OLM produced the original Pokémon television series.
The studio was known as Oriental Light and Magic, commonly abbreviated as OLM. It handled the animation production for the Pokémon anime, which premiered on TV Tokyo in 1997.
OLM’s work helped translate the games’ turn-based battles and collectible creatures into an ongoing television adventure. The anime added expressive character acting, recurring companions, comic timing, and episodic plots while retaining recognizable Pokémon designs and abilities.
Kunihiko Yuyama served as the series’ chief director for many years, while Takeshi Shudo was the original head writer. These creative roles are sometimes confused with the animation studio itself. Nintendo published the games, Game Freak developed them, and OLM produced the television animation. OLM also worked on many Pokémon films and related animated projects, making it one of the franchise’s most important long-term production partners.