Review S25 EP52: The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!

[BigDocFan]

The final non special episode of Ash's time as a regular has now aired on Cartoon Network in Canada. Please keep all spoilers in spoiler tags

 

[RetroPokeFan]

Voice Characterization -

Sarah Natochenny
Zeno Robinson
Michele Knotz
James Carter Cathcart
Cherami Leigh
Rodger Parsons

Additional Voices -

Edward Bosco
SungWon Cho
Jason Griffith
Megan Hollingshead
Sean Kenin (uncredited)
Ted Lewis
Daman Mills
Rob Morrison (uncredited)
Lisa Ortiz
Haven Paschall
Bill Rogers
Erica Schroeder
Billy Bob Thompson
Marc Thompson
Mick Wingert

 

[snowmint]

Did the episode get completely rescored music wise? And is the Blue sky El airing in Canada next week cause I saw conflicting info this week on Twitter.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

No idea, check this page out, as it may be updated soon to reflect that:

Anime Episode Information

Details for The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!/虹とポケモンマスター！/The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!

www.pocketmonsters.net

I have very mixed feelings regarding Ted Lewis reprising Tracey: I’m happy for him, but it makes me sad his counterparts didn’t get that opportunity. I understand the reasoning, but it still feels a bit sad to me, at the same time.

 

[snowmint]

17 years. The powers that be just don't want those 3 back in the show for whatever reason.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

17 years. The powers that be just don't want those 3 back in the show for whatever reason.

Likely persisting bad blood/ill will from the changeover (it did not go over well, to say the least, there was a gigantic backlash at the time and many were hurt badly for the 4Kids cast at the time, and a lot of fans took their anger out at the TPCi cast at the time): maybe someday, they will reverse it, who knows? Because of that sad situation, JCC and Kayzie also got blacklisted in the reverse way, which is why he didn’t reprise Weevil in Duel Links.

 

[snowmint]

Likely persisting bad blood/ill will from the changeover (it did not go over well, to say the least, there was a gigantic backlash at the time and many were hurt badly for the 4Kids cast at the time, and a lot of fans took their anger out at the TPCi cast at the time): maybe someday, they will reverse it, who knows? Because of that sad situation, JCC and Kayzie also got blacklisted in the reverse way, which is why he didn’t reprise Weevil in Duel Links.

So did the dub actually rescored the entire final episode?!

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

So did the dub actually rescored the entire final episode?!

I don’t think so, it just hasn’t been updated yet to clarify. We’ll see what Ed keeps, I guess, I’m nervous given it’s him but hopefully it’s not 1 or 2 pieces (SM and early JN was the objective worst on music replacement volume and amount, in the dub’s entire tenure: later JN and MPM is below OS-XY, but better than that period, so far). 6 pieces as the current ceiling is abysmal, but we’ll see?

 

[Poke Trey]

Well, we still got 1 more episode after this, so, I can't truly say it's over, but I mean, it kinda is.... I'm REALLY going to miss Ash. The dubbing team did great work as usual.... think I'm going to lie down for a bit.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

Well, we still got 1 more episode after this, so, I can't truly say it's over, but I mean, it kinda is.... I'm REALLY going to miss Ash. The dubbing team did great work as usual.... think I'm going to lie down for a bit.

Technically, the dub ends in July too, only Canada gets to finish it off: we finished off the original run, and you guys finished off the current one, go figure!

 

[Tree99]

Spoiler: Ending scene spoilers

I don't know if Ed made the piano version of "Gotta Catch 'Em All" specially for the ending scene or if it was reused from something else, but kudos for having that be part of the final scene in the dub.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

Spoiler: Ending scene spoilers

I don't know if Ed made the piano version of "Gotta Catch 'Em All" specially for the ending scene or if it was reused from something else, but kudos for having that be part of the final scene in the dub.

It’s the Ed version in M20 supposedly: if it is, that’s TPCi’s “best” Remix of the S01 theme imo, but I’ll always prefer the 3 renditions 4Kids did personally in that, the M01 (even if that film got a bad dub), and S04 ones personally.

(I really didn’t like the XY ones most, both the S17 and M17 one are my all time worst versions: I just don’t like it when TPCi tries to imitate 4Kids in any way usually)

 

[PokeFanForever1]

I don’t think so, it just hasn’t been updated yet to clarify. We’ll see what Ed keeps, I guess, I’m nervous given it’s him but hopefully it’s not 1 or 2 pieces (SM and early JN was the objective worst on music replacement volume and amount, in the dub’s entire tenure: later JN and MPM is below OS-XY, but better than that period, so far). 6 pieces as the current ceiling is abysmal, but we’ll see?

