Will it Ever End?

[PokeDot517]

Will it Ever End?

That is the question. As you may already know, the Pokémon anime has been around for almost twenty years and it has been an critical success. Over 800 episodes have been created and fans of it love it as well.

However...Will it eventually end? Our protagonist Satoshi (Ash Ketchum) has been going through what seems like endless loop of getting all eight gym badges, competing in the regional Pokémon league and then losing it. Now I know that the anime is only a marketing tool used to promote the video games but will it eventually end? It may end up being like The Simpsons or any other long running cartoon, sitcom or anime that doesn't show signs of ending either. That's kinda depressing.

I imagine the writers are thinking that people who watch the show will eventually get tired of it as they grow older and eventually stop watching it and newcomers will watch the show, get hooked, (not as in drugs) and eventually get tired if the show and stop watching it, a repeating pattern.

However despite what just said, I honestly don't want to see the show end. I DO however want to see a complete overhaul to the show. A new, more intelligent male or female protagonist with a different personality and goals, a more serious tone, (kind of like The Legend of Korra) and the protagonist actually wins the Pokémon league.

No matter if the show remains the same forever or it eventually changes for the better, I will continue to watch the show because...that's just what I do. I'm just tired of the same s**t happening...that's the biggest problem with it. Also do you think the writers are starting to burn out? That would explain episode plots are rehashed a lot.

Well anyways...

 

[ii kanji]

Of course it will end, nothing in this world can go on forever. Will it end any time soon? I doubt it, but I suppose it's all dependent on the ongoing success of the franchise. As you mentioned, OP, the success of the anime rides on young kids getting hooked as older fans grow tired, which also means that your dream of the show's (enormously successful) format being overhauled will never happen as long as the show's creators have any sense. This is also why the episodes appear, to those of us who have been watching for some time, to be rehashed - we can spot patterns and repeats easily because we have watched such a volume of episodes! I don't think little kids mind, in fact, I think the familiarity is what makes it enjoyable. I remember as a child waiting with baited breath each episode to see the TRio blast off because it was my favourite bit of the episode.

 

[overlordreubs]

I don't think it will for ages yet. As long as the Pokemon franchise stays popular, the anime won't end. They can't end it.

Some of us who liked Pokemon grew bored of it, and left the franchise. But some others didn't (basically us on Bulbagarden Forums) and kept with it. Pokemon keeps up the good work for both of those types. As some people leave, other children will discover the franchise and start watching the anime and play the games. The anime can't just stop all of a sudden; that would be unfair to the newer fans. So, hence the anime just keeps on going, and probably won't end until the whole franchise of Pokemon stops altogether.

The reason that some episode plots keep on being reused is so that newer fans can enjoy the same things as older fans. It's just an easy way to please all of the fans without having to put in too much effort. Now, that may sound really lazy to everyone, but it's not just Pokemon who do that. Not at all.

Take the Super Mario Bros franchise, for instance. Nearly all of the games in this series revolve around the same plot; Bowser invades the Mushroom Kingdom and captures the princess, Peach. Now it's Mario's job to go out and travel across many different lands to beat Bowser in a battle and rescue the princess. The end. Now let's take a look at the Sonic the Hedgehog. Dr Eggman is the villain, and he builds machines to try and exterminate Sonic. The same goes for both of their TV shows and mangas/comics. But it never gets old.

Pokemon just recycle the same ideas, but add something new in. This way they can please all the fans. The same stuff will always keep happening, that's just the way marketing goes.

 

[froakiefroak]

If the popularity declines within the next 10 years then it will probably be changed in some way, maybe. I don't think the anime will ever be totally gone and out of the picture forever though.

 

[BigDocFan]

I'm confident that as long as the games keep going, the show will keep going

 

[Perpetual_Phoenix]

When it will end? No idea. Do all of us want a proper send off for Ash? Yes. I believe it's time to retire Ash's character and introduce a new one. He could have cameos where he's shown as champion, the new protagonist looks up to him. Will this be a daunting task for the whole anime crew? Believe it. After all these years it would be a challenge to suddenly introduce a new main protagonist.

 

[Krash]

End it. Or at least change the format. Every episode so far is follows the same format. Something happens, new person/pokemon is introduced, Team Rocket enters, blasts off, everything goes back to normal.

 

[CrashBash]

End it. Or at least change the format. Every episode so far is follows the same format. Something happens, new person/pokemon is introduced, Team Rocket enters, blasts off, everything goes back to normal.

They DID change the format. Most people called it "Best Wishes". And most would rather not remember it.

