Appreciation For Pokemon And A Concern...



Dear Pokemon USA,


		Hello.  My name is Lisa Levenson, and I am 19.  I’ve sent this letter to you of respect for something that I love.  And that something is Pokemon.  
		First of all, I know that the 10th Anniversary of Pokemon was on Febuarary 26th this year.  That particular day made me so happy to be a fan of Pokemon.  It also made me appreciate Pokemon very much.  And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
		I’d also like to thank you for setting up all these wonderful Pokemon events, in celebration of Pokemon’s 10th Anniversary.  Such as the Journey Across America Tour, for once in my life I’m actually going to be able to make it to a huge Pokemon event.  You don’t know how much this means to me.  You see, I come from a small city, Charleston, which is in a state that doesn’t get a lot of recognition - West Virginia.  But, sadly, I knew that the tour would never come to my hometown, and sure enough I didn‘t see it anywhere on the list.   
		However, I am going to college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  And a while ago, I just found out that the tour is planning on stopping there.  And for this, I am very grateful to all of you who work at Pokemon USA.  Thank you for all your effort that you’ve put into planning this event.  It means a lot to me.
		Now, onto the main reason for my letter, and that’s the concern that I  need to address.  What is my concern about, you ask?  Well, my concern deals with the Pokemon anime.  Yes, I’ve been watching the show ever since it first began airing, and even though I am 19 I still like the Pokemon anime very much.  I guess you could say it has inspired me, and made me determined to achieve my number one goal in college.  But, this concern that I have, it is about the licensing agreement that Pokemon USA made with 4Kids a while back.  That has made me very worried.
		Now when it comes to the Pokemon, I have a way of finding things out very easily.  You see I am a member of an online fan community, a well-known Pokemon forums (message boards).  Whenever this deal between 4Kids and Pokemon USA was first announced, there was a topic started about it on the forums.  I have been reading this topic very carefully, and keeping up to date with all of the latest information about it.  And after having read everyone’s replies to this topic, I can clearly say one thing.  Most people on the forums, including me, are very worried about the voice actors for Pokemon.  And we are worried because we fear that you, Pokemon USA, might be changing them.  
		Yes, I realize that as a company, you probably have ‘other’ plans for the Pokemon anime, whatever they may be.  And I also realize that this probably isn’t the first letter you’ve received that addresses this crucial topic, about the voice actors for Pokemon.  So, with that in mind, I just want to let you know how much I love and adore the current voice cast of Pokemon.  This way, you can at least hear our side of this - the true Pokemon fans’ side.  And this is the side of the Pokemon fans, like myself, who have been watching the show from the beginning.
		Ever since I first started watching Pokemon, I have always loved the main character, Ash Ketchum.  So, he was - and still is - my favorite characer on Pokemon.  I am what anime fans would call a fangirl, an Ash fangirl to be more specific.  And just to clear things up for you, in case you don’t know what a fangirl is,  a fangirl is a girl who has become very attached to a particular male character in a show.
		Anyway, one of the main reasons why I like Ash so much is because of his voice.  I think it’s perfect for him.  And yes, I know that he is done by a female named Veronica Taylor.  But, that doesn’t matter to me, I still love his voice.  It is very adorable, and it fits his character and his personality well.
		Now that I’ve mentioned Veronica Taylor, let me tell you my thoughts about her.  I think she is a very good voice actress.  She plays her two parts, of both Ash and May so well and flawlessly.  I admire her work greatly.  And I think she puts a lot of enthusiasm into Pokemon, through her good voice acting.  She certainly deserves appreciation from everyone.  And of course, not just Veronica, but all the voice actors who work for Pokemon do an amazing job, it’s simply outstanding, and they all deserve to be appreciated by everyone.
		However, through the Pokemon forums that I mentioned earlier, I have reason to believe that Pokemon USA may be replacing Veronica Taylor and the other voice actors.  This is the concern that has made me worry so much.  And I worry because I care.  I don’t want the voice actors for Pokemon to never again voice the characters which they’ve grown so attached to.  And it’s not just the 4Kids voice actors who have grown attached to the characters, it’s the fans too (like me).
		Sure, some Pokemon fans, the 12 year olds and under in particular, may not even be aware of this huge ‘licensing deal’ that went on between 4Kids and Pokemon USA.  But, the truth is, even they will notice a difference if they turn on the TV to watch Pokemon, and they hear a different voice come from the main characer (Ash), and from the other characters.
		Still, after having read this, you may be wondering why I sent this letter in the first place, and what I want from Pokemon USA.  To answer those questions, all I can say is that I want you to try your best to not hire new voice actors for Pokemon.  No matter what it takes, I want you to do this, whether you have to resign contracts with 4Kids (if that’s still possible at this point) or hire the 4Kids voice actors yourself (assuming they are not under contract or anything).  You have to try to do this, not just for me, but for all the fans of the show.  
		You see, I can’t just sit here, waiting, and hope for everything to be well.  However, as a fan, I can’t do much of anything when it comes to these business matters.  That is why I’ve sent you this letter.  Now you don’t have to reply to me, though that would be very helpful, and I‘d like that a lot.  But, you could at least consider what I have told you, and really think about this decision.   
		As I have said, many fans of the show (myself included) would prefer that the current voice cast is kept.  Because, hypothetically speaking, even if you hired people who could imitate the voices, they could never replace the current cast.  And I think I’ve said enough for now.  Although, if I don’t find out anything soon, hopefully in the form of good news, you may be hearing from me again.  I am not giving up.  I don’t want the voice actors for Pokemon to be replaced, and therefore I don’t want new voices for the characters, especially not for Ash - the main character of the show.  Ash is my favorite character, so I don‘t know how I would feel if I heard him with a different voice.  The reaction from me would be negative, and I’m sure many other fans would have that same reaction as well.  So, in conclusion, please Pokemon USA, try to keep the voice actors for Pokemon.  You would be doing this for a lot of people. If not for you or your company, you would still be doing it for the 4Kids voice actors, and the fans.  Everyone is counting on you.  Please don’t let us down.


				From A Concerned Pokemon Fan,  Lisa Levenson
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