Review HZ002: The Pendant of Beginning, Part 2

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

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'

It took XY007 for Serena to officially join the XY crew also. I hope we're at least introduced to Roy in HZ003, but I wouldn't be surprised if it took a couple episodes for him to join Liko. Its not out of the ordinary.

 

[RetroPokeFan]

After having caved in and watched the two parter, this is definitely a great way to kick off this new era of the anime.

The animation is great and the action fast paced, we get to know a little more about Riko and our new Pika boi Captain Pikachu makes his grand debut here as well.

I love how they've managed to differentiate it from Ash's Pikachu, the one I know and love. Whereas Ash's is kind and always loyal to his trainer whilst also having a love for battles, Captain Chu is much more serious and looking for a good fight.

Ash's would get himself ready for a battle with some training but this Captain...

Oh no, he would very likely just ditch the training part and go all in on the battle.

Friede's a pretty cool dude and I'm liking him so far. Hopefully his fellow assistants will get their time too compared to Cerise, Ren and Chrysa who hardly got much if any focus at all.

Overall, this is a pretty nice start to the series and I'm hoping that we'll see more highs than lows this time around.

 

[VetProf]

Wow, we're off to a really strong start! Here's some of my thoughts on the first two episodes:

The immediate first thing I want to praise is the presentation of the Pokemon world here. One of the biggest reasons I watch the Pokemon anime (aside from the battles, the characters, and the adventures) is seeing the Pokemon world be brought to life, both in terms of how the Pokemon live naturally in the wild and how they coexist together with humans. It's one of the reasons I'm not too saddened about Ash's departure; even with his absence, the Pokemon world will still be there.

The beginning of the first episode gives us the usual "World of Pokemon" introduction with a few scenes showing a variety of Pokemon living in the wild, but I think the biggest highlight is how these two episodes show off the coexistence between human and Pokemon. In the first few minutes we already see a Machop helping to carry luggage onto a bus, and later in the school we get to see plenty of students with their partner Pokemon, along with some other Pokemon helping out with the staff (I see you, recurring Poliwhirl). On the airship we got to see several Fire-type Pokemon helping out with the stoker, which kinda reminds me of that one short with Slugma that showed a cozy household living together with their Pokemon. Again, stuff like that is why I enjoy watching the Pokemon anime, so I do hope we get to see more interactions like that in the future.

Liko's a really likeable character, and right off the bat I'm excited to see where her adventures take her. Her social anxiety reminds me a bit of Goh, but it's a more central part of her character here (from what we've seen in these two episodes, anyway). Her personality pairs really well with her partner Pokemon, Sprigatito, whose free-spiritedness is slowly but surely pushing her onto the road of adventure. I like how their relationship showed a more unique take on the "disobedient Pokemon" plot; instead of Sprigatito being outright disobedient or aggressive towards Liko, it's simply doing its own thing like what cats tend to do, and one of the focus in the first episode was Liko observing and studying Sprigatito's behaviour to try and get to know it better. We see Sprigatito slowly warming up to her, with the culmination in the second episode being Sprigatito encouraging Liko to stand up for herself. With Liko going to rescue Sprigatito next episode, I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops from here on out.

The mystery with the pendant is intriguing, and I'm surprised we already got a sneak peek at Terapagos (or something related to it) this early on. Seeing the two factions, the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Explorers, fighting over the pendant was fun to watch too. I like how this situation showed off how cautious Liko is as a person, with how she was immediately suspicious of the Ceruledge trainer, and how she wasn't immediately trusting of Friede's group (it's kinda funny yet frustrating how she was constantly interrupted every time she tried to asked them about what's going on).

Speaking of Friede, another major highlight of the second episode was seeing Captain Pikachu in action, since it showed off how different it is compared to Ash's. Captain Pikachu here looks a lot more commanding and pumped up for action (just look at the way it sits in its chair), and its moveset reflects that too. Thunder Punch seems to be its go-to melee move, similar to Iron Tail but with STAB instead of coverage. For dodging, it uses Double Team instead of Quick Attack. And of course, it's utilizing Volt Tackle as a powerful finisher move, which I'm really happy to see in action again. As for its last moveslot, I'm hoping they give it something other than Thunderbolt to further differentiate itself from Ash's Pikachu. Trailblaze could work well as coverage and double down on its skillset as a close-range fighter, but if they want to give it something ranged, Surf or Grass Knot could work too. An utility move like Thunder Wave or Light Screen would be surprising but very effective as well.

