Dear Pokemon USA:

I’m writing regarding “The Mastermind of Mirage Pokemon” which aired Saturday, April 29th. I have several issues with it that I need to inform you of.

First of all, there’s the matter of the opening theme, which was a rather badly done rap. If different voice actors weren’t enough of a blow, the rap made me cringe inwardly and wonder just what kind of show the dubbers think Pokemon is. Having rap for an introduction gives the show the wrong feel. The opening theme ought to be as moving as the first season’s theme. I’m sure someone has access to it. It suited the general message and tone of the show perfectly. I’m not saying that the theme ought to be that song necessarily, but it should be a song nonetheless, with lyrics that are appropriate for each season or wherever they are in the series. An example would be the “Advanced Battle” opening, which had lyrics to suit the situation of Ash entering the Hoenn League and fighting in it. “lyrics like “I’m unbeatable” or “they can never win but they sure can try” reflect where Ash is in his journey during that season. The rap made the show feel, frankly, idiotic. If that’s the first impression PUSA wishes to give about the anime, then it is a sad day indeed for the dub.

Secondly, there was the scripting. It was abominable. While I do understand the attempt to give the kids (Misty, May, and Ash) and the adults (Yung and Oak) distinction in voice, the kids came out sounding unfamiliar and out of character. Slang such as “psyched,” “whatever,” “puh-lease,” and Team Rocket’s strange “oh, Ratata” quips were awkward and unfitting on characters that have never spoken in such a way before. Indeed, having the kids use ridiculous turns of phrase like the ones I’ve listed make them feel much less mature than they actually are. It was simply not natural and an insult to my intelligence to have to sit through such juvenile language just to have an informed opinion on the special.

Last, and most disturbing of all, were the voice changes. 

Words cannot express the sheer torture it was to sit through an hour of once vibrant characters reduced to automatons without any spirit or life. The mirage Mew in the special may have had a soul, but everyone else didn’t as far as I’m concerned. The overarching problem is that while most of the actors had a semblance of the original voices, it was not quite right. 

Ash sounded dispassionate and even apathetic. When he called out to Pikachu, who is his best friend and very dear to him, he sounded like he didn’t really care. He should have sounded worried and distressed.

May sounded bored and expressionless, not to mention that her tone was all wrong. She is a 10-year-old girl who’s cute and innocent. She sounded like she was in her twenties and lacked the energy and cheeriness of her previous voice.

Brock had a voice that made him sound like some kind of criminal, not the upstanding Gym Leader and aspiring breeder that he is. His voice did not sound anything like his previous one, which had a pleasant resonance and kind intelligence. Brock’s new voice conveyed a scary sort of pervertedness when he was going wild over Officer Jenny and the rest of the time he simply felt like someone who was incapable and inept, when Brock actually is a very strategic and pragmatic person. His previous voice carried an underlying ability to sound intimidating and tough, as well as unassuming and modest, all aspects of Brock’s character, while the new voice has no such nuances.

Jessie, James, and Meowth have lost their charm. They are generally extremely funny and entertaining to watch, but during the special, I became increasingly annoyed with their appearances, especially because they really didn’t serve any plot purpose. These new voices lack the chemistry their old voice actors have and rather than getting a natural and practiced performance, Team Rocket felt forced and stilted.

Professor Oak sounded like the previous voice on helium, but otherwise, I believe he did okay. Misty and Max were actually quite good. A bit more emotion in their lines and they’d be excellent. 

What I’m trying to say is that clever dialog, convincing acting, and voices that accurately fit a character’s personality are crucial to the success of a cartoon. Because the special fell short in so many critical areas, I can guarantee that this fan will not be watching the next season of Pokemon unless Pokemon USA rehires the original voice actors and gets better script writers who have more of an understanding for the characters and atmosphere for the anime. As it is, if Pokemon had been as atrociously handled as “Mastermind” was from the beginning, I would have written it off instantly as a show that was beneath me and not worth my time. I don’t appreciate dumbed-down, bland characters that express no emotion. 

Please, for consistency’s sake, I implore that the original voice actors be brought back on board to dub season 9. If they aren’t, then I honestly cannot watch it. The characters are shadows of their former selves, and it would break my heart to listen to the poor substitutes the fans were treated to in “Mastermind” week after week. 

Dialog and voices make characters, especially for animation. If these new voices continue to dub season 9 and everything that comes after, Ash, Brock, May, Max, and Team Rocket will be the same in name only.

A disappointed fan,
Victoria