychic-Type Pokemon that can literally teleport anywhere? Alakazam may look less cute or be super friendly, but if you train it well, it can be your best Pokemon ever, and I stand by that. 

Chikorita

Chikorita is a starter Pokemon and is honestly often forgotten about, which I find just rude. It's sweet and kind and has a soothing scent that can calm Pokemon in battles, which is always a win. 

Snorlax 

Do I even need to get into why Snorlax is a great Pokemon to have? Besides its large stature, the naps you could take on this Pokemon's stomach would be fantastic. You would have the comfiest bed of your life. 

Lucario

Lucario is a great Fighting/Steel-Type Pokemon, and I'll be honest – it would just be cool to have it. It's fast, strong, and will defend its trainer so well. Not only that, it can understand human speech, so you'd be able to communicate with it, unlike most other Pokemon. 

Shuppet

Shuppet is for my homies with negative emotions because sometimes, we all have them. The Pokemon is a Ghost-Type that absorbs emotions from people who are going through them, like jealousy or anger, and often makes the person feel a lot better. I know I could have used a Shuppet many times in my life. 

With so many Pokemon, it's hard to pick just a few, but these are some that I know I'd love to see in real life. Now I need to watch Pokemon Concierge again for more Pokemon content. 

Some shows on the 2024 TV schedule, like the animated Netflix original Pokémon: Horizons, owe their existence to the annals of Saturday morning cartoons that still hold up. As the original Indigo League adventures of Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu introduced the world at large to the gargantuan cultural franchise over 25 years ago, its continuing relevance has contributing factors. One of the most important components to the saga’s enduring appeal is the efforts of voice actors like Veronica Taylor and Rachael Lillis, among others. It’s that legendary sweetness we remember fondly today, even as Ms. Taylor has announced that her beloved co-star has died at the age of 46.

The news came by way of an announcement on a GoFundMe page that Veronica Taylor had shared to help fund Ms. Lillis’ medical care. The woman who was the voice of both Misty and Jessie throughout several years of Pokémon adventures, Rachael Lillis had been undergoing treatment for breast cancer during the last couple of months. Unfortunately, as seen in Veronica Taylor’s Instagram post below, this past weekend marked the end of her friend’s life:

On top of providing the voice for both Ash’s Pokémon training friend and a third of the arch-nemesis team known as Team Rocket, Rachael Lillis held plenty of other roles within the expansive saga. Some of those roles could be considered part of the best Pokémon characters from the original 151, especially those of Vulpix and Jigglypuff. However, Rachael Lillis more recently earned notoriety through newer anime introduced to the world, like the series Hunter x Hunter and Your Lie in April.

When it comes to her skill set, the Niagara Falls-born talent also participated in voice acting gigs involving audiobooks and video games. Rachel Lillis also served as an adaptor and translator for other anime series, such as Apocalypse Zero and Cleopatra DC, among others.

The world of animation and voice acting does seem to have been the home base for Ms. Lillis’ career as an actor, and her body of work is both impressive and memorabl. You can see (and hear) some choice examples, thanks to the clip provided below:

As the Pokémon saga has moved on, thanks to Ash’s emotional story arc ending with him becoming a Pokémon Master, the memories of the past have only gotten stronger. Running through the entire Pokémon series ranking, no matter how your personal preference shakes out, there’s a good chance that both Veronica Taylor and Rachael Lillis are present for a pika-ton of moments that helped define this series. The bittersweetness of that assertion rings clear today, as we say goodbye to Ms. Lillis, after a career cut short by illness.

We here at CinemaBlend send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Rachael Lillis. May her memory comfort them along their personal journey through processing their grief. As for fans of her work on Pokémon, you can honor Ms. Lillis’ roles as Misty, Jessie and more, when watching the series’ earlier episodes with the use of a Netflix subscription.

James Gunn’s Superman is just one year away, and if you wanted to know how to bond with the star of one of the most exciting upcoming DC movies, geek out with her about Pokémon! That’s right: Rachel Brosnahan’s love for Pokémon is strong, particularly via the popular mobile game Pokémon Go. She even can boast the honor of being a level 42 trainer. Brosnahan recently spoke in depth about her long history loving the game, and I love this fact about her. 

Rachel Brosnahan – who famously starred in The Marvellous Ms. Maisel before joining the cast of Superman as Lois Lane alongside David Corenswet's Clark Kent/Kal-El – spent her Saturday enjoying New York City’s Pokémon Go Fest. When asked about her origins with the game, the actress said it originally came out on her birthday back in 2016, a day when she was “bedridden” and “really bored.” She downloaded the game and the rest is history. She explained,

That’s too good. The thought of Ms. Maisel looking for the next Pokéstop (especially considering the Amazon series being a period piece) is so funny. She told the story while speaking to People after sharing that the game became big for her since she travels so much for work. Often, she has played alongside casts and crews during downtime on sets, because goodness knows there’s often a lot of downtime on sets. She continued, 

Rachel Brosnahan also shared that everywhere she’s gone for work she has discovered fellow players of Pokémon Go. While she has had periods in her life when she has stopped playing, she said she usually picks it up again. She said she enjoys how the game has evolved over the years, and these days, Brosnahan is even in the top fifteen percent of players. Check out this Instagram post that really shows off her longtime love for the game: 

When it comes to her favorite Pokémon, she is privy to the shiny Mewtwo she once caught that was “hard fought.” Rachel Brosnahan also shared that she’s Team Eevvee and gave some flowers to Charmander since she’d often start with that character when she played Pokémon as a kid on Game Boy. 

Brosnahan is currently filming Superman ahead of its July 2025 release, and I have to wonder how much she’s been implementing Pokémon Go on that set. I love learning this new thing about the actress, and I aspire to this level of commitment to the mobile game.

For anyone who knows me, I like anime. Whether it's the best anime of 2023 or watching Studio Ghibli films, I've always enjoyed the medium, and my love of it has grown even more with age. With any anime, there's one thing that always makes or breaks it, aside from the beautiful hand-drawn animation: the voice acting. One English dub voice actor that I'm sure many people know about is Sarah Natochenny, who voiced Ash Ketchum for nearly two decades in Pokémon.

She's also done other voice acting roles, such as Yuzuha from Tokyo Revengers, Aura in Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V and even Caterpie in Pokémon Horizons. Natochenny has her reasons for why she loves voice acting so much. It's because she gets the chance to play multiple different characters at a clip at some points, and that her performance is always "instinctual" due to reading the lines in front of her. Her passion for this craft is truly inspiring, with her saying to CinemaBlend:

Look, we can have a whole conversation about whether sub is better than dub or vice versa, but either way, it takes a great voice actor to make an anime awesome in either the original language of Japanese, English or any other language. I agree that getting the chance to play several different characters during one session is always a great time.

Natochenny also remarked during my interview with her that voice acting is "fast-paced." While she loves acting in person, voice acting gives her the freedom to move as quickly as possible because she's not working with other actors at the "same time."

However, Natochenny says she likes all forms of acting, whether on stage, in film or in the booth. The unique aspects of voice-acting are truly intriguing. In her words:

Natochenny has been attached to voice acting since she began her career in the early 2000s when she took over voicing Ash Ketchum, and her name has been synonymous with her job for years on end. She even talked with us about her last days in the booth as Ash when he finally won the Pokémon League. Talk about an emotional moment!

However, she is still acting in both the booth and on stage, as she just had her L.A. stage debut in March 2024. Voice acting is an art, but it's awesome to see her spread her talents to her other passions as well – at least before we hear her again in our favorite anime.

Pokémon has been around for decades, and the main characters have experienced so many generations and regions that it’s probably hard to keep track of them all. The English voice of Ash Ketchum, Sarah Natochenny, gave us a surprising answer as to what her favorite was—and I totally understand.

For those who know me, I’m a huge anime fan and have been for some time. Whether it’s the best anime of 2023 or ones from years beyond, it’s a medium I have come to love over my 25 years of living, and Pokémon was always a part of that.

From Team Rocket duo Jesse and James’ most hilarious fails to all the Pokémon seasons and regions that Ash traveled through to even the best Pokémon movies, I have always loved these little battling creatures. I have a specific favorite generation of the franchise—Diamond and Pearl, otherwise known as the Sinnoh region.

Many my age, including my closest friends, all love Sinnoh so much, but I got to speak with Sarah Natochenny about her favorite region. Natochenny was the voice behind Ash Ketchum for 17 years until Pokémon retired the character, and out of every region Ash has traveled to, Natochenny’s answer surprised me – XY and XYZ, otherwise known as the Kalos region. Her reasoning for this was because of the growth that Ash goes through as a character:

There are many reasons why I love Diamond and Pearl so much. Some of my favorite Pokémon hail from that time (like Buneary, Piplup and more), and of course Dawn is one of my most treasured companions that Ash had.

But I was also a part of the generation that watched XY and XYZ, and I totally understand Natochenny’s response. Serena was a good partner for Ash during that time and really forced him to grow, and with his other companions, as Natochenny remarks, there was “so much drama” that made for compelling television:

For those who don’t remember, Ash is just a kid trying to become the champion of the Pokémon League – which he did before his final episodes, and Natochenny opened up about her emotional time in the booth for that moment. But for regions like XY and XYZ, it was rare that we saw Ash change and develop from this happy-go-lucky kid.

Don’t get me wrong – by the time Pokémon confirmed that Ash was exiting the series, he was still very much a kid. But XY and XYZ gave him a lot more room to grow, so much so that we do see a solid change in him over those few seasons.

While I still have a place in my heart for Diamond and Pearl, I will say I’m going to rewatch XY and XYZ to relive it again for the drama – who knows? I might end up liking it more than Diamond and Pearl, all thanks to Sarah Natochenny.

Okay, maybe let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but I think it’s time for a Pokémon rewatch.

What's the first line you think of when it comes to Pokémon? Ash Ketchum's iconic English voice actor, Sarah Natochenny, revealed the most common thing she says to fans from the show—and the answer is not that surprising.

There are plenty of iconic anime out there, from some of the newer ones of the last ten years or so, like the popular Attack on Titan to the intense Chainsaw Man, to older ones that have stood the test of time, like Sailor Moon. Heck, some classic anime are still going to this day, like One Piece, so much so that it received a Netflix live-action adaptation that already has a Season 2 planned.

But to me, Pokémon has always set the standard for iconic anime. The franchise is one of the world's most popular, from the games to the plushies (of which I probably own 50%). And of course, the original anime takes Ash and his companions to several different regions across multiple seasons.

Sarah Natochenny voiced Ash Ketchum until his last episodes in 2023 and has visited several cons and events to meet fans of the franchise. CinemaBlend spoke with Natochenny about her time as the character on the famous series and asked what she'd been requested to say the most to her followers and if any of it was strange or weird. Turns out, it's exactly what you think it is – the classic "I choose you" line:

Let me get over the fact that the voice of Ash Ketchum said that to me, a child who grew up watching Pokémon. *Internally squealing.*

Okay, I'm good. But in reality, I'm not surprised at all. Pokémon is an excellent show with plenty of great lines, some from the heroes and others from the classic villains (like the hilarious "blasting off" moments from James and Jesse). However, I don't think there's ever been one episode where "I choose you" hasn't been used.

It's in all of the Pokémon movies, shows, and games, so to hear that Natochenny is asked to say that the most isn't shocking. Regardless, it makes me want to watch Pokémon again to see how often it is said because now that I think about it, I uttered that line almost too much as a kid.

Either way, Natochenny exited the franchise as Ash in 2023. While her time as the main character has ended, she's come back to voice new characters in the saga's latest installment, Pokémon Horizons. But some part of me doubts that she'll stop saying the classic line for years to come, even when Ash has moved on and won the Pokémon League.

You can find Pokémon Horizons on Netflix now, but if you want to check out any new anime in the meantime, be sure to read our list of the best 2023 anime that you should totally watch—that is, once you've finished binging all of Pokémon. Now, if only when I said, "I choose you," Eevee would appear. That would be great.

Stream Pokémon Horizons on Netflix.

If you know me, you know I'm a massive fan of Pokémon. While there are plenty of great anime to check out, either from the best of 2023 or beyond, Pokémon has been a standout in my life for a long time. I got the chance to sit down with Ash Ketchum's primary English voice actor, Sarah Natochenny, who played the role for 17 years.

From the Pokémon films to the many regions that Ash traveled to throughout the show, Natochenny experienced them all through the voiceover booth – that is, until the last days of voicing the character when it was announced in 2022 that Ash Ketchum's story would come to an end, and a new protagonist would enter the Pokémon franchise.

In 2022, Ash, for the first time, won the world championship for the Pokémon League in the franchise. For any anime, the episode premieres first in Japan before being dubbed into various languages for an international audience. Natochenny spoke to CinemaBlend about her time recording those lines for the character after discovering Ash won and how she began to cry during certain moments:

As someone who has voiced Ash for nearly two decades, Natochenny's feelings are understandable. With any anime, whether the popular Attack on Titan or the classic One Piece (which was adapted into a Netflix series), leaving behind a character who you've voiced for years is an emotional process.

The voice actress went on to say that she would count down the episodes she had left of the show, and how it's sometimes still "unbelievable" that she's not working on Pokémon every week now:

Sarah Natochenny has voiced roles in anime such as Tokyo Revengers and Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, and works as an actress and film editor. She recently made her L.A. stage debut, Short Plays by Shel Silverstein & Ethan Coen, so it's clear she's been busy. She even holds a role in the new series, titled Pokémon Horizons: The Series, where she voices Caterpie.

Even so, I'm sure people like me, who grew up with Natochenny's voice as our favorite Pokémon trainer, will never forget Ash, his excellent companions, and all the adventures he went on.

Animation is one of the earlier moving art forms, and has provided countless artists the means to bring their stories to life, be it through the black-and-white hues of Bosco the Talk-Ink Kid or the multicolored bliss of Fantasia. Toons can be as simple as the Oscar-winning “The Dot and the Line” from legends Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble, or they can be as endlessly complex as Wallace and Gromit’s stop-motion universe. Television has provided audiences with 80 years of memorable projects –- including some forgotten Saturday morning gems — with new shows debuting at a rapid pace, and we’re here to celebrate the very best animated series of all time.

From classic characters like Mickey Mouse and Fred Flintstone to modern favorites like Monkey D. Luffy and the Belcher family, CinemaBlend’s staff is saluting them all. So join us in paying tribute to the funniest, coolest, smartest, and most moving animated series that have graced our TV screens over the decades.

75. The Jetsons

Despite being the first show ABC ever broadcast in color, The Jetsons was canceled after a single season and only 24 total episodes. It just couldn’t find the right audience, at least until the reruns started airing on Saturday mornings and an entire generation of kids fell in love with the futuristic setting and zany plotlines. George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, Astro and Rosey eventually became so popular in syndication that more than 20 years after its cancellation, a further fifty-one episodes were produced, as well as a movie. It’s an unconventional success story but perhaps one fitting for a show filled with futuristic tech that hilariously never works as intended.

74. Aqua Teen Hunger Force

When Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block premiered in September 2001, Aqua Teen Hunger Force was one of its surreal cornerstones, and it’s pretty much stayed that way ever since. The long-running series follows three anthropomorphic fast food items – Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad – who get into all kinds of trouble with their neighbor(s), locals, and interdimensional beings. ATHF helped usher in a new era for adult animation at the turn of the century, and it's remained just as hilarious and timeless during that historic run. But for as wild and nonsensical as it gets, there’s a certain charm that makes it not just one of the funniest shows on Adult Swim, but in all of TV animation.

73. Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends

Though not lauded quite as high as animation giants such as Walt Disney or Hanna-Barbera, Jay Ward delivered many of the medium’s most lasting creations, with The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle at the center of his zany, intelligent, and meta-before-meta-was-cool storytelling skills. The titular moose and squirrel’s serialized rivalry with the devious Boris and Natasha can never be forgotten, while the history-adoring side characters Sherman and his pup Mr. Peabody became a pop culture magnet unto themselves over the years. Now if only we could get a Fractured Fairy Tales spinoff for the 21st century…

72. What If...?

Upon its launch, part of the reason why a Disney+ subscription was so appealing involved the streaming service's new content directly connected to major IPs like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while we’ve been treated to a number of live-action shows, the studio also took a major risk with the multiversal animated series What If…? The comic book anthology series offers alternate realities to the MCU characters and events we know and love, and shows how the entire franchise could be radically altered if just one character's arc differed. Additionally, the voice cast of What…If? features many Marvel favorites reprising their roles to tell these ambitious stories that could never be produced in live-action.

71. The Proud Family

The Proud Family was all about Penny Proud and her wild, yet relatable, journey through high school. While the premise was simple, this show’s fabulous crew of characters is what made it iconic, and its depiction of the day-to-day lives of an African American family is what made it groundbreaking. From our lead Penny to her father Oscar, her besties Dijonay, Zoey, LaCienega and Sticky Webb — and of course Sugar Mama — this family is the best, and we’ll adore them forever.

70. Beavis and Butt-Head

Besides The Simpsons, arguably no animated series from the 1990s sparked a bigger array of multi-generational reactions around the country than Beavis and Butthead. As soon as it premiered on MTV in March 1993, Mike Judge’s groundbreaking, edgy, and unsavory cartoon became a national sensation while following two objectively moronic teenagers barely navigating school, life, nachos, and a carousel of music video commentary. Video games, movies, tons of merchandising (both official and bootleg) flooded the market in the years that followed, and there's a reason revivals keep happening: it's a great show, dammit. Mm-heh-heh.

69. Schoolhouse Rock!

Schoolhouse Rock! is an animated gem that has been passed down from generation to generation for all the right reasons. Originally debuting on TV back in 1973, the show's approach to combining educational programming with toon-filled songs cemented it as a true classic with more lasting value than most. From grammar-focused tunes like “Conjunction Junction" to the iconic intro-to-governmental-processes track “I’m Just a Bill” to even its Preamble song, Schoolhouse Rock! has had a lasting cultural impact, influencing many other shows, and even inspiring some spoofs along the way to its permanent place within pop culture.

68. Static Shock

The DC Animated Universe got a true shock to its system when Denys Cowan's Static Shock zapped onto TV screens in the early 2000s as a Saturday morning offering on Kids’ WB. Viewers were treated to some truly exciting, funny and heartfelt episodes that tracked the heroic exploits of teenager Virgil Hawkins in Dakota City. Thanks to late series creator Dwayne McDuffie and his talented team, Static Shock remains a dynamic piece of comic book fun, serving up some serious action mixed in with thoughtful social commentary on occasion. In short, this is a super-powered gem that’s rightfully still revered to this day.

67. Dexter's Laboratory

What child hasn't wished they had a secret location in their house that provided the means to do the most fantastic things their heart desires? Dexter’s Laboratory helped many youngins live vicariously through its titular brainiac, and the general hilarity of his meddling sister Dee Dee derailing it all helped make this one a definitive Cartoon Network classic. From the brain of the similarly brainy Genndy Tartakovsky, Dexter also boasted other animated shorts like Dial M For Monkey and The Justice Friends, which were all equally as enjoyable. To this day, I bet there are many who owe their ability to say “cheese omelet” in French to this wonderful series.

66. Kim Possible

“Call me, beep me, if you want to reach me,” because it’s time to talk about Kim Possible. Mixing a high-stakes spy drama with high school shenanigans appropriate for Disney Channel-aged audiences, this show is an action-packed good time. Largely centered on Kim’s missions to take down Dr. Drakken and Shego with the help (or more like attempted help) of her bestie Ron Stoppable and his naked molerat Rufus, Kim Possible defined many childhoods and taught generations of kids, and specifically girls, that anything is possible with the right mindset and gadgets.

65. Muppet Babies (1984)

How amazing are Jim Henson’s Muppets? The list goes on, but one key factor would be that Kermit and the gang brought to life what remains one of pop culture’s only genuinely great examples of “Your favorite characters, but they’re babies.” Trading TV studios and New York City exteriors for a Nanny-run nursery where the power of make-believe knows no bounds, Muppet Babies showed viewers of all ages that imagination is powered best when one is surrounded by friends to the end. Unfortunately for avid fans, the show’s abundant use of licensed TV, film, and music clips will likely keep it from ever hitting home media.

64. Family Guy

For one reason or 69 others — get it, Peter? — certain TV shows are able to get away with wildly edgy content without getting “canceled," either literally or figuratively. Granted, Seth MacFarlane's long-running fave Family Guy actually did actually get canceled by Fox back in 2002, but the '80s-adoring comedy was able to return from its shallow grave just two years later due to extraordinary DVD sales, a hit syndicated run, and the embrace of Adult Swim. and high ratings from reruns in syndication. Ever since that 2004 revival, viewers have followed the antics of Peter, Lois, Chris, Meg, Stewie and Brian along with all the ridiculous and often offensive cutaway flashbacks that fill their lives.

63. Robot Chicken 

Watching Robot Chicken calls to mind many chldhood memories of inventing scenarios with action figures modeled after classic movie and TV characters. That's essentially what Seth Green and Matthew Senreich’s stop-motion animated Adult Swim hit is: people playing with their toys. But with a bigger budget and more talented voice actors than any kids I ever played with. With boundary-pushing and insightful humor in the mix, the Emmy-winning Robot Chicken is sketch comedy at its most refreshingly unique, rebelliously raw, and deliciously nostalgic, and is not bogged down by the limitations that might come with a live-action production.

62. The Flintstones

For many people, The Flintstones is one of the first cartoons we remember watching on TV. This classic Hanna-Barbera series about a lovable caveman and his family navigating a prehistoric world field with outrageous stone-age variations of modern-day appliances and tools, is just as funny and attention-grabbing as it was upon its release more than 60 years ago, which is really saying something about its quality. On top of such indelible characters like Fred Flinstone, Barney Rubble, and the Great Gazoo, the show also has one of the most iconic opening themes of all time.

61. Freakazoid!

Though not the most marquee-ready superhero, Freakazoid!’s titular protagonist is the creation of Batman: The Animated Series legends Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, with Steven Spielberg and Tiny Toons vet Paul Ruegger leading the charge. So yeah, it’s a perfectly bonkers mix of comic book mythos mixed with slapstick and fourth-wall-breaking comedy, complete with a mini-universe of B-tier heroes and villains such as Candle Jack (but don’t say his name). Lasting two seasons from 1995-1997, Freakazoid! ss a joy for viewers of all ages, anchored by the stellar voice work of stars Paul Rugg and Ed Asner.

60. Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers

Long before the series was reimagined as a hilarious Disney+ movie starring John Mulaney and Andy Sandberg, Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers started out as a tremendous and timeless action-adventure toon about a pair of chipmunks fronting a crew of anthropomorphic animals. Thanks in part to that earworm theme, it never gets old watching Chip, Dale, Gadget Hackwrench, Monterey Jack, and Zipper solve all manner of crimes (both big and small, really small) and save the day before the end of each episode, and the show can still hold the attention of our kids all these years later.

59. Teen Titans

Some viewers probably weren’t sure what to make of Teen Titans upon its debut, but the series eventually became a hit – and for good reason. The quirky superhero romp is the definition of cartoon greatness, as it skillfully blends action and comedy, ultimately using both to great effect. Yet, most importantly, so much heart is on display amidst the explosions and sheer wackiness as well. Because of that, Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven remain not only one of DC’s best TV super teams, but also one of its greatest familial units. And, yes, that theme song still slaps.

58. Gargoyles

The oft-underrated Saturday morning toon Gargoyles is one of those shows that manages to deliver more than the kind of action you’d expect from Disney's weekly animated fare. It’s a dark and complex drama series with dynamic characters, beautiful animation and stories that sometimes border on Greek tragedy. Many viewers understandably still have such reverence for the tales that EP Greg Weisman and his team told about the mighty Goliath and his clan of night guardians. It’s ironic that a group of beings that turn cold as stone are among some of the warmest heroes to ever grace a TV screen.

57. DuckTales

Having quite possibly the catchiest theme song on this list that's chock-full of them is probably enough reason to include DuckTales on this list, but of course, the show has so much more going for it. Scrooge McDuck and his nephews, previously only bit players in Disney cartoons, earned the star spotlight for a show that was about as close to an action/adventure cartoon as Disney had delivered at the time, making it something fresh new, and exciting. But it was still “Disney” and thus more accessible to younger viewers than other ‘80s cartoons looking to sell action figures, drawing from Carl Banks' timeless comic run.

56. Hey Arnold!

Amidst all of Nickelodeon's best chracters, perhaps no greater role model for younger viewers exists than the football-headed protagonist of Hey Arnold! In fact, Craig Bartlett’s series offered something very few animated programs have (then or since): a diverse ensemble whom kids could potentially relate to or aspire to be like. With a stunningly grounded urban aesthetic, even in its most peculiar momens, and a hefty set of valuable life lessons that often came out of dark situations, admittedly — not to mention an absolute banger of a jazz score — Hey Arnold! is a masterstroke for the medium.

55. The Real Ghostbusters

1984's Ghostbusters inspired an immediate sequel, but when live-action follow-ups stalled, Sony did the next best thing: created this magnificent riff on the beloved property. No, they couldn’t get BIll Murray and Dan Aykroyd together every three years, but they could animate Peter, Ray, Winston and Egon for a series of animated adventures around New York City, the world, and even realms beyond. The best part about The Real Ghostbusters is that it understood the irreverent tone of Ivan Reitman’s two movies, but split the difference to also appeal directly to kids who just wanted to see Slimer. When we really need a hit of that nostalgic rush, these are the Ghostbusters stories that most deserve revisiting.

54. Teen Titans Go

DC Comics adaptations often get knocked for being too serious, but that's not the case with Teen Titans Go, an effervescent, energetic, and rapid-fire funny series centered on Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire. The show embraced irreverent humor, leaning hard into its heroes' stereotypical behaviors, from Robin’s crippling need to be a leader to Raven’s broody Goth Girl energy and beyond. Without hinging on continuity or major cameos from A-list DC heroes (at least, not until Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, which was equally excellent), this slap-happy toon basically gave young kids a comic book portal where they could enjoy “waffles, waffles, waffles” without having to brood over anyone's parents getting gunned down in an alley.

53. The Powerpuff Girls

Sugar, spice, and everything nice wasn’t even half of what we got with The Powerpuff Girls. Like many other animated classics, it was a show made for kids that adults could easily also enjoy. The superpowered Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup deal with typical childhood troubles like sibling rivalry and bed wetting while also saving their town from a truly ingenious rogue’s gallery. These endearing kindergartners, their friends and foes (like arch nemesis Mojo Jojo, and Powerpuff wanna-be Princess Morbucks) provide us with laughs, lessons and intrigue, all wrapped in a parody and pop-culture focused package that doles out plenty of surprises.

52. Tiny Toon Adventures

Following in the footsteps of the iconic Looney Tunes squad was always going to be a tall order, but the Stephen Spielbeg-produced Tiny Toon Adventures understood the assignment. While the characters may have been inspired by those that came before, each one from Babs and Buster to Plucky and Hampton, was given just as much freedom to be entirely new characters, not simply the “new versions” of the classics. The humor was always on point, with plenty of gags for younger viewers, alongside references only the older “kids” watching would get.

51. Courage the Cowardly Dog

Making a cartoon for children that's as creepy as it is funny is no easy task, but Courage the Cowardly Dog found a way to execute that balance quite beautifully, relying mostly on overtly bizarre and/or paranormal villains. Courage protecting his owners, Eustace and Muriel, against everything from a cursed mummy to a duck with a mallet never gets old. It’s the most deserving Cartoon Network original that needs a revival, which could potentially still happen someday, considering Courage was part of a Scooby-Doo crossover movie released in 2021. Until that day comes, fans can revisit the entire series with a Max subscription.

