In our house, watching the new Pokémon movie every year is a tradition. Along with Detective Conan and Crayon Shin-chan, these three are ones we never miss.
Among the Pokémon movies, there are two I hold especially close: "Mewtwo Strikes Back" and "I Choose You!" "Mewtwo Strikes Back" in particular is one I saw in the theater as an elementary school student, and I've watched it again many times since becoming an adult.
The Question at the Heart of "Mewtwo Strikes Back"
'Pokémon: The First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back' was released in 1998. It's the story of Mewtwo, created by human hands, lashing out while asking, 'Who created me?' and 'What is the point of my existing?'
Even though it's a film for children, it deals with the question of 'the meaning of being born' — a question that even adults struggle to answer. That's probably why I still want to watch it as an adult. What the story shows at its close, I believe, isn't about how you were born or what role you play, but the message that there is value simply in 'being alive, here, now.'
This is almost exactly what I want to convey through my paintings. However you were born, whatever situation you're in, simply existing already carries enough value. Mewtwo's story taught me that when I was still small.
Pikachu in "I Choose You!"
'I Choose You!' is the 2017 film made to mark the 20th anniversary of the anime. It retells the story of how Ash and Pikachu first met, and near the end there's a scene where Ash tells Pikachu, 'Get in the Poké Ball.' Pikachu refuses, and speaks the reason why.
I won't say more to avoid spoiling it, but remembering Pikachu's words in that scene still brings me close to tears, even now. I think the feeling of wanting to be with someone doesn't need a reason.
Maybe Ikigai Isn't Such a Big Thing
Words like 'ikigai' and 'wellbeing' can sometimes sound a little grand. But what the Pokémon movies depict is something much simpler. Being here. Being with someone. Truly savoring that fact.
That's the kind of feeling I want to hold within my paintings too. Something that, when it catches your eye in a room where it's displayed, makes you feel, 'It's okay for me to be here.' I'd like to be able to hand that over quietly, through color and form, without needing grand words.
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