The world of song and of theinterpretation is sometimes difficult to live for actors, singers and voice actors. Some accept contracts who, with the years and the success of thework origin in which they fit, may seem ridiculous. And this story also concerns the original interpreter of the credits of the animated series Pokemon.
Pokemon : a cult generic
License Pokemon is the one that sells the most derivative products in the entire video game industry, and even in the world of culture in generalfar exceeding Disney films and Star Wars or any other blockbuster, like the Lord of the Rings Where Harry Potter. And this has its origins in its explosion of different products like cards Pokemon who are now snapping up gold or figurines, stuffed animals, films, and of course, the anime series we all knowmade iconic in Europe and the United States by the two English and French performers, Jason Paige and Jean-Marc Anthony Kabeya. But if it is a version translated into our regional languages, let’s not forget thatthere is an original version of the song, sung in Japanese by Rica Matsumoto.
You certainly know Rica Matsumoto, or at least have heard his voice, since not only does she sing the main credits of the anime Pokemonbut she also plays the character of Sacha Ketchum in the same cartoon. She is also the voice of Ryo and Yami Bakura in the anime. Yu Gi Oh but also other characters too numerous to be mentioned in Yu Yu Hakusho, Olive and Tom, Lupine III, City Hunter and lots of small roles in your favorite Japanese series. During an event organized for the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon animated series, Rica Matsumoto was invited to share her experience interpreting Sacha and the original credits. She also took the opportunity to share the sum received for having produced the credits, either 100,000 yen, 765 dollars (inflation taken into account), i.e. 725.22 euros. A sum that may seem ridiculous given the monumental success of the series. But who doesn’t seem to bother the dubbing actress more than that, since his cult song from 1997 had a meteoric comeback in 2021 for the series’ 25th anniversary.
Pokemon : copyright questioned?
Matsumoto explains that when she signed the contract, it signed an agreement not addressing any royalties to it. She therefore did not receive any bonus money from the 100,000 Yen paid by Nintendo for her song “Mezase Pokemon Master“. The interpreter has already had a lot of work within the series Pokemonbecause she is also behind the two openings of the series Sun and Moonthe second of which is a rearrangement of the original theme. She also participated in the popularity of the group of Japanese rock JAM Projectwhose work on the cult credits of One-Punch Man cannot be ignored.
This is not the first time that an author of a cultural work for a blockbuster has revealed the ridiculous sum received for his work. Several times, Marvel Comics Writers Revealed The Group Paid Them A Small Fee To Feature Their Creation In The Marvel Cinematic Universe. The latest is Joe Caseycreator of the character of America Chavez that you could see in the recent film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Yes Pokemon interests you, perhaps you will be interested in knowing our selection of the best Master / Pokémon duos of the cartoon, guaranteed without the presence of Pikachu and Sacha.
