Review HZ002: The Pendant of Beginning, Part 2

[RetroPokeFan]

The beginning adventure for both our new stars Riko and Roy continues.

Feel free to discuss Episode 2 of Horizons here.

 

[Singaporean]

From a group of explorer hunter become a main plot of the series. Sad that Liko's Sprigatito being capture. But she will get it back in her determination.

Overall rating: B-

 

[Mr. MoonStone]

Is it weird that I feel like this is the first time (in a very long time) where I actually felt a sense of urgency and danger in the Pokémon anime, especially when the episode ended on the cliffhanger?

Maybe it’s because Liko is still a rookie trainer and the battle scenes were that exciting and intense to watch, but I could actually feel her stress and fear when Sprigatito was taken away. Which is silly I guess because this isn’t the first Pokémon kidnapping plot but still Anyways, I really like it! I feel like there are actual stakes again, which makes it exciting to follow!

 

[Articfoxgamez]

I'm confused on what's up with Quaxly now. Is Nidothing actually part of the rising Volt Tacklers? If so is it one we haven't seen or one of the existing ones? Or did they just decide the gen 9 Anime should have two Quaxlys in it?

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

Did we see flying Rotom Phones before, or is it something new in this series?

 

[RetroPokeFan]

Staff for the episode from Dephender:

Screenplay 佐藤大 (Dai Sato)
Storyboard 冨安大貴 (Daiki Tomiyasu)
Episode Director 大賀まこと (Makoto Oga)
Episode Director 森山愛弓 (Ayumi Moriyama)
Animation Director 広岡トシヒト (Toshihito Hirooka)
Animation Director 倉員千晶 (Chiaki Kurakazu)
Animation Director 大西雅也 (Masaya Onishi)
Animation Director 杉本海帆 (Miho Sugimoto)
Animation Director 杉山さよ (Sayo Sugiyama)

 

[Sakuraa]

This episode was really nice. Very action packed and engaging. The tension was very noticeable and well done. First things first, I was sure shocked to see a new Pokémon be summoned from Liko's pendant, but it was cool. It was nice getting to see Liko and Sprigatito interacting with many of the Pokémon on the airship. I'm so glad the crew already has their own Quaxly, though I'm surprised they never showed it until know despite the posters showing that their would be a Quaxly on the main cast. Anyway, I liked that Liko actually was willing to go with the Explorers just to save these random people and Pokémon she only just met by chance. That shows how kind she is despite her shyness.

I'll say that the battle between Friede and Amethio was well animated and very cool. But overall, I still really just don't care for these characters right now. My interest is in Liko and Roy. But looking at the premier episodes, the preview for the next episode, and the opening, it seems Friede and Amethio will sort of be 'rivals', so at least that'll keep them doing something.

I truly felt Liko's pain over Sprigatito falling from the airship and being captured and the choice to end things off on a cliffhanger was surprising. Honestly, looking at the preview for the next episode, it really feels like this could have been a 3-parter premiere. But overall, I'll be happy to see Sprigatito rescued in the next episode so we can move onto Roy's debut and him meeting Liko. I'll say 9.5/10 for this one.

 

[SamurottMan]

I think this was a great start and people finding it mediocre are still hung up on Ash/Journeys.

I like the change in tone, there's tension and drama. That scene of Edgelord following Liko to her room and knocking was so nerve wracking. The battle scenes were nice. There are some wonky frames, but they're in less important scenes while battles have been given priority in the animation department I'm guessing. All the supporting characters seem to actually be more than glorified extras. When the story is engaging, I don't mind the slow pace. The pendant being the actual Pokemon was crazy (baby Terapagos is baby).

As someone who's only seen max 10 episodes from Journeys, I'm very interested where this series goes.

Is Nidothing the Drampa looking guy then?

 

[Mr. MoonStone]

Is Nidothing the Drampa looking guy then?

This is what I think as well. I could totally see the inconspicuous old guy leading a second life as a costumed blogger/v-tuber lol.

But that kind of leads to another interesting point: I have a feeling this series will really dial in heavy on the mystery aspects. I can’t remember the last time in the Pokémon anime where I genuinely didn’t know what was coming next since this series doesn’t seem too reliant on the game lore like previous entries. It’s quite refreshing tbh, it makes me want to tune in next week to see what happens next.

 

[Jaye]

Phew, a lot happened in these two episodes. Too much to break down in one go. Early episodes typically don't have much room for fluff, so I'm not expecting this to be the standard as it goes on, but suffice to say it's a solid start to a new story.

My early impression is, the way we'll talk about Liko and her progress is going to be very, very different to how we talked about Ash. This isn't just down to their stark differences in personality and outlook, but also down to their role within the story. Liko is at the centre of something that is far bigger than she is and understanding her role in that something will probably be crucial to her development going forward. Right now, she doesn't have much agency, but that's okay because they made it very clear she's out of her depth.

