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Live Blogs The Great Walk to Masterhood: "Gotta Ketch'um": The Story of Ash
Kaoz2013-07-22 13:31:26

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Adversity, Friendship, Getting Lost Between Them: Birth of Running Motifs/Gags

(2012)

day 9 brock gets a zubat off screen {ep6}

That's the only reason this isn't the first filler episode. Also I must inform you, as you read these words, the clefairy song is now stuck in your head. (2013) This is not a knock against the episode which is otherwise really fun(ny), but being completely honest Zubat is the single most useless of any of the protagonists' mons (including TR's) until the start of Best Wishes, but I'm getting way ahead of myself. Seriously though we don't even see the capture.

Note on my timeline that nobody cares about: it's not an episode=a day or anything, it's just that these early eps are actually tightly plotted together, believe me the second Team Twerp wonders off the beaten path they'll get a chance to rest off screen.

day 10 ash gets 2nd badge {ep7}

TR's first crazy invention! Can't defend this badge tho, I mean technically he would've won by default if Pikachu hadn't refused to fight Misty, and TR did interrupt the match, but her sisters give Ash the badge because he stopped the Rockets and no other reason... so no go, it's a freebie. (2013) Misty is a main char, duh, so her eldest sister Daisy acts as the gym leader stand in so the redhead can hound Ash for a wedding, I mean "bike", but like what are her other sisters there for? I mean besides providing low-end '90s fanservice. Lastly, Brock just walks off at the beginning of the episode to do "something" and then just never brings it up again... curious.

The first two filler episodes 8+9; 8 is boring but ok, and 9 gives us a brief snippet of J+J's back story, they went to school together... that's it really. Also in 9 is a dub-only line, wherein random-one-episode girl asks how long Ash has been on his journey, he says it's been two months, OK I know I sped things up but... LOLWAT NOFUCKINGWAY it's been that long already.

(2013) Not much to add here, as the show's first foray into areas that are both unscripted per the game yet unnecessary to continue the narrative, they ain't half bad especialy some of the crap later regions throw at the audience. So 8 gets an arbitrary 3.77/6 and 9's TR bits make it watchable tho not as good. Last word, Ash's offhand mention of having won 10 battles in 8 (and all such future mentions) are included in his record for each region.

day 18 ash catches bulbasaur {ep10}

day 22 ash catches charmander {ep11}

day 24 ash catches squirtle {ep12}

day 28 ash catches krabby {ep13}

Now it's time for my lame attempt at rapping, cringe and enjoy. Holy stupid catchphrase Batman, look at all that plot! The OG crew is all here, sound-off.

Pidgeotto's a classy bird, keepin the wind in her stride, never letting TR's balloon glide away with her boss inside. Pikachu's the leader he's a really cool dude shocking the heavens with an attitude, Butterfree's his bro shooting powders and stuff, Bulbasaur's a cool flower, who don't take any gruff. Charmander's a little shaky due to his past, but given him some time with Kamina... I mean Squirtle by his side, he'll power up and release the fire that's inside. Now with bonus crustacean action!

Jokes aside, only thing worth noting is that Damian, Charmander's original trainer, is an abusive ass-hat. Finally, it's time to play MAP SHENANAGINS!!!! Bill's light house is at a dead end facing the ocean to the north-east of Cerulean, by the very next episode Ash is in Vermillion in south Kanto somehow having not returned to Cerulean at all or gone through Diglett's cave which is by Pewter, or passing through Lavender or Saffron.... HE'S JUST THERE, IS HE A WIZARD AND/OR NINJA?!

(2013) Ash's intermitten ability to just show up at the plot really kinda screws with tracking his journey. These are solid/good introducing more team member episodes, nothing to see here folks. More running gag staples get introduced: They get lost, Brock hits on a girl, they help random stranger with their human/Pokémon issues, TR by now has gotten used to terminal velocity... the standard Pokémon formula as it were, but we're still missing a few ingredients, that will be added right now.

day 42 ash gets 3rd badge {ep14} (2013) Told you time would pass us by.

(2012) 3 important new things happen:

1. there's actually a normal gym battle for the badge,

2. The debut of the “Fuck you, I'm Ash Ketchum” style of battling, which is comprised of using real-world physics against Pokémon logic or Pokémon physics against real-world logic in order to win. Ash has been screwing the rules in both directions since before it was cool. Suck on that James... I mean Kaiba... I mean Brock... whoever you ARE! <ahem> Voice actor jokes are funny, right?

3 The 1st time Team Rocket disguises themselves, actually kind of convincing I might add, the twerps recognize them immediately. Therefore it becomes apparent that Ash knows its TR every time but simply does not give a fuck until they've “revealed” themselves.

(2013) with Bill and the giant dragonite in ep13 broadening the anime's verse, and ep14 actually having a climactic fight along with all the DRAMA related to Ash's decision regarding the thunder stone it can be said that the show had finally laid out all its parts and was ready to raise the bar and run on till the end. Makes sense considering that's about the halfway point for a standard length anime.


Next time... "Parodys Everywhere: Titanic, Castaways, Kaiju, Beaches, Hauntings, Exorcist" Eps 15-24

Comments

EeveeMistress Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 7th 2014 at 12:47:40 AM
I laughed so hard at the wedding line, you have no idea.
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