When it comes to the entertainment industry, the only “bad idea” out there is something that doesn’t make it to the big screen or small screen to make a profit. That’s why TV and movie folk will do almost anything that might generate profit, even if the concept is a bit “out there.” Japan is known for doing all sorts of things with their TV stations, but as revealed by VGC, they’re going to do something that is both expected and unexpected all at the same time. Because on TV Tokyo, they will air a Pokemon-themed TV drama called “Fill Your Pockets With Adventure.”
But before you think this is the first true live-action series to feature real actors interacting with CGI pocket monsters, that’s not the case here. In fact, the series plays a much more “supportive” role than you likely would’ve guessed. The series revolves around a young woman named Madoka Agaki, who leaves her small town in Japan to move to Tokyo so that she can join an ad agency.
Sounds like a dream situation, right? For a while, it is for Madoka, as she wanted to be in Tokyo since she was young. However, the real-world pressures of the job and life there start to get to her. Then, she has to do a presentation that could affect the company’s future.
This is where the twist comes in. Her mother sends her something from her youth: a Game Boy with a copy of Pokemon Red. As she dives back into this youthful adventure, the game helps her realize certain things about life, and it influences how she handles things with her job, her friends, and, overall, her entire life.
The show stars Nanase Nishino, a former idol turned actress, and she admitted that just days before getting the role, she wished to work on something connected to the pocket monsters series. Well, her wish came true, and she also noted:
“The theme of the game is adventure, so you will be able to watch Madoka and her friends evolve over the course of their adventures.”
While this may not “feel” like a true adventure with Pokemon, it has its own merits. It’s using the game and playing it as a motivational tool and as a way to see life differently. There was a time when gaming as a “life tool” would’ve been seen as ridiculous, but that’s not the case anymore.
The series will start airing in Japan on October 19th.