Who directed Pokémon: The First Movie?

Kunihiko Yuyama directed Pokémon: The First Movie.

Released in Japan in 1998 and internationally under the title Pokémon: The First Movie, the film is based on the Pokémon television anime. Its story centers on Mewtwo, a genetically engineered Pokémon who challenges the assumptions of the humans who created it and confronts other Pokémon in a dramatic battle.

Yuyama was a veteran anime director who became closely associated with the Pokémon film series. He directed the first movie and continued directing many later animated Pokémon films, making him one of the franchise’s most important long-term creative figures.

Satoshi Tajiri created the Pokémon concept, but he was not the film’s director. Takeshi Shudo wrote the screenplay, while the English-language release also included the subtitle “Mewtwo Strikes Back” in promotional materials and related releases. Those different creative roles are common sources of mix-ups.