CrystaI
The Pokemon Observer
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2011
- Messages
- 1,174
- Reaction score
- 641
To someone, Ash Ketchum is the reason they still cling on to the anime despite it consists of many major flaws. But to someone, Ash Ketchum is oppositely the reason they leave the anime and refuse to watch it again (It may include other reason as well. But being the protagonist of the show, he is the representative of the entire anime, of course representing the flaws as well).
So, as many should see in here, the existence of Ash have both the downside and the upside. So by replacing Ash, the outcome would be just like what Darthbane2007 said, it would be a tossup of 50/50 chance of hit or miss. Hence the key factor could changed that winning probability doesn't lie in the sole existence of one fictional character, but lie in the metas such as qualities of scenario-writings/plot-planning/voice-actings/musics/graphics, and most importantly the concern and passion from the producers' side of wanting to produce a good story which truly entertains the audience, rather than simply wanting to produce a marketable show of having the ability to milk out money from the audience.
If the producers side can do like what Dragonball, Naruto or even what Sailormoon had did, take continuity into consideration during plot planning, let the protagonist grow continuously (both physically and mentally), after one challenge the next coming-up new challenge will always be higher level than previously, so not just the protagonist is reach a higher state consecutively, but so as the antagonist, less of CoTD, but make a few selective recurring characters and significantly plot-important characters more outstanding in terms of their existence, such as let them come back for important plots or having a few character-centric episodes, and most importantly!!! Let the characters drive the plot, but not the plot drives the characters. In that case I would agree, letting Ash continue being the sole protagonist of the show would be more successful.
If the animators and scenario-writers can do like what Gundam series and Precure series had did, not just simply replacing protagonist for each saga, but each single protagonists are individual not just simply carboncopy of previous one and not stereotyped based on the first one, each have their own background and own personalities that distinguish themselves from each other, the story plot of each saga are individual not just simply following the same pattern as the first one, and of course extended to the antagonist side as well, each saga will have some new breakthrough which makes each saga significantly different from one another, and most importantly!!! Let the story end at the time where it should had ended according to the planned plot, do not elongate it unnecessarily (especially for the sole reason of it became popular so elongate the show can milk out more money). In this case I would have rather agree, replacing Ash would have make the anime much more successful.
But of course, no one can predict the future, so the above-mentioned best outcome may or may not happened. Back at that old time of 1999~2000, who could have imagined that letting Ash continue being the sole protagonist of the show would results in today's super-flawed anime where that despite many still watches it out of nostalgia, but more than half were in fact watching it on a sour note? In the otherhand, who could guaranteed that by replacing Ash would not result in bad (if not bad, then 'unsuccessful' would be a better word) series anime such as Yu-Gi-Oh, where the new sagas were trying to copy the success of first DM saga, so inadvertently new protagonists and new story are somehow like a bad copy of Yugi and his story, which oppositely alienated the old fans where many were uninterested to watch new series as they knew it would be more or less just like Yugi's story.
So, replacing Ash Ketchum or not is not the sole factor to determine would the Pokemon anime be continuously successful and popular, one need to consider other factors as well.
As a personal opinion, even up to nowadays, I still think (and believe) that replacing Ash with Jimmy at the latest of Orange Islands before Johto would allow Pokemon anime to be continuously successful and popular. At the very least, no more the current super-flawed anime full of plot-holes that will suspend one's suspension of disbelief, and that seemingly never-ending journey with a fixed formula which took away interests of many audience could have a chance of breakthrough. And not yet to mentioned, in fact there are a bunch of current audience watching Pokemon anime for the Pokemon creature, but not Ash Ketchum himself.
From what I saw from Legend of Thunder, the story was a bit more character-centered and plot was rather character-driven, which from narratology POV, is a sign of well-written story. Although I would have also agreed that Jimmy was not as laughably interesting as Ash (simply because he is not an impulsive pighead believed in spirit and friendship conquers everything, but modest and unpretentious where building his skill on plainly accumulating efforts), but I think his interactions with Marina and Vincent was more realistically interesting, a different kind of interesting from the comedic Ash-Misty-Brock group (and including the moronic TRio). If it ever get extended to a full-length anime, I would have high hope in his story, of course not just in his interaction with his friends, but also in his confrontation with the entire Team Rocket organization and most importantly the Rival.
Also unlike long animes that were adapted from long mangas on-going for decades long, and unlike TV-original animes that have no adaption source but yet made out to be decades long from the very start, Pokemon anime has an adaption source, which it was not manga but originated from a game series, where that game series uses different protagonist player (consist of both male and female) for each different generation. So I do not understand what is the problem of replacing Ash Ketchum, as the audience who had ever played the game (even not playing it, but at least know about it a little) would had expected change of casts from the beginning.