Liko came across as someone who was very intimately aware of their own weaknesses. At the same time, she didn't let her doubts and shortcomings stop her from trying to get better, and I found that endearing. Being uncertain about yourself doesn't automatically lead to having a defeatist attitude, and she's shown the capacity to act when the situation calls for it. I especially liked when she immediately knew something was fishy about Amethio and fled from the room rather than try and fight. Not only did it show her knowing her own limitations, but also made Amethio seem intimidating. This guy was armed with knowledge about Liko he shouldn't have and if you were in her shoes, you'd be right to be scared.

This is where Friede and his merry crew came in because they, too, were also looking for Liko, and their intentions weren't immediately obvious. Friede actually succeeded at kidnapping her, albeit his actions were more noble. Too much was going on to get a good impression of the Volt Tacklers just yet, but Friede is shaping up to be the charismatic leader and mentor his design suggested he'd be.

The contrast between the grounded normalcy of the first half, where Liko was simply trying to understand her Sprigatito better, and tense action in the second half worked really well here. Even as the stakes increased, Liko never stopped being at the centre of the conflict, and it made relating to her so much easier. Like her, we don't understand what's going on either. We don't know what the pendant is or why there's a Pokemon inside it or why these two groups are so interested in it, but we can totally understand the fear of someone caught in the middle of all it and not being able to do anything but wait.

Overall, they did a good job. They managed to establish Liko's character, set-up the main storyline, set-up some smaller storylines, and end on a good hook for the next episode without slouching on the pacing. Having a protagonist so inherently introspective bodes well for having a character-driven narrative and I'm excited to see where it leads, especially if it remains committed to being very different from its predecessor.

Some miscellaneous thoughts:

- There was some talk about the show having some Shoujo influence. The early signs are it won't be like that (there's plenty of suspense and action to go around), but it was funny watching our new female protagonist be literally fought over by two older males who seem to be polar opposites of one another.

- With all that was going on, it's very understandable why Roy wasn't immediately introduced. I've no doubts he'll have a big role to play despite some early doubts about him being overshadowed by Liko.

- I liked the metaphor with Liko and the moon. Perhaps moons will be symbolic for her as rainbows were for Ash. (And isn't there a moon symbol on Roy's weird Pokeball? Hmm...)

- Animation was solid throughout, though I didn't see anything spectacular. SM001/XY001 remain supreme in that regard. I'll give credit to the fight scenes, though. For what they lacked in flash, they made up for in weightiness and incorporating the environment in a way the show typically hasn't done before.

- Slugma in the furnace. That is all.

- Captain Pikachu is amazing. There's no doubt who's in charge of that ship and it ain't Friede.

- Liko's friend (Ann, I think her name was?) played a big role early on, but I've a feeling we won't be seeing much of her. She was, after all, literally put on a bus before everything went south.

 

[Articfoxgamez]

Us seeing more of Liko's roomate really just depends on if the show revisits the school at all, given I think the bus was just students going home for the weekend? I remember someone saying that elsewhere.
That or like, if they end up being Nidothing like some people thought although I find that unlikely. (Why would you be watching and fall asleep to your own video)
I do think they might though because there were a few like teacher designs who appeared for literally one scene and that seems like a waste. Not even full COTD status.

 

[JollyYoshi]

I really enjoyed this episode. It definitely had a different tone compared to Ash’s journey. Although I wouldn’t fully describe it this way, the episode was a lot more serious. When you look at the antagonists, they want to capture Liko and are quite more competent than Team Rocket ever was.

Besides that, I really liked how the Pokémon were a part of the world. The Slugma was powering the airship with a Carkoal or Coalossol(?) also helping. I’m glad that the show didn’t forget that this took place in the world of Pokémon.

Overall, it met my expectations. My only expectations were for it to be good and interesting story in the Pokémon world. Definitely the end caught my attention with Liko and her Spiragatito

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

This episode was insane.

The introduction of Friede's crew was actually pretty great. I'm definitely interested to learn more about them. One thing that actually got me pretty excited was seeing the medic, Mollie, owns a Pawmi. Knowing she's a medic, its highly possible that she's eventually gonna evolve her Pawmi into Pawmot, knowing its capable of learning Revival Blessing. So crossing my fingers for Pawmot eventually.

We got Fuecoco on board, so within 2 Horizons episodes, we've seen all 3 Paldean starters. Another mistake Journeys made that Horizons has fixed. It was actually very refreshing to see Sprigatito, Rockruff, Fuecoco, and Pawmi just playing along. We didn't get a ton of that in Journeys, so hoping we'll get more.

The tension was pretty strong also. I'm liking the feeling I'm getting so far for this series. Amethio definitely seems like the kind of character I'm going to hate for sure. The other two haven't given me that strong of an impression though.

The battle between Captain Pikachu and Ceruledge was actually pretty awesome. It showed us that Cap is a very different Pikachu from Ash's. The action was pretty great and I loved how they used the environment. Speaking of this battle, I kinda already like Friede and hoping we'll get a ton of him.

Seems its time to save Sprigatito though, and hopefully next week we get our introduction to Roy. Overall another very solid episode. I like the feeling I'm getting so far for Horizons and Liko is definitely someone I'm going to enjoy following.

 

[techitisJ]

While I couldn't understand what the characters were saying since I haven't found a subbed version to watch yet, I am already invested in this show, and this episode solidified it.