50. Adventure Time

Most classic adventure cartoons engage in storytelling in a more earnest manner, but only a few effectively capture the joys of make-believe like Adventure Time — which for many is the absolute cream of the crop for Cartoon Network’s original programming. Creator Pendleton Ward’s fantasy-comedy follows Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) and Jake the Dog (John DiMaggio) as they navigate the weird and wonderful, post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, having a mathematical time along the way. With its charming animation, ingenious creatures, clever world-building, and a lighthearted tone that never abandons spellbinding excitement, the fun truly never ends.

49. Big Mouth

It’s not every day that audiences get a hilariously offensive animated show that actually provides accurate representation of growing up LGBTQ+. On the surface, Netflix's Big Mouth, which rocks an all-star cast led by co-creator Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, simply shows the trouble and turmoil of puberty, sexuality, hormones, and the everyday struggle that we call “life.” Lucky for viewers, it is also much, much more than that. The show follows a group of young people who tend to be accompanied by “hormone monsters” (who now have their own wacky spinoff series) who help guide them through the changes and struggles that come with growing up.

48. Arthur

Kids owe PBS for so many great animated series, but Arthur might be its crown jewel. For over 20 years, Marc Brown’s storybook aardvark, along with his friends and family, endeared themselves to the public. The author and the show’s writing staff, through their efforts, taught youngsters firm lessons in responsibility, community, empathy and much more. What’s particularly impressive is that the grade-school comedy managed to remain consistent in conveying such morals during its lengthy run. Of course, when the program wasn’t dropping vital nuggets of knowledge, it was simply exuding pure, imaginative fun. What we have here is a truly timeless show, and one that’s sure to delight audiences for generations to come.

47. Pokémon

Part of the reason Pokémon remains one of the top franchises worldwide is because the series can have a different meaning for every generation that consumes it. The kids of 2024 can watch the same show O.G. viewers watched in the late '90s and appreciate those characters in new ways, given there have been plenty of successive projects that have come loaded with over a thousand different Pokémon for children to latch onto and make their favorite. The show's awesome battles haven't quite held up when it comes to the franchise's many video games, but perhaps someday, Game Freak will give the people what they want.

46. Spider-Man

Spider-Man fandom has been known to grow from many sources, including the comics and multiple generations of live-action blockbusters, but the Spider-Man animated series from 1994 holds a special place in the hearts of millennials – as it should, because it is amazing (pun totally intended). In retrospect, the content censorship is ridiculous (this is a show where Spidey wasn’t even allowed to punch people), but the filmmakers still found ways to deliver exciting adaptations of comic book stories, and some episodes are even better than the source material. We have yet to see a better version of the Venom origin story than what was created here.

45. Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Thanks in large part to the success of Tim Burton’s Batman from 1989, it was at one point decided that the best version of the Caped Crusader is the dark and brooding version. That has now been the go-to mode for the superhero for decades – but at the very least Batman: The Brave And The Bold reminded us for a time just how much fun the Dark Knight can be. The deep voice and silly sensibilities of Diedrich Bader make him one of the best to ever play the hero, and every episode delivers a fun team-up opportunity. Every DC character is represented with love, but there’s an argument to be made that John DiMaggio's Aquaman is the all-time best version of the Atlantean king.

44. Doug

The entire Nicktoons library was a big deal for '90s kids, and who was more relatable than Doug Funnie on Doug? Through his journal entries and soaring imagination, the preteen opened up about the seemingly everyday events of his life, from getting a haircut to trying liver and onions, and we totally felt that. We understood the middle school awkwardness, the anguish of his crush on Patti Mayonnaise and just how good it felt to rock out to your favorite band (The Beets, of course! “Aw-wee-oo! Killer tofuuuuu!”). We wanted Skeeter to be our best friend and a dog as cool as Porkchop. Not to mention, the opening credits and theme song are pretty iconic.

43. Pinky and the Brain

Let’s be honest here: Pinky and the Brain was repetitive. In every episode, the two main characters did “the same thing we do every night, Pinky… try to take over the world!” But it was the way that the odd couple mice played off of each other — with Pinky being the doofus assistant to the Orson Welles-inspired mastermind mouse that is The Brain — that allowed this Animaniacs episode segment to thrive as its own standalone series. It's one we still quote to this day, using many of the cast members’ favorite jokes. Like everything in Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain benefitted from an “anything goes” approach to humor, meaning that stories would involve Brain’s archnemesis (a hamster named Snowball) or a bit where Pinky gets elected President of the United States. And it all worked because the creators understood how to be intelligent while also being goofy.

42. X-Men: The Animated Series

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe revitalized how big and connected comic book adaptations could be, few film and TV examples truly brought to live what people loved about the medium. X-Men: The Animated Series was one of the first, giving audiences comic book-accurate versions of the beloved mutants that felt like they jumped right off the page. The show offered long-term serializing storytelling just like the source material, something that was essentially unheard of for a Saturday morning cartoon. But whether one was an avid reader or not, these were (and perhaps still are) the definitive versions of the X-Men. It’s no wonder that decades later, the series was revived as X-Men '97.

41. Infinity Train

Created by Regular Show writer/artist Owen Dennis, the Cartoon Network-turned-Max series Infinity Train is the crown jewel of overlooked and under-discussed animated series. A highly imaginative coming-of-age sci-fi fantasy,  not the most common sub-genre, the series centers on a different interconnected story and character set in each of its four seasons, with everything taking place on a mysterious and impossibly long train where most cars present challenges for the characters to figure out and overcome. It’s an emotionally gripping and exciting tale that never goes off the rails, with a stacked cast of familiar voices.

40. Futurama

The second mega-hit series created in part by Matt Groening, Futurama has always been far more than just The Future Simpsons, thanks to its unforgettable cast of meme-ready nutjobs, egomaniacs, and bending-proficient robots. From Fry’s dopey optimism to The Professor’s absent-minded genius to Hermes’ ability to drop everything if a limbo stick comes around, the series balances its strong personalities with tons of space-faring, paradox-thwarting, time-traveling mayhem that never stops being fun. Both one of the smartest and silliest animated series of all time, and filled with some of the nerdiest jokes possible, Futurama has remained a beloved small-screen entity in part because the Planet Express crew has managed to survive multiple cancellations at Fox and Comedy Central, reaching its third lifeform at Hulu, presumably because the Hypnotoad demanded it so.

39. Mickey Mouse (Classic Disney Shorts)

There are few animated characters more famous than Mickey Mouse, and it’s safe to say the House of Mouse wouldn’t be everything it is today without Disney’s classic Mickey Mouse animated shorts that debuted in the 1920s. Smartly written and brimming with slapstick comedy, these quick hits of quirky fun introduced us to the loveable mouse — who displayed courage and strength but in a way that was achievable for any of us — along with the equally iconic Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto and Goofy. Included in this series is 1935’s “The Band Concert” — Disney’s first color cartoon, which quite literally paved the way for Disney animation for 100 years and counting. And while it may not be part of that exact era, give me Goofy bungling up ski lessons any day.

38. Dragon Ball Z

Though it wasn’t the first show in the franchise, Dragon Ball Z introduced countless kids and teenagers to iconic characters like Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Gohan throughout the ‘90s, especially after the anime series became a mainstay in Cartoon Network’s Toonami afternoon block. This intense cartoon about a group known as the Z Fighters who attempt to protect Earth (and later, other planets) from diabolical forces was something many of us ran home from school or off the bus to catch each weekday. The introduction of increasingly dangerous and destructive villains like Frieza, Cell, and Boo (each had their own saga) continued to raise the bar as the series went on, and make this still a gem worth revisiting.

37. Rocko's Modern Life

Is there a classic Nickelodeon show from the ‘90s that captures the spirit of the era more than Rocko’s Modern Life? This zany, surreal, and extraordinary animated series debuted in 1993 and quickly found an audience thanks to its unique style of humor that appealed to both children and adults. With characters like the neurotic titular wallaby, his best friends Heffer Wolfe and Filburt, and the various members of the Bighead family, there was so much to love about the show. It pushed the envelope with its humor and art direction and had a lot to say about the modern world, hence its name. The mammalian gang even returned to fans in 2019 with the special Static Cling.

36. Animaniacs

We still have no idea how Animaniacs creator Tom Ruegger got the greenlight to make everyone's childhood better with this hilarious, clever, but extremely inside-baseball showbiz comedy aimed at mature kids. Yes, on the surface, the Animaniacs works as a variety show, an evolution off The Muppet Show during which the hosts – the Warner siblings, one with a Liverpool accent – would set up individual cartoons. But in between, the banter and humor offered up in Animaniacs consisted of some of the funniest, most outrageous, and unpredictable jokes that would spoof Dolly Parton, Marilyn Monroe, and the idea of fingering Prince, as it were. Sometimes the show managed to be educational, but mostly it was pure lunacy, and we loved every second of it.

35. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Mysteries are the most entertaining genre of storytelling. What’s more satisfying than a tidy reveal at the end of a whodunit, and a villain exclaiming how they would have gotten away with it, if not for those meddling kids? Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? followed a very popular “monster of the week” format, but wasn’t afraid to push the envelope to freak out little kids who tuned into a cartoon and were terrified by haunted suits of armor, killer clowns, and more. From its unforgettable theme song to the vocal contributions of radio icon Casey Kasem as Shaggy, Scooby-Doo Where Are You? walked so that Goosebumps and Gravity Falls could run.

34. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated is a breath of fresh air within the long-running franchise birthed by Hanna-Barbera. For this particular production, the typical case-of-the-week format isn’t in play, as serialized storytelling is utilized. It’s a great approach that really fleshes out the meddling kids and the titular canine in a way that past incarnations don’t. The humor associated with this entertainment property is definitely employed in this iteration. However, what’s also exciting is how the writers and artists aim to deliver some truly scary monsters, all seemingly tied to the antagonist Mr. E. While it’s admirable that the show sticks to its predecessors’ roots in many ways, its goal to shake up the classic formula results in an overarching mystery that’s both compelling and creepy.

33. Archer

Creator Adam Reed’s singular vision and undying creativity turned Archer from a ribald spin on James Bond into one of the most well-rounded pieces of spy fiction in existence. H. Jon Benjamin’s unmistakable voice gives life to the booze-swilling agent’s snappy insults and TV-MA euphemisms alongside a downright stellar cast that also includes Aisha Tyler, Judy Greer, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell and more. The series is a testament to the importance of characters compared to plot, with Archer’s core group shifting from years of traditional storytelling to multiple side-mission seasons such as the Miami-set Vice, the subconscious-set Dreamland, the jungle-filled Danger Island and others. On a jokes-per-minute basis, it stands next to comedy giants like The Simpsons and Airplane!, and can drink them both under the table.

32. Batman Beyond

Debuting in 1999, Batman Beyond jumps decades forward into the future and showcases the story of a now-retired Bruce Wayne who is acting as a mentor to the next generation Dark Knight, Terry McGinnis, as voiced by the legend himself, Kevin Conroy. The show earned multiple award nominations, winning two Daytime Emmy Awards. Bruce and Terry have just enough similarities and frustrating differences to keep their dynamic captivating while still wholesome, which makes this particular animated series one of the most enjoyable to watch in the franchise. Terry is forced to work twice as hard in order to balance out both his personal life and his crime-fighting side persona, as he both learns from and teaches his mentor as they both work to stand up for what they both clearly believe in.

31. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

While a lot is owed to Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars, the animated side of George Lucas’ sci-fi universe truly took off in 2008 with the launch of Cartoon Network's Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The series is, in large part, what it is due to franchise guru Dave Filoni, who thought his hiring was a prank. Filoni’s respect for Lucas’ work permeates the entire CGI show, but there are also some cool elements that he himself adds to the canon, including the now-beloved Jedi Ahsoka Tano. With incredible storylines, sweet animation and strong voice acting, this show works well on its own but also stands firmly alongside the films it builds upon.

30. Bob's Burgers

One of the many things to love about Bob’s Burgers is just how close, loving, and, well, lovingly strange the main characters at the center of the show are. The Belcher family is (mostly) committed to keeping their small, family-run burger shop up and running, but their kooky adventures usually take the whole family away from the restaurant. Exasperated pessimist Bob, his happy-go-lucky wife Linda and their kids, Tina, Gene and Louise get into a number of hilariously weird scrapes that, honestly, most of us only wish we could have to make life more intriguing. Add to that Louise’s near-constant scheming, Tina’s awkwardness, and how the whole family interacts with a town full of endearing oddballs, and you have yourself a wonderfully weird winner. Tell 'em Teddy sent ya.

29. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the perfect show for a perfect moment in time. It combined outrageous and over the top late 80s imagery with some of the first mainstream depictions of skater culture and added ninjas, an outrageous backstory and a steady stream of cheesy catchphrases. Deep in the sewer of our hearts, amidst roundhouse kicks and impossibly yellow April O’Neil jumpsuits, they carved out a place for themselves, and more than thirty years later, their ooze still remains in the form of reimagined shows, new movies and billions of dollars worth of merchandise. And despite all the success, they're still just heroes in a half-shell, and they're green. (Hey, get a grip.)

28. SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-Present)

In 1999, if you told someone a silly gap-toothed sponge would one day be as recognizable to the children of the world as Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny, they would’ve laughed. And yet, SpongeBob SquarePants continues to entertain the children of today, and has been lovingly embraced by the Millenials and Gen-Z who grew up with it as well. The internet is loaded with memes dedicated to the franchise, and there’s still plenty of debate as to what is in a Krabby Patty. With plenty of episodes and even some spinoffs, it feels like SpongeBob and friends will be entertaining children for many years to come.

27. Rugrats (1991)

Rugrats premiered in 1991 on Nickelodeon as one of the first three Nicktoons, aimed at a younger audience than Doug and The Ren & Stimpy Show. It was a staple for kids throughout the ‘90s and into the early 2000s, with nine seasons about the adventures of babies Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil, with regular appearances from characters like the parents, Angelica, and (eventually) Dil. The show could swing from silly to serious, with memorable episodes that ranged from covering the grief of losing a parent to the spectacular Reptar On Ice, with a dinosaur love song that still rings in the hearts of plenty of ‘90s kids. There’s a reason why this Nicktoon show went on to inspire Rugrats movies and a 2021 reboot.

26. Harley Quinn

What happens when you blend DC Comics mythology with the kind of crass adult comedy you find in shows like Family Guy and South Park? You get Harley Quinn, which follows Kaley Cuoco’s version of The Joker’s former squeeze going on adventures with Lake Bell’s Poison Ivy, her best-friend-turned-girlfriend, and getting into hijinks with fellow supervillains and superheroes alike. One doesn’t need to be a hardcore DC fan to appreciate Harley Quinn, although that definitely helps with catching the deep-cut references and Easter eggs. As long as you're in the mood for clever writing and all the edgy, not-safe-for-kids humor you could ask for, Harley Quinn is a must-[censored]-watch.

25. Gravity Falls

With hands on our bible of beasts, baubles and bafflement — Journal 3, naturally — we can solemnly swear that Gravity Falls is the weirdest, wildest and gobblewonkiest project that’s ever come out of Disney, bursting through the castle doors like rainbows from a gnome’s mouth. Created by Alex Hirsch, the mystery-hinged funfest centers on a pair of siblings, Jason Ritter’s Dipper and Kristen Schaal’s Mabel, living with their kooky and perhaps unstable great uncle, Grunkle Stan (voiced by Hirsch). And for anyone who loves codes, hidden messages, deep lore, crytozoology, conspiracies, and everything sharing that fringe space, Gravity Falls is the holy grail of animated shows. (And that grail is filled with Pitt Cola.)

Despite nearly universal love and acclaim, Disney cut Gravity Falls’ run short at just two seasons, although the actual supplementary Journal 3 (which Hirsch co-wrote) is expansive and unique enough of an experience to at least count as a one-off special. There’s still hope that fans will one day go on more adventures in the Mystery Shack with Soos, assuming Bill Cipher doesn’t muck anything up, but even if these 40 episodes are all that ever get produced, it was perfection.

24. The Boondocks

Aaron McGruder’s adaptation of his own comic strip, The Boondocks, is a must-watch for those trying to better understand racial relations, culture, and racism in the United States. With the help of some voice acting from Regina King, Riley and his brother Huey navigate the Black experience of living in a predominantly white suburb.

The Boondocks thrived on taking hot-button issues and forcing the viewer to think about not just the issue but their own reaction and perspective of that issue. The Boondocks deserves applause for how it pushed the envelope in its four seasons and offered thoughtful commentary in a way few other animated shows can.

23. Justice League

Superheroes joining forces in the DC Animated Universe wasn’t anything new prior to 2001 thanks to special pairings in Superman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond’s “The Call” two-parter, but Justice League placed teamwork front and center. Viewers watched Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl vanquish terrestrial, alien and magical threats together, and it was a blast.

Justice League continues to be appreciated for its crisp animation, mature storytelling and stellar character development, as well as for transforming John Stewart from a B-list character to the definitive Green Lantern for a generation. Justice League makes an effective crash course for those wanting to dive into DC lore without having read any of the comics.

22. Star Trek: Lower Decks

Being such a well known and praised franchise for decades, die-hard fans were quite surprised when it was announced back in 2019 that the Star Trek franchise would be taking a shot at an adult comedy with a brand new animated show, Star Trek: Lower Decks. Written by Rick and Morty’s Mike McMahan, the show takes place in the 24th century and instead of focusing on the high-ranking officers on the Bridge Crew, it gives viewers a glimpse into the “lower deck” officers with the more humble jobs that keep the ship running…smoothly? The show often references the rest of the Star Trek earlier entries and breaks down sci-fi tropes, often in a very NSFW way, and should delight both seasoned and new fans alike.

21. Sailor Moon

If you’re of a certain age, Sailor Moon may be the first anime you ever saw in your entire life. It’s one of those ‘90s anime that was sandwiched between Fist of the North Star in the ‘80s, and the explosion that was Dragon Ball Z, and Pokemon in the later ‘90s. Even so, Sailor Moon still managed to stand out, and it still stands out today. It may be because Serena (or Usagi, if you prefer sub over dub) is so dang loveable. As is her relationship with Darien (AKA, Tuxedo Mask).

And of course, we can’t forget the many other Sailor Scouts, as they all have their own unique personalities and inner worlds. In truth, Sailor Moon is the kind of cartoon that appeals to both young girls, but also grown men in their ‘30s and ‘40s, and really, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

20. One Piece

Shows like One Piece don’t come along often, and really, we’re not sure there is any other show on television that’s like it. It’s one thing to have an astronomically high episode count, but quite another for that story to be serialized and tell a great story of a pirate adventure that’s been wowing viewers for over two decades. The character development and growth of the Straw Hat Pirates and the world-building it boasts makes this an easy choice for top-tier anime, and it’s great that Netflix finally took notice and made an equally enjoyable live-action series.

It’s a modern-day epic story equatable to Gilgamesh or Beowulf, and feels like a lived-in universe more than any other anime out there. It’s totally worth the time investment for those who feel overwhelmed by tackling the 1000+ episodes of this ongoing series.

19. The Critic

The Critic, which revolves around New York film critic, Jay Sherman (voiced by A League of Their Own’s Jon Lovitz) sometimes hits way too close to home. What we mean is, with many of us being critics ourselves, a lot of Jay’s fussy qualms about movies seem super spot on, such as the eye roll he gave to the made-up movie, Beverly Hills RoboCanine Cop and a Half 2 (Starring Clint Eastwood!).

But that’s just the beauty of The Critic, because even though Jay was often fed up with having to review so many mediocre movies, he still loved his job, and stayed a movie fan to his core. Which, again, hits very close to home. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the series had The Simpsons writers, Al Jean and Mike Reiss as showrunners. It stinks!...that we don’t have any new episodes of The Critic to watch these days.

18. Daria

Daria once described herself to a therapist as actively working to make people dislike her. She’s not wrong. Daria's main character is, at times, deeply unlikeable. She speaks as if she’s a detached observer into her own life, making callous observations in a dry, dispassionate voice. She’s like a real life narrator, condescendingly commenting on the world around her as everyone else plays volleyball and talks about who they’re going to prom with.

Despite all her efforts, however, it’s impossible to hate Daria because she’s really funny and also not wrong most of the time. High school is often pretty stupid and populated with try-hards who don’t know themselves or have any idea where they’re going. Listening to Daria judge them feels like therapy, even if, deep down, we know she’s just as lost as they are.

17. Over The Garden Wall

What’s most impressive about Over The Garden Wall is just how effectively it slips under your skin and rattles you. The familiar sibling dynamic between Wirt (Elijah Wood) and his little brother Greg (Collin Dean) is disarming, as are the fantasy elements and talking animals… but never forgotten is the terror that comes from the show’s central premise: two boys getting lost in the woods and trying to find their way home. Each chapter starts with a light touch, but ends up gripping you by the throat and invading your nightmares.

The episodes brim with fantastic and horrific imagination - from the shadowy beasts that lead souls astray to the disturbing Auntie Whispers (voiced brilliantly by John Cleese). There are only 10 episodes and none of them run over 12 minutes, but Over The Wall leaves a deep impression, and it’s wonderful to revisit annually during Spooky Season.

16. King of the Hill

I tell you what, it’s hard to get better than King of the Hill. The long-running hit (which has a Mike Judge-led revival coming to Hulu soon), focused on Hank, Peggy and their son Bobby Hill, and their day to day life in the small town of Arlen, Texas. This slice-of-life animated show used something a lot of people probably take for granted - the absurdities of relationships, work, growing up, marriage and other aspects of daily life - turned them up to 11 and made every episode across 13 seasons feel like we were laughing at our own friends and family.

Don’t we all know at least one person obsessed with lawn care? Or one boy who ain’t right? If not, you’ll certainly wish you knew the residents of Rainey Street and could call them neighbors, because mundane, working class life has never looked like so much looney fun.

15. Mickey Mouse (2013 shorts)

Mickey Mouse is one of the most iconic characters in the history of animation. He’s been everywhere and done everything. What made the new series of shorts that began in 2013 and ended in 2023 special wasn’t that they did anything differently, (though certainly the visual style was completely new for the character) it was that they went back to the beginning and let Mickey be the Mickey he was always designed to be.

The modern run of shorts, simple called Mickey Mouse, let the big-eared protagonist be the hero, but they also let him be silly, angry, surprising, and ridiculous. They pack more gags into a five-minute short than would seem possible. The shorts were new, but also served as throwbacks to earlier Mickey eras when the character had more creative freedom before he became the icon we know. They were a breath of fresh air after decades of a stagnant and sterilized mouse.

14. The Legend Of Korra

There is sometimes debate on whether Avatar: The Last Airbender or its follow-up series, The Legend of Korra, is the better cartoon. But, when it comes to us, all we have to say is, why not both? Because honestly, you can’t lose with either series. That said, The Legend of Korra definitely is special in its own right. This is a more grown-up take on the world of Avatar, where each season introduces a new threat to our heroine, Korra (Voiced by the magnificent Janet Varney).

With each season, however, we see Korra adapt and change in ways that Aang never got to do, which is enhanced by Korra’s fantastic Team Avatar of Bolin, Mako, and of course, Asami. Oh, and speaking of Asami, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how groundbreaking this show was, as Korrasami is still one of our favorite TV couples of all time.

13. South Park

Possibly the most controversial animated show of all time, South Park. With 26 seasons under their belt, Trey Parker and Matt Stones’ on Comedy Central follows the story of four young boys and the typically pop-culture chaos that surrounds them. The show’s intro blatantly states that the show “...should not be viewed by anyone.” South Park pulls no punches and gives no f’s. T

The creators have pulled some crazy stunts in the past, like attending the 2000 Oscars while being nominated, wearing dresses, and high on LSD. They have also attempted to get their own show canceled, been banned in China, as well as hitting a television milestone by going “bleep-free” with the use of the “f-bomb” live on air. It’s a show that could not be launched today, but since it has such huge weight in the zeitgeist, expect to see some more offensive Colorado antics for some time.

12. Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars Rebels picked up the action set in the galaxy far, far away after The Clone Wars ended, and the animated series ran from 2014-2018 on Disney XD to expand on the era ahead of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with a found family of original characters. Not only did the show prove that Star Wars doesn’t need to rely on legacy characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to tell a fantastic story and deliver arguably one of the best deaths in the franchise’s history, but it set up some stellar stories that are being expanded in live-action with Ahsoka.

There was no certainty that Rebels would succeed back in the beginning despite the popularity of The Clone Wars, but the story was solid during its original run and stands the test of time for first-time watchers and re-watchers alike. And its characters, ships and plots have remained core to the universe even beyond its conclusion.

11. Invincible

Invincible was released for those with an Amazon Prime subscription during the height of superhero mania. Despite concerns about superhero fatigue, the animated series carved stands out within the genre. Namely by being the animated answer to The Boys, and being an R-rated and wildly violent cartoon show. Invincible focuses on the title character aka Mark Grayson who is a young person coming into his own as a wildly popular hero who boasts the same powers, if not the same prowess, as his father Omni- Man, who is revealed to be something quite a bit more dangerous than anyone readily expected.

Adapted rather faithfully from Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker's comic book, the story is emotional, the action sequences are bloody and brutal, and Invincible’s voice cast is led by A-list talent like Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, and more. And the show is so popular that Omni-Man spawned a character in Mortal Kombat 1.

10. Justice League Unlimited

Everything that was great about Justice League got ratcheted up a notch with Justice League Unlimited. Thanks to the team’s founding heroes expanding its ranks — minus Hawkgirl, who returned later in Season 1 — this continuation allowed the DC Animated Universe to shine the spotlight on even lesser-known heroes, from Green Arrow and The Question to Booster Gold and Huntress. Like its predecessor, the show wholeheartedly embraced its printed page while also putting unique spins on its starring protagonists and antagonists.

Although there were various standalone episodes peppered throughout Justice League Unlimited, the show was at its best when delving into its serialized stories that built off plot threads from the previous DC Animated Universe shows, namely the Cadmus and Secret Society arcs. That makes Unlimited arguably feel like the most comic book-y entry in this shared continuity. While the DCAU would be revisited a handful of other times following the show’s conclusion, Unlimited definitely marked the end of an era, and it stuck the landing wonderfully.

9. Phineas and Ferb

The concept of two brothers spending their summer vacation trying to figure out a way to spend it comes with endless possibilities, and Phineas and Ferb explored them creatively and expertly. Following a formula where every episode the titular characters are always finding an over-the-top thing to do or build. Meanwhile, their sister Candace tries to bust them while their pet platypus Perry goes on a mission to stop his nemesis Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his latest -enator.

Over the years, Phineas and Ferb mastered its formula and had a blast with it. Watching the brothers build a roller-coaster, create a backyard beach, get their parents' favorite band back together and oh so much more was not only fun but creatively invigorating. Not to mention, many episodes also featured incredible original music – like the Emmy-nominated song “Ain’t Got Rhythm” – meaning you’ll be humming along and thinking about this show long after the episode ends.

8. Looney Tunes

To describe Looney Tunes as a classic is completely appropriate, and yet, somehow not quite enough. This collection of animated shorts (produced from 1930 to 1969 and then revived in the late 1970s) has provided generations of audiences with wacky adventures featuring some of the most recognizable and quotable cartoon characters ever created. Even if you’ve only seen a handful of the many, many cartoons made by Warner Bros., you likely know that Bugs Bunny usually outsmarts everyone, Sylvester and Tweety are hilarious adversaries, Daffy Duck is at his funniest when he’s angry or on the losing end of anything, and that Roadrunner is way more trouble than it’s worth to Wile E. Coyote.

