csrdevil
Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2015
- Messages
- 28
- Reaction score
- 25
Hey guys. It’s me again.
To begin with I would like to apologize that it has taken so long for me to come up with a follow to my last thread which was a long, long, time ago. I promised a view, indeed a mid-season review for the Alola region in my last post (from like forever ago) and did not follow up on my promise. Sadly there was not much for me to write about as I only had bitter criticism for the way the Alola arc was covered. But that is just me, and I don’t want to upset any diehard Pokemon fans (even though I myself am one) by insisting that the show has become sub-par. That is just my opinion. But something happened this past Sunday, and it seems like an appropriate time to finally write the briefest of well…not a review…but and epilogue for the Alola arc, even though the show still has a few more episodes left in it.
Nevertheless, before I begin it is important that you read the warning below.
The following content below will contain major spoilers if you are not up to date with the Pokemon anime. Especially viewers who watch the English dubbed version will be quite a bit behind. So please do not go through the contents of this article if you do not want your Pokemon Sun and Moon experience ruined.
In the 22 years the show has aired so far (I have been watching it for the last 15 years, because I was just two years old when it first aired, duh…) I have a lot of fond memories of the series. I was especially proud and heartened to read a report on BBC news this morning where a lot of people who suffer from mental health issues, abandonment issues gushed about how the show helped them cope with all these problems in their youth. Many said that that Ash’s indomitable spirit, his uncanny ability to take a rollicking and still keep going inspired them. I know I myself am one of them. The show has produced some of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring moments in Japanese anime in general, and is up there in my opinion with the likes of Gintama, Stein’s Gate, Naruto, Bleach, FMA, etc. But then mega evolutions and subsequently Z-moves happened and left a sour taste in my mouth. Having sat through the Kalos region and now nearly the entirety of the Alolan arc, I will never be able to get rid of the dopey chants, the clumsy movements required to make a Pokemon mega-evolve or unleash a Z-move as they have now been burned into my head for all of eternity. Z-moves though takes the level of vapidity even further with the suite of dim-witted physical maneuvers required to make a Pokemon, which is probably not even on level 20 (referencing Pokemon games here) unleash a move which is potentially capable of taking out a legendary Pokemon. I frankly again find the whole notion ridiculous and it completely undermines the foundations of what Pokemon battling was built upon, that is hard work and training. Pokemon battling still today, even amidst all that idiocy is one of the few things my eyes light up for whenever I come across it in the show. But sadly mega evolutions and now Z-moves even stole that from me. Guys don’t get me wrong here, these trinkets are frankly fascinating to come across and experience in video games like the Pokémon TCG online where I have spent countless happy hours tinkering with Z-moves and mega evolutions. But it just completely destroyed what Pokemon was essentially all about and I will forever associate them with the worst part of the Pokemon saga.
The whole storyline, as I have stated previously before (in my other posts) has steadily lost any maturity instead of gaining any when compared to something like Naruto or Digimon. It has now come to the point where the show caters completely for its younger fans, which is fine. I can be jealous, disappointed all I want but I really could have lived with even that had the show demonstrated some form of continuity at least. But the lack of progress sadly is epitomized by Ash Ketchum’s perpetual reincarnation as a ten-year-old, every bloody time a new arc rolls around. Will Galar be the same?
Not to spoil everyone’s moment of elation here, but the Alolan League is frankly nothing like any of the past Pokemon Leagues. Indeed referring to it as a league seems a bit stretched, given that it felt like a family affair more than anything, whereby a nation’s (Alola’s) inspired visionary (Kukui) and was conveniently backed by billionaire investors (Aether Foundation). Having said that I did enjoy the chaotic but thrilling Royal Rumble elimination format.
