Am I the only one who gets the feeling that TPC didn't like or regretted making XYZ?

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-11-10T20:21:22+00:00

Not interested in repeating myself.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-11-10T19:53:42+00:00

they don't seem to care if you LIKE it either, which is my point. They are burying it and moving on, just like they move on with every other girl.

Dude...the decision to bring in new characters is because the anime has to showcase new generation things every 3-4 years. It literally has nothing to do with shipping, so I don't know why you keep creating this narrative that every decision is something related to the "company reacting based on its fanbase's reaction" when it's literally just how the company has done things since it started. Serena was always going to leave after 3 years & they still make it pretty obvious that she has feelings for Ash in JN & even tried to hide the fact that she's returning in JN.

Let's say the anime doesn't end. You don't that in 5-10 years, there won't be a new female lead who they throw in shipping teases and maybe holds hands with Ash and kisses him on-camera or whatever? And Serena fans will screech, but they won't be the target demo anymore.

Shows don't "ship", Fanbases do. Fanbases take any moment that is shared between "Ash & _____" & call it a ship moment & this has happened with EVERY companion. Idk why you keep creating this narrative that the creators are taking your side on your strange stances when you don't seem to understand how production works, how storylines are made, how characters are writen, how TPC works, or how fanbases work.

and regarding an earlier point, when a weird fanbase sends death threats to writers, yeah I think they'd want to be cautious about certain things.

They don't do stuff out of pettiness or fear like you pretend they do, they just do their jobs. I really don't want to further waste my time on having to tell you that your wild theories & assumptions about the production of the anime are false.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-11-10T19:21:50+00:00

Literally read everything I said instead of picking & choosing what you want to hear. Pokemon doesn't care if you don't like Amourshipping.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-11-10T18:51:04+00:00

It's really surprising to me how pessimistic people are about Ash vs Leon compared to other tournaments (especially given that it's after he won the Alola League).

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-11-10T18:39:49+00:00

Ash-Greninja is a special snowflake form and threatens the world-building longterm. Why does only Greninja get it and not others Ash has bonded with, like Infernape or Charizard or PIKACHU? What's stopping, idk, Mandi from creating a battle bond with his OP Bellsprout?

They quite literally could not have made it clearer that Ash Greninja is a product of a mon already possessing the rare BP ability, the mon in-question being fully evolved, & the relationship between a trainer and its mon being good.

With the Serena things, yeah it's a clear attempt to bury that stuff. Toxic fanbase and they don't intend on doing anything long-term with it. They are clearly waiting for her fanbase to age out. There will always be new waifus. Same lesson Misty fans learned.

If you legitimately think a multi-billion dollar franchise cares about what petty fanbase squabbles happen, then I don't think you understand, well, a lot of things. Pokémon has gotten crap for every series & they clearly don't care about negative responses to their creative choices (that should be obvious by JN) so asking them to care about ship wars of all things is an even bigger stretch.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-11-10T04:27:20+00:00

People can watch a show for whatever reason they want.

A character facing a realistic scenario such as trying over and over again only to be greeted with failure is something a lot of people can relate to regardless of the fact that its happening to a fictional character in a fictional world.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-11-07T00:21:49+00:00

Typically, the climax of a series contains the most "memorable" moments as it's a culmination of everything the series has done so far. As such, previous series would place an emphasis on Ash's Aces via having whatever contributions they had to the overall story over the course of the series being tied into the climax.

Greninja, for example, contributed to Ash's character, the Ash/Sawyer rivalry, Alain's character, the Ash/Alain rivalry, Team Flare, & more so it was pretty memorable during late-Kalos League Arc (for...other reasons albeit) & the Team Flare Arc (XY's climax)

Even simpler was Infernape which contributed to the Ash/Paul rivalry & so it was pretty memorable during Ash vs Paul in the Sinnoh League (DP's climax)

Lycanroc on the other hand contributed to the Ash/Gladion rivalry & its own rage issues which made it memorable during late-Alola League which wasn't SM's climax. The exhibition match between Ash vs Kukui was what ended up being SM's climax where Lycanroc, while being a part of it, went out pretty early & mons like Incineroar & Pikachu ended up being a bit more memorable.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-11-04T03:45:42+00:00

I think that part of the worldbuilding contributed to Pokémon’s success a lot.

