<p>Using the same methodology that <a href="https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/29074/102">Ikaros did when they answered the question</a>, I can definitively say that <strong>the North American version of the song wins by a country mile.</strong></p>
<h1>Changes from original approach</h1>
<p>Instead of just searching on a few key parts of the katakana, I chose to use めざせポケモンマスター as the full search text, and &quot;Pokemon Theme&quot; as the other one.  This way, we narrow it down to what people are more likely to search for when looking up Pokemon songs.</p>
<h1>Graphed results</h1>
<p>This data goes back all the way from 2004 to the present day.  It's not even close.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/hGXOG.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/hGXOG.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>On average, for every 1 person looking up the Japanese song title, 14 people look up the NA version.</p>
<p>The map doesn't change much; the majority of people looking at the JP version are based in Japan (also Taiwan, surprisingly enough), and the NA version is significantly more prominent world-wide.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MgJO1.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MgJO1.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<h1>Additional information</h1>
<p>Growing up I recall hearing a Norwegian version of the song.  On reflection, the lyrics of the song were different but the melody was preserved, which is also notably different from the JP version.</p>
<p><a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Theme#In_other_languages_2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bulbapedia maintains a list of these themes</a>, and this particular theme was likely dubbed across all of these listed languages.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-27T18:21:28.817Z
2023-04-27T18:21:28.817Z
Makoto
<p>In North America, the English Theme is more popular, but in Japan, the Japanese one is. This is because Japanese people hear the Japanese theme on TV and Americans hear the English one. In Germany, the German version of Gotta Catch Em All is most likely more popular.</p>
<p>Furthermore, people prefer the one they can understand. For English speakers, it is Gotta Catch Em All. For Japanese speakers, it is Mezase Pokemon Master or Aim to be a Pokemon master.</p>
<p>English is more widespread so more people will prefer English. I am a native English speaker and prefer the Japanese theme. This is because I got sick of the English one.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-04T00:18:52.983Z
2023-04-27T20:35:38.483Z
2023-04-27T20:35:38.483Z
Shugunou
<p>The following answer is based on the results I got on Google [from my country (France)].</p>
<hr />
<p>Keeping the following elements in mind, one can say that their popularity level is more or less the same.</p>
<p>The comparison is made between the <a href="http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Aim_to_Be_a_Pok%C3%A9mon_Master" rel="nofollow noreferrer">first Japanse theme</a> めざせポケモンマスター (Aim to be a Pokemon Master) and the <a href="http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Theme" rel="nofollow noreferrer">first English theme</a> &quot;Gotta catch them all.&quot; I take into account only the official versions.</p>
<p><strong>Google Trends</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/SHD4C.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SHD4C.png" alt="trends" /></a></p>
<pre><code>In red : the English, in blue : the Japanese
</code></pre>
</blockquote>
<p>Except for the year 2005, the search trends looks to be pretty similar.</p>
<p>Surprisingly enough, the countries which searched the English opening on google were the following ones :</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/bTovS.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bTovS.png" alt="en" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>For the Japanese opening, the searches come only from Japan.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/l2WOz.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/l2WOz.png" alt="jp" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p><strong>Youtube</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54Ra3mURKgs" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The most viewed youtube video of the Japanese opening</a> (in my country) views ~1 million views.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVp-zIONsrs" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The most viewed youtube video of the English opening</a> (in my country) views ~1 million views</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-01-18T17:16:38.267Z
2023-04-27T02:37:44.560Z
2023-04-27T02:37:44.560Z
Ikaros
<p>I was watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD6EQNfxPVg" rel="nofollow">this video</a> of the Japanese-YouTuber Hikakin beatboxing the first English Pokemon song. It made me wonder: was the English dub theme song more well-known than the original Japanese opening?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-18T16:46:08.610Z
So you are talking about the first opening, right?
Ikaros
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-18T16:46:38.810Z
@Ikaros yep, for both
giraffesyo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-18T16:49:47.800Z
Looking again, by comparing youtube views, it seems quite similar
Ikaros
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-18T17:10:07.787Z
FWIW I remember seeing the Pokemon theme song in [a _Japanese_ compilation of piano arrangements of anime music](http://www.amazon.co.jp/4D-PIANO-ANIME-Theater-H-ZETT/dp/B00BWFI36U/) (see めざせポケモンマスター), so it probably is reasonably famous in Japan. (This was in 2013, and the creators also released [an album](http://www.amazon.co.jp/3D-PIANO-ANIME-Theater-ZETT-M%C3%97%E7%B4%85%E3%81%84%E6%B5%81%E6%98%9F%C3%97%E3%81%BE%E3%82%89%E3%81%97%E3%81%83/dp/B007X8MP14/) the year prior that included songs from _Bakemonogatari_ and _Madoka Magica_.)
Maroon
<pokemon><theme-song>
Is the English Pokemon theme song more well known than the Japanese version?
# Is the English Pokemon theme song more well known than the Japanese version?
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-01-18
I was watching [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD6EQNfxPVg) of the Japanese-YouTuber Hikakin beatboxing the first English Pokemon song. It made me wonder: was the English dub theme song more well-known than the original Japanese opening?
**Tags:** pokemon theme-song
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: So you are talking about the first opening, right?  
> **username_0**: @Ikaros yep, for both  
> **username_1**: Looking again, by comparing youtube views, it seems quite similar  
> **username_2**: FWIW I remember seeing the Pokemon theme song in [a _Japanese_ compilation of piano arrangements of anime music](http://www.amazon.co.jp/4D-PIANO-ANIME-Theater-H-ZETT/dp/B00BWFI36U/) (see めざせポケモンマスター), so it probably is reasonably famous in Japan. (This was in 2013, and the creators also released [an album](http://www.amazon.co.jp/3D-PIANO-ANIME-Theater-ZETT-M%C3%97%E7%B4%85%E3%81%84%E6%B5%81%E6%98%9F%C3%97%E3%81%BE%E3%82%89%E3%81%97%E3%81%83/dp/B007X8MP14/) the year prior that included songs from _Bakemonogatari_ and _Madoka Magica_.)  
---
## 3 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2016-01-18. Score: 11 | Accepted answer
The following answer is based on the results I got on Google [from my country (France)].