5 tracks were kept!

Get Pokemon!
Team Rocket's Team Song ~off vocal~
Team Rocket's original motto
Battle! Kanto Wild Pokemon
Title Screen (1997)

 

[PokeFanForever1]

Technically, the dub ends in July too, only Canada gets to finish it off: we finished off the original run, and you guys finished off the current one, go figure!

I really love that the Netflix release of these final 11 episodes (plus Distant Blue Sky!) will be coming out on September 8th. The same date in which the dub started back in 1998. That's awesome!

 

[PokeFanForever1]

Ted Lewis reprised the role of Tracey and I am so happy!! And yeah, I think they did a really good job with this final episode (well technically. Though Distant Blue Sky! is being counted as the finale overall)

Man, seeing Ash go again but in English? made me get a bit emotional, I'm gonna miss him so much...

 

[snowmint]

So is this the first time in a while that the dub is moving an episode out of order?

 

[PokeFanForever1]

So is this the first time in a while that the dub is moving an episode out of order?

not the first time, the Pokemon Ranger episode with Ben and Heatran in DP was aired out of order.

 

[Nicolas721]

So is this the first time in a while that the dub is moving an episode out of order?

The Sky special barely counts as an episode, If you count it then you'd have to count the Arceus special and the movies too.

The most drastic changes happened in Kanto where the Hinamatsuri and Children's day episodes were moved to the start of Season 2.

 

[AgedVeteranofShow]

So, let me preface this by saying, the English dub of Ash's journey over 25 years is technically over. Like the original English dub which ran for 8 years from September 8, 1998 to July 8, 2006, the current English dub ends in the month of July (in 2023), and started in September (in 2006). Unlike it, it actually ends its run debuting in Canada, whereas it ended in its native country the United States (mine) in the original run: additionally, AG145 was the last dub episode to premiere on local TV in the US (you didn't need cable or satellite to watch Kids WB for those of you in Canada, the UK, or Australia, etc. over here, it was broadcast to the masses on Saturday Mornings for a long time for free) whereas JN147 premieres dubbed on the new CN in Canada, which to my knowledge, you do need to view things but that was the case for a long time now in general for the franchise!

It has been a very wild ride, to say the least, and I will be a bit kinder (and more serious than my usual cynical self, to be blunt) as Sarah Natochenny said on her Twitter prior that her performance in this episode as Ash was dedicated to her teacher's passing on earlier (may she RIP, believe it or not I know what that's like ma'am, as I experienced something like that as well).

Personally, I'd like to dedicate this Review in Ash's final chapter to the late Maddie Blaustein, myself, may she also RIP: I do wonder if she was still with us, how she'd feel about things: she was the VA of the original "main 5" stars in Taylor (Ash/May/Delia), Stuart (Brock/James), Birnbaum (Max), Lillis (Misty/Jessie), as well as herself (Meowth), that was the most active on the Serebii/Bulbagarden Fan Forums & even took our questions at the time she was laid off in 2006- a very kind, sweet woman, sadly she passed away in 2008 just 2 years later but her presence was always missed in the franchise for me.

Additionally, I'll dedicate it to JCC, in light of his cancer battle: may you recover, sir, I'm sorry I wasn't a big fan of the roles you took over and was critical of your script writing over the years (it's something I had felt actually suffered in the transition between the two companies, unpopular opinion or not, I've held steadfast to it that said to this day).

With that said, let me delve into things, I'll omit VA work & OST tracks kept because that'll go in a separate post:

- The first piece of OST was only kept in one episode of dub Season 3 ("The Johto Journeys" in the 4Kids Era, it was "For Crying Out Loud" that is the only time the Pokémon English dub ever kept this piece- 1999-2001-M36 ~OK!~ (BONUS-TRACK):

Pokémon Anime BGM - OK! (Orchestral Arrangement) (1999~2001-M36) (A shame, easily one of Miyazaki's best pieces)

I had zero hope Ed Goldfarb would keep this, moving on...

- A shame they got rid of Misty saying, "Too close, too close!" as she did in Japanese, the humor kind of got taken out of the moment with the inaudible mumbling there.

- "I'll be by in the future, to say Hi in person" from Brock was not that at all, it was originally "Precisely! I want to get closer to-- I'm going numb" when Croagunk poison jabbed him.

- Ash in Japanese originally said "Okay. Look after yourself," but in the dub, he said "Goodbye. Safe travels!" Nothing inherently bad about the line change, but odd choice. Satoshi seems a BIT sadder than Ash about his BFF Takeshi/Brock leaving him here, oddly.

- Goldfarb's piano piece is better than his usual stuff, but it's still a shame a theme 4Kids kept in the early Johto dub...got replaced in the TPCi Journeys dub, regardless.

- Mr. dub Narrator, what's with the Histrionics here? "Minutes away from home sweet home" was just "Home isn't far now" originally? Nice that Rodger Parsons got to do the role over 22 of the 25 years of the dub (Mike Pollock aka "Dr. Eggman since 2003 in English" was interim narrator for years 6.5-8, to clarify this point).

Skips OP, no comment, for all the hatred they get 4Kids' OPs were all genuinely memorable, for the franchise and TPCi's final OP is...just a remix of their first one, speaks volumes to how iconic the original ENG dub OPs were

- Title card w/same visual but OST replaced & with dub music instead of a different OST piece instead...sighs. Save EP001, 4Kids at least had the sense to use this piece of OST throughout their dub for it, even if it stopped playing after EP274 in Japanese:

Pokemon Anime Sound: Episode Title

www.youtube.com

- Ed...that music is too comedic and silly for Ash entering his mother's house excitedly, come on man...come on! I laughed when I should've been heart-warmed there, it's a remix of his SM dub theme when Ash/Sophocles are running & Ash ran into a wall, I remember that.

- Added dialogue, in the dub Ash says, "No wait, just kidding" where in Japanese he's just quiet, a reversal of Misty's removed dialogue at the start of the episode.

- Another theme replaced that 4Kids kept very often, in the Kanto, OI & Early Johto dubs of Seasons 1-3, during this time...moving on...TPCi, really?

The theme is Pokémon Anime BGM - Pikachu Appears! (1997~1998-M10)

Pokémon Anime BGM - Pikachu Appears! (1997~1998-M10)

- Dodrio keeps its Japanese voice? Very un-Lisa Ortiz like, but I'll take it.

- A theme 4Kids kept a lot, was kept by TPCi, for once? Didn't expect Ed to keep this one, but I'll take it.

1997-1998-M03 ポケモン!ゲットだぜ!
Japanese (Romanized): Pokémon Getto Da ze!
Japanese (Trans): Get Pokémon!

- Ted Lewis gets back Tracey: I know it's because Craig Blair only did the role one time in Battle Frontier's final dub episode, so they figure most wouldn't notice it, but bittersweet as while he gets to reprise, no one else retains their original English VAs of the major Generation 1 to 3 characters that 4Kids first established the voices for in the English run (of the minor, only Nurse Joy has regained hers recently after her replacement in S07, Giovanni did in S11 after S08, and Mr. Narrator did in S09 after being replaced midway into S06- everyone else was replaced, including Gary at the very end here, despite JCC surviving the purge period as one of the handful of non-casualties).

- Another theme 4Kids kept in the dub of OS many times, now replaced as per normal TPCi these days, shame as it's one of my favorite ones too:

TV Anime Pokemon OST Vol. 2: 1997-1998_M41

Disclaimer: I do not own this soundtrack.All credit goes to Shinji Miyazaki, and any other respective owner.This is for entertainment purposes only.No copyri...

www.youtube.com

- Ed, maybe, just maybe you can compose more serious stuff like this in HZ around the 9:30 minute mark? This is what has been missing from the dub for a decade now, more like this please?

- Some interesting nods to AG, eh, I didn't notice them but Ash spitting out the watermelon seeds and brain freeze first happened there: nice, JN, I caught the references- not dub related, just recall those.

- Another dialogue removal; in Japanese Jessie/Musashi says, "Hey! Outta the way!" but in English, nothing comes out of her mouth when she's running off.

- Meowth has a script alteration here...it's...interesting. In Japanese, he just says the generic, "Standing up all day is exhausting, Meow," but in English, he says, "It's hard being on your paws all day" instead. Um...unnecessary change, even if nothing's wrong with it, I guess?

- Jessie says "Upsie dasie" in the dub, but in Japanese, just "Hup" like "Hup, two, three, four" which is the same meaning in this case, but a different word choice. Again, nothing wrong with this one, just strange to change the wording here.

- Ash has an actual line change here, in Japanese he just says Viridian Forest "is such a nice place," but in English he says, "is THE awesome-est."

"Awesome-est" is not a real word, folks. Better this than, "I'm so psyched to do special trainin' in Virdian Forest, kay," though, that's what would've been said in BF or DP's dubs 100% IMO. Still, a bit lame, but I guess it's the least bad made up word TPCi has come up with over the years, "Scrumptchy" was the worst ever to me.

- Because this is the TPCi dub post-Season 10, and you know JCC loves his alliterations/wordplay to the very end evidently, Jessie says "Brain bruising" whereas in Japanese, there's none of that present. Hahahaha...yeah...and then James adds on with, "This not so charming charm feeling" whereas in Japanese, Kojiro/James just says "That bristly sensation must be..."

- Meowth's "Being out on the prowl is the best, meow," is changed to, "Yes! The fitter (???) the crime suits us best." I genuinely can't understand what Wingert's Meowth was trying to say, I'm sorry, can anyone decipher that for me?

- Ash's "wait a sec" is originally "Hold on" in Japanese.

- They pitched down the OST at SDI Iyuno for the 4th piece retained so far, and that is "
1997-1998-M13 戦い（VS野生ポケモン）
Japanese (Romanized): Tatakai (VS yasei Pokémon)
Japanese (Trans): Battle (VS Wild Pokémon)"

This piece was kept in all 8 years of the 4Kids run, from OS to late AG, not a surprise TPCi retained it in JN but it's lowered down in volume and is very hard to hear, compared to the one in the Japanese. 1/3 of it however is replaced, because it overlaps into the eye-catch which the dub rescores entirely, so it's .67 retained on this one in English.

- Someone has said TPCi had made the characters add in "let's go," but that happened under 4Kids too, which I never minded in either instance so that's fine.

- However, 4Kids kept this piece of OST in none other than the Ash vs. Whitney re-match Gym Battle most memorably in the dub of mid Johto in Season 4, and it was replaced by TPCi in JN here. It's in the Episode "A Dairy Tale Ending" in mid Johto at around the 18 minute mark & this piece of OST is:

1999-2001-M28 The Day Is Conquered!! (you can go to pocketmonsters.net and listen to it, it's very beautiful & it's a shame it got replaced)

- Ash says in the dub that, "It's so awesome to have you back" to Pidgeot, but in Japanese, he says instead, "Counting on you once again!" He's a bit less melodramatic in Japanese, oddly, usually TPCi made Ash more arrogant/abrasive than he was under 4Kids' reign & in Japanese early on but instead here, he's a bit TOO soft instead here?

I will say I like that they keep imitating Eric Stuart's Poliwhirl voice, as I also thought it was a great voice originally in English & I'm glad they didn't take that Pokemon in a different direction in English.

- Ed Goldfarb + electric guitar synth = water + oil, they don't mix well. I guess what I'm saying is, please cut that out in HZ, if it's possible from him.

- Of course TPCi replaced Life's Purpose from the Japanese Version. Presenting the only time the English dub ever kept it, in 4Kids' dub of Early Johto in Season 3:

Ash say charizard you have go || Ash leaves charizard || Ash goodbye to charizard (Not the full clip, just some scenes a fan spliced)

- In Japanese, Ash's speech is mostly similar, but a bit different in this one regard. He says, "All the things that happen each day...Every one of them matters," but in English, he says, "And put it to good use" for some reason instead? He's a bit more contemplative in Japanese, whereas in English, he's more sunshine-y optimistic about it? He also has a lot of "Thing is" phrases added in for some reason at the start of each sentence?

- Delia has a script change to "And...the journey continues," but in Japanese, Hanako says, "Come back safe." Delia is more caring and motherly in Japanese, than she is in English, as a mother to Ash. She's oddly very cheerful her son is gone in the dub, but in the original, she's concerned for her little boy more. Oh my...um, Delia, Ash is your son you know?

It ends with an instrumental version of Pokemon Theme, which was created by 4Kids in 1998, but is a TPCi Ed Goldfarb instrumental version of it instead. It's...okay, I suppose, but you know, it makes me wonder how Veronica Taylor would've handled this and them if they got this far. It's a bit bittersweet for me, honestly.

And at the end of it all, this is the only time the English dub ever outright removes, "Next time, a new beginning!" 4Kids kept that text in "Hoenn Alone!" aka EP274 with Ash in his AG clothes, believe it or not, at the end of Season 5 in OS before little did we know-- AG would be the final Series they'd get to dub, for just 3 more years.

So...that's it, on the script, music, and VA reprisals/alterations from prior episodes. The VA column deserves its own post which I'll do later, but I'll try to be nicer than usual, since it's the very end of Ash's journey in English over 25 years.

 

[Charmander4]

My god. What did I just watch? That awful guitar riff when Pidgeot reunites with him absolutely ruined that scene.

The Charmander scene in the cave was awful.

They muted the Kanto Wild Pokémon battle theme where you couldn’t even hear it and wouldn’t know it’s there if you didn’t watch the Japanese version.

The transition to when “Get Pokémon” plays when Ash jumps out of bed was handled terribly too. Sloppy.