Some other shorter thoughts that I couldn't fit above:

• Ann is cute, I really liked that they gave her an Oshawott. Her interactions with Liko were fun to watch too, especially with how her outgoing personality helps her break through Liko's social awkwardness.
• The airship has a very colorful cast of people and Pokemon on it, really looking forward to seeing what the writers do with them. It's nice to see fan favorites like Rockruff and Pawmi alongside other more obscure ones like Alolan Muk and Carkol.
• I think it's both really cool and hilarious that the current main antagonist has a Ceruledge as their main partner alongside a Corviknight to really amp up the edginess. His allies having Skarmory ain't helping to tone down the edginess, either. Not complaining though, since I do think those are really cool Pokemon. Hopefully we get to see Corviknight battle too, and not just Ceruledge.
• That school has godawful security. Just wanted to mention that.
• The music and animation in these two episodes were great, so I'm really hoping that the show producers can consistently keep up this level of quality.

Overall, I think we have an excellent start for the new series, and I'm looking forward to the next episodes.

 

[Articfoxgamez]

It took XY007 for Serena to officially join the XY crew also. I hope we're at least introduced to Roy in HZ003, but I wouldn't be surprised if it took a couple episodes for him to join Liko. Its not out of the ordinary.

The episode preview at the end of the two parter showed a lot of roy after all the episode 3 stuff so I think that's what episode 4 is going to be.

 

[CDGAMES]

There is just so much to say, and at the same time I'm just... Stuck here, trying to piece how I feel about this new beginning.

I loved it, the episodes themselves were such a great start to the series, and I'm definitely sticking around to see what comes next... But at the same time, it's weird not having Satoshi as the protagonist.

One adventure ends, and a new one begins... I guess I'll just have to get used to it.

In the mean time, Liko is adorable, and her mentioning how the whole situation felt like she was the protagonist just made me like her even more. I seriously cannot wait for Roy to come in and steal my heart too!

 

[Reborn Talonflame]

Good start! Liko is a really likeable character for me so far, and the rest of the crew seem to have a personality too.
I think it’s cool to see them not blantanly show which side is the right one, although I imagine both sides will have their own moral reasons. Plus, Friede doesn’t seem to be all that endearing, especially with him not taking the free time he had to explain things to Liko when they were flying in the sky.

And this will be the only time I draw lines between this series and Ash’s, but…
“A Pikachu? Are you toying with me?”, like a Pikachu didn’t become World Champion, nice joke, writers…or, did he? Is this even in the same universe as Ash’s, or are these events happening before Journey’s? Bottling that up, as I said, I won’t continue to draw narratives on this, cause it will only draw away from the positive start this series has had. More please!

 

[ena9219]

The two parts put together provide a good blend of characterization and action with the bulk of the action in this half. Baby Terapagos is adorable and Friede really needs to stop procrastinating at explaining things. The edgy Explorer getting a different, edgier (aesthetically speaking) metal bird from the other two was definitely on purpose. Captain Pikachu acts tougher than the Pikachu we're used to but probably isn't actually as strong as the World Champion's ace (and I will be very surprised if World Champ Satoshi isn't in this continuity). The convenience of Pokemon-powered vehicles aside, coal isn't exactly the best power source for the environment, they ought to catch a Galaran Weezing to clean up their air pollution.

They really did the whole two-part debut episode without one of the co-protagonists, I don't exactly mind but I expected Roy to show up by now. I guess that means we're getting a Roy focus episode for his debut. Of course, they could always have him randomly show up during Sprigatito's rescue but I suspect he's missing another episode.

 

[techitisJ]

Finally found a proper subbed version of the first two episodes and oh my goodness, I am absolutely loving this anime so far. Liko makes an excellent protagonist. She's a bit socially awkward but is incredibly sweet and she loves Pokemon. I love her internal monologues. The little bit where she realizes she's a protagonist is great! She's quiet shy and anxious, but her love for Pokemon makes her do reckless things. I think her relationship with Sprigatito really helps with this. Being with Sprigatito, a free-spirited Pokemon, makes her feel more confident.

But Liko definitely isn't the only strong character here. As mentioned before, I love Friede and his crew! While they all need some more time to be fleshed out, II like the glimpses we've gotten of their characters, particularly Friede and Molly. But their dynamics make them really shine. Friede's the kind of guy to throw himself headfirst into things, even if it means he leaves others in the dark. No time for explanations, he can deal with that later. And his crew berates him for it. He kind of reminds me of Ash in that way, which is nice, but he's definitely a bit more chill. I had high hopes for him since he was first revealed and I am not disappointed.

I am already invested in this series. This episode was a great way to set it all up, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

 

[Eitarou]

The biggest takeaway I can gather from these first two episodes is congrats to the writers. You made a version of BW Team Rocket that doesn't suck.

Only took 'em 12 and a half years.

 

[Gligarman]

So the new anime is basically Castle in the Sky but with Pokemon? AWESOME!!!!!!

 

[Nicolas721]

Great episodes. The first one was a bit slow-paced and had a couple redundant scenes, but it was still nice seeing Liko adapt to a new region, meeting new people and really understand what owning a Pokemon actually means. Poor girl! Like others I want to see more of Ann.

