#i have debated doing a whole effin essay on the english vs japanese scripts for msb

[dizzydaisygettinglazy]

Hi! I was the Mewtwo-murder anon. Thank you for your response! Do you think his motivations differ in the JP script of MSB or the radio drama? Since there is a lot less emphasis on being dismissed as just an experiment.

Hi again! Thanks again for your other question, and I’m glad to hear from you again. If I’m understanding correctly, the question is: Do Mewtwo’s motivations differ in the original Japanese version of Mewtwo Strikes Back and the radio drama, The Birth of Mewtwo, as compared to the other language versions of Mewtwo Strikes Back?

So! This is a complicated answer, because the Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998) scripts are quite different in some areas, and we could have a whole conversation on localization and how it affects characterization. But I don’t think you’re asking for that, lol. It can get really confusing between all the different iterations of the same story, but I’ll try to lay out my response as best I can. I’m going to use the English MSB script as my base of comparison.

This is obviously just my opinion, but I think Mewtwo’s motivations in all three versions of the story are, at their core, quite similar. In English MSB, Japanese MSB, and The Birth of Mewtwo radio drama, Mewtwo is upset that he’s an unnatural being and a product of humanity. (“Am I only a copy? Nothing but Mew’s shadow?”). (“You people? “Humans created me?”). However, Mewtwo does not voice his thoughts as much in Japanese MSB. The dialogue he does have focuses more on the fact that he doesn’t know why he’s there. (“Who am I? Where am I? Why was I born?”). This gives off the impression that he’s blowing up the lab mostly out of frustrated confusion. However, his questions about God and his relation to Mew in addition to his reaction to the scientists’ answers insinuate that he is indeed not pleased with being an experiment, an engineered creation of humanity.

Interestingly, Mewtwo in both English MSB and TBoM share several similarities in terms of attitude and motivation. In these versions, Mewtwo’s tone of voice with the scientists is even more distraught and angry, he’s much more talkative about what he’s feeling and is more outwardly arrogant. (“This is my power!”, “I am the most powerful Pokemon in this world!” are just a couple lines he spouts in TBoM. Do those lines sound familiar…?) He rants about humanity and says that he, not humans, ought to rule the world. This more deliberate approach isn’t technically at odds with the much quieter Japanese MSB version, it’s just that, as stated, Mewtwo doesn’t voice his thoughts as much in Japanese MSB. Many lines were added in English in order to clarify the reasons for his actions, and he’s more wordy in TBoM because it’s a radio drama and was meant to be listened to.

In my opinion, one of the biggest differences in motivation between the three is that Mewtwo in TBoM is much more concerned about his standing against Mew. He feels he has to prove himself to Mew–or to someone, perhaps himself–that he is stronger. He has several encounters with Mew before their showdown on New Island in which he voices these insecurities aloud. (Whether Mew is merely a figment of his imagination in these instances is left ambiguous.) Mewtwo certainly feels this need to prove himself against Mew in Japanese MSB and English MSB, but it doesn’t come to the forefront until the end.

TL;DR: Mewtwo’s motivations in Mewtwo Strikes Back (both Japanese and other languages) and The Birth of Mewtwo are fairly similar. However, Mewtwo can come across as a bit more vengeful in English MSB and in The Birth of Mewtwo due to the additional lines from his point of view. In all of these versions of the story, however, Mewtwo’s motivations stem from being wronged by humanity and his insecurity with being an unnatural life form. His goal is to prove he is the strongest creature alive, because a) that’s why he was made, and b) it gives him an opportunity to strike back against humanity for mistreating him. At the core of it all, though, is his insecurity with himself. If he doesn’t prove he’s the strongest–the one purpose he has going for him–then he doesn’t have a reason to be alive.

#pokemon #mewtwo #mew #mewtwo strikes back #the birth of mewtwo #character analysis #fan analysis #dizzy speaks #dizzy's asks #animated movies #did this make sense at all lmao #i have debated doing a whole effin essay on the english vs japanese scripts for msb #the english version royally messed some stuff up #BUT ironically i don't think mewtwo's personality was the biggest problem #this is why we need a fully animated version of the radio drama #come on pokemon get it together :P #thanks for the questions anon #mewtwo meta