Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back―Evolution (Pokémon the Movie

by Machito Gomi

When researchers discover a fossil of the Mythical Pokémon Mew, they bring upon themselves a creation that goes against the very laws of nature: Mewtwo, a Legendary Pokémon intended for use as a tool of destruction. But as Mewtwo becomes aware of its existence, it begins to resent its human creators and seeks revenge—and Ash, Pikachu and their friends find themselves at the center of its rampage! With the future of the Pokémon world at stake, will our heroes be able to overcome Mewtwo’s challenge…and will Mewtwo be able to find a new meaning for its life?

Genres: Manga, Comics

172 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2020

Reviews

[pooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used to love the movie 💖

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a manga version of Pokemon: The First Movie, where we get to see the origin story of Mewtwo. I was already familiar with the story and this met my expectations, but did not impress me or add anything to the story. If you're a fan of Pokemon, you'll likely enjoy this but I don't think it's a must read by any means. There is very little dialogue in comparison to a typical manga, so this is very much geared towards children. Ultimately, just watch the movie for a better interpretation of the story.

I received an advanced reader copy of this title as a PDF from the publisher and Netgalley for review, all opinions are my own.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a classic pokemon tale and it's so nice that this one follows the original characters and uses original pokemon - especially those that are familiar to children. This story will delight children. It's a real shame that it's not in full colour because that would be beautiful and more engaging. It's also not always easy to follow the panels in the right order to work out the story and read the words in the right order. However, it was a simple engaging story that I enjoyed and it was nice to read something pokemon again.

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Read as part of the 25 Days of Manga challenge for December 2020.*

Let's be honest: while I've not seen the CGI anniversary remake of the first Pokemon movie, I still bought this because of the bias from Nostalgia Goggles, and I love it because the original film and its story are still very close to my heart and I hold them dear. For that reason, I think anyone else who's much in the same position as I am (having only watched the original film as a child and not having seen the CGI remake) can still read this and 100% enjoy it for what it is.

Personally, while this is an extremely fast read (and I feel like it downplays Team Rocket's role in the story a bit from the original film,) I absolutely love and adore the art. The sheer amount of emotion and expression we see in all of the characters is very nice, very well done, and I think it really helps in this manga's attempt to recapture the emotional impact that the first film had on the audience.

If you're a long-time Pokemon fan who adored that first movie, I definitely recommend having this in your collection. I also think that this is a fairly good gateway manga for newbies who are younger. I know that a lot of manga readers don't get hooked on manga until middle school or high school, but there are always going to be younger readers out there who get started while they're still in elementary grades, and I think if you have a younger reader in your life who is interested in manga, this oneshot volume is a fairly good starter to cut their literary teeth on. Definitely recommended!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, VZ Media, and Machito Gomi for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an adaptation of the new Netflix original film "Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back--Evolution" which is a remake of "Pokemon: The First Movie." This adaptation squeezes all the events of the film into one volume and is adapted by removing certain scenes and adding some alternate dialogue to make up for the adaptive choices. The action scenes are condensed to a few panels, and if I wasn't the familiar Pokemon fan I am, some of the progression might not have made 100% sense. I enjoyed the artistic ability to show expressions. Some expressions were a bit over the top compared to the show, which added some extra humor, and Mewtwo's emotions were displayed wonderfully.

A great manga for any long-time lover of Pokemon or a way to introduce a young reader to this fantastic world.

[Paul Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book as an eARC from VIZ Media via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This manga is a retelling of a retelling, which in itself I find humorous. The story is the mostly the same as the first Pokemon movie. The changes that were made for the CGI remake are in effect, like the different team that Ash fights at the beginning. Some scenes are given more time, allowing for more depth and context. Other scenes are missing completely, but don't take away from the overall story. there are some great Mewtwo panels. Overall, it was fun to read a classic Pokemon story in a new format. I give this book a 4/5. Don't go into this book expecting anything more than a manga adaptation of Mewtwo's story.

[Rhys Causon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seems a bit short to make it a decent adaptation of Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (Evolution)

And I assume there were certain lines tamest were added in the English dub all those years ago that seem to have added more to the script than was in the book. Mewtwo’s memorable speech near the end of the movie for example… is non existent in this version.

But there’s nothing awful about this I would say, just lacking in a bit of pacing and atmosphere. It doesn’t let the story breathe for a bit at times.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brilliant Manga one shot you like movie you will like this manga all I can say about it yes I am anime/ manga Pokémon fan I’m glad it’s based on movie and not other mew two movie mew two returns your fan of movie and Pokémon you like this manga you like read get this book if you can find it you will not be disappointed

[David Heard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being the first manga I have ever read in paperback (which meant reading from right to left), I was amazed by the flow of it and how quickly I was able to get through it. That said, it ended too quickly, and missed out on a lot of the story from the original film on which it was based.
Still, I enjoyed the experience and am eager to read more manga.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It ends up being a good manga very strictly based on the first Pokemon movie. I had a feeling that some events were missing or depicted very briefly, while others seemed extended more than necessary.
Regardless, it was fun to relive the very first Pokémon story that moved my heart back when I was a kid.

[Robin Pelletier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one faithfully follows the movie that came out back in the day (yes, I watched it with my brother). Zach wanted to read it, so I bumped it up my stack. Totally adding it to my middle school offerings. It filled me with nostalgia (Ash, Brock and Misty and team rocket!)

[ReadingFrog · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

[Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai bien aimé les dessin, bon retour en enfance.

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as you would expect if you are familiar with the cartoon series. I think I would prefer watching it as a cartoon, though.

[Hanna Abi Akl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timeless classic.

[Dave Warbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as I remember the movie. Took me down memory lane, wants to make me watch the film again. If you have ever seen the film it is just that in the book version. But still worth the read.

[Alex Laybourne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alot more rushed than the movie but that is to be expected

[Luru · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
Slightly abridged version of the movie, lovely art, familiar story.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story pretty much follows Pokemon: The First Movie, but more abridged. While it is translated in English, it maintains the Japanese names, which was a little jarring at first but I got used to it quickly. It still contains some Japanese text within the artwork, that appear to be sound effects. It is in black and white so the beauty of the color i Pokemon is lost. It also doesn't include some of the more memorable lines in the Movie "Vikings are mostly in Minnesota" (likely a localized translated reference anyway), and Mewtwo's final philosophical revelation.