Pokemon Complete Animation Guide
by Kotaro Takahashi
Category: Comics & Graphic Novels

The statistics are staggering indeed: In Japan, more than 100 million toys, 300 million sets of trading cards, eight million units of the game, plus countless comic books, CDs, plush toys, key chains, clothing, even snack foods have been sold. No, we're not talking about Power Rangers, Beanie Babies, Teletubbies, or even Tamagotchis. This phenomenon is Pokemon, literally "pocket monsters", which began life in 1996 as a Nintendo Game Boy cartridge and quickly became a runaway success. In the game, which provides the basis for the TV show, the main objective is to capture one of every type of Pokemon and complete the whole collection. In the show, 10-year-old boy Ash tries to become the "World's Greatest Pokemon Trainer". He and his sidekick Pikachu work together to marshal the other 150-odd characters -- a wild assortment of animal, vegetable, mineral, and magical Pokemon -- to combat the enemy. In fall 1998, Pokemon comes to the U.S. with the debut of the Pokemon animated TV series here, the release of a Pokemon Nintendo Game Boy for the U.S. market, and a line of Pokemon licensed toys from Hasbro. Pokemon -- The Complete Animation Guide is both a companion to the TV series and an important reference for the best-selling game. It contains illustrated summaries of every episode as the show follows the storyline of the game. Author Kotaro Takahashi profiles all the characters, both human and Pokemon, including both the final animated version and the original line art and designs; gives blow-by-blows of every fight between the different Pokemon; and features extensive original color and black-and-white art. The tiny monsters -- resembling horses, kittens, dragons, butterflies,bees, stars, fish, bats, along with weird lightning, tornadoes, and other natural phenomena -- have bridged the gender gap common to the action-figure video realm. In Japan, Pokemon in all its variations is equally popular with boys and girls, and American kids already captivated by the Tamagotchi will find the adventures of these "pocket monsters" and their young trainor exciting and fun.