Thursday, 24 April 2008

Pokemon Theme Backwards!

As you know, I'm a Pokemon freak so as you can imagine I got a real kick out of this YouTube video that plays the first season's theme song backwards and reveals some hillarious hidden lyrics!

If you haven't seen the opening in a while here it is.

And here's the backwards version. Note that it uses the movie version which is why it's longer.

And while I'm freaking out about Pokemon, I'll rave about the 10th movie which is coming out on DVD in the US next month, The Rise of Darkrai which will also be the first Pokemon movie DVD to be bilingual! Yeah! It'll have both the new English audio track plus the original Japanese audio and English subtitles!!! Pretty good!

I was going to buy the Japanese DVD as I really don't like the new English actors (they were recast last year) but I think I'll be getting this Region 1 Pokemon DVD! Looks like it'll also be in WIDESCREEN (the last two have also been in widescreen as well as the second, third and (in Australia and UK) the fourth.

In other Pokemon news I really can't wait for the next Pokemon movie! It looks as if it'll be the first movie to continue from the previous one with Dialga continuing to cause havoc around the world! Looks like some pretty good animation too!

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Labels: Pokemon

Thursday, 22 November 2007

New Pokemon Center Tokyo

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Pochama, Pikachu and Charmander

A few weeks ago I went to the new Tokyo Pokemon Center that had moved from it's original location near Tokyo Station (which I had been to heaps in my four years in Japan) to a brand new, very convenient location of right across the road from Hamamatsucho station on the JR Yamonote Line!

On my way there I remembered thinking I had heard of the station name before but couldn't remember where but then it occurred to me! It's the same place you go to to board those big party boats that I had gone on the last two years!

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Main Entrance

Naturally though I ended walking up in the wrong direction for about ten minutes before asking a policeman for directions who happened to have been given official Pokemon maps by Nintendo for people looking for the Pokemon Center! Pretty cool! (If you're a Pokemon fan like me anyway).

Once I found it (literally across the road from the station) I was really impressed! So much effort (and money) had obviously been put into this new location! It reminded me of going to Disney Sea where even the smallest object has been fitted with the most minute details.

Pokeball (or "monster balls" as they call them in Japanese) designs were everywhere and new life size models (for the smaller Pokemon anyway) were scattered throughout the place.

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Pikachu Plushies / Toys

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Pikachu Plushies / Toys

As usual there were literally hundreds of stuffed toys, stickers, stationary, dvds, cds, Nintendo DS', Nintendo Wiis etc to buy. I grabbed myself some new Pokemon stationary and two money banks that are in the shape of a regular red and white Pokeball and a purple and white "Masterball". The stationary is particularly impressive. They always choose some really good artwork for the envelopes and letters that even though it's featuring Pokemon characters it surprisingly looks very cool and visually appealing.

Luckily there was also a "Pokemon Event" going on which I didn't know about. Occasionally they offer exclusive Pokemon with unique abilities to wirelessly download onto your Nintedo DS Pokemon game. I grabbed my free Pokemon but I doubt I'll ever use it except for bragging to my 8 year old students that I have him.

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Union Room

What I found particularly cool was a real life "Union Room" just outside the main Pokemon Center that looks just like the one in the Pokemon games, right down to the glowing circles on the floor. In the games the Union Room is a room you go to to connect to other people who are playing the game nearby and battle, trade or chat. The fact that they've made a real one is pretty cool as it's like you're actually doing what you do in the game.

Unfortunately the amount of middle aged women (probably mothers of the kids) filling up the place and sleeping on the couches around the walls partially ruined the illusion but the whole idea was a nice touch.

I think I've said previously that I was going to do a kind of "Pokemon Journey" just like the main character in the anime and game where I was going to travel around Japan and visit all the Pokemon Centers. Unfortunately I haven't gotten around to it yet but I'm determined now to do it next year (visit all of them) but in individual weekend trips!

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Gotta Catch 'em All!

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Gotta Catch 'em All!

To add to the "just like in the anime" feel I'm going to buy the special location specific badges that they sell at each Pokemon Center! I bought myself the Pokemon Center Tokyo badge during this last trip and will try and get one at each new location I go to (as well as some Starbucks mugs of course).

First up I think will be a revisit to the Tokyo Pokemon Center for some Christmas shopping and then the Pokemon Center in Yokohama which is really only about 30 minutes away by train but I still haven't been there yet (it opened about two years ago I think).

After that, maybe Nagoya because a good friend of mine just moved down there so I can hit two birds with one stone! Then the Pokemon Center in Sendai because I've always wanted to go there. Might go in February when they have that star festival. (Edit: Looks like that one must have closed! Can't find any info on it now!)

After that would be Osaka and then Fukuoka.

I also hear they have one in New York in the States but that might be a while off. :D

I've created two separate "labels" or "tags" for my posts on this blog to follow this plan. The first is Pokemon Journey which will feature posts that I make exclusively about this plan to visit all the Centers. The second is simply "Pokemon" which will cover the same posts as "Pokemon Journey" but will also feature any general posts about Pokemon such as when I see the movies, play the game or any other misc Pokemon info I feel like posting about.

Anyway, wish me luck on my Pokemon Journey! It should be a fun way to see the country and I recommend finding a theme yourself for travelling. It makes it all the more interesting!

Gotta Catch 'em All!

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Labels: Pokemon, Pokemon Journey

Thursday, 18 January 2007

That's right! The 10th Pokemon Movie!

Yup! You all laughed and said it was just a phase but Pokemon is still a massive success in Japan and this year sees the release of the 10th Pokemon movie!!! I'm a Pokefreak and proud of it and can't wait for this next movie. Last year's (animated movies from tv shows are an annual production here in Japan, not every 4 years like a Disney movie) Pokemon movie sucked serious arse. Seriously there were cliches coming out of it's ears where cuteness weemed more important that plot or character.

This year's one however gets back to good old fashioned huge arse Pokemon battling it out with the world at stake. Can't get much better than that!

Now where's my ticket... Pokemon Centre, here I come!

Labels: computer games, japan, movies, Pokemon