Transmedia Storytelling in Detective Pikachu: A Detailed Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the film Detective Pikachu, focusing on its effective use of transmedia storytelling. The study examines how the film integrates elements from various platforms, including video games, merchandise, and the broader Pokemon franchise, to create a unified entertainment experience. It delves into specific examples, such as references to video game locations and characters, to illustrate the interconnectedness of the narrative across different media. Furthermore, the report investigates the influence of the production companies, Legendary Pictures and The Pokemon Company, on the film's content, highlighting how their collaboration shaped the film's narrative, visual style, and cultural impact. The analysis explores the incorporation of both Eastern and Western cultural elements, the casting choices, and the strategic marketing techniques employed to reach a global audience. Ultimately, the report concludes that Detective Pikachu successfully leverages transmedia storytelling to expand the Pokemon universe and resonate with a diverse audience.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE PIKACHU
Analysis Of Detective Pikachu
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Authors note:

1ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE PIKACHU
A process in which a single story is expressed through multiple formats and platforms
by using current digital technologies is called transmedia storytelling (Scolari, 2014). The
paper focuses on integrating the concept of transmedia storytelling through a film. The
chosen film is Detective Pikachu which is an all-time blockbuster. The following section of
the paper will discuss the concept of transmedia storytelling and will show how, in the movie,
Detective Pikachu transmedia storytelling is used. The paper is filled with examples to show
the transmedia storytelling. The later section of the paper gives insight into the role of two
producing companies, namely legends pictures and the pokemon company in influencing the
content of the Detective Pikachu movie. The movie Detective Pikachu has strong transmedia
storytelling, and the producing companies have primarily influenced the content of the movie.
According to Henry Jenkins, transmedia storytelling is a process where the
fundamentals elements of fiction are get disseminated systematically across all the multiple
delivery channels to create a coordinated and unified entertainment experience (Bourdaa,
2014). Each of the medium involved makes their own unique contribution to the proper
unfolding of the story (Freeman, 2014). Transmedia storytelling is quite in trend (Bertetti,
2014). The ninety billion franchise, which is nearly thirty billion more than the marvel
cinematic universe and the harry potter franchise combined is the success of all time. Started
in the year 1996 in these twenty-four years, the franchise has transformed and evolved to
influence every sector of the entertainment industry globally. The franchise has video games,
mobile applications, cartoons, merchandise, trading card and more recently the movie.
The most downloaded application of all time was Pokemon Go which was appealed to
everyone and started a "franchise renaissance". The franchise being a media mix has rapidly
grown in japan. In the beginning, only there were three-pronged co-ordination, namely video
game, trading games and merchandise. Magazines and other forms came later on in the
business. It would be an understatement to call it a phenomenon. In the present time, the first

2ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE PIKACHU
big thing that was sensationalised was "Video Game Blockbuster". Roping in Ryan Reynolds
as Detective Pikachu together with Justice Smith as Tim Goodman was a masterstroke on the
part of the brand.
The movie had a big budget with western stars attached and appealed to the mass
audience. It was technically adaptation of the game like the character names but had much
better depiction with a better story, comedy or character development. The movie is not just a
smart adaption of the main series of a game or the live-action. The movie focuses on events
and creates Rhyme city in the pokemon universe, which looks like a combination of New
York or Tokyo intertwined together. The present of the posters in Tim Goodman's room of
tournament in Sinnoh and Johto (video game areas debuting in Pokémon Gold and
Silver,1999) plus Diamond and Pearl, 2006) and the statement of the scientist when they
seize a Mewtwo who had earlier escaped from the region Kanto nearly twenty years
back( keeps the continuity of the video game ) are two noteworthy things or transmedia
storytelling as the examples cement the story of the film in another junction of the world.
One of the highlights of the movie was the comic factor. The nostalgia in the movie is
meta as well as genuine. Mostly generation one pokemon is focused on the movie be it
Pikachu, Mewtwo or Charizard. One of the appreciated themes were the song of Ryan
Reynolds singing the original theme of the franchise, Tim Goodman procession of the
posters, Pikachu Bed and Pokemon card ring binder (Bachhav).
The movie was a risk because it had two hurdles firstly it was not easy to adapt the
game to film adaptation and secondly it was also to adapt the film into from Japanese to
western adaption. When it was time to adapt the film into western adaptation from the
Japanese adaptation the philosophy of pokemon was considered, and the core of the film was
made like that (Cresswell, 2015). There was specific Japanese philosophy which influenced

3ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE PIKACHU
the franchise from the beginning of the film (O'Melia, 2016). Firstly the human or pokemon
partnership which reflects the idea of oneness and animism. The idea of spirit which hails
from Japanese philosophy is very prominent in the movie.
Detective Pikachu is produced by Legendary Pictures, The Pokemon Company and
Toho. The pokemon company did not want to produce an anime which concentrated only on
battles; instead, they wanted to make a feature film where there were strong characters.
Therefore, they liked the story and entered into a collaboration with the legendary pictures.
Therefore in the movie, an amalgamation of East and West can be observed. The rhyme city,
which was an amalgamation of New York, London and Tokyo together and even the
language and the font used looked like Japanese and English hybridisation. The genre of
pokemon was also not snarky postmodern which was the symbol in the West. One of the
prominent examples of using Japanese symbolism was the use of magazine FRUITS; it was a
magazine which was synonymous to the culture of Japanese fashion and was very influential
in the western world (Peng, 2016). The influence of FRUITS has observed in the movie by
the colourful costumes worn by the people in Rhyme cities who attended the fights which
took place in Roundhouse.
The influence of two schools of producers can be observed in the creation of Pikachu,
especially Pikachu. The adding of fur the body of Pikachu was a complaint from the fan the
graphic team; however, opinionated that seeing something like a hard yellow surface would
be the most disturbing thing on Earth. The pokemon company had a priority and suggested
that to protect the unique character charm. They instructed the western team not to make
pokemon look too dirty as they did not want pokemon to fall into the uncanny valley
(Wagner, 2019). Ravi Bansal, the art director of the film, said the pokemon company did not
want to add nails or eyelashes in the character it was of paramount importance for the
designer to preserve the cuteness or charm of the character as observed in Hello Kitty or

4ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE PIKACHU
Totoro. Hidenaga Katakami, who was the representative from the pokemon company to
remove visual effects like scruffy fur or blotchy skin.
The casting of Ryan Reynold's was a move to make the movie for a global audience,
no Japanese actor was considered for the role as both the companies wanted to make the
movie for a universal audience and not restrict it (Durham & Kellner, 2012). The budget of
the movie was high, and it was only possible because of the giant producer's involvement.
The amalgamation of both companies can also be observed in America and Japan. First, the
popularity of Ryan Reynolds was encashed and even leaked the whole film in which a
dancing Pikachu was observed for three hours. While in Japan, the merchandise of pokemon
was sold to create a recall effect.
Therefore from the above discussion, it can be concluded that Detective Pikachu is a
concept which can be turned into a larger Pokemon universe. Seeing pokemon live in action
for the first time was wise. The transmedia storytelling was wisely done by the movie
Detective Pikachu as concluded from the above discussion. This can be exemplified by the
set design or the language which converges both the eastern and the western world. The
content is also a universal content which is due to the influence of two producing companies
legend pictures and the pokemon company.

5ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE PIKACHU
References
Bachhav, N. D. Sentiment Analysis Approach for Opinion Estimation from Text: A Review.
Bertetti, P. (2014). Transmedia Critical| Toward a Typology of Transmedia
Characters. International journal of communication, 8, 20.
Bourdaa, M. (2014). This is not marketing. This is HBO: Branding HBO with transmedia
storytelling. Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate
Network, 7(1).
Cresswell, J. W. A. (2015). Cross-Pollination of Animation: Western Cartoons & Japanese
Animation.
Durham, M. G., & Kellner, D. M. (Eds.). (2012). Media and cultural studies: Keyworks. John
Wiley & Sons.
Freeman, M. (2014). Transmedia Critical| Advertising the Yellow Brick Road: Historicizing
the Industrial Emergence of Transmedia Storytelling. International Journal of
Communication, 8, 19.
O'Melia, G. (2016). Globalization and the emergence of Japanese influence in American
popular culture (Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University-Graduate School-Newark).
Peng, C. (2016, January). Market Analysis about Successful Animation Characters and The
Important Elements Point of Create Animated Characters. In 2016 2nd International
Conference on Education Technology, Management and Humanities Science. Atlantis
Press.
Scolari, C. A. (2014). Don Quixote of La Mancha: Transmedia storytelling in the grey
zone. International Journal of Communication. 2014; 8: 2382–405.

6ANALYSIS OF DETECTIVE PIKACHU
Wagner, E. (2019). A Strategic Audit of Nintendo Co., Ltd