What do you think of Team Rocket in XY?

[Karamazov]

Team Rocket have been a fixture in the anime since the early years of Kanto. In BW, their role was changed drastically. Now XY has brought them back to their pre-BW personas, but now don't appear in every episode.

Do you think of the TRio in XY? After all the changes and ideas done with them, do you think they're being handled well? Should they have more screentime, or less? Would you like to see them go in a different direction?

 

[Muur]

Their pre BW persona got tired and it was a breath of fresh air when they changed so I don't like they're back to normal. I do think an antagonist every few episodes like Rocket so far is needed but I think it would've been better used for antagonists. Not Team Flare but maybe some anime exlcusive bad guys. Eh, if they can have Rocket doing some original stuff I suppose it wont be too bad. At least (from what I've seen - dub) they're not losing due to BS ways any more.

 

[Lugia trainer]

Honestly I think their XY role is just as annoying as their pre BW role even though they don't appear in every episode. The way I view their role is this: Their role in the show is to provide comic relief but the fact is that the show for the most part doesn't need comic relief and if it did then all the other characters are more then capable of filling that role themselves. Also when the three of them fulfill their role as comic relief it's during points in the show where comic relief isn't needed and ironically they sometimes cause situations where comic relief would be appropriate but are around to fill that role due to them having been blasted off beforehand such as in XY01. the bottom line is that their role is pointless. Sorry about that lengthy statement or whatever but I just wanted you guys to understand how I view their role. I'm also sorry that it is off topic. Seriously though I can't think of any reason why the writers insist on keeping them in the show. I'm not complaining by the way. I also think that the fact that they no longer appear in every episode shows that the writers are recognizing their decreasing popularity. Really their XY role isn't any different from their pre XY role. Also this is off topic but I found a petition to have them removed from the show in case anyone is interested. If you want the link to it just ask me.

 

[Sakuraa]

I can't say that I care for them all that much. Although, I honestly have never cared much for TR, I really started losing my interest in them probably mid-DP. They just got way too boring. Then in BW they actually became serious and cool until nearing the end, which made me just loose my interest in them once again.

Now in XY, I still don't care that much for them. Now I will admit that a few of their plans this time around have been ok, like Garchomp's collar and the Ryhorn capture machine, and the Mega Meowth Mecha. I'm also glad that Wobbuffet has become a bit more than just a gag and is now battling a bit more. But other than those things thus far, I still don't care much when they appear. I tend to find them useless and annoying in most episodes they've appeared in so far. I've just gotten bored and annoyed of their antics after watching them do the same thing for like 15 years or so. I'm just glad that they don't appear in every episode.

 

[Flynn]

I'm enjoying them so far. I've found their antics to be pretty hilarious. Some of my favorites are Musashi trying her hardest to grab Dedene and Kojirou putting on that weird accent when calling out Maaika in XY4, Sonansu modeling for the brats in those ridiculous outfits in XY8, Kojirou getting cut off by the OP in XY10, and them getting into that huge fight in XY11. I love everything about that scene. How dark and serious everything gets when Nyarth brings up who should get credit for catching the brats' pokemon, then they start screaming bloody murder at each other, and then they get into a fight which causes their balloon to blow up and they lose all of the pokemon they've captured. It's classic Team Rocket. Their VA's chemistry and delivery is like no other.

I like how they've incorporated some of the good aspects of their BW characters (the technology, for instance) into their original personas. I also like how they're kind of drawn the same like they were in BW which caused a lot of people to think (myself included) that they might go back to being serious, but that ended up not being the case so they're drawn like serious villains but act like goofballs. I really like that sort of contrast.

Pokemon-wise, I'd say their team is pretty good. I'm glad Sonansu is back and is used in battle. I like the pun in Maaika's name, and it seems to be pretty tough. Bakeccha hasn't had too many appearances, but its Mistletoe Seed is already shown to be pretty useful. Their battle in XY8 continues to be my favorite in the series so far, and it's honestly one of my favorite battles ever.

I don't really care for their appearance in XY12 and 18. 12 was just a very meh episode in general, though, and I feel if they didn't appear the episode would be a lot worse. They felt pretty tacked on in 18; though them running in that suit of armor and Musashi playing the Pokemon Flute badly was pretty funny. I also don't like how they keep using the same stock footage for the motto over and over. Yeah, it's pretty stylish, and the music is great, but I'm just sick of it at this point.