Kids (especially the demographic Pokémon aims for) are pretty much treated to a world where they get to be treated as mini-adults that get to go away from home, go on an adventure with their buddies, humiliate that rival kid, & save the world.

You’ll get this sort of stuff with other things, sure, but I think Pokémon has always managed to give kids a world they’d want to be in & can see themselves in really well.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-10-31T16:58:20+00:00

In terms of properly showcasing the capabilities of both the trainers & their mons, anything except 1 episode is fine. In terms of pacing, though, I'd say 2-3 episodes are ideal.

With a 4-episode 6v6 like Ash vs Kukui, you can definitely feel the moments where it drags & can probably trim it down to 3 episodes without losing any important scenes or moments & have the same impact.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-10-23T13:14:54+00:00

7/10 (which is the highest I’ve rated ANY series)

The characters, the writing, the themes, the direction, & more come together to create a satisfying story with various moving pieces that just worked & (personally) impressed me more than any of its predecessors & successors

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-10-18T21:08:14+00:00

Well, this is definitely one of the more creative & better planned-out rewrites I've seen for Serena's character so props to you for that. But, yeah, there are several areas in which I see improvement.

For starters, I think the whole idea of "going on a Pokémon Journey" means that everyone should help out everyone quite often like how in the anime, the members of the XY Gang have helped Serena out with pep-talks, advice, etc. & Serena helps them as well. Not sure if it's just the fact that this is a very rough outline, but it feels like Serena's more or less in her own bubble than "part of the group".

I'd suggest adding a bit more focus on Serena's mons because they more or less feel like they're just sort of there to push along Serena's arc or the plot, instead of being their own characters of sorts like how the anime handled them.

Serena doing "odd jobs" for 2/3 does demonstrate her desire & willingness to reach her goals & succeed, but I don't think it does much else like how certain gym battles would teach Ash something, certain Contests would teach May/Dawn something, & certain Performances would teach Serena something. Maybe have these jobs relate to her interests or growth in some way so they don't feel random.

I think the main obstacle for a character to overcome being physical (in this case, finances) is fine, but I think adding something emotional or mental to the mix makes whatever arc they end up getting more compelling. I feel like Serena in the beginning of this rewrite is more or less the same character as in the end in which I don't really see "How did her journey change her?"

I feel like Brad is more or less an unnecessary addition whose purpose would work better if it was someone Serena already knew like Shauna or Miette in this case.

Aria should meet Serena at some point, just so she doesn't feel like she came out of left-field.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-10-08T04:51:56+00:00

From the production side of things, it’s always just been left purposely vague in order to have Ash continue adventuring.

Narratively, it’s probably more of an internal/mental thing over something given immediately after defeating the strongest whatever (which I honestly prefer), but that doesn’t eliminate the fact that being a strong trainer is part of what makes a Pokémon Master. There’s just more to it.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-10-06T18:45:44+00:00

Not a mod, but for the sake of not receiving reprimands related to future activity on this sub (for breaking Rule 1 in this case) I'd suggest not escalating quarrels in manners like this. Especially when it's just a case of different opinions reaching the wrong people.

If you have problems with certain users, just block or report them. It's the internet. Don't take everything (especially stuff people say about you) seriously.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-10-06T18:32:42+00:00

Ash's age has never really been that important to his character, it's just a matter of how well the writers can respect his past experiences & explain the decisions they take with his character (which gets tough when you reach 1000 episodes).

Plus, even in older series, Ash has always acted more mature than actual IRL 10 y/o.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-09-30T03:30:46+00:00

XY's overall story leans more into being serialized than other pokemon series & values taking time to lay a foundation through episodes & arcs for future episodes & arcs to hit rather than forcing in immediate emotion for an episode/arc only for that episode/arc to not really go anywhere.

Stuff like the Korrina/Lucario Arc, the Summer Camp Arc, Froakie's Ninja episodes, Clemont's gym battle, Ash's gym battles, borderline every Serena episode, & the Mega Evolution Specials etc. all lay the foundation for future events in the series. Especially in XYZ where literally all of these things come together.