Looney Tunes is yet another example of how something could, technically, be pleasantly silly enough for kids, but just mature enough to get and keep the attention of adults. (Who doesn’t know what it’s like to repeatedly miss your target like Elmer Fudd?) When you watch one of these belly-laugh inducing entries, the only thing stopping you from watching another (and another) will be a power outage… That’s a joke, son!

7. Rick and Morty

A decade ago, if you asked us to name our Top Five most thoroughly inventive, consistently thrilling, amusingly thought-provoking, and deeply moving science-fiction series, we would have never guessed an Adult Swim original comedy would make the cut. Nevertheless, Rick and Morty — co-created by the now-fired Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon — has risen above its crude animation, and even cruder humor, to be widely remembered as, not just one of the funniest sci-fi TV shows, but among the genre’s all-time finest.

It is no surprise the series was bred from a Back to the Future parody short, as the pairing of alcoholic scientist Rick Sanchez with his grandson, Morty Smith, feels like a more volatile Marty and Doc situation, which is also just one of the many ways the series brilliantly pokes fun at and pays homage to pop culture. However, the best Rick and Morty episodes — in addition to introducing eye-popping, otherworldly, and downright absurd concepts — honor the series’ more relatable themes, such as family and existential dread, which cleverly sneak up on you while you experience the duo's latest crazy adventure through time and space.

6. Attack On Titan

There’s a lot of great anime out there, from wholesome shows like Spy X Family to much more action-heavy series like Demon Slayer and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. But when it comes to anime that just generally rivals some of the greatest television shows of all-time, then look no further than Attack on Titan, which we once called the best under-the-radar show on television. Because no show swerved like Attack on Titan did, and it all falls upon its protagonist/antagonist, Eren Yeager, who the audience is firmly behind…until we aren’t.

That’s right, Attack on Titan initially seems very simple in premise — Titans bad, people good — but soon changes dramatically to the point where we wonder if we may have had it all wrong the entire time. Are the titans were the ones who were misunderstood, and the humans were the bad guys. Plus, this is the rare exception where the anime may be superior to the manga, and if you know anything about manga, that is no small feat. This is an anime for the ages.

5. Bluey

Bluey has simply become must-watch programming for families, and don’t be surprised when Mom and Dad find themselves just as entertained as the little ones. The infectious theme song ropes you in as it introduces Mum (Chilli), Dad (Bandit), little sister Bingo and big sister Bluey, but it’s the heart-filled interactions between the Blue Heelers that have kept people coming back. Some episodes are laugh-out-loud funny — “I slipped on my beans!” — and others will hit you right in the feels and cause tears to flow freely.

Parents have become endeared to Bluey because it inspires us to be better. It encourages us to play with our kids and gives us permission to act silly in public. Why care what strangers think if you can make your kids laugh, right? But Bluey also shows the harder moments. Sometimes Bandit and Chilli don’t have time to play. Sometimes they don’t know what to say or just need some peace and quiet after partying too hard on New Year’s Eve. We need permission to want those things in real life, too.

4. The Simpsons

The Simpsons is the most popular and successful animated show in history because it’s hilarious in so many different ways. No matter what your sense of humor is, there’s almost certainly a Simpsons character that’s funny in the exact way you’re looking for. From highbrow literary references thrown out as asides to people falling over and getting injured in embarrassing or gruesome ways, and everything in between, each episode is jam-packed with jokes intended to do very different things and to appeal to very different people.

If it happened in a lesser show, it might feel like pandering, but with The Simpsons, the "whatever sticks" approach always felt like layers and variance. That’s a testament to the quality of the writing. Most shows that try to do too much are overtly better at one of the things they’re trying to do, which makes the rest seem less than or out of place. Not The Simpsons. Thanks to fantastic, complicated leads and the funniest supporting network of side characters in TV history, the writers can be funny in so many unique, challenging, satirical, irreverent and sometimes prophetic ways, and they have for more than 750 delightful episodes.

3. Avatar: The Last Airbender

From scathing commentary about imperialism to discussions of spirituality, trauma and extinction, Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender packs deep philosophical meaning into its animated stories. This universe, centered around people boasting the ability to bend elements, follows Avatar Aang on his journey to master the elements and defeat the Fire Lord. This series from Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko is a masterful classic, filled with fun side-quests like the trio’s journey to Omashu, as well as complex politics surrounding the Royal Fire Nation family, sassy characters (we’re of course talking about Sokka and Toph), insanely well-developed story arcs like Zuko’s, and it's all taied together with mind-boggling action,

Like the Avatar, ATLA gets stronger with time, and as Aang mastered the elements, the series grew with him. No matter how old you are, this series hits hard, and the more you watch it the better it gets. Avatar: The Last Airbender seems destined to always feel timeless, and like the Avatar’s powers, this show will likely continue to be passed down through generations for years to come.

2. BoJack Horseman

It’s understandable if you watch the first episode of BoJack Horseman and don’t quite click with it. It’s a show that throws you headfirst into its world  – providing a deep inside look at Hollywood and celebrity in a reality where humans coexist with humanoid animals. That being said, as one of the first Netflix original creations, it’s a series that greatly benefited from the streamer’s binge model, as to dig deeper into the show is to fall in love with it and everything it has to say.

All six seasons of BoJack Horseman are witty, clever, and hilarious, with countless background gags that make it incredibly rewarding on rewatch – but what makes it special is just how real it is. The aesthetic may be silly, but the characters are all ultimately broken people and there is an unflinching and powerful examination of their individual damage over the course of the show. The penultimate episode of every season manages to be as emotionally devastating as anything that Hollywood has ever produced for the small screen, and each one is both shocking and mesmerizing.

1. Batman: The Animated Series

Unquestionably one of the best examples of any animated TV show appealing to both kids and adults, Batman: The Animated Series continues to stand as perhaps the greatest triumph in the media history of DC Comics’ Caped Crusader. BTAS, and by extension The New Batman Adventures, followed in the footsteps of the Tim Burton Batman movies by bringing the character back to his darker roots and inserting viewers into an anachronistic Gotham City dripping with noir flavor. Here we have a Batman who strikes fear into the hearts of criminals just as easily as he inspires the innocent.

Anchored by the late Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne, Batman: The Animated Series effectively walked the line of honoring the source material while also putting unique spins on characters like The Joker, Mr. Freeze and Two-Face, while also launching neo-icons like Harley Quinn, Renee Montoya and a handful of others who’ve become mythos mainstays. Even ignoring that BTAS launched the beloved DC Animated Universe, Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski's show serves for many as the gold(black) standard by which all other Batman adaptations are judged. 1992 may be a long time ago, but BTAS still feels wonderfully timeless.

Hopefully the next 80 years of animated series can stand up to the classic eras that have already come and gone, as well as everything happening currently. But for anyone who hasn't yet watched everything listed above, now you know the assignment, mmk?

It’s likely that, at some point or another, many of us enjoyed Saturday morning cartoons as kids (and or even as teens and young adults). In decades past, there were plenty of excellent shows that definitely made getting out of bed early worth it, and a select number of those small-screen offerings have truly managed to stand the test of time. Even some dating back to the ‘60s and ‘70s still have their charms and could surely air today.

On that note, we’ve compiled 15 animated weekend TV treats that still hold up. So sit back, relax and breathe in the nostalgia as we take a stroll down memory lane. 

Jonny Quest (1964)

At the time of its debut, Jonny Quest was a bit of a change of pace for Hanna-Barbera, which was known for fare like The Flintstones and Top Cat at that point. The sci-fi series provided plenty of action and intrigue through the stories centered around its young, globe-trotting protagonist. WIth memorable characters like Hadji and Race Bannon (which is still an awesome name) and fun stories, this show is a classic. It may have only lasted a single season on ABC, but its enduring popularity through reruns are what earned it two revival series and multiple TV films. This one could still entertain the masses today.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969)

Easily another one of Hanna-Barbera’s most iconic shows, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! practically took the TV world by storm when it premiered on CBS in the late ‘60s. Since then, Scooby and the meddling kids that make up Mystery Inc. have been valiantly (and humorously) solving cases and unmasking bad guys dressed as ghouls. Of course, the three-season show launched a media empire that included various small-screen offshoots and a plethora of theatrical and direct-to-video Doo movies (which you can watch). The beloved talking dog is still a pop culture staple, and his inaugural series has aged well.

Josie And The Pussycats (1970)

Josie and the Pussycats also featured a group of young people that found themselves in kooky situations, though their adventures were more music-based. This H-B production bopped its way onto CBS in 1970 and was a fun adaptation of the Archie Comics book of the same name. The exploits of Josie, Valerie, Melody and the gang are vibrant, upbeat and endlessly rewatchable. Two seasons would be produced before this program’s cancellation in 1972. However, its legacy would live on, thanks to syndication and reimaginings of the characters on other shows, as well as that 2001 live-action film. Yet the OG show series still stands above them all.

Pac-Man (1982)

Before Sonic the Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! made their way to TV, there was Pac-Man. This take on Namco’s famous ghost gobbler was the first cartoon to be based on a video game, and it managed to rake in huge ratings for ABC upon its debut. Not only did it maintain many of the franchise’s sensibilities, but it also fleshed out its protagonist, as well as his family and other residents of Pac-Land. The original game is still enjoyed in arcades now, and I have no doubt that kids (and adults) would still eat up this two-season now.

Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends (1983)

Remember that time Marvel’s famous Web-Slinger regularly fought alongside two members of the X-Men? I sure do. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends teamed Peter Parker with Bobby Drake (Iceman) and Angelica Jones (Firestar). This Saturday morning delight was filled with all sorts of comic book goodness, but it was truly the camaraderie between the three heroes that made it so entertaining. While plenty of great Spidey cartoons would air in the years after its three-season run ended, this NBC production is still solid and isn’t collecting cobwebs. That is, aside from the ones its main hero produces.

Alvin And The Chipmunks (1983)

How can we not acknowledge the staying power of the world’s most famous trio of chipmunks, who first sang their way into the public’s hearts in the ‘50s? 1983’s Alvin and the Chipmunks managed to make a far bigger impression than its predecessor, 1962’s The Alvin Show. This weekend morning offering provided some fun music-infused adventures featuring the lovable band of rodents – as well as Dave, the Chippettes and the flamboyant Miss Miller. This is a piece of timeless work, which not only features humorous stories that are still chuckleworthy, but can also perfectly stand alongside musical kids shows that air these days. 

The Transformers (1984)

I’m sure you’re familiar with the Michael Bay-produced and directed Transformers movies (which we’ve ranked). But you can’t forget that The Transformers was the first piece of media based on Hasbro’s famous toyline. While it eventually became a weekday staple, this show started as a Saturday morning toon, which entertained viewers with the exploits of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron and more. To put it mildly, it’s one of the greatest cartoons ever created – and one of the most influential. Many still enjoy the “Robots in Disguise” in many forms today, and I’m confident that if faced with this series, today’s youngsters would still see that it possesses more than meets the eye.

The Real Ghostbusters (1986)

It’s weird to think that The Real Ghostbusters is one of those children’s TV shows that are rarely discussed nowadays. That may be due to the fact that as popular as it was with kids of the ‘80s, its legacy is still overshadowed by the live-action films. The Ghostbusters movies have good and bad attributes, but the show is arguably very consistent quality-wise. Aside from the paranormal action and top-notch voice-acting, the producers simply managed to seamlessly build on the lore established in Ivan Reitman’s 1984 blockbuster. In recent years, we’ve seen several spooky, fun and weird animated offerings hit it big, and TRG could fight right in with that pack. 

DuckTales (1987)

Few TV shows – animated or live-action – can exude a sense of adventure like Disney’s DuckTales. At the time, the series expanded upon some classic characters from the House of Mouse, including Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and Huey, Dewey and Louie. It also brought some other memorable heroes and villains into the fold, like Webby Vanderquack, Launchpad McQuack, Flintheart Glomgold and Magica De Spell. This production is the true embodiment of the kind of fun that can emanate from a Saturday morning cartoon. Its format and themes are ageless, which is surely why an impeccable reboot (which saw Don Cheadle briefly voice Donald) was produced in the 2010s.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit Saturday morning TV in the late ‘80s, and the world hasn’t been the same since. Adapted from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s classic comic books, the show put a lighter spin on the characters that quickly became a smash hit. It’s not hard to understand why, considering how lovable the four kung-fu-fighting, pizza-eating teenage reptiles are. Not to mention the fact that the sci-fi storytelling was sometimes straight-up bonkers in the best possible way. Amid the ‘90s, the only action show that could probably match TMNT was Power Rangers. This animated series is the stuff cartoon dreams are made of, and that’s why the franchise continues to hold up.

Garfield And Friends (1988)

Jim Davis’ famous orange cat hates Mondays, and he’s also the reason that so many children of the ‘80s and ‘90s love Saturdays. Garfield and Friends aired during the early hours of that day for six years and amassed a firm following in the process. It not only served as a fun adaptation of the eponymous character, but it employed a sense of nuttiness that was as endearing as it was funny. Watching Garfield, Odie, John Arbuckle and co. today is still fun, and the animation is still as vibrant as ever.

Bobby’s World (1990)

Another gem that’s not discussed all that often now is Bobby’s World, which was one of the earliest titles to hit the now-defunct Fox Kids programming block. Created by Howie Mandel (yes, THAT Howie Mandel), it followed the adventures of a highly imaginative boy named Bobby Generic. The diminutive character’s creativity would result in some funny and sweet stories, and the writing staff deserve a lot of credit for their work. In hindsight, the show was a precursor to more recent productions like Phineas & Ferb, Craig of the Creek and Bluey. It was reported several years ago that a revival of this Saturday morning favorite was on the way. But honestly, I think the show we have is still very effective.

The Tick (1994)

In a superhero cartoon landscape that included the likes of Batman: The Animated Series and Spider-Man, there was The Tick (which actually aired on Fox Kids alongside those two toons). This three-season production saw the eponymous vigilante battling crime alongside his sidekick, Arthur, in The City, resulting in some odd and humorous situations. What made this classic ahead of the curve was its impressive deconstruction of the superhero genre. One could say that this one walked so the likes of Harley Quinn and The Boys could run, which is a testament to how much it holds up.

Pokémon (1997)

Pokémon is definitely not on the list of Saturday morning cartoons that are barely talked about anymore. The TV franchise started in the ‘90s with Ash Ketchum, who sought to be the best Pokémon master in the world, with the help of his friends Misty, Brock and the ever-adorable Pikachu. After the show started being syndicated on Kids’ WB!, it became massively popular in the states, spawning countless spinoffs and a host of movies. Considering the fact that the franchise is still going strong, it’s pretty obvious that this title has staying power. Still, the OG still stands above the rest due to its lovable characters, lighthearted tone and adventurous spirit.

Recess (1997)

Disney’s One Saturday Morning produced a plethora of excellent programs, like The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Pepper Ann. Though one could argue that Recess is one of the greatest productions the block ever birthed. It’s honestly hard to top the exploits of T.J. Detweiler and his friends from Third Street Elementary School. This six-season ensemble comedy is a masterpiece, delivering all of the laughs, as well as plenty of heart. Actual recess may look a lot different in schools in this day and age, but this series could still entertain today’s youth due to its nuanced and relatable stories.

When it comes to cartoons that famously aired on weekend mornings, it’s hard to top the ones that we’ve discussed. Each one played an important role in the history of this medium, and I’m hopeful that they will not be completely forgotten as time goes on.

Stephen A. Smith is one of the best sports pundits on the internet, and he always has something to say. So much so that he's transitioned in recent years from commenting strictly about the drama surrounding players like Zion Williamson to random pop culture questions fans ask him. Recently, someone asked him his definitive pick for the best original starter Pokémon, and once again, Smith has shown he's the undisputed GOAT when it comes to great takes. 

The First Take host may have the occasional misstep, like when he had to apologize to Rihanna after his critique of her performance at the Super Bowl, but he's batting 1,000% when it comes to talking Pokémon. On The Stephen A. Smith Show, a fan tweeted the pundit and asked what his definitive choice was for the best starter Pokémon in the Kanto region. Check out the short video of the moment below, and see who he chose out of Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle:

I'm guessing by the fact he mispronounced two out of the three names he's not incredibly well-versed in Pokémon, but credit to Stephen A. Smith for making the right call all the same. Charmander doesn't just have the same forehead as Smith, he's also my undisputed GOAT for a starter Pokémon and a beloved favorite in the fandom.

Granted, if we were to look at pure stats and advantages in the early games of Pokémon Red and Blue, Bulbasaur is the best option. Grass type has an advantage over the opening Rock and Water gyms, and Charmander is definitely put at a disadvantage in comparison. 

Stephen A. Smith knows that the beginning doesn't always represent the finished product. When Shannon Sharpe joined First Take and accidentally called him Skip Bayless, did Smith write off his co-host? No, he avidly defended Sharpe, and before too long, they were clicking and killing it together on ESPN. 

Similar to Shannon Sharpe, Charmander is a Pokémon that only improves over time. His evolutionary stages are among the best in the game, and trainers who put in the work will end up with a Charizard that is among the best original 151 creatures in the game, despite the opinion of CinemaBlend's Rich Knight. Smith made the right decision here, even if the decision was made partly out of vanity. 

It's no surprise that Stephen A. Smith is in top form for forming opinions either, as we're entering a big time for the sports world. Between the upcoming Super Bowl, March Madness, and the second half of the NBA season cutting into the 2024 TV schedule, he needs to be on his A-game with all of his sports takes. What better way to train for that than to comment on pop culture? 

Catch Stephen A. Smith on First Take on ESPN weekdays beginning at 10 a.m. ET. As mentioned, there's no shortage of sports going on in the coming months, so now would be the time to check in and see what he has to say about everything. 

While it had a stranglehold on pop culture for the past decade and a half, it feels the mass appeal of superhero movies and series are waning. Sure, projects are still rolling out and captivating audiences, but it feels like everyone in Hollywood is waiting on the next big trend to take over the masses as they look to greenlight projects. Netflix, for example, is prepping a lot of anime adaptations, and I really think the company is onto something. 

After watching the spirit and humor of Avatar: The Last Airbender brought to life in the latest trailer, it's clear Netflix is really putting in the work to make high-quality anime adaptations. It's something this anime fan loves to see, and I have a feeling it's going to pay off for the streamer as audiences look for more creative stories to enjoy. 

Netflix Is Committed To Bringing The Most Iconic Anime To Live-Action

Avatar: The Last Airbender is technically anime-inspired, but arguing semantics does nothing to deny Netflix isn't putting in a ton of work adapting anime shows with a big budget. In the past couple of years, we've seen Cowboy Bebop, One Piece and Yu Yu Hakusho all adapted. It's even letting the Stranger Things showrunners, The Duffer Brothers, take another crack at Death Note, which is something I'm definitely looking forward to after the disappointing live-action film they did years ago. 

If all that wasn't enough, we also know that Netflix has plans for a live-action Pokémon series, which audiences have been craving since the release of Detective Pikachu. The franchise is one of the largest properties in pop culture, period, so I think the interest in this series speaks for itself. 

Finally, there's a live-action film adaptation in the works for My Hero Academia, which is one of the most popular anime of the past few years. Ironically, it's basically a superhero show reimagined in anime, but maybe it'll serve as the bridge for a casual audience still unsure of whether they want to dive into this new trend of making big-budget anime mainstream. 

There's Still Plenty Of Iconic Anime That Deserves A Series

For all the shows that Netflix has adapted and plans to adapt, there are still so many more iconic anime audiences would love to see turned into a live-action series or movie. After the atrocious Dragon Ball: Evolution movie, I think many millennials are desperate for a good live-action Dragon Ball Z series. I'd reckon the name "Goku" is just about as synonymous with Superman at this point, and the fact that there are still new shows being made for Dragon Ball shows there's still interest. 

And while other big anime like Naruto already have movie adaptations in the works, there's precedent in being able to try again and revamp interest from audiences in another way. Hell, Netflix was willing to give Avatar: The Last Airbender another shot after its theatrical disaster, and fortunately, the showrunner avoided M. Night Shyamalan’s movie. 

Even if something as big as Naruto is off-limits, there's just such a wide library of great anime classics to choose from for the next big-budget streaming franchise. The Gundam series, Hunter x Hunter, Sailor Moon, Samurai Champloo, the list is nearly endless on what would make a great series to adapt. 

Why Live-Action Anime Adaptations Should Be The Next Big Trend In Big-Budget Streaming Shows

When looking at the genre of anime, it's easy to see why live-action adaptations should be the next big trend for big-budget streaming shows. Anime is known for its massive, colorful settings and intense action, similar to superhero stories. If audiences are still craving the basic elements of the superhero genre, but want something a little more creative and different than what's been offered in the past decade, this is the solution. 

And to be clear, Netflix didn't invent the wheel when it comes to live-action adaptations of anime. There have been several adaptations of popular manga and anime over the past few decades, though many are overseas productions. With that being said, a lot of those didn't quite have the budget as the average Hollywood feature, and certainly nothing with a budget as big as a streaming show like The Mandalorian. 

What this means is we now have a perfect storm when a show like One Piece or Avatar: The Last Airbender appears. It has the ability to draw in a curious audience in search of something new to dive into, but it also appeals to longtime fans of the franchises who have waited a long time to see their beloved franchise get an adaptation worthy of its storytelling. 

Sure, sometimes there are failures. Netflix's Cowboy Bebop adaptation differed from the anime in a few key ways, and word spread about that on the internet pretty quickly after its release. The result led to a quick cancellation and a feeling by some in the Cowboy Bebop cast that it wasn't given a chance. Not every show is going to be a home run, but that's true of all genres. Personally, I agree that Cowboy Bebop wasn't given a fair chance, and I say that as someone who loved the live-action version and thought it was serviceable, even with its differences from the original. 

What's important, and what I think will happen, is that the more that major streamers and studios try to adapt anime to live-action, the more they'll get a better idea of what works and what doesn't. This is to say that longtime fans of anime should be thrilled if we're about to enter this era, even if there might be some mistakes along the way. Projects like One Piece and what little we've seen of Avatar: The Last Airbender seem to indicate Netflix is on the right path, and hopefully other studios will take note and try to replicate its success. 

Avatar: The Last Airbender will premiere for those with a Netflix subscription on Thursday, February 22nd. Now would be a good time to watch or re-watch the original series on Netflix or to check out some of the live-action anime that's already available to be binged. 

While movies based on video games have often had rough box office results, Detective Pikachu was, at the time, a somewhat rare unqualified win. With success like it had, becoming one of the most successful video game movies at the global box office, one might have expected a Pikachu sequel to have happened by now. There are many upcoming video game movies and series, but nothing from this franchise. Not only have we never seen Detective Pikachu 2 yet, but despite reports the movie was happening, one of its main stars doesn’t know anything about the sequel.

Justice Smith played the human lead character alongside Ryan Reynolds voicing the titular Detective Pikachu. Last year it was reported that Jonathan Krisel had been tapped to direct the long-awaited sequel. However, even though 10 months have passed since that news, Smith, who has admitted he's frustrated no Detective Pikachu sequel has been forthcoming, recently told ScreenRant that he’s heard nothing about the movie, but he’s waiting for the call. Smith said…

Even though a director had reportedly been brought in to help the Detective Pikachu follow-up, nothing else had been nailed down, so things may be still, even though we’re approaching the fifth anniversary of the first movie’s release, still very early. Justice Smith is not officially on board any sequel, and at last report, neither was Ryan Reynolds. Chris Galleta was working on the script, but we don’t know right now if there is one.

There are, of course, a couple of different possibilities as to what’s going on. Either, things are still so early that there’s no point trying to contract the cast at this point, or the sequel is going in a different direction, and things are further along than we think, but with a new cast of characters. The latter seems less likely. Ryan Reynolds himself would almost need to be part of any sequel, and bringing him back without the resort of the associated characters seems unlikely.

At the same time, Detective Pikachu's ending left its story in a very different place than where it started, so simply picking up and “doing it all again” is a bit trickier from a story standpoint. So doing something a little different might make more sense.  

Detective Pikachu is still the second-highest-grossing movie based on a video game ever when it comes to the global box office. It’s now dwarfed by the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie last year, but it’s still an impressive accolade. On the one hand, it’s probably a good thing that a sequel wasn’t rushed to screens just to cash in on the first movie’s success. However, we’re now at the point where audiences may have moved on so if this sequel is ever going to happen, it should probably happen soon.  

I don’t know about you, but in the winter time, I tend to gravitate toward all the “cozy” things, whether that be through my movies, TV shows, books, video gaming or… hot soup. As we transition from the holiday season to a brand new year, it’s simply the perfect time to curl up into my soft girl aesthetic. This time around, Netflix’s acclaimed series Pokémon Concierge helped me get into the spirit of that big time. While I felt like the new stop-motion series kind of came out of thin air, I enjoyed binge watching the unexpected Pokémon entry. Now it has me thinking about what I want to see from the iconic franchise next. 

For some reason, Pokémon is not a major Hollywood franchise. It's weird, right? While there are tons of anime films produced in Japan, Hollywood barely got the first live-action Pokémon movie back in 2019 with the Ryan Reynolds-led Detective Pikachu film, and that’s wild to me. I expect this has something to do with rights and business strategy, but now that Netflix has gotten a partial hold of the franchise, both through Pokémon Concierge and the upcoming animated show Pokémon Horizons coming to the streaming service next month, I have thoughts about what should come in the future. 

Where We Are At With The Future Of The Pokémon Franchise 

For the time being, there’s a lot of crickets (or Kricketots, as I should say) when it comes to what’s next for Pokémon on the big screen. That fact simply feels wrong considering Detective Pikachu was such a success when it came out, grossing $430 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo), becoming the highest-grossing video game of all time. 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie from Illumination only recently broke its record with its $1.3 billion haul. No one needs to sell anyone on how popular Pokémon is, it’s one of the most recognizable and beloved media franchises out there. So why isn’t the company cashing out on Hollywood movies as well? 

Cash and money aside, I thought Detective Pikachu was a solid first try at a blockbuster movie, and I’d like to see more entries. Now, I’m sure somewhere a Hollywood producer is already pursuing that idea given the potential magnitude of the whole thing, but I next want to talk more specifically about my experience with Pokémon Concierge more in depth and why the series (available to stream with a Netflix subscription) informed a new perspective in regards to what I want to see from a big-screen Pokémon movie. 

Pokémon Concierge Made Me Realize There’s Untapped Potential To Explore

When it comes to Pokémon television and movies I’ve seen in the past, while I enjoy them in their own right, it feels as though a lot of the storyline revolves around Pokémon fighting one another and Ash Ketchum trying to “catch ‘em all.” Don’t get me wrong, that’s the essence of Pokémon in a lot of ways, but it’s not the only dimension to be discovered. When I was watching Pokémon Concierge, I felt immersed in the vast world of the gaming franchise from a standpoint I never thought I’d see in a narrative storyline. Not unlike Pokémon Snap, there’s a calmness about Concierge that really provides an appreciation of the exploration for the many species of Pokémon outside of competition. 

