Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Released in 2006 by OLM, Inc. and distributed by Toho in Japan before reaching the West through Miramax and later Warner Bros., Lucario and the Mystery of Mew marked the eighth entry in the Pokémon film series and the last to feature Ash's classic Kanto-era companions before later reboots reshaped the franchise's tone. It stands as a fan favorite for its ambitious animation and its willingness to explore themes of loyalty and time, arriving at a point when the anime's theatrical output was still a major cultural event for a generation raised on the games and television series.
This cell, marked simply Pikachu, preserves the franchise's enduring mascot, voiced throughout by Ikue Ōtani, whose vocal performance has defined the character since its debut. A cell bearing only the character's name suggests a straightforward studio or promotional frame, the kind used to represent the film itself rather than a single scripted beat. For collectors, such a piece functions as a touchstone, a clean reference to Pikachu's presence in this particular chapter of the series' long theatrical history.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even and the punched corners are rounded and clean.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the bottom edge, with what appears to be a secondary cyan-tinted stripe consistent with a Dolby SR or digital hybrid track area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; dye image reads as yellow-dominant with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks seen.
Picture
Positive image; both frames appear to be from the same continuous shot, and the animated character visible is consistent with the Pokémon franchise as recorded.
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack format, polyester-base appearance, and colour dye structure are all consistent with a 2006 theatrical release print.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
