Pokémon anime

Awww :(

I like that Pikachu saw him off too :)

Half of us expected him to lose the league anyway (or at least knew it was a heavy likeliness). It wasn't just the return to formula, but how up it's own ass this series was about it, trolling and hyping the fans up to what was ultimately nothing. It all felt like a sneaky trick to get them to watch up until the very end.

I generally hate interpretations of cartoon franchises that get Darker and Edgier, usually because they ultimately can't add up to the larger mystique and if anything just make blander and more broken plot lines (eg. Sonic). I cringe at it because you can actually feel the pretentious assurance in the writers they're making something mature, well woven and 'epic', when usually it just comes out like a shallow fanfic.

Some stuff is WORSE than previous series, Team Rocket are back to AG-DP nuisances who troll nearly every episode the exact same way, Ash was 'competent' in terms of being a bland overpowered Ace rather than displaying any real experience, Serena had a poor arc, has barely improved as a trainer and her supposed poignant bond with Ash was almost entirely one sided, the chemistry among the heroes was rather one dimensionally happy and sugary sweet, the releases felt more contrived and emotionless (especially Squishy and Goodra who did it twice), and Plot Armor was prevalent for the heroes in nearly every circumstance besides winning their main tournament. The pompousness in narrative that this was all being depth fully handled just made it more unbearable to watch.

edited 22nd Oct '16 5:46:11 AM by Psi001

I don't know what to tell you except that's still all your own fault. And really, a lot of that is just your tastes clashing with what this anime actually is.

I don't know. Even though the romantic subplot really ended up going nowhere, I really enjoyed the chemistry between the 4 characters in the last generation, to the point I would dare to say they were even better than the original trio of the first seasons. On the other hand, the Team Rocket trio really needs to go for good.

What really made it fail was not the characters, the plot or Ash's level of competence, but it was the sole fact they couldn't let Ash win in the very end that ultimately made the fans feel like they were cheated. It was the disappointment factor, but if you don't take this into account there is no denying that XY was actually pretty good up to this point and that was precisely what a large chunk of the fans wanted to see after all. Its only flaws were Alain winning a league he didn't even want to participate to begin with, Ash being your standard eternally Oblivious to Love main anime character and the fact the anime (and Ash) being both Merchandise-Driven to such an exaggerated extreme. It had the potential to be an epic finale and a lot of fans even came back after all these years because they actually thought it could happen, but it didn't and now they won't believe in that hope ever again.

edited 22nd Oct '16 6:58:01 AM by ShadowAbyss

You think XY is "Darker and Edgier"......uh sure, ok I guess. I really don't agree with that since it's really no more "darker" than say...DP, but sure I guess?

Like, XY's flaws aren't really any less prevalent than...the flaws that constantly plague this series, so I don't get why you're giving XY more shit than any other season unless you really just dislike it when a series shifts focus from comedy to action.

edited 22nd Oct '16 7:53:18 AM by BlackYakuzu94

Every saga of the anime has its own individual flaws compared to the others. No saga was perfect and each saga does some things a little better and a little worse than others.

DP for example developed Ash and Dawn really well, but the DP trio as a group was rather boring to watch because the writers made the mistake of keeping Brock around and he had no chemistry with Dawn at all. So it was basically just Ash/Dawn interacting all saga with Brock feeling like a left out third wheel. Its obviously why the writers finally axed him. The XY group on the other hand has much more enjoyable chemistry even though Serena herself wasn't anywhere as focused on as Dawn was.

I suppose the difference is DP gave us a satisfying end to what people wanted to see, Ash finally beat Paul with Infernape. Then since Ash had to lose he went out in a blaze of glory to a legendary user. People were mad back then too, but since it was the Top 4 and not the finals...people had no delusions of Ash possibly winning the entire league back then. The Kalos league WAS the finals, and Ash had lost to Alan twice already and the title and promotions gave the viewers the idea that Ash would win. The fact that there are no Gyms/league in Sun/Moon gave this theory as well...it felt like the "last chance" to send off the league arcs in the show.

Ash doing Catastropika

Was expecting the usual gif. Pleasantly surprised. That's cute as hell.

Usual?

The one where its reversed so instead of Ash catching Pikachu he's throwing it.

@precita: A recurring complaint with the XY cast was that they were too recurrently pleasant with each other, never having disagreements or their foibles cause problems or plot development among the team that much besides comic relief. There was only one serious argument throughout the series, which felt like a somewhat generic moment of angst.

Also since Ash was such an over the top Ace, almost any relationship another team mate had with him was bound to be one sided, Serena and Amourshipping was castrated disastrously by this, since Ash had perhaps the most distant bond with her out of all the female companions. Sure there were some running gags (Ash geeking out to Clemont's inventions for example) but they had about the same level depth as Dawn reacting to Brock's constant infatuations, if that can be considered giving them a chemistry. Serena and Clemont also had the same problem.

edited 22nd Oct '16 1:42:48 PM by Psi001

http://fuck-yesanime.tumblr.com/post/152168481508/hey-you-remember-that-huge-ass-log-ash-ran-with

Satoshi/Ash Ketchum, a ten year old boy, almost effortlessly picked up, ran with, and tossed a log that weighed an astounding 1,385 pounds (or about 628.23 kilograms)!

