What would ya'll rate the Sun&Moon series as a whole so far?

[Shadao]

With new year approaching, perhaps it is a good time to judge the series thus far. Overall, I can say that this is going to a slow start. With the format changed from Gym Quests to School Life, it was obvious that Ash is not going to be traveling across the Alola islands as he would normally do. The classroom style of his new Alola friends means more characters, but it comes at cost making the friendship bond feel a lot weaker compare to previous traveling companions in the past. Individual characters get their own spotlight while others fade into the background or simply do not appear in the episode at all, if the Sophocles episode is any indication. This means that Ash and Pikachu gets the majority of the focus.

On the one hand, it makes sense since Ash is the main protagonist. On the other hand, Ash virtually matured after 20 years and there is not a lot you can go with in terms of his character. Previous series tend to mask it by having him bounce off of his companions and their story arcs, making him as a particular foil and mentor in retrospect. And that makes him more interesting in my opinion, the same way that Captain America is to the rest of the Avengers. However, with the other main cast members not really making a large impression due to a more loose group setting, the writing shortcomings on Ash's character are more pronounced in my opinion. If he was a brand new character with little to no history beforehand, I would be more engaged since I want to know more about him. But I am to assume that he is the same Ash from 1997-2016 since they mention the Tauros. And thus, I am left wondering on who am I suppose to be watching. Is Ash suppose to be a rookie or a veteran? The series offers mix messages in that he's a rookie when it comes to school life but is way too good when it comes to Pokémon battles.

It's not helped by the fact that the next movie is about Ash's original adventures, back when he can be considered a genuine kid starting off on his adventure with his Pokémon. That movie kinda killed my interest in Ash's Alola adventures because the Kanto region has a lot more personal stakes involved for Ash than in any other region and thus make him a more engaging character to follow. That and it renewed interest for me to travel across the land rather than staying in school. On the plus side, Rowlet and Rotomdex are fun, but I get the feeling that's going to be his team for a good chunk of the series, given that Sun & Moon doesn't seem to bother foreshadowing Ash's future Pokémon other than a possible Grubbin.

 

[GuyWhoTellsTruth]

While I don't think it's terrible or anything, nothing about it stands out at all to me so far, either. I like that it's not the same rinse-and-repeat formula that made things very predictable as early as mid-Johto, but settled in fully by Sinnoh...however, that's really about all the SM saga has going for it in my eyes.

Cons:

- The Alolan Oak can get incredibly annoying with his constant overuse of puns and quirky attitude at times.

- Mallow is entirely bland & almost characterless so far, so out of everyone of the main cast I think she's the one I have the biggest issues with so far. She cooks and has this upbeat attitude...so, yeah?

- Sophocles is a little better than Mallow, but he just comes off as a "Clemont 2.0" as some have said at times.

- Team Rocket are just...I'm sorry, awful so far: their redesigns are just painful to look at & the only thing I genuinely cracked a smile at was Bewear's new running gag of picking them up and running with them away once they lose.

Pros:

- I like that Ash's personality and character are fully balanced here: he's able to act like a 10 year old boy while also showing some maturity at times when it's called for. The comedy for him is hit or miss, though, the episode where he had to do Laundry and cook was just embarrassing to watch- that needs work. After the Gary Stu-ness of XY Ash, SM Ash is a breath of fresh air.

- Lana is a little interesting: she has a fiesty sort of personality when she's not quiet or reserved, and gets flustered when asked about liking Ash, so I found that cute and amusing.

- Lillie initially came off as "May/Serena 2.0" to me at the start with her whole shyness and fear of Pokemon, but I like that she's been receiving some development lately in the way of her backstory and getting more courageous as the Series progresses.

Neutral:

- Kiawe's still a little dull and flat: not annoying, but he needs some more depth and personality at times, he's too serious for his own good.

- Kukui is cool, but he hasn't done much of note yet.

Overall: 5.5/10 so far, but that could change, it's only been a few episodes.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

Okay, let's do this!

