Pokemon Posts Its Best Anime Yet With Help From Chainsaw Man's Crew

Pokemon has been around the block a number of times. Since its advent in the late '90s, Pokemon has tested the waters with its video games, TV series, and films. The Pokemon anime has been a staple part of the franchise since day one, and for some fans, they want to see Pokemon take a risk with the show. And thanks to the staff behind Chainsaw Man , Pokemon just dropped one of its best anime shorts of all time.

And honestly? What else did you expect from the crew that helped bring Pochita to life? A slew of animators who worked on Chainsaw Man just posted their own Poketoon special, and "Angry Primeape's Observation Journal" is a wild ride.

Pokemon Teams Up with Chainsaw Man

As you can see above, the animation behind this new Pokemon short is perfection. The anime follows a young boy who loves his Pokemon, and he has a rather complicated bond with his Primeape. After all, the Pokemon is an aggressive creature by nature, and this Primeape in particular loves to brawl. Despite their difficult attitude, the ape is best friends with our trainer, and we follow the pair as they go from training in fields to taking on epic battles.

Of course, our trainer is all too happy to tell his friends at school about his trainer journey, but they all end up scared. Primeape may be cool and all, but this one sounds like a devilish monster. So when the short ends, Poketoon makes sure to introduce the entire class to Primeape in the... worst possible way.

As for how the Chainsaw Man anime fits in here, Studio ZEXCS brought in talent from the anime to work on this short. Nagaya Seishiro directed this Pokemon anime, and he worked as a key animator on Chainsaw Man . Beyond that, the staff boasts other impressive talent like Matsunaga Tatsu; They did the Pokemon designs for this short after working on several actual Pokemon films. So when it came to staffing, Studio ZEXCS put together a robust, diverse team.

The Problem With the Main Pokemon Anime

Poketoon marks one os several anime projects we've seen Pokemon pursue over the years, and now it is back with season two. The series has given Pokemon freedom to explore new animation styles, and its latest short proves Pokemon can afford to do more experimentation. Let's just face it, okay? Studio ZEXCS managed to produce a more compelling piece of Pokemon anime than anything we have seen from Pokemon Horizons: The Series to date.

The main Pokemon anime has been around for over 20 years, and it is looking for new blood. Its latest series has removed Ash Ketchum from the picture, and this shift has helped endear a younger audience. However, older fans are left wanting in the wake of Ash's exit. A way to cater to those Pokemon fans who grew up on the original anime would be to elevate how the show looks today. A fresh animation style similar to what Studio ZEXCS created would do the trick. So if the Pokemon anime wants to retain its older fans, then some big changes need to be made in how the series looks.

What do you think about this latest Pokemon short? Are you surprised by the new Poketoon ? Give me a shout at @ meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X ( Twitter ) and Instagram .