As far as what I want from them in the future, I hope Kojirou catches another pokemon. I hope they're heavily involved in the Team Flare plot, but I don't really want a "Team Rocket vs Team Plasma" type deal; I just want them to side with the brats. I'm OK with Sakaki not appearing much as I've kind of grown to dislike the character thanks to BW. It'd be cool to see Yamato and Kosaburou again, though.

So yeah, I like the Rockets in XY. They can be repetitive at times, but the cartoon as whole is highly repetitive.

 

[Nymphia]

Funny Team Rocket is underrated doesn't deserve the amount of hate that the fandom gives to them frequently like here.

In reality, funny Team Rocket is not the best thing of XY but I think they are way better than Serena right now, which at least is good. I have to admit that in this show a really evil villain doesn't really gdo well outside of some arcs and team Rocket members are the best of doing them.

About the serious ones, not that I hate them, but I didn't like too much For me, it feels Out Of Character compared to toher version of team Rocket outside Best Wishes. In the two-partner they are sometimes even "good" but outside that... they're really boring.

For serious villain teams, there's Tem Flare and what else the anime can do to do the function. Even TR as a organization. But the TRio is better in funny version to adapt in the roles of "character that create conflict in many episodes".

About the screentime, I feel that episodes without them are better with them (XY16) but episodes with them would be better without them (XY18).

I think that they kept the most exciting thing of TR in XY from BW: The TR logo and missing episodes, thing that has to be done in AG at least*.

*I don't mind them missing episodes. But not 12 episodes in a row and 3 appearances in 20 episodes like we have to deal with it in BW.

And about the next episde where Meowth helps Ash, I usually like those epsiodes where they act friendly to Ash and co. because a bigger evil threat.
what i didn't like about funny TR (and we aren't getting it) is when they are doing secondary thing like being coachers, being waiters, like in DP league (with some fortunte exceptions like Jessilina).

 

[P0KEM0N]

I don't like them in XY. The writers just don't seem to know how to write them anymore.

 

[kantoskies]

I feel like while they're almost completely back to their old selves, what they really need are character-focused episodes. Meowth kind-of-sort-of-not-really got those in Best Wishes what with that Nyagotiator arc, but that doesn't even really count since they didn't focus on Meowth as a character. As for Jessie and James...the end of Diamond and Pearl? Which was like 3-4 years ago??? Yeah it's really time they had some character episodes, that would definitely push them 100% back to where they were before Best Wishes.

As for where they are now, I'm definitely liking what we're getting. Although they definitely could have saved (or made less bad) some of the episodes they were excluded from. Other than that and the recycled motto animation (I get that it was probably expensive to make and it did look nice in XY001, but I'd much rather have new static posed each time than the exact same thing each time) I don't have many complaints with them.

 

[Lugia trainer]

I'm sorry if this post is off topic but based on some of the other posts I've read I think it would be appropriate to post the link to the petition I mentioned before. Remove Team Rocket from the Pokemon Anime Series Petition

 

[SammyW27]

I don't like them in XY. The writers just don't seem to how to write them anymore.

Ah hell, the writers haven't had any idea about what DO with them in YEARS

That said, I'm liking 'em. I haven't enjoyed the TRio this much since Early AG

The only thing that would make it perfect was if they attacked some public events and stood up to some Gym Leaders/E4 members again

 

[MizuTaipu]

I'm very happy that the Rocket-dan is goofy and adorable again! :-D They do seem to have that tameness from the Decolora arc (for example, Musashi is less abrasive than before), but the writers were just adjusting to their old personalities because it was such a sharp contrast to their Best Wishes days. Hopefully there will be more funny antics from the trio in the future; that "Transforming Sonansu Show" was genius. XD

 

[G50]

I like that they're not in every episode, still have a few comedic moments but at the same time seem more serious than they were pre-BW.

I like this Team Rocket much better than their pre-BW selves so far, but I can't really say whether I like their BW or XY selves better so far. I guess I'll make that decision further down the line in XY.