PROS

1. Lillie: Her episode is the best one so far. Her antics are truly entertaining, she embodies both comedic and dramatic potential of the series. It's a crime that writers tried to deemphasize her role in the show. I hope we'll see much more of her and her family. And they should made her a ultra beast.
2. Mimikyu: Best SM pokemon, a true rival for Pikachu. Its ruthless and creepy traits makes me truly root for Pikachu again.
3. Kiterugama/Bewear: Its gag is a refreshing change to TR's standard "blasting off again" and it seems strong enough to challenge Satoshi's SM team.
4. Mukuroh: "Get out of the bag, Mukuroh!" that's all.
5. Togedemaru: Design-wise one of the best Pikachu clones, her "crush" on him is entertaining, to me at least. Yet she needs more personality traits.
6. Pikachu: Looks like they finally give him the spotlight again. I'm hopefull about his interaction with Satoshi, Mimikyu, Togedemaru and other pokemon.
7. Riskier Humor: One of the best parts of SM. Some of jokes are surprisingly unexpected, even for Kanto.

CONS

1. Animation: I still think it looks horrible. More action-oriented and fluid animation is a good thing, but it's not working with a TV anime with less budget. Everyone is shaking like they're made out of clay. Beautiful backgrounds doesn't save a show. Several pokemon look like they're from shows with different art style. Thank god they seem to tone it down in successive episodes and turn back to a more XY-like style.
2. Character Designs: Game-based characters looks fine, but Satoshi and TR looks horrible. Satoshi's cheek-bolts look out of place with his face. Sakaki and Rocket trio looks downright creepy. Humans and pokemon in the background have uninspired designs.
3. Satoshi's Mother: If you are planning to make Satoshi stay in school, instead of traveling the region...what's the point of sending his mother away and keep him in a house with a stranger? Couldn't they keep Hanako around? Another missed change...
4. School: It's supposed to be a school-based show, yet we hardly see Satoshi's school life, school itself and other students. Iris' one-episode-only school flashback from BW was much more interesting than this. Another missed change...
5. Slapstick: Pokemon repeatedly attacks Satoshi, Satoshi repeatedly hurt himself because of stupidity...repeating same jokes on same episode don't make it funnier. And it's not really funny in the first place! Except...
   Spoiler

   
6. Battles: They took away battles from Contest and turn them into Tripokalons and it sucked. Now they're doing the same to Satoshi? Sorry but no, I'm not interested popping balloons...
7. New Characters: Sorry but I don't get the hype for most of new characters. None of them seem terrible interesting and I don't believe that writers have any intention to give them enough episodes to focus. It's usually the first episodes that establish and focus on characters other than Satoshi and they somewhat "fade into the background" in the successive episodes, if they don't have a storyline about them, and only became relevant only if there is an episode about them. It's what happened in the past. Even in XY, which was best at sharing screentime within cast, Citron and Eureka was "just there" in many episodes. When I'm looking to the cast:

• Kukui: Sexy professor with cute dog and...that's all! Or is it?...
• Rotomdex: Surprisingly NOT annoying. More like a exposition device than a character (well, obviously).
• Samson Oak: No, just no...
• Kaki/Kiawe: Not really seen much of him, but his episode is coming next. So, I'll wait before making up my mind about him. Seems something between a jerk-rival and big brother, he reminds me Nozomi/Zoey. He is the fighter of the group and his battle with TS is basically his "establishing character moment". My problem with this scene is that: Kaki's unleashing the Z-move is a scene to show how awesome he is, but he unleashed it after Satoshi already beat them with ease, and they already look pathetic. Because of that, his unleashing Z-move to just battle them make him seem excessive and show-off.
• Mamane/Sophocles: Basically "Fat Clemont" with jerkish tendencies and somewhat relatable fear of dark. I was hoping for him to clash with Satoshi because of their somewhat opposite personalities and become some-kind rival to him, but his focus episode quickly solved that problem and make them best buds again! Too much for that...
• Lillie: Look above.
• Mao/Mallow: In the long and evolving tradition of Pokegirls and their food-making skills, writers finally able to create a girl that can cook and also the primary meal-maker of the group! Kasumi was horrible at it, Haruka was bad as well but gets better, Hikari learned to do it and helped Takeshi, Iris was't interested in cooking but great at finding fruits, and Serena was the most talented one! We finally have a girl which most distinctive trait is able to cook! She is also the "mother" of the group. Funny thing is, she seems appeared most yet she is also the blandest character in the group. I mean how BLAND can you get?
• Suiren/Lana: Oh boy, that "boyfriend" joke was forced or what? Anime girls usually turn red like that because: 1. They dislike the person they shipped with (but secretly tsundere about them?) 2. They secretly have a crush on the person and too shy to come out. She just meet Satoshi and has no reason to dislike him. So why did she angrily denied it? Suiren seems opposite to Mao: Against her bland nice-girl persona, Suiren is showing traits of different personalities, which is exaggerated to the point of turning her into an enigma. She's supposed to be shy, but I don't really see anything shy about her, she seems easily open to Satoshi. She's also outspoken and even somewhat rude. Funnily, she's the only SM character with an actual goal, but a goal that not seems special or interesting. Her focus episode was entertaining, but not because of her, because of other cast members showing their personality traits. I also don't like her sisters.