The show takes a softer approach to these cute creatures across its quick five-episode run, as a new concierge at Pokémon Resort has a series of sweet interactions with guests and Pokémon at the getaway that teach her lessons on how to relax and such. While one cannot deny the fun that comes with Pokémon competition, I realized there’s some untapped potential in storytelling inside the Pokémon world outside that front. I loved seeing the shy little Pikachu learn to be more outgoing, or witnessing Psyduck recover from his chronic headaches. It was so wholesome, and there seems to be a world of possibilities in regards to all the best Pokémon characters that have been created over the years that offer many possibilities in all sorts of terrain that could be well-matched with a human story as well. 

Now I Need A Big Cozy Pokémon Movie, Stat 

I know I’m not the only Pokémon fan who treasures every Pokémon I catch when I’m playing games like Pokémon Scarlet, lovingly naming them, cherishing each of their milestones as they transform, and learning each of their personalities, strengths and weaknesses as I form my team. So wouldn’t that be cool if that aspect of the franchise was told more thoroughly in its next big movie post-Detective Pikachu? Perhaps it could be about a trainer who gets disqualified from competition and starts taking in down-on-their-luck Pokémon who’ve been discarded from competition to form their own little found family, or something along those lines? Or maybe there's an explorer who is looking for a very rare (and storied) Pokémon species and goes on a world-trotting adventure to find it? 

I feel as though there’s so many possibilities inside a cozy Pokémon movie to create a really cinematic experience that could be a blockbuster in its own right without it having to be the typical Pokémon movie full of battle sequences and action moments. Plus, when it came to Detective Pikachu, I remember finding myself way more interested in the world building in the first half than the more action-heavy CGI moments in the third act. Perhaps that’s just my taste, but I’m a lot less interested in the latter. 

Another idea I want to float around now that Pokémon Concierge got me thinking is the idea of my fictional Pokémon cozy movie being a huge animation event that could employ inspiration from the likes of the Spider-Verse franchise or last year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Pokémon will probably always look better in an animated format rather than a live-action/CGI hybrid form, and it would be cool to see a huge animation house wreak havoc with their artistry on Pokémon. I loved the unique stop-motion style of Concierge, and it reminded me there’s so much that can be done visually we haven’t even seen yet!

No matter the future of the franchise, I’m really happy Pokémon Concierge exists, and it has me more excited for the world’s future than ever. In the meantime, check out what upcoming video game movies and TV shows are coming up next. 

Not too long ago, the trailers for everything new on Netflix featured snippets of a series that I had a feeling I was going to fall in love with: Pokémon Concierge. The series follows the life of Haru (Rena Nōnen/Karen Fukuhara), a human working at a resort catering to both people and pocket monsters alike. Needless to say, I caught a vibe from the show that was unmistakably charming.

After having freshly binged it myself, I not only found myself confirming those feelings, but I believe I’ve found my new favorite Netflix series. There are several reasons for that, so let’s not waste any time and dive into why Pokémon’s latest foray into animation is a visual vacation everyone should treat themselves to.

It’s A Very Quick Watch

Look, not everyone has the time to zoom through a season of TV that drops all at once. I’ve had my fair share of problems where catching up with stuff like the critically acclaimed The Fall of the House of Usher, which meant that going on social media was like walking through a minefield. Pokémon Concierge has the totally opposite problem, as I could have stood to indulge in even more episodes. 

This is a story so easy going, and not terribly serialized, that you don’t have to worry about people spoiling any details for you. Unless, of course, you’re that precious about learning things as they unfold, in which case the brevity of Concierge is yet another advantage to potential viewers. 

Spanning only four episodes that stand at 15 minutes a piece, you’ll only need about an hour of your time to take it all in. With that said, there is a practical reason that this show is so short, and it ties into another reason why I love this series so much.

The Stop-Motion Animation Is A Gorgeous Change For The Pokémon World

We’ve seen Pokémon brought to life through traditional and CGI animation as well as the live-action hybrid film Detective Pikachu. So the decision to use stop-motion animation to capture Concierge indicates a desire to do something new with these familiar creatures. And you know something? It’s stunning!

Felt, clay, and what looks like some CGI elements here and there make up the visual landscape of the Pokémon Resort Haru and her friends work at. So, while you’ve seen Psyducks, Rattatas, or even Wingulls before, you’ve never seen them like this. And I have to say, Psyduck is especially adorable in this particular medium, and his central role in the plot make every moment he’s on screen that much better.

Stop-motion animation like this isn't easy or quick to craft, but it's worth the effort when it's done right. Pokémon Concierge absolutely gets it right, and does so with an amazing variety of characters you might not expect.

So Many Other Pokémon Are Allowed to Shine

You may have noticed the Pokémon in the room, or rather not in the room, during this rundown of reasons. Don’t worry, you’ll get to see quite a few Pikachus in Concierge’s season finale, should that be your creature of choice. In fact, the popularity of that mouse-type mascot is a bit of a running gag throughout.

However, I was really excited to get to see some of the multitudes of species that don’t normally get the spotlight shining in this Netflix caper. I already mentioned that a Psyduck is Haru’s Pokémon companion on the island and, to be honest, I think this was the first time I’d even seen a Wingull. 

Also, even though it's one of the original 151 starters, seeing a Bulbasaur playing part of the welcoming committee was a nice touch. If Pokémon Concierge continues into further seasons, I can only hope that some other friends like Delibird and Bidoof will make appearances, which would further show off the vast expanse of mini-monsters this world has to offer.

As A Former Hospitality Employee, I Can Identify With Haru

Believe it or not, I used to work in the hotel industry a couple professional lives ago. That experience has given me unique insights into things like questioning John Wick’s Continental chain and how it works. So, when I learned that Pokémon Concierge was all about working at a resort for these timeless beasts, I was ready to identify with Haru. 

Working hard to please your guests is something that can be time consuming and frustrating, but ultimately rewarding. Haru gets to realize that over four mini-adventures at the Pokémon Resort, and watching her do that reminded me of some of my own experiences with trying to do just that. 

While the Pokémon are way nicer than some of the guests I’ve taken care of, I could totally identify with Haru’s work ethic and personal journey. So it wasn't just the adorable beasts I was taken with in Pokémon Concierge, but also its stalwart protagonist.

Pokémon Concierge Proves The Series Can Be About More Than Combat

Typically, the Pokémon franchise is all about battles of intense physical combat, which require trainer and Pokémon to be at the top of their game. Why else would we have all gotten emotional when Ash Ketchum finally became a Pokémon Master in 2022? 

However, that’s not all that the world of these delightful toy-friendly animals can do, and Concierge proves it throughout every frame. With this new show, a step has been taken to use this traditionally combat-heavy franchise and use it to tell a story about learning to kick back. 

Helping one another is also a prevalent overtone, and both of those components still show off all of the charming and funny happenings one can get into with a Pokémon by their side. And that brings us to one final point of order in regard to my love for this series.

Relaxation And Acceptance Are Pokémon Concierge’s Main Themes

Seeing Haru go from the harried person that she was on day one to tearfully realizing she helped a guest in the best way possible is another sort of tale we don’t get to see often in this world of wonder. Kids already love the creatures of Pokémon enough to follow those stories wherever they go.

Giving them a tale that focuses on these always vital subjects is kind of like sneaking in some very delicious vegetables into their TV diet. I won't go into too much detail but, in Episode 4, "Welcome to the Pokémon Resort!," a very important lesson is learned, thanks to a young boy and his seemingly atypical Pikachu; one that kids could stand to take to heart in their own lives.

Observing the anime saga’s evolution over time has been a treat, and Pokémon Concierge was just the sort of heartfelt tonic that proves we’re only scratching the surface of this long-running IP. Maybe now someone will finally make the Pokémon Snap movie I’ve been dreaming of, as a rousing adventure through lush lands feels even more possible after watching this series.

Of course, I’d just as easily take a second season of Pokémon Concierge, as four episodes is not nearly enough with Haru, Psyduck, and everyone else at this idyllic island resort. You can see why I’m so buzzed on this show by using your Netflix subscription to watch the entirety of the series, whenever you need a quick and sweet vacation in “the place where you can be yourself.” Also, as the new year approaches, be on the look out for entries that are on the 2024 TV schedule.

It’s felt like forever since Pokémon Detective Pikachu thundershocked audiences with delight back in 2019. Those of you who lost hope in ever seeing Detective Pikachu 2 happen have something to celebrate today, as the movie is finally moving forward with a promising update. But with a future that includes his role in upcoming Marvel movie Deadpool 3, is star Ryan Reynolds still part of the game? And if so, how much should we expect? 

Well, the answer to that line of questioning is something even the good detective might be scratching his head over. Per the news from Deadline, what we do know is Pokémon Detective Pikachu 2 could be directed by Jonathan Krisel, best known as the co-creator of IFC’s hit comedy series Portlandia.

But when it comes to Ryan Reynolds’ participation, all that’s been said is that those in the know “believe Reynolds will have some part to play in the upcoming sequel though that is undetermined right now.” Seeing as the popular actor’s dance card includes the upcoming production on Deadpool 3, as well as several other recently announced movies like the Paramount Pictures comedy Boy Band, that sounds as hopeful as one could expect with such a busy talent.

The last update that had been given on Pokémon Detective Pikachu 2 came from a rep at Legendary Entertainment, swearing that this potential follow-up was “in active development.” Turns out those claims of activity weren’t just cute code talk for “not officially cancelled,” and another entry into the roster of Pokémon movies is very much in play. And as we’ve stated before, there’s plenty of options for how this Pokémon project could move forward with as much or as little Ryan Reynolds magic as needed.

Similarly unknown is how or if co-stars Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton will be returning to the fold in their respective roles of Tim Goodman and Lucy Stevens. Both actors are also players with potential franchise action booking up their near future, thanks to roles in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Should either or both of those players be absent, let’s hope that at the very least Psyduck comes back to sweeten the deal. 

Video game movies have been having a pretty amazing moment in cinema, as the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has wowed critics, and made fans flock to the movies. Pokémon Detective Pikachu 2 would be a natural fit to keep that trend going, with or without Ryan Reynolds; but obviously keeping him on the board would be preferable.

Otherwise, the studio might have to go looking for other celebrities to swap minds with a Pikachu in the name of mystery and comedy. In which case, why not consider Daniel Craig, or maybe fan favorite Danny DeVito for this next pocket monster whodunnit? 

Pokémon Detective PIkachu's sequel is still in the early phases of development, so sadly we don't know when to expect this next case to open in theaters. That said, the first Ryan Reynolds adventure is currently available to stream through the TNT, TBS, or truTV apps. And now would also be a great time to check out our ranking of the best Pokémon series.

For as massive a success as Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was at the 2019 box office, it’s kind of amazing that a sequel hasn’t been put into production yet. The Ryan Reynolds-starring action/adventure caper has seemed to stall out, or at least that’s what some would think. As Sonic the Hedgehog, The Last of Us and even the 2023 new movie release The Super Mario Bros. Movie all potentially level up the game, this early adopter of cinematic success needs to make its move soon.

Thanks to a new report assuring the audience that this Pokémon follow-up is still very much alive, it’s time to talk about a couple of things; mainly, why Pokémon Detective Pikachu 2 shouldn’t need Reynolds’ participation in order to happen. In that respect, let’s begin with some quick history of where the project stands before moving into why Ryan Reynolds shouldn’t be a holdup for the Pokémon series’ cinematic development.

What’s Happening With Pokémon: Detective Pikachu 2?

The news that kicked this whole train of thought off came from Polygon, as a statement from an unnamed rep from Legendary Entertainment provided an update on where Detective Pikachu 2 currently stands. Only three words were given, and they form a familiar phrase one might of expected to hear: “in active development.” This basically puts the project right where it’s been for some time.

Around the time of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu’s May 2019 release, a sequel was already announced to be in the works. So while we’re not so sure who’s involved in the potential sequel, it is known that Warner Bros and Legendary are still interested in making it happen. The lack of any cast members mentioned as part of the project does highlight the main issue that could be gumming up the works.

Ryan Reynolds’ Return Is A Bit Difficult To Write After Detective Pikachu

While Detective Pikachu is definitely a movie that sells the Pokémon brand first and foremost, you can’t discount the fact that Ryan Reynolds’ participation helped electroshock the crowd into digging in. Unfortunately, the novel way that the movie explained how an electric mouse found itself with the voice of Deadpool’s lead makes it kind of hard to replicate that scenario. 

Thanks to a random accident involving the psychic powers of Mewtwo and a willing PIkachu, Detective Harry Goodman (Ryan Reynolds) found himself swapped into the body of Pokémon Detective Pikachu’s functional lead. To do that all over again would seem rather repetitive unless a really good reason prompts Detective PIkachu 2 to repeat that story mechanic. With that inspiration, let’s take a look at how this long in development project could move forward, with or without Reynolds in the mix.

Option 1: Detective Pikachu 2 Focuses More On Tim Goodman

Here’s the simplest way to keep Ryan Reynolds and Detective Pikachu in the picture. With Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) becoming a detective himself at the end of the first film, the doors are open for Detective Pikachu 2 to focus on his character a bit more. If the powers that be really want to make a sequel that requires another body swap, the change to another lead being body swapped would at least offer a fresh angle.

Harry Goodman could return as much or as little as possible to assist in the new case, as well as the potential amnesia that Tim would be suffering from, without having to merely retread the Detective Pikachu experience. Also, previously auditioned actors like Hugh Jackman or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson could play a fresh character that’s befallen these very familiar circumstances. Then again, who’s to say another Pikachu absolutely needs to be involved, especially if Detective Pikachu 2 is still a concept that allows for some flexibility. 

Option 2: Other Pokémon Detectives Could Become The Star

This next concept would allow Ryan Reynolds to pop in with a cameo that doesn’t need to connect to the Goodman family’s story at all. Detective Pikachu 2 doesn’t even need to be a proper sequel, but rather another entry in an anthology that allows other species of Pocket Monsters to become the main attraction. Why limit yourself to Detective Pikachu when Detective Bulbasaur is an equally exciting potential?

Reynolds’ detective/family man can easily nurture another investigative mind transplanted into one of Pokémon’s finest species, with new abilities to take advantage of. Pokémon Detective Pikachu 2 could still be on the back-burner of development, should the public really want to see it come to fruition. Although, that same status could be in play whether a family friendly whodunnit is in the cards or not.

Option 3: A Totally New Pokémon Movie Could Take Detective Pikachu 2’s Place

The world of potential Pokémon movies is as expansive as the menagerie it connects to. While the initial strategy was supposed to deliver Detective Pikachu 2 before moving into the proper expansion of the cinematic universe, it’s not the only answer. If neither of the concepts above yield a story that properly builds on the previous Ryan Reynolds-starring film, it might be the right time to move onto something new.

In a post-Sonic the Hedgehog world, Nintendo is clearly making other moves in keeping competitive with the market. Thanks to The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s latest trailer showing off some other concepts from the gaming giant’s library, with the PIkachu-featuring Super Smash Bros. being one of them, that competition is only going to get even tighter. Perhaps it’s time to kickstart Netflix’s live-action Pokémon series that’s been in development, or maybe to bring Pokémon Snap to the table. 

It’s not that Detective PIkachu 2 is a bad idea, but the brand is connected to Ryan Reynolds in such a way that it requires some delicate thought before returning to the well. That just might be the major concern that’s holding up the works on getting back to Ryme City, and if so, the concepts above are all valid pathways to glory. 

For now, video game movie fans will have to wait for The Super Mario Bros. Movie to get their next fix of digitized combat. That adventure arrives in theaters on April 7th, so it's not going to be too long before that excitement takes hold.

I’m not crying, you’re crying. 

After twenty-five years, plenty of different companions, appearing in some of the best Pokemon series, and tons of movies that have made childhood dreams come true, Pokemon is doing the unthinkable, something we never thought would happen – they’re replacing Ash and Pikachu as the main protagonists of the series. 

While this isn’t that surprising, considering Ash finally succeeded in winning the Pokemon Championship, where he truly became “the best that no one ever was,” it’s still a pretty big shocker to both '90s and '00s babies (such as myself) to see the beloved child with his electric-type Pokemon finally step away. However, the new protagonists have already been announced for the next series, via a special announcement video posted to Pokemon’s Twitter. Pokemon's press release states that their names are Liko and Roy.

It won’t be long before we actually end up meeting these two new trainers, but not much else is known. So until we get to know exactly who these characters are, I have my theories – and I just have to share them. 

They’ll End Up Being Ash’s Children

This is certainly one of the big theories that is circulating around the internet. Ever since the first look was released, fans have been trying to figure out how these two could possibly be related to the former main character, Ash, and honestly, this is a theory I could certainly see. 

While some might think that they don’t really look entirely like Ash, that’s not that big of a deal, as Ash (in my opinion) looks nothing like his mother in the series (and to be honest, we still don’t know who his father is, despite all those fun theories out there). So these could very well end up being Ash’s children. 

Another key thing that sort of makes me believe this is if you look in the girl’s hair, she has a very familiar looking hair clip – one that looks exactly like the logo that’s on Ash’s cap in the Indigo series from the very beginning of the anime. This could just be a fun little callback, but it could also mean almost a symbolic passing of the torch. Who knows?

They’ll Be Ash’s Apprentices

As I said before, Ash finally became the Champion in the most recent anime series, after literal years of people waiting for him to become the very best like no one ever was – even though in the show, he’s still a kid. And everyone literally hasn’t aged. Which is why I think there could be a time jump in this next series, and Ash might have become almost a teacher of sorts, and the kids are his apprentices. 

I don’t think that Ash will end up becoming a professor like Professor Oak, but I do think that he’ll end up becoming a Pokemon Master and he takes it upon himself to go across the world to train new Pokemon trainers. It would certainly be a fun opportunity to not only show him as an adult, but to keep him a part of the series – and instead, have him as background character like Professor Oak while focusing on the new characters. 

They’re Actually Ash’s Friends That Are Introduced In The Last Episodes

If anyone notices in the new picture, the Pokemon that are featured are most certainly not from the original 151 – or any Pokemon really that long-time fans would recognize. Instead, they are actually the new starters from the latest Pokemon game – Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, two games that are a great Pokemon gift – despite the game’s glitches.

The starters are Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly, whom are featured in the new region, Paldea, an open world adventure for players everywhere. If you can recall, there’s going to be some final episodes that are going to tie up Ash’s journey in the world of Pokemon, and for all we know, they could end up getting introduced during or toward the end of those episodes.

They could end up being close friends, or just new rivals, or anything else, and then there’s no need for Ash to be aged up and the story just passes onto them. It would certainly be something fun. 

They’ll Be Ash’s Opponents At A Competition 

Something else that also happens a lot in Pokemon is traveling. Ash, and whatever companion he just so happens to have, are always traveling, from one region to the next. So if I'm being honest, I can fully expect them to travel to Paldea, of all places. 

I mean, it’s a beautiful map that we are given in the game, with plenty of diverse areas and some really cool cities. I could see Ash traveling there for a competition at the very end of the series and facing these guys – maybe as new trainers, who are looking to test out their new Pokemon and become the next big trainers. 

I could see them losing terribly, because obviously Ash is the better trainer (since he literally won a championship), but it would be a great way to close off his character and to move onto the next big partnership. We don’t know if these new characters are siblings, friends, or allies. All we really know is that they're the new protagonists – so they could end up being competitors for Ash in the very end. 

Or They Won’t Be Connected To Ash At All

Or, you know, they could just not be connected to Ash at all. 

A part of me also believes this completely, that these two are going to have nothing in common with Ash. While I could love for there to be some sort of proper way to hand off the series from one person to the next, I could totally see The Pokemon Company doing this. 

I could see Ash just walking off into the sunset with Pikachu and not turning back, and then the next time the new show comes out, these characters have completely different backstories that have nothing to do with Ash. 

Would that sort of disappoint me? To an extent, but I think that’s just my nostalgia talking. I grew up with Ash and Pikachu and it feels strange to think of them gone from the anime that really started it all for me, and for them to suddenly be replaced by a new set of protagonists for us to care about. A quick way for fans to care would be to have them have some sort of connection to Ash. 

But would that stop me from enjoying it? Nah. I’d still love it, because at the end of the day, it really is all about the journey, and while Ash might have been my journey as a kid, I could already see the two new characters ending up being another kid’s journey to watch now. And soon enough, it’ll be their faces plastered all over Pokemon merchandise. 

While I’m going to be sad that Ash and Pikachu are leaving, I do have hope for the rest of the franchise – and I can’t wait to see what comes next. All I ask is that I see Jessie and James again before it’s all done.

Prepare for trouble – and make it double! 

For those who don’t know me, I’m a pretty big fan of anime. I’d say that it started as a kid with shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, which isn’t really an anime but has a lot of the same styles in it, and that led into me doing full articles on shows like Attack on Titan now. But as I’ve gotten older, I realized that one anime actually surpassed all the others, one I was a fan of before I even realized I liked anime – and that was Pokemon. 

Ah, yes, the simple tale of Ash and Pikachu -- who is being replaced as the protagonist after twenty-five years -- captivated me as a child. That was my first anime, and in that anime, I encountered my first ever anime villains – Jessie and James of the villainous Team Rocket, with their talking Pokemon, Meowth. For those who know the show, you’ll know they aren’t so good at their job, and have failed hilariously in their dastardly deeds. 

If you’re in need of a laugh like I am today, check out these six times where Jessie and James failed hilariously and in the best way possible. 

When They Were “Blasted Off” EIGHT Times On Screen (Malice in Wonderland!)

The Diamond and Pearl seasons of the Pokemon anime series were some of my favorite, but as I’ve gotten older, I realized that a good reason as to why is because we were given more screen time with Team Rocket overall. We were given more of their story and personality – which makes this failure so funny. 

In the episode. “Malice in Wonderland,” Team Rocket (along with the rest of the crew) find themselves hypnotized by a Mismagius and are all in a dream-like state, but in this world, they are blasted off eight times on screen – and even more off screen. 

Blasted off, in Pokemon terms, is when the team is literally blasted off into the sky, usually at the hands of Pokemon or at their own inventions, and they say their signature “we’re blasting off again!” as they do so. But this moment still makes me laugh to this day because it’s just over and over and over by different Pokemon in this dream-like state, so much so that I still have tears running down my cheeks at the end of it. 

And When They Dressed Up As Kakuna’s – And It Hilariously Backfired (Challenge of the Samurai)

Team Rocket has had some pretty interesting disguises over the years, but one of my personal favorites was in the episode, “Challenge of the Samurai.”  Jessie thought that dressing up as Kakunas would be an effective way for them to not get stung by Beedrills that were around them. 

However, this ends up falling short on their end – all because of an argument that James started because he didn’t believe in her effectiveness of the disguise. But it’s because they were talking that the Kakunas and the Beedrill realized they were human. And it wasn’t long before they were swarmed and stung repeatedly. 

I mean, if they had just run away they could have avoided this all together – or, at the very least, stayed quiet. But nope. They had to start an argument, ending it in hilarious fashion. 

When Their Own Pokemon Harmed Their Teammates (Grooming Furfrou!)

There have been plenty of instances in anime where protagonists in some of the best anime movies or television shows end up doing something dumb that hurts their own friends or allies. But with Team Rocket, it happens pretty regularly – with this one being one of my favorites. 

In the episode, “Grooming Furfrou!” Team Rocket is off fighting against Pikachu and the gang once again – for what exact reason, I can’t be sure, but it’s always something involving that little electric-type from the original 151 Pokemon. And in this episode, Jessie uses Wobbuffet, a Pokemon that has been in the show for a long time. 

Wobbuffet is hands down one of the most incompetent Pokemon there is for Team Rocket, which makes them a perfect fit. And while the Pokemon has had his moments, using him in battle usually ends in despair, specifically here where Wobbuffet was used to counter Pikachu’s attack. 

However, Wobbuffet ends up sending the attack right into his own teammate, shocking them while Pikachu avoids the counter, practically ending the battle before it began. I know that Jessie and James aren’t known for their battling skills but man, they should have seen that coming. 

And When James Couldn’t Even Recite Their Own Motto (The Punchy Pokémon)

You have to feel bad after not even being able to recite your own motto. 

For fans of the anime series, the line “Prepare for trouble and make it double” is something they all know. Heck, I have their whole motto memorized at this point. But there was one episode where James couldn’t remember his part of the motto and it was pretty embarrassing. 

In the episode, “The Punchy Pokemon,” Team Rocket is yet again using a disguise to sneak into something, this time a boxing competition, with Jessie sitting on James’ shoulders in order to compete. However, this proves to be too tough for James because at the point, he can barely hold Jessie up and falls to the ground, unable to recite their motto due to having to carry her around all day under a large coat to hide them both. 

It’s a classic disguise and one that makes me snicker every time I watch it, because of course they would do the good ol’ hide in a giant coat. 

When They Literally Became As Big As A Snorlax (A Lean Mean Team Rocket Machine!)

In the episode “A Lean Mean Team Rocket Machine!” Team Rocket dares to do something that I’ve never seen before – gorge on a feast. When they attended the Pokemon Summer Academy, they took advantage of all the food that was there and, quite literally, became so big they were almost comparable to a tiny Snorlax.

Arguably, it’s not the most ridiculous way they’ve failed, but it’s certainly funny because it’s such a human thing to do. I can imagine myself getting so into the food at a place I put on a few pounds and have to work it off in order to do my job, but the way in which they ate was just funny. You can’t help but chuckle. 

And When James Kicked His Magikarp – And In Turn Evolved It Into A Very Angry Gyarados (Pokémon Shipwreck)

For this last one, we’re going all the way back to the Indigo League Pokemon series, with Ash, Brock and Misty. This was one of the earliest Pokemon episodes and his companions were great, but the storyline was even greater. 

In “Pokemon Shipwreck,” James obtains a Magikarp and believes it could be useful in saving him and Team Rocket as their boat is sinking, but finds out that the only movie the Pokemon knows at the time is Splash. James, frustrated, kicks Magikarp – and of course, this spawns his evolution into a very angry Gyarados. 

Gyarados wasn’t ready to let go of his owner’s mistreatment and ended up blasting him and the rest of Team Rocket into the sky with his Dragon Rage, effectively getting payback at James and making me laugh my butt of. 

Pokemon has been a huge piece of my childhood and while I don’t watch it nearly as much as I do now (since I’ve discovered other anime like Spy X Family or 2022’s soccer anime Blue Lock), it certainly holds a special place in my heart – and I for one can’t wait to see if these two are going to get into any more shenanigans in the future. 

It should be pretty obvious at this point that I’m quite the fan of anime. From some of the darkest ones I’ve seen like Attack on Titan to more light-hearted ones like Spy x Family, I’ve become enthralled in the world of it whether it be through a TV adaptation of a manga series, or through anime films – with my favorite being the Studio Ghibli movies. 

But like many other people who are into anime, they often start their journey at a young age like I did – with Pokemon. While I’ve already talked about the anime series in extensive detail, today, I’m going to go over the best Pokemon gifts that you can get for the fan in your life – or, you know, just for yourself too like I will. 

Obviously The Latest Pokemon Game: Scarlet And Violet

Look, hear me out. 

Yes, I know the game has glitches and it can be ridiculously annoying to some, but for me, I genuinely still love the heck out of these games. The Pokemon games in general bring in so much nostalgia for me but the fact that the company actually did it and made an open-world Pokemon game is astounding to me. And like it or not, this game is the next step in the franchise. 

But, if you want a more refined Pokemon game that isn’t a typical double’s game, check out Pokemon: Legends of Arceus too. That’s a great open-world Pokemon game that also came out in 2022.