Keeping the following elements in mind, one can say that their popularity level is more or less the same.
The comparison is made between the first Japanse theme めざせポケモンマスター (Aim to be a Pokemon Master) and the first English theme "Gotta catch them all." I take into account only the official versions.
Google Trends


In red : the English, in blue : the Japanese


Except for the year 2005, the search trends looks to be pretty similar.
Surprisingly enough, the countries which searched the English opening on google were the following ones :



For the Japanese opening, the searches come only from Japan.




Youtube
The most viewed youtube video of the Japanese opening (in my country) views ~1 million views.
The most viewed youtube video of the English opening (in my country) views ~1 million views
---
### Answer by username_3 on 2023-04-27. Score: 0
Using the same methodology that [Ikaros did when they answered the question](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/29074/102), I can definitively say that **the North American version of the song wins by a country mile.**

# Changes from original approach

Instead of just searching on a few key parts of the katakana, I chose to use めざせポケモンマスター as the full search text, and "Pokemon Theme" as the other one. This way, we narrow it down to what people are more likely to search for when looking up Pokemon songs.

# Graphed results

This data goes back all the way from 2004 to the present day. It's not even close.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/hGXOG.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/hGXOG.png)

On average, for every 1 person looking up the Japanese song title, 14 people look up the NA version.

The map doesn't change much; the majority of people looking at the JP version are based in Japan (also Taiwan, surprisingly enough), and the NA version is significantly more prominent world-wide.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/MgJO1.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/MgJO1.png)

# Additional information

Growing up I recall hearing a Norwegian version of the song. On reflection, the lyrics of the song were different but the melody was preserved, which is also notably different from the JP version.

[Bulbapedia maintains a list of these themes](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Theme#In_other_languages_2), and this particular theme was likely dubbed across all of these listed languages.
---
### Answer by username_4 on 2018-12-04. Score: 0
In North America, the English Theme is more popular, but in Japan, the Japanese one is. This is because Japanese people hear the Japanese theme on TV and Americans hear the English one. In Germany, the German version of Gotta Catch Em All is most likely more popular.

Furthermore, people prefer the one they can understand. For English speakers, it is Gotta Catch Em All. For Japanese speakers, it is Mezase Pokemon Master or Aim to be a Pokemon master.

English is more widespread so more people will prefer English. I am a native English speaker and prefer the Japanese theme. This is because I got sick of the English one.
---
