Review SM116: Lilie and the Secret Mechanical Princess!

[BigDocFan]

If this episode took place a year ago it would have been fine, but instead SM is nearly over and the league probably isn't too far from now. Lillie's development is really all over the place, she got a lot of focus early on with a lackluster adaption of her game arc, then she stagnated for about a year, got a Z crystal, and only just now is trying to do Z moves. Problem is SM is nearing it's climax, and there's episodes about all the other characters and Ash coming up.

While the other SM companions don't have huge arcs, the way Lillie has been handled is easily the most disappointing part of the series, especially considering what she could have been.

Sometimes I feel they have shortened the run too much, used to be 190+ episodes

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Sometimes I feel they have shortened the run too much, used to be 190+ episodes

140 works, they just need to have better writing so characters can actually grow and progress instead of doing nothing for fifty episodes, do one major thing, and then never bring it up for another fifty episodes when suddenly it's relevant again for no reason

 

[Rath]

140 works, they just need to have better writing so characters can actually grow and progress instead of doing nothing for fifty episodes, do one major thing, and then never bring it up for another fifty episodes when suddenly it's relevant again for no reason

They're still working under the confines of being a game adaptation and a product placement anime.

There's been a trend:

• Akala and Aether arcs
• USUM is coming, gotta rush them
• Necrozma arc
• LGPE is coming, gotta rush it

The problems with Pokemon becoming a yearly franchise are evident. There's a new game every year, so they constantly have to stop what they're doing to advertise the new game. That's why the story arcs have been so rushed.

 

[yab]

They still know they're working with roughly 3 year gens, they should know how to pace the main characters development better, that's usually independent from the plotlines from the games or forced mascot pokemon they have to introduce on the cast. There's no reason Lillie should be waiting to the 11th hour of SM to finally become the active trainer she should of after roughly the first year of SM by the latest.

 

[BigDocFan]

They still know they're working with roughly 3 year gens, they should know how to pace the main characters development better, that's usually independent from the plotlines from the games or forced mascot pokemon they have to introduce on the cast. There's no reason Lillie should be waiting to the 11th hour of SM to finally become the active trainer she should of after roughly the first year of SM by the latest.

Here's a possibility, the games see Lillie head to Kanto, maybe the anime will have Lillie travel with Ash to Galar

 

[Rath]

Here's a possibility, the games see Lillie head to Kanto, maybe the anime will have Lillie travel with Ash to Galar

I could only see that happening if the "foreign land" that Magearna was created in turns out to be Galar.

 

[L-05308]

I could only see that happening if the "foreign land" that Magearna was created in turns out to be Galar.

I could only see that happening if the "foreign land" that Magearna was created in turns out to be Galar.

I’m fairly sure that was a vague reference to the AZOTH kingdom.

 

[Hassel]

When Mohn was first revealed to be alive I was slightly excited for it to be a character arc for Gladion, but after today's episode I'm so glad the focus is on Lillie. Her relationship to her father was completely brushed off in the games, and she was even absent in that Mohn scene in USUM as if none of her feelings on the issue mattered at all. Mohn is a very interesting character, and he's a loving person before and after the amnesia. I'm very excited to see Lillie (and Gladion?) rescue Mohn.

It's also really cool to see more flashbacks to the adult characters when they were younger. I hope we get to see similar stuff with Kukui and Guzma/Golisopod.

 

[JFrombaugh]

The English subs confirm that Mohn had bought Magearna from a store, rather than he was able to build it himself. Even so, him being on a normal shopping spree and just HAPPENING to come across an artifact that he recognized as the Legendary Pokémon Magearna? The odds on that must be really, really long...even Bagman wouldn't have bet...

And the Z-Move failing was kind of a disappointment - as others have pointed out, the League is coming up fast, and it's being held at Aether Paradise not Mt. Lanakila, which means that if she were to go there to train & maybe evolve Snowy into Alolan Ninetales, that'll have to be another "filler" episode. No pressure Lillie, but, clock's ticking...

Other than that it was nice to see an episode that delves so deeply into Lillie & Gladion's past, as well as Lusamine's grief too. And I can't wait to see what happens next in this whole side-plot!

 

[Greninjaman]

League is coming up fast, and it's being held at Aether Paradise not Mt. Lanakila

Wait, the LEague's at the Aether Paradise? Why? That makes no sense to me.

 

[Rath]

Wait, the LEague's at the Aether Paradise? Why? That makes no sense to me.

Well, it's not AT Aether Paradise, but the Stadium is being built near there and the Aether Foundation is funding it.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

So...

Mohn's Zoroark mysteriously disappeared after his disappearance, while there is an empty Magearna without Soul-Heart? I'm the only one who thinks that Zoroark is hiding within empty Magearna?
I'm not sure what my feelings are about Lilie's failure. On one hand, it's refreshing to see someone to fail at pulling a Z move. On the other hand, it's just another case of Lilie being treated as ridiculously weak. I'm gonna throw a serious tantrum if Mamane pull it out in his first try.

I could only see that happening if the "foreign land" that Magearna was created in turns out to be Galar.

It's from Kalos.

 

[Rath]

So...

Mohn's Zoroark mysteriously disappeared after his disappearance, while there is an empty Magearna without Soul-Heart? I'm the only one who thinks that Zoroark is hiding within empty Magearna?
I'm not sure what my feelings are about Lilie's failure. On one hand, it's refreshing to see someone to fail at pulling a Z move. On the other hand, it's just another case of Lilie being treated as ridiculously weak. I'm gonna throw a serious tantrum if Mamane pull it out in his first try.

It's Kalos.

Zoroark died of grief after Mohn disappeared.

And no, it isn't confirmed that the kingdom is Kalos. It's just stated to be a "foreign kingdom".

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

And no, it isn't confirmed that the kingdom is Kalos.

There is a whole movie that confirms it.

Zoroark died of grief after Mohn disappeared.

 

[Rath]

There is a whole movie that confirms it.

Said movie contradicts Magearna being found at an antique shop in this ep, so the movie isn't canon.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

Said movie contradicts Magearna being found at an antique shop in this ep, so the movie isn't canon.

Could be just a prototype or copy.

 

[Rath]

Could be just a prototype or copy.

There's only one Magearna in existence. It was created by a scientist as a gift for a princess.

The Magearna in this episode is that same Magearna. So the movie isn't canon.

 

[DarkraiKnight]

There's only one Magearna in existence. It was created by a scientist as a gift for a princess.

The Magearna in this episode is that same Magearna. So the movie isn't canon.

Why does that Magearna have to be the same one as the one in the legend? Nothing in the episode explicitly proved that.

 

[Pulsaro23]

There's only one Magearna in existence. It was created by a scientist as a gift for a princess.

The Magearna in this episode is that same Magearna. So the movie isn't canon.

I'm curious, do you have a vendetta against the movie? Do you hate it so much that you want it to no longer be canon or something? Cause I really don't understand why else you'd keep on insisting that Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (or any of the movies, for that matter) isn't canon, was never canon and should be contradicted since "they don't care".

I also find it very interesting how you argued in the past that, theoretically, one could build another Magearna if they knew how, but now, you suddenly decided to take a 180 and say that no, there can possibly be only one Magearna and it's this one.

 

[KrspaceT]

Me's wondering if the image in episode of a younger Wicke and Lusamine is going to gain any traction around?