Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea

Pokémon Ranger
and the Temple of the Sea

Theatrical release poster
Japanese 劇場版ポケットモンスターアドバンスジェネレーション ポケモンレンジャーと蒼海の王子 マナフィ
Hepburn Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Adobansu Jenerēshon Pokemon Renjā to Umi no Ōji Manafi
Literally Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation the Movie: Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy
Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama
Produced by Yukako Matsusako
Takemoto Mori
Junya Okamoto
Choji Yoshikawa
Written by Hideki Sonoda
Starring Rica Matsumoto
Kaori Suzuki
Kyoko Yamada
Yuji Ueda
Ikue Ōtani
Megumi Hayashibara
Shin-ichiro Miki
Inuko Inuyama
Kaori Manabe
Becky
Narrated by Unshou Ishizuka
Music by Shinji Miyazaki
Cinematography Takaya Mizutani
Edited by Toshio Henmi
Production
company
Distributed by Toho (Japan)
Viz Media (USA)
Release dates
  • July 15, 2006 (2006-07-15) (Japan)
Running time
105 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese
Box office $26.9 million[1]

Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, originally released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation the Movie: Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy (劇場版ポケットモンスターアドバンスジェネレーション ポケモンレンジャーと蒼海の王子 マナフィ Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Adobansu Jenerēshon Pokemon Renjā to Umi no Ōji Manafi), is a 2006 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the fourth and final Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation film, and the ninth Pokémon film overall. As indicated by the title, elements from the Nintendo DS game Pokémon Ranger play a large part. The movie is released on July 16, 2006 in Japan. In North America, Cartoon Network aired the film on March 23, 2007.

The film was the first film released in North America to include a Pikachu short, which is Pikachu's Island Adventure, since Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker.[2] This was the first film to be released since Pokémon USA's acquisition of US distribution from 4Kids Entertainment. It's the only Pokémon film to have its English adaptation produced entirely by TAJ Productions, and is the first to feature the new English voice cast. It was the first full-length Pokémon film to ever be released in its original aspect ratio on Region 1 DVD. With a feature running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes, it is currently the longest film in the Pokémon franchise made-to-date. The story continues with Ash, May, Max and Brock venturing through the Hoenn region. This is the last film to feature May and Max as main characters in the series. The movie's theme song is titled "Mamoru Beki Mono" by Sowelu.

The movie is the last Pokémon movie to use traditional cel animation to animate the movie.[3]

Yuyama visited the ruins of Rome, the city of Naples and the island of Capri, all in Italy, to get ideas of the setting for the film.[4]

Plot

An egg belonging to the mythical Pokémon Manaphy is found by mercenary Phantom the Pirate, but the egg is subsequently taken by Jack Walker, a Pokémon Ranger disguised as one of Phantom’s crew members. Walker joins the Marina Group, a traveling circus family that specializes in Water-types, to deliver the Manaphy egg to Samiya, an undersea palace built by the People of the Water, whom the Marina Group are descendants of. Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum, his Pikachu, and their friends Brock, May, and her brother Max become lost on their journey and encounter the Marina Group, inadvertently becoming involved with Walker’s mission.

When Phantom leads an assault after the egg, Manaphy hatches in May’s arms, who then recognizes her as its mother. The group escapes Phantom to a network of ruins belonging to the People of the Water, where Ash and his friends learn about Samiya. Walker declines Ash and his friends’ further involvement with his mission and departs in a boat with the Marina Group toward Samiya, however Manaphy shows discomfort without May’s presence, forcing Ash and his friends along anyway. Manaphy leads the boat toward Samiya, and to Walker’s dismay, May and Manaphy bond closer. Walker requests that Ash helps him separate the two, but May overhears them and becomes heartbroken over her and Manaphy’s inevitable farewell. One day, May loses her bandana to the wind and Manaphy embarks far into the ocean to retrieve it. Lizabeth, the Marina Group’s daughter, along with Ash and his friends board a submarine to search for Manaphy, eventually finding it along with Samiya during the expected lunar eclipse. Unbeknownst to them, Phantom had been in pursuit.

While exploring Samiya, the group encounters Phantom, who is able to open the chamber to the Sea Crown, the temple’s central artifact consisting of numerous large crystals. Phantom begins to remove the crystals, causing Samiya to flood and sink deeper into the ocean. The group escapes to the submarine while Walker confronts Phantom, reconnecting most of the crystals to the crown before he, Phantom, and one of the crystals, are washed away by the flood. Determined to save its home, Manaphy returns to the crown chamber with Ash, Pikachu and May in tow, while Lizabeth, Brock, and Max are forced to depart in the submarine. Ash and May reconnect the remaining crystals and notice one is missing. While escaping the flood, Ash finds the last crystal in a fountain. He puts Pikachu, May, and Manaphy in an air capsule that was part to Phantom’s submarine before diving into the completely flooded crown chamber and reconnecting the crystal, causing Samiya to rise to the ocean’s surface.

While May and Pikachu mourn Ash’s apparent sacrifice, Phantom appears and kidnaps Manaphy. Ash, surrounded by a glowing aura from the Sea Crown, pursues Phantom and retrieves Manaphy. Phantom returns with his ship, but Manaphy leads an assault with several wild Water-type Pokémon to destroy the ship and subdue Phantom in its rubble. With Phantom arrested, Walker is able to deliver Manaphy safely to Samiya, completing his mission. May and Manaphy share a heartfelt farewell before the group watches Samiya return to depths of the ocean. Sometime later, Ash and his friends separate from Walker and the Marina Group and continue on their journey.

Cast

Character Japanese voice English voice
Satoshi/AshRica Matsumoto Sarah Natochenny
Haruka/MayKaori Suzuki Michele Knotz
Masato/MaxKyoko Yamada Kayzie Rogers
Takeshi/BrockYuji Ueda Bill Rogers
PikachuIkue Ōtani
Musashi/JessieMegumi Hayashibara Michele Knotz
Kojirou/JamesShin-ichiro Miki Jimmy Zoppi
Nyarth/MeowthInuko Inuyama
Jack WalkerKōichi Yamadera Rich McNanna
The PhantomHiroshi Fujioka Eric Schussler
Hiromi/LizabethKaori ManabeEmily Williams
JudyBecky Rhonda Krempa
ManaphyYuri Shiratori Michele Knotz
NarratorUnshou Ishizuka Rodger Parsons

Box office performance

[5] The general screening of Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy ran for 6 weeks, from July 15 to August 25, 2006.

  1. July 15–16, 2nd overall, 2nd domestic, 1st anime
  2. July 22–23, 3rd overall, 2nd domestic, 1st anime
  3. July 29–30, 4th overall, 3rd domestic, 2nd anime
  4. August 5–6, 5th overall, 4th domestic, 2nd anime
  5. August 12–13, 4th overall, 3rd domestic, 2nd anime
  6. August 19–20, 6th overall, 4th domestic, 2nd anime

Home media

The original Japanese version of the movie was released on DVD on December 22, 2006. The English Dub was released first in North America on April 3, 2007. It was later released in Australia nearly a year later, being released on February 6, 2008. The American set included the Pikachu short Pikachu's Island Adventure.[2]

The film has yet to be released on DVD in the United Kingdom although it has been released in UK iTunes Store.

References

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