Though some English fans might know Pokémon: The First Movie’s script by heart, one Japanese fan noticed some stark differences between the film’s original Japanese lines and English dub, particularly with regard to how the Pokémon Mewtwo is portrayed. An X post highlighting the character’s completely re-written lines has since gone viral, prompting surprise and criticism from Japanese Pokémon fans almost 30 years after the film’s premiere.
While the English version paints Mewtwo as a straight-up evil Pokémon hellbent on ruling the world, the original Japanese version represents him with more nuance, as a creature who is resentful toward the nature of his creation. As user TeshimaKairei explains:
I’ve only just learnt that the American version of Pokémon: The First Movie has had its dialogue heavily altered. The changes to a famous scene featuring Mewtwo are as follows:
Japanese version: “Who asked to be born?! Who wished for me to be created?! I resent everything that brought me into this world. Therefore, this is neither an attack nor a declaration of war, but a counterattack against you who created me!”
North American version: “Those who defy me shall be wiped from this Earth! I warn you now. The world shall soon become the kingdom of Mewtwo!”
The North American version had its script almost entirely rewritten, portraying Mewtwo as an evil Pokémon scheming for world domination using its power.
These changes can even be seen in the film’s English trailer. While Mewtwo briefly touches on his original motivations for fighting back (that being he does not want to be controlled by the humans who created him), other parts of the trailer focus on its more destructive tendencies. Statements such as “clones shall inherit the world” and “the reign of Mewtwo will soon begin” shift the audience’s perception of the Pokémon from being a reactionary creature with morals to one that attacks without provocation.
The dialogue changes were retained in the 2019 remake Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution. Those who were familiar with the Japanese version of the 1998 original even started going to sites like Reddit to tell others to avoid the dubbed version entirely, as both films’ English dubs gloss over the themes of identity and creation that the Japanese version delves into.
English dubs that change the meaning of their original Japanese counterparts are nothing new. However, since the subject matter is seen by many as a beloved childhood movie, perhaps now is as good a time as any to rewatch Pokémon: The First Movie with Japanese subtitles to get a more accurate understanding of the movie’s message.
Related: Pokémon Legends: Z-A dialogue confirms that Pikachu does, in fact, poop
Typical Japan being decades late to the scene
The alterations and censorship of Japanese works has been going on for almost longer than that and even Pokémon the Manga and Pokémon the TV Anime in English are heavily altered to this day just like the movie is. If anyone desires to see how bad it is watch the English version for 10 episodes of the original Pokémon and 10 episodes of it in Japanese. It’s not just a few lines there was a lot of important character development cut.
Until AI translations become a thing that are near 1:1 to the Japanese work, most are going to stick to the Japanese works instead or sail the seven seas.