Review JN145: Rocket-dan Strikes Back!

[BigDocFan]

https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/JN145

The latest episode of Aim to Be a Pokémon Master has now aired. Feel free to discuss it here.

 

[RetroPokeFan]

A fun way to end the TRio's time on the show with plenty of their mons returning for their last few minutes in the spotlight and some nice callbacks to the other mons that weren't able to join in.

Spoiler

The ending however legitimately has left me in utter shock. Wonder how it's gonna resolved come the finale?

 

[Singaporean]

Last episode of Team Rocket, where all their previous region have caught for the final assault on Ash and his OG friend. The truth finally revealed for Latias of why it have follow them since treat it wound from the very beginning of the special episode. Next week, we will find out. Also, what an anti dramatic of Trio spilt after all these year. Only 2023 Pokemon might find out, where the organization close for business or not.

Overall rating: A-

 

[ii kanji]

Watching in style today, live and on my parents’ big tv. Hello Maemuki!!!

 

[L87-1729]

Spoiler

Did they really disband?! I need subs!!

 

[PinkThunder]

What the heck was that? They separated but why?

 

[SamurottMan]

If this is the end of TRio then what a disservice. I'm sure they'll squeeze them in somehow to properly resolve their story in the next two episodes, right?

 

[Emelie]

I guess there will be some continuity for once between the episodes? The plot of Team Rocket splitting up is so overused at this point, I wish they could have come up with something different.

I wonder if the new anime is the new SM. The cast seems very large.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

RIP TEAM ROCKET

1997 ~ 2023

 

[Daru]

I am sure they will appear in the last episode. Come on, Tomioka must know that this outcome would cause the biggest backlash.

 

[Articfoxgamez]

Yeah that ending definitely strikes me as a cliff hanger to be resolved in the finale rather than just, the end of Team Rocket.

 

[snowmint]

There's no way the anime producers actually followed thru with something big here. No way.

 

[ii kanji]

Honestly, I loved this. I was was watching with a mad grin on my face the whole way through. The zany scheme just felt like classic TRio and the true highlight was the focus on Manene who by rights should have been brought back with Sonanasu at the end of BW. Using some of the old school music and the little reflection on some of their key released Pokemon was also lovely fanservice Just wish we could have had this TRio for longer than this one episode. I would have cried tears of blood if they hadn't used Maemuki as the ED...

The twerps were also really good fun. Pikachu's (very much warranted) suspicion vs Satoshi's blind trust was hilarious. It was nice to see Takeshi and Kasumi take on some battling and major plus points for Hitodeman, Runpappa and Takeshi's Paradise.

And in the end, they finally did wish fulfilment for all those who wished for a TRio break-up that lasts longer than 1 episode There's no way that that was their final ending and I'm confident they'll be back together by the end of the last episode. In any case it doesn't sound like there's enough substance in Satoshi's strand of that episode based on the summaries to actually carry the whole episode so I'm hopeful that they can do what they did in SM and wrap both Satoshi and TRio's stories up satisfactorily in the same episode.

 

[Jez]

this end… was a bad joke… It's not April 1st yet... They can't taunt us like that, it’s pure torture, it’s not funny…

 

[UxieLover1994]

Seriously, a sudden break-up after ~25 years is anticlimactic and offers no closure. And if this turns out to be their final episode, this would end up overshadowing the (presumed) end of Ash's journey and be the only thing about the anime people would be talking about 20 years from now; a common fate of franchises that ended on controversy.

 

[ii kanji]

Apart from enjoying fandom high drama, I'm curious why anyone thinks this was their actual ending? I thought it was left on a very obvious cliffhanger, not least in the context of the Satoshi/Latias story also ending on one?

Also in terms of the meta, it never made sense that the TRio's final episode would be 2 episodes before Satoshi's. I would always have expected them to show up in the finale even in a small role, but since their story clearly isn't over yet, again it seems obvious to me that this is when they will wrap it up...

ETA: someone pointed out these comments by Yuyama on the episodes so far.

"For this episode I wanted to bring the Rocket Gang's Pokémon back. There's lots of things about the Rocket Gang that are shrouded in mystery, like what Musashi and the others' current standing IS, and why their Pokémon are being returned NOW... And the episode has some breakup-related drama again too (laughs). I guess this kind of slapstick and mystery is pretty inherent to the Rocket Gang, huh?"

So... presumably the final episode is going to reveal that the organisation is being disbanded or the TRio have been fired? I don't think Yuyama would have bothered with that comment otherwise. TBH this shows more planning and foresight than I would have dared to hope for if so lol.

 

[Imiljean]

I wonder if there is a chance that the trio will reunite already in the new anime series?

 

[Jez]

Apart from enjoying fandom high drama, I'm curious why anyone thinks this was their actual ending? I thought it was left on a very obvious cliffhanger, not least in the context of the Satoshi/Latias story also ending on one?

Also in terms of the meta, it never made sense that the TRio's final episode would be 2 episodes before Satoshi's. I would always have expected them to show up in the finale even in a small role, but since their story clearly isn't over yet, again it seems obvious to me that this is when they will wrap it up...

ETA: someone pointed out these comments by Yuyama on the episodes so far.



So... presumably the final episode is going to reveal that the organisation is being disbanded or the TRio have been fired? I don't think Yuyama would have bothered with that comment otherwise. TBH this shows more planning and foresight than I would have dared to hope for if so lol.

What if it turns out that this is really their end and Yuyama openly mocks? The current staff didn't seem to care much about Team Rocket… and Masafumi Mima, MikiShin and Inuko are very quiet on Twitter…
I’m worried…

 

[SonansuMan]

Well, at least this week’s episode stripped away my fear that they wouldn’t have the TRio appear in the final one There is not a universe where they conclude their characters saying anything other than “ii kanji”

 

[ii kanji]

What if it turns out that this is really their end and Yuyama openly mocks? The current staff didn't seem to care much about Team Rocket… and Masafumi Mima, MikiShin and Inuko are very quiet on Twitter…
I’m worried…

I understand why you’re worried Jez. But I don’t think they would ever end it on such a note. I also think the seiyuu etc being quiet on Twitter signifies that we are not yet done! Otherwise I’d expect them to be writing messages of thanks .etc. I know the next 2 weeks will be tense but try to hold out hope! They’ll get their white tomorrow