The second one was without a doubt the best. The drama raised to levels we've not seen in ages, and it really made Friede and Cap shine with their attitudes and strategies. While Amethio is clearly Liko's rival it's clear she wouldn't be able to defeat him now so using Friede for now was a great idea. I'm more intrigued on how the Rising Voltacklers found out about Liko's pendant and what's their plan with it than how the Explorers did, I hope it gets answered soon.

 

[Soniman]

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.

Well no reason to assume everyone with a Pikachu is suddenly top champion tier just because they own one

 

[Eclipsical]

Well no reason to assume everyone with a Pikachu is suddenly top champion tier just because they own one

I wasn't being completely serious, lol.

 

[Gligarman]

Completely random note but I appreciate that we finally got to see Noctowl again, especially since I can't use it in Gen 9. It's my favorite bird Pokemon!

 

[nickdt]

Its fairly interesting it seems Ludlow wasn't on the airship, else i am sure they would have shown a clip of him. I have a feeling they are hiding something with Ludlow, especially since we got the mention that Liko got that pendant from her grandmother. What if the Rising Volteccers knew about Liko going to Kanto via Ludlow, because Ludlow himself was informed by his wife, the grandmother, that his granddaughter would go to the same Kanto boarding school their kid also was going too.

I also liked we got to see some Pokemon we normally rarely see, like Slugma, Carkol, Shuckle on the airship... but also some Pokemon at the school like Snubbull and Xatu.

The Quaxly on the ship is also interesting. I don't think Nidothing is part of the Rising Volteccers, so i don't think the Quaxly is theirs. I have a feeling that this Quaxly is actually a stow-away on the airship and that its gonna become a core member of the group. This way they basically solved an issue, since i doubt Nidothings Quaxly is ever gonna evolve, so if they want to, they can have the Airship Quaxly evolve instead.

What i also like i how they show Pokemon helping the people, or show Pokemon helping in a role that is natural for them (Slugma and Carkol powering up the ship, Nosepass being the navigator, Noctowl being the lookout).

Not counting Captain Pikachu, it seems Murdock is Friede's second in command, considering Friede said he needed to take the wheel.

 

[Articfoxgamez]

Its fairly interesting it seems Ludlow wasn't on the airship, else i am sure they would have shown a clip of him.

There was a (very brief) scene of him on the ship actually. He just walked into a room before being told to watch after the pokemon while Murdock goes to the driving control room thing

 

[Midorikawa]

I like it so far. Binged both episodes together.

Liko definitely is already better written than Ash. She shows intelligence while not being too intelligent, as well as issues that she’ll surely grow out of. The way she’s written makes it clear they won’t be able to reset her every region like they did with Ash. Whether she continues for several regions or not will be interesting, but I’m glad just to see a more atypical protagonist.

I also like how they handled her and sprigatito. Building up the bond slowly while also not making it 100% disobedient right away is much better. Also really encapsulates that it’s a cat.

I am also in love with how involved the Pokémon are in the world. I feel like I’ve only seen them in such roles in the movies. The tv series would occasionally have them in such roles but within two episodes we have seen machop loading a bus, fire types helping out in a steam engine, Pokémon training more closely with their partners. The world really feels like a world where they coexist with each other rather than a world where Pokémon just live in.

And am I the only one who feels like Amethio saved sprigatito to actually save it. He kidnapped it too, but to me it seemed like the priority was saving it, and then he saw an opportunity.

I hope the other episodes keep with these two. The serious tone and clear plot, as well as not treating half the characters as a joke is such a nice change of pace. I’m actually invested in these characters more than I was previous ones that got shafted.

 

[ehh123]

This was pointed out somewhere else but Sprigatito was aiming at Amethio with that Leafage attack. What would have happened if Ceruedge didn't come in to save him at the last second?

 

[Articfoxgamez]

This was pointed out somewhere else but Sprigatito was aiming at Amethio with that Leafage attack. What would have happened if Ceruedge didn't come in to save him at the last second?

Probably not much to be honest. The anime has shown Humans in the Pokemon world can tank Pokemon moves pretty well.
Edit: Also pretty fair payback for Ceruledge trying to hit her with a psycho cutter episode 1

 

[Midorikawa]

Probably not much to be honest. The anime has shown Humans in the Pokemon world can tank Pokemon moves pretty well.
Edit: Also pretty fair payback for Ceruledge trying to hit her with a psycho cutter episode 1

Ash’s Anime sure. However this one has already made it clear the moves are much more dangerous. Liko had bandaids from Sprigatitos scratch attacks and we saw several times that the moves did serious damage when they hit building and stuff. I don’t think we’ll be seeing attacks do no damage like they did with Ash.

Also wasn’t psycho cut aimed at Friede and he dodged it and that’s when it went towards her?