The story seems interesting so far, from what I can understand, but the characters are what have sold this series for me. Liko's proven herself to be a great protagonist so far, and I am already loving the dynamics between Friede in his crew. I loved that little bit where Friede and Murdock fist bump, and when Mollie seems to scold Friede. This episode also sets a great tone for the series, and I hope it continues to follow this formula where they mix slow, sweet moments in with bits of action here and there.

I am hoping I'll be able to rewatch these first two episodes with subtitles soon, and I might edit this post when I do. But I'm gonna leave it here for now, partially because I'm exhausted. For now, I'll say this episode is definitely a 9/10. Can't wait for more!

 

[Rockapheller]

This has been a crazy ride to start things off. I like all the characters. I will have more concrete opinions once I watch the second episode with subtitles as well, but so far what I can say is that I can relate to Liko in ways. I also moved to where I live right now 2 years ago for a fresh start that I needed. Hopefully (and probably) things will work much better for her than they did for me.

I think the Pokémon that shortly appeared is not a new species that has not been revealed just yet, but I think it is some sort of a form of Terapagos that we have not seen just yet. They look extremely similar, to the point of diamonds on the forehead and sides, and the eyes resemble a lot. That "baby" form has a softer skin color and does not have a shell, and that is pretty much it.

 

[skynerel]

Is it weird that I feel like this is the first time (in a very long time) where I actually felt a sense of urgency and danger in the Pokémon anime, especially when the episode ended on the cliffhanger?

That’s because previous sagas had literally no stakes.



~~~~~~~~~~

As for the episode, it was very good. I felt like I was watching a proper anime. The soundtrack, settings and the way the story was handled helped create this feeling. This episodes felt planned, the characters have personality and are nice. There’s is certainly something new in the horizon.

 

[Eclipsical]

A very strong continuation of the last episode!

We get an even deeper understanding of Liko as a character. She loves Pokemon, even if she can't connect with them very well. We then see that she has a selfless side to her, as she is willing to hand herself over to a dangerous group that she knows nothing about in order to make sure the Pokemon on the airship wouldn't get caught up in the chaos. Liko & Sprigatito finally begin to sync up for the first time, and pull off a powerful Leafage (that was definitely stronger than any Leafage has any right to be), perhaps hinting at the hidden strength inside of Sprigatito that the pair may one day bring out. Unfortunately, right as they finally begin to connect, Sprigatito is stolen. The stakes feel very real so far, Horizons already feels different in that sense from previous series.

We are introduced to TWO factions in this episode: The Rising Volt Tacklers (will shorten as TRVT) and the Explorers.

We get our first taste of the crew that make up TRVT. To start out, Friede makes a very good first impression. With a cool, suave, and confident demeanor, he immediately comes off as likeable and charismatic, having all the characteristics you would hope for in a leader. Now, I must say, Captain Pikachu makes an even BETTER first impression. They immediately work to separate him visually, move-set wise, and personality-wise from the Pikachu we have known and love for the past 25 years. Like his trainer, Cap has similar personality traits that give him the qualities you would want as the face of your team. He is just so cool. Thunder Punch and Double Team are welcome additions, while the return of Volt Tackle is definitely appreciated. I wonder what his fourth move will be, assuming he gets one. I could see Iron Tail carrying over, but we'll see. We get our first impressions of some of the other members, but they don't get a ton of focus, as I'm sure they will get more individual screentime in the coming episodes. Mollie establishes herself as quite the badass, going out into a storm to manually close the landing-pad and attempting to face the Explorers herself.

My one concern with them is that they have so many Pokemon, which is natural given how many trainers there are on-board, but I find it a little hard to believe that most of them will get any depth when you have to juggle more than a dozen of them, and we know Liko and Roy will most likely be catching more. Overall, I want the members of the TRVT and their Pokemon to get the love and attention they deserve so that they don't just feel like things to stare at on-screen.

The Explorers still remain a mystery, so I don't have much to say about them just yet. I'm sure we will learn more about Amejio in the future. I totally predicted that he would have a Corviknight. I just had a feeling he would, going off his design. I hope Zir and Conia have some character to them as well, and that they aren't just generic villains for Liko and friends to beat up while Amejio remains the only actual threat.

Almost forgot to mention the fact that Terapagos made its anime debut. My guess is that it is a Zygarde situation, with this being a weakened form, with the one we were shown in the Pokemon Presents being a powered-up form.

All and all, a very promising start to Pokemon Horizons. I'm very excited to meet Roy next week!

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Love how the series preview played up Roy, and then he doesn't even appear in the opening episodes

Go would be proud

 

[PokeFanForever1]

Love how the series preview played up Roy, and then he doesn't even appear in the opening episodes

Go would be proud

Honestly I'm okay with that as it allows them to flesh out Liko's introduction and then introduce Roy when the time is right. Plus it's not the first time that the anime has taken it's time to introduce a major character. Both Brock and Cilan didn't appear until the fifth episode of their specific series'

 

[Eclipsical]

Also, shame on Amejio for looking down on a Pikachu, as if a Pikachu isn't the current strongest trainer-owned Pokemon in the world.