Most people will have some sort of familiarity with the Pokémon franchise. It's been around for so long with maintained popularity, that its audience transcends generations. This creates a tricky feat for the series, as it's important to keep that kid-friendly tone for new fans getting into Pokémon but also make sure that classic fans who are adults now are taken care of.
There's been so much Pokémon content throughout the years, including games as well as TV shows and movies, that it's gone through many ups and downs in quality and popularity. In terms of the anime series, this might be one of the best eras of Pokémon in a long time because Pokémon Journeys: The Series caters to OG Pokémon fanatics as well as new and younger fans in the best possible way.
Pokémon is the most successful media franchise of all time. Starting in 1996 with a pair of games released for the Game Boy, it quickly evolved into a multimedia franchise that was kind of changing the world. In 2019, the 23rd season of the Pokémon series titled Pokémon Journeys: The Series began airing in Japan. A second season of Pokémon Journeys called Pokémon Master Journeys began in December of 2020 and is the current season of the Pokémon anime. Pokémon Journeys follows Ash and new friend Goh across all eight Pokémon regions, on the sort of typical kind of adventures fans will expect from the franchise. What makes Pokémon Journeys stand out though, is the level of emotional maturity contained within these really fun and child-friendly episodes.
The first episode of the series sets the tone for all of this and might be the best example to explain what makes Pokémon Journeys special. While it's not unheard of for Pokémon to have some sad episodes or plot points with maybe an emotional life lesson, it felt different. The episode is called "Enter Pikachu!" and it tells the story of how the Pikachu fans know and love came to be. Of course, at the end, he becomes paired with Pokémon's hero Ash.
The episode is very sweet and cute, but also very sad and has a high level of emotional complexity. It essentially follows baby Pichu, and how he gets lost and falls off of a cliff. He is then rescued by a Kangaskhan who adopts Pichu and inserts him into the community. Unfortunately, Pichu begins to realize that Kangaskhan is struggling to take care of him and carry him. He then makes the decision to leave what is now his family in the night, and it is then that he evolves into Pikachu. The end of the episode shows him being chosen by Ash, and the rest is history.
This is a very sad episode to watch, definitely a tearjerker, and sets a precedent for what to expect from this new edition of the series. It takes some emotional maturity to fully process what the episode is about, and adult Pokémon fans will find this engaging. It also has enough cute and fun moments that children who maybe aren't at that point yet will still be entertained. The rest of the series really echoes this, and the majority of the episodes do err on the side of sad or at least a bit more mature.
Other episodes deal with plot points like the abandonment of a Pokémon and the emotional toll that can take on the creature, as well as the abandonment of someone you thought was your friend. While it's still all very family-friendly and definitely safe to show children, an adult who is watching the series as an established fan from childhood will get something new out of it. It isn't just cute Pokémon fighting each other using cool tricks, there's really been effort put into the writing and the characters and stories. It also gives a deep storyline to a character who isn't Ash, and Goh is actually often seen as more of the main character. Though this is something people take issue with, it is at least a bit of an attempt to change things up.
The themes explored in Pokémon Journeys are ones that will be relevant to adults and will be capable of evoking an emotional response. It is really refreshing to watch and OG fans who were maybe not into previous seasons of Pokémon are a lot more likely to enjoy this one because there's more to relate to. Instead of typical shallow heists, there are moral dilemmas and real sadness. It's of course not all doom and gloom and sadness, it's still very cool and fun to watch and the Pokémon are very cute, but it doesn't always feel like it's solely made for children.
The Pokémon media franchise as a whole has certainly not always gotten it right. Not even close. However, Pokémon Journeys is probably their best attempt at really showing that they do recognize their classic fans and that the series has grown up with its audience. People who might have strayed from the anime for whatever reason should give Pokémon Journeys a chance. It's entirely worth the risk.