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Pokémon Adventures: Red and Blue, Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1
Not yet published
Expected 10 Nov 26476 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 10, 2026
About the author
Hidenori Kusaka
367 books417 followersCreated the Pokemon Adventures series.
Also made a Pokemon Rangers/ Almia manga. It is based on the game Pokemon Rangers, Shadows of Almia
Also known as : 日下秀憲
Also made a Pokemon Rangers/ Almia manga. It is based on the game Pokemon Rangers, Shadows of Almia
Also known as : 日下秀憲
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 14, 2026
A fun graphic novel for Pokémon fans. It follows Red’s journey earning a Pokédex and running into Team Rocket and other misadventures along the way. I also really enjoyed that it was in black and white instead of color.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for providing me with a copy to review.
The world of Pokémon it's like our own but this world is inhabited by strange- I'm pretty sure I don't have to continue the rest to have you remembering your first pokemon game, the excitement of going off to explore and be the very best like no one ever was. That's exactly how I felt reading Pokémon Adventures: Red & Blue Deluxe Edition Vol.1 by Hidenori Kusaka. The story follows the adventures of trainers Red, Blue and Green as they try to do what Pokémon trainers do best, catch and train pokemon.
This manga is old, probably older than most of the people reading this review. Originally published in 97 to tie in with the video games, it's good to see Viz has decided to bring this beauty back around in hardcover form. The deluxe volume contains adventures 1-30 which is more than enough to have readers fall in love with its 90s shounen charm. These stories have heart, even if that heart is the naivety of being ten and feeling invincible. What this manga really excels at is making the world of Pokémon feel even more lived in and a bit more dangerous than that of its anime and video game counterparts. The battles feel epic and have stakes with pokemon regularly getting dismembered or down right killed. It brought me back to my youth when I would imagine how my own Pokémon journey would be like if I actually was a ten year old sent off to parts unknown to claim my destiny. Also this is just my personal cherry on top, but I love love love the “off-model” designs of the pokemon at times, because yeah pokemon wouldn't all look exactly the same even if they were the same species.
But I digress, though I thoroughly enjoyed this volume I do have a few criticisms. And they fall into two camps: Story issues and Localization issues. Let's start with the story issues because frankly that can't really be helped or fixed due to the manga's age. The pacing feels off at times. I could best describe this as some adventures start in media res but with no follow up on what got us to this point, or to put it bluntly they just start no build up or explanation. I can chalk that up to the fact this was written for grade school children who need to be pulled in from jump. Another thing the manga suffers from is 90s young shounen protagonist syndrome growth does happen but it's mostly about the adventures and the friends made along the way. Now onto Localization issues, I'm gonna start with my biggest gripe: Viz should have undone an unnecessary switch they made years ago when they decided to switch Blue and Green's names. I get why at the time the switch was done, that American game synergy baby, but now most people who aren't my age, 36, won't remember that we got Blue version instead of Green and why the switch was made. I feel Viz will also keep its tone down edits for the manga instead of giving us the original which is kind of disappointing because I'm pretty sure the people who will actually purchase this book are old enough to handle the originals' slightly more mature themes. Also the dialogue is dated to hell and back and definitely could use a refresh, you don't have to use modern slang but you can also stop with the whole Osakan accent equals country bumpkin thing, I'm looking at you Bill.
Gripes aside, this manga definitely hit me in my nostalgia. I think any pokemon fan that wants to relive that childhood wonder should definitely pick this up. Or if you wanted to see what the whole fuss about pokemon is without dropping sixty to seventy dollars on a video game or watching the anime I say pick this up, you won't be disappointed, but if you are, the pokemaniac in your life won't be if you gift it to them.
The world of Pokémon it's like our own but this world is inhabited by strange- I'm pretty sure I don't have to continue the rest to have you remembering your first pokemon game, the excitement of going off to explore and be the very best like no one ever was. That's exactly how I felt reading Pokémon Adventures: Red & Blue Deluxe Edition Vol.1 by Hidenori Kusaka. The story follows the adventures of trainers Red, Blue and Green as they try to do what Pokémon trainers do best, catch and train pokemon.
This manga is old, probably older than most of the people reading this review. Originally published in 97 to tie in with the video games, it's good to see Viz has decided to bring this beauty back around in hardcover form. The deluxe volume contains adventures 1-30 which is more than enough to have readers fall in love with its 90s shounen charm. These stories have heart, even if that heart is the naivety of being ten and feeling invincible. What this manga really excels at is making the world of Pokémon feel even more lived in and a bit more dangerous than that of its anime and video game counterparts. The battles feel epic and have stakes with pokemon regularly getting dismembered or down right killed. It brought me back to my youth when I would imagine how my own Pokémon journey would be like if I actually was a ten year old sent off to parts unknown to claim my destiny. Also this is just my personal cherry on top, but I love love love the “off-model” designs of the pokemon at times, because yeah pokemon wouldn't all look exactly the same even if they were the same species.
