With just one week until the premiere of the newPokémonanime series on YouTube, a sneak peek has been released to tease a few of the events that we will see inDragonite and the Mailmanand the animation style of the show. As the title suggests, the series willtake its characters on an adventurein the back of a Dragonite that delivers mail across the continent. Fans of the franchise will be able to stream the series for free on February 27.
The animation style ofDragonite and the Mailmanmakes it clear that the new anime series will differ a bit from the other segments of the franchise. It’s also possible to see the influence of CoMix Wave Films, the studio responsible forbringing to life several moviesfrom world-famous directorMakoto Shinkai(YourName,Suzume). The style is apparent in the way that nature is depicted and the distinct glow from some of theanime’s most beautiful scenes.
The trailer also brings the sense of wonder that is common to thePokémonfranchise. Protagonist Hana gets utterly flabbergasted by the sight ofa massive Dragoniteright in front of her, and their journey together will take them high up in the sky, through different Kanto cities andacross hordes of different Pokémon. The sneak peek ends with a massive water Pokémon leaping over Hana and Dragonite. Is it a Kyogre? A Wailord? We will have to wait to find out.
‘Dragonite and the Mailman’ Is Expanding the Pokémon Universe
Dragonite and the Mailmanwas written byNana Kentaroand, as far as we know, has no direct connection with the flagship series. Over the last few years, the franchise has tried out some standalone features in order to cater to different types of audiences, and this new series is another effort to diversify the story and veer away from the commonplace Pokémon battles, like theNetflixstop-motion seriesPokémon Conciergedid.
Fans of the big-screen adventureswill have to be a little more patient, though, sincePokémon Detective Pikachu 2is still in the works and without a release date. Despite the first movie makingover $400 million at the box office, The Pokémon Company isn’t moving that fast to produce a sequel, and we’ve been getting bits and pieces of information over the last couple of years. At the same time,Pokémonfans are hardly left hanging: the main franchise is still going withPokémon Horizons: The Serieson Netflix, and the newDragonite and the Mailmanseries might become another fruitful segment that keeps viewers entertained.
Dragonite and the Mailmanpremieres on YouTube next Thursday, February 27. You can check out the sneak peek above.
