What is the Japanese release title of the first Pokémon movie, known internationally as Pokémon: The First Movie?

The Japanese release title of Pokémon: The First Movie is Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back.

The film premiered in Japan on July 18, 1998, as the first theatrical Pokémon anime film. Its story centers on Mewtwo, a genetically engineered Pokémon who challenges human ideas about creation, identity, and power.

The international English title is Pokémon: The First Movie, with the subtitle Mewtwo Strikes Back used in the full title. This localization difference can make the Japanese title easy to overlook, especially because later films used different naming conventions in different markets.

The movie was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and written by Takeshi Shudo. A 2019 computer-animated remake, Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, retold the same broad story with updated visuals.