Review SM006: The Shocking and Prickly Togedemaru!

[SammyW27]

Hoh boy, it's gonna be fun seeing how TPCI handles the sparkly vomit scene!

You have bigger cajones than I thought you would, SM! I knew you were going to try emulating Kanto's slapstick, but it looks like you're bringing back its energy, edginess and insanity as well.
I approve.

 

[Aura7541]

First, Bewear was Jesus Christ. This episode, Bewear was a leaf shinobi. What's next?

 

[Kirby4ever]

First, Bewear was Jesus Christ. This episode, Bewear was a leaf shinobi. What's next?

Bewear runs up a mountain like it's nothing, grabs Team Rocket, and runs off.

 

[Nala]

This episode turned out funnier than I expected. A few points of interest:

• Satoshi wearing different clothes!
• Sparkly vomit. And why on earth did he throw up on poor Pikachu?!
• Kukui doesn't believe in shirts.
• Musashi's hair was cute.
• Sophocles wants to dissect Rotom, lol.
• Those doughnut looking things made me hungry!
• I love how Mimikyu is aware of Nyarth's fear of it and messes with him.

Also, I now want a light up Togedemaru doll .

 

[KyseL]

Love this series' attention to detail and its self awareness, like when Pikachu wants to help Togedemaru climb to the vent but Roto grabs it and gets her there, much to Pikachu's surprise. I feel like if this was any previous series, Pikachu would have actually helped Togedemaru, while Roto would have stayed there, even though having Roto help her would have been the most efficient solution.

Overall enjoying these past couple episodes. The focus on the "main" cast is really helping me like them more and I wish we can keep this up and not go back to the character of the day scheme, at least until the end of the series.

Finally, Satoshi was great. His incompetence on simple household tasks was both charming, funny and full of character, yet coherent to his character, as he's spent the last 20-years-but-actually-less-than-one-year away from home and relaying on companions to do all that stuff. His "trying to be epic but oops not really" moments are fantastic, I hope they don't overdo them, though.

 

[Gengarzilla]

This episode. Just, wow. It far exceeded my expectations. For an episode with no really major events, it was quite hilarious.

Ash is just so hopeless on his own that it's insane. I knew he wasn't a brilliant cook, but... glitter vomit? I never thought that I'd use those two words side by side when talking about any Pokémon anime episode.

Wherever she is, Buneary's heart just broke. Pikachu and Togedemaru are an absolutely adorable duo.

Meowth's still scared of Mimikyu? Hehe, I can't wait to see more interactions between those two. Bewear once again caught me by surprise. What's up with that Ninja Jesus bear?

Overall, I'm actually struggling to fault this one. Anyone still not watching because of the animation is sorely missing out imo.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

The only good part of this series so far is rowlet get caught and tapu koko appearing in my opinion. Other episodes were average at best.

 

[NeoMiniTails]

The only good part of this series so far is rowlet get caught and tapu koko appearing in my opinion. Other episodes were average at best.

Good is usually a word I use for "average, not bad" stuffs. Are these moments "exciting" and what's keeping you "watching?"

When you say "average," are you saying they're normal episodes or are you saying they're "bland?" I kinda read it as "filler," but what makes you say that they're "average."

What makes those moments so special to you? Is it because you feel it's forwarding the storyline or is it something about those moments that really caught you off guard?

I really wanna know. Often, I hear different opinions but I see no explanations. Nothing wrong with that, of course and you don't have to answer this... but I like understanding everyone's POV.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

Good is usually a word I use for "average, not bad" stuffs. Are these moments "exciting" and what's keeping you "watching?"

When you say "average," are you saying they're normal episodes or are you saying they're "bland?" I kinda read it as "filler," but what makes you say that they're "average."

What makes those moments so special to you? Is it because you feel it's forwarding the storyline or is it something about those moments that really caught you off guard?

I really wanna know. Often, I hear different opinions but I see no explanations. Nothing wrong with that, of course and you don't have to answer this... but I like understanding everyone's POV.

I get put off by the awful art design of ash. Also, i am doubtful about this region being good after what happen last region. Capture/evolution/hatch/gym/trial/league battles is all i am interested.

 

[NeoMiniTails]

I get put off by the awful art design of ash. Also, i am doubtful about this region being good after what happen last region. Capture/evolution/hatch/gym/trial/league battles is all i am interested.

The slice of life feel must not be the greatest thing for you, eh? That's understandable. Basically, if it's not what fans call a "non-filler episode," then it doesn't interest you as much. Did XY not please you?

I personally like episodes like this because when major events happen, it makes them more special and potent. Filler episodes are sometimes just as important as major episodes because they develop the cast. It makes them more real emotionally to the viewers.

 

[Jaye]

> In fairness to Ash, I couldn't cook or use a washing machine until I was 16.
> Nonetheless, this episode proves without a doubt that Ash would be dead within a week if he traveled alone. Brock must be laughing right now.
> Incidentally, what type of meat was Ash trying eat raw there? Grumpig ham?
> Sophocles has a problem with keeping his screwdriver in his trousers.
> You know, I don't think a doughnut shop would get much business if a cat was working there. Unless Alolan people like hairy doughnuts.
> I was a little disappointed that Hau wasn't responsible for the majority of malasada sales.
> Ash is perfectly okay with Togedemaru trying to violate Pikachu

Comparing this to last week's episode, I don't think this one quite did it's job as well as it could have. We learned some things about Sophocles, most notably that he's supposed to be socially awkward (just like his game counterpart). My issue with that though is that the awkwardness lasted only a short while, whereas I feel that Ash's personality should overwhelm him and make him uncomfortable. That aside, him liking sweet things and technology, and being scared of the dark, are nice details but not particularly interesting ones. I can't see his fear of the dark being particularly relevant down the line.

The whole "trapped inside the mall" plot felt very routine. It's yet another example of the writers using Team Rocket to insert conflict into an episode that otherwise wouldn't have any, though at least their actions were independent of Ash this time. Where it fell short was in how little Ash and Sophocles actually had to do. They could have kept the lights off in the mall the whole time, to play up Sophocles' fear of the dark and to have him and Ash work together to get the power back on.

So I'd definitely agree that the first half of this episode was stronger than the second. Ash's home life is something we never get to see, and he has good chemistry with Rotom.

The "Ash gets hurt or does something stupid" stuff is starting to become a little much, though. I'm glad he has more personality and expression this time around, but this is one of those gags that'll start to burn out quickly.

I feel the sustainability of this gag will depend on how creative they are with it. Ash getting headbutted out the sky by a Milotic was funny and unexpected, but Ash jumping off the loft and landing face first against the fish tank was extraneous as it was immediately followed by another gag of Ash and Pikachu slipping over. That fish tank gag crossed the line between being unlucky or the victim of circumstance to being plain clumsy, so it didn't really work. Also, if I'm being nitpicky, the gag of Ash running into the shutters should have only been used once, and not three times - the first time can be accidental, but after that you expect someone to actually look around the corner... unless they're being trolled by whoever is giving them directions.

 

[KyseL]

I get put off by the awful art design of ash. Also, i am doubtful about this region being good after what happen last region. Capture/evolution/hatch/gym/trial/league battles is all i am interested.

Please stop it with the "awful art design" BS already. Just say YOU don't like it. Seriously, it's your OPINION, not a fact. Basically everyone with a bit of knowledge of art/animation LOVES this series' visuals, just because it's not edgy doesn't mean it's bad.

 

[ehh123]

Has the anime ever showed vomiting before? I'm wondering if TPCI is going to cut it. Though if he never actually swallowed that gunk and is just, for lack of a better term, spitting it out, I guess it would be OK.

 

[NeoMiniTails]

Please stop it with the "awful art design" BS already. Just say YOU don't like it. Seriously, it's your OPINION, not a fact. Basically everyone with a bit of knowledge of art/animation LOVES this series' visuals, just because it's not edgy doesn't mean it's bad.

As a person who majored in art, it's very subjective. What is amazing and creative to one may not suit another's taste. For example, there's a popular photograph of an old toilet; for some, it's thoughtful and deep... but on the other end of the spectrum, it's just an ugly, old toilet that someone called art.

I personally feel like much of this season's art is at its best. Can I understand disliking some of the new designs? Of course! I love Ash's new design... but I hate the TRio's new eye and hair designs, and their weird roundness. Still, I could also understand if people love it.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

Please stop it with the "awful art design" BS already. Just say YOU don't like it. Seriously, it's your OPINION, not a fact. Basically everyone with a bit of knowledge of art/animation LOVES this series' visuals, just because it's not edgy doesn't mean it's bad.

It is awful art design in my opinion. I never said it was fact so don't put words in my mouth or give me attitude. Ash looks more horrible in SM than he did in other regions. It is not BS so keep that kind of comment to yourself.

 

[KyseL]

It is awful art design in my opinion. I never said it was fact so don't put words in my mouth or give me attitude. Ash looks more horrible in SM than he did in other regions. It is not BS so keep that kind of comment to yourself.

I know it's just semantics, but the fact that you say things like "Ash looks bad" or "the art design is awful" is NOT the same as saying "I don't like Ash's new design" or " The art direction of this series is not of my taste". You're judging something subjective as something objective, and it is not even close. If anything the new art and animation has made more people that used to think the show was bland and dull to actually be interested in it (This is judging from my experience, though).

 

[NeoMiniTails]

I feel like I lit a fire, and the embers are flaring into this argument. I apologize for that. I will say this: when any one of us don't like a particular food, we don't care about whether it's our opinion or fact. I hate chitterlings with a passion, and I will say to anyone and everyone, "They are disgusting." Opinions are subjective, but they are also "facts in our hearts."

Some of us may use wording that another person is just not going to like. There are some who have a hard time expressing themselves because it's not natural to them. I understand how that can annoy any one of us, but let's also think to ourselves about whether what was said was said out of contempt for others or because this is how they feel.

I think it's safe to say that everyone has their own opinion about the art and the storytelling this time around. We can probably all agree that we like it better than Applimon. We can agree to disagree and then think like young Ami Mizuno:

Spoiler

 

[SandyBoi]

Bewear has taken it up a notch, going from Jesus in a Bewear oufit, to Ninja Jesus in a Bewear Oufit.
I swear, that Bewear will be the death of me.

Also, the last time I remember seeing rainbow/sparkling vomit was in the Boku no Hero Academia anime. Certainly wasn't expecting to see that here xD

 

[Garren]

For some reason I really enjoyed Ash just hanging out at home since that's so rare with this show---honestly I hope we get a bit more of that before he starts journeying.

Also Applimon's good.

 

[NeoMiniTails]

I like Applimon also. Haha... It's very charming though it's not one of my favorite shows for the current anime season. I need to catch up on it though.

I love the home scenes. It was my favorite part of the episode.