But I digress, though I thoroughly enjoyed this volume I do have a few criticisms. And they fall into two camps: Story issues and Localization issues. Let's start with the story issues because frankly that can't really be helped or fixed due to the manga's age. The pacing feels off at times. I could best describe this as some adventures start in media res but with no follow up on what got us to this point, or to put it bluntly they just start no build up or explanation. I can chalk that up to the fact this was written for grade school children who need to be pulled in from jump. Another thing the manga suffers from is 90s young shounen protagonist syndrome growth does happen but it's mostly about the adventures and the friends made along the way. Now onto Localization issues, I'm gonna start with my biggest gripe: Viz should have undone an unnecessary switch they made years ago when they decided to switch Blue and Green's names. I get why at the time the switch was done, that American game synergy baby, but now most people who aren't my age, 36, won't remember that we got Blue version instead of Green and why the switch was made. I feel Viz will also keep its tone down edits for the manga instead of giving us the original which is kind of disappointing because I'm pretty sure the people who will actually purchase this book are old enough to handle the originals' slightly more mature themes. Also the dialogue is dated to hell and back and definitely could use a refresh, you don't have to use modern slang but you can also stop with the whole Osakan accent equals country bumpkin thing, I'm looking at you Bill.
Gripes aside, this manga definitely hit me in my nostalgia. I think any pokemon fan that wants to relive that childhood wonder should definitely pick this up. Or if you wanted to see what the whole fuss about pokemon is without dropping sixty to seventy dollars on a video game or watching the anime I say pick this up, you won't be disappointed, but if you are, the pokemaniac in your life won't be if you gift it to them.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Having grown up reading the graphic novels, it was so nostalgic to return to this world with an artstyle similar to what I remember decades ago. However, the subject matter is a bit more grown up than the pacified version I was raised with, but I'm grateful for it.
The risks are higher, the consequences feel more real, and every battle feels like it could be the end for someone. It's definitely not the cute brawls from my childhood, and the Lavender Town scenes especially were chilling... but I LOVE it! With a world full of incredibly powerful creatures, threats are higher and it really let the authors have more creative freedom with the story.
This book follows the familiar opening of Pallet Town for Ash (Red), but there are some changes made to classic characters. Mainly, the relationship between Red and Misty is a lot less hostile, and we get to enjoy Misty's caring and spunky attitude even more without the feuding in the way. I especially enjoyed how the series revolves around the rivalry between Red and Blue. It brings a lot of energy to the narrative, and the moments where they have to work together are so fulfilling.
I recommend this one for teens and returning fans alike!
The risks are higher, the consequences feel more real, and every battle feels like it could be the end for someone. It's definitely not the cute brawls from my childhood, and the Lavender Town scenes especially were chilling... but I LOVE it! With a world full of incredibly powerful creatures, threats are higher and it really let the authors have more creative freedom with the story.
This book follows the familiar opening of Pallet Town for Ash (Red), but there are some changes made to classic characters. Mainly, the relationship between Red and Misty is a lot less hostile, and we get to enjoy Misty's caring and spunky attitude even more without the feuding in the way. I especially enjoyed how the series revolves around the rivalry between Red and Blue. It brings a lot of energy to the narrative, and the moments where they have to work together are so fulfilling.
I recommend this one for teens and returning fans alike!
July 13, 2026
I was given a copy by VIZ Media LLC in exchange for my honest review.
I never got a chance to read these when they first came out when I was a kid, though I did play the games! It was really neat seeing the full story that played out in Red and Blue. The manga is very engaging and it was cool to see how the Pokemon moved. (They don’t move in game). There’s several maps showing Reds adventures and how far he’s travelled in Kanto. I really liked seeing those, it made the manga even more immersive. This is such a fun read for OG fans as well as new. I’m glad a new generation will be introduced to the travels of Red, Blue, and Green.
I never got a chance to read these when they first came out when I was a kid, though I did play the games! It was really neat seeing the full story that played out in Red and Blue. The manga is very engaging and it was cool to see how the Pokemon moved. (They don’t move in game). There’s several maps showing Reds adventures and how far he’s travelled in Kanto. I really liked seeing those, it made the manga even more immersive. This is such a fun read for OG fans as well as new. I’m glad a new generation will be introduced to the travels of Red, Blue, and Green.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews