Netflix has recently announced a live Pokémon series, created by the showrunner of Lucifer. Almost nothing is known, but the showrunners have made reference to the only existing live-action Pokémon property, 2019's Detective Pikachu.
Nothing is currently known about the narrative of the upcoming Netflix Pokémon series, though rumor has it that plans for a Detective Pikachu sequel were scuttled, suggesting that the series may seek other paths. While the adaptation could copy the anime or any of the other numerous game continuities, there is still much to be learned from the successes and failures of Detective Pikachu.
Detective Pikachu was a bit of a mixed bag. It was the second highest grossing video game movie of all time, it held the genre's record for biggest US opening weekend before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog the following year and it received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences. The film was not perfect, but it brought some truly incredible visuals and concepts to life on the big screen which delighted many fans.
The story was loosely adapted from the 2016 Nintendo DS game of the same name. It centers around Tim Goodman, the adult son of a famed detective who partners with a talking Pikachu in a dapper hat to solve a complex mystery in a futuristic city where humans and Pokémon coexist. Though the mystery is the structure of the narrative, the film's real draw is the setting; sprawling depictions of beloved creatures finding their roles in a modern urban fantasy. The story is a bit silly, but the film makes up for it with imagination and heart.
The aspects of Detective Pikachu that worked best were the world-building, the fantastical set pieces, and the wonderfully bizarre premise. The setting of Rhyme City is one of the film's strongest elements. The concept of a city wherein dangerous wildlife of all shapes and sizes happily shares the sidewalk with people, where day-to-day life involves lightning rodents and psychic clowns is pure unhinged fun.
The human characters are identifiable and likable, but they take a comfortable backseat to the Torterra forest, Ludicolo diner chef, or Charizard in the battle arena. The secret of the film's success is in these details, elements which bring to life all the fantastical ideas fans have when they imagine living in a Pokémon world. The series needs to learn this lesson, realizing this Pokémon world is crucial to creating a quality piece of art regardless of the story they intend to tell within it.
Detective Pikachu makes its goals extremely clear from the outset, it is a mystery story set in the Pokémon universe. This format, setting a familiar type of narrative against the backdrop of a fully realized fantastical world, could be the silver bullet that helps the series succeed. No way of knowing what type of narrative the showrunners will pursue, but one stands out as the obvious choice. Among the Pokémon universe, the animated series have all followed a pretty similar structure, a globe-spanning adventure centered around an ambitious youth battling their way to the top of the league.
The series has managed to jam in infinite fun stories and distractions while remaining tied to the central structure of competing in Pokémon battles. The antagonist is usually some version of poachers, Team Rocket, or one of their many imitators, unethically seizing creatures for their criminal goals. A grand adventure about live-action creature clashes, random acts of kindness, and evading a hilariously inept gang of brigands is a familiar premise, but still a quite silly one. Perhaps one of the lessons of Detective Pikachu is that silly fits the franchise well.
Perhaps the greatest lesson of Detective Pikachu comes in its open and humble sincerity. An adaptation of a property best-loved by people who could've been in their late 20s or early 30s by the time of the film's release could have approached it with the requisite detached irony. Fans still remember the early 2000's X-Men taking snarky digs at the earlier series, establishing itself as too cool for the old ways, but Detective Pikachu didn't take that easy way out.
Detective Pikachu approaches its source material, its world, its characters both human and otherwise with an utterly open heart which makes a less-than-perfect story feel unbelievably special. The upcoming series may be live-action, but the lesson it should take from this film is that by approaching the phenomenon with a shining optimism and a deep sense of wonder, the showrunners can give everyone the feeling of discovering this world with fresh eyes.
The Pokémon universe is long-lived and showing no signs of slowing down, this series represents the second ever chance at realizing this world as brilliantly as fans see it in their minds. Detective Pikachu is a good film, but a perfect teacher to show future generations that it takes a creative mind and an open heart to make the Pokémon series something truly special.