 

[Alola]

They’re okay.
I wish they would have more meaningful interactions with the cast though. I mean, they just seem so distant now. They are eons better than whatever the hell that was in BW, but now it seems they just come in for an obligatory Team Rocket blastoff with a few shallow puns or jokes thrown around.

I would like to see their goal of stealing Pikachu brought up more/discussed again as well.

I like how their battles are turning out though. Finally Wobbuffet is consistently being used as it should. After all these years…
Jessies’s Pumpkanoo seems pretty cool too as well as James Inkay. Him yelling MAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKA is different.
I really hope we see them actually interact with their Pokémon as well just as how Jessie used to do with Seviper, Dustox and Yanmega and James with nearly all his Pokémon prior to BW.

And I’ve yet to see a confrontation between Serena and Jessie, unlike the ones she would have against Misty, May and somewhat Dawn (which in my opinion were hilarious).

I guess I’m a creature of habit. Bring back the old Team Rocket.

And what’s up with the creepy faces they make at times? I’m surprised Bonnie doesn’t have nightmares yet.

 

[Lugia trainer]

And what’s up with the creepy faces they make at times? I’m surprised Bonnie doesn’t have nightmares yet.

I would like to say that there isn't any solid evidence that says she doesn't have nightmares nor is there any that says she does. So for as far as we now it could be either one. Just saying.

 

[Alola]

And what’s up with the creepy faces they make at times? I’m surprised Bonnie doesn’t have nightmares yet.

I would like to say that there isn't any solid evidence that says she doesn't have nightmares nor is there any that says she does. So for as far as we now it could be either one. Just saying.

That was a joke my friend. Just to emphasize on the creepy faces they make.

 

[Lugia trainer]

And what’s up with the creepy faces they make at times? I’m surprised Bonnie doesn’t have nightmares yet.

I would like to say that there isn't any solid evidence that says she doesn't have nightmares nor is there any that says she does. So for as far as we now it could be either one. Just saying.

That was a joke my friend. Just to emphasize on the creepy faces they make.

That doesn't mean I'm wrong.

 

[Pokemaster97]

I think they really found a nice balance between the silly pre-BW Team Rocket and the serious BW ones. While yes, this season, they don't act too seriously anymore, they are actually being treated as actual threats while retaining those qualities that made them enjoyable in earlier seasons. They've really stepped up with the battling and made them longer than the quick use one move and get blasted off again. I think it was a step in the right direction to not include them in every episode to allow some characters of the day to carry the episode, which has lead to stronger and more unique CotD's in my opinion.

I'm pleased with how they're being handled this series, overall.

 

[Satoshi Da Ze]

I'd say it's shocking how the writers seem to have read my mind when it came to wishes.

I've been wishing they hijacked less episodes since forever.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Rocket trio when they're not trying to be badass or serious. But I really hated how the writers abused their existence to hijack episodes that were damn fine without them interrupting the flow with a rehashed attack that was a drag to watch.

It feels kind of wrong to be happy they're not around in half the episodes this time around because they're supposed to be part of the main crew just as much as Satoshi and Pikachu are.
But I guess I have to content myself with that, since apparently the idea of having Rocket-dan being in an episode WITHOUT being in Satoshi-tachi's way, like minding their own business, trying to steal/do something else or prepare something WHILE BEING FUNNY STILL is not gonna happen more often than during gym or important battles.


I shouldn't say it's nearly perfect, because the Rocket trio is still missing some development they had from AG and DP. They're being funny, and being more serious when they have to. But they're still not revisiting many of the traits or personal goals they used to have.

I care so much for their in-character-ness or development because it's just not possible to take them seriously as threats. Not when the anime already has other villains for that.
Making them serious threats puts them on the same level as those villains. And that's just a bad idea IMO, because they are and will be around all the time. You can only take a villain seriously for so long.

 

[weeaboo_girl84]

I think they're the same old boring characters they were in DP and Da. I find it difficult to take them seriously as actual threats when all they really do is show up in the majority of episodes, interfere and lose. It's the same crap I've seen from them countless times before. At least they have Wobbuffet back. I missed that guy. ^^

 

[Lillie]

I really don't like Team Rocket in XY. So far they seem to only exist for being a plot device in the episodes they appear, while in BW if felt like they had a purpose to be in the anime as main villains.