The First Japanese Anime Opening Theme

I originally wanted to save this post for something more special, but considering I already have done something that may be to that effect, I might as well discuss it. So two days ago at a certain event, I did something out of the ordinary: I participated in the J-Song competition of the event while in cosplay, and the song I chose was the first Japanese opening theme of the Pokémon anime, "Mezase Pokémon Master". As the first opening, it is sung by Rica Matsumoto, who is none other than the voice actor of Ash - or rather, Satoshi - in Japanese. It was later on re-sung by a band as the "2001 version" and reused as a later opening. Either way, it's a total classic for any Pokémon fan.

There are quite a few important themes found in the song. One theme is how Pokémon are found everywhere, and the task is to capture them. The song also refers to the themes of journey (leaving Pallet Town - Masara Town in Japanese), daily experiences (around and about Pokémon battles), and relationships (enemies becoming friends, friends becoming forever friends). The resolution in the song is a statement of wanting to be a Pokémon Master, appropriate to the song's title, which is often translated as "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master".

Musically, it's a pop-rock song that is fairly appropriate for its context as an opening song, being something peppy that starts off an episode. The verses are rapid, catchy, and a little playful in lyrics and music. The "pre-chorus" and chorus is where a lot of the themes come into play, and the second and third choruses are followed up by the coda with the resolution. It's a fairly interesting musical structure that helps make this opening a unique and memorable one.

It was these memorable qualities that I took advantage of in order to be able to sing the song in the competition. Granted, I didn't win anything with my performance, but it's still a special and memorable one nonetheless, just like all the elements of this song. Now I'm attached to this song just like this song is an inseparable part of the Japanese side of Pokémon things. And in the future, I might play further into this attachment, and perhaps make it even more special. 😄

One year ago: Enhancements in Shuffle