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Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, as the name implies, follows Lucario, a rare Pokémon who was sent centuries into the future by being trapped in a staff by his teacher Aaron. Lucario has been my favorite Pokémon for as long as I can remember, and this movie represents him perfectly. His relationship with Aaron is great, and his character is cool, yet endearing. This movie has so much more heart than many other Pokémon movies. It's tragic, exciting, and uplifting. The animation is also fantastic, and while the cgi has aged badly, the 2D animation allows Lucario and the others to make some really ... funny and charming expressions as well as really realistic movements and reactions. The backgrounds are also beautiful, the artists really getting a chance to show off the beauty of Lucario and Aaron's kingdom. Now, I know what you're asking. Should I watch the dub or the sub? Well, I think they both have their own strengths and weaknesses, but I would have to say the sub for a couple reasons I'll get into later. One of the best parts of the sub is the dynamic between Lucario and Sir Aaron. Lucario's deep gravely voice in the dub is awesome, but it has the downside of kind of undermining the dynamic of Aaron being Lucario's mentor since his voice is so much deeper than
Aaron's. In the sub, Lucario still has an awesome voice, but he still sounds younger and less mature than . Aaron's voice is also a lot better in the sub. The final scene is great in the dub, but the fantastic performances of the Japanese voice actors brings it from good to great. I know some people don't really care for Ash's voice in the dub. I have a nostalgia bias for it, but I think just about anyone can enjoy Ash in the sub. Now, to explain this next part, and what truly makes this film a masterpiece, I'm going to have to spoil things a little. So if you haven't seen the movie yet, I'd consider waiting to read this. In the post credits scene, Ash and his friends return to Cameron Palace to find Lucario being added to the painting of Sir Aaron in order to honor them. In the dub, Lucario is running on all fours next to Sir Aaron and his Pidgeot. While this certainly is a great painting, the way the sub handles this is what truly makes it fantastic. In the sub, the painting shows Lucario standing tall on 2 feet next to Sir Aaron, the two of them the main focus against a backdrop of a barren landscape. In the sub, Ash is given an extra line, and this one comment says SO much. As a smile appears on Ash's face, he proudly proclaims that THIS, THIS acknowledgement, THIS closure, THIS is what let's him know that Lucario has finally met Sir Aaron again. This one moment, as Ash is finally able to smile again, and help the kingdom realize how much of a hero Lucario truly was, all while seeing the fricking awesome painting that perfectly represents Lucario and Sir Aaron's relationship is the greatest scene in any anime I've ever seen. I hope I've shown you why this film means so much to me and why I've given it a ten. I simply can't even imagine giving it anything lower. This film has just had such an effect on me, and I still tear up whenever I watch the ending. If this film even remotely interests you, I implore you to go on iTunes and buy or rent it, only the dub is offered right now, which is still good, but if we let them know we like this, maybe we'll get the sub! This is my first review ever, I know the beginning was weak, but I just don't really know where to begin with this film, and I really hope I've managed to convey how passionate and empowered this film makes me when I broke down the final scene. (P.S. Part of this review was also posted on iTunes, so if you do go on their and read the reviews, don't think I plagiarized anyone!)