But if you ask me, a round of 16 matches contested between two trainers who have literally just gone through hell to make it to the knockout stages only to be allotted just one Pokémon each, is utterly unacceptable. Round of 16 matches in almost every Pokemon League ever shown in this anime so far (please correct me if I am wrong here) traditionally consisted of at least 3-vs-3 battles. The Johto Conference in fact (and probably Hoenn as well I cannot remember) featured full 6-vs-6 battles beginning from the knockout stages. While the “one Pokémon” allotment was barely acceptable to me during the round of 16, I raged at the top of my lungs when trainers continued to be allotted a solitary Pokemon each, even during the quarter-finals. This I thought was completely unfair and further takes off the gloss of Ash's inaugural Pokemon League win. And while there still some quality battles here, admittedly, the format and the way it was conducted was grossly unsatisfactory. I was disheartened thus to see several news outlets including IGN, BBC report Ash as a “Pokemon League champion” when in reality has won a tournament which does not even come close to the magnitude of the leagues he has contested in the past.
While he technically is one now (a “champion”), I find it hard to take full satisfaction from watching Ash win a lackluster league like that and be declared even a Pokemon master by some outlets would you believe.
Have people simply forgotten he has failed at trials (no pun intended) infinitely harder than the one he has overcome now? Have you forgotten that he has actually competed and lost in infinitely more sophisticated tournaments in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos respectively? If so how does winning a league like that finally help him realize his lifelong dream? How is that acceptable to a trainer who once declared he will become the greatest there ever was?
Again I am taking nothing away from his achievement, it is stellar in its own way. I just think it is not the fitting end (if it is the end for him) that Ash Ketchum or we the fans deserve. Ideally, had the show adopted a semblance of continuity, people like me would have liked to see him go back, train hard and have one last crack at all those leagues he lost in and gain redemption for all the bitter disappointments he suffered there. Such as being betrayed by his Charizard in the Indigo Plateau, beaten by an unknown quantity in Harrison’s Blaziken, outclassed by a frankly astonishing Meowth in the Hoenn League, low blowed by Tobia’s invincible Darkrai, embarrassed by Cameron with just 5 Pokemon in a 6v6 battle, or left heartbroken by Alain’s Charizard. Had he been given the chance again to revisit and potentially usurp them and win it all, I would have had the closure I need after sticking with this show shamelessly for the last 15 years. As it stands if they close off Ash Ketchum now, I would only be left with an indescribable regret, not to mention left wondering what could have been.
As for speculation, I am not much for that, but the latest teaser trailer from the company (details of the new anime will actually be revealed this coming 29th of September so you won’t have to wait long) points out that the anime might not be focusing on the Galar region alone, which is the base for the new Sword and Shield games due to be outed in November. Instead, the series will apparently make use of all the regions discovered so far in the Pokemon series (no I am not gonna name them again, read them from above!) and design an arc around them. Reports also suggest a new protagonist might be at the helm which again will be devastating for me and something I will probably never get used to (cue ‘Boruto-Next Generations’). It will also potentially feature a completely redesigned cast and animations.
Amongst other rumors, some credible ones are that the developers are struggling to churn out newer Pokemon for each generation which is understandable. It is much easier to recycle existing sources rather than redesigning a whole new roster. It is after a very financially, physically, mentally draining task to operate an anime show after all and I am actually sympathetic in that respect.
Other rumors also suggest Ash and Pikachu might remain at the helm and that the new season will be an arc whereby Ash finally has a chance gain some revenge and potentially win the leagues he has lost in. Interestingly there are other rumors that the new arc might be based on the recently rebooted versions of Pokemon movies. But Perhaps the most indigestible rumor of all might be that the new series might actually adopt full-blown CGI and go ‘Disney Pixar’ style like the upcoming “Mewtwo Returns” reboot movie.
Anyway, take what I have written with a pinch of salt and wait till what happens at the end of September.
Anyways ladies and gentlemen that is for today, and probably for a long while again! I just felt like I had to get some things off of my chest after I came across all these reports this morning bearing photos of Ash and captioning him a “Pokemon Master” of all things. I hope you did like what I wrote and I am sorry if I ranted a bit too much. But I hope amidst all that my love and passion for Pokemon have shone through. See you guys in the next, next one!
