Review SM033: Yowashi the Powerhouse, Leader of the Lake!

[radek.tadajewski.7]

It seems they actually updated the ending theme to include Lana's Z-ring at the very end.

 

[Daenerys]

The excessive amount of face faults distracted me from Lana's achievement. Like holy crap, why did Ash have to look like he was having a seizure every 40 seconds?

 

[Sakuraa]

I may as well stop expecting anything more from the Island Trials. I wanted to give them another chance after the garbage that was the Verdant Cavern Trial, but no, not anymore. Seriously, why can't they just let the trials play out like they go in the games? Why couldn't Lana just battle wild Wishiwashi before taking on Totem Wishiwashi in an actual battle? All she did was hold the thing on a fishing rod for the entire time. Why are they eliminating the actual trial part of the trials? It's even worse with how battle-lacking this series is already. I would say I was happy that they properly included the ally Pokemon this time, but then they had to ruin it by having Ash KO Alomomola with Pikachu. This was supposed to be Lana's trial: 2 vs 1 not Lana and Ash: 2 vs 2. She should have done the entire thing by herself like the challengers are supposed to.

Actually, that also begs the question, why the heck was Lana doing all this and not Ash? Isn't he supposed to the one taking on the Island Trial Challenge? Even if he wanted her to take the Waterium-Z since she actually has a Pokemon with a water-type move while he doesn't, at the very least he should have been the one taking on Totem Wishiwashi. I don't even know what's going on anymore. The anime has basically completely butchered and crapped one of the main elements of Sun and Moon. They may as well have just made anime only gyms, those probably would have been done better anyway.

To not let this be a completely negative review, I'll mention the things I liked: Ash turning into dust, Oliva falling after jumping off Tarous, old dude's fake scar and dots, Popplio slaying T. Wishiwashi and learning Aqua Jet, Lana getting her swaggy looking Z-Ring, and Lana's cute M. Gyarados jokes.

I'll give this a 6/10. Episode was decent, but I'm disappointed with what they're doing with the trials. At least there was no TR

 

[Jaye]

I may as well stop expecting anything more from the Island Trials. I wanted to give them another chance after the garbage that was the Verdant Cavern Trial, but no, not anymore. Seriously, why can't they just let the trials play out like they go in the games? Why couldn't Lana just battle wild Wishiwashi before taking on Totem Wishiwashi in an actual battle? All she did was hold the thing on a fishing rod for the entire time. Why are they eliminating the actual trial part of the trials? It's even worse with how battle-lacking this series is already. I would say I was happy that they properly included the ally Pokemon this time, but then they had to ruin it by having Ash KO Alomomola with Pikachu. This was supposed to be Lana's trial: 2 vs 1 not Lana and Ash: 2 vs 2. She should have done the entire thing by herself like the challengers are supposed to.

Actually, that also begs the question, why the heck was Lana doing all this and not Ash? Isn't he supposed to the one taking on the Island Trial Challenge? Even if he wanted her to take the Waterium-Z since she actually has a Pokemon with a water-type move while he doesn't, at the very least he should have been the one taking on Totem Wishiwashi. I don't even know what's going on anymore. The anime has basically completely butchered and crapped one of the main elements of Sun and Moon. They may as well have just made anime only gyms, those probably would have been done better anyway.

It was always going to be different from the games because the captains that made the trials in the games aren't captains in the anime. The anime's version of the trials aren't these formal events - they're just entirely natural phenomena presumably looked over by the Kahuna.

While they're playing fast and loose with it I will say that a battle against the ally Pokemon followed by the battle against the Totem Pokemon would feel very drawn out. It's like how Ash never had to battle any gym trainers and just went straight to the gym leader. Two fights in the same episode would just take things away from either fight unless they dragged out it over two episodes.

It wasn't meant to be Lana's trial. Rather, she and Ash stumbled onto it, and so they worked together to beat it. Lana only has one Pokemon, so I don't see how she could be expected to fight two Pokemon at once - in the games that might work but in the real time battles of the anime it just isn't feasible. Poppilo can't be in two places at once.

In the end, it comes to down to practicality and making an adaption that's good for an anime. It's not possible to adapt some things from the games without changing it. In the games Wishiwashi just floats in the air. That'd look ridiculous in the anime, so it has to be swimming. Swimming means an underwater battle where no trainer can see what's going on. Hence Lana is there with the fishing rod to actually keep her engaged in the fight while Poppilo does the actual fighting.

 

[Cookies and Creme]

I think there would be no League as they can't progress Ash's rank for obvious reasons.

Then what's a good replacement? I'm thinking about Ash graduating requiring him to fight top trainers, and the inevitable UB plot somehow tying into it, too.