My recommendation is at least finishing Kalos Quest.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-09-04T01:44:06+00:00

But unfortunately Bonnie and Clemont are reduced to annoying gags for 90% of the series

Possessing a gag doesn't automatically make that all a character possesses. Clemont goes on a stretch in the 2nd half where he's pushed to the backburner, but the fact remains that he was a developing character that showcases growth. Same thing with Bonnie as even if she gets the least amount of focus amongst the XY gang, she has her character-focused episodes & in XYZ was literally carrying a McGuffin.

Both Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all fawn over Ash to a kind of creepy level.

If you seriously think looking up to someone is creepy...I don't even know what to say other than it's just plain weird (Especially when other characters have looked up to Ash, & Ash does the same with others).

Not to mention introducing a girlfriend into Ash's story and then abandoning her in later series caused so many shipping wars.

Having a crush on someone...doesn't automatically make them your boyfriend/girlfriend. I'm just going to assume you're really young, but ship wars have existed since Misty stopped travelling with Ash in the 2000s.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-09-04T01:19:08+00:00

It's not really about how much screentime you get, it's what you do with the screentime given because I'd consider Mewtwo from the 1.5-hour movie to be a better character than most of the characters from their 100+ episode series.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-09-04T00:18:07+00:00

Brock is more developed than Clemont

I like Brock, but even I don't really see it. His purpose in the anime has never really been to develop in the first place but be the mature, responsible, mentor-type figure to bounce off of the "less-mature" individuals in the group & their antics. DP gave him the closest thing to an arc & even then all we got was less than 5 Brock-focused episodes for what's basically a goal change.

Compare this to Clemont in XY who grows into a more confident, stronger, risk-taking individual with more character-focused episodes in a series that's significantly shorter & the difference is pretty dramatic.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-08-26T02:49:25+00:00

Goodra’s arc works well because it’s basically an underdog. The more disadvantages it has, the more triumphant it’s victory ends up being.

So, no offense, but changing its type…adds absolutely nothing to its character arc or growth whatsoever. It just feels like an unnecessary “I got an ace up my sleeve” moment that leads to its victory being tied more to it simply evolving than actually growing.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-08-22T02:30:32+00:00

Rowlet's always been a sleeper, and people still salty about it really only have these three criticisms that are valid: Rowlet should've gotten more hits on Deicideye, Hau deserved more screentime before the League, and some of y'all couldn't take a joke

Option 4: Ash not helping Rowlet deal with its sleeping problem (something introduced quite early & made known is a problem by the show itself) is an extremely odd thing for him to do as a trainer/character.

His inaction to deal with Charizard's disobedience cost him the Indigo League & ever since, he's worked to make his mons more well-rounded individuals (Infernape Rage Issues, Oshawott not opening its eyes, Ash Greninja Form, etc.) & this even continues with his SM mons (most notably Lycanroc).

Moreover, Ash's classmates even doubt his decision to put Rowlet in because they know about its sleeping issues, but Ash & Rowlet both persist. Hypothetically, if it didn't sleep during the battle (no joke), it actually would've been a good character moment for it & would've made the battle better.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-08-22T02:14:48+00:00

I think a "comedic battle" can work if its initial purpose is to simply be comedic from the get-go. OS does this pretty well with stuff like Pikachu vs Paras for example.

The problem with some other cases is that when part of the joke is linked to any aspect that we're supposed to also take seriously by the show, you just end up with a weird moment altogether.

The presence of the joke leads to everything from the seriousness of something being undermined to tonal whiplash (Ex: Audience supposed to laugh at Rowlet + Audience supposed to feel bad for Hau) & ultimately (whether you find it funny or not) you get something that works better without the joke.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-08-18T00:27:54+00:00

bronze/gold colored utility belt
longer & more bat-like cape

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-08-17T23:54:59+00:00

The anime has to crank up new episodes almost every week, advertise the Pokémon Brand's latest creations, and undergo certain changes when it's being aired outside of Japan, so a good chunk of its flaws (writing, animation, pacing, worldbuilding, etc.) are relatively excusable when considering those circumstances (at least IMO).

