Best Wishes! Wish List: What do you wish for?

[Cybersai]

Ok I give. I've been hearing people say this all the time. What is it about BW that feels "dumber"?

You're confusing the words. People mean to say toned down.

 

[Catspring]

Wishlist:
-Moar Iris and Cilan.
-Moar personalities for the Pokemon.
-Moar Emolga.
-Moar Oshawott.

 

[OmigawdMatt]

When I see a long article I just want to go "ugh" but I actually read the whole thing and it is really interesting! Great job!

I do wish for most of the same. I would like to add on to the fact that Dwebble needs to development too because it is just there in the group right now although it does have a huge personality. Tepig's and Snivy's past should be shown with more specificness. I want to say that Iris needs more screen time but I keep telling myself that she will be more important later. It has been like this since a long time.

 

[General Kross]

Man, of all the threads to make my return in after 4 years of inactivity...oh, well; I've got stuff to say, and I might as well say it.

Having read through Hellion's article, I agree that it raises a lot of very valid points, particularly regarding the characterisation of Ash's new Pokemon and how some of the new characters seem insufficiently developed. However, as I read the points it brought up, I could not help but be reminded of all that the anime has changed or tried to change...while leaving just as many things that practically beg for change untouched. I speak, of course, about the series' inconsistent use of prominent characters from the games. Now, this is not just another bitter, "Baww, why is Hilbert/Hilda/Cheren/N not in the anime?! They're so much cooler than Ash!!1"-thing; I'm not just saying that I wish my favourites were on the show. What I'm saying is that using some characters while ignoring others of equal importance (Cheren, anyone?) makes the show feel, to me, incomplete in a sense. Like, why have Bianca while completely forgetting that she had two important childhood friends in the games who had a lot to do with her character development? I understand by now that Ash isn't going anywhere, but would it not have hurt to give him someone like Hilbert or Cheren as a rival instead of another made-up guy like Trip? Especially given Trip's rather stagnant characterisation so far...it irks me a bit that people who, in my opinion had potential, were passed over in favour of another generically mean sourpuss of a rival.

(and for the record, yes, I know Barry was on the show; I agree mostly with Hellion's statement about how he was mishandled, plus I wanted my Lucas, dammit. >>)

On top of that, it strikes me as an odd decision from a business standpoint as well; if the anime is ostensibly meant to be an advertising vehicle for the games, why only have some characters and situations in common with them? I have to wonder what it's like for little kids who get into Pokemon through the B/W games, only to watch the show and go, "Who is this Ash kid?", or vice versa. Obviously, this hasn't actually affected sales, given how successful the series still is, but it's still a big question mark for me.

But, I've long since come to grips with the fact that what I'm saying isn't gonna happen any time soon. I don't even mind that Ash is still the hero anymore, really...it's just saddening to me that the game protagonists (well, mostly the guys, except for Hilda in this case) are confined to either cameos or the limbo of nonexistence while he essentially lives their lives.

Please feel free to disregard any of that long, meandering, and probably dumb-sounding rant. ><;

This aticle definetly hits the nail. It really sums up my general feelings on this arc, it's put together the worst of Kanto and Shinou with sprinkles of Hoenn's fresh start.

Oh, hey, it's you! I had a feeling I'd spot you on this topic; it's me, HunterGhor from dA. XD Anyhow, amen to all of that; Best Wishes so far has seemed like a chaotic amalgamation of a lot of the less-than-satisfying elements of past arcs and some half-hearted attempts at new changes.

 

[Seiko]

Wait, Ash's Kanto Pokemon had no personality? What?

They probably had the most personality out of any of the pokemon seasons so far.

Squirtle was part of a gang and liked to be a tough guy
Bulbasaur had a whole episode revolved around him not wanting to evolve, and he was shown to be very pessimistic in the episode where they talked with subtitles
Primeape had an uncontrollable temper
Snorlax was a lazy glutton
And Charizard, good god Charizard. He had the most development out of any of Ash's Pokemon. Please don't make me explain this.
Heck, even Pikachu had some development and character in the first season. What little amount of personality he had is completely gone now though.

Pokemon has never been about quality writing or character development though. Despite a few exceptions, the people and Pokemon in the show are, for the most part, bland. The priorities of the people making the show are to just make a half-hour commercial. Though they do throw in some interesting plot elements every once in awhile, they leave them behind to keep churning out the next Pokemon of the week.

 

[General Kross]

Pokemon has never been about quality writing or character development though. Despite a few exceptions, the people and Pokemon in the show are, for the most part, bland. The priorities of the people making the show are to just make a half-hour commercial. Though they do throw in some interesting plot elements every once in awhile, they leave them behind to keep churning out the next Pokemon of the week.

You are quite correct there; I never expected quality writing, least of all now, when I know better. However, just because it's a merchandise-driven series doesn't mean that the writers can't at least try to do something competent with it. The various Transformers series, especially Beast Wars, Animated, and Prime are all shining examples of how writers can make a series that's meant to be a half-hour commercial genuinely fun and interesting to watch.

 

[nefelim99]

The interesting thing about rivals is that in pursuing the same goal as the main character, they not only serve as his or her main source of motivation, but also allow the audience to appreciate the main character in contrast to his rival. The quintessential rivalry in recent history was the one between Ash and Paul. Both were experienced trainers who had journeyed through various regions and challenged their Leagues. Both were also drastically opposed in their training philosophy. Whereas Ash saw his Pokémon as friends and often trained alongside them, Paul saw them mostly as tools to assert his strengths and wasn’t above making his Pokémon savagely attack each other to make them stronger. When Ash finally triumphed over Paul, it felt meaningful. As if Ash was finally proving the validity of his methods and his skills as a trainer.

In Best Wishes, Ash’s main rival appears to be a trainer just beginning his journey named Trip. A photography aficionado, this young trainer quickly built a rivalry with Ash, twice defeating him. So far, Trip appears to be similar to Paul but he’s missing the substance. Paul was similar to Ash in many ways and the complete opposite in others, sort of like a dark mirror image. Trip so far can’t make such claims. He doesn’t clash with Ash because of a difference in philosophy or training style, but more so because Ash’s personality irks him. So far, I’m trying to care about this rivalry, but I can’t as Ash doesn’t have any other reason to beat Trip than to beat him for the sake of beating him.

This this this this this this THIS. I am so glad someone else agrees with me on this one. Trip offers nothing to the show. He's got zero substance, especially coming down from the high that is Paul (and Gary too, of course, but since Paul was the most recent the contrast is more obvious). Ash and Paul's rivalry was like the most intense thing ever. And Paul himself, despite being a pretty terrible person at times (don't deny it, baby), was a great character and plot element because of the energy and dramatic tension he brought to the show. He wasn't just a rival, he was a major part of the story and part of the drive and motivation for Ash's journey. And when Ash finally beat him, it meant something. When they parted ways on that staircase, it meant something. Trip? Trip simply doesn't do anything. He has zero presence, zero effect on the feel of the show, barely even affects Ash, and doesn't even really have any personality or defining characteristics as a human being.

tl;dr I really really really hate Trip.

 

[King Robert]

Wishlist: For the rivals to stop being complete A-holes. Seriously, after Paul defeated Ash last year AND RUBBED IT IN, I wanted to punch my TV in his ugly face.

 

[General Kross]

Wishlist: For the rivals to stop being complete A-holes. Seriously, after Paul defeated Ash last year AND RUBBED IT IN, I wanted to punch my TV in his ugly face.

THIS. I hear a lot of praise being thrown around for Paul, but quite frankly, I hate the guy with a passion. Why? Because for all the stuff said about his "clashing ideology" with Ash and all that, he's really just a douche, plain and simple (well, to me, anyway, but I figured that was obvious). I think it's entirely possible for a rival to not be a complete monster while still being a compelling character. I mean, think about the games; we haven't had a truly jerkish rival since Silver, and even he managed to make good by story's end. Barry was just hyper and overconfident, and Brendan/May, Cheren, and Bianca were all outright friends of the main character who just happened to have the same goal. The writing on the wall is clear; rivals don't have to be mean anymore. That said, I'd have killed for Ash to have a calm, friendly rivalry with, say, Cheren instead of what he's got going with Trip now.

 

[Seiko]

You are quite correct there; I never expected quality writing, least of all now, when I know better. However, just because it's a merchandise-driven series doesn't mean that the writers can't at least try to do something competent with it. The various Transformers series, especially Beast Wars, Animated, and Prime are all shining examples of how writers can make a series that's meant to be a half-hour commercial genuinely fun and interesting to watch.

To be fair, they have to churn out a new episode pretty much every week, and don't have the time or budget to do much more.

But yeah, there's so much potential to make interesting stories out of Pokemon, it's a shame they don't do more with it. Like, there is SO MUCH potential with Team Plasma and the moral ambiguity of capturing and raising Pokemon in the first place. But they're probably not gonna do much with it.

 

[.:Solstice:.]

I WISH FOR MISTY AND BROCK TO MEET IRIS AND DENTO!!! *crosses fingers*

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

I wish for more captures, evolutions, and eggs.

 

[Lady-Jesus]

Not much. Maybe for May, Misty and Brock to appear and least filler eps as possible.

 

[Hellion]

Well, the article's been out for 5 days and, well I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken the time to read it, and especially those who the time to leave your comments. Good or bad, they were appreciated and I'm glad, if anything, that this article has gotten a few people who hadn't kept in touch with the anime to take notice of it again, and that, for the most part, we were able to have a civil discussion about what our expectations towards the show were.

So again, thank you all!

 

[Cybersai]

I WISH FOR MISTY AND BROCK TO MEET IRIS AND DENTO!!! *crosses fingers*

I see this as unlikely. Misty is very likely not going to appear in the anime ever again. This character has been properly gone for almost 10 years and the writers stopped her cameo's entirely since 2005. Much like she didn't appear over the entire span of DP, she likely won't appear in Best Wishes at all.

Brock meeting Cilan also borders on the slightly unlikely aspect of things, but I guess we'll see.