 

[Unbeatable HoennMon]

Very good episode. I couldn't expect more. For me 10/10-
- Team Rocket,
- Ekans lure,
- Lana and ,,Gyarados",
- Fishing,
- Lana's Z-Ring,
- Popplio's actions,
- Fight with this creature,
- Weird old man,
- Ash and Pikachu- i like them when they are shown as normal boy and pokemon not ,,heroes",
- Another proof Lana has a crush on Ash- it could be funny.
On the other hand- i'm surprised about development of Lana's personality- she becomes one of the best characters in SM (and whole series also becomes better and better, i think).

 

[Playerking]

That moment of Lana just nonchalantly holding up that Feebas and making the Fishing Expert shocked was probably one of the funniest moments in the series.

 

[Gard81]

I see they went into overdrive with Satoshi's face-faults, with the turning into sand part getting into cartoon territory. And him being really surprised at the Mega Gyarados bit (even though he supposedly should know how Mega Evolutions work) was a bit cringy.
The fisherman parts were funny though.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

with the turning into sand part getting into cartoon territory

It wasn't ash?

 

[Kirby4ever]

It wasn't ash?

Ash turned into sand.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

I didn't notice shipping hint. I wonder what they're planning to do about it?

Ash turned into sand.

Doesn't look like sand either. Maybe dust?

 

[Karalala]

What is the name of the music when Ash was battling Alomomola?

 

[Gabo2oo]

Did anyone notice how Nurse Joy spent five minutes standing on the reception counter without ever speaking, blinking or moving an inch? Creepy AF

 

[ii kanji]

Did anyone notice how Nurse Joy spent five minutes standing on the reception counter without ever speaking, blinking or moving an inch? Creepy AF

Oooooooh no...
It's a shame because dynamism of background characters was what gained the first couple of SM episodes a lot of praise...

 

[Playerking]

Did anyone notice how Nurse Joy spent five minutes standing on the reception counter without ever speaking, blinking or moving an inch? Creepy AF

Maybe she's a Zorua or a Zoroark?

 

[Syrinaris]

Having Nurse Joy just stand there like that & not interacting at all with any of the gang was just freaking weird. Her Blissey & Comfey weren't even anywhere around.
Kiawe got a bad deal with his other classmates coming to visit him on the farm. At least Ash was willing to help out even though he'd bit off more than he could chew.
Didn't mind Lana's battle with the Totem even though it didn't jibe at all with what happens in the game. Good for Popplio learning Aqua Jet.
That face that poor Pika made, though.

Spoiler: Pika Face

OriginalAsh would not have hesitated for a moment to jump back in the water and put his own life at risk to get Pikachu away from that thing. ParallelAsh apparently has a stronger sense of self-preservation. At least in this particular episode anyway. *shrugs*
Honestly can't see why TR was included since what happened with them had zero impact on the rest of the story.

 

[Gabo2oo]

Oooooooh no...
It's a shame because dynamism of background characters was what gained the first couple of SM episodes a lot of praise...

I was a defender of SM's animation back when it started ("it's just a different artstyle", I'd say), but right now I gotta admit the animation has undoubtely being downgraded.

A couple of more fluid shots and reactions here and there don't make up for lack of background dynamism, laziness when drawing characters that are far from the screen, almost zero camera movement, no 3D-layering for elements that are at different distances from the camera, etc.

Honestly can't see why TR was included since what happened with them had zero impact on the rest of the story.

I can. They're just throwing us a bone so we forget they weren't present in the past four episodes and probably won't be present until who knows when either.

 

[Islander Princess]

This episode had me ROLLING. So many funny lines, moments, and reactions. But it also had some really good action moments and a nice payoff, so I really enjoyed the balance.

I adore Lana, and in the episodes where they put a lot of focus on her, she really shines. I love how she jokes around, she's determined and strong willed, and she's gentle and caring. The fact that she now has a Z-Ring and Z-Crystal, and is the first female character on the show to have one, is super cool to me. It was also a nice detail to have her Z-Ring look just like Kiawe's but blue instead of red. A nice reference to their type preferences and the fact that both Z-Rings came from Akala.

I also have to say that right now, I really like that the trials allow characters outside of Ash to participate. Watching Lana go against the totem (and not having Ash totally interfere and being the sidekick instead) was so awesome. I noticed that I was much more invested in this than I am in standard gym battles.

And can we please get an entire episide dedicated to the classmates messing around at Kiawe's farm? I wanted just a little bit more of that, even though I loved everything else in the episode! There just wasn't enough time to see everything I wanted.

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

Today we have just learned that Ash was useless

No he wasn't he recognized the injury and dealt Alolmomola for Lana.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

No he wasn't he recognized the injury and dealt Alolmomola for Lana

That's right. If there is someone "useless", it should be Suiren who can't defeat the totem pokemon without help from Satoshi.