Review TW07: Sky

[RetroPokeFan]

Really spectacular ending to this fun miniseries. You know when Masaaki Iwane once said that animating Dynamax/Gigantamax battles would be pretty hard to do for the main series? Well, he certainly wasn't joking because that Leon vs Raihan battle was a joy to behold with how great the animation is, really showing off the scale of both the battle and the mechanic in full force.

Also for the little material he has, Nazeeh Tarsha makes for a really good Raihan. I'm curious to see how the Journeys VA fares once the dub reaches that point.

 

[Nicolas721]

A great finale, all things considered. It was cool to see many characters talking about Leon, John finally being able to go to the stadium, Leon's bad sense of direction and the battle, I don't remember the last time I saw such a beautiful and fluid animation and it was great too that it focused on multiple fights instead of just a 1vs1.

However, the whole conflict being solved by luck made me realize one particular thing about the series as a whole and the reasons why I felt empty after most episodes: Heartwarming and fuzzy feelings had priority over the story (something also noted by @Juliko on her review). Of course, that's not a bad thing when you have like 10 characters and roughly 45 minutes to develop them, and now that I'm aware of it I might enjoy the series more in the future. But after that fantastic beginning perhaps I was hoping for a more mature and character-driven version of Origins or at least glimpses of it.

Finally, I wonder why the series was made. I don't think it was for game promotion, since Nessa, Allister, Bea and Wooloo have minimal roles there and you need some basic context of the games to understand the shorts, and we also know that Galar characters aren't banned from the regular anime with many having recurring roles. Maybe they were made so people felt in love with Gen 8 in spite of its controversies?

Either way, this was a fun ride and a part of the franchise I'd definitely recommend.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

Side note, I'm glad Tommy's cameo with Allister put to rest those creepypastas of him being dead. That would've put a downer on such a happy ending.

How? If anything this actually reinforces the theory since he's staying with Allister, instead of joining his best friend John in the journey.

 

[Alola]

How? If anything this actually reinforces the theory since he's staying with Allister, instead of joining his best friend John in the journey.

I don't know if you saw, but there's a promotional epilogue image where Tommy does join John and they set off on journeys together:

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

I don't know if you saw, but there's a promotional epilogue image where Tommy does join John and they set off on journeys together:

They were talking about his scene with Allister, which is what I questioned their reasoning. Also, promotional images are not "canon."

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

How? If anything this actually reinforces the theory since he's staying with Allister, instead of joining his best friend John in the journey.

He can meet two people separately you know? Being with Allister doesn’t “reinforce” the fact that he’s dead.

And that promotional image is an epilogue and hasn’t been contradicted by canon so it has credibility, specially when combined by the fact that Tommy does appear in the episode.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

He can meet two people separately you know?

I'm not using it as a proof though, I'm questioning someone's reasoning to use it as a proof, when in fact it actually reinforces the theory by still showing him with ghosts.

And that promotional image is an epilogue and hasn’t been contradicted by canon so it has credibility, specially when combined by the fact that Tommy does appear in the episode.

Still not canon.

 

[Eeveely]

Is there any evidence to the theory beyond the (to my knowledge) unconfirmed (and illogical) ability for dead humans to just randomly appear where ghost-types pokemon are?

Also dreepy is a ghost-type, meaning that by the weird logic this theory stands on...

 

[Alola]

Also, promotional images are not "canon."

That perspective holds just as much weight as people who argue against it; I've also seen media confirmed as canon in outside sources such as interviews, images, reports, etc. not present in the original material.

Anyway, seeing as how the image was provided by the director of the series, who also animates, I'm inclined to believe it's where John and Tommy wound up, as well as what Yamashita canonically envisioned. However, I also understand it may not be the case.

 

[RK9]

I'm not using it as a proof though, I'm questioning someone's reasoning to use it as a proof, when in fact it actually reinforces the theory by still showing him with ghosts.

Still not canon.

Seems to me to just be a flashforward.

Reeks more of the "I don't like it so it's not canon" law here.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

What is the evidence that Tommy is dead? There’s none so far. Unless Allister is incapable of hanging out with living people and killed Tommy to ease his anxiety.

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

Promotional images are never canon, just like anything not part of a show is not canon. It's been this way since the time before anime itself. What next, people will claim that events happening in the anime opening is canon?

Reeks more of the "I don't like it so it's not canon" law here.

Yes, I hate children.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

In the end, there’s officially no evidence for Tommy being dead, specially since he’s been seen in flesh in this episode. As someone who watched the second last and the last episode together, I didn’t even know the ""theory"" existed.

 

[ii kanji]

...I didn’t even know the ""theory"" existed.

You haven't been reading my posts, have you?

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

You haven't been reading my posts, have you?

I tuned into the previous review thread a bit late, I read all posts on here sooner or later! I read some stuff about death on the previous review and the entire time my thought process was "Let it not be some baseless conspiracy child death" and it turned out to be exactly that.

These shorts don’t have summaries so I was completely unaware of the episode plot and thus, reading everything out of context. I thought the theory was John dying and not Tommy...

 

[marshiyanmisuta]

In the end, there’s officially no evidence for Tommy being dead

Good thing then no one is seriously promoting that theory here.
unless iikanji was serious when she posted RIP