Review SM140: Akuziking Invasion! The Great Z-Move Battle!!

[WatcherMark]

You know, I can't wait to see this episode and how it sets up everything that's going to happen in the future with Mohn and... oh wait, this didn't tie in to Mohn at all.

Well, the Tapus are showing up at least so we'll probably get to finally see their Z-Mo... oh wait, they just turned up to hold Akuziking in place.

Never mind, we'll almost certainly get to see some new Z-Moves. Maybe the Pois... oh wait, we didn't get to see anything new.

Are we going to at least see how Bevenom evolv... oh wait, it just turns up.

Honestly, what's the point of throwing in a couple of Akuziking when they're just going to be defeated so easily? Agoyon's return and Kukui's unmasking could have been given some real build-up and focus, instead of feeling like things that just happened during the episode.

Team Rocket abandoning their plans to save Kiteruguma was a pretty nice moment though. It's great how much they've come to care for their unlikely guardian.

 

[kantoskies]

The scene with the Rocket trio saving Kiteruguma was almost perfect, it was, unfortunately, yet another scene ruined by their stock motto. You’d think they could just say it over random shots of them holding off the Ultra Beast, but nope, gotta cram that flashy, tacky, three-year-old sequence we’ve seen dozens of times into the middle of it! Other than that though it’s easily one of my favorite scenes of the series.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Could have sworn that Dia mentioned Tapu Koko left after Guzzlord laid waste to the land and that’s why they couldn’t use z-moves but I’ve gotta rewatch it to be sure.

That's true. But it could be that 1) the Ultra Rangers besides Dia didn't have Z-Rings or 2) Tapu Koko had left by the time Guzzlord showed up, since the island's nature was already wrecked. I personally think the latter option is more likely, because otherwise, why didn't the Ultra Rangers use their Z-Moves right off the bat when facing Guzzlord.

 

[Gabo2oo]

This thing really needed build-up. Without it, almost everything that happens seems like a plot device to get an "all-star" episode. The Kahunas are backed into a corner and then the Tapus appear out of nowhere. Kukui says he can't use an Electric move and then Naganadel shows up with just the right move.

I'm not a big fan of Ash's character song to play when it's the big moment for every main character that isn't him, by the way. Quite a weird choice.

This should've been at least a two-parter because, while it doesn't feel exactly rushed, it does feel short.
The episode itself is not bad, but it's like the finale for an arc that never began in the first place.

I'm talking purely from a narrative standpoint though.
From a production standpoint, I actually think the staff are doing the best they can with what's clearly a budget that's on the verge of running out.

 

[BigDocFan]

According to Bulbapedia, One of Lucario's paws is colored blue instead of black. Any ideas when this occurred?

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

According to Bulbapedia, One of Lucario's paws is colored blue instead of black. Any ideas when this occurred?

No idea. I dislike how people sometimes add errors like that but neglect to mention where that error exactly occured.

 

[BigDocFan]

No idea. I dislike how people sometimes add errors like that but neglect to mention where that error exactly occured.

It is annoying, I enjoy adding images to an error gallery on the pages

 

[Gabo2oo]

It is annoying, I enjoy adding images to an error gallery on the pages

I used to do that back in the late-BW days, but I did it so much (along with someone else) that the staff ended up making a rule to prevent us from nitpicking for errors just for the sake of listing and adding like, 30 images per episode

 

[BigDocFan]

I used to do that back in the late-BW days, but I did it so much (along with someone else) that the staff ended up making a rule to prevent us from nitpicking for errors in each episode just for the sake of listing them

Fair enough, shall avoid a repeat of that

Given that 4 Ultra Wormholes opened in 2 episodes, I really hope this opens a path to finding Mohn to help justify this episode

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

Both plot-wise and animation-wise, it was a terrible episode:

Animation was bad. More than half of the episode is recycled material like Z-move stock animation and the flashback, not to mention all those still images. Even Precure fillers are better than that at not using stock animation.
Plot was bad. Four different Ultra Holes appeared at the same time and at the same place, without any reason given. Agoyon too randomly returned without any reason.
I can't believe they didn't do anything with Mohn. It was the perfect timing!

 

[KennyC222]

nice episode! i give 9/10! Wahahahhahaha! Sorry I am not an animation reviewer haha!

 

[Gard81]

Wait, you mean to tell me that all that build-up TR were making about their grand plan went nowhere and that their inclusion here was ultimately pointless? Give me a moment so I can process how shocked I am.
* One split-second later...*
Ok, I'm over it. Still, though, they had a nice moment with Kiteruguma, so that's something... Doesn't nearly make up for their pointless inclusion, but it's not nothing.
Anyway, I simply cannot resist comparing it to the Team Flare post-league episodes, because all the elements are clearly there: it's immediately after the league, the main cast team-up with the Gym Leaders (or rather, their equivalents) in order to take down a threat in the form of a Legendary. But rather than something that was built-up over time, with great visuals, audio and moments, we get whatever this episode was.

 

[Dogasu]

Wait, you mean to tell me that all that build-up TR were making about their grand plan went nowhere and that their inclusion here was ultimately pointless

It's not really any worse than all those "operations" they had during Best Wishes! where there'd be weeks and weeks of filler scenes only for them to retreat the second everything stops going their way during the actual climax. If you hated them in the Alola League then you must've hated them back then as well.

(and also the Kiteruguma moment was at least more worth our time than, say, anything Mao or Suiren did in this League)

 

[Gard81]

It's not really any worse than all those "operations" they had during Best Wishes! where there'd be weeks and weeks of filler scenes only for them to retreat the second everything stops going their way during the actual climax. If you hated them in the Alola League then you must've hated them back then as well.

(and also the Kiteruguma moment was at least more worth our time than, say, anything Mao or Suiren did in this League)

Yes, I did dislike them then, thanks for noticing. And as for the Suiren and Mao comparison, I'd say it's about the same.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Stock footage... the episode

I really won't miss these Z'moves in the anime. OLM only bothering to do one version each and then recycling them indefinitely just gets so damn old. Really takes the enjoyment out of them.

Didn't take it for me.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Their plan with 'abandoning Meowth' in BW actually nearly worked, and they almost managed to get away too.

Let's not speak of that, please. Meowth pretending to be friends with the twerps and having literally zero regrets about it afterwards is not how TRT is supposed to work. They may be villains, but their hearts are not made of ice.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

I'm surrounded by... people who don't like this episode as much as I and several others do.

A place without differing opinions would be quite literally an echo chamber. No offence, but mentioning that again and again won’t change the fact that the episode was ranged from meh to bad for some people. That doesn’t really provide constructive discussion and won’t change anyone's opinion.

People are not obligated to be sunshine and rainbows about everything.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

A place without differing opinions would be quite literally an echo chamber. No offence, but mentioning that again and again won’t change the fact that the episode was ranged from meh to bad for some people. That doesn’t really provide constructive discussion and won’t change anyone's opinion.

People are not obligated to be sunshine and rainbows about everything.

Sorry. I'll stop saying that. I just needed to vent out my surprise a little.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Plot twist: Ash and Kukui accidentally sent Guzzlord to ruin Poipole and Naganadel's world...

 

[El Squibbonator]

So, you think Naganadel is going to stick around? Or is it going to pull a Goodra and leave once its business is finished?