So, as many should see in here, the existence of Ash have both the downside and the upside. So by replacing Ash, the outcome would be just like what Darthbane2007 said, it would be a tossup of 50/50 chance of hit or miss. Hence the key factor could changed that winning probability doesn't lie in the sole existence of one fictional character, but lie in the metas such as qualities of scenario-writings/plot-planning/voice-actings/musics/graphics, and most importantly the concern and passion from the producers' side of wanting to produce a good story which truly entertains the audience, rather than simply wanting to produce a marketable show of having the ability to milk out money from the audience.
If the producers side can do like what Dragonball, Naruto or even what Sailormoon had did, take continuity into consideration during plot planning, let the protagonist grow continuously (both physically and mentally), after one challenge the next coming-up new challenge will always be higher level than previously, so not just the protagonist is reach a higher state consecutively, but so as the antagonist, less of CoTD, but make a few selective recurring characters and significantly plot-important characters more outstanding in terms of their existence, such as let them come back for important plots or having a few character-centric episodes, and most importantly!!! Let the characters drive the plot, but not the plot drives the characters. In that case I would agree, letting Ash continue being the sole protagonist of the show would be more successful.
If the animators and scenario-writers can do like what Gundam series and Precure series had did, not just simply replacing protagonist for each saga, but each single protagonists are individual not just simply carboncopy of previous one and not stereotyped based on the first one, each have their own background and own personalities that distinguish themselves from each other, the story plot of each saga are individual not just simply following the same pattern as the first one, and of course extended to the antagonist side as well, each saga will have some new breakthrough which makes each saga significantly different from one another, and most importantly!!! Let the story end at the time where it should had ended according to the planned plot, do not elongate it unnecessarily (especially for the sole reason of it became popular so elongate the show can milk out more money). In this case I would have rather agree, replacing Ash would have make the anime much more successful.
But of course, no one can predict the future, so the above-mentioned best outcome may or may not happened. Back at that old time of 1999~2000, who could have imagined that letting Ash continue being the sole protagonist of the show would results in today's super-flawed anime where that despite many still watches it out of nostalgia, but more than half were in fact watching it on a sour note? In the otherhand, who could guaranteed that by replacing Ash would not result in bad (if not bad, then 'unsuccessful' would be a better word) series anime such as Yu-Gi-Oh, where the new sagas were trying to copy the success of first DM saga, so inadvertently new protagonists and new story are somehow like a bad copy of Yugi and his story, which oppositely alienated the old fans where many were uninterested to watch new series as they knew it would be more or less just like Yugi's story.
So, replacing Ash Ketchum or not is not the sole factor to determine would the Pokemon anime be continuously successful and popular, one need to consider other factors as well.
As a personal opinion, even up to nowadays, I still think (and believe) that replacing Ash with Jimmy at the latest of Orange Islands before Johto would allow Pokemon anime to be continuously successful and popular. At the very least, no more the current super-flawed anime full of plot-holes that will suspend one's suspension of disbelief, and that seemingly never-ending journey with a fixed formula which took away interests of many audience could have a chance of breakthrough. And not yet to mentioned, in fact there are a bunch of current audience watching Pokemon anime for the Pokemon creature, but not Ash Ketchum himself.
From what I saw from Legend of Thunder, the story was a bit more character-centered and plot was rather character-driven, which from narratology POV, is a sign of well-written story. Although I would have also agreed that Jimmy was not as laughably interesting as Ash (simply because he is not an impulsive pighead believed in spirit and friendship conquers everything, but modest and unpretentious where building his skill on plainly accumulating efforts), but I think his interactions with Marina and Vincent was more realistically interesting, a different kind of interesting from the comedic Ash-Misty-Brock group (and including the moronic TRio). If it ever get extended to a full-length anime, I would have high hope in his story, of course not just in his interaction with his friends, but also in his confrontation with the entire Team Rocket organization and most importantly the Rival.
Also unlike long animes that were adapted from long mangas on-going for decades long, and unlike TV-original animes that have no adaption source but yet made out to be decades long from the very start, Pokemon anime has an adaption source, which it was not manga but originated from a game series, where that game series uses different protagonist player (consist of both male and female) for each different generation. So I do not understand what is the problem of replacing Ash Ketchum, as the audience who had ever played the game (even not playing it, but at least know about it a little) would had expected change of casts from the beginning.
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