Review XY024: The Undersea Castle! Kuzumo and Dramidoro!!

[Almonds]

Bloggers being upset =/= all of Korea is upset.

The fans who actually take the time to go onto blogs and message boards to comment on children's cartoons represent just a small minority of the actual fandom. The same is true in every country.

You're right. Bloggers don't equal all of Korea. Likewise, the people who want the episode to air and want to see the episode don't represent the entire fandom either. There are people who want to see the episode in Korea as well, but they don't represent the entire fandom.

I'm saying the most reaction I've seen from fans who even posted about the episode so few had watched, were negative opinions.

If you don't want to believe the episode aired or not, okay. I haven't seen it either, and I've been asking around whether the airing was true. But faked or not - the pictures are all there is. There are a few people who said they saw it.

It's not that I "want to believe that the episode didn't air." I'm just pointing out that the lack of the things we would usually have at this point in time - detailed plot summaries, screenshots, etc. - and saying that that's really, really suspicious.


"There are a few people who said they saw it." Well, yeah. That's how Internet rumors start.

How should I know? I can only tell you want I've seen and read, and offer speculations. My personal thought is that maybe people don't want to hurt other's feelings in case this causes to be a trigger to those who are affected by the accident. Maybe the fans are being considerate and not uploading full HD screenshots of the episode in case the pics of the sunken ship causes a painful memory. Maybe fans decided to simply forget this ever happened. I don't know. I'm not entirely sure why there are no essays or videos regarding the episode but maybe the fans decided not to bother with this episode.

Rumor or not, there's nothing else I can say. I do not have anything else to prove the airing except for the pictures and the few witnesses. But I say this again - nobody expected this episode to air, and people don't stay glued to the tv screen 24/7, especially watching a children's cable channel that isn't even mainstream (there are a lot of houses that don't have that channel).

 

[Dogasu]

I still think it's far more likely that the episode actually didn't air and we're all just being trolled than the idea that it did air and all these people saw it but nobody's saying anything because sensitivity. Because if it's one thing the Internet is known for it's being considerate toward others, amirite?

 

[Almonds]

I still think it's far more likely that the episode actually didn't air and we're all just being trolled than the idea that it did air and all these people saw it but nobody's saying anything because sensitivity. Because if it's one thing the Internet is known for it's being considerate toward others, amirite?

If it were fake, someone would have disproved the airing for good by now.

 

[Dogasu]

Well actually the burden of proof falls on the person claiming to have seen the episode, not those of us who don't instantly believe everything we read on the Internet.

 

[DasManiac]

It definitely is quite suspicious how only one person seems to have seen this episode. Pokemon has quite a following in South Korea so one would expect quite a few to have seen it. I really don't think it has aired then. Bulbapedia links to some random person's twitter account whose post can not be verified. If this has aired then why has nobody said anything about it?

There must be some South Korean users on here right? They would know if it aired in their country.

 

[Almonds]

There must be some South Korean users on here right? They would know if it aired in their country.

I live there, and I haven't seen it. I didn't know it aired until someone on bulbapedia contacted me and asked me if the airing was true. I went and searched around every single site related to the episode airing, and I found the person who took the pictures - which contain scenes not from any trailers or previews and therefore, very difficult to fake. The channel site has Pokemon XY episode 24 in the time slot. I heard from witnesses who claimed to have seen them. I talked with a blogger who said in their posts that they personally contacted that specific channel, and received no explanation regarding the airing. No reply at all. They even talked to Pokemon Korea and they were unrelated to the incident. The Korean wiki sites regarding Pokemon updated their information pages that the airing was true. And nobody has disproved it even though it's been a month since it aired. From every angle that I searched, it's very likely that it aired.

It definitely is quite suspicious how only one person seems to have seen this episode. Pokemon has quite a following in South Korea so one would expect quite a few to have seen it. I really don't think it has aired then. Bulbapedia links to some random person's twitter account whose post can not be verified. If this has aired then why has nobody said anything about it?

Just imagine that Pokemon XY episode 24 aired on channel 1697 (some random number) on your TV, which isn't Cartoon Network, which isn't any of the mainstream channels, just some unpopular channel that you've heard about (at least you know it exists), is mostly about kids singing the alphabet song and learning preschool stuff, airs pokemon but there are a bunch of other more famous channels that air pokemon that are much easier to access/remember (like on channel 400 or something). It aired around dinner time, when there are also a bunch of other better stuff to watch or do. On top of that, the episode included something sensitive or possible trigger material that's difficult to go around blabbing about excitedly.

Spoiler

1. The episode aired on a non-mainstream cable channel. A.k.a, an unpopular channel that almost nobody watches specifically for anime. It's not something like Cartoon Network where something airs, everyone in the nation knows about it. It's a children's education channel where babies learn their alphabets and learn to share food with their friends - it certainly is NOT the number one channel for pokemon fans (there are other more popular anime channels that air pokemon). Personally, I don't know the channel number it has on my TV. I don't remember if I even have the channel...I guess I should check some time...

2. The airing was also done at around 6:30 PM, which means most people would have watched other mainstream channels (something like the evening news or soap operas airing on channels similar to ABC or CBS, or other popular channels for their choice of anime/drama/movies/etc...), were attending private lessons, eating dinner, or haven't got back from work, or etc. Those who DO watch the cable channel, are either kids who are so young that they don't even know how to click a mouse, or the few people who just happened to stumble upon the channel by chance. I also mentioned that there are also many people who don't even have this channel at home.