To begin with I would like to apologize that it has taken so long for me to come up with a follow to my last thread which was a long, long, time ago. I promised a view, indeed a mid-season review for the Alola region in my last post (from like forever ago) and did not follow up on my promise. Sadly there was not much for me to write about as I only had bitter criticism for the way the Alola arc was covered. But that is just me, and I don’t want to upset any diehard Pokemon fans (even though I myself am one) by insisting that the show has become sub-par. That is just my opinion. But something happened this past Sunday, and it seems like an appropriate time to finally write the briefest of well…not a review…but and epilogue for the Alola arc, even though the show still has a few more episodes left in it.
Nevertheless, before I begin it is important that you read the warning below.
The following content below will contain major spoilers if you are not up to date with the Pokemon anime. Especially viewers who watch the English dubbed version will be quite a bit behind. So please do not go through the contents of this article if you do not want your Pokemon Sun and Moon experience ruined.
- New Pokemon Saves Pokemon every time
- I Am Sorry Z-Moves And Mega Evolutions Will Never Be My Cup Of Tea
In the 22 years the show has aired so far (I have been watching it for the last 15 years, because I was just two years old when it first aired, duh…) I have a lot of fond memories of the series. I was especially proud and heartened to read a report on BBC news this morning where a lot of people who suffer from mental health issues, abandonment issues gushed about how the show helped them cope with all these problems in their youth. Many said that that Ash’s indomitable spirit, his uncanny ability to take a rollicking and still keep going inspired them. I know I myself am one of them. The show has produced some of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring moments in Japanese anime in general, and is up there in my opinion with the likes of Gintama, Stein’s Gate, Naruto, Bleach, FMA, etc. But then mega evolutions and subsequently Z-moves happened and left a sour taste in my mouth. Having sat through the Kalos region and now nearly the entirety of the Alolan arc, I will never be able to get rid of the dopey chants, the clumsy movements required to make a Pokemon mega-evolve or unleash a Z-move as they have now been burned into my head for all of eternity. Z-moves though takes the level of vapidity even further with the suite of dim-witted physical maneuvers required to make a Pokemon, which is probably not even on level 20 (referencing Pokemon games here) unleash a move which is potentially capable of taking out a legendary Pokemon. I frankly again find the whole notion ridiculous and it completely undermines the foundations of what Pokemon battling was built upon, that is hard work and training. Pokemon battling still today, even amidst all that idiocy is one of the few things my eyes light up for whenever I come across it in the show. But sadly mega evolutions and now Z-moves even stole that from me. Guys don’t get me wrong here, these trinkets are frankly fascinating to come across and experience in video games like the Pokémon TCG online where I have spent countless happy hours tinkering with Z-moves and mega evolutions. But it just completely destroyed what Pokemon was essentially all about and I will forever associate them with the worst part of the Pokemon saga.
- The Alolan Arc Meandered Too Often For My Liking
The whole storyline, as I have stated previously before (in my other posts) has steadily lost any maturity instead of gaining any when compared to something like Naruto or Digimon. It has now come to the point where the show caters completely for its younger fans, which is fine. I can be jealous, disappointed all I want but I really could have lived with even that had the show demonstrated some form of continuity at least. But the lack of progress sadly is epitomized by Ash Ketchum’s perpetual reincarnation as a ten-year-old, every bloody time a new arc rolls around. Will Galar be the same?
- Once You Look Past The Rubble The Quality, The Potential Is Still There…
- League? What League?
Not to spoil everyone’s moment of elation here, but the Alolan League is frankly nothing like any of the past Pokemon Leagues. Indeed referring to it as a league seems a bit stretched, given that it felt like a family affair more than anything, whereby a nation’s (Alola’s) inspired visionary (Kukui) and was conveniently backed by billionaire investors (Aether Foundation). Having said that I did enjoy the chaotic but thrilling Royal Rumble elimination format.
