Pokemon in the game, anime, and manga are all quite different from each other, not only plot-wise and character-wise, but the motives for the Baddies. (When I refer to Baddies I simply mean the people opposed to the goals of the protoganists.)
One major difference between the game/anime and the manga is those Baddies. In the game/anime, we get essentially no insight into the motives and character of the Baddies. Taking Giovanni for an example, he is so minor in the anime that originally even his voice was dubbed and digitally altered. (The rumor goes that they didn't want to waste money on another voice actor for such a small part they just got another person to do it. There is no proof of this.) Perhaps this was to make an air of "vindictive malicious mystery," or maybe it was just an effort to save money. Either way, from the anime alone we get virtually no insight into his character or his motives. And then in the game, what does he do? He provides a convinient plot device for the schemes of Team Rocket. We meet him on an average of two times, both times he uses too many exclamation marks, breaks out into maniacal laughter, and runs away after being defeated.
However, in the manga, we get most of the fog cleared away. He was from the Viridian, he likes his Beedrill because it was caught there, he kicks his balls for a faster reaction time (Well. I mean, POKEballs.), and so on. And he has a son that he only wants to see grow up. The manga clearly gives so much more background for the Baddies than both the anime and the game combined.
Another point is the sympathy and motive factor. Let one examine the role of the Baddies in the game and anime. The Pokemon hunter, J, is a vicious character that seems to only use Pokemon for her own gain. Team Rocket is only out for world domination, power, and money, and their high-ranking members are generally vicious and cruel. The Baddies seem to have all the same motive- power, money, and the such. They are unsympathizable motives too, generally used to make a viewer apathetic or disenchanted by them.
Please contrast this to the manga. Pryce, who opposes the protagonists, is in the end shown to be an old man with an aching heart. His schemes to capture Celebi are actually revealed to be a sentimental effort to be reunited with the two Lapras he lost. This was designed to tug on the heart of the reader- it is sympathizable. It's moving, touching, turning- an old man simply wishing to get over a tragedy from his past.
In conclusion, the manga provides us with a much kindlier view on the Baddies than the game and the anime do. The latter two designed the Baddies to be distant from our emotions and pity, quite the opposite of the manga's intent. So what was the original intent for the characters of Pokemon?
One major difference between the game/anime and the manga is those Baddies. In the game/anime, we get essentially no insight into the motives and character of the Baddies. Taking Giovanni for an example, he is so minor in the anime that originally even his voice was dubbed and digitally altered. (The rumor goes that they didn't want to waste money on another voice actor for such a small part they just got another person to do it. There is no proof of this.) Perhaps this was to make an air of "vindictive malicious mystery," or maybe it was just an effort to save money. Either way, from the anime alone we get virtually no insight into his character or his motives. And then in the game, what does he do? He provides a convinient plot device for the schemes of Team Rocket. We meet him on an average of two times, both times he uses too many exclamation marks, breaks out into maniacal laughter, and runs away after being defeated.
However, in the manga, we get most of the fog cleared away. He was from the Viridian, he likes his Beedrill because it was caught there, he kicks his balls for a faster reaction time (Well. I mean, POKEballs.), and so on. And he has a son that he only wants to see grow up. The manga clearly gives so much more background for the Baddies than both the anime and the game combined.
Another point is the sympathy and motive factor. Let one examine the role of the Baddies in the game and anime. The Pokemon hunter, J, is a vicious character that seems to only use Pokemon for her own gain. Team Rocket is only out for world domination, power, and money, and their high-ranking members are generally vicious and cruel. The Baddies seem to have all the same motive- power, money, and the such. They are unsympathizable motives too, generally used to make a viewer apathetic or disenchanted by them.
Please contrast this to the manga. Pryce, who opposes the protagonists, is in the end shown to be an old man with an aching heart. His schemes to capture Celebi are actually revealed to be a sentimental effort to be reunited with the two Lapras he lost. This was designed to tug on the heart of the reader- it is sympathizable. It's moving, touching, turning- an old man simply wishing to get over a tragedy from his past.
In conclusion, the manga provides us with a much kindlier view on the Baddies than the game and the anime do. The latter two designed the Baddies to be distant from our emotions and pity, quite the opposite of the manga's intent. So what was the original intent for the characters of Pokemon?
