New Pokemon Drama Translation

    Since appearing as a game in 1996 and expanding into other media like anime, and card games Pokemon boasts a strongly established popularity amongst both children and adults. TV Tokyo and the Pokemon Company have teamed up to make a Live Action TV drama based on Pokemon for the first time! 

 
    Everyone has heard of Pokemon and come into contact with it at least once in their life. The main character, Madoka, too was brought up playing Pokemon Red with her brother. Her life changes once she obtains a Pokemon game for the first time in ages... Nanase Nishino, the actress who plays Madoka, is a Pokemon fan and really did spend most of her childhood with the Pokemon games! A former member of the popular idol group Nogizaka 46, she has since gone on to star in many films and stage shows and enjoyed a lot of success, winning a Japanese Academy award for best supporting actress and new actress. In this drama which links the Pokemon games to her real-world meetings and personal growth, Pokemon fan Nanase for sure can deliver a comical and heart-warming performance. 
 
The story begins! 
Playing Pokemon Red for the first time in 20 years. 
 
    Madoka Akagi (Played by Nanase Nishino) had an honest upbringing in the Kanto region. She graduated from her hometown university, and begun working as a Kamaboko (a kind of ‘fish sausage’) maker but changed to a job in an advertising agency, ADventure, a creator she admired since her university days. Madoka moved to Tokyo to chase her dreams, but it wasn’t as she expected... Her days are spent unrelated to the glitzy world she had imagined. Then, she took on a presentation that could be life or death for the company. At that point, a package arrives from her Mum in her hometown. What was inside was the Gameboy Pocket and Pokemon Red, which she had spent her childhood playing...  
 
    She began to play Pokemon Red for the first time in 20 years and found that something very important to her life was stuffed inside! 
The curtain then opens on the world’s first ‘Pokemon Human Drama’ in which, through Pokemon, the main character grows and develops. 
 
    Stuffed full of Pokemon elements that fans will love, even those who aren’t familiar with Pokemon may even want to start! Look forward to this show! 
 
Nanase Nishino (Madoka) 

ポケットに冒険をつめこんで 

    Just a few days after telling a friend: ‘Someday, I want to have a job related to Pokemon’ I was surprised to be given this role. 
I am thrilled as one of the people who grew up with Pokemon, being a fan since the very first game and having played most of the series since then. 
 
    I play Madoka Akagi who is the kind of person who takes action themselves and takes on various stimuli around her in order to grow. 
In the beginning when the producers told me I’d be playing ‘Not just a role, the main role’, I thought how wonderful! So I will take that feeling and work hard on set. 
 
    Everyone who works at ADventure with Madoka is very comfortable and is always smiling whether its at the work place or in the reception. 
Everyone has a strong sense of individuality and, put together, strike an amazing balance. They’re all very reliable! 
 

    As the title suggests, the theme of this drama is ‘adventure’, so I’d like you to keep a close eye on the evolution Madoka and friend go through during their adventure. There are lots of references for those who have played Pokemon before that will make you say ‘I remember that!’ or ‘Oh, it’s them!’ so please look forward to that. 
 
Staff Comment: Producor Koichi Uruma (TV Tokyo) 
    Pokemon is famous all over the world. I’ve worked on various projects but I never thought I’d be making a drama based on Pokemon! I’ve very grateful! 
The basis of this drama is Pokemon Red and Green which were released 27 years ago. This is a very human story about Madoka Akagi, played by Nanase Nishino, and how her job and her surroundings begin to slowly change after playing these games again for the first time in ages. I personally have experience with these games, playing them on the steps of our apartment with my classmates. At the heart of these games was communication. We hold this person-to-person communication close in this drama too and it becomes a story about Madoka and her adventures with her friends. 
 
    When it comes to this Pokemon Drama, I am a little nervous when it comes to putting it out to you all due to the high degree of recognition that the franchise has, but during the creation of the script, our team shared common experiences of Pokemon that they had and once I met Miss Nishino, we had a greatly exciting talk about the series! As such, just like in a drama, I felt that we are able to overcome generation gaps and make friends through Pokemon. 
 
    Even if you havent played Red and Green, but have played others in the series, there are references that you will understand. We are aiming to create a work that even if you haven’t played any of the games, you will be able to enjoy it as a human drama. 
 
Planning/Script/Producer: Hatanaka Shouta (BABEL LABEL) 
 
    I can still remember the day, 27 years ago, in which Pokemon Green was sold in my town’s game shop. I have played from this very first Green Version, all the way up until the newest Scarlet Version but I never imagined that I would one day be able to plan and write the script of the very first live action Pokemon drama. 
 
    This drama is a story in which Madoka Akagi, who last put her copy of Pokemon Red to sleep 20 years ago, is able to once again play it. Through this, she receives a small ‘life-hint’ and her life begins to slowly begins to become an adventure. Types, training, evolution, trading... ‘Isn’t life actually packed with these important concepts, much like the Pokemon games?’ With this idea, the Pokemon Human Drama was born. 
Around Madoka, are characters rich in personality who each have a background in Pokemon, there are lots of references that fans of the series will enjoy throughout this drama. This drama will end up being something you have never seen before! 
 

    The first time we held a meeting to plan this drama, we met the lead actress Nanase Nishino, she was more interested in asking everyone their favourite Pokemon, over the planning. It was very memorable! At that moment I was 100% sure. I am happy that we asked you to play Madoka! 
 
    From the cast, to the director, the script writer and producer, we put together a team of Pokemon fans and we created this drama with the feeling that we had gone back to being kids. Please look forward to it!  'Poketto ni Bouken wo Tsumekonde' (Lit. Stuff an Adventure into your Pocket) / An Adventure in Your Pocket airs Tuesday 19th October in Japan

Translated by Ronnie Dickson Original: 【木ドラ24】ポケットに冒険をつめこんで | テレビ東京・ＢＳテレ東 7ch(公式) (tv-tokyo.co.jp)

 

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