Buy the Pokemon: Scarlet and Pokemon: Violet Double Pack on Best Buy.
Buy Pokemon: Legends of Arceus at Best Buy.

Pokemon Cards To Further Your Collection From The 1990s

Obviously, before Pokemon was an anime, it was a card game, and we all collected a ton of them back in the day. I swear, I must have my Charizard somewhere in my basement. But regardless, getting this pack of Pokemon cards might end up giving you the rarities you’ve always craved.

Buy this collection of Pokemon cards on Amazon.

And Of Course, A Pokemon Binder For All Your Cards

You and I both know that the box of Pokemon cards that you’ve had for the last twenty years is overflowing. Get the binder. You’re going to need it. 

Buy this Pokemon card binder on Amazon.

Plushies. All The Pokemon Plushies

No, I’m not just putting all these plushies here because I want my boyfriend to buy me every single one. Not at all. 

But in all seriousness, the Pokemon company makes most of its revenue on its merchandise and these plushies are such a huge reason as to why. They’re so dang cute – and there’s so many options too!

Check out all the Pokemon plushies on Pokemon Center.

These Cute Eevee Lounge Pants

It’s wintertime, which means more and more of us are going to be staying inside, drinking hot cocoa, maybe even watching some of our favorite Christmas movies. But to me, I’d happily do that in these cute little Eevee lounge pants. Eevee is the second-most popular Pokemon for a reason. 

Buy these cute Eevee lounge pants on Pokemon Center.

This Adorable Commemorative Gift For You And Your Pokemon Bestie

True story – I actually do have this. I got this for me and my boyfriend for our six year anniversary since we’re both avid Pokemon players (and we got together in 2016 when Pokemon GO came out). And it’s so cute. You can customize the Pokemon you want in it, as well as the trainers, and the scene in the background. It’s such a great gift for someone you care about that also happens to share you love for Pokemon. 

Buy this cute little commemorative Pokemon gift on Etsy.

This Cute Sock Bundle To Show Your Favorite Pokemon On Your Feet

Because nothing is cuter than Pokemon socks. I stand by that. And yes, I have about twenty pairs of Pikachu socks, don’t judge me. 

Buy this Pokemon sock bundle on Amazon.

These Cute Pokemon Stickers

In my time at college, stickers was something I literally put everywhere, on my laptop, my water bottle, even my notebooks. For you, this giant pack of Pokemon stickers will give you so many options and different Pokemon to choose from, and what’s better is that this is not only a great gift for you yourself, but to the Pokemon fan in your life too. 

Buy this Pokemon sticker pack on Amazon.

Pokemon Holiday Sweaters Because Why Not Show Off Your Love For Pokemon While Celebrating?

I mean look at that Eevee sweater. All they want to do is hang up Christmas lights! It’s so damn cute. I need every single holiday sweater available now. 

Check out all the Pokemon holiday sweaters on Pokemon Center.

These Pokemon Bath Bombs With Little Figurines Inside Of Them

I love my baths, if we’re being completely honest. They are relaxing and are a great way to wind down from the day. So why not make baths even better by getting bath bombs that not only make your bath look pretty, create a pleasant scent, but also have Pokemon figurines inside? I consider that a win-win.

Buy these Pokemon bath bombs on Amazon.

This Sick Throw Blanket Of The Original 150 Pokemon

The original 150 Pokemon (technically 151) will always have a place in my heart, and now, they can have a place on your lap too with this great Pokemon themed blanket that features all 150 Pokemon from the first generation. So freaking cool.

Buy this throw blanket of the original 150 Pokemon on Etsy.

A Team Rocket Mug If You Want To Also Capture Every Pokemon For Nefarious Deeds

For those who know the anime – and even the games – Team Rocket was basically the bad guys of the Pokemon world. But, sometimes, they could be a little bit misunderstood – at least Jessie and James. If you want to support them in the best way you can, this Team Rocket mug is perfect to sip while you’re thinking of your nefarious deeds that you’re going to do.

Buy this Team Rocket Mug on Pokemon Center.

Or This Cute Mug If All The Eevee-Lutions

Or you can just be like me and get this cute mug that features all the evolutions of Eevee. Definitely adding this to my Christmas list. 

Buy this cute mug full of the Eevee evolutions on Etsy.

Every Pokemon Funko Pop

I can’t even go over how many freaking Pokemon Funko Pops there are. Pikachu, Eevee, Vaporeon, Charizard, Lucario, Bulbasaur – so many. Just type in your favorite Pokemon and I swear there will be a version of it in Funko Pop form. Have at it.

Check out the variety of Pokemon Funko Pops on Amazon.

With the holidays quickly approaching, this is the ultimate list for Pokemon lovers. And maybe now, you just might have found something that will not only please you, but the collectors that you know. Gotta catch ‘em all! Now I’m going to watch all the Pokemon movies I can. 

There are long-running video game franchises, and then there's Pokémon. Nintendo's franchise became a global sensation, and the fandom hasn't slowed down or diminished over the decades. In fact, there was even a live-action series in development. The anime adaptation has also remained super popular, and after all the years on the small and silver screens, the hero Ash Ketchum finally did it. Pokémon’s hero became the very best trainer (like no one ever was), and fans are freaking out online. 

A new season of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series is currently airing in Japan, and has definitely thrilled the generations of fans out there. Namely because various Champions of Pokémon Leagues are engaging in epic battles at the Masters Eight Tournament of the Pokémon World Coronation Series. And after all these years, protagonist Ash Ketchum finally became a true Pokémon Master, winning and being the champion of champions. The official Twitter of the franchise celebrated this win, posting:

After years and years of wins and losses, the eternally 10-year old Ash Ketchum has actually become the very best of the anime's trainers. We've seen him lose during most of the Pokémon Leagues he's competed in over the years, with a few exceptions. But now he's really proven his ability as a trainer, and in the strength of his current team. This win is making long-time fans emotional, and they're sounding off online. Case in point:

We've seen countless Pokémon battles in the anime, so saying that this most recent one is in the Top 3 definitely means a lot. And perhaps this tension built up so much because Ash didn't use any of his previous Pokémon that are currently residing at Professor Oak's lab in Pallett Town. Fans that are in the states woke up to the news that the franchise hero had won the Masters Eight tournament, with one responding on Twitter:

The current plot line about the Masters Eight Tournament has lasted for many episodes of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, as we watched the various Champions face off, and get closer to the finals. This included one of Ash's old traveling partners Iris, who used her dragon type Pokémon in a battle against Cynthia. More fans posted about the surreal experience of waking up to the news that Ash had won, saying:

The Pokémon anime debuted in the states back in 1998, after the Nintendo video games and the trading cards had already become massively popular. The original fans have since grown up, and either still keep up or have passed it onto their kids (or both). And that's why so many people are sounding off on Twitter, with the phrase "He Did It" trending on the social media outlet. Another post reads:

For those who have kept up with Ash Ketchum's adventures on the screen throughout the years, the Master Eight tournament felt like a long time coming. On top of seeing the various Champions battle it out, the episodes also featured countless cameos by other characters from the anime who were shown watching it on TV. This includes loved ones, rivals, and traveling champions from the various continents of the Pokémon world. One fan pointed this out when it came to Ash's recent win, sharing: 

But those Pokémon fans in the states, we'll have to wait a while before the episode featuring Ash Ketchum's win is officially dubbed and released. But for hardcore fans, they often watch the Japanese version with subtitles in order to watch all the action in real time. Regardless, news that our hero finally became the very best like no one ever was is going to spark joy for even those folks who have stopped keeping up with the ongoing franchise. 

The latest episodes available in the states of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series are currently available on Netflix, although they are a bit behind timeline-wise. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch. Fans are also gearing up for the release of new Pokémon games Scarlet and Violet that are coming to the Nintendo Switch on November 18th. It's a good time to be a fan. 

If you know me, you know I’m a pretty big fan of anime, and have only become an even bigger fan over the last couple of years, because I have the free time to really watch it. If you’re thinking of getting into anime and like I was in the beginning, wondering where on earth to start when logging on to Crunchyroll, Hulu, or even Netflix and seeing hundreds of options, don’t worry. We have plenty of great options for different kinds of anime needs that are all wonderful series to start out on, so let’s get into it.

If You’re Watching With Children: Pokemon

If you don’t know the story of Pokemon, it mainly follows Ash Ketchum and his companion, Pikachu, as he travels across different regions in hopes of finding and catching all the Pokemon out there, and becoming a Pokemon master. 

Pokemon is literally the most successful media franchise of all time, and while that’s mainly due to toy sales (because who wouldn’t want a plus Pikachu; I have four), the anime is still just as heartwarming and brings back a lot of good memories from childhood. From some of the best regions to even Ash’s human companions, this show is great to watch even as an adult - but even better if you’re getting the chance to share it with children for them to love the show just as much. We've ranked the best Pokemon series for you to watch.

Stream Pokemon on Pokemon TV.

If You’re Looking For A Wholesome Anime: Spy X Family

Spy x Family is one of the latest 2022 shows to take over the anime world, following the story of Agent Twilight, otherwise known as Lloyd, a spy on a mission to save the world. In order to do that, he has to create a fake family, composed of a wife and daughter, but what he doesn’t know is that his fake wife is an assassin, and his fake daughter is a telepath. 

Spy x Family is hands down the most wholesome show you can watch on television right now - and one of the most wholesome animes out there. You’ll fall in love with Anya, the little girl, and love the family dynamic that only continues to grow as the series goes on. It’s become one of my favorites - and with Part 2 of the first season coming out in fall 2022, now is the best time to watch. 

Stream Spy x Family on Crunchyroll.

If You’re Looking For A Romance Anime: Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War

Two high schoolers, named Shirogane and Kaguya, who both work on the student council, have crushes on each other but refuse to admit it to the other. So, they complete ridiculous and hilarious schemes in order to try and get the other to admit their affections, hence the title, Kaguya-sama: Love is War. 

Admittedly, I was only recently introduced to this anime through a close friend when I needed something to binge while my mouth was healing from wisdom teeth surgery, but I genuinely loved the heck out of this show. It’s utter romance and comedy and so much more, and from the first episode you’ll be laughing your butt off and saying "Awww" in every sense of the word. This show is the phrase “mutual pining” in all caps and on crack - in a good way. 

Stream Kaguya-sama: Love is War on Crunchyroll.

If You’re Looking For A Comedy Anime: The Devil Is A Part-Timer

If you’re looking for a nice comedy to watch, check out The Devil is a Part-Timer. When Satan ends up in modern-day Japan and has to somehow find a way back home, he has to figure out a way to survive until then - so, he starts working at a fast-food restaurant that is a clear parody of McDonalds. 

Fun fact - if you don’t count Pokemon (because every kid watches that show), The Devil is a Part-Timer was the first anime I ever watched, and boy is it a great one to start out on. The story is so much fun and I was laughing my butt off at the characters. I mean, who would ever think of Satan working at a knock-off McDonalds? No one - but that’s what makes this so dang funny. 

It doesn’t help that I had to wait almost a literal decade for another season (nine years, but close enough), but at least I get to watch both seasons now. 

Stream The Devil is a Part-Timer on Crunchyroll.

If You’re Looking For An Action Anime: Dragon Ball/Demon Slayer 

Dragon Ball is a legendary anime that primarily tells the story of Goku, a boy with a tail who ends up going on the adventure of a lifetime to become stronger and learns about the power of the seven Dragon Balls, which will grant a wish to someone if all seven are collected. Demon Slayer follows the story of Tanjiro, a young boy who becomes a demon slayer in hopes of trying to find a cure for his sister, who was turned into a demon. 

Both are two completely different shows, but good all the same. Dragon Ball is a great show if you want to check out an older anime from the eighties, and continue watching all of its iterations years later - with the most recent being the 2022 movie, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Demon Slayer is new, but the story of how far a brother is willing to go for his sister is something that anyone can love. And, both have crazy action, mixed in with some amazing animation. 

Stream Dragon Ball on Crunchyroll.
Stream Demon Slayer on Crunchyroll.

If You’re Looking For A Fantasy Anime: Sailor Moon/Jujutsu Kaisen

Fantasy is a great genre, and for someone like me who loves fantasy shows and the best fantasy movies, these are two of my favorite. 

Sailor Moon is a classic anime that follows the story of Usagi Tsukino, a middle school girl who is able to become the legendary character and helps defend the world from evil threats alongside her super friends. 

Jujutsu Kaisen is a dark fantasy anime that primarily follows Yuji Itadori, who swallows a cursed finger and subsequently becomes possessed. In order to kill the curse, he joins an organization called the Jujutsu Sorcerers to find a way to end it and free himself. 

Keep in mind that these two are very different anime. Sailor Moon is definitely a lot lighter in tone and for people who want simple fantasy, while Jujutsu Kaisen is the complete opposite and can get quite dark, but both have some really cool fantasy elements and some sick fight sequences. 

Stream Sailor Moon on Hulu.
Stream Jujutsu Kaisen on Crunchyroll.

If You’re Looking For A Sports Anime: Haikyu!!

God, this anime is freaking everywhere and I finally gave in and watched it a few years ago and it’s so worth the hype. If you want a sports anime, Haikyu!! is the one to watch. Here, the audience mainly follows Shoyo Hinata, a boy who is a bit short but wants to become the best volleyball player, so we see his life with his teammates. 

Let me tell you, this is the only show that actually makes me care about volleyball. These boys are just so dang loveable and you can’t help but want to root for Shoyo and his determination. Everyone in this show is great, and the game scenes are always a ton of fun, too. 

Stream Haikyu!! on Crunchyroll.

If You’re Looking For A Classic To Start Out On: Death Note

Death Note is all about Light Yagami, a genius who ends up finding a strange journal called the “Death Note” that ends up having the ability to kill anyone as long as a name is written inside of it. With this power, the line between good and evil begins to be blurred for the teenager. 

I feel like everyone and their mother has heard of Death Note at some point. While it didn’t come out in the 1980s or '90s like some of the other options on this list, many consider Death Note one of the best anime of all time for its story and characters. The story has even gotten live-action adaptations - but they’ve never really connected with audiences. Just stick to the anime. It’s really good. 

Stream Death Note on Netflix.

If You’re Looking For Something To Commit To: One Piece

Oh, One Piece. 

God, One Piece. 

I can hear Luffy’s laugh in my brain constantly.

This anime tells the tale of Monkey D. Luffy, who sets off on a journey across the world on the East Blue Sea to find a legendary, mythical treasure that no one has ever found, the One Piece, and become the King of the Pirates. 

When I say you need to commit to this show, I mean it. One Piece spans twenty-five years - and 1000+ anime episodes. That’s right, one thousand. And, it’s still going. Yet, this fandom has never seemed more excited about the show than now, and if you decide to join Luffy on his adventure, you’ll be going on an epic quest of your own just to catch up. But, it’ll be fun, regardless. 

Stream One Piece on Crunchyroll.

If You Want A Great Story (And Don’t Mind Violence): Attack On Titan

Attack on Titan takes place in a world where the apparent last survivors of humanity are located within three tall walls to avoid being killed by giant, monstrous humanoid creatures known as Titans. However, as time goes on, more secrets about the outside world and what exactly these Titans are comes to light. Eren Jaeger, the main protagonist of AOT, decides to take it upon himself to kill all the Titans, but life - and people - change. 

I know there are some people that might come at me and say, “Why on earth would you recommend AOT as someone’s first anime?”, because it’s so bloody and many say that the story can’t be beaten, but that’s the thing - if you want a Breaking Bad, The Wire, or Game of Thrones-level story, where everything connects and is beautifully told, this is the show to watch. 

The characters are amazing, from the Titan-shifters to the non-Titan shifters. The foreshadowing that is used is outstanding. The show has some outstanding episodes - it’s just an all-around great show. With the supposed final part coming out in 2023, now is the time to binge. I’d give anything to watch it again for the first time. I don’t want to give anything away.

Stream Attack on Titan on Crunchyroll.

These are just some of my picks for what I think would be great choices for a first-time anime watcher, but whatever you pick, welcome to the world of anime. We hope you like it here - and if you feel up for it, be sure to check out all the Studio Ghibli movies, too.  

Ever since I was a young girl, I have watched Pokemon. From the famous anime series, with all of its strange moments, to the video games that come to our screen, to the trading cards in old dusty binders from the early 2000’s, Pokemon was a constant name in my life, and now today, I’m going to go over one of its biggest aspects in entertainment - movies. 

For more than twenty-five years, Pokemon has enchanted its audience through its easy-to-understand concept and fun gameplay (most of the time), but few people I meet ever talk about the Pokemon movies, which honestly are some really fun entertainment, especially for fans of the series. While there are so many movies that have come out with the anime series, today I’ll be going over my personal top six - and why you should watch it.  

6. Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You! (2017)

Okay, listen. 

I know that in the last couple of years, there has been a sharp decline in the quality of the Pokemon anime. It felt like after Sun & Moon, Ash’s story was sort of complete and we didn’t really get to see anything new, and personally, I’m not the hugest fan of the new series on Netflix. 

However, that does not mean I can overlook this surprisingly good movie. 

We all know the original origin story of how Ash met Pikachu, and their road to building the strong foundation of their friendship that they have today. But Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You! decides to retcon that and create a whole new story - one that honestly won me over a lot more. 

Maybe it’s just me being a grown-up and learning to appreciate better story-telling, but this new movie is such a breath of fresh air for Ash’s character and Pikachu as a whole, creating a fun experience filled with familiar Pokemon but set in a new adventure. I honestly wish they did more movies like this where we got to see a different version of different stories that we are all familiar with within the world of Pokemon. 

Stream Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You! on Netflix.

5. Pokemon 3: The Movie - Spell Of The Unown (2000)

Oh, you want to talk about a really good story? Pokemon 3: The Movie - Spell of the Unown is one of the best that Pokemon has to offer. 

While I don’t think it’s as visually stunning or musically appealing as some of the others higher up on this list, Pokemon 3 is such a great movie for so many reasons. When a little girl loses her family, she is whisked away to a fantasy world created by Pokemon called Unown’s, and this in turn leads to a fantastical adventure with high-stakes when Ash’s mother, Delia, is kidnapped, since the little girl wishes for a mother through the powerful legendary Pokemon, Entei. 

I almost feel like this is one of the films where Ash and his companions have the highest amount of threat within the actual story, because someone they really care about is captured. Not only that but the message of the film, that people need to learn boundaries and how to cope with their loss, is important for anyone to know. 

Rent Pokemon 3: The Movie on Amazon.

4. Lucario And The Mystery Of Mew (2006)

Lucario is a straight-up OG Pokemon, and I am so glad that the movie that focuses on him is one of the best. Lucario and the Mystery of Mew is one of the few examples of Pokemon media that actually dives deep into the lore of Pokemon, and how they came to be the companions of humans. 

This movie takes place both in the present, following Ash’s journey to regain Pikachu after he was mysteriously teleported away with Mew, as well as a medieval battle that is full of action in the past, where Lucario is from. While Pokemon is usually aimed towards children, this film almost felt a lot more mature with its handling of its battle scenes, mixed in with some brilliant themes about the importance of love and sacrifice. 

Rent Lucario and the Mystery of Mew on Amazon.

3. Pokemon: Arceus And The Jewel Of Life (2009)

As someone whose personal favorite generation was Gen 4 of Pokemon, this movie was what I needed and more to explain who the heck Arceus is. Pokemon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life is all about the titular Pokemon, a mythical one that is the literal creator of the universe - that’s right, even above Palkia and Dialga, the literal Pokemon of space and time. 

This is another case where Pokemon effectively uses its interesting backstory and lore to tell a truly captivating story. Ash and his gang end up traveling back in time due to the selfishness of humans stealing a gem that contained some of Arceus’ power, and now, they have to try and prevent the betrayal from hundreds of years ago. 

There’s a lot of great action, mixed in with a genuine conflict about the morality of humans and what they do in a desperate situation. Truly, on of Pokemon’s best. 

Rent Pokemon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life on Amazon.

2. Pokemon: The Rise Of Darkrai (2007)

Okay. I’m little bit biased. I’ll admit it - but Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai makes me cry every single damn time. 

Another entry from Generation 4 of Pokemon, this film focuses on Darkrai, as well as Dialga and Palkia, two Pokemon that get into a literal fight between time and space that causes existence to fade. Ash and his companions try to work alongside Darkrai to try and stop the fight. 

I think what I love the most about The Rise of Darkrai isn’t even the flashy fights that it gives me through Dialga and Palkia - it's Darkrai himself. He’s such a misunderstood Pokemon that causes nightmares, yes, but at the end of the day, he still cares about humans because of the kindness one showed him long ago, and all he wants is to save others from Palkia and Dialga. 

I just can’t get over that. A Pokemon like that is one you want to root for. That and I absolutely love the town they are in for this film, as well as the music. I could listen to “Oracion” all day. 

Rent Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai on Amazon.

1. Pokemon: The First Movie (1998)

The nostalgia fuels me hard with this one, but you know what, I don’t care. Pokemon: The First Movie was what made these other movies possible, and was a huge reason as to why Pokemon exploded in the United States besides the video games.

The film follows Ash and his original companions, Brock and Misty, as they are taken to a mysterious island that is inviting people to fight the world’s greatest Pokemon trainer, but is later revealed to be Mewtwo, a product of cloning that is taking revenge on humanity. And every moment of this film hits. 

While the first small part of the film following Pikachu (one of the best original Pokemon) and his little companions is cute, Mewtwo Strikes Back is so much more interesting and captivating. And face it, as a child (and probably as an adult), you cried when Ash was turned to stone. You can’t look at me and tell me that I’m wrong. 

When Pokemon is brought to Universal, I want a recreation of something like this, a huge battle against Mewtwo. Now that would be some ride. The film is filled with emotional moments that hit just right, mixed in with some legendary battling from Pokemon clones. How can it not be number one?

Rent Pokemon: The First Movie on Amazon.

Honorable Mention: Detective Pikachu (2019)

I have to put this on here. While it is live-action and not anime, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is a freaking delight. From the strangely cute Pokemon to the loving story of a son just trying to grow into who he wants to be, the movie is a fun time for all to enjoy. Plus, Ryan Reynolds' voice as Pikachu is a perfect pairing and I want more. 

Sadly, it doesn’t seem like a Detective Pikachu 2 is in the works just yet, but if it does, I know I’ll be in the theaters.

Rent Detective Pikachu on Amazon.

There are plenty of other great Pokemon movies other than these, but these are just some of my ultimate favorites. And now, we need to see more Pokemon movies. Maybe a Team Rocket origin story? Now that would be something. 

If you’re of a certain age—let’s say late 30s, early 20s—chances are, you’ve played a Pokemon game at some point in your life. Be it the OG titles, like Pokemon Red and Blue (Or Yellow, if you’re one of the cool kids), to the more recent Pokemon Go and Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon was almost certainly a part of your life in some time of your existence as it’s just been ubiquitous over the past 26 years. And with the brand-new game, Pokemon Legends: Arceus now out, which takes place before the events of Pokemon Red and Blue, well, we here at CinemaBlend thought, “You know what? It’s time”. And by “It’s time”, we mean time to talk about the Best Pokemon characters out of the original 151! 

Why the original 151, you ask? Well (and don’t hate us!), but we kind of stopped playing Pokemon after the first generation. That’s not to say that we don’t like Pokemon anymore. We enjoyed Pokemon Detective Pikachu. Some of us even think it’s the greatest video game movie ever, and we definitely want to see another one of those. But as for the games, well, our fondness mostly lies in those original 151 Pokemon.

Now, this list isn’t based on the strongest Pokemon (we mean, duh, Mew and Mewtwo), but rather, the Pokemon we would run into the fire with if Pokemon were actually real. So, here are the 12 best Pokemon out of the original 151. How many of these little Pocket Monsters did you take into battle?

Venusaur (#003)

Look, I know most of you chose Charmander or Squirtle as starter Pokemon, but honestly, Bulbasaur was where it was at, and it’s mostly because of his final evolution, Venusaur. A grass-type powerhouse, Venusaur looks more like a Godzilla villain than any other Pokemon. 

Not only that, but he’s so freaking cool because he’s unassumingly powerful. He doesn’t have the dragon-look like Charizard or the canons like Blastoise, but he would mess you up good if you took him for a joke. Venusaur forever. 

Pikachu (#025)

Okay, let me just get the little electric rodent in the room out of the way, since you knew Pikachu had to be on this list. As an electricity-type, Pikachu was pretty much dead meat if he went up against any ground-type Pokemon, like Onyx or Cubone, but that didn’t stop me from charging into battle with him like William Wallace in Braveheart anyway.

And it’s probably because he’s the face of Pokemon, which definitely elevates his clout. More importantly, though, is his overall importance to the brand. If there was no Pikachu, then Pokemon likely wouldn’t be as big as it is today. I mean, for crying out loud, Pikachu is a float in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. If that doesn’t earn him a spot on this list, I don’t know what does. 

Nidoking (#034)

When asked about my favorite Pokemon, I typically talk in terms of unique skills, combat ability, or interesting aesthetics. Nidoking, on the other hand, makes my top list almost solely out of practicality. This poison and ground behemoth always ended up in my main lineup simply because his initial form, Nidoran, is one of the first pokemon you can catch. After some battles and training in the Safari Zone and a Moonstone later, the initially annoyingly prevalent Pokemon has evolved into a cornerstone of many lineups that can’t be ignored. 

Ninetails (#038)

Elegant, mysterious, and absolutely brutal, I liken Ninetales to Medusa, a mermaid, or a drug sniffing dog at the airport that I am 95% in danger of getting arrested and/or bitten because less face it, I’m going to try to pet it. It's said to be able to understand human speech, live for over 1,000 years, and curse those who mistreat it. Hell hath no fury like a fox-lookin’ thing scorned, I guess. Combine its speed with scorching attacks like Fire Blast and Inferno, and your lineup is certified fire. 

Alakazam (#065)

There’s something about a Pokemon with a large mustache who specializes in causing confusion and chaos that just really speaks to my childhood. Alakazam, a psychic-type is the final evolutionary form, evolving from the appropriately named “Abra” and then “Kadabra” when being traded. He wields two metal spoons which now is giving me serious The Matrix vibes. With attacks like Psychic, Psyshock, and Future Sight, your opponents won’t know what hit em, literally.

Slowbro (#080)

Slowbro is unique in that it’s both a water-type as well as a psychic-type, but that’s not why he’s on this list. He’s here because he’s probably the cutest and most lovable Pokemon out there. I mean, look at that smile on his face. How could you NOT love him? Slowbro has like a shell biting his tail, and he’s still smiling, AS IF HE LIKES IT. And you know what? I'm not going to harsh his vibe. The heart wants what the heart wants. 

I especially like his thousand-yard stare. He reminds me of a character out of a Stanley Kubrick flick or something. Jack Torrance from The Shining, Gomer Pyle from Full Metal Jacket, and Slowbro from Pokemon. They’re all pretty much the same character. Or not. I'm just having fun here.  

Gengar (#094)

What can I say, I love scary things. This ghost/poison Pokemon has a permanent sinister grin on his face and the way he says his name still haunts me from somewhere way back in my childhood. It is even rumored that Gigantamax Gengar's mouth doesn’t lead into its body, rather, it leads one to the afterlife. How brutal is that? Mischievous, malicious, and a morbid prankster. A Pokemon after my own heart, Gengar always makes his way onto my team and into my nightmares. 

Cubone (#104)

I’m a millennial, so, of course the most emo Pokemon who also happens to have a complicated relationship with his mother is going to hit annoyingly close to home. 