But if you ask me, a round of 16 matches contested between two trainers who have literally just gone through hell to make it to the knockout stages only to be allotted just one Pokémon each, is utterly unacceptable. Round of 16 matches in almost every Pokemon League ever shown in this anime so far (please correct me if I am wrong here) traditionally consisted of at least 3-vs-3 battles. The Johto Conference in fact (and probably Hoenn as well I cannot remember) featured full 6-vs-6 battles beginning from the knockout stages. While the “one Pokémon” allotment was barely acceptable to me during the round of 16, I raged at the top of my lungs when trainers continued to be allotted a solitary Pokemon each, even during the quarter-finals. This I thought was completely unfair and further takes off the gloss of Ash's inaugural Pokemon League win. And while there still some quality battles here, admittedly, the format and the way it was conducted was grossly unsatisfactory. I was disheartened thus to see several news outlets including IGN, BBC report Ash as a “Pokemon League champion” when in reality has won a tournament which does not even come close to the magnitude of the leagues he has contested in the past.
While he technically is one now (a “champion”), I find it hard to take full satisfaction from watching Ash win a lackluster league like that and be declared even a Pokemon master by some outlets would you believe.
Have people simply forgotten he has failed at trials (no pun intended) infinitely harder than the one he has overcome now? Have you forgotten that he has actually competed and lost in infinitely more sophisticated tournaments in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos respectively? If so how does winning a league like that finally help him realize his lifelong dream? How is that acceptable to a trainer who once declared he will become the greatest there ever was?
Again I am taking nothing away from his achievement, it is stellar in its own way. I just think it is not the fitting end (if it is the end for him) that Ash Ketchum or we the fans deserve. Ideally, had the show adopted a semblance of continuity, people like me would have liked to see him go back, train hard and have one last crack at all those leagues he lost in and gain redemption for all the bitter disappointments he suffered there. Such as being betrayed by his Charizard in the Indigo Plateau, beaten by an unknown quantity in Harrison’s Blaziken, outclassed by a frankly astonishing Meowth in the Hoenn League, low blowed by Tobia’s invincible Darkrai, embarrassed by Cameron with just 5 Pokemon in a 6v6 battle, or left heartbroken by Alain’s Charizard. Had he been given the chance again to revisit and potentially usurp them and win it all, I would have had the closure I need after sticking with this show shamelessly for the last 15 years. As it stands if they close off Ash Ketchum now, I would only be left with an indescribable regret, not to mention left wondering what could have been.
- Anime To Reboot Completely?
As for speculation, I am not much for that, but the latest teaser trailer from the company (details of the new anime will actually be revealed this coming 29th of September so you won’t have to wait long) points out that the anime might not be focusing on the Galar region alone, which is the base for the new Sword and Shield games due to be outed in November. Instead, the series will apparently make use of all the regions discovered so far in the Pokemon series (no I am not gonna name them again, read them from above!) and design an arc around them. Reports also suggest a new protagonist might be at the helm which again will be devastating for me and something I will probably never get used to (cue ‘Boruto-Next Generations’). It will also potentially feature a completely redesigned cast and animations.
Amongst other rumors, some credible ones are that the developers are struggling to churn out newer Pokemon for each generation which is understandable. It is much easier to recycle existing sources rather than redesigning a whole new roster. It is after a very financially, physically, mentally draining task to operate an anime show after all and I am actually sympathetic in that respect.
Other rumors also suggest Ash and Pikachu might remain at the helm and that the new season will be an arc whereby Ash finally has a chance gain some revenge and potentially win the leagues he has lost in. Interestingly there are other rumors that the new arc might be based on the recently rebooted versions of Pokemon movies. But Perhaps the most indigestible rumor of all might be that the new series might actually adopt full-blown CGI and go ‘Disney Pixar’ style like the upcoming “Mewtwo Returns” reboot movie.
Anyway, take what I have written with a pinch of salt and wait till what happens at the end of September.
Anyways ladies and gentlemen that is for today, and probably for a long while again! I just felt like I had to get some things off of my chest after I came across all these reports this morning bearing photos of Ash and captioning him a “Pokemon Master” of all things. I hope you did like what I wrote and I am sorry if I ranted a bit too much. But I hope amidst all that my love and passion for Pokemon have shone through. See you guys in the next, next one!
Last edited: