Jun 22, 2022
Easily one of the best animated works the Pokémon franchise has ever put out.
The story, though nothing too unprecedented, is extremely cohesive and effective. We follow the main character, Akio (Alec), through two parallel lenses: his childhood growing up in Hisui and his return to Hisui in the distant future as an adult. With very little exposition, we're let loose into a vast, snowy world of humans and Pokémon where we can watch Akio's experiences a child sow the seeds for his development toward adulthood. The rather short length of the series may be disappointing to some, but three episodes is ultimately a perfect amount
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of time for the narrative they achieve. Not a single moment is wasted. There's no excessive dialogue or setup: just pure storytelling through characters and their interactions with one another, guided by strong moments of suspense and brilliant motifs.
The art and animation are outstanding, with gorgeous scenery throughout the series and some extremely fluid fight choreography toward the end. The Pokémon in particular are flawlessly expressive; the gentle innocence of smaller Pokémon is contrasted beautifully with the imposing terror of larger, stronger Pokémon. The artstyle is also excellent at unifying the human character designs with the Pokémon. Where many pieces of Pokémon media in the past have often failed at striking a balance between human and Pokémon designs, the characters of this series are pulled away from the usual tropes of Pokémon artwork and into a unique visual style with its own masterful flair. It all makes for an experience that is immersive as well as all-around just enjoyable to watch.
All in all, an absolute delight of a web series and a perfect little glimpse into the world of Hisui.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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