For those who might not know, this “Lonely Pokemon” wears the skull of its deceased mother and when not wielding a bone as a boomerang (or “bonemerang”), this ground-type will often cry in mourning over his loss. He also tends to avoid social situations and mostly keeps to itself. I don’t think any Pokemon could be any more relatable. Also, we have upcoming horror movies about everything else- when can I get a dark or scary Pokemon movie?

Hitmonlee (#106)

As far as animals go, I'm not even really sure what Hitmonlee (or his boxing counterpart, Hitmonchan) actually is. But out of the two fighting types, I'm putting Hitmonlee on this list because he’s all about the kicks and he looks like he’s into Muay Thai, and I like that. He’s like Tony Jaa , but in Pokemon form. How could you not love that?

One other thing: Think about it. You have Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee. That’s no coincidence, as Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee are two of the most famous martial arts stars of all time. I love me some Jackie Chan, but if you were to put a ninja star to me, I'm going to pick Bruce Lee over Jackie Chan in a fight, so Hitmonlee gets the pick. Ipso facto. 

Magikarp (#129) 

Yes, I know. Magikarp, like Goldeen, seems pretty worthless upon first inspection. I mean, one of his “attacks” is called Flail for crying out loud. But one of the best things about Pokemon is the potential, and no Pokemon has a better evolution than Magikarp, which turns into a FREAKING SEA MONSTER when it evolves into Gyarados. 

And I love this! Gyarados looks like he could be the symbol for Mortal Kombat, he’s so badass. And you might wonder, why pick Magikarp instead of Gyarados then, and my answer is… I don’t know. But I just love the fact that one of the most useless Pokemon turns into one of the most intimidating, and for that, Magikarp makes the cut! 

Snorlax (#143) 

A “normal-type” Pokemon (meaning he’s only really weak against fighting types), Snorlax is just so huggable, we could cry. Like his name implies, Snorlax is a sleepy boy that likes to snore. And that’s it. But when he’s actually awake, well look out, since he always packs a wallop.

Snorlax is one of the best Pokemon out of the original 151 since he actually plays into the plot of the early games. Snorlax would be deadass asleep in the middle of the road, and you have to actually wake him up with the Pokeflute. And any Pokemon that directly impacts the plot is aces in my book. 

Articuno (#144)

One of the three Legendary Birds, Articuno is one of the last Pokemon you can catch in the original games, but that doesn’t take away from the serious damage you can do with this bird before all is said and done. Articuno can create its own blizzards and also appears to doomed people who are lost in cold or icy mountains, as either a beacon of hope, or your worst nightmare. 

While capable of flying, water, and even psychic attacks, I’m going to be honest and let you know I just use Icebeam 100 times because let’s face it, it’s awesome and devastating. Make your way to Seafoam Island and bring along a ton of Ultra Balls if you’re going to go up against this legit legend.

And that's it. Yes, there are a number of great Pokemon that COULD have made the list (it was kind of hard leaving Mr. Mime and Ditto off of here), but we decided we would only pick 12, and 12 is what we picked! But what are your favorite Pokemon out of the original 151? For all things Pokemon, or other things TV-related, make sure to stop by here often! 

Disney may be the 900 pound gorilla of the theme park space but in recent years Universal Parks and Resorts has made some major strides, from creating the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Super Nintendo Land, Universal has made some major licensing deals to bring popular properties to its parks around the world. And now, it’s happened again with global favorite Pokémon. Unfortunately, there’s a catch,+ as you’ll have to travel to Universal Studios Japan for any future Pokémon experience. 

Today Universal Studios Japan and The Pokémon Company announced a brand new long-term partnership that will bring Pokémon-themed entertainment to the Asian theme park. While no specifics were given, new entertainment is set to begin arriving in 2022.

There’s no specific mention of any sort of planned attraction or area dedicated to Pokémon, and the fact that we’ll see the first results of this partnership as early as next year means that whatever is planned to arrive first won’t take long at all. As such, we are likely to be seeing simple additions, Pokémon-themed food and merchandise, perhaps walk around characters. The most extensive addition we might see that quickly would be some sort of live entertainment show. 

Still, whatever we end up getting, it’s probably just what Pokémon fans have been dreaming of. Of course, to get to experience any of it you’ll need to either live in Japan, or plan a probably not inexpensive vacation.

The announcement is specific to Universal Studios Japan, so it’s unclear if we might see Pokémon stuff in the North American theme parks in the future. Universal Studios Japan has a lot of IP that you won’t find in the other parks, but Pokémon is certainly a global brand with a lot of fans. 

Considering the connection that Nintendo, who publishes all the Pokémon video games, has with the Pokémon Company, it’s not a mental leap to assume that the relationship between Universal and Nintendo that led to Super Nintendo Land didn’t play a part in making the Pokémon deal happen. As such, we could see Pokémon showing up stateside considering both American Universal parks are set to get Super Nintendo lands.

Japan was the first Universal park to get Super Nintendo Land and that park has already announced a Donkey Kong-themed expansion that is set to break ground next year. 

Between a brand new Universal Studios park in China, high profile attractions like the Velocicoaster at Universal Orlando Resort, and new additions like Nintendo and Pokémon, Universal Parks & Resorts are certainly making a big push in the space. And with Orlando’s Epic Universe still on the way, it’s far from over. While Disney has, and continues to expand its own offerings with major IP like Marvel, the House of Mouse may want to keep an eye on their rivals.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu managed to make a solid impression when it hit theaters a few years ago, but some have been left wondering whether or a second film will be still happening, even though it has officially been greenlit. While the live-action adaptation was a big hit among fans, especially those who adored the mostly cute Pokémon characters, it’s been a while since any news has been released concerning a sequel. But in a surprising move, it's now been announced that a live-action series is in development at Netflix, but what does this mean for Detective Pikachu 2?

While still in its early days, the live-action Pokémon series is moving right along over at Netflix. According to Variety, Lucifer co-showrunner Joe Henderson is set to serve as writer and executive producer on the series. With Lucifer set to end its run after six seasons, this new development ensures that Henderson will remain in the streamer's stable of talent. The trade also reports that the show is going to have an aesthetic similar to 2019's Detective Pikachu, which starred Ryan Reynolds and Justice Smith. With this, one would imagine that the series might seek out some notable stars to fill out the cast.

At the time of Detective Pikachu's release, it became one of the highest-grossing video game movies of all time in a matter of months and currently sits behind only 2016's Warcraft when it comes to earnings. The movie is also the best critically reviewed film in the video game movie genre. Keeping all of that in mind, it was no surprise that Legendary, the studio behind the film, was quick to move forward with a sequel. However, that was two years ago, and things plans can definitely change.

Earlier this year, Justice Smith even spoke out about a potential Detective Pikachu 2. Although he said he’d love to participate in it, he doesn’t even seem to know if it’s going to happen. Speaking honestly on the matter, the actor suggested they “have to just kind of bury our hopes. I don’t think it’s going to happen.” With a movie as big as Detective Pikachu, it’s a bit surprising that Legendary had yet to come out with any news about the sequel, even when they already had it greenlit. It's also no secret that Pokémon is one of Warner Bros.' biggest IPs.

It’s highly possible that a Detective Pikachu 2 was the plan but, given that streaming has been dominating as of late, The Pokémon Company, Nintendo and Legendary might have thought it would be better to turn to TV instead. And with multiple Pokémon titles already on Netflix, including two Netflix Originals, it makes sense that the streamer is shaping up to be the new home for all things Pokémon. The fact that it will have a style similar to Detective Pikachu is also interesting. Could it be that the show will actually be set in the continuity of the film?

Fingers crossed that we get official news on Detective Pikachu 2, but the news of the TV series is a nice surprise. With any luck, the new series will be able to capture the action, heart and humor of the 2019 film, and it would a;sp be nice if the series does end up taking place in world established in the film. After all, that would leave the door open for appearances from stars like Ryan Reynolds and Justice Smith.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s Kelly Marie Tran has been open about her experiences being a part of the Star Wars universe. In the past, Tran has explained her love for the Canto Bight sequence from The Last Jedi and why she might not want to play Rose Tico ever again, plus she even recently remarked about the lessons she learned playing Rose Tico and voicing a Disney Princess in Raya and the Last Dragon. In her latest House of Mouse-related interview, Kelly Marie Tran told a hilarious story about pulling an A+ prank on The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, and it involved Pokémon.

Pokémon Go, the mobile Pokémon game in which you can walk around in real life and catch Pokémon, came out during the making of The Last Jedi. So, of course, the cast and crew had some fun with it. In fact, Kelly Marie Tran told Looper.com a story about a prank she pulled on Rian Johnson involving the massively popular game, saying:

It's no secret that Star Wars sets are basically trying to keep movie-related details under lockdown and phone use is at a minimum, so it's actually a little bit surprising that Kelly Marie Tran and co. were able to use their cell phones for Pokemon Go. Eventually, one day this also led to the perfect opportunity to prank Rian Johnson related to the game. She went on to explain the prank she pulled, saying:

Yes, Rian Johnson was and still is a Pokémon Go fan and Kelly Marie Tran thought it would be funny to bait him with a Pikachu. Yet, there were no hard feelings between Johnson and Tran and she says they even ended up helping each other with the game as friends. In fact, despite some trolling from the fanbase, in general it seems Kelly Marie Tran has fond feelings about her Star Wars experiences, also telling the outlet she had an "otherworldly, magical" experience while filming Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Kelly Marie Tran isn't the only person who has shared some fun details from set. The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has also shared some cool details and interesting facts about the film since its release. Johnson shared some of the practical effects the film used to create some of its sequences, and he has explained the ‘open for interpretation’ nature of Rey’s mirror scene. Rian Johnson is also responsible for the great Star Wars milk debate, so his impact on the series isn’t debatable.

Kelly Marie Tran has moved on from Star Wars, but it is cool to hear such fun stories from her, like her Pokémon Go prank on Rian Johnson. Hopefully, we see Kelly Marie Tran in another big franchise, maybe in the MCU. Nothing is ever off the table, and Star Wars fans may get to see the return of Rose in some form or fashion.

I love anime! Like most people, I got into it when I was younger and I've been watching it ever since. Yes, I do indeed love the new stuff like Demon Slayer and Attack On Titan. But if you were to ask me if I’d rather watch Eren Yaeger take over the world, or Goku from Dragon Ball Z fame become a Super Saiyan, then I’m going to pick the latter a million, bajillion times over the former since I loooove ‘80s and ‘90s anime.

That’s because I grew up with Dragon Ball Z and the other shows on this list. I’ve already covered some of the great anime you can catch on Netflix right now. But this list is going way, way back to the ‘90s and (gasp!) even the ‘80s. So, if you’re into the older, rougher looking anime, then this is the list for you!

Dragon Ball Z

Following Dragon Ball, which is just okay (please don’t hurt me), was the massive Dragon Ball Z, which actually started as an anime back in 1986. In Japan, of course. It wouldn’t come stateside until a whole decade later. Lasting for 291 episodes, Goku and his Z Warrior friends took on aliens and androids for the fate of the world. If you love anime, then you've seen Dragon Ball Z or maybe even the more recent Dragon Ball Super. Either way, you know what I’m talking about.

Dragon Ball Z is legendary because it’s so unique. The fireballs, the power levels, the soap opera-esque drama when it comes to characters like Vegeta’s insecurities, or Goku’s poor parenting skills. It just all comes together so well in a mishmash of violence and humor that just can’t be beat. Dragon, Dragon, Ball, Dragon, Dragon Ball Z! Or… if you’re purist: Cha la, Head cha la! You know you love it.

Stream Dragon Ball Z on Funimation

Buy Seasons 1-9 on Amazon

Fist Of The North Star

Do you like Mad Max? Do you like Bruce Lee? Then you are going to love Fist of the North Star, which, as I just described it, Mad Max meets Bruce Lee. Sort of. Basically, the premise is about a wanderer named Ken who has seven scars on his chest that enable him to deliver terrible death blows to people once he finds their pressure points. His enemies, who all look like they came right out of Mad Max 2, explode in gooey glory. It’s great.

The anime goes all the way back to 1984, and it’s legendary since it was such a trendsetter in the medium. You can look at it and definitely see its inspiration on a show like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. And the concept of the wandering warrior comes up a lot in anime in general, like in Berserk (RIP, Kentaro Miura) which I might cover at some later date. But either way, FotNS is bad ass, and if you like DBZ and haven’t seen it yet, then give it a try. You’ll definitely dig it. Plus, I just love that ending theme.

Stream Fist of the North Star on Crunchyroll

Buy the Complete series on Amazon

Sailor Moon

I once said that Sailor Moon is better than Dragon Ball Z, and I stand behind that comment. The story of a 14-year-old girl named Usagi (or Serena if you’re a dub watcher), banding with other sailor scouts to fight evil by daylight and find love by moonlight, was the gateway anime for many kids of the ‘90s, myself included.

The anime started in 1992, and it’s been around in some form or other ever since. It’s legendary since you wouldn’t think a show about teenage girls would be as pulse pounding as Dragon Ball Z, but it is, and as I said before, I like it better.

Stream Sailor Moon on Hulu

Buy various seasons on Amazon

Initial D

Only the cool kids know about Initial D. This high speed series is about a teenager named Takumi Fujiwara who helps his dad sell Tofu, but also engages in street races. It’s kind of like Kung-Fu Panda (With Po selling Mr. Ping’s dumplings) meets The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. If that sounds awesome to you, that’s because it is.

Initial D is legendary because it wasn’t like most other anime at the time, at least not stateside. Debuting in 1998 in Japan, the idea of racing hadn’t really been explored to this capacity in an anime since Speed Racer, and that’s from the ‘60s. Do you want me to talk about ‘60s anime next? Because I will. Don’t think I won’t.

Stream Initial D on Hulu

Buy various seasons on Amazon

Cowboy Bebop

The coolest show on this list, Cowboy Bebop is about a small crew of bounty hunters led by the impossibly cool, Spike Spiegel. They go on a series of adventures together tracking down nefarious (and often very lively) criminals, and that’s about it. Think Firefly, but with jazz and a lot less of a western-vibe, and you’re not too far off.

Debuting in 1998, Cowboy Bebop is one of the most acclaimed and popular anime on this list. I’m still looking forward to the live-action version starring John Cho, whenever that’s coming out.

Stream Cowboy Bebop on Hulu

Buy the complete series on Amazon

Pokemon

I thought I would end this list with the most obscure anime. You’ve probably never even heard of this one (I don’t even think it’s around anymore), but there was this little show back in the ‘90s called Pokemon that was kind of popular. It’s about these animals with special powers and these trainers who try to capture them to use them in battle. I know it sounds like a crazy premise, but it was pretty cool. I guess you just had to be there.

But seriously, Pokemon is the biggest media franchise OFF ALL TIME (grossing more than Mickey Mouse and Star Wars, believe it or not) so you’d have to be living underneath a Geodude not to have heard of it. Debuting in 1997, the anime series has been going strong ever since and doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon. You can’t even stream Pokemon on any of the major platforms. Oh, no. Pokemon has its very OWN streaming platform called Pokemon TV, because you know… Pokemon.

Stream Pokemon on Pokemon TV

Buy various Pokemon seasons on Amazon

And those are just a few of the great anime from the ‘80s and ‘90s. But what do you think? Out of the ones mentioned here, which one is your favorite? Make your voice heard in the poll below. And for more current (And American) television, make sure to check out our 2021 Summer TV schedule. Because life’s not only about anime, you know!

This poll is no longer available.

“I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was.”

You know the opening of the song, don’t lie. If you're a '90s/'00s kid, we all grew up with Pokemon, whether that be through the trading cards, the games, or (in my case) the anime series. While I have been exploring the Pokemon games as I’ve gotten older and exposed to the whole culture, there was one part of it I always loved as a child, and that was the TV series. While 2023 TV releases are always fun to look forward to, sometimes, I like a blast from the past.

But Pokemon is great in so many ways, one of which being that they constantly update their regions, characters, stories, and new Pokemon with each new series that the game takes on, revolving around the corresponding game release. But, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t at all very different from each other. So here, we are going to rank all of the Pokemon anime series, worst to best, from the very beginning to the present.

8. Journeys Series

Something is just… off in Journeys.

I know that of course, they needed to come up with something for Generation 8, but this series doesn’t hit the mark for me in terms of greatness in the others. I do enjoy seeing the areas of the Galor region and exploring the new Pokemon, but honestly, it doesn’t feel the same. There are several callbacks to older regions – while it is welcome occasionally, it’s almost too much in Journeys.

And while I do know that Pokemon is meant for children, there were always moments in some of the earlier shows that crept more into adulthood and really taught kids valuable lessons. I don’t get that with this series. Maybe it’s because it’s on Netflix or maybe it’s something else but I’ll certainly skip on this one.

7. Black/White Series

Okay, admittedly, this was my least favorite before I watched all of Journeys. Black/White isn’t necessarily bad. But it’s not necessarily good either.

My favorite part about this series is the region, based on New York City. I think that’s such an interesting concept to use in a Pokemon series. But what really gets it to me is how unmemorable the Black/White series was. The games were fun, but when I think of the anime, I can’t recall any of the characters – even Ash’s new companions. That’s how you know it’s really just… meh.

6. Sun And Moon Series

I actually genuinely enjoyed the Sun and Moon series in Pokemon. The idea that the region was based around the Hawaiian islands really pulled me in, and the gorgeous scenery made plenty of the beautiful landscapes in this anime pop. Even the starters were absolutely adorable. I mean, who wouldn’t love Rowlet?

However, there’s one thing that stops me from putting it higher… the animation.

This is not the Ash that I grew up with. He just looks so strange. Even Pikachu doesn’t quite look the same. I can’t get past the uncanny look in their eyes and the weird facial expressions. It’s not normal. And for that reason, I find it very hard to go back to this series. Ash at least looks a little bit normal in Journeys. Here he looks… I don’t even know.

5. Johto Series

Johto is average in Pokemon. There, I said it.

It can never be as good as Indigo. But it’s nowhere near as bad as some of the lower entries on this list. It’s just sort of in the middle. I enjoyed the continued adventures of Brock, Misty, and Ash in their adventures in the Johto Region. I loved the Pokemon that were added to this generation – Cyndaquil is one of my favorites.

But it doesn’t really build on its previous series success. It feels a lot of the same as before and while yes, that does work for Pokemon, there are so many other episodes that really dig deep and give thought-provoking messages, but Johto didn’t really do that for me. I’m glad that they started to change things up in the next series after this.

4. Ruby And Saphire Series

Ah, Ruby & Saphire. I have a love/hate relationship with this series in Pokemon.

I did really like that in this series, they started to change up Ash’s companions a bit. While I did like Misty, it’s always nice for a change of heart and to have them do their own dreams instead of following Ash around for so long. The Pokemon in Generation 3 as well are great and classics for a reason.

But the main reason I put this series at number 4 is that while I do like that they started to make changes to Ash’s companions, I can’t get behind Max. May is fantastic. I loved her story and her character overall, but Max sort of just felt like a mini-Brock, and while it’s cute to have someone trying to follow in your footsteps, it almost felt too closely related to the already iconic character. They could have done more with him for sure. Other than that, the Hoenn region is amazing, and the battles are awesome. It’s certainly one of the better series.

3. XY Series

Ash and Serena have my whole heart. I will go down with this ship.

I loved XY compared to many of the other series in Pokemon. Not only were some of the Pokemon that were added in Generation 6 super epic – like Greninja, which became so popular it became a character to fight within Super Smash Bros Ultimate, but the story was fantastic in relation to some of the older seasons of the show. Serena is a big reason as to why.

We don’t learn much about Ash’s childhood. We know that he and Gary were friends and then rivals and that his mother had a Mr. Mime, and a couple of other fun facts, but we were never really given some heavy backstory as to who he was as a little kid. In comes Serena, this adorable companion who has a crush on Ash and has all these stories and character development, and really makes Ash a better person in the end, along with his other companions. It’s a fantastic addition to the Pokemon saga.

2. Diamond and Pearl Series

But as much as I love Serena, no one can beat Dawn. Or Diamond and Pearl.

Diamond and Pearl in the Pokemon series is iconic for so many reasons. The game it’s based on is fantastic, the anime is great with some deep episodes – like when Jessie lets go of Dustox for love, or Pikachu questions evolving again for the first time since Season 1 – and the companions are just outstanding.

Dawn herself is a fantastic addition to Ash’s team and a welcome change after May and Max, because while she’s still a trainer, her main dream is to be the best coordinator in the Pokemon league, and news flash – she’s not the best and makes mistakes just like normal heroes in fiction, and really shows how it’s okay to lose. She’s resilient, strong, and adorable and I’ll always love her for being one of my favorite role models as a child. Besides, who doesn’t love Piplup? Or Turtwig? Even Chimchar? They’re all so cute!

1. Indigo League Series

Even so, Indio League has to take the first spot. Come on, you knew it was coming. This was the series that started it all.

It’s hard to imagine that this series is more than twenty years old, considering the U.S. version came out in 1998, and the Tokyo version in 1997, but it’s iconic for so many reasons. It’s where we first meet Ash and Pikachu, the literal face of the whole franchise of Pokemon. It’s where we are introduced to complex storylines at such a young age, ones that show us that if we work hard and persevere, nothing can stop us from being the “very best.” We learn about friendship, hard work, and the beautiful world that is Pokemon.

It started a whole change in culture, and no matter what, we will always hold this series deep in our hearts. We were raised on Pokemon, and it all started between a young boy and his Pikachu.

What’s your favorite version of Pokemon? Which companion is your favorite? But let’s be honest – as long as Pikachu is still there, who cares who Ash travels with, am I right?

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Over a year after Pokemon: Detective Pikachu was released into theaters, there’s still no clear word on what the status is for a potential sequel. Fans might have thought that with such a huge presence in the world of video game movies, the Ryan Reynolds/Justice Smith buddy detective flick would have some sort of plan in play by now for a follow-up. Which is why I’d like to present a pretty solid foundation for a future plan to be constructed: Rian Johnson should be signed on as the director for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu 2.

Now this isn’t just a thought that came to mind after a late night dance with some popcorn and coffee. No, this has some basis to it, and it’s pretty solid. If Johnson’s skills are brought to the Pokemon table, Detective Pikachu 2 could be something as special as it is unique. With that in mind, I’m about to pitch you folks on why Rian Johnson is a super effective choice to be the next director in the Pokemon franchise.

Rian Johnson Is A Fan Of Pokemon

Something that came as a bit of a surprise in last week’s news cycle is the fact that Rian Johnson is, in fact, a fan of Pokemon. Citing his experience as a “longtime Pokemon trainer” when talking about that Pokemon Go commercial he directed, that piece of information feels like a new layer in the man’s persona, but also something that makes perfect sense. Naturally, if you have someone who knows the franchise in and out, and has a true affinity for the property they’re working with, they’re a solid hire for a gig like Detective Pikachu 2. Putting Rian Johnson into the director’s chair feels like a good fit for moving forward, which is only bolstered by some other key facts about his skill set.

That Pokemon Go Commercial Was A Great Test Run

Returning to a point previously mentioned, Rian Johnson has actually directed humans and Pokemon before, thanks to his work on a recent Pokemon Go commercial. In a short advertisement to promote an upcoming virtual tournament, Johnson found the joy and excitement at the heart of the game, and he put it onto the screen. As anyone who saw Pokemon: Detective Pikachu will tell you, that’s a very crucial step in the process of making a Pokemon movie. Rian Johnson further solidifies his potential hiring for Detective Pikachu 2’s directing slot by being able to show his enthusiasm and fandom in a finished product. Sometimes that’s the harder part of the job, as translating your vision to the big screen isn’t always a clear cut path. Though there is another experience that Johnson has recently undertaken that also speaks to this very point.

The Last Jedi Proved Rian Johnson Can Make Franchise Blockbusters

In addition to being a Pokemon fan, Rian Johnson is also a Star Wars fan. Whether the fans enjoyed his spin on the mythos or not in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, you can’t argue that he didn’t create a film that felt like a big budget affair that belonged in the Star Wars canon. So of course, his Pokemon Go ad speaks to just how well he’d fit in the world of Nintendo’s Pocket Monsters and their cinematic goings on. Just as director Rob Letterman turned Pokemon: Detective Pikachu into eye-popping proof that the world of Pokemon could indeed be brought to live-action/CGI life, Rian Johnson feels like an absurdly good fit to keep things going with Detective Pikachu 2. The best part is, no matter what the budget may be, Johnson can scale his talents accordingly; as he’s done with both huge budget spectacles and low to mid-sized stunners.

Mysteries Are A Strong Suit For Rian Johnson

This might not come as a surprise to you Rian Johnson fans out there, but I have to note that the man knows his way around a legitimate mystery. Brick, Looper and, of course, Knives Out all have a mystery component that’s central to their stories. In each case, Johnson was able to craft a compelling quest to find the answers, crack the case and eventually deliver on the shadowy circumstances at the heart of each of these projects. So not only would Detective Pikachu 2 benefit from Rian Johnson’s visual eye and Pokemon fandom, it would also be able to utilize his mystery-crafting abilities to make a plot that could compel as well as entertain. Also, if you have young ones at home who aren’t ready to watch any of those previously-mentioned films, this could be some serious gateway potential for introducing children to Rian Johnson’s non-Star Wars canon.

Rian Johnson Could Be The Key To Cracking Detective Pikachu 2’s Story

The main reason we probably don’t have another Detective Pikachu instalmment to look forward to in the near future is probably the fact that the story for a potential follow-up has to be difficult to put together. By the end of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Justice Smith’s Tim solves the mystery of his missing dad, and Ryan Reynolds’ Harry is no longer stuck with his consciousness inside a Pikachu. Case closed, everyone goes home happy. But how do you follow that up? Well, if Detective Pikachu is going to be sequel-ized, Rian Johnson is probably one of the best people to trust in figuring out a way forward. Much as he has the Knives Out detective Benoit Blanc on track to become the center of various criminal acts in need of solving, surely Johnson can keep this family of sleuths together in a fresh and unique way. Rian Johnson knows how to look outside of the box, and that’s a skill that always helps when pushing a franchise forward.

Obviously there are no real rumors or speculation that Rian Johnson is even anywhere near being considered for Detective Pikachu 2. This all really stemmed from seeing how good of a job Johnson did directing that Pokemon Go spot, as well as his proclaimed love for Pokemon. However, those particular facts, in addition to the way his career has played out so far, make him a fantastic candidate to pull this Scorbunny out of a hat. So fingers crossed there’s at least a meeting between Rian Johnson and Warner Bros to, at the very least, talk this possibility out. It certainly couldn’t hurt, and in the best case scenario, this could be the key to unlocking that potential sequel.

Should you be keen on revisiting Pokemon: Detective Pikachu after all of this sequel talk, you can head on over to HBO Max and enjoy that film in your own time. If you’re not already a subscriber, you can check out the 7-day free trial that the platform is offering at this time. At the very least, you get a little Pokemon excitement out of the deal!

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It might not be the Knives Out follow-up that fans are still expecting, but writer/director Rian Johnson has already completed a brand new project for the world to enjoy. But don’t get your hopes up for a full-length experience coming to a streaming service near you, as this particular effort from the director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi sees him doing something much shorter, and a lot cuter. More specifically, Rian Johnson went and directed a commercial for the augmented reality game Pokemon Go, for some very personal and fandom related reasons.

