Johto League Champions DVD This April!

[Charmelizard]

Title says it all! Viz Media is releasing Johto League Champions: The Complete Collection on April 26, 2016, in a 5-disc set.
Here's the link: Amazon product ASIN B01B80LOA0View: http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Johto-League-Champions-Collection/dp/B01B80LOA0/ref=sr_1_7?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1454173430&sr=1-7&keywords=pokemon&refinements=p_n_date%3A2693529011

 

[Cybersai]

Its good they're continuing the series. Hopefully they re-release all of AG too.

This is the weakest Johto season (compared to Johto Journies and Master Quest), so this batch of episodes isn't all that exciting aside from a few, but its good they're releasing everything for the fans.

 

[ecruteakenju]

TPCI wants my wallet BAD this year. Catching up on seasons 1-3, 20th anniversary 3DS, anniversary tcg, plushes, events and now this?!

 

[Hidden Mew]

That's pretty cool. I was wondering when they'd re-release this season. I've been watching my Johto Journeys season set and it does have some nice nostalgic charm for me. I've been able to collect some of the old out of print Johto League Champion DVDs and most of the episodes weren't really bad, but I often feel that Johto filler episodes generally have a bad reputation when I thought that most of them ranged from decent to good. I still have the old Master Quest box sets, but I'm sure that they'll re-release that season too since those have been long out of print.

Hopefully they'll start re-releasing AG after they finish with the Johto seasons. I still have the old Advanced box sets and Battle Frontier was still pretty affordable on Amazon, even though it might be out of print as well by this point, but it was a struggle to get all of the Advanced Challenge single discs and I had no choice but to get Advanced Battle on iTunes. Having those two seasons on DVD would be pretty nice, even though they probably won't get to that point until next year at this rate.

 

[Ryu Taylor]

On my wish list.

 

[ecruteakenju]

I thought that the Johto Journeys season was the weakest of the 3 but still super enjoyable for me. Some of the filler episodes were rough to sit through but others I found myself cracking a smile over/laughing a bit or just straight up enjoying them. Season 4 JLC was a slight step up and then Master Quest was two more steps up and twice the enjoyment for me.

I never thought I would see the day where we in the U.S. are able to own all of the Johto seasons and the original movie trilogy on Blu-ray. Viz and TPCI have BLOWN me away and 2016 has only just begun.

 

[Cybersai]

JLC is literally nothing but filler. This is where the Johto saga got bogged down by endless repetitive filler with only a small handful of important episodes. I remember this is around the time I lost interest in the anime as a kid because I was so bored of waiting for Ash to get to the next Gym battle.

At least Master Quest was better and is what Johto should have been like from the start. Seems like the writers didn't figure out what they wanted to do with Johto until literally the last year it was airing.

 

[Hidden Mew]

JLC is literally nothing but filler. This is where the Johto saga got bogged down by endless repetitive filler with only a small handful of important episodes. I remember this is around the time I lost interest in the anime as a kid because I was so bored of waiting for Ash to get to the next Gym battle.

That's technically not true. Ash did get some badges during that season, as well as one evolution, and at least Brock's Zubat evolved as well. There was a lot of filler, but claiming that the entire season is little nothing but filler is pretty inaccurate. The pacing was slow and I remember thinking to myself when they were going to get to the next Gym because of how stretched out things were, but then the next episode was usually pretty fun. I've have a decent chuck of Johto League Champions on DVD that I've rewatched and I really don't think it's that bad. I think it would be worst waiting week to week for each episode, but if you're able to watch even just an episode or two a day, it's really not that bad. There are bad filler episodes, but there are also plenty of decent to good filler episodes too.

At least Master Quest was better and is what Johto should have been like from the start. Seems like the writers didn't figure out what they wanted to do with Johto until literally the last year it was airing.

To be fair, this was the first time the writers had to stretch out an entire journey for a whole generation. They never had to do that with Kanto, so this was a new experience for them. That doesn't excuse the problem Johto does have, but I think it helps to make at least some of the issues more understandable in retrospect, especially when Ash was the only one with an active goal at the time and they didn't have a lot of ways to stretch out the journey beyond filler. There was also the issue of how they couldn't adapt a lot from the video games' storyline given that they never defeated the Team Rocket organization during Kanto. They have gotten better at making a single journey last a generation and learning from what they did in Johto certainly helped.

 

[SammyW27]

It's only a matter of time before I get my beloved Master Quest

And while JLC is the weakest part of Johto (I blame executive meddling + the GS Herring), it actually DOES have some good episodes to it's name, mainly in the later part of the season when creative team got their groove back.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

JLC is literally nothing but filler. This is where the Johto saga got bogged down by endless repetitive filler with only a small handful of important episodes. I remember this is around the time I lost interest in the anime as a kid because I was so bored of waiting for Ash to get to the next Gym battle.

At least Master Quest was better and is what Johto should have been like from the start. Seems like the writers didn't figure out what they wanted to do with Johto until literally the last year it was airing.

As usual your exaggerating when Johto is in question.
Personally I definitely wouldn't skip Articuno arc bringing photographer Todd back, Return of master of disguise Duplica, Koga sister Aya. Misty meeting and developing notable friendship with Sakura who became recurring character in 5th season and Chronicles developing some sort of rivalry. Competitions like Seaking tournament or Sumo tournament introducing King Rock which foreshadowed indirectly Poliwhirl evolution and giving to Ash Snorlax some glory. Gym battles vs Morty or Chuck.

Theres also Brock pokemon evolving getting some nice development through episodes focusing on his breeder career through episodes like "Better Pill to swallov!" or "Beauty and the Breeder!". Or Misty revealing more of her interest and love for water creatures through episodes like "Joy of water pokemon!" alongside expressing how much she became attached to her friends Ash and Brock viewing them as her family. Revealing maturity in character.

With original trio showing through mutual unity and support how close friends they became with this being put on test through various plots. Like when Brock was sick , when they were exposed to danger, joking between themselves remembering on past adventures etc.

This season had its highlights if you ask me and I am grateful that fans are given finally opportunity to obtain this episodes and relieve memories of their childhood days. But admittedly Master Quest was best part of Johto and in general one of highlights of pokemon anime.

To be fair, this was the first time the writers had to stretch out an entire journey for a whole generation. They never had to do that with Kanto, so this was a new experience for them. That doesn't excuse the problem Johto does have, but I think it helps to make at least some of the issues more understandable in retrospect, especially when Ash was the only one with an active goal at the time and they didn't have a lot of ways to stretch out the journey beyond filler. There was also the issue of how they couldn't adapt a lot from the video games' storyline given that they never defeated the Team Rocket organization during Kanto. They have gotten better at making a single journey last a generation and learning from what they did in Johto certainly helped.

Its also worth mentioning how during Johto era there were turbulent times going between writers and pokemon directors themselves with initial plans and ideas through which this saga would be written either being changed or cancelled in last minute..

Such as writers already having pre constructed story through which first half of Johto series would be covered through GS ball. Being supposed to involve Ash, Misty and Brock in playing substantial and large role in unlocking its secret regarding Celebi. Traveling through time and fight vs villains.

There were also several directions and ideas head writer for pokemon during that era Takeshi Shudo had in mind. Which either came to closed door or lack of understanding mentioning in his blogs how he often got in disagreement with his superiors with one of them being referred to as "Omae sama". For example Shudo had entirely different idea for third pokemon movie which was supposed to involve prehistoric T-rex revived from fossil. In attempt of adding more significance and realism to pokemon world by explaining pokemon origins and how pokemon came to planet earth. Causing ordinary animals to either be extinct or near to it(hence why we very rarely saw them in first place and mostly in OS when Shudo was still in charge).

Another idea he strongly advocated for was in giving Jessie, James and Meowth bigger role than those of comedy relief as main antagonists of main hero indicating bigger involvement of Giovanni and Rocket organization throughout Johto.

Than there is also Shudo admittance of there existing ideas to be done more with Misty character in Johto series expressing regret of not increasing her role and amount of development she overall gotten in there.

And she kinda did received bigger role to play in Master Quest by having arcs centered around her receiving emotional growth. But I guess Shudo vision was in putting more emphasis on water related themes present behind her story through whole Johto saga, competitions related to her water master dream being more rich in content and more exploration of her own past and motives behind everything.

With every one of his propositions being either rejected or just not expanded upon being his responsibility due to frustration of his other plans coming to a stop reflecting on quality of how would pokemon be written.

That and pokemon during Original series followed very different formula and standards of what should pokemon anime look like. I mean for example whole idea of replacing girls with every new generation wasn't even among their plans, being originally intended that aside from Brock Misty stays in pokemon as permanent main character like Ash. In having stable and iconic main cast who explore various new regions as they grow and get more fleshed out through adventure. Similar how its case with One Piece, Naruto, Winx or Fairy Tail for example.

Not being set in stone of what they truly wanted from this show to be like at that time.

So aside from writers inexperience, I assume drop of initial plots and plans through which Johto journey would unfold out played important factor in writers team coming to a roadblock after their source of material was altered or removed. With there needing to pass sometime before they managed to gain grip again and decide in what direction story and characters should be taken. Hence why we had fairly big number of fillers in middle of that saga.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I completely forgot about the GS Ball being dropped. I don't know how different Johto as a whole would have been if they had been able to tackle that plot point like they original intent, but it probably would have provided a little mini arc at least.