CONCLUSION

4/10 Overrated.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

School: It's supposed to be a school-based show, yet we hardly see Satoshi's school life, school itself and other students. Iris' one-episode-only school flashback from BW was much more interesting than this. Another missed change...

I agree, it must be a disappointment for those who actually wanted school-season, but... sorry, that was just a promotion strategy to get children to watch the new season. Pokemon is an adventure show at heart, and will never ditch travelling and battling.

I'd have loved to see something like the exam to enter Pokemon league in the Kanto Saga, for that was a school. I'd have loved to see Ash having a battle contest with his classmates.

 

[SinnohEevee]

Should I bother watching the series considering Ash would most likely lose the Conference and his old friend and Pokémon (save Pikachu) will most likely get forgotten?

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[ii kanji]

What's new? Why would you ever watch Pokemon if that's the barrier?

 

[Hidden Mew]

Yeah, that's been the case for pretty much every new series. I don't see why that alone would turn someone off from the series.

I also find it completely ironic that people are complaining that we aren't seeing much of the school or Ash's school life. That was one of the main complaints when the fanbase was freaking out over the new series. A ton of people were worried that the series would become a slice of life school series. People still make that assumption for some reason and think that Ash is never going to leave the school to see the rest of Alola. And now people are upset that we aren't seeing enough of the school in the series? Come on. Give me a break.

 

[SinnohEevee]

Yeah, that's been the case for pretty much every new series. I don't see why that alone would turn someone off from the series.

I also find it completely ironic that people are complaining that we aren't seeing much of the school or Ash's school life. That was one of the main complaints when the fanbase was freaking out over the new series. A ton of people were worried that the series would become a slice of life school series. People still make that assumption for some reason and think that Ash is never going to leave the school to see the rest of Alola. And now people are upset that we aren't seeing enough of the school in the series? Come on. Give me a break.

People may get sick of it if it happens over and over.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

 

[Hidden Mew]

People may get sick of it if it happens over and over.

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It's been happening since the original series. People are generally tired of Ash losing every League, but that doesn't seem to affect the audience for the anime, especially when most of the complaints are coming from people outside of the target demographic in the first place.

 

[SammyW27]

Now that more time has passed, I'll give this another shot.

*ahem*

I kinda like it so far. It's no DP (at least not yet), but it's not BW either.

It seems to be trying recapture the slapstick and "anything goes" feel of the Kanto days, and in some respects it succeeds, though not as often as it wants to. Still, it's nice to see the TV Show try to be a little bolder, at least for it.

The plot is fairly slow and shallow for the time being, but that's a necessary evil. With a smaller number of locales than usual this generation, they're gonna have to take it easy. After all, using 5 islands for about 3 years means they're gonna have to be kinda leisurely about it. Heck, we're coming up on the 11th episode of this saga and Ash has only got ONE new Pokémon! I don't think that's ever happened before. Though jog my bad auld memory: how many Pokémon did he have about this time in previous sagas?

Though they seem to be doing a decent job of passing the time, with a mix of adventures, fun, giving characters & Pokémon development, and slowly & subtly setting up storylines (Tapu Koko cameos, the Lusamine & Gladion picture, Team Skull popping up a LOT sooner than I ever thought they would (twice!), etc.). Mind you, it can take a turn for the worse at anytime (like AG did about the time Emerald came, XY did after the title change, and ESPECIALLY BW did with Season 2), but for now it's working out fairly well.