Discussing his work on the 30 second spot with The Verge, Rian Johnson revealed that he had directed the commercial remotely, as this Pokemon Go ad was shot in New Zealand. Johnson also explained in this interview that, thanks to his own fandom of the legendary Nintendo property, the decision to take on this project was as easy as powering a lightbulb with a Pikachu:

Promoting this year’s first virtual Pokemon Go Fest, set to take place on July 25th and 26th, this Rian Johnson directed commercial is just the sort of whimsical distraction people could use in light of current events. It’s also a firm reminder that people are still looking forward to a sequel for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, which means that in the light of that films’ lack of movement, this is pretty much the next best thing. More importantly, this entire experience is a win for virtual production models, and more traditional filmmakers embracing such enterprises.

In a time where film productions are ready to get back underway in the UK, and other projects based in the US are eagerly awaiting their turn to get the cameras rolling, Rian Johnson has taken a pretty big step forward in his own education involving remote directing. And it sounds like he not only took to the process pretty naturally, but the results have certainly been quite fruitful to watch. Take a look for yourself by watching the Pokemon Go ad, directed by Rian Johnson, for yourself below:

If you find yourself wanting to watch more of Rian Johnson’s conventional theatrical narratives, you can find his most recent film, Knives Out, available on Prime Video for streaming. Also, if you’re a fan of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, you can catch that magic over on Disney+.

Pokemon was a huge phenomenon when the show and game debuted in the '90s, and over 20 years later the franchise is still rolling strong. In fact a new anime was just released called Pokemon Journeys: The Series, which is a soft reboot of the adventures of Ash Ketchum that incorporates all the added changes to Pokemon that have happened over the years.

While this new series so far addresses my main issue growing up of how Ash was a Pokemon enthusiast but seemingly oblivious to Pokemon of other regions (because they hadn't been created yet), there are some weird things about Pokemon that will never change. Below are some of the weird things we've been forced to accept across various shows over the years, and problems that may persist as Pokemon Journeys: The Series continues its run.

Ash Ketchum Doesn't Age

Ash Ketchum isn't the first cartoon character in history to stay the same age for a prolonged period of time, but this phenomena is especially strange in the Pokemon franchise. If the series were episodic it would be no big deal, but because Ash still acknowledges all his friendships, Pokemon, and gym battles of the past, it's kind of weird that he's still canonically 10 years old in Pokemon Journeys: The Series despite beginning his journey over 20 years ago in Pokemon: Indigo League. Even if it hasn't been quite that long in the series, it's hard to deny at least a year (likely more) has passed in-universe since the series' start.

People Eat Pokemon, Even Though Many Are As Smart As Humans

Pokemon live and work alongside humans, and while the series pushes this notion that the world exists in harmony, it often overlooks a dark secret frequently seen in Pokemon: Indigo League. People very clearly eat Pokemon, despite the fact that there are Pokemon intelligent enough to work in the healthcare industry, law enforcement, and other various jobs around the world. How exactly do people distinguish which species are morally allowed to be eaten and which ones aren't? The original series did feature brief glimpses of actual normal animals that weren't Pokemon, but those haven't been seen in later installments. Is it just understood that some Pokemon get a better purpose than others?

Ghost Pokemon Exist, And That's Just A Universally Accepted Fact

Ghost-type Pokemon have been in the franchise since the very beginning, and that alone raises so many questions. The world of Pokemon has definitive proof of the existence of the afterlife, but for whom? The show has been less definitive on the origins or specifics of these unique Pokemon, though the games allege Pokemon like Gengar and Yamask are human spirits. Also these ghost Pokemon are sometimes pretty twisted, like the time a group of Litwick almost drained the life from Team Rocket in Pokemon: Black & White. Even for a kids show, that's pretty dark!

Some Children Leave Home At 10 And Go Into The Wilderness With One Pokemon

Not all people become Pokemon trainers, but the ones who do have to be tough as nails. They leave home at 10 and are generally expected to travel their respective region with only the Pokemon they catch and their wits to survive. Ash did it, May (who is technically a Pokemon Coordinator) from Pokemon The Series: Ruby and Sapphire did it, and Goh from Pokemon Journeys: The Series has done it. It's a weird societal norm considering how dangerous the world of Pokemon is, but I guess a solid number of them survive, so why question it?

Pokeballs Contain Pokemon That Are The Size Of Bugs, And The Size Of Whales

When it comes to Pokeballs, it's one size fits all, and that's kind of insane given the large size disparity in Pokemon. Somehow it works, and that's about all we know about Pokeballs. We don't know how Pokemon live in there, how they eat, or how their mental state is if left in there for years on end while a trainer is off doing his thing with other Pokemon. It's a reality I'd rather not ponder, so like others, I try not to.

Ash's Pikachu Is Simultaneously One Of The Strongest And Weakest Pokemon Of All Time

If the Pokemon series followed the same logic of the games, Pikachu would be the strongest Pokemon in Ash's arsenal. So strong, in fact, that no Pokemon would cause much of a challenge. Pikachu has taken on legendary Pokemon and beaten them, but then also gets stuck in rudimentary traps laid by Team Rocket. There's just no consistency on Pikachu's strength, probably for plot purposes, but it can be frustrating when you see a Pokemon who has defeated God-tier opponents be bested by a glass case with a lightbulb on top.

People Are Frequently Injured By Pokemon In Violent Ways, But Ultimately Ok

All the Pokemon shows have shown human characters get electrocuted, burned, or even poisoned by Pokemon. Still, most people tend to shake these injuries off despite the fact that they should be at the very least life-threatening if not outright fatal. I guess it wouldn't be quite as entertaining if Jesse, James, and Meowth were killed the first time Pikachu blasted them off, but dammit, it would be way more believable than them getting back into the game the very next episode!

Team Rocket's Obsession With Capturing Pikachu

Jesse, James, and Meowth are about as prevalent in the Pokemon story as Ash Ketchum himself, and they're almost always going after his Pikachu. The series has never done an exceptional job of explaining why, especially since canonically speaking Pikachu are a rather common Pokemon. For all the time they've spent trying to steal Ash's Pikachu over the years, they could've captured their own and trained it to be just as strong! If they're looking for a truly unique Pokemon to give to their boss Giovanni, why not hunt legendaries or at least remind him they have a Meowth who can converse with humans?

Have any other issues with the Pokemon universe? Air all grievances in the comments below and stream Pokemon Journeys: The Series on Netflix. Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for more on what's happening in the world of television and movies.

The United States in currently in the midst of protests erupting all over in support of racial justice, which has subsequently led to various high-profile figures and companies not only speaking out against racism, but also donating money to nonprofit organizations that tackle this issue. We can now add The Pokemon Company to this list, as the corporate entity behind last year’s Detective Pikachu and all things Pocket Monsters has made a sizable donation to both the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Black Lives Matter.

Here’s The Pokemon Company’s official statement regarding its donations to these two organizations.

Both the NAACP and Black Lives Matter are getting $100,000 apiece from The Pokemon Company as a sign of further solidarity not just for the company’s black employees, fans and all who are impacted by “systemic racism and violence,” but to reaffirm its commitment to “friendship, inclusivity and equity.” In other words, it’s putting its money where its mouth is.

Needless to say that $200,000 isn’t going to fix racial tensions in one fell swoop, but it’s nonetheless nice to see when entities like The Pokemon Company provide financial backing to groups that are fighting to make the world a better place. Other companies and individuals who’ve recently donated a hefty amount of money to organizations committed to social justice include The Walt Disney Company, Angelina Jolie, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, Verizon and Michael Jordan.

The Pokemon Company has been around since 1998, just two years after the Pokemon franchise launched. Established as a joint venture between Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Inc., the Company handles the brand management, marketing, production and licensing of the Pokemon TV shows, video games, trading card game and much more.

2019 marked a big milestone for the Pokemon franchise, which had already experienced a resurgence several years earlier from the Pokemon Go mobile game. While animated Pokemon movies have been a thing since 1998, Detective Pikachu marked the first time that this mythology was explored on the big screen in live-action, with Ryan Reynolds voicing the eponymous character and the cast also including Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy.

In addition to receiving a solid amount of positive reception, Detective Pikachu also collected over $433 million at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time. A Detective Pikachu sequel is in the works, with Oren Uziel writing the script. Don’t be surprised if Detective Pikachu also ends up being the first step towards an entire Pokemon cinematic universe.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates now what’s happening with Pokemon on both the big and small screens, and be sure to check out our 2020 release schedule to learn what movies are supposed to hit theaters later this year.

June is when it really starts to feel like summer, and when network TV in general tends to cool down from the hot finale season. This will be especially true in 2020 due to the wave of productions that were forced to shut down, but while network television and cable may struggle to bring some hits in the offseason, Netflix will deliver.

As is often the case with Netflix, there are more than a couple high-profile originals arriving on the platform in June. Unfortunately, it's the final season for a couple of them, though there are some newcomers on this list that could very well become the next major hits of the platform. Let's dive in, and hope all these 11 originals arriving in June are as great as they sound.

Fuller House (Final Season) - 6/2

Fuller House will finally end this month on Netflix, and it's planning to go out with a bang. Expect to see weddings, lots of callbacks to the past, and likely just about everything short of a cameo from one of the Olsen twins. For those that have stuck with the revival since the beginning, this will be a great show to start off the month, or a great show to binge for those that missed out and need something new to run through.

13 Reasons Why (Final Season) - 6/5

13 Reasons Why will premiere its final season in early June, bringing one of Netflix's most controversial series to a close. Season 4 will actually only have 10 episodes this time around, as opposed to the standard 13 from prior seasons. The good news is showrunner Brian Yorkey believed it better served the story to have fewer episodes, though fans will have to determine that for themselves as they watch this final chapter that promises devastating decisions by major characters and secrets that must be kept.

Queer Eye (Season 5) - 6/5

The Fab Five are in Philadelphia this time around, and taking their sensible styles and radical transformation powers to the East Coast. Those who have been watching know the drill by this point, and those who don't should be warned nearly every episode tends to be a tearjerker. Plus, is there a better time to be watching a show about tips for self-betterment as we slowly but surely inch closer to stepping out of our homes?

Reality Z - 6/7

In a series that seems strangely prophetic, contestants of a Brazilian reality show are shut out from the rest of the world during a zombie apocalypse. The group must fight for their lives and evade the zombies in their TV studio, which sounds like a corny but entertaining riot. It also sounds like a surprisingly plausible scenario, as far as zombie apocalypses go, considering Big Brother seasons around the world took a while to tell their casts about COVID-19.

Dating Around (Season 2) - 6/12

For those still hankering for a Love Is Blind fix, Netflix has another season of Dating Around on the way. Six singles are looking for love in New Orleans and will go on back-to-back blind dates in an effort to find it. It's not quite as "blind" as Love Is Blind, but it is entertaining for those who enjoy a good dating show.

F Is For Family (Season 4) - 6/12

The animated series based on the life of stand-up comedian (and occasional Star Wars actor) Bill Burr will return, with more drama and hijinx. Frank will have to deal with a visit from his father, and Bill will make a name for himself at the hockey rink. F Is for Family is a great blast from the past for anyone who grew up in or appreciates the 70s, and one of the better animated comedies on Netflix.

Pokemon Journeys: The Series - 6/12

Netflix has nabbed the American streaming rights for Pokemon, which means the show's 23rd dubbed season of Pokemon Journeys: The Series will debut exclusively on the platform. Granted, it will only be the first 12 episodes, but expect new episodes from the rest of the season to be added on a quarterly basis. The only downside? Many of us must now wrestle with the bizarre fact that time has progressed in the franchise and Ash Ketchum hasn't aged a day.

Mr. Iglesias (Part 2) - 6/17

Gabriel Iglesias' wholesome sitcom is back, as Mr. Iglesias places the comedian as a teacher looking to better the lives of under-performing students. Those familiar with the comedian's stand up should know there's potential for some big laughs in these new episodes, and those that have seen Magic Mike know he can act as well.

The Order (Season 2) - 6/18

Just when it seemed like the world had reached its limit on supernatural dramas, The Order arrived on Netflix and showed we need at least one more. Season 2 arrives mid-June, and picks up at a time where tensions are high between magicians and werewolves. Luckily, a bigger force is on the horizon that may encourage them to set differences aside to handle, though you never can tell when dealing with magicians and werewolves.

Floor Is Lava - 6/19

The game from our childhoods is finally being turned into a game show, and it looks awesome. Floor Is Lava will see contestants utilize objects to attempt to reach a goal, all whilst trying to avoid falling into the "lava" below. I don't think I've ever wanted to be on a game show more in my life, and wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a big hit for Netflix.

The Politician (Season 2) - 6/19

After a whirlwind Season 1, Ryan Murphy's dramedy The Politician is back with what should be the next chapter in Payton Hobart's plan to become President of the United States. Of course, Season 2 may show him shaking off some rust as it was clear from last season Payton thought his dream was dead following a disastrous high school incident. Hopefully his friends will rise to the challenge and get Payton back to the leader they know he can be.

Be sure to catch all these shows throughout the month of June on Netflix. As always, CinemaBlend is the place to be for news on all the hottest shows and movies on the horizon, as well as the latest news updates.

Movie adaptations of video games have not had a historically stellar in theaters. Plenty of these projects have failed throughout the years, including classics like Super Mario Bros. and more contemporary movies like Assassin's Creed and Warcraft. But two movies recently managed to break this curse, the first being Detective Pikachu. Rob Letterman's movie featuring Ryan Reynolds was a critical and box office success, and a sequel seems inevitable. Now the story of the blooming franchise will continue, just not how you'd think.

Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. haven't given any confirmation of a Detective Pikachu sequel, but the fans will be able to catch up with Tim and Harry Goodman in an unexpected way. Namely by a graphic novel that will accompany the film. What's more, it's available online today! So in addition to the movies heading to video on demand early, there's another way that cinephiles can stay entertained while practicing social distancing.

The Detective Pikachu graphic novel adaptation comes from Legendary Comics, in collaboration with The Pokémon Company International. Written by Brian Buccellato with art by Nelson Dániel, the new content will be a comic book version of the Detective Pikachu movie. As such, we'll follow Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) as he teams up with a Pikachu who he can communicate with in search of his missing father.

It should be interesting to see how the graphic novel version of Detective Pikachu expands or adds to the movie's story. Depending on whether or not its a first person experience, we could get a deeper look into Tim's perspective. Additionally, it'll be fun to see how Ryan Reynolds' snappy voice performances translates to the page. Regardless, it should make Pokemon fans very happy.

Of course, this isn't the first comic book adaptation of a movie that's been making news lately. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's comic book and novelization recently arrived, helping to expand the movie's story and answer lingering questions. Obviously these are very different projects, but the change in medium is intriguing.

Detective Pikachu made a whopping $433 million at the box office, appealing to audiences both domestic and international. Given its success and the brand's power, it would make sense to produce a sequel. This would allow more Pokemon species to be adapted into photorealistic film for the first time, and would likely make a ton of money in the process. But there hasn't been any updates, although it seems like the cast is interested.

Narratively, bringing Detective Pikachu back for a sequel would seemingly require more work on Ryan Reynolds' part. His talking Pikachu has been transformed back into his human form, opening up for him to appear more in live-action in a potential follow-up movie. But Reynolds is also a super busy actor with a thriving career, so timing would have to work out. Additionally, Justice Smith is set to appear in Jurassic World: Dominion, but it's unclear when that movie will kick production back up.

Detective Pikachu is available for home purchase now, including its comic book adaptation. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

I believe cartoons people love as kids can be the sources of their future television fandoms. Many adult TV viewers probably had a cartoon they loved and followed as a kid before growing up and diving into much denser shows with more intricate plot lines. A lingering love for those cartoons of the past may inspire some to create theories about what they used to watch. At least, I hope that's the justification for some of these messed up and uncomfortable cartoon conspiracy theories.

We all know there's some wild stuff on the internet, and fan theories about beloved children's cartoons are no exception. Here are some of the most twisted of the bunch, excluding entries that fall under the label of adult-animation because, frankly, some of it is tame in comparison to what you're about to read.

The World Of Spongebob Squarepants Is A Product Of Nuclear Testing

While never explicitly confirmed by the show or its creators, there is heavy speculation that the world of Spongebob Squarepants is a product of nuclear testing. The city of Bikini Bottom is believed to be beneath the island of Bikini Atoll where, in actual history, the U.S. detonated 23 different nuclear bombs during the Cold War. According to the theory, the extensive testing impacted the creatures surrounding the area, and thus Spongebob Squarepants and his friends were born.

Fans claim there's some evidence to support this theory such as the typical imagery of nuclear explosions showing up in the show a lot. Also, there's all the anthropomorphism, and the obvious connection between the names Bikini Bottom and Bikini Atoll. As mentioned, no one with Spongebob Squarepants has ever confirmed this theory to be true, though it certainly does seem plausible that the cartoon is connected to this event in some way.

All The Rugrats Babies Minus Baby Dil Are Dead

According to this extremely dark theory, all the main babies of Rugrats (minus Baby Dil) are dead and merely a figment of Angelica Pickles' imagination. Chucky died in childbirth with his mother, Tommy was a stillbirth, and Phil and Lil were actually one child of an unknown gender that was aborted by their parents. This presumably explains the personality traits of each parent in the show, and why none of them ever bother to keep an eye on their children.

The theory gets especially dark when Angelica supposedly hit Baby Dil, which caused his head deformity seen on Rugrats. It's certainly one of the most popular and twisted cartoon theories on the internet, albeit one that I believe falls apart pretty quickly. The theory hinges on the babies being a part of Angelica's imagination of what she thought the babies would be like, but Angelica doesn't appear in every episode. It's a solid conspiracy in terms of shock value, but I doubt we'll see this take shape in an upcoming Rugrats live-action movie.

Ash Ketchum Has Been In A Coma Through Most Of Pokemon

Pokemon has been on television for over two decades now, and Ash Ketchum is still 10 years old in the latest iteration of the series. Characters not aging is a common thing in most cartoons, but in the case of Pokemon where Ash has experienced several years of adventures and mentions those events, it's a little weird he hasn't aged a day. The reason behind this may be Ash slipping into a coma towards the start of the series.

In this theory Ash Ketchum fell comatose after his bike accident in Episode 1, and everything after that is a dream. The people he meets are a manifestation of his inner psyche, and the adventures are trials he must overcome to escape his own mind and return to the real world. I like this theory because it explains how Ash is constantly discovering new Pokemon that presumably would've been around since the start of his journey. Or maybe these kids should complete primary education before setting off in the world to battle Pokemon?

Scooby-Doo And Mystery Inc. Don't Age Because They're Ghosts

Speaking of cartoon characters who perpetually stay the same age, there's a particularly fun theory that Scooby-Doo and friends don't age because they themselves are ghosts. The teens continually appear throughout the decades largely unchanged because they're a group of wandering spirits who are traveling aimlessly from town to town and exposing fake ghosts and ghouls along the way. Isn't it weird they never have a location to go, and never accept payment?

I believe this theory is strengthened by the fact that the Scooby-Doo franchise has confirmed that actual ghosts and ghouls exist in its universe, which means Mystery Inc. could totally be ghosts as well. The fact they're frightened when actually encountering real spirits may be some existential crisis in which they're all unable to reconcile their own fates, which is why they're so hellbent on disproving the existence of the supernatural. The more I think about this theory the more I love it, and I'm going to choose to accept it regardless of any evidence to the contrary.

The Owl House Is Satanist Propaganda

Disney's The Owl House is by far the newest show on this list, but worth mentioning due to the headlines it has created. The series follows a teenage girl named Luz who falls into a portal and arrives in a world inhabited by demons and witches. The show is much lighter in tone than it may sound, which is exactly why some groups believe Disney is trying to corrupt young minds by normalizing Wicca practices and Satanism.

It's a theory that, for now, is impossible to prove. With that said, the series is created by Dana Terrace who also worked on another Disney Channel series with occult ties, Gravity Falls. That too received complaints from audiences who thought it was promoting satanism, so it's really up for the viewer to decide on this one. There will be those who think it's not big deal, those who think it's another sign of a declining civilization, and there's really little either side can do to convince each other otherwise.

Ed, Edd n Eddy Is Set In Purgatory

Ed, Edd n Eddy was a great show about the impossible world in which kids were going on adventures in their neighborhood and no adults were interjecting and telling them to knock it off. Seriously, there were no adults in this show, not even the Charlie Brown kind that sound like a trumpet. One theory suggests that is because the kids of the cul-de-sac are dead, and they're all trapped in purgatory.

Long story short, each child is from a different era of the cul-de-sac's history, and all befell some tragedy in some different way. Now they're all living together in purgatory, and going about their lives only to be occasionally bothered by the "demonic" Kanker Sisters every so often. It's another out-there theory that takes extensive liberties in adding fiction that was never a part of the show, but it does answer my question as a kid as to why no one's parents were ever around!

Heard any other crazy and uncomfortable cartoon conspiracy theories? List them in the comments and be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest major news in television and movies.

Detective Pikachu has only been in theaters for about a week and half at this point, but in that short time it has proven to be a real all-around success. Beyond pretty good reviews (arguably great for a video game movie), Detective Pikachu has had a solid box office showing-- particularly internationally. So it would come as little surprise if it got a sequel and according to a new report, that’s exactly what’s happening.

According to Comicbook.com, Legendary is moving forward with a sequel to Detective Pikachu. The idea being that the sequel, which is in the early stages of development at this point, would be the next step for the Pokémon universe on film before expanding out the franchise into other Pokémon movies beyond the Detective Pikachu series.

Apparently as Detective Pikachu developed, The Pokémon Company became more comfortable with characters and elements of the franchise being translated onscreen. That gave it ideas and confidence that a more expansive Pokémon world could be rendered cinematically in an effective fashion. If Detective Pikachu was a proof of concept, it did its job.

This news should be viewed as a rumor for now, until there is more concrete information like an official announcement. But it certainly Detective Pikachu getting a sequel would certainly make sense on multiple levels.

As far as dollars and cents are concerned, even though it released in the massive wake of Avengers: Endgame, Detective Pikachu has found an audience. The film debuted to $54.4 million domestic and has made $94.3 million to date according to Box Office Mojo. Overseas the Ryan Reynolds film has enjoyed two straight weekends atop the charts, earning over $196 million for a worldwide box office that is closing in on $300 million.

As previously mentioned, Detective Pikachu has received good reviews that although aren’t quite gushing. But it still cements it as about the best-reviewed video game movie ever. The movie also fared favorably with audiences, earning an “A-“ CinemaScore.

Beyond those more quantitative metrics, there is the fact that star Ryan Reynolds has expressed interest in returning to the world for another entry. He also touched on the potential that the world of Pokémon offers and on that point he is absolutely right. Detective Pikachu did the one job it had to by showing that Pokémon and live-action humans could be believable together on film and it nailed it.

That means that all the wide world of the property could make its way to the big screen with tons of possibilities and a clear path to a cinematic universe. But the first step towards that, if this rumor is to be believed, is Detective Pikachu 2.

Detective Pikachu SPOILERS to follow so don't read on until you've seen it!

My one major question about a potential Detective Pikachu 2 is how does such a film maintain the same conceit as the first film, specifically, the relationship between a talking Pikachu and Justice Smith’s Tim. At the end of the film it is revealed that Tim’s father Harry had his memory wiped and was fused with his Pikachu, thereby allowing him to talk to Tim.

So with that condition reversed by Mewtwo at the end of the movie, a sequel would presumably not have a talking Pikachu. I think it can still work, but it will be a change. Maybe a sequel would have Tim becoming a detective alongside his dad, played by Ryan Reynolds, and his Pikachu and the three can crack an even bigger case together.

Detective Pikachu is now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this summer’s biggest movies.

When the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog dropped late last month, the internet collectively imploded in a sea of threads, tweets and memes, all expressing confusion, frustration and horror at the look of the titular speedster. This live-action Sonic was not the video game icon that has been showing fans the meaning of speed since the early '90s; this was something else, and it had human teeth.

Not long after the Sonic the Hedgehog trailer came out, another video game icon hit theater screens. The Pokémon franchise finally made its live-action feature film debut, with the face of the franchise leading the charge in Detective Pikachu.

In addition to the fact that they are both video game movies, the proximity of the Sonic the Hedgehog trailer and the theatrical release of Detective Pikachu invite obvious comparisons. I am not the first to notice this, but I think it is worth discussing because even a surface-level look at both films reveals the totally different approaches Sonic the Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu are taking to their big screen movies.

Let’s first look at Sonic the Hedgehog, the myriad ways the trailer confounded fans and what that says about the approach the film is taking.

Beyond the baffling trailer song choice and the changing of Sonic’s powers, the most obvious point of discussion was Sonic’s look in the new film. His overall proportions are quite different than his video game counterpart with limbs that are too muscular and a head and torso that are too small. What's more egregious, though, are Sonic’s facial features.

The film design eschews Sonic’s traditional uni-eye look, where one eyeball has two pupils for a more realistic smaller, two-eye aesthetic. The design choice that has gotten the most hate, though, has to be Sonic’s teeth, which look very human, a look that doesn’t comport with the teeth of either his video game inspiration or the teeth of an actual hedgehog.

What’s especially fascinating about the reaction to Sonic's look in the trailer is that it was entirely predictable. When the first poster featuring Sonic’s silhouette was revealed last year, fans were immediately skeptical of the hedgehog’s build. Complaints grew even louder when another poster showed Sonic’s eerily human and muscular legs.

I don’t know if it was a feeling that they knew better or that the complainers were in the minority, but did anyone involved with the film, after seeing the criticism of the posters, really think ‘Wait till they see the final design, they’re gonna love it!’?

Speaking about the decision to change Sonic’s eyes for the movie, executive producer Tim Miller previously said:

Those last words are quite telling, “to make it feel like part of our world.” All of these changes to this iconic video game character for his feature film debut speak to the approach on the part of the filmmakers to make Sonic the Hedgehog “realistic.”

That’s why Sonic has separate eyes and more human features, and why he’s an alien in the film. Because the choice was made to set this film in our world as we know it. Sonic the Hedgehog isn’t the first movie to take this approach when adapting a fantastical property to live-action (animation has more freedom to be strange in this regard). The Smurfs in 2011 and 1987’s Masters of the Universe come to mind as properties that took characters out of their fantasy worlds and plopped them in our Earth.

The thinking behind this strategy (from my perspective anyways) is that it creates a smaller barrier of entry for the audience. Instead of trying to explain to moviegoers that the world of the film is one in which characters like Sonic exist, he is made into an alien and dropped into our world, where only he is different and everything else is familiar.

This approach also necessitates that Sonic look more realistic, or the filmmaker’s idea of realistic for an alien hedgehog. The concern being that if Sonic looks too cartoony or too Pixar-like, as a CGI character, he will stick out like a sore thumb and look, for lack of a better word, fake.

It’s not an inherently bad approach and I have no doubt that everyone involved is working their hardest to make the best movie they can, one that also pleases fans of the character. But this approach of setting the story in our world and altering Sonic’s look, which was guaranteed to result in backlash, to fit into that world, speaks to a fundamental disconnect with the fans of this property and what people want from adaptations of iconic stories and characters.

Now contrast this with Detective Pikachu. Like Sonic the Hedgehog, Detective Pikachu is based on recognizable video game characters that fans have come to know and love over decades. And while I am sure that somewhere there are fans who have taken issue with the look of the Pokémon in the movie, there has been no major outcry because by and large they look pretty much exactly like their video game counterparts.

