Impression: Pokemon Adventures manga volume 1

Viz

Pokémon Adventures volume 1 from Viz takes the series back to its root with a boy named Red and his journey and discovery of all the Pokémon in the land. For fans of the franchise, those playing Platinum or parents looking to get their young ones interested in reading then this is one manga worth checking out.

Just another young boy looking for adventure with his Poliwhirl, Red stumbles into the life of a Pokémon trainer by chance. A chance encounter with Pokémon expert Professor Oak leads to Red obtaining a Pokédex as well as Bulbasaur. With no prior knowledge of Bulbasaur, Red is able to utilize its abilities based only on his observation and instincts. After seeing this Oak urges Red to travel the land and learn about all the varieties of Pokémon, something his grandson Blue is already doing with his Charmander. The rivals will travel a similar path, face each other from time-to-time and face off against Team Rocket who has their own agenda. Along the way Red helps a Pokémon fan club, teams up with a touchy Pikachu, and fights a corrupt gym leader as well as two familiar faced leaders in Misty and Brock. The journey is just beginning and with Team Rocket and Blue in the way it won’t be an easy road for Red, thankfully he has his friends along with him.

This is a VizKids line of manga but don’t let that fool you. Hidenori Kusaka’s story along with Mato’s art is a very nice combination. The art is instantly familiar and retains a very simple manga look that is not taking itself too serious but keeps the detail where needed. Seeing each Pokémon in their original manga design, not cleaned up anime look, is also neat and reminds of the card game. The story is actually easier to follow and swallow (for adults) as the well known Ash is replaced with Red who himself seems very likeable and not as cocky as Ash. Correct that, he is cocky, but there is just something about him that is more likeable than Ash. Reading this manga felt like a reboot of the franchise for me, made me remember why I like manga and why I’ll spend hours catching them all on the DS.

Parents, give this manga a chance with your kids. It has life stories and learning lessons, just like the anime, but the look and feel is clean, story is not overly complicated and hey, it’s Pokémon, a franchise that just nails the collecting formula and just works and keeps working. Know your roots, this is your roots manga fans, check it out.