3. As I said - a million times - NOBODY EXPECTED THIS EPISODE TO AIR. And since this is not a popular channel, people don't stay glued to that particular channel 24/7 hoping pokemon xy episode 24 would air on that specific channel, on that specific date and time. I wondered about the chances how only one person could have cared enough to take the pictures, actually cared enough to provide them as 'proof' when others simply stated that they saw it, and it wasn't exactly low. You have to consider the fact that 'sinking ships' are a sensitive subject here, so I wouldn't be surprised if there would be people who are pokemon fans that saw it but decided not to talk about it.

If you think it's highly likely it didn't air, okay. You don't have to believe it. I've said everything I found, read, saw, heard, and offered my speculations as well. I admit there's no more proof that I can provide when I myself haven't seen the episode.

 

[Adil]

It will air on Nov. 20.
ポケットモンスター エックスワイ：あにてれ：テレビ東京

 

[DasManiac]

Serebii has now confirmed that the episode has not yet been aired anywhere in the world. This upcoming airdate for Japan will be the first airing of the episode. So then apparently it never actually aired in South Korea. He could be wrong but he doesn't post stuff unless it's true.

 

[ArvAl]

Naizzz....now the whole XY eps will gonna be completed if I may say

 

[Ampharos King]

Since this episode already aired in South Korea, I'm assuming that nothing about the script will change to fit into the continuity like XY037 did.

In other words, Ash and co. should be on Muraille Coast (Route 8) even though they're beyond that point in other episodes.

 

[Dogasu]

Serebii has now confirmed that the episode has not yet been aired anywhere in the world.

Nobody stepped forth and was like "I made the whole thing up, I Photoshopped those images myself, the whole thing was a joke." It's just that he can't confirm that it did air due to the aforementioned lack of evidence and so he's treating the Japanese airing as the world premiere.

Which, to be fair, it probably actually is.

 

[Talon87]

Interesting that we'll finally get to see this episode. I don't have high hopes for it -- the sneak peek had made it seem like a generic, Johto-style filler -- but it will be nice to have my recorded tally of XY episodes match up with the actual episode number we're on. That was one thing which disappointed me about BW: for the vast majority of its run, the tally of total episodes seen was several digits off the actual episode number, creating minor confusion between fans all season long when wanting to discuss how far they were in the series. At least now we can once again say "I'm through Episode ###" and everyone will be on the same page as to what that means.

Is this the first time since Kanto that an episode, once delayed, has managed to ever be aired? I'm trying to think of earlier examples of delayed episodes and the only ones that come to mind are Hoenn's Whiscash episode (permanently postponed), Unova's two-parter with Team Rocket and Team Plasma (permanently postponed), and then the episodes that were supposed to air around the time of Electric Soldier Porygon but ended up being delayed because of their seasonal content no longer being in season when the anime resumed airing.

 

[JacobYBM]

I wonder if this episode will still be considered Episode #24 or if we will now have to redo all of our numberings?

 

[R!ck]

Yay! great news.

So this episode will probably be retconned and now become XY050? or Bulbapedia will still treat it as XY024?

 

[Adamant]

Is this the first time since Kanto that an episode, once delayed, has managed to ever be aired?

6th time. Out of 9. So I'm not entirely sure why were insisting up and down that it'd never ever air when most of the other skipped episodes ended up airing some months down the road.

 

[Gabo2oo]

I wonder if this episode will still be considered Episode #24 or if we will now have to redo all of our numberings?

I believe it would depend if there are any retcons to the episode like in the fishing competition episode back in BW. If something indicates Ash and co. are heading to Cyllage City, mentions they're on Muraille Coast, etc, it would still be episode 24. If all of that is retconed out, then it would be a new number.

 

[Dogasu]

Hulu Japan counts the first Mega Evolution special as XY 22, for what that's worth.

 

[JacobYBM]

Hulu Japan counts the first Mega Evolution special as XY 22, for what that's worth.

Oho. I wonder if this was a decision made on the quick to justify retaining Episodes #25+ as retaining those episode numbers. I guess this means Mega Evolution Act II is going to be treated as Episode #50?

 

[dman_dustin]

It will air on Nov. 20.
ポケットモンスター エックスワイ：あにてれ：テレビ東京

Unless it's to put the episode back in track, so we won't have any other sort of delays in episodes, hopefully not some Pikachu short of some kind, outside of THAT. I can't see the point of airing it. I mean judging by the previews it didn't seem that interesting anyway. But oh well, I guess it's better than something else taking up the anime slot, to make up some production synchronizing thing.

 

[JacobYBM]

Finally airing the episode means that the production staff can either take a few days off or merely stay further ahead. I doubt as of now we are still feeling the effects of the skip, given episodes appear to be finished nearly two months before they air. Even if Series Director Yajima Tetsuo has an extra day or two to actually leave the studio and see his family I doubt the actual production will slow down. Key animators are paid by the cut (shot) and in-betweeners by the drawing, so there is no such thing as 'paid vacation' for them.

I have to wonder if airing this episode now was a strategic move to allow Iwane Masa'aki more time to work on his next episode. We are coming up on a full cour since he last provided the key animation for an episode alone, so I have to wonder if he will be doing successive episodes or is busy key animating complex battle animation. An extra week means one less episode that has to be finished early, after all.