Pikachu looks like Pikachu; from his lightning bolt tail and his rosy cheeks to his weapons-grade cuteness, he looks like the Generation 1 electric-type rodent Pokémon that became the face of the brand. The same is true for Charizard, Gyarados, Psyduck, Cubone, Bulbasaur, Mewtwo and all the rest. The film embraced the iconic designs of these creatures and rendered them in an extremely faithful fashion.

The only real sort of overture towards realism Detective Pikachu makes is to give the Pokémon some texture to make them feel more tangible and less like flat cartoons. But that tactic does little to nothing to diminish their resemblance to their video game inspirations.

Detective Pikachu was able to do this and give us such great live-action Pokémon because the story didn’t force things to take place in our world. Instead, the film took the approach that in the world of the film, Pokémon exist alongside humans. They aren’t aliens that just landed or genetic mutations or beasts from another dimension, they just are, and that premise required remarkably little in the way of world-building or expository setup.

The filmmakers trust that you know what Pokémon are, know what they look like and can wrap your head around a live-action world where they exist. There is no handholding and no timidity that audiences won’t get it or will check out if the movie goes all in on Pokémon weirdness.

It’s an approach that exudes a tremendous amount of confidence in the audience, trust in the characters and the story and faith in the source material. It either works or it doesn’t. Detective Pikachu bravely asks you to buy in and that gamble seems to have worked.

While opinions may vary, despite not striving for realism in the Pokémon designs, Detective Pikachu does the one thing it had to, according to CinemaBlend’s Mike Reyes: it convinces you that Pokémon and humans can live together in a live-action cinematic world. Even though they look almost exactly like the Pocket Monsters in the video game, it doesn’t take you out of the movie. More quantitative metrics also support the success of Detective Pikachu’s approach.

Rob Letterman’s movie is the best-reviewed video game movie of all time and it also enjoyed a bigger opening weekend than any of its video game adaptation predecessors. Audiences gave it an “A-“ CinemaScore and there certainly seems to be interest and potential for future Pokémon movies.

This isn’t all to say that Detective Pikachu’s approach was unquestionably right and Sonic the Hedgehog’s definitively wrong. Each property is different and adaptation is one of the most precarious forms of filmmaking. Sonic may well end up being a far better movie than Pikachu for all I know, and maybe going all in with a more fantastical world where Sonic exists wouldn’t have worked.

Nevertheless, it is also important to remember that this isn’t a literary adaptation. These aren’t only iconic characters, they have iconic designs, and I think it is telling that the highlight of the Sonic trailer, for me anyways, was at the end where Jim Carrey looks the most like his video game counterpart Dr. Robotnik.

To his credit, in response to the vocal criticism, Sonic the Hedgehog’s director Jeff Fowler said that design changes to Sonic are coming. It's nice to know they're listening and fan sentiment can make a difference. But I can’t help thinking that if this movie just took an approach that was less focused on realism and setting things in our world, and instead embraced the source material and trusted audiences to get it, the Blue Blur would be coming to the big screen surrounded by a spirit of excitement, not one of trepidation.

We'll find out how Sonic the Hedgehog is received by the public when it races into theaters on November 8, but for now you can still enjoy Detective Pikachu on the big screen.

Going into Pokemon: Detective Pikachu this past weekend, there was a lot of anticipation as to how the first live-action entry in the Pokemon canon was going to pull off what seemed impossible. Indeed, there was one job that this film had to do, and it needed to get it done properly. That task was to create a world where people and Pokemon could live together in a way that was believable on film.

After seeing the film twice this past weekend, I was struck with the same feeling in each viewing of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu: the world of Pokemon was absolutely nailed in the film. What’s better is, this monumental achievement was accomplished thanks to several components the film incorporated into its whole.

While it was one job that needed to be done, to make the world of Pokemon believable on screen, several components needed to be in place in order for total success. And here’s our list of what those components were and how they benefitted the film’s overall goal of bringing these Pocket Monsters to life in a believable manner.

Pokemon Have Been Translated Perfectly To Live Action

With creatures as unique-looking as Pokemon are, there was obviously a need to get their appearance correct in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. And if there was any component that this world would need to build the rest of its strategy upon, it’d be the fact that if you don’t have Pokemon that look comparatively believable in a world full of flesh and blood humans, your movie’s not going to make it very far.

Lucky for director Rob Letterman and the rest of the folks involved in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, the actual creatures that populate this film's universe are absolutely stunning. In particular, the look of Detective Pikachu himself, with very wavy and texture fur covering every inch of his person, is a firm example of how getting the design of a Pokemon is so crucial to correctly conveying the entire enterprise this film represents.

Detective Pikachu Showed That A Parent/Child Friendly Tone Can Be Struck

Ryan Reynolds has basically admitted that if Warner Bros and The Pokemon Company really wanted to, they could release a separate, more mature cut of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. While that isn’t a surprise, it’s also equally unsurprising that the finished product released into theaters this past weekend played exceedingly well for children and parents, with two levels of humor present in one package.

For the children, the physical antics involving all of the characters present throughout Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, as well as some good natured humor, are easy to enjoy while watching the Pokemon of this universe do their thing. Meanwhile, there was some subtle, line-toeing innuendos that slid into the script for parents to get some sly chuckles out of, such as Detective Pikachu’s off-handed comment about people putting their fingers in him. All in all, everyone could have a laugh, and no one had to be any wiser about the fun stuff that snuck in for older viewers.

The Movie Created A Fantastic Story Out Of An Open Ended Game Universe

When you’re trying to craft a universe as spectacular as Pokemon: Detective Pikachu in a live-action film, another key component is using the source material to your advantage. And as it turns out, Pokemon has a storied history of telling a narrative in the open-ended universe of the original games. But even with that history, this film’s story exceeded expectations.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu not only plays around with the usual story of Pokemon and their place in a world of humans that's also been explored in animated TV shows and movies, it also dug into a story of a son dealing with his feelings towards his father. With Justice Smith’s Tim trying to sort out his feelings of his presumed dead father, while solving a case with his Pikachu partner, married a very emotional story with the usual message of co-existence between the species that Pokemon has always tried to advance.

It Proved That People Still Want To See A Pokemon Movie

You can make a movie look, sound and feel as fantastic as Pokemon: Detective Pikachu all you want, but if people aren’t interested in the content, any potential cinematic universe will fall flat on its face. Getting the world of Pokemon itself was a big step, but the greatest thing this movie did was prove the fact that people are still very much invested in the property’s fate.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu managed to not only make itself a movie that was worth seeing, but it also attracted fans of the franchise and newbies to flock to theaters and see what it had. If anyone was wondering if what Pokemon would look like in a live-action adventure, all they have to do now is go see this film and they’ll find out. The ultimate sign that Warner Bros nailed Pokemon on the big screen is the fact that so many people have already gone to see it in its first weekend, with more weekends ahead to show just how well the idea holds up.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu’s one important job was to convince the world that Pokemon could believably exist alongside humans, be it in the fictional confines of Ryme City or the world of our modern blockbuster box office. Through the factors described above, that job was absolutely nailed, and a promising new cinematic universe was born.

We’ll have to wait and see what the future for Pokemon looks like, as Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is still in its first week of release. But if the results are as promising as the film itself, we might not have seen the last of these lovable creatures, or the stories they can tell. Here’s hoping we get a chance to catch them all.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is in theaters now. If you haven’t seen it yet, whether you’re a Pokemon fan or not, you owe it to yourself to experience the wonder first hand.

Pokemon is a massively popular franchise with fans all over the world. The brand has now made the jump to the big screen with the first live action Pokemon movie, Detective Pikachu. Considering how popular the Pokemon name is, the idea of the movies becoming a franchise of their own certainly has to be something that the studio and the Pokemon Company are hoping for. They're not the only ones, as the cast of Detective Pikachu is certainly hoping for sequels as well.

Ryan Reynolds says he had such a great time making Detective Pikachu that he'd love to do it again, although, he hopes more movies get made even if Pikachu is not part of them. When CinemaBlend asked Reynolds if we might see the world of Pokemon in a future film, he said...

Pokemon has been a card game, a video game, and an animated series among other things. Each of these areas has been incredibly successful for the brand and so of course there is hope that there could be more films. One producer of Detective Pikachu wasn't even coy about the possibility. The idea of potentially creating a cinematic universe out of Pokemon is something that is being considered if the first movie is done right.

And considering how many hundreds of Pokemon characters there are, it would be easy to make multiple movies that spotlight different characters. You could make more movies than the MCU has made without ever showing the same Pokemon twice.

Of course, if there is a direct sequel to Detective Pikachu, the rest of the cast is also on board. Speaking with CinemBlend alongside Kathryn Newton, Justice Smith said that while they have no idea what the future holds for the franchise, they're hopeful they'll be back.

Of course, Justice Smith also points out the most important thing, that it's all going to come down to box office numbers. In that regard Detective Pikachu is actually struggling a bit. The movie was projected to open with close to $100 million box office but it only ended up doing a bit over half that.

The holdover from Avengers: Endgame has been even stronger than analysts predicted and so even in its third week it was able to win the box office. Pikachu has done better overseas, but it's still not the runaway smash that many were expecting it be following the early buzz.

It will be interesting to see if the movie is able to become enough of a hit to justify another entry. If it does, at least the studio knows the cast is already on board.

Check out the cast's full comments to CinemaBlend in the video below.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Detective Pikachu. Read at your own risk!

Detective Pikachu is a great movie, and a wonderful nostalgia trip for those who were a part of Pokemon's original run 20-plus years ago - but there are bits of the film where older fans may have been a bit out of the loop. Those only familiar with the franchise up to the 151st Pokemon may have missed some of the deep cut references to successive games, not to mention been unfamiliar with some of the new species that are prominently featured. It still makes for a fun time at the cineplex, but imagine if there was a movie that focused on the Pokemon of the late 1990s.

Not to get anyone's hopes too high, but there's a possibility something like that could happen now that the new film is a hit. You may have missed it, but Detective Pikachu has a very subtle reference to past stories that very well could tie the movie into the anime world of Pokemon and the franchise's most famous human character. To spell it all out, below you'll find the details behind the reference that some may have missed, and an exploration into how it may set the stage for a popular figure who didn't appear in the film: Ash Ketchum.

Detective Pikachu's Reference To The Pokemon Anime And Pokemon: The First Movie

Detective Pikachu does a lot to establish Rhyme City as a part of the greater Pokemon universe, and surprisingly added a bit that may tie in the movie with the actual canon of the Pokemon anime and Pokemon: The First Movie. The moment comes when Tim, Pikachu, Lucy, and Psyduck explore Clifford Industries' lab, and learn more about the mysterious origins of the Pokemon, Mewtwo.

In a bit of dialogue, it's revealed that Clifford Industries managed to catch Mewtwo after it escaped the Kanto region 20 years ago. In the Pokemon anime, Mewtwo was in the possession of Viridian City Gym Leader and leader of the Team Rocket syndicate Giovanni, who operates in the Kanto region. Giovanni used Mewtwo (who was subdued with electronics) to defeat Ash's rival Gary in a gym battle. Mewtwo escaped shortly after that, which became the basis for Pokemon: The First Movie.

What makes this reference all the more interesting is the revelation that it happened 20 years ago, which is essentially how long it's been since Pokemon: The First Movie was released in theaters. It could be a coincidence, but there's something really intentional about that time frame that seems to show Detective Pikachu is wanting to align itself with the show's original canon.

Why Didn't Detective Pikachu Reference Ash Ketchum Then?

If researchers knew of Mewtwo's escape, then why didn't they know about Ash, Misty, Brock, or Team Rocket? Better yet, considering Tim believed he was going up against one of the strongest Pokemon in existence, why didn't he ring up one of the world's most prolific Pokemon trainers for some advice on how to bring him down?

There's actually a rather simple explanation for this: Ash Ketchum and his friends don't remember their encounter with Mewtwo. The powerful psychic Pokemon ended up wiping everyone's memory following the climax of Pokemon: The First Movie, and the characters resumed their lives as though nothing had ever happened. So, if Ash saw the news about Mewtwo in Rhyme City, he was probably just as shocked and as oblivious as anyone else who may have seen it.

While Mewtwo doesn't make any reference to Ash in Detective Pikachu, there are parts that imply he lived through the events of Pokemon: The First Movie. For example, he seemed far less ruthless and more forgiving of human kind in Detective Pikachu, whereas the version featured pre-Pokemon: The First Movie would've turned all the humans he encountered to stone really quickly. Fortunately, he only had to turn Ash to stone that one time to figure out it was a terrible idea he should never replicate.

Where Is Ash Ketchum In The Detective Pikachu World?

Ash was a little older than 10 when he faced off against Mewtwo, which would make him around 30 years old when the events of Detective Pikachu go down. Like most cartoon characters, Ash is basically ageless in the Pokemon anime, but while that would be an absolutely riveting plot point to tackle in a Detective Pikachu sequel, it feels more likely he would show up as an seasoned Pokemon Trainer played by an adult actor.

Ash travels around a lot, and he's gotten into some crazy situations. If Tim managed to run into Ash in the midst of some big mystery it wouldn't be the least bit surprising, and the two might even join forces. Of course, the question is, is there really a need for Detective Pikachu 2?

It would appear that Tim's issues are largely resolved with his father back in his life. Tim could still have some adventures with his dad and a non-speaking Pikachu sidekick, but that doesn't sound nearly as cool as the general premise. Ash Ketchum would certainly sweeten the deal, but maybe not enough that audiences would sign on for another Detective Pikachu where Ryan Reynolds isn't the voice of the yellow mouse.

Will Detective Pikachu Lead To A 90s Pokemon Film?

Detective Pikachu's mention of Mewtwo's origins could be the link needed for the franchise to take a trip back in time, making a movie that could potentially use Ash Ketchum as a way of telling the origin story of Mewtwo once again. Yes, it would essentially be a live-action remake of Pokemon: The First Movie, but could be completely different than the film with which American audiences are familiar.

For those that aren't aware, the story differences between the Japanese and American versions of that Pokemon movie are substantial. In fact, it's fair to say they're basically entirely separate movies, as the American version of Pokemon: The Movie was heavily edited and had its script changed to cater to American audiences. Had they stuck with the original, Americans could've had a deeply nuanced story about Mewtwo, his existential crisis, and a movie that honestly made the diminutive Mew seem like the true villain.

It's a story far better than what the American version of Pokemon: The First Movie delivered, which essentially stated that fighting is wrong in a franchise where the world's entire economy revolves around fighting. Now, Detective Pikachu has presented an opportunity to tell that story right if it wants to, and the company could retcon a very bad Pokemon feature and give America its first live-action Ash Ketchum in the process. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Should Ash Ketchum appear in the next Pokemon movie? Is remaking Pokemon: The First Movie a good idea? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all updates regarding movies, television, and pop culture.

Warning: spoilers for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu are in play. If you don’t want to be spoiled, head over to another story and come back once you’re current.

Over this past weekend, the world was more than kind to the unveiling of what represents the first step into a greater world, with the release of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. As the world of the Pokemon craze has finally hit the big screen in live-action, the possibilities are now endless.

But in a world where any Pokemon movie could happen, which ones should? There’s already a wealth of films that could come out of this first installment, and it’s a topic worthy of discussion.

In honor of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu’s impressive opening weekend, and in tribute to all of the Pokemon fans out there who made it so big, here’s a list of the next films we’d love to see come out of this burgeoning cinematic universe.

Detective Pikachu 2

The first suggestion is an obvious one, as Pokemon: Detective Pikachu could always use a direct sequel, and one is already in the works. With Justice Smith’s Tim Goodman now staying in Ryme City with his father, and his intent to try and become a detective, there’s definitely room for at least one more adventure with the Goodman family.

While it’d obviously have to be different than the first film, as Harry’s Pikachu wouldn’t have his consciousness in it this time, the wisecracks between father and son would basically serve the purpose that “Detective Pikachu” did in this first film. Also, the bonus is that we’d get to discover the personality of the actual Pikachu that Harry’s partnered up with, which is bound to be cute and informative.

Pokemon Snap

One of the most fondly remembered games in the Pokemon canon, Pokemon Snap has a pretty simple story to it. A young man by the name of Todd Snap is hired to take pictures of various Pokemon, in a region that doesn’t see a lot of human action. This allows anyone who wants to visit it access to some hard data about various species and their lives in the wild.

If that’s not a fantastic idea for a Pokemon film, then good luck finding another one. Pokemon Snap could be an adventure on the same level as Jurassic Park, with a small group of photographers joining Todd along for the ride. We’ve seen the miracle of Pokemon living with humans already, so seeing them undisturbed in the wild, along with any exciting consequences that come from when they are disturbed, seems like it’d be a lot of fun.

Team Rocket’s Origin Story

Confession time: when the mysterious substance “R” was revealed in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, it felt like there was a setup in the works that would eventually reveal Team Rocket as a part of the cinematic universe. While that never panned out, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to help expand that corner of the universe.

We already know that the events of Pokemon: The First Movie are canon, thanks to Mewtwo’s backstory folding it into Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. So going back to where it all began, and bringing that story into a live-action context, would be another great step to building the Pokemon stable of films.

A Pokemon: The First Movie Live-Action Remake

Another good thing about folding Pokemon: The First Movie into the canon that exists in the live-action film universe of Pokemon is the fact that, if the studio really wanted to, they could remake that classic original film. And remaking it into a live-action version would serve more of a purpose than just reviving nostalgia.

For starters, the story of Pokemon: The First Movie could be enhanced and retrofitted to slot in with Pokemon: Detective Pikachu’s story a lot better. Also, bringing back the adventures of Ash Ketcham and his dear friends in a new remake would set up an entire series of his adventures being brought to film, filling in the years in-between. Of course, there’s another reason that bringing Pokemon: The First Movie into the recent canon would work perfectly, and it’s to set up another new opportunity to tell a Pokemon-centric story.

A Brand New Mewtwo Stand-Alone Story

With Mewtwo wondering around the wilderness of the Pokemon universe for almost two decades, there’s a lot of story that could be told in that very window of opportunity. Much like Planet of the Apes’ Caesar, Mewtwo has a hell of a story to be told when dealing with his checkered past involving humanity.

And much like Pokemon Snap, this Mewtwo stand-alone adventure could take the action to a far off location in the more wooded areas past Ryme City, allowing for more open and wild adventures to take place. Throw in the fact that we might even get to see what Mew has been up to in the time that Mewtwo has been running wild, and that’s just more story for the taking in a Mewtwo movie.

Super Smash Bros: The Movie

Perhaps the greatest potential for a Pokemon follow-up movie is one that would take some heavy lifting, and years of preparation. With a roster of characters from games far and wide, Super Smash Bros is something that would excite fans of not only Pokemon, but also the greater video game universe. But even if you're not a dyed in the wool fan of this particular fighting series, being a fan of at least one of the properties represented will give you a way into the story of this particular film.

The game's simple story of combatants from all over being drawn together to fight for victory under a specific set of circumstances is basically The Avengers of video games, and taking that to the big screen would be a feat that would be so daunting, and yet so rewarding. If the creative team behind a Super Smash Bros movie nailed that concept on film, the payoff would be so great that there might be hope for other video game movies to get it right themselves. Also, Pikachu and Mewtwo are just two of the Pokemon available in that game, so the ties to the franchise run deeper than most would expect.

Six movies, each of them amazing examples of how Pokemon has set itself up to tell a story so great, it could chance the face of video game movies forever. In Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Warner Bros and the creative team they've enlisted have proven that they truly understand the world of the franchise and what it needed to become a live-action crossover hit. Now it's time to push the envelope again, and choose to go places that this series, and video game films in general, haven't gone yet, if not for the studio's sake, then for the fans who are already enamored with Pokemon: Detective Pikachu.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is in theaters now, waiting for Pokemon fans to understand the power that’s inside this new cinematic universe. But before we leave, we have a question: which of these potential Pokemon films do you want to see the most?

Use the poll below to tell us which of these prospects is your particular favorite, and don’t forget to explain your answer in the comments below!

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After over two decades of video games, trading cards and animated TV shows and movies, Pokemon is finally making the jump to the live action realm with Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. The movie is arriving in theaters this weekend, but as is usually the case, numerous critics were able to see the movie early. Following the initial social media reactions, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu reviews are now pouring in, and the reception towards the first live action Pokemon movie is fairly mixed.

Starting, CinemaBlend’s own Dirk Libbey had a more mixed view towards Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, giving it 3 stars out of 5 stars in his review and saying that while you don’t need to be a Pokemon expert to enjoy the movie, it doesn’t hurt. Dirk complimented the look of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, but noted that it’s filled with over-exposition about details concerning each major Pokemon, and the story leaves a lot to be desired, though it’s clear that Ryan Reynolds had a lot of fun voicing the titular Pikachu.

AV Club’s Jesse Hassenger was also more critical towards Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, giving it a C-. In Jesse’s opinion, the movie fails to effectively mix the classic Pokemon mythology with noir tropes, which is especially unfortunate for Kathryn Newton’s Lucy Stevens. Ultimately, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu “settles into the generic rhythms of a second-tier ’80s cop movie—in other words, noir for dummies,” though the Pokemon at least look good in their “half-realistic, half-cartoony CG.”

On the more positive end of the spectrum, Dan Casey from Nerdist gave Pokemon: Detective Pikachu 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a “super effective” story that helps break the video game movie curse. Boasting “eticulous visual effects wizardry, a delightfully dry sense of humor, and an abiding love of pulp and noir,” Pokemon: Detective Pikachu gives audiences a world where these Pocket Monsters feel like “living, breathing creatures.”

Back to mixed territory, Empire’s Olly Richards stamped Pokemon: Detective Pikachu with 3 out of 5 stars. In Olly’s eyes, the movie’s plotting is “pretty shoddy,” in that it doesn’t clearly establish the rules of Pokemon and full of characters monologuing about what’s happening and what will happen. The saving grace is Ryan Reynolds’ performance as Pikachu, as his lines are “sharp, silly and knowing.”

Chris Nashawaty from Entertainment Weekly gave Pokemon: Detective Pikachu a C+, calling it “narratively incoherent to the point of being almost avant-garde.” If you’re already a Pokemon fan, you’ll appreciate the movie much more than someone going in with barely any familiarity with the franchise.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Michael Rechtshaffen was among the critics who took a more positive stance on Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, saying that writer/director Rob Letterman’s “energetic direction,” Ryan Reynolds’ “world-weary” Pikachu and Justice Smith’s “necessarily reactive performance” are just enough to make this an enjoyable cinematic offering.

Finally, IGN’s Joshua Yehl awarded Pokemon: Detective Pikachu an 8 out of 10 score, complementing how well animated the Pokemon are and how they feel like a “natural part of the world.” The storytelling “isn’t entirely up to par,” but this is somewhat balanced out by a “layered sense of humor” that’s willing to poke fun at itself and paves the way for some deep-cut references.

These are just a sampling of the Pokemon: Detective Pikachu reviews available now, so feel free to read what other people thought of the movie elsewhere on the internet. However, working off these examples, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu falls right in the middle when it comes to critical reception. There’s definitely enough for longtime Pokemon fans to enjoy, and some newbies might also be entertained, but there are definitely various issues that prevent this movie from being exceptional.

Looking to the commercial side of things, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu was predicted last month to open between $75-$90 million, so it won’t be much longer until we learn whether it meets, exceeds or falls short of those expectations. Assuming it is a critical success, Warner Bros already has a Detective Pikachu sequel in the works, and there’s the potential for this film series to evolve into a cinematic universe.

You can judge Pokemon: Detective Pikachu for yourself starting this weekend, but if you’re more curious about what movies will be arriving later in 2019, you can look through our handy release schedule for that information. Be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for any updates concerning the future of Pokemon on the silver screen.

Pokemon is one of those phenomenon that has succeeded in every other medium in which it has been introduced. It has been popular trading cards, video games, an incredibly long-running animated series, which has spawned several animated films. Now the franchise movies into the world of live-action cinema in the first big Hollywood production, Detective Pikachu. The movie seems destined to conquer the box office as well, and while the film may satisfy existing fans of the franchise, it's unlikely to win many new ones.

Describing the world of Pokemon is more than a little complicated if you're not already familiar with it. All wildlife in the world is made up of a wide variety of different creatures, all of which are called Pokemon. They come in all different sizes and types. Some bear resemblances to animals we would be familiar with. Others look more humanoid, while still others just look like bizarre monsters. Some of them are kept as pets by humans, others are trained to battle each other by specialized Pokemon trainers in what is essentially MMA meets cock fighting.

Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is an insurance adjuster in this world when he learns that his estranged father, a police officer in Ryme City -- a place where humans and Pokemon live together -- has died. Tim goes to Ryme City to close out his father's affairs, but in his father's apartment he meets Pikachu, a little yellow fuzz ball of a Pokemon voiced by Ryan Reynolds. In a shock to both of them, the human and the Pokemon can completely understand each other. Pikachu has lost his memory, but he has a deerstalker cap with Tim's dad's address in it. Pikachu wants to investigate the circumstances of Tim's dad's disappearance (a body was never actually found) in order to hopefully get his own memory back, and he convinces Tim to go along with him.

The first thing that you'll notice about Detective Pikachu is that the movie looks absolutely amazing. Ryme City feels like a real place despite the fact that half its citizenry look like creatures from The Island of Dr Moreau were given a Hello Kitty style make over. The city itself is an interesting fusion of east meets west, and every new Pokemon you meet is just as adorable/bizarre/WTF as you can imagine.

If you're not familiar with Pokemon at all, that's ok. The movie makes a point of filling you in on every new creature as it is introduced, but then that's part of the problem. Detective Pikachu does its best to work the important details of each creature into dialogue, but it feels forced every time. Here's its name, here's what it is. Does it have some special skill or ability that we need to know about? That will be explained by a character either just before, or just after, you see it do that skill or ability.

With a name like Detective Pikachu you might expect the movie to be some sort of actual mystery, but put that thought out of your head. Despite the attempt at a noir feel, any resemblance to a classic whodunit is surface level only. There are no clues to put together in order to figure out the solution. The plot is too much of a mess for that. Most of the answers end up being explained as "Because Pokemon," but it's unlikely even the most ardent fans will be able to put many of the pieces together. When the villain is revealed, it's more than a little predictable. The villain's plot is less so, though only because it comes out of nowhere and makes zero sense.

If you've seen the trailers for Detective Pikachu, then you know that whatever other failings the movie might have, Ryan Reynolds clearly had a lot of fun voicing the title character. Unfortunately, if you've seen the trailers, then you've seen most of the good jokes that Reynolds, and the movie as a whole, has on offer.

Justice Smith does a solid job as the slightly clueless human searching for answers and playing straight man for Reynolds. Kathryn Newton's Lucy, a wannabe reporter who teams up with Justice's character, feels like she's supposed to be a loving nod to the film's noir roots, which would be nice if the character was given any significant attention or development. Lucy is the one that actually gets most of the information that keeps the plot moving, but rather than the audience seeing any of it, she does it all off screen.

In the final analysis, while exposition is ham-handed and motivations are far from clear, there's a charm in Detective Pikachu that is undeniable. Seeing these creatures come to life is going to be a blast for fans, and while some of the references to the franchise might be lost on non-fans, Ryan Reynolds' charisma combined with seeing one lovingly crafted Pokemon creature after another will likely carry you through.

It's all but a foregone conclusion that Detective Pikachu is designed to be the first film in a franchise. Ryme City is so amazing to look at that I certainly wouldn't be against visiting again one day.