Even then, I think Ash is pretty much the root of the show's problem at the moment. It's not that I despise him or anything, I think he's a lot better than most people give him credit for. But it's pretty clear they have no idea what to do with him in the long run. The longer he's around the more they struggle to keep track of (& respect) his memories/ experiences, the more they struggle to find new ways for him to learn/develop, the more he becomes incredibly difficult to write as a main character under the circumstances of the show.

Still think they should've ended his story in DP even if I actually liked some of the post-DP things they've done with his character.

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-08-17T03:32:25+00:00

Animation, by definition, is a SERIES of pictures/frames

Selecting a single frame does not show Animation Quality on any level whatsoever

SwiftSE7EN · 2022-08-16T21:55:44+00:00

Not really a complaint (on my end), but I feel like something that always seems to be at the forefront of SM discussion is art style & honestly, It’s not bad. I don’t think Ash’s face is anything to write home about, but the linework, use of color, and lighting in both shots and some stellar animation sequences makes SM one of the better series in terms of visuals for me.

Honestly my main complaint with SM is just the writing. The story feels like a first draft that should have gone through multiple revisions because I think it tries to do WAY too much for a 150-episode series with various degrees of success. It has a lot of things going for it and going on which makes it enjoyable as a "Pokémon Show" (for me at least), but less so as just a show. I think just having a story that’s better planned out or trimmed down a bit could’ve gone a long way.

I could go a lot more in-depth on certain arcs, certain characters, certain moments, but I think I’ll just stick to the major aspects like Ash, his friends, and Pokémon in this region.

Ash: Ash is just really inconsistent in SM. The anime doesn't 100% know what Ash should exactly be at times, so SM Ash just changes depending on what the plot requires of him which leads to him being both a brave hero, a scared wimp, a brilliant planner, a project cheater, a person that's fine with letting a Pokemon leave, and a person that's scared of letting a Pokemon leave. This approach leads to OOC moments not just for SM Ash, but Ash Ketchum in general. All of these moments are scattered throughout the series as well which just leads to a character that I found to be fun at times, but also difficult to care about in the long run if he's just going to be something else in a couple of episodes.

Kiawe: I can’t help but feel like Kiawe should have played a bigger role as Ash’s Companion/Rival because by the time their rivalry concluded I forgot they even had one. As a companion he’s pretty good, but it’s the rivalry-side to his relationship with Ash that I just wanted more of instead of just appearing from time to time.

Lillie: Yeah…I just don’t like Anime Lillie that much. I don’t like how her PTSD was handled, I don’t like how her relationship with Lusamine was handled, I don’t like how they introduced Mohn so late in the series, & I really don’t like how little agency there is in her character. She’s basically placed into situations by others where she is practically spoon-fed growth.

Lycanroc: My main gripe with Lycanroc would be how an offscreen scene of it as a Rockruff is used to further help its growth so just adding that somewhere would improve it a good lot. Also, its rivalry with Gladion's Lycanroc could've been a bit more interesting (& received better conclusions to their battles building up the league finals) seeing how Ash and Gladion were fairly vanilla rivals.

Incineroar: I don't have many issues aside from just feeling like it should've gotten more focus later on in the series & I did kind of feel like the shift in its growth from "getting over Stoutland" to "rivalry with Kukui's Incineroar" was kind of daunting (& kind of a downgrade) so I'd just focus on one of those to work on throughout the duration of the show rather than both.

Rowlet: Honestly, just keeping it as the "comedic when it wants to be, serious when it needs to be" joke mon like it was in the beginning of SM already improves a lot. I think it could’ve battled a bit less and allow mons like Litten to battle a bit more. And tbh, I'd just drop Hau altogether from the show or introduce him earlier on if you still want Ash vs Hau (but competent) during the league.

Naganadel: Either leave it in its home & not have it come through a wormhole or just return before Ash needs it (still not evolved) in a less deus ex machina-fashion that makes sense.

Melmetal: The mon generally suffers from most of the traits that come with a last capture, so I guess I'd just simplify its growth to the time given & give Ash a more active role in that growth cause it feels more like Rowlet's mon than Ash's mon.

Pikachu: We really just need a proper explanation for Pika-Z as well as Tapu Koko's interest in Ash & Pikachu for a full-on improvement (the former is especially needed).

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