 

[Perpetual_Phoenix]

End it. Or at least change the format. Every episode so far is follows the same format. Something happens, new person/pokemon is introduced, Team Rocket enters, blasts off, everything goes back to normal.

Did you completely miss Best Wishes?

Team Rocket barely showed up at all. Although that doesn't excuse how bad Best Wishes as a series was.

 

[Osprey]

No. It'll never really end. Even when the franchise calls it quits and ceases to be, the show won't have an actual wrap-up conclusion. Ash would have to become a Pokemon master to truly be finished with his quest, and as long as he keeps losing the regional league (always has, always will), I don't think this'll ever happen. Yeah yeah, there's more to it than winning and all of that, but winning is certainly a major part of it at least!

Now, if you want to see a competent trainer travel and win the league all in a more mature and serious tone of a story, I'd tell you to go give Pokemon Adventures manga a try.

 

[KrspaceT]

It is quite possible: I mean Bleach's anime ended, as did Naruto's manga.

 

[Ampharos King]

Everything must come to an end at some point. Our planet can only sustain life for so long; based on current estimates, the Earth only has about 7 billion years before it is absorbed by our Sun. But the Earth will supposedly become unsuitable for human life in about a billion or so, so this anime could possibly continue up until that long if we're lucky. But based on our rapid population growth, combined with the considerable loss in fertile land due to environmental changes and over-farming, we may not have enough resources to support our population by the turn of this century. And if we can't support our physiological needs for hunger and thirst, forget about video games, anime, and other "wants."

But none of us can give a definite answer as to when this series will end. Pokémon is still popular to this day, and as long as there are people willing and able to support the franchise by buying the games and other apparel, the anime will likewise have enough money to continue.

 

[Muur]

I'd say there's at least two more generations in him.

 

[Peridorito]

Of course not. The only way it would end would be if something like Ampharos King said happens. And if it does, it wouldn't be until a really long time. As long as Pokémon continues to be popular (and it always will), the anime will continue. It would most likely end if the Pokémon games started to become a commercial failure, but I don't think that will happen so soon.

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

The sun's going to blow eventually. But relistically we'll have to wait a few decades to see if the declining but still GIGANTIC sales of the main series games ever get to a point where the franchise can't coast on it's success and actually have to do something. Also people aren't immortal who's going to replace Pikachu's VA unless they just use old recording forever.

 

[CrashBash]

It'll end once Pokemon itself ends, most likely. The game series will likely die out eventually (and that is the key word) and the anime will likely die out with it. But since Pokemon still seems to be going strong for now, I don't think we have to worry for quite some time.

 

[ii kanji]

Also people aren't immortal who's going to replace Pikachu's VA unless they just use old recording forever.

I always wonder about this... Well not Pikachu because I think as you said they've got enough stock of Pikachu to just reuse that until the cows come home, but what about the other seiyuus? I understand they've replaced a few of the seiyuus within Pokemon who have passed away, but is there much precedent from other long running animes/cartoons when main VAs die?

 

[SammyW27]

It is quite possible: I mean Bleach's anime ended, as did Naruto's manga.

A key difference there is that those weren't being bankrolled by a VERY large video game company to promote a one their most successful series. There's no end in sight. Considering how popular AND profitable the franchise is, the TV Show could very well last forever. Heck, at this point it will end when the world does.

That said, I just wish they would've started over from scratch every saga/generation like with Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblade, and, of course, Pokémon Special/Adventures do to keep things fresh.
I don't mind that the Show keeps going and going at all; it's being forever stuck with Ash, Pikachu, and the TRio I don't like :dead:

 

[JacobYBM]

Also people aren't immortal who's going to replace Pikachu's VA unless they just use old recording forever.

I always wonder about this... Well not Pikachu because I think as you said they've got enough stock of Pikachu to just reuse that until the cows come home, but what about the other seiyuus? I understand they've replaced a few of the seiyuus within Pokemon who have passed away, but is there much precedent from other long running animes/cartoons when main VAs die?

It happens with a lot of the veteran voice actors. Many Dragon Ball actors have passed away and those characters have been recast. Doraemon up and completely changed its entire cast in 2005 after decades despite the actors still being alive.

 

[froakiefroak]

The sun's going to blow eventually. But relistically we'll have to wait a few decades to see if the declining but still GIGANTIC sales of the main series games ever get to a point where the franchise can't coast on it's success and actually have to do something. Also people aren't immortal who's going to replace Pikachu's VA unless they just use old recording forever.

I'd say at least Ash and Pikachu's voice actors have another 10+ years or so in them before any big changes happen but we'll see. Both are close to approaching 50.