Call me biased, but I have a special relationship with the first anime I ever watched. It spawned a childhood obsession with an anime, game series, and lifestyle that helped me to survive grammar school. It holds a special place in not only my own, but many other people's hearts. Whether it's the game, the anime, the manga, or all three people care about, it really is something special.
For 'hardcore' fans of anime, shows like this aren't something they would watch, especially if they didn't watch it around the time it came out. It's a family friendly show, a good thing for young kids who are interested in games and such, and it's something a whole family could enjoy. Just a warning though for families thinking about this, if your kids get into the show, they will probably want to play the games as well, so if you're thinking about watching it with your family, you should be prepared to spend a bit of money on it if necessary to buy them games or manga or episodes of the television show.
Story(9/10):
Pokemon brought something new to the table as a game series and an anime not seen before. Now, instead of just fighting monsters in an rpg style story, one could actually capture them in a ball, befriend them and take them around in their pocket wherever they wanted to go. It was a marvel concept, and when the games/cartoons firs came out, they were just as crazily fanned-over by people who enjoyed games and anime alike. Not only that, but it's popularity wasn't just for geeks and nerds, anyone who was anyone played it and knew what it was. Now it's fallen into obscurity a bit, no longer the focus of public eye, but only the focus of a fan base. However, when the first series came out, the show was in it's prime.(There's a bit of history for you)
Anyway, so the original season of the first show by far has the best story, introducing characters who, throughout the franchise, have remained popular in people's minds. It showcases the main character, a ten year old boy named Ash, as the protaganist, and through his adventures he quickly makes friends with Misty, Brock, and of course, the main pokemon Pikachu.
He goes around the region battling gym leaders, beating up Team Rocket Members, and going on various misadventures. Unlike in the games, legendaries and such aren't things that he catches on his own. The games and the show don't match up exactly, however, the show is good in it's own right, just as the games are.
The show as shown on the website is actually multiple sections in the overall gigantic pokemon anime itself, with new regions composing new seasons. Usually the anime follows the order of the release of the video games, so it's relatively easy to follow for players.
Animation(10/10):
The animation is good, especially considering the anime was made in the late 90s with bright colors and good character design.
But the best part of the show BY FAR is the design of the pokemon themselves. They're varied, fitting and complex, and with 151(at the time of the initial show, over 700 now) different species, there's an insane number to catch, see, and set episodes around. With various types and colors, they vary in shape size and design in a remarkable act of creativity that, to this day, still impresses me. From the epic Charizard, to the adorable Pikachu, the show let's its pokemon shine in the spotlight with their amazing design.
Sound(9/10):
Oh come on, everyone who EVER watched this show as a kid has to remember the opening song to the show. It's utterly iconic. The rest of the music is fine, but nowhere near as memorable as the original opening.
Unlike in the games, pokemon say their name in their speech patterns to talk rather than making sounds like animals as their forms in the games do. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing really depends on the person watching it, but it didn't bother me at all.
Voice actors are fine except for Ash at the beginning. His voice actor improves, but at first he just sounds like a snott nosed little kid. I know he's ten years old and that was what they were going for, but it's still an annoying quality. It gets beter with time, but it's still a bit of an earsore for the first couple of episodes.
Characters(9/10):
Well, let's start with focusing on the big one, the protaganist in the anime who's been around for the whole time it's been playing: Ash Kethcum. Oh, and WHY IS HE STILL TEN?
Ash: As you would expect, he's a ten year old from Pallet Town with his adventure about to begin. He's clearly based off of the protaganist in the games, originally being given the option of charmander, bulbasaur, and squirtle as his first pokemon. He, however arrives late and instead of ending up with one of the three starters mentioned above, he gets Pikachu. His adventures are numerous, and he's a kind protaginist. However, he tends to either be overpowered or utterly incompetent in battlihg for the sake of the story, rather than actually having a steady growth rate throughout the series. He's probably the most frustrating characters in the show. Not very smart, but an average ten year old, I suppose. He's alright.
Misty: A tough girl. She trains water types, is kinda bossy, and altogether is a good character. She's the celadon gym leader.
Brook: The show's comic relief, he freaks out every time he sees a girl, and falls in love with all of them, particularly Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. He stuck with the show almost as long as Ash did.
Jesse, James, and Mewoth: The little funny villains of the group with incredibly memorable enterence and exit dialougue. Always trying to capture pikachu.
Gary Oak: As Professor Oak's grandson, he's set up perfectly as Ash's rival, and is the counterpart of Green(Blue?) in the original games. His personality is his character perfectly.
Overall(9.5/10):
While this is one of those shows older people who haven't watched it before might not appreciate, it's definitely good to play.