This will be my very first review, and I decided to go over a manga that I used to read when I was a child. I will be going over the arcs that start from the very beginning until the end of Fire Red and Leaf Green.

Pokemon Special is a shounen manga that is based off the video game series, Pokemon. The Pokemon world is filled with a vast array of creatures known as Pokemon, each having different attributes and potentials. People can catch Pokemon and train them to become more evolved creatures. Those who catch, raise, and battle with Pokemon are acknowledged as trainers as they can fight other trainers to test their skills. Every trainer has different goals, such as training to become the very best within battling or beauty contests. There are many different elements that make Pokemon interesting such as the strategy and the friendship that trainers and Pokemon share. With such a great amount of content to work with, does Pokemon Special manage to be a good contribution to the Pokemon series?

[Story] Score: 8/Very Good

The story is based off of the video games and is fairly linear at first. It begins with the story of Red, a young boy who lives in Pallet Town, who is based off of the main character from the Pokemon games Red and Blue, who adventures through Kanto. He is given a Pokedex, an encyclopedia that contains information of various Pokemon that were discovered and researched by the prestigious Professor Oak. Red meets various people along the way, such as his rival Green and the mysterious girl Blue, and travels with his Pokemon to experience the vast and unknown realm and train to become a strong the very best. Along the way, Red faces many dangers along with his companions, such as Team Rocket. It is an evil organization that seeks out power and desires control over the world. Red and his friends seek to stop them from achieving their ideals of world domination.

Eventually, the series continues with introducing new characters from the newer generations and creating new stories based off of the games they came from. The Gold/Silver/Crystal arc follows the adventures of Gold, Silver, and Crystal and the Ruby/Sapphire arc follows the adventures of Ruby and Sapphire.

The story was enjoyable to read. It begins with a very simple tale about a young boy who dreams of becoming the very best trainer. Over time, the series becomes more interesting by introducing new characters and Pokemon that contribute to the plot. The best part about the video games was that you, as a player, felt immersed in the Pokemon world. You travel across the land, storm through the seas, capture Pokemon, and fight tough battles. Red goes through many different experiences from his interactions with Pokemon and other people. Also, the story borrows elements from the games such as the aspect of strategy with the items, moves, and abilities the Pokemon have. This also makes the story more enjoyable to read since the newer generations introduce new mechanics to the series.

The interesting aspect about the series is that, unlike the video games, the characters from different generations all meet together as they encounter one another during certain situations within the plot or they face each other from the connections that they have.

One thing I disliked about the story was the lack of consistency. For the most part, the story has flow and has solid transitioning from one scene to another. However, there were a few moments within the plot that I believe felt that the pacing was a bit off, especially during the action scenes.

Overall, the story was good. It does not have the most complex plot, but the simplicity of the story makes it easy to follow.

[Art] Score: 9/Great

The visuals was one of the strengths of the manga. The character designs were very well representative of their video game character counterparts and the depictions of the Pokemon look exactly like the Pokemon from the games. If you've played the Pokemon games, you will probably recognize the characters with ease. Also, the emotions that the characters and Pokemon evoke are present from their expressions and show their feelings during certain situations. It also presents different locations for the characters to travel that are visually stunning, all the way from caves, to mountains, to seas, to lands.

The art is best presented when it comes to the action. Within the trainer battles, the use of Pokemon moves is extremely detailed. It really feels like an epic confrontation is taking place when two trainers are battling each other. Not only that, but the element of strategy, from utilizing the trainers' surroundings and accounting for the advantages or disadvantages of certain moves, makes the battling more complex.

In summary, the drawings were well done with great detail. It appeals to both the Pokemon fans as well as those who enjoy the adventure and action genre.

[Character] 10/Outstanding

The best thing for me about Pokemon Special was the characters. In the games, the protagonists did not have personalities as the player was the one who was supposed to be immersed in the game. The characters had blank personas and the player was the one who was supposed to fill it in. Within the manga, the authors created unique personalities that compensate for the lack of characterization and fit amazingly well.

