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Yoshitoshi Shinomiya Draws New Visual For Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Film

Artist Yoshitoshi Shinomiya revealed on Thursday that he drew a new visual for Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (Gekijōban Pocket Monster: Kimi ni Kimeta!), this year's new Pokémon film. The visual commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Pokémon film series.

Shinomiya has drawn poster art for Makoto Shinkai's The Garden of Words film, and also drew backgrounds for that film as well as his your name. and Children Who Chase Lost Voices film. He has also drawn background art for Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works.

The Sports Hochi tabloid will offer a special issue for the film on Friday through selected vendors and newsstands, which will include an A1 size poster with the visual.

The film had its world premiere at the Japan Expo 2017 event in Paris on July 6, and will open in Japan on Saturday.

The guest cast includes:

Kouichi Yamadera as mythical Pokémon Marshadow (the role marks Yamadera's 20th consecutive appearance in a Pokémon film)

Shōko Nakagawa as Nurse Joy (the role marks Nakagawa's 11th consecutive appearance in a Pokémon film)

Kanata Hongou as Sōji, a young trainer who is aiming to become a professor.

Shiori Satō as Makoto, an energetic and strong-minded trainer.

Arata Furuta as Bonjii, a researcher who has been chasing after the legendary Pokémon Ho-oh.

The film's plot tells the story of how Ash (Satoshi) and Pikachu came to know each other. Pikachu was not cooperative toward Ash, but Ash only wanted to be friends with Pikachu. On the day they set out from Pallet Town (Masara Town), both of them saw a Ho-oh flying and made a vow to someday go and meet it.

Satoshi Tajiri is credited with the original work. Pokémon movie director Kunihiko Yuyama is directing the film. Rica Matsumoto (voice of Satoshi) is performing the opening theme song "Mezase Pokémon Master: 20th Anniversary." Matsumoto's original "Mezase Pokémon Master" song was the first opening theme song for the first Pokémon television anime series. Asuca Hayashi is performing the film's ending theme song "Oración no Theme ~Tomo ni Arukou~" (Oración Theme: Walk Together). The song is based on Shinji Miyazaki's "Oración," an instrumental insert song in the 2007 Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai film that the character Alice plays to calm Pokémon.

Source: Animate Times