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Pokémon the Movie (Comic)
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution (Pokémon the Movie
When researchers discover a fossil of the Mythical Pokémon Mew, they bring upon themselves a creation that goes against the very laws of 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?
128 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 23, 2021
Nostalgia!!
It was nice to read this. It makes me miss being a kiddo in the 90s when Pokémon was life.
This manga is an adaptation of the Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution movie (which was a remake of the first Pokémon movie). This manga is short so there are some scenes that are altered or missing all together. I wish that it was long enough to include those missing scenes.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this very much. I had to give it just 4 (or ideally 4.5) stars because it did not include Mewtwo's famous post-battle words. How could it not include that?!
It was nice to read this. It makes me miss being a kiddo in the 90s when Pokémon was life.
This manga is an adaptation of the Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution movie (which was a remake of the first Pokémon movie). This manga is short so there are some scenes that are altered or missing all together. I wish that it was long enough to include those missing scenes.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this very much. I had to give it just 4 (or ideally 4.5) stars because it did not include Mewtwo's famous post-battle words. How could it not include that?!
August 23, 2020
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.
I received an advanced reader copy of this title as a PDF from the publisher and Netgalley for review, all opinions are my own.
August 1, 2020
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.
February 3, 2024
Used to love the movie 💖
June 7, 2021
I guess it hits all the main plot points of the movie, but... why read the cliff notes manga when you can just watch the movie? It's not that long of a movie (both the original and the remake clock in at 1 1/2 hours), and yet this manga felt rushed even compared to that.
Scenes from the movie that provided context were cut and other scenes were streamlined so the whole movie could fit in a single volume, resulting in something that tells the story but has little room to breathe or say much other than "plot beat, plot beat, plot beat." Scene transitions can get pretty jarring, and whole sections of the movie are summed up in a panel-long flashback. It doesn't feel rushed so much as it feels bare-bones. There were some scenes I remember vividly from the movie for their emotion, atmosphere, or artistic flair, and that's all missing here. I still sit on the edge of my seat rewatching the 1998 movie when Pikachu's running up that spiral ramp thing, that that's just... not here. Both that scene but also that sense of foreboding. Battles take place in a panel or two, and there's no buildup or drama.
Despite my complains from a storytelling standpoint, the art does stand well on its own. It's a solid Pokemon manga in terms of art and framing, and I think if the mangaka was given a little more room to flesh out everything, it would have worked better and been less jarring. It is what it is though, and as far as adaptations go, it's not great, but it's certainly not the worst one I've seen out there either. It's serviceable, but I'd still rather just watch the movie again.
Scenes from the movie that provided context were cut and other scenes were streamlined so the whole movie could fit in a single volume, resulting in something that tells the story but has little room to breathe or say much other than "plot beat, plot beat, plot beat." Scene transitions can get pretty jarring, and whole sections of the movie are summed up in a panel-long flashback. It doesn't feel rushed so much as it feels bare-bones. There were some scenes I remember vividly from the movie for their emotion, atmosphere, or artistic flair, and that's all missing here. I still sit on the edge of my seat rewatching the 1998 movie when Pikachu's running up that spiral ramp thing, that that's just... not here. Both that scene but also that sense of foreboding. Battles take place in a panel or two, and there's no buildup or drama.
Despite my complains from a storytelling standpoint, the art does stand well on its own. It's a solid Pokemon manga in terms of art and framing, and I think if the mangaka was given a little more room to flesh out everything, it would have worked better and been less jarring. It is what it is though, and as far as adaptations go, it's not great, but it's certainly not the worst one I've seen out there either. It's serviceable, but I'd still rather just watch the movie again.
September 23, 2021
An enjoyable light read. The art for the Pokemon and the backgrounds is absolutely fantastic. While I wasn't a fan of the character style at the beginning of the book, it grew on me by the time I reached the two-thirds point.
The book skips past a lot of the opening and primarily focuses on the events of the island, causing the ending to seem to come out of nowhere. Those that have seen the movie will probably understand it. A lot of the story felt hollow. I watched the anime a lot as a kid and recently saw most of the movie this manga was based on, so I knew about Ash, Misty, and Brock, but for someone who's never seen the show, this will probably be a lot less meaningful. For instance, Team Rocket is shoe-horned into the story, with no real purpose for being in it (though this is the case for many of the TV episodes as well).
Overall an enjoyable light read, but not too deep and written for younger readers.
The book skips past a lot of the opening and primarily focuses on the events of the island, causing the ending to seem to come out of nowhere. Those that have seen the movie will probably understand it. A lot of the story felt hollow. I watched the anime a lot as a kid and recently saw most of the movie this manga was based on, so I knew about Ash, Misty, and Brock, but for someone who's never seen the show, this will probably be a lot less meaningful. For instance, Team Rocket is shoe-horned into the story, with no real purpose for being in it (though this is the case for many of the TV episodes as well).
Overall an enjoyable light read, but not too deep and written for younger readers.
December 28, 2025
A solid adaptation of the movie, which unfortunately perfectly highlights all the flaws even more so. Poor characterisation, nonsensical resurrections and a very rushed beginning. The art is nice being a nice blend of the anime style but with the artists own take. At least is doesn't have the awful "Pokemon shouldn't fight!" morale of the original dub
February 13, 2022
I thought it was a sequel to the movie, but it was the movie Itself in manga format. It was great to have the nostalgia feeling in such a short amount of time. ~15 min reading the book versus ~1:30h movie. But was still dissaopointed.
April 18, 2026
This is a really fun (and faithful!) adaption of the movie. Well worth a read for all you Pokemon lovers out there.
Read
April 12, 2026Ash is brought back to life through the power of friendship
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2026
c'était génial
December 6, 2020
*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!
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!
July 12, 2020
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.
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.
September 14, 2020
*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.
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.
March 29, 2023
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.
July 8, 2023
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.
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.
October 27, 2021
This was a really fun manga of the first Pokemon film. As a big Pokemon fan this was a fun read and it was also really cool to see all of the different Pokemon and illustrations.
I liked Mew in it best (as she is one of my favourite Pokemon), as she didn’t say much but was pivotal to the storyline. I also really liked the setting of the Pokemon island and the clone storyline. This was a very fun read, and I’ll definitely pick up more Pokemon manga in the future.
I liked Mew in it best (as she is one of my favourite Pokemon), as she didn’t say much but was pivotal to the storyline. I also really liked the setting of the Pokemon island and the clone storyline. This was a very fun read, and I’ll definitely pick up more Pokemon manga in the future.
June 1, 2023
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
January 6, 2024
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.
Still, I enjoyed the experience and am eager to read more manga.
April 18, 2025
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.
Regardless, it was fun to relive the very first Pokémon story that moved my heart back when I was a kid.
June 30, 2022
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!)
September 27, 2020
1.5 stars.
January 20, 2021
J’ai bien aimé les dessin, bon retour en enfance.
April 19, 2021
Just as you would expect if you are familiar with the cartoon series. I think I would prefer watching it as a cartoon, though.
September 16, 2021
A timeless classic.
February 15, 2022
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.
March 7, 2022
Alot more rushed than the movie but that is to be expected
March 14, 2024
2.5 stars.
Slightly abridged version of the movie, lovely art, familiar story.
Slightly abridged version of the movie, lovely art, familiar story.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews