Review BW119: Rocket-dan VS Plasma-dan! Nyarth and Achroma!!

[Zexy]

It was quite a nice episode compared to random BW ones, but also anticlimatic due to its placement (2 good eps - THIS THING - Climax). Yep, it was bizarre, but this is better than boring, IMO at least.

Ash/Co's Pignite plot was just something they came up for to kill some time (this episode's time-killness was amazing! I am pretty sure the writers did a time-killing contest when writing this episode xD). Charizard/Pignite interacrions are nice, and Pignite officially becoming Flamethrower-to-the-face v 2.0 was quite great! I still feel sympathy for the thing, though...

TR was another story. No motto, no more blast-offs (I really believe they made them blast off for a while just to bring the nostalgians back). Meowth and Colress had some interaction, but in the end, it was nothing important at all (especially if you don't know Japanese). Colress laughing was interesting too, we haven't ever seen him that way. Meowth's Mareeps/Noctowls were fun to watch as well. I really want to see how will TPCI react at this (it really looked like the Noctowl thing was a Japanese word pun to me). Also, those Whirlwind Fury Swipes... He should really become a noodle master...

BTW, how did those very same TP grunts from the last 2 episode didn't realize that Meowth was missing?

Also... MORE MAGNEZONE!

8/10, because it was good, yet not as good as the previous 9'ers of mine.

 

[Xita]

There was so many choice Colress faces in this episode.

And the Pignite subplot was cute. Though when they were picking up the bullet seeds I couldn't help but go, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING THAT WAS JUST IN HIS NOSE!!"

 

[Zexy]

Forgot to mention. Doesn't it bug you that it was Iris who saved the day once again? Like she's more mature than the others?

 

[Karamazov]

She stuck a blade of grass in Pignite's nose. Why would that be an issue, that she solved a simple problem? It also makes sense, in a way. She used a part of nature to solve the problem. (Though, how she thought of it makes me think that she might know about this from experience.) I'm wondering why she never thought of it earlier, but I'm just assuming I missed something.

 

[Satoshi_Pikachu]

She stuck a blade of grass in Pignite's nose. Why would that be an issue, that she solved a simple problem? It also makes sense, in a way. She used a part of nature to solve the problem. (Though, how she thought of it makes me think that she might know about this from experience.) I'm wondering why she never thought of it earlier, but I'm just assuming I missed something.

She noticed the grass rustling while Chaobu was lying there all depressed after Lizardon almost killed it XD

 

[WatcherMark]

I think the solution actually demonstrated just how stupid Satoshi truly is rather than how smart Iris is. I mean, she used a simple solution to cure Chaoboo while Satoshi almost killed it. I swear, he's just getting dumber BW carries on. By the end of the series, he'll be using electric attacks against Ground-types and expecting them to work.

But the whole sub-plot just seemed like a way to give Satoshi's Pokemon some personal screentime without actually training them. I'm not kidding, the writers seem to be dead set against any training elements in the series. Hell, even when he's battling someone and it's getting interesting someone wanders in and stops it.

Plus it doesn't make any sense logically. Even if we suspend our disbelief long enough to accept that a bullet seed... shard split apart and landed perfectly in Chaoboo's nostrils but there is no freakin' way they wouldn't have been incinerated by a single Flamethrower.

Still, I guess I should give a little credit. I like the fact that Chaoboo and Lizardon seemed to be friends at the end of the episode (something that will doubtlessly never be touched on again) and at the meal in the beginning the gang had all their Pokemon out rather than just the cute ones. Plus, it was Chaoboo that was getting some focus that it's had precious little of for a long while... I'm sure there's other Pokemon that would have benefited more though.

What's that? There was another plot with Nyarth and Achroma? Must have missed it.

 

[Zistal]

So much for Genesect being relevant to Episode N. Mewtwo's cameo was more significant than that.

Considering that N is clearly worried about Genesect, it will be weird to see him just move on after the White Ruins climax is over.

Honestly I don't know what they were thinking by putting Genesect on the Episode N poster and having CoroCoro hype up its appearance months advance of the episode airing. It seems like it was tossed in simply for the sake of being able to say there was another cameo like Mewtwo's.

 

[Sweet Veil]

Oh come on guys, we all know Satoshi doesn't train his Pokemon anymore... he uses the Heart of the Cards to win battles now.

Satoshi doesn't train his Pokemon?

Spoiler

Clearly we aren't watching the same show.

 

[Pokémon Master Ash]

What the fuck did I just watch? It was a good episode, don't get me wrong. But this was all just so bizarre.

This is so full of win. I can't even express the joy I felt reading this comment. Such a weird episode! Not bad at all, a great episode, but beyond awkward.

 

[Hellwarden]

So wait, what was Team Rocket plan here? Why did they let Colress hypnotize Meowth into mad rampage? What was the point of that?

Though I do have to give Team Rocket props for that excellently timed spotlight entrance.

 

[Sweet Veil]

I think the solution actually demonstrated just how stupid Satoshi truly is rather than how smart Iris is. I mean, she used a simple solution to cure Chaoboo while Satoshi almost killed it. I swear, he's just getting dumber BW carries on. By the end of the series, he'll be using electric attacks against Ground-types and expecting them to work.

Didn't he use Thunderbolt against an Iwark in the first gym in DP? Also, how does that make Satoshi look stupid? All I saw was a little boy trying, in vain, to help his Pokemon who was depressed in a comedic fashion clearly meant for entertainment purposes.

But the whole sub-plot just seemed like a way to give Satoshi's Pokemon some personal screentime without actually training them. I'm not kidding, the writers seem to be dead set against any training elements in the series. Hell, even when he's battling someone and it's getting interesting someone wanders in and stops it.

Satoshi trains on-screen about as much as he did in AG. The DP-style training is something people seem to have grown accustomed to that is unfortunately fooling people into thinking he's not training. Training is not a plot, it's not part of a plot, it's something the characters should be assumed to be doing behind the scenes. Training is not relevant to the plot and it's usually as entertaining as watching paint dry. When we get training, it's usually intermixed with an entertaining plot and elements.(Hachiku debut, Waruvile antics, Poacher subplot, Gamagaru capture, Gang sickness) The thing about BW is most of the training clearly happens off-screen, it's not like DP which devoted many episodes to Pokemon training regularly. The writers are referencing and showing it on-screen every once in a while and having it done few times enough that the viewer is meant to assume "Hey it's happening off-screen." In almost every anime/cartoon/book/movie training is glossed over and isn't focused on for long intervals of time.(DBZ, One Piece, Naruto, even Star Wars) With good reason, training is considered the lowest common denominator in almost every form of fiction I've come across because no anime, manga, or show spends a long time on multiple cessions of serious training without some form of entertainment value. Because it's extremely boring.

Plus it doesn't make any sense logically. Even if we suspend our disbelief long enough to accept that a bullet seed... shard split apart and landed perfectly in Chaoboo's nostrils but there is no freakin' way they wouldn't have been incinerated by a single Flamethrower.

You're over analyzing a comedy subplot.

What's that? There was another plot with Nyarth and Achroma? Must have missed it.

Considering the Satoshi-tachi scenes were six minutes in total....?

 

[Trainer Gabriel]

That was strange. An episode about TR and TP with a subplot about the main heroes trying to...get two halves of a Bullet Seed out of Pignite's nostrils? I'm speechless. I expected a bit more focus on N.

'Course, I have little else to say to at the moment, as this episode was too dialogue heavy to follow too well, so I'll just leave with a "okay" and wait for the American airing a few months from now.

 

[GolfDude]

are team rocket vs team plasma episodes cursed or something, while watching the live feed from japan, i noticed another earthquake message on the top of the screen for a few mins during this episode (earthquake took place somewhere in japan during this airing).. every time we get near a rocket/plasma based run, an earthquake comes and ruins it...

 

[Tepig in a BBQ]

Controlled Meowth looked really cool!

While I thought it would've been a boar bore, the Pignite Sub-plot turned out to be actually pretty funny.

 

[Achamo]

I had all but forgotten about Genosect until this episode. I wonder if it will come up again.

Satoshi's flamethrower Afro at the end reminded me of Keroro Gunsou. XD

 

[Almonds]

LOL I loved this episode XDD Meowth trying to negotiate with Achroma and ended up getting controlled XDD I was pretty glad to see so many expressions from him. That laugh was hilarious XDD!!

 

[Yamadora]

Well, I liked this episode. The whole Nyasu and Akuroma thing was indeed interesting, even tough I didn't understand almost anything what they were saying.

The faces of Satoshi's Pokémon were priceless when Lizardon was sent out. More screentime for Chaobu is always good, his little problem was somewhat cute. The way they tried solve the problem was fun to watch, specially what Lizardon did. Gosh, Chaobu and Lizardon burning Satoshi was just awesome. XD

And Genesect, wow!

 

[Dogasu]

I haven't gotten around to watching the episode yet, but...

are team rocket vs team plasma episodes cursed or something, while watching the live feed from japan, i noticed another earthquake message on the top of the screen for a few mins during this episode (earthquake took place somewhere in japan during this airing).. every time we get near a rocket/plasma based run, an earthquake comes and ruins it...

How did that earthquake "ruin" it? The episode still aired and nothing else is getting postponed.

 

[fruitsmoothierevenge]

Interesting episode! It was weird with Ash & Co. being the comedy subplot, and while I thought it was a bit silly, both plots meant getting out of a tight jam!

I loved the way they animated Nyasu this episode. It was Sakaki-levels of creepy, and I think I liked it.
The thing that stuck out for me, funny enough, was how when Musashi called out her Pururill against Nyasu, she did so in an almost-polite manner. Even given the situation, has she ever said 行きなさい ikinasai before?
I thought the way they brought him to was interesting as well. They were using Yorunozuku's name as a pun!! It sounds like 夜を救う yoru wo sukuu, "to rescue from the night". Very Team Rocket. I'll be happy when the radio show is back to hear them acting goofy, but this was pretty true to their style. And it worked!

Overall, pretty good.

 

[QuietDragon]

This episode was quite charming!

Not a terribly important one plot-wise, yes, aside from N finding out about Genesect by way of an empathic connection with that Minezumi/Patrat, but it was entertaining. I would have loved to see members of the Aqua-dan or Magma-dan get an episode that isn't too plot-heavy so we can see more of their personalities the way we got to see Achroma/Akuroma/Colress' here. It was good character building and helped further establish the antagonistic relationship between the Rockets and the Plasma-dan.

Achroma's very entertaining and creepy. Treacherous.

Satoshi and friends being pushed into the backgroud like mere side characters was odd, but I'm grateful for the change in pace! Their side-plot with Chaoboo/Pignite's nose problem was amusing enough and so relatively short as to be perfectly non-intrusive.

fruitsmoothierevenge: -WAVES!- Hi, long time, no see! <3 I mean, ah, yes, I know I've heard Musashi use ikinasai before for sure, but I can't remember if it was sarcastically or not. ^^;; She can be quite sweet with her Pokemon, though, especially pampered Dokucale, which might've been where I heard it... or maybe in-character as Candy Musalina, it really has been a while. ^^;

I really enjoy the mixing of their Best Wishes! serious competence and their pre-Best Wishes! penchant for wordplay and comedy... and of course, the more outward display of friendship. I really like this method of writing them. <3

Thanks so much for explaining that joke, by the way! I was wondering why that Pokemon was chosen, exactly... counting Mareep was more obvious (also, dreaming of electric sheep xDDD).