Red: Red begins his journey as somewhat cocky and a bit naive. He is competitive as he is very motivated to battle others and test his skills. He journeys through the Kanto region and through his naive nature, he trembles upon different Pokemon and different people. Eventually, he becomes a strong leader and powerful trainer as he learns from his failures and triumphs. Red will help out his friends no matter what and will support them when they are needed. His main starter is Bulbasaur and reflects Red's character development: a young seed that gradually grows over time. Red also is very attached with his Pikachu and is very friendly with his other Pokemon.

Green: Red's rival. He is composed and collected and has proven to be a very serious and powerful trainer. At first, he recognizes Red as an amateur trainer who has no potential. However, he gradually respects Red as Red develops throughout the series as he improves his potential and strengthens his skills. Their rivalry is shown through their competitive interactions, but they both regard each other as strong trainers. Green goes through rigorous training with his Pokemon but respects them as his companions. His main starter is Charmander and reflects Green's character as a whole: confident, serious, and bold.

Blue: A mysterious young girl with cunning and wit. During the beginning of the series, she tricks and deceives others for personal gain. She prefers cute and attractive Pokemon over strong ones. Although she appears as selfish on the outside, she faces inner conflicts through certain fears. She journeys through Kanto to identify herself and learn about her past life. She goes through many changes throughout the series and shows her true colors as she discovers more about herself. Blue is close with Silver and both hold a close relationship as they are both acquainted since childhood. She stole the final starter from Professor Oak, which was Squirtle. Squirtle reflects her character: defensive and self-reliant.

Yellow: Yellow is a character who truly cares about the well being of Pokemon. She is somewhat naive as she doesn't desire for her opponent's Pokemon to hurt nor her own. However, she is a kind and loving character who cares for her Pokemon. She does not have a starter like the other protagonists, but she builds a unique style when fighting against others.

Gold: Gold is a young but immature trainer. He's quite a brash character and is quite careless at times. In comparison, Gold is somewhat similar to Red as their share similar characteristics as they are both naive and seek adventure. However, he is quick and spontaneous and will do anything for the sake of protecting his friends. His starter is Cyndaquil and reflects his character: powerful and slightly brash.

Silver: Silver is similar to Blue as he does not know much about his past. However, unlike Blue, he is more of a determined and confident young trainer. His motivation is to take down Team Rocket and desires to learn more about his past. Silver develops as he faces an organization he despises most and may potentially face hardships with the more he discovers about himself. He stole a starter from Professor Elm, similar to Blue, and took away Totodile. Totodile is extremely loyal to Silver.

Crystal: Crystal is a very caring and kind character. She cares for the Pokemon she captures and researches them thoroughly. Crystal also is the most intelligent as she helped Oak complete the information on the Pokedex. She isn't the strongest of trainers compared to the other protagonists, but her intelligence and wit has made her a formidable opponent. Her starter is Chikorita and truly reflects her character: Fragile, but caring.

Ruby: Ruby is one who favors beauty contests over Pokemon battles. He cares about aesthetic qualities over brute strength, but is an extremely powerful trainer. Ruby's character development, personally, was the most interesting. He tries to balance out talent over interest as he faces the disapproval of his father. In the beginning, Ruby runs away from his problems and doesn't face them head on. However, he truly grows as a trainer and a coordinator. His starter Pokemon is Mudkip, a Pokemon that has both cuteness and strength.

Sapphire: Sapphire is a tomboy who favors to battle. She isn't afraid of getting herself dirty from a fight and has quite a keen instinct as she spent most of her time away from city and more engrossed within nature. Like Ruby, Sapphire goes through a lot of development as she develops her personality from an aggressive tomboy into a powerful and womanly trainer. The juxtaposition between both of them is clear with a girl with a boyish personality who loves to fight and a boy with a girlish personality who hates to fight. Her relationship with Ruby is very interesting as they both make promises to become stronger and they both develop because of each other. Her starter is Torchic, a cute Pokemon that also has an aggressive side to it.

Personally, I loved the characters and their development from young trainers into mature and strong individuals.

[Enjoyment] 9/Great

Reading page after page, night after night, I never stopped reading this manga. Those times that I've read have been truly worth it and I don't plan on taking that time back.

[Overall]: 10/Outstanding

It's been a truly enjoyable experience. The series doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon and I'm glad that that is the case. I was immersed with the series as I am a fan of Pokemon and the adaptation does it justice. The visuals, the characters, and the story all make a chemistry of a great series.