Pokémon anime

Never mind then.

By the way, new preview out:

edited 9th Dec '17 4:13:48 PM by Psi001

Kiawe used a Z-Move last episode, and we've got Gladion, Lana, and Ash all using Z-Moves in this episode.

Makes me wonder if Lillie will also get a Z-Ring after this arc since she's featured in the Z-Power Ring toy along with the aforementioned characters: http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/pokemon/z_power_ring/ (Lillie's voice plays when the Icium, Fairium, and Mewnium are inserted into the ring)

edited 9th Dec '17 4:22:27 PM by Zoroark69

Do Mallow and Sophocles get some calls? If not, then... though the fact that Ash's Electinium is transformed gives me hope for the latter at least. Now all we need to help the former is for the Borb to shout OBJECTION! evolve.

For me, Ash winning in Alola would be part Too Soon and part Writer Cop Out, both on account of the Lumiose Conference. Plus, there's the redirected focus of "Sun & Moon". Having the (nominally) school-based series end on the bog standard Tournament Arc would be the disappointment to end all disappointments; yes, it would be worse than Ash not being able to defeat Alain.

Now I can see Dr. Kukui making Ash an offer similar to the one Scott made: Leave Your Quest and be part of Kukui's inaugural Elite Four. I can also see Ash refusing as he did before.

If this shortened Generation is a sign of things to come, then, once again, I think that future Anime Generations should start with Ash encountering the local evil team, with the purpose to solve that plot in a year. He would add his Pokemon and companions as a natural result of his struggle against the Evil Team, as opposed to getting the human companions practically immediately, who would then stay on in later years to start their own careers with Ash's help.

Alternately, have Ash be in a plot where You All Share My Story: The Pokemon he meets and acquire as normal, but the would-be companions are actually Recurring Characters who may or may not have the same general goals as Ash. They come together (with possibly our Terrible Trio in tow) to fight off the game's Big Bad, and then we get the "starting their careers" bit as in the prior paragraph.

No, the toy only features Ash, Rotom Dex, Lillie, Lana, Kiawe, and Gladion's voices announcing the Z-Moves. Mallow and Sophocles are left out.

edited 9th Dec '17 6:39:08 PM by Zoroark69

That sounds about right

Mallow is very shafted in SM. She's basically there to be the cute Hawaiian girl and nothing more.

Yeah Sophociles at least got a second Pokemon and finds some quirky noticeable ways to utilise his team and gadgetry to make his episodes fun. Mallow has remained fairly static since Bounsweet evolved and both her episodes were formulaic ones where she didn't have to do much but curb stomp Team Rocket, even her Team Mom role is getting overshadowed due to a present adult cast and loads of recurring Big Brother Mentors like Ash, Kiawe and Gladion. She needs something. ANYTHING.

edited 10th Dec '17 11:17:15 AM by Psi001

This is what happens when the plot focuses on 2-3 characters, the others are left behind.

At the same time though, there's only one character getting truly shafted this series, the same when there was just three or four companions.

While Ash and Lillie are getting most of the focus, Kiawe, Lana and even Sophociles aren't doing horribly for involvement, getting some key moments and the odd boost here and there. Lana had practically half the Akala arc to herself.

edited 10th Dec '17 12:31:07 PM by Psi001

That's true, but the problem only gets more pronounced with more cast members.

I find it odd that the ending has updated for Ash's new Z-Ring, but it still hasn't been updated for Lillie's new outfit (she's still in her Nihilego outfit).

Unless they're going to add her new outfit after this arc concludes, or she's going back to her original outfit when they return to Pokemon School.

edited 10th Dec '17 12:54:22 PM by Zoroark69

So, Movie 21 is another AU.

It stars Ash (of course) and some green-eyed blonde girl (not Lillie).

Oh wow. So they ain't even gonna bother with making any actual Sun and Moon movies are they?

Way to make this generation feel like a joke.

I'm certain it has nothing to do with SM, but more with the fact that all of XY's movies were box office bombs.

And not that TV ratings mean much these days, but SM recently beat Dragon Ball Super in the ratings, so it's doing fine.

edited 10th Dec '17 3:36:08 PM by Zoroark69

People are tired of the formula, I think, or kids aren't consuming Pokemon media like that used to with other options out there. Necessity's the mother of innovation and playing at doing something different is one way to get asses into seats.

At least the X and Y characters got to actually be in a movie.

Sun and Moon's cast is getting tossed out completely. They might really be the first Arc characters to not appear in a film at all.

It's ironic because SM's deviation from formula and looser animation style would arguably make it ideal for a movie.

Wow, Ash's new design in Movie 21 is so much better than his Sun/Moon design. Looks very anime-ish, I'd take that over his current design.

If they don't revert back to his old face or XY design for Gen 8, I'd gladly take this new look for him over his SM face.

Am I the only one here who likes Ash's SM design over his previous ones?

I bet that girl has connections to either Zeraora or Lugia, given her appearance and Lugia's theme. Maybe it'll be like M5 where Latias took human form?

The fact that the girl looks older makes it seem like she is the usual movie exclusive character. I wonder if Ash will have any companions at all, or bring back the two characters from Movie 20. I don't know if they were well received enough to get a second movie appearance though.

Looks like the Sun/Moon anime cast really isn't getting a movie though. I guess the SM characters will be the only ones without a movie appearance.

If they're going to make the Movie Series into actual AUs, as opposed to Non Serial Episodes of the current series like 1-19 were, they might as well remove Ash and put in the actual game protags ala The Legend of Thunder. Or else let characters who got Adapted Out have some spotlight.^note *cough*Hau*cough* Or even go the Pokémon Generations route and feature Regional Officials taking on Legendaries and/or Absent Admins as the Hero of Another Story.

I mean, if the Movies are now targeting a different audience than the Classic Anime is, the least they could do is give their new target what it wants. And, improved characterization aside,^note The reason why I didn't pothole to Character Rerailment is that it's not so much a rerailment so much as establishing a line period, do teens and adults really want Ash? I mean, to them, he's either a Memetic Loser or a Vanilla Protagonist, not the Crazy Awesome, if often loopy, de jure Sixth Ranger/de facto Leader of the current Anime.

I still think said fans would be the first to complain if he was finally retired.

Remember how many complained about Brock and Misty becoming glorified wallpaper by the end of their tenure, yet how many people went gaga over them returning?

Hell Team Rocket and Wobbuffet were Saved by the Fans in BW.

edited 10th Dec '17 4:45:34 PM by Psi001

The lack of SM movies does explain why the plot is moving so fast though.

Since there are no movies, they have to include everything in the TV series.

edited 10th Dec '17 5:08:02 PM by Zoroark69

Makes you wonder how they're going to feature the 10+ Ultra Beasts. None of them have appeared but 1.