• A new LGBTQ+ forum is now being trialed and there have been changes made to the Support and Advice forum. To read more about these updates, click here.
  • Hey Trainers! Be sure to check out Corsola Beach, our newest section on the forums, in partnership with our friends at Corsola Cove! At the Beach, you can discuss the competitive side of the games, post your favorite Pokemon memes, and connect with other Pokemon creators!
  • Due to the recent changes with Twitter's API, it is no longer possible for Bulbagarden forum users to login via their Twitter account. If you signed up to Bulbagarden via Twitter and do not have another way to login, please contact us here with your Twitter username so that we can get you sorted.

Review JN042: Sword & Shield I - Slumbering Forest

How people who insisted Ash would get Centiskorch because 'it was high on the VA list' are feeling right now:
1603502648582.png

I personally don’t see Ash getting Centiskorch for the following reasons:
- He’s already battled a second stage G-max galar pokemon with Leon’s assistance (Drednaw), and didn’t catch it.
- It’s in the middle of an arc - far fetched was at least caught after the DD portion of the episode was over so Ash and Goh could go back to their normal shenanigans after, giving it more screentime. Centiskorch won’t get much focus after it’s capture episode because of how much is already going on.
- If he’s gonna catch a Galar pokemon, wouldn’t they want to showcase the whole evolutionary line, so have him evolve it from a Sizzlipede first? We see this happening with Farfetch’d, and hopefully Grookey later.
- The opening has spoiled so many story threads and captures, surely this would’ve been shown as well? This also applies to the poster as well.
- I think he’ll just get Grookey first, since he tends to get starters early on anyway in each new region - at least recently in Kalos/Alola. I know far Farfetch’d is an exception, but I can definitely see Grookey being his 2nd Galar pokemon. There’s also more merch of it right now.

What did I tell you?
 
Last edited:
Just seen the possibility that this might be Giovanni


Would be brilliant if it is him, hence the secrecy
Wow, this is the epitome of an idea so awesome that you know the reveal's just not going to end up being that cool. As others have said, it's probably just going to a Macro Cosmos member or something. :(
 
I really wasn't bothered about this arc (too early, not invested in any of the characters atm) and nearly didn't bother watching the episode, but I'm glad I did! It was actually well-paced and enjoyable, and my curiosity has been piqued for where the story will head next.

It's nice that Satoshi and Go have split up as well, I feel Go's character benefits significantly from periods away from Satoshi. How weird was it when they just spoke on the phone to update on locations though?! I'm so used to characters in Pokemon getting lost and having to traipse all over the place for 22 minutes to find each other that that scene blew my mind...

Also Maruyakude is super cute. I guess Miki has now just been typecast as the shouty guy?
 
Pros:
  • + The first half of the episode is relatively slow and unexciting, with the first few minutes being somewhat rushed in the power core hangar. The entire thing with the orb shooting out power is somewhat weird, since in the games it’s Eternatus’ hibernating as an ‘egg’. In the anime though, Eternatus is supposed to be roaming freely, so I hope there’s a proper resolution and addressing behind this. I’m actually glad they made Rose kind of evil and creepy instead of the jolly and outgoing person he was in the games, since the latter was just kinda odd. Here though, he gives off an atmosphere of obsession and means justifying the end (when he speaks of casualties), though he could have done with some more build-up prior to this arc instead of the single appearance he's had (here’s hoping they don’t pull a stupid Faba-esque redemption for him, that would be a big mistake). Other bits in the first half that stood out are the questions being brought up regarding why the Max-ing phenomenon happens in the first place and how they are restricted to Power spots throughout Galar. The wolves segment in Slumbering Weald was predictable and uneventful, though they weren’t anything special in the games either and the previews already spoiled too much.
  • +++ Now the second half is where the episode really picks up and gets things moving with the Darkest Day having already begun in a sense and the rampaging Pokemon being shown and visited (something missing from the games). The involuntary G-Maxing of Centiskorch proves how dangerous the phenomenon can be if not done in a controlled manner, with a town nearly being leveled. Ash's attempts to battle it and calm it down were valiant, but what stood out more was him using multiple Pokemon simultaneously and actually giving a proper feel to what was a pseudo-raid battle, that 4-piece segment where all his Pokemon attack at once was really exciting. I hope to see more of that especially when Gengar (and G-Fetch'd hopefully) pop up in the next episode. And then there's the timely arrival of Leon, this episode actually does show him in a light where the champion status is deserved without relying on G-Max (I love that changing move set on Charizard, need to see more of that on more Pokemon to keep things fresh). Somehow, I'm not even bothered by Centiskorch being one-shotted given how much it was already exerting itself prior to Leon's arrival, how it was shown to be a more family friendly Pokemon rather than a toughened battler, and being hit by two super effective moves from a really strong Pokemon. On a closing note, the soundtrack was awesome in this episode with a new Gym theme variant debuting and the series initial teaser music playing out during the Wolves' appearance. The splitting up of the boys actually seems more exciting going forward.
Cons:
  • - - - The animation quality in this episode is horrendous and sloppy, and really detracted from the overall enjoyment on several occasions. Disgraceful, since this is supposed to be a mainline episode of a main story arc, with an experienced animator behind the helm who has a lot of good past works under his belt. The entire animation was very choppy, not fluid, overly dependent on stock background/animations etc. Even the JN012 flashbacks looked bad here despite that episode being good in this aspect. It’s kind of understandable why the animation hasn’t been impressive in some of the previous episodes given how many new animators have joined the team and how many of them ended up being irrelevant self-contained episodes or fillers but there’s no excuse here. Even during the SM series, they never skimped out on main battle or plot related episodes when it came to animation quality and 3D camera usage. And it’s not just the animation but the art direction and the way the characters were drawn that were completely off too (outside of a few scenes). Hell, in some scenes, characters pretty much became Slenderman lookalikes with facial features being completely omitted.
Additional:
  • Goh's first instinct being to instantly toss (curveball) Pokeballs right off the bat is getting really irritating now, the one against Zamazenta felt completely wrong (even if it would never have worked). Don't they want him to learn any kind of lesson after everything that's happened so far? I guess I'll wait till JN046 if they show any intention of fixing the problems with him.

Verdict: A relatively decent start to the 4-part Darkest Day arc, if otherwise marred by sloppy visual work, it's 7/10 from me and I'd have given it a higher number if it weren't for that one con.
 
Considering Mewtwo is appearing soon, I could see it being Giovanni. But I’m not completely sold yet.
Hahaha, Giovanni actually driving anywhere or doing anything himself

hahahahaha

Also how did he get a car to Galar :p

It's probably one of Olive's league goons, because I don't see them bringing Bert and Ernie into the anime this early
 
I watched this after playing Crown Tundra for 2 hours with maximum hype and...maybe it was a bad idea, because it let me down. Many things felt extremely convenient, like a train stopping because of fog, Ash and Goh randomly parting ways (yes, I know the forest has magic properties, but this wasn't explained in the anime and happens just because) and Ash randomly encountering a town in danger where Leon is...

I think the Flare and Plasma arcs had stronger starts. But it wasn't really bad, the battle with Centiskorch was definetely a highlight and had cool action and moves. I'm also excited to see what else they'll do with Ash and Goh being separated.
 
I’m really liking how DD has kicked off. Ash/Leon’s battle with Centiskorch, Rose’s characterisation and Zacian and Zamazenta were all highlights of this episode for me. This episode does a good job of setting the scene, and I can’t wait for how the rest of the arc plays out (especially that hidden 4th episode). Honestly, @Panky’s review basically sums up my thoughts on this episode, solid 7.5/10 from me.

Admittedly, I also would’ve liked a bit more Goh/Sonia interaction when they met, but I‘m still happy with what we got.

A few other random moments I liked/found amusing:
- No segment/commercial break in the middle of the episode.
- Centiskorch straight up destroying a whole house. Good thing everyone was outside huh?
- When Ash goes to confront Centiskorch his trainer tries to stop him. I feel there’s a lot of times that 10 year olds just barge into life threatening situations and everyone just lets it happen, in the anime in general.
- Ash being surprised that one electroweb/vacuum wave combo wasn’t enough to take down a g-max pokemon. Surely you weren’t expecting that to do the trick?
- Leon’s ‘I only did what a Champion would’ve done’ (something like that) line. I like how directly involved he is in solving this whole crisis and is doing his best to get to the bottom of it. You can tell how much he cares for his region, and isn’t its champion ‘just for show’ or something. His initial reluctance in letting Ash join him was also nice to see, shows how sensible he is. I wonder if they’ll do something about his relationship with Rose - his mentor figure being the mastermind behind all of this would surely have a lasting impact, or some kind of development on his character.
 
Last edited:
So I just saw an episode in a long time due to personal reasons. What better time to resume than the arc?
Firstly Go throwing a Pokeball on a freaking furious Zamazenta...

Also Maruyakude is super cute.
I'm so disappointed that more people aren’t mentioning it since Centiskorch being cute is the highlight of the episode for me! I felt sorry for it the entire episode. Such a sweet Pokémon was forced out of control into a rampage, and the bond it has with the trainer's daughter... Maru-chan was the best part of the episode for me.

So now I got that really important aspect out first, I really like how they actually made Rose evil (or at least more maliciously obsessive, the "casualties" part caught me). It was as if the games couldn’t decide whether or not they want Rose to be evil and ended up in a confused situation. The anime is more clearheaded with that direction. @Panky.. covers that part really well in the review.

I'm not too fussed about Centiskorch going down quickly. Since one, it took a 4x super effective move to the face from the Champion's ace alone with a normal super effective move, right after having to face electroweb and the other moves on its face. It’s pretty clear Maru-chan isn’t a battle focused Pokémon and more of a cute household pet, so it being pitted against the Champion's ace involuntarily even if Gigantamaxed it’s bound to do bad. I still feel sorry for poor Centiskorch. You deserve more berries Maru Chan.:bulbaLove:

Gou's social ineptitude showing with him somehow trying to convey the fact that Sonia's driving might get them killed was good. About the car following them, logically it should be a grunt or something since I can’t see Giovanni doing that work. But then why hide his face? The anime is usually straightforward with that kind of foreshadowing and I’m pretty sure you’re meant to assume that the person is important.

Can we talk about Ash's Pokémon selection? Fine if he wishes to rage into battle, but his FIRST impulse on seeing a giant fire/bug type is to send out his most inexperienced Pokémon (I don’t know if it’s a toss up between Riolu or Farfetch’d) and have it use a low power ineffective move... Ash is too biased towards Riolu. Dragonite + Gengar combo would've shined in the situation.

At least Dragonite got a lot of attention and is responsible for the fact that Ash, Pikachu and Riolu aren’t literal ash due to Centiskorch.

9/10 converted into 10/10 just because of Maru-Chan.
 
Leon’s ‘I only did what a Champion would’ve done’ (something like that) line. I like how directly involved he is in solving this whole crisis and is doing his best to get to the bottom of it. You can tell how much he cares for his region, and isn’t its champion ‘just for show’ or something.
Plus, there's also that while Leon does this in the games too, we never actually see it there. Not so here, and that's only positive.
 
The beginning of the episode where they had the characters' names appear on-screen reminded me a lot of shows like My Hero Academia and One Piece.
 
A good and more than solid start for a much anticipated arc revolving around legendaries. And it sure was about time we'd get this arc!

The first scene in the hangar was well done and certainly helped to build up suspense. I'd like to point that close-up of out Chairman Rose's suspiscious smirk which revealed his true intentions. I'm curious to see if they'll decide to portray him as an evil antagonist or as somebody with a mixed personality like Lysandre.

Then we had Ash's and Go's respective encounters with Zacian and Zamazenta. At first, I was hoping they would reveal more about those Pokemon. In hindsight, however, I'm glad they'll be shrouded in mystery for a bit longer. The best scene in my eyes was when both Pokemon (pretended to ?) attack Ash and Go with their eyes glowing and that impressive howling.

Gigantamax Centiskorch was nice to see. I really like its design.

And although I still don't like Leon (and probably will never like him), I must admit that for the first time he did something useful without just resorting to Gigantamaxing his Charizard. But as it was already pointed out, that Centiskorch was probably more like a pet which could be the reason why it went down so fast.
I know some people find it annoying that Leon's Charizard one-shotted a Dynamax Pokémon but I personally didn't have much of a problem with it because 1)this finally offers some concrete proof that Leon and Charizard are indeed strong in spite of Gigantamax and not because of it,
Well, he hasn't been able to prove that in his official battles so far. I assume the writers deliberately gave him some power boost, so he was allowed to shine in this episode.

What I also liked very much is the fact that Ash and Go are going to investigate individually and with the their own goals and partners respectively. It fits into the entire plot much better than if they were together.

Regarding the question who that guy in the car following Sonia and Go might be: I personally think it's one of Rose's subordinates. We'll see... Anyways, I must say introducing such a plot element is great because it adds a feel of mystery. I hope they'll come up with something like that more frequently in the future.

Yes, I must say this first episode of the Sword and Shield arc got me excited and I'm really looking forward to the second part!
Judging from its title "Black Night/ Darkest Day" (Which one is the correct translation by the way?), the episode sounds very promising!
 
Last edited:
Please note: The thread is from 3 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
Back
Top Bottom