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[Pokemaniac]

Now I want to watch the anime.

I probably should just start with the XY saga, right?

I hope it's good, I remember stopping during the Gen 4 part, which I only watched because of Hikari(best girl), but it was kinda boring.

Each individual series of the anime (Original series, Advanced Generation, Diamond and Pearl, Best Wishes, and XY) is pretty standalone. You might miss some continuity nods from not watching the previous series (I haven't seen XY yet, so I don't know how common they are), but they can all be enjoyed individually.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Didn't the dub mess up the Diantha Mega Gardevoir scene using its own music instead of the remix of the Xerneas/Yveltal battle from the games

The music changes in the English anime are atrocious.

The scene where Serena cuts her hair is a prime example.

American: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SKxZUM7gWc

Japanese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hxJKbQKwqw

The American composer (Ed Goldfarb) is really bad about creating an atmosphere with his music. It's all very one-note "Oh this is happening, have to play this music now. Oh this character is talking, have to play their theme now" as opposed to making each shot feel like a part of one cohesive scene. The contest judge (Palermo) has this theme in the American dub that plays every time she's onscreen even though her presence in this scene is meant to give focus to Serena. The Japanese track on the other hand really builds throughout the scene and does a great job at telling the story in its own way that complements the onscreen visuals. The American music is far too erratic and specific to do that. Plus the fact that most of the Japanese music (as this piece does) comes from the games just unifies the franchise where there's no such connection in the dub.

They keep the music when Ash and the gang see her new hairstyle, so why couldn't they keep Az's theme earlier in the episode? Shit's stupid. 4Kids was able to keep most of the music in the first few seasons, I don't know why Pokemon Company can't.

 

[Pegosaurus]

i might actually have to watch pokemon xy and this now...

 

[BodiesWithoutOrgans]

Like all anime it should bed watched subbed the Pokemon anime in English is disgusting since season 9 it was decent till they cheaped out

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

I'm watching through XY right now, so I can probably provide a decent run-down of "watch" and "skip" episodes.

To be fair, I do think a lot of XY is filler, but some of them I enjoy due to looking pretty, or having a sort of charm to them.

I can say right now the two dullest episodes I've watched were both centered around Goomy, its second episode following its capture is dull as shit (featuring like two Team Rocket battles which was really unneeded), and its evolution to Goodra is basically a filler episode with its evolution shoved in at the end. God, I fucking hate everything about that Pokemon in the show honestly---thankfully its last hurrah is actually pretty neat.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I didn't say catching them all though. If you meant to say catching at all, then yes, yes it is about that. You can't argue that it isn't. Catching Pokemon is kind of the thing you have to do to progress in this adventure. Catching and raising. Ya dig? If you're not doing that, what are you even doing exactly besides spinning your wheels till the next spotlight episode? Personally I do think it's a bad thing because it once it again relegates the female supporting character away from the main action and once again forcing them to do traditionally girly stuff because she's a girl. This doesn't bother you at all? That she has to play dress up and perform? She can't do cool battling stuff like the main character or players at home, she has to do this side thing.

I'm not sure what you're referring to with the dub, I don't think I mentioned the dub at all in that post.

It doesn't bother me really since Serena's actually the first time Pokemon has a homely character. Or is doing girly things bad now? And actually she has done battles, not as frequent as Ash but she has done them (especially with Pancham). In fact she's very proactive lately, recently catching a shy Eevee and trying to make it overcome its shyness. And no, catching only the mons you feel will support your goals is not bad at all and actually makes a point to character development of the mons themselves. After getting her focus her frequent in-betweens are practicing, developing her mons' skills, and being inspired.

I mentioned dub because the dub sucks out the energy this kind of show has, and generally one of the recurring reasons why people "gave up" on the show.

 

[Lynx_7]

I'm not sure if I understand the Serena debate. Is she a coordinator like May and Dawn? If so, that's a perfectly valid role for the female supporting character since it's different enough from Ash's own journey and provides some much needed variety. Unless they cut the "battle phase" of contests in this season? Or is she doing that boring musical stuff? Because then I can totally understand the criticism.
Or is she just a straight-up deadweight like Iris and Misty? Because that's even worse.

 

[Seil]

I'm not sure if I understand the Serena debate. Is she a coordinator like May and Dawn? If so, that's a perfectly valid role for the female supporting character since it's different enough from Ash's own journey and provides some much needed variety. Unless they cut the "battle phase" of contests in this season? Or is she doing that boring musical stuff? Because then I can totally understand the criticism.
Or is she just a straight-up deadweight like Iris and Misty? Because that's even worse.

In the XY anime, rather than traditional contests there's these like, idol competitions. There's no battle phase. There's like, random talent stuff, quizzes, performance with the Pokemon etc. At the start, she has no real goal in her journey, as it progresses, she discovers that this is a thing and that it's what she wants to do.

I rather like her as a character. If it wasn't for Clemont's exploding invention gag almost every episode(I feel like they've cut back on this some, but whenever I feel that way it starts up again lol), this would probably be one of my favorite group compositions.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

The sad thing is, the "Rhyhorn Races" which Serena's mother tried to force on her actually would've been a pretty fun goal to see, especially if it expanded to other Pokemon and we regularly got episodes focused on her racing.

Contests were pretty cool back in Hoenn where they weren't over-the-top-cute, and we saw plenty of interesting Pokemon debut in them like Dusclops and Medicham. Then Diamond and Pearl came along and really made it "cutesy" overall except for Mamoswine being like the one exception.

I miss Harley.

 

[Lynx_7]

The sad thing is, the "Rhyhorn Races" which Serena's mother tried to force on her actually would've been a pretty fun goal to see, especially if it expanded to other Pokemon and we regularly got episodes focused on her racing.

Contests were pretty cool back in Hoenn where they weren't over-the-top-cute, and we saw plenty of interesting Pokemon debut in them like Dusclops and Medicham. Then Diamond and Pearl came along and really made it "cutesy" overall except for Mamoswine being like the one exception.

I miss Harley.

I feel the opposite way actually.
Contests in AG were a mixed bag for me. Some were pretty cool, but others were really lame and May felt like a huge Mary Sue that pulled some victories out of freaking nowhere and always got through the first phase regardless of how bad she did. So pretty much a 50/50 proposition. Jessie also SUCKED at them. The Grand Contest was pretty good though, much better than the second worst league of all time

Spoiler

(it's still baffling to me how I can't even call Hoenn's League the absolute worst anymore since Best Wishes 2 managed to "outsuck" it)

.

But I found Dawn's journey to be much more consistent and of a higher quality than May's. The contests were usually much more interesting and felt "higher-budget" than their Hoenn counterparts, Jessie actually had some very cool performances herself and even managed to have a compelling journey of her own(!), and Dawn just felt like a much more competent coordinator than May since she usually deserved her victories

Spoiler

(usually...Ursula totally deserved to win their last battle)

unlike May who had some reeeeally bullshit wins a lot of times. Also she actually failed at the first phase sometimes, which made everything feel a bit more authentic. The Grand Contