Pokemon has always been aimed towards a younger audience. While the over two-decade-old series has amassed a fan base of varying ages, it maintains a light-hearted, family-friendly tone throughout the various games, shows, and other media produced under the Pokemon moniker. The series plays things pretty safe for the most part, and while contemporaries like Digimon tried to grow with its audience over the years, Pokemon has upheld a consistent tone throughout its run.

The Pokemon games and anime are the most recognizable properties the franchise has, with both being responsible for the massive early success the series enjoyed in the mid to late 90s. Often overlooked is the Pokemon Adventures manga, which was first serialized in 1997 in Shogakukan’s CoroCoro Ichiban! magazine. The series is still running and has amassed a reputation for being somewhat more adventurous with its narrative and tone among the fan base. The Adventures manga portrays a different kind of Pokemon universe that at times seems vastly different from that of the games and animated series, making for an unexpectedly unique experience.

RELATED: Pokemon: Ways The Red, Green, & Blue Manga Is Different From The Games

A Different Kind of Pokemon

pokemon-adventures-main-cast

The Pokemon Adventures manga borrows a lot from the games compared to the animated series. The main characters of each arc are all named after that generation’s titles, while the way in which the world is presented feels as though it’s more of an adaptation of the universe the games were depicting rather than a complete reimagining.

In many ways, the Adventures manga follows the typical Pokemon formula. It chronicles the escapades of various trainers who catch different kinds of Pokemon and use them to take part in battles, all while getting caught up in some secret organization’s evil schemes. But while these core elements remain, the world in which the manga takes place gradually proves itself to be very different.

The Pokemon anime and games don’t typically get very adventurous with their content, often favoring a cheerful and inviting tone that has made both incredibly accessible. Though the manga isn’t a complete departure from the core values of the franchise, the dynamics of the Pokemon world and the events that unfold within it seem to carry much more weight compared to the game and anime variants.

RELATED: Pokemon: Ways The Gold, Silver & Crystal Manga Is Different From The Games

Characters are given more time to develop and grow, with a wider variety of protagonists to get accustomed to. This makes it easier for readers to become emotionally invested in each protagonist’s journey when compared to the blank slate protagonists of the games, or the stagnation of Ash’s perpetual adventure in the anime.

The villains are a big part of what makes the Pokemon Adventures manga stick out, as their actions and motivations are what drive the series’ events, often coming with cataclysmic repercussions. The dangers within the world at large are also presented in a way that’s much more in line with what one would expect. Rather than a relatively safe and whimsical world, the Adventures manga goes out of its way to showcase the various dangers that trainers face while on their journeys from both Pokemon and humans alike, resulting in a much more grounded portrayal of the Pokemon world.

What Makes It Stand Out

pokemon-adventures-manga-dead-onix

Many readers tend to point out the Adventures manga’s more shocking elements when discussing its differences from other properties. The series features its fair share of character and Pokemon deaths, as well as some intriguing re-imaginings of classic characters, and more graphic violence than is typically seen from the rest of the franchise.

Zombie Pokemon, a genocidal Kanto Elite Four, and shattered Magmar are just some of what the series has in store. Nothing in the series is so drastic that it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the franchise, but the severe tone the manga sometimes takes is what allows it to distinguish itself from the games and anime.

Pokemon creator Satoshi Tajiri once stated that the Adventures manga was a more accurate version of the world he imagined when conceiving the original games. The series takes many familiar faces, concepts, and events, and re-imagines them in a way that expands upon the groundwork established in the games while keeping true to Tajiri’s original vision. While some of the series’ content might catch readers off guard, it’s a refreshing take on a classic franchise.

MORE: Pokemon: Ways The Ruby & Sapphire Manga Is Different From The Games