A devoted Pokemon enthusiast has undertaken a fascinating comparison between the representations of iconic locations in the games and the anime series, revealing significant disparities. The Pokemon franchise, originating in 1996 with the release of Red and Green, has seen the anime take creative liberties right from its inception.
The massive success of Pokemon Red and Green in Japan swiftly led to their localization in North America within the same year. The subsequent year marked the commencement of an anime adaptation due to the games' immense popularity, a trend that has persisted to this day. The anime predominantly follows the adventures of Ash Ketchum across diverse regions introduced in the successive game releases. Following Ash's long-awaited victory in the World Championship, Pokemon Horizons introduced a new duo, Liko and Roy, to lead the series. A keen Pokemon fan has recently juxtaposed in-game screenshots with images from the anime to highlight the contrasting features.
Reddit user FlygonPR recently shared comparisons of two cities from the Pokemon Generation 2 remakes alongside their anime renditions. While the screenshots pertain to HeartGold and SoulSilver, specific game origins remain undisclosed as both cities are present in these versions. The cities under scrutiny are Cherrygrove City and Cianwood City. Cherrygrove City greets players after they depart from the introductory New Bark Town, while Cianwood City becomes accessible once trainers obtain the Surf HM, offering the fifth Gym badge and a complimentary Shuckle.
Spotting the Discrepancies
In the Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver depiction, Cherrygrove City boasts five structures, including a Poke Mart and Pokemon Center. The quaint town features a beach absent in the anime adaptation, where the city is portrayed with numerous buildings nestled in a dense forest, complete with a bridge crossing a river that does not exist in the games. Similarly, Cianwood City appears notably grander in the anime, with its edifices climbing the mountain slope. While the game version implies the intent of vertical structures on the mountain, the town only showcases seven buildings scattered along its beach due to the limitations of Generation 2.
Although FlygonPR highlighted the disparities between these Generation 2 cities and their anime counterparts, the series has consistently taken artistic liberties with locations since Generation 1. The anime often diverges from the in-game storylines, accentuating the distinctions between the two mediums. Notably, Silver plays a significant role in HeartGold and SoulSilver but receives minimal representation in the anime. Conversely, the Kimono Girls of Ecruteak City are faithfully depicted in the anime, closely mirroring their game counterparts.