Classic Anime Review #2: What Determines Who We Are?

“Life. The great miracle, and the great mystery.” Those lines have lived rent-free in my head since 1998. I don’t remember much about that year, if I’m honest. I remember Clinton, have a vague memory of Crash Bandicoot, and have a vivid memory of my mother. She and I went to NC State University’s child psychology department. There, I was tasked with completing a puzzle. Mom wasn’t allowed to touch it and was instructed to help me only by talking me through it. We did another task that escapes me now, and then my mother was paid $75. We went and got ice cream at Baskin Robbins, then we went to the movie theater next door and watched this movie. She said:

“That new Pokemon thing is out, and I wanted to surprise you by taking you to watch it!” (Image via 4Kids)

Mom, if you’re reading this, I still remember that day, and there are so many reasons why. Not the last on that list is the quality and feelings that this movie brought out. It is not uncommon for people who were of a certain age during a certain time have shared certain experiences. A quick trip to the Twitter (or heavens forbid, Tumblr), reveals that millions of us the world over remember this:

Why can’t we just pretend this war never began? (image via giphy)

2020 was a year defined by collective pain and survived by collective joy. In the pandemic, one of my distinct joys has been watching Pokemon with my own kiddo. No movie theaters, but every bit of wonder that 22 years and countless episodes and games and movies…