Pokétoon Anime Short Shows a Magikarp’s Journey

A new animated short film uploaded to the The Pokémon Kids TV Japan Youtube channel details the journey of a Magikarp, one of the Pokémon series’ most idiosyncratic creatures. It debuted as part part of the channel’s “Pokétoon” collection of kid-friendly anime shorts. Titled “Just You Wait, Magikarp!” (using “Koiking”, Magikarp’s Japanese name), the six-minute short film was produced by anime Studio Colorido. Studio Colorido is also credited with producing the Bleach spinoff Burn the Witch, and worked on the Pokémon: Twilight Wings mini-series [Thanks, Comic Natalie].

Though usually delivered in Japanese without English translation, this particular Pokétoon is dialog-free, and set to music. It shows the first meeting between a young flute-playing child who forms a bond with a Magikarp. That bond manages to persist despite the pair’s separation, and eventually serves as the catalyst for a now-iconic Pokémon evolution moment.

The Pokétoon short was produced by Studio Colorido, but is credited in large part to a single person: Animator Cedric Herole. Besides the original story concept, which was credited to Aimi Tate, Herole served as director, storyboard artist, character designer, art designer, and animation director for the piece. He’s also worked on series like My Hero Academia, Space Dandy, Your Lie in April, and Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.

The Launched back in 2019, the The Pokémon Kids TV Japan channel is a Pokémon channel dedicated mainly to children’s programming. Videos on the channel range from simple songs and nursery rhymes (like a Popplio and Sobble singing “Row Row Row Your Boat“) to Pikachu-themed lunchbox recipes.

The Pokétoon shorts are available on the Pokémon Kids TV Japan channel. They began airing in 2020, and tell new Pokémon stories in a variety of styles. The first parodied the style of Looney Tunes to tell a slapstick story about a Scraggly and a Mimikyu. Another showed a Pancham and its heroic aspirations. The most recent prior to Just You Wait, Magikarp! was the longest, and followed Tsubomi, a young trainer who can’t wait to start her own journey.