Review BW060: Tornelos VS Voltolos VS Landlos! (Part 2)

[Hellion]

BW060 "Tornelos VS Voltolos VS Landlos (Part 2)"

Screenplay - Yukiyoshi Ōhashi
Storyboard & Assistant director - Tetsuo Yajima
Animation director - Tomohiro Koyama

To help them fight Tornelos and Voltolos, Satoshi and his friends summon Landlos, but as the trio of legendary pokémon engage in battle, Team Rocket tries to capture them. Satoshi and his friends must fight to save the legendary pokémon.

 

[Dogasu]

I actually laughed out loud when the Rocket trio gave up after like three minutes. Like...that's it? Really?

I mean, it's good that they got out of the way so the Kami trio could continue fighting, but I kind of expected more from their first mission since the Battle Subway, y'know?

Speaking of that two-parter, I noticed how the whole "Pikachu really hates Nyasu, and Nyasu feels bad for betraying the twerps" thing was completely ignored. Not that I'm surprised.

Also, get some new motto animation, Rockets.

Iris and Gothemelle randomly making that Sonansu face at the beginning made me smile, though. And the pacing in this episode was a lot better, for what it's worth.

 

[Mucrush]

It all really felt like a little movie to me! And I liked it!

 

[Musashi]

I thought this was much better than last weeks. Still a bit rushed though. But I really liked the whole ending part where the Kami Trio heal the land.

I actually laughed out loud when the Rocket trio gave up after like three minutes. Like...that's it? Really?

Me too. I think the TRio's reactions say it all. XD

Speaking of that two-parter, I noticed how the whole "Pikachu really hates Nyasu, and Nyasu feels bad for betraying the twerps" thing was completely ignored. I kind of expected that, to be honest.

Not exactly something they could've squeezed in. Also seems a bit redundant to go over it again.

Also, get some new motto animation, Rockets.

This. But at least we didn't have to hear that God awful DP remix music.

 

[Dogasu]

Not exactly something they could've squeezed in. Also seems a bit redundant to go over it again.

About as redundant as seeing Landlos summoned again at the start of this episode when the same thing happened at the end of last week's?

 

[Hellion]

My opinion on the episode and the two parter as a whole is pretty divided. The end product was underwhelming in terms of story, but really great and cinematic visually.

Good points

+ Movie feel: The animation was top notch and really gave an epic feel to the whole thing. Beyond the legendaries duking it out, there were some shots (like the drop of water falling from the ressurection grass at the end) that were reminiscent of what we see in movies epilogues.

+ Music: I'm not someone who really pays attention to music (unless it's like... My brother in M1 and ruins the entire movie) but every once in while, there'll be a song or intrumental piece that really fits the episodes and really enhances the experience. I kinda thought the music here sold the epic feel I was talking about earlier.

+ Satoshi's hero shot: Once in a while, the writers really know how to make Satoshi look badass. When he's about to stand up to Team Rocket... one of those times.

Lukewarm points

+ Pacing: Definitely didn't feel as rushed as last week, though I have to say it almost felt a bit too slow. There wasn't any frantic emotion conveyed through pacing, though it didn't hurt the episode that much.

Bad points

- Characters, what characters?: Across the board, people were kinda flat this episode. They tried to add to the graveness of the situation by having everyone more somber, but it didn't quite work in my opinion and could have been more pronounced.

- Hey look, it's Team wait where did they go? : I have to agree that Team Rocket's role in this episode was really really minimal. Motto, uninspied banter, "Hey let's get on that chopper that's not as indestructible as those cages made out of laser beams that came out of nowhere" then... that's it.

- Pokémon : The team's Pokémon were really underused compared to last week's episode. This episode could have benefited from more of the gang's pokémon, as well as Team Rocket's pokémon making an appearance. More personality too from the ones that did appear.

Overall, I liked the audio and the visual but the substance was a bit lacking. Not bad, not great, just a good episode that was captivating because of the scenery porn.

 

[Crysta Blade]

Gothorita and Axew's friendship continues to be cute.

Ash's slow, silent walk = badass.

So only parts of the helicopter are indestructable? Uh, okay...

It was a nice touch at the end when Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus were all working together.

Professor Oak continues to flog merchandise in his end segment. Eh, whatever funds the research, right, Professor?

Is it just me, or did the characters didn't so much act as react in this episode?

 

[Adil]

Really enjoyed the episode overall but Iris screaming in almost every single scene made my ear bleed. It was annoying, other than that, A+.

 

[Jukain]

This feels a lot like Movie 2. I must admit, I'm impressed with Jessie and James actually getting to successfully be part of a capturing legends scheme. Unfortunately, we all know that TR can't actually get away with capturing legends. I feel like this had to happen at some point, and it does make them sorta more menacing. (It's not as impressive as Nimbasa, though) I look forward to see what else they can come up with, but I still wish we could've have a larger TR plot. Maybe they'll rectify that soon.

 

[투 애니원]

I just now noticed that human was Iris. Witch I tell you!

 

[Eitarou]

So once again, Team Rocket wastes our time by accomplishing NOTHING.

This episode would've felt a lot less rushed if they were never here at all.

 

[Grave-E]

I'm not sure if this has been addressed and answered in the previous episode's review thread, but is it ever explained why Tornelos and Voltolos are fighting in the first place? Did one of them look at the other the wrong way? Did they insult each other's mothers?

Also, I really wish Team Rocket would just piss off if they're not going to do anything constructive. Or, uh, destructive, I guess?

 

[DynoStretch]

And so we reach the end of this thrilling climactic saga of what amounted to a really annoying sibling rivalry.

Yay! Axew is sick! Maybe that means he'll be out of the episode until the e- crap he's suddenly okay again. Thanks for teasing me writers. ._.

So all that build up with Team Rocket, and the whole scheme starts and is resolved in a matter of three minutes.... well I guess it's proportionate to the amount of time they showed them building up to this moment in previous episodes.

I'm at least thankful the Pokemon actually accomplished something in this episode besides getting their butts handed to them.

By the by, is it me, or is the Gothitelle line getting a huge amount of focus in this series? I know gothic lolita is a popular fashion trend, but I didn't think it extended to owning a monster version of one.

And it all ends with everyone waving at sunset. I'd propose a drinking game where we take drinks for every episode that ends this way, but we'd all probably die of alcohol poisoning.

 

[Ampharos King]

So once again, Team Rocket wastes our time by accomplishing NOTHING.

This episode would've felt a lot less rushed if they were never here at all.

But if TRio never smashed the Kami duo's shrines, Tornadus and Thundurus would have never fought with one another to begin with. Tornadus and Thundurus assumed that the other destroyed his shrine, which provoked them to battle one another on Milos Island and caused enough chaos for Ash and co. to summon Landorus to break up the fighting.

TRio and Zager were patiently waiting for the three legendary pokemon to fight themselves to exhaustion so they would be easier to trap and catch with the technology they had in their disposal. That was something that the group came up with while acknowledging that the legendary pokemon would be far too powerful for them to obtain on their own, even when using their own pokemon against them.

Whether you liked the handling of it or not, TRio and Professor Zager still had a purpose in this story arc, even if it was just to merely set the conflict and storyline into motion.

Also, I really wish Team Rocket would just piss off if they're not going to do anything constructive. Or, uh, destructive, I guess?

They still destroyed Tornadus and Thundurus's shrines, so they were indirectly responsible for the destruction that occurred on Milos Island. They have also successfully trapped the Kami trio in the cubes for a good five and a half minutes, too, and were very close to taking the trio if it were not for the intervention of Ash and co. It wasn't like TRio had contributed absolutely nothing to this story arc.

My guess is that more people like the TRio that doesn't know when to quit and ends up making bigger fools of themselves than they had if they did forefit than the TRio that understands their own limitations and falls back when they know that a plan of theirs is going to fail.

 

[Likeitornot.]

TR's retreat was underwhelming, really. I admired their logistics, and mode of capturing by those box caspules to fit into that attachable carriage in the helicopter, but really, couldn't they have planned against the possiblity of the carriage getting damaged? Maybe not...

I guess I didn't like how it was rushed there. I think it had all the substance to be a Movie, and it was very similar to one, but naturally, an average movie lasts longer than two spaced out 22 minute episodes. But I did want TR to have a part in it, just not the one that was given in this episode.
Still, no Team Rocket would have had none of that awesome Ash Ketchum scene, so I must give credit for that. (It was, in my opinion, one of the only interesting scenes with the Gang in this episode.)

I love how the only way to make-up is to beat the two others to a pulp, then heal and negotiate to comprehend one another's situation. Oh, Legendaries.

 

[Raves]

Well, there's no better way to make someone blinded by rage see the light than to knock the shit out of them and to thrust their face into the source of said light. The legends get away with it because they're legends.

 

[Dogasu]

TR's retreat was underwhelming, really. I admired their logistics, and mode of capturing by those box caspules to fit into that attachable carriage in the helicopter, but really, couldn't they have planned against the possiblity of the carriage getting damaged?

They should have been able to, especially since the same damn thing happened to them back in Raimon City.

Competent Rocket trio, ladies and gentlemen!

 

[Shinneth]

Their competence is just astounding. Really. They'e just accomplished SO MUCH since their abrupt and sudden change, and this here definitely highlights how that change was sooooo worth it in the long run.

And so we reach the end of this thrilling climactic saga of what amounted to a really annoying sibling rivalry.

Maybe this 2-parter would've been better if a certain episode was held off and this one was named Dent VS Pod VS Corn!

 

[Trainer Gabriel]

What exactly was the point of Axew and Gothorita becoming ill here? It almost felt out of place, somehow.

Otherwise, I thought this was a great finish. It's not often that we get episodes that have that "movie feel" to them, so they're always welcome in my book.

 

[Baron Dante]

Maybe this 2-parter would've been better if a certain episode was held off and this one was named Dent VS Pod VS Corn!

So, Dent and Pod would've started fighting, and the TRio would have had to summon Corn to stop it? ...that actually sounds it could be a decent episode.



Anyways, it's kinda funny how it seems TRio no longer has Pokemon in their use, and instead Satoshi and others need to fight their helicopter, which clearly sucks. :K