Review JN008: Don't Lose, Pochama! The Drift Ice Race in the Sinnoh Region!!

[BigDocFan]

I think this review sums up this episode nicely

Short and sweet


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJfNMBZXDXc

 

[Rocket Messiah]

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Oddly malicious of Team Rocket to attack a ship merely for Pikachu shocking them. What happened to the Team Rocket with standards?

Mantyke helping Pikachu was cute though.

Team Rocket can act pretty nasty if provoked a few examples

-Trying to get Emolga and Axew eaten by a Loudred
-Force Pikachu to attack Ash
-Beating Dedenne for protecting Goomy
-Meowth scratching Rowlett for protecting Meltan

This was the debut of writer Michihiro Tsuchiya, so he's probably still figuring out how to best deal with incorporating Team Rocket and their generally more deep characterization. Much like Junichi Fujisaku eventually improved his ability to write battles I'm sure that Mr. Tsuchiya will improve in writing Team Rocket if they appear in future episodes of his.

I don't think the writter matters very much. Episode 3 had the same flaws his appeareance made no sense to me

 

[BigDocFan]

Given how little Team Rocket are getting used, part of me thinks that Team Rocket are on their last legs and this episode shows it

None of their development from Sun and Moon has progressed

 

[Deleted member 85628]

Any Pokemon Team Rocket steals are put in cages or a net. The poacher from "A Poached Ego" electrocuted his cages.

Any children they're abusive towards aren't exactly defenseless like Ash. You really think they would assault Ash if he couldn't fight back. Compare that to Hunter J who attempts to murder Ash.

 

[P_S_B]

Given how little Team Rocket are getting used, part of me thinks that Team Rocket are on their last legs and this episode shows it

None of their development from Sun and Moon has progressed

My guess would be that they wanted to leave Team Rocket in Alola, but had to keep them on due to fan demand. Assuming this is indeed the case then they've probably got no idea what to do with them.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

2: they did it without noticing their actions because they are very oblivious and childish (they are just some »Kidults » )

You could say the same thing for this episode's ship sinking scene. So, there is no contradiction in how their characters are written.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

My guess would be that they wanted to leave Team Rocket in Alola, but had to keep them on due to fan demand. Assuming this is indeed the case then they've probably got no idea what to do with them.

Write them as if Alola never happened?

Just like what happened with every other character in every other series?

 

[Panky..]

I didn't even feel like writing this at all much less re-watching the episode. But my OCD kicked in so here we go.

- Pros:

• Honestly, there aren't any Pros that I noticed about this episode (then again, it was a pointless filler which did nothing but delay the actual Ash relevant episodes for fuck knows what reason the writers have) but for the sake of staying fair, I'll make one up. The CotD (Misaki) and the Piplup-Croagunk duo were interesting but it's a shame that the three of them will amount to absolutely nothing given that this series has just been jumping around aimlessly so far. Even SM, which had it's share of issues, dropped the CotD formula in favor of recurring characters and it was absolutely refreshing.

- Cons:

• Like mentioned earlier, the episode is a pointless filler which would've worked better as a continuation from episode 7 with Mimey showing interest in battling followed a by 1.5 parter of the tournament. They're just delaying the relevant content and I've no clue what's going on their minds. Don't even get me started on the usage of not-Piplup and not-Croagunk instead of any other Sinnoh species which doesn't even make this episode anything special or memorable... or not even bothering to take into consideration the main reason Piplup and Croagunk were so popular in the first place.
• Great, more of Ash being flat out attacked for the sake of cheap gags that are unfunny, I'm willing to bet that only a tiny portion of the viewerbase laughs at these lame "jokes". Oh let's not forget Gou still having that 100% Gary Stu capture rate and capturing Tentacool which will amount to absolutely nothing, as well as Mantyke becoming a ghost after this episode (which Scyther already has become).
• Contrived plot points, things happen in this episode just because...? Piplup finds its way Sakuragi lab? No problem, 5 minutes later the exact owner is contacted with relative ease (yes, yes, technology is great but there would be 100s of missing Piplups in the Pokeworld). Misaki's glasses gag being the savior of the day. The ice race being in place just to move things forward.
• Although I'm glad TRio appeared in this episode involving a classic TRio plot, I'm kind of worried about their future especially when you take into consideration their VAs stating that they'd have more backstory and character development. Their behavior in this episode is too close to their OS-Kanto and BW selves which I personally find OOC. That lootbox, which has received so much skepticism, is already overstaying it's welcome and ruining TRio's characterization. Like, how hard could it be to reintroduce one of their older Pokemon, much less Ash's?

- Extra:

• This is exhausting. Ash carrying and using only Pikachu is wearing out and won't be able to carry the series forward, not to mention the decision of using Pikachu in the water race doesn't even make sense considering it could barely keep up in the race. Ash using a water reserve would have made far more sense as well as carrying around a full team when available since it's not a fresh start for him.
• Ash didn't have any problem with the cold the last time he was in Snowpoint City, so the snot "gag" is also weightless with Ash stating that he feels the cold. He's supposed to be much more physically adept with Gou being the one who should have felt it.

Verdict: A pointless and boring filler that amounted to absolutely nothing. 3/10.

 

[Giri]

Episode kinda seems like a filler . Go catches Pokémon effortlessly. The race too didn't impress me that much. pikachu in a water race? Seriously? Also a bit annoyed with Team Rocket's joke lottery machines. I'm not happy to see a person who has dropped has dropped the glasses 6 times throughout the ep
Rating 2.5/5

 

[GrookeyFan77]

Back With the Boring Episode Lets REwi
NOSTALGA BAIT Oh Ash Is Going to Sinnoh and there is Piplup and Croagunk BROCK AND DAWN RETURN!!!! Oh It's Just Some Random Trainer Who Happens to Have A Piplup and Croagunk COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT!!!
BOri
The End was Meh
JN003 Wanna be Episode. ITS EVEN WORSE 3/10