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Review SM115: Emperor of Destruction Guzma!

I know that this episode is to introduce the Steel Z-move, but it is frustrating that Ash used a not-very-effective Z-move against a Water-type Pokémon. Based on game stats, Golisopod received 90 damage from Corkscrew Crash, while it would have taken 350 dmg from Gigavolt Havoc (not to mention that Golisopod's special def is much lower than its def).
 
I know that this episode is to introduce the Steel Z-move, but it is frustrating that Ash used a not-very-effective Z-move against a Water-type Pokémon. Based on game stats, Golisopod received 90 damage from Corkscrew Crash, while it would have taken 350 dmg from Gigavolt Havoc (not to mention that Golisopod's special def is much lower than its def).
Anime=/=Games
 
Continuity is poor it seems, watching the subbed version Team Rocket and Skull have no idea who the others are it seems
They've only met once before. One of the Skull Grunts even says they look familiar. Ergo, they're just dopes who can't quite remember the first time they met.
 
I know that this episode is to introduce the Steel Z-move, but it is frustrating that Ash used a not-very-effective Z-move against a Water-type Pokémon. Based on game stats, Golisopod received 90 damage from Corkscrew Crash, while it would have taken 350 dmg from Gigavolt Havoc (not to mention that Golisopod's special def is much lower than its def).
He used an electric move on it and it didn't affect it at all.
Kukui literally called Guzma out for running away.
Which is a stupid thing to say. Guzma isn't the one who called it back.
So Guzma wasn't portrayed as a genuinely reprehensible human being
This guy?
117461
 
Everyone being able to participate is something I kinda expected because of Kiawe.

The episode was fine. I like that they made Guzma a very interesting character, and was depicted as someone who claims to be the strongest in order to overcompensate for his cowardice. I'm looking forward to what they do with him. It does seem like the kind of plot that should've been introduced earlier.

The battle could have been a bit more dynamic though, as we didn't see many Electric-type moves or Golisopod taking damage.
 
Which is a stupid thing to say. Guzma isn't the one who called it back.

True, but Guzma DID try to play it off by saying Golisopod lost interest and that he "has no interest in battles where the outcome's obvious". That's what Kukui was talking about. There was a possibility that Guzma could lose, so he threw in the towel, just like he gave up on the Island Challenge when he couldn't beat the Kahuna.
 
70 episodes too late, which is frustrating

A very good episode and it's a darn shame they're backending all this development instead of making it natural over the course of the series
Guzma's first appearance in the games was also tied into the Pokémon League, in that he gave Kukui a piece of his mind of what he thinks about the concept. So I think it makes sense for him to show himself when the League is announced.
 
Guzma's first appearance in the games was also tied into the Pokémon League, in that he gave Kukui a piece of his mind of what he thinks about the concept. So I think it makes sense for him to show himself when the League is announced.
Guzma was also involved in the Aether and Necrozma plots, yet was nowhere to be seen back then, so...?
 
You know I really just have to say;

There’s just something about Ash essentially losing a battle to Guzma that really does not sit well with me. I mean Ash and friends have been mopping the floor with the Team Skull grunts since day one in fact. And yet their boss is that much stronger? Guzma is little more than just the top of the heap of a group of petty, boastful and undisciplined, garden variety thugs, his battle with Ash should have ended with a tie at the very least, at least that’s how I initially see it, otherwise Ash should have been able to handle him.
 
Finally, I have some free time! Which means I can talk about this episode at last!

This is definitely among the best episodes of the Sun & Moon series. Guzma was amazing and they really nailed him and his personality. Considering the series' heavy focus on "comedy" (as well as the way the writers drastically changed Lusamine and her story/personality/character), I was worried that the writers would turn Guzma into a pathetic comic relief villain, just like they did with his grunts. But nope. They actually decided to be faithful to the games for once and make him into a menace (and in a good way). Everything about this Guzma screams Guzma, the way he acts makes him feel like the genuine Guzma and everytime he was on screen I was filled with excitement (something that, unfortunately, doesn't happen that often to me when it comes to SM). Don't have anything else to say about him that hasn't already been said, so I'll just say that I can't wait to see what they do with him. Hopefully they'll reveal more about his past and explore his relation with Kukui (since these 2 obviously have a history).