The overall cast is the biggest it's ever been, with Ash having a record number of friends (5), with several recurring characters popping up a lot (Kukui, Samson, and the Rotomdex, just to start). Though they mainly seem to use them more in some episodes than others, sometimes just making little cameos. while other times someone will get the spotlight for development. Seems to be working out so far. Plus, it's kinda close to what I've been wanting to see for a long time with Ash having a revolving door of companions to mix and match. It's not perfect (right, Sophocles and Mallow?), but at least they're doing something very different. Let's hope it works out.

So while it's not without it's flaws--though let's face it, NO saga can be perfect--it's off to a well enough start. Let's just hope it can stay on a good course for about 3-4 years...

 

[Silktree]

Though jog my bad auld memory: how many Pokémon did he have about this time in previous sagas?

Outside of Pikachu, he had two then new members in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Kalos. In Sinnoh he had three (including Aipom) and in Unova he had four (Pidove and all three starters).

It isn't that big a deal since they clearly foreshadowed Litten's capture, and Rowlet renders another bird redundant.

 

[Johtohfiller]

Needs more Team Skull.

 

[Shadao]

Yeah, that's been the case for pretty much every new series. I don't see why that alone would turn someone off from the series.

I also find it completely ironic that people are complaining that we aren't seeing much of the school or Ash's school life. That was one of the main complaints when the fanbase was freaking out over the new series. A ton of people were worried that the series would become a slice of life school series. People still make that assumption for some reason and think that Ash is never going to leave the school to see the rest of Alola. And now people are upset that we aren't seeing enough of the school in the series? Come on. Give me a break.

I would say it's more of we're seeing very little action yet. There is a good amount of school time as far as I can tell in the episodes. But with the lack of traveling as well as the fact that the only consistent cast are Ash, Pikachu and Rotomdex, it feels like we haven't seen much in Ash's journey at all. In fact, I would say it's a bit indecisive on what it wants to be. Classical journey or school? Would have really benefited to have Delia be part of the main cast rather than Ash being alone.

And I believe they can stretch the school session for three years. Ash could travel to every island of Alola, but school life will follow him. There could be many school buildings for the class to move to. And the roaming journey designated into field trips and they would always return back to the school. Suffice to say, I don't see them going back to what it once was. Right now, there's not much happening. Only set up, but with no illusion of traveling.

 

[RetroPokeFan]

I love how people have been complaining that Ash is going to school but now the table's turned and everyone's complaining we're not seeing enough of the school. Makes me laugh every time.

 

[Johtohfiller]

I for one am glad they're using the school as a background element.

 

[SinnohEevee]

My issue with Ash/Satoshi going to school is that he's book dumb.
He's only good at battling.

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[PkmnTrainerV]

My issue with Ash/Satoshi going to school is that he's book dumb.
He's only good at battling.

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Do you have issues with children who are book dumb and are good at Sports, and go to school?
Batting is Easily the sports equivalent of Poke universe

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

I also find it completely ironic that people are complaining that we aren't seeing much of the school or Ash's school life. That was one of the main complaints when the fanbase was freaking out over the new series

Not actually true. People are complaining because they abandoned the adventure format in favor of school-based format. Not showing actual school stuff doesn't change that. It's only makes it worse by not following the premise they promised.

A ton of people were worried that the series would become a slice of life school series. People still make that assumption for some reason and think that Ash is never going to leave the school to see the rest of Alola. And now people are upset that we aren't seeing enough of the school in the series?

It's not an assumption, it's what they advertised. Everything they shown to us since the first episode is supporting that. Satoshi's "companions" aren't likely to travel with him to other places, they have jobs and responsibilities in their homes. And it's not likely that Satoshi would abandon them to travel Alola by himself.

 

[Lillie]

Im enjoying it so far. I like how it broke away from the repetitive format that's been used since like forever and I'm loving most, if not all the characters so far.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

People may get sick of it if it happens over and over.

He gets better.

Kanto: Top 16
Johto: Top 8
Hoenn: Top 8 (beaten by the Winner)
Sinnoh: Top 4 (beaten by the Winner)
Kalos: Runner-Up