Physics and Pokemon don't go along really well. I remember there was one instance where he could stand a hippopotas over his head, like it was part of his hat.

edited 22nd Oct '16 2:39:00 PM by ShadowAbyss

RMC: It's Morphin' Time!

Although, with that Super-Strength, who needs a morpher?

If they don't Lampshade how strong Ash is in the "Sun & Moon" series, or, alternately, if they don't demonstrate that practically Everyone can lift at least 100 kg, then the writers should get an F.

Well in just the recent episode Serena managed to lift Ash and Bonnie with just one hand as Greninja flung her onto a freaking plane.

Ironically the one time Ash tried to pull her to safety he was dragged down the cliff with her and hurt his foot.

edited 22nd Oct '16 3:07:28 PM by Psi001

Really think you're over exaggerating considering I barely see those complaints around here or even on /vp/ or Serebii.

Sometimes I think Serena being so nice and loving to Ash was well received simply because she came right after Iris. We went from a girl calling Ash "a kid" all saga and mocking him, to a blonde girl who is infatuated with Ash and views him as a knight in shining armor.

Had Serena come after May or Dawn instead, I doubt it would have made such an impact. Case in point Dawn and Serena are rather similar in terms of girliness and love for fashion and dressing up, but Dawn was an action-heroine who loved battling and jumping into the action. And the Contests were more popular than the tripokalon's. Pearlshipping also had quite a following when DP was airing, its also still a popular ship in Japan even with Amour.

Its probably also the same reason May wasn't as overly girly, because she came after Misty and that early in the franchise the girls leaned on the more tomboyish side of the spectrum. Kind of ironic because back when AG was originally airing people saw May as extremely girly compared to Misty, oddly enough. Imagine if Dawn or Serena existed back then? Misty fans would complain about anything tho.

The last episode of XY.

Ah, Greninja being shown again in the last episode makes sense. I guess it can transform into Ash Greninja at will now regardless of Ash being there. I'm betting we'll see it return in Sun/Moon so I'm not too bothered about it not going to Oak's lab.

Serena looks like a mix of sad and determined. I guess that's as close as a resolution to her crush on Ash as we'll get, but we may also see her cameo in Sun/Moon too so its not over yet.

Aw, don't cry Chespin!

It was a fun three years wasn't it.

Well, damn. Didn't expect him to let the Ninja G go just like that.

Here's hoping he DOES come back. Then after all is said and done, he can kick it back at the lab, like the rest of the studs.

Precita: Give me the timeline for Iris' cameo. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Of course, the appearance of Stunfisk in the broadcast data has people inferring that Serena will be getting one last Curtain Call with Cilan just before the "Sun & Moon" series.

Great T: Well, Charizard came back in "Best Wishes"^note Albeit as a promotion, so there's precedent there.

And on that note, I've been listening to some old game tunes this evening and I had an epiphany: In my opinion, the best way to write Ash is to make him the Pokemon version of Guybrush Threepwood of the Monkey Island videogame series; barring, of course, Guybrush's crush on Elaine and his porcelain-phobia. Apart from that, and probably Anti-Hero in favor of For Great Justice, I believe that (a properly-written) Ash can hit several of Guybrush's notes. And he hit quite a few of them depending on the series.

He just needs to hit a few more:

• Deadpan Snarker (And he was one in Kanto; this is one case where a Character Check would be helpful.)
• Guile Hero: This isn't the same as "Book-Smarts"; Ash can still be Book Dumb and still pull this off. Of course, Guybrush, while not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, does let his opponents believe he's even dumber so, when they least expect it...
• Only Sane Man: Ash has been around the block enough. Plus, he's heading out of his comfort zone. It needs to show both in how he's treated and how he internally reacts (see Deadpan Snarker above).

In sum, a move to comedy could work, if Ash is seen as giving at least as good as he gets. "Best Wishes" failed in that perception test. Yeah, he was "above it", and should still be that way outwardly, but give him an Aside or two here and there.

Full disclosure, this is from a guy who came into the Monkey Island series in the third game, i.e. about midway through that series' original run.

edited 22nd Oct '16 8:39:47 PM by DonaldthePotholer

I wonder if the writers thought XY would be a 4 year series like AG and DP were, but then Game Freak axed Z version to bring out Sun/Moon sooner and thus the saga was rushed to 3 years.

I seriously don't think they would have had Serena spend the entire first year of XY not doing much and not having a goal if they knew she would only be around for another 2 years. If XY was 4 years it would have looked less jarring.

I also can't help but wonder if the plan originally was to have Ash win the league, and then the extra year spent with Ash battling the Elite 4 or Champions, but the idea was axed.

I think another good example for Ash would be Phoenix Wright, who gets regularly belittled and insulted by prosecutors, witnesses, the culprits, his assistants, the judge, wins cases through tricks and luck helped by his own determination, and on the surface seems like a clueless klutz, when he's one of the most noble, and potentially competent people in the series.

Hell, Phoenix gets less and less clumsy as the series progresses, kind of like Ash did by XYZ.

edited 22nd Oct '16 9:57:18 PM by Emperordaein