The battle between Golisopod and Pikachu was also pretty cool and well animated. Though I have some small nitpicks about it. Mainly how the moves are animated (which is a problem that I occasionally have with this series in general). First Impression was cool and all, but I expected it to be... I don't know, just a tiny bit more flashy (considering how it looks in the games)? Liquidation looked to me like Razor Shell, due to it being a water blade, as opposed to what the in-game description says. Pin Missile also looks less like a Pin Missile and more like a Poison Sting. Also, I don't know why, but I felt kind of... underwhelmed by the first Corkscrew Crash. Like, nothing about it screamed all-mighty mega-powerful move. But it definitely looked better the second time. Guess I just needed to see it in-battle in order to actually enjoy it.

On the topic of the Alola League: I know they wanted to stir excitement towards it with the first part of the episode, but it had the opposite effect on me. The more they revealed about it, the less interested I became. Not sure how interesting they can make this tournament-like league where anyone can enter, regardless of skill. But I guess I'll wait and see and judge it when it comes.

All in all, amazing episode and I hope the remaining episode follow this one's example (though, based on their summaries, I don't think they will, which is a shame).

Also, on a side note, I really loved how even the characters seem to be getting tired of Samson Oak's shtick and how, when he started his usual Pokémon puns/impressions, everyone just ignored him and decided go to Aether Paradise without him.
 
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On the topic of the Alola League: I know they wanted to stir excitement towards it with the first part of the episode, but it had the opposite effect on me. The more they revealed about it, the less interested I became. Not sure how interesting they can make this tournament-like league where anyone can enter, regardless of skill. But I guess I'll wait and see and judge it when it comes.

The only thing people can look forward to on this league is to see if which trainer will defeat Ash (who will always have a 0% chance of winning). Hau? Gladion? Guzma? Or some newly-introduced character that would be a carbon-copy of Tobias or Cameron?

Guzma remaining true to his portrayal in the games is quite the surprise, given the anime runs on black-and-white morality. But since he was just introduced, we shouldn't jump to conclusions yet. He might have the inferiority complex from the games. Or he could be vanity incarnate who gloats over what few wins he could pull off. But either way, if there's an upcoming arc on Team Skull, I hope it would show their more sympathetic side from the games instead of making them another genetic villain group.
 
You know I really just have to say;

There’s just something about Ash essentially losing a battle to Guzma that really does not sit well with me. I mean Ash and friends have been mopping the floor with the Team Skull grunts since day one in fact. And yet their boss is that much stronger? Guzma is little more than just the top of the heap of a group of petty, boastful and undisciplined, garden variety thugs, his battle with Ash should have ended with a tie at the very least, at least that’s how I initially see it, otherwise Ash should have been able to handle him.

That’s simply part of Guzma’s character. Because 99% of Team Skull are weaklings, he and Plumeria have to step up and care for them all, resulting in them being pretty strong Trainers.
 
Corkscrew Crash looked fine to me. Maybe that's because I've been disappointed by anime Z-moves since Day 1, where both Inferno Overdrive and Gigavolt Havoc were shown as big flashy balls. I want to point out that it doesn't seem like something Meltan could use (it would be a very small drill...) but it would fit well with Melmetal's spinning tactics.

You know I really just have to say;

There’s just something about Ash essentially losing a battle to Guzma that really does not sit well with me. I mean Ash and friends have been mopping the floor with the Team Skull grunts since day one in fact. And yet their boss is that much stronger? Guzma is little more than just the top of the heap of a group of petty, boastful and undisciplined, garden variety thugs, his battle with Ash should have ended with a tie at the very least, at least that’s how I initially see it, otherwise Ash should have been able to handle him.

Team Skull isn't just a group of "thugs", they are also Guzma's followers and all of them aim to be one day like him, rejected by the society but strong anyway. Guzma is not the strongest, but he knows how to sell himself as someone who is, likely using the same method shown here, but I doubt everything about him is lies. He is definitely threatening and strong to some degree.
 
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