Pokémon in Greater China: Difference between revisions

|EP001=November 16, 1998 {{tt|*|Hong Kong}}<br>November 1998 {{tt|*|Taiwan (CTV)}}<br>December 1998 {{tt|*|mainland China}}

|AG001=June 25, 2006 {{tt|*|Taiwan}}<br>March 4, 2007 {{tt|*|Hong Kong}}

Currently, none of the Pokémon games have been officially translated into Chinese. Many Chinese-translated [[ROM hacks|bootlegs]] of the series are distributed into the mainland. Interactions between these bootlegs and any official game cartridges are possible, but not recommended <!--since the Chinese characters were never programmed into any official cartridges and -->as it would often result with files getting corrupted on both cartridges and forcing the gamers to start over from the beginning. Currently, two subsidiaries of Nintendo, Nintendo Phuten and Nintendo (Hong Kong), distributes the Japanese and English versions of the video games in their respective region. <!--The video games were originally distributed by MANI Limited in Hong Kong until 2012.-->

The Taiwanese and Cantonese dub of the [[Pokémon anime]] were recorded and produced by Top Insight International Co., Ltd. ({{tt|群英社國際股份有限公司|Qúnyīng Shè Guójì Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàngōngsī}}, {{tt|群英社|Qúnyīng Shè}} for short). The Cantonese dub was previously handled by Medialink Animation International Ltd. ({{tt|羚邦國際|Lìhngbōng Gwokjai}}), but had already lost the rights to dub and distribute the anime to Top Insight. While the mainland dubs are recorded and produced by Beijing DynamicMedia Co., Ltd. ({{tt|北京迪美文化发展有限公司|Běijīng Díměiwénhuà Fāzhǎn Yǒuxiàngōngsī}}). There are several dubs of the anime and it is mainly based on the original Japanese version. The anime has aired in several different channels, such as {{wp|China Television}}, YoYoTV, [[Cartoon Network]], and {{wp|Chunghwa Telecom|MOD}} in Taiwan, {{wp|TVB Jade}} in Hong Kong, and {{wp|CCTV-6}} in mainland China.

With the exception of [[side story episodes]], the infamous ''[[EP038|Electric Soldier Porygon]]'' (電腦戰士3D龍<!--Official translation-->), ''[[The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon]]'', and the [[clip show]]s, all episodes prior to the {{series|XY}} and the first sixteenth [[Pokémon movie|movie]]s have been dubbed into Mandarin. However, only the last few episodes of the Best Wishes series remained unaired in Taiwan, as Top Insight no longer holds the right to the series. Sixteen [[Pokémon movie]]s have also premiered in Taiwan, with [[M13|the thirteenth movie]] released just 20 days after the Japanese premiere. The [[M14|fourteenth movie]] premiered August 19, 2011, with ''Black Hero'' shown in MOD and ''White Hero'' released in theaters. The [[M15|fifteenth movie]] along with ''[[PK24|Meloetta's Moonlight Serenade]]'' was released in theaters on October 2012, while the [[M16|sixteenth movie]] was released on August 2013.

In Hong Kong, all episodes prior to Best Wishes series (寵物小精靈：超級願望) have aired. The [[BW001|first episode]] of the Best Wishes series premiered on November 19, 2011.

In mainland China, Pokémon anime returned after three years of hiatus when the {{series|Diamond and Pearl}} (精灵宝可梦 DP：钻石与珍珠) premiered on July 3, 2011. The show went on an indefinite hiatus after airing only 27 episodes. On December 2012, iQiyi put the first 84 episodes of the Taiwanese dub of Best Wishes up for online legal viewing, with episodes from the BW Season 2 and the original series added in the subsequent months. The series is released under the title 精灵宝可梦 超级愿望.  

Unlike the other dubs, the Mandarin dub subtitles the original Japanese opening and ending themes. However, for the Kanto saga of the original mainland dub, the localization team used an original Mandarin song, with minor edits made to the original video. For the Taiwanese dub and mainland redub, both dubs had instead subtitled the original Japanese theme. However, due to the request of the Japanese officials, an original Mandarin theme song was used in the place of the Japanese theme when the Best Wishes series is broadcasted in YoYoTV. Nevertheless, the {{so|Best Wishes!|Japanese theme}} was used in the fourteenth movie. In addition, the anime tends to switch back to the original Japanese theme for unknown reasons. However, the new episodes in MOD continued to use the new Mandarin theme after the switch from the Japanese theme.

For the Cantonese dub, it used openings that are either originals or based on the original Japanese version. It continued up until midway {{series|Advanced Generation}} (寵物小精靈超世代), before using the subtitled Japanese themes like the Taiwanese dub. However, similar to the case of the Taiwanese dub, a Cantonese version of ''{{OBP|Best Wishes!|song}}'' was used during the premiere of the new series. For more information on these theme songs, see [[List of Chinese Pokémon themes]].

 

===Cast and Crew===

|陳凱婷 ''Chàhn Hóitìhng'' "Joyce Chan"{{tt|*|2006 - Current}}<br>盧素娟 ''Lòuh Sougyūn'' "Doris Lu"{{tt|*|1998 - 2006}}

|

Pro-Insight International Co., Ltd. (博英社國際股份有限公司), a subsidiary of Top Insight International, formerly distributed anime and movie-related merchandise such as toys and DVD sets in Taiwan.  As of January 2014, all of Pokémon-related contents have already been removed from both its corporate and commercial website, while its Pokémon-related merchandises have now been pulled out from the Taiwanese market.

[[Pokémon Adventures]] (Traditional Mandarin: {{tt|神奇寶貝特別篇|Pokémon Special}}, Simplified Mandarin: {{tt|精灵宝可梦特别篇|Pokémon Special}}, Cantonese: {{tt|寵物小精靈特別篇|Pokémon Special}}) has been translated into Chinese as well. The traditional Mandarin and Cantonese versions are translated by Ching Win Publishing Group (青文出版集團), while the simplified Mandarin version is translated by Jilin Publishing Group (吉林出版集团). Pokémon Adventures was also previously translated by China Light Industry Press (轻工业出版社) under the name {{tt|宠物小精灵特别篇|Pokémon Special}} before 2000. While the Cantonese term of Pokémon is used, all other terms were based on the Taiwanese translation. As Jilin took over in 2000, it was renamed to {{tt|神奇宝贝特别篇|Pokémon Special}} to keep it consistent with the Taiwanese translation. Starting from the DP chapter, it was renamed to 精灵宝可梦特别篇 due to trademark issues. [[CoroCoro]] is also distributed within the three regions under the names {{tt|快樂快樂月刊|Kuàilè Kuàilè Yuèkān (Happy Happy Monthly Magazine)}} (Taiwan), {{tt|快樂龍|Kuàilè Lóng (Happy Dragon)}} (Hong Kong), and {{tt|龍漫<!--Traditional Chinese?-->CORO-CORO|Lóngmàn CORO-CORO (Dragon Comics: CoroCoro)}} (Mainland China).

In Hong Kong, most of manga translated in Taiwan is also released in here as Ching Win Publishing Group also distributes manga in the region. However, the names are given some changes due to difference in the dialect and terminologies between in the two regions, with {{tt|神奇寶貝|Pokémon}} changed to {{tt|寵物小精靈|Pokémon}} being one of the major changes.

=== [[Pokémon Battrio]] ===

Pokémon Battrio (神奇寶貝 三隻組對戰) was released in Taiwan in 2010, making it the only country outside of Japan to release the arcade game. Many of the machines are found in department stories throughout Taiwan. Currently, nine sets have been released with the latest being {{tt|烈空坐|Rayquaza}}.

The merchandise ended in Taiwan on December 2012 due to lower-then-expected popularity and contract due from the Taiwanese distributor. All Taiwanese version of arcade machine has all been removed and it is still unknown if the Taiwanese version of game chips are playable in Japan.

* [http://www.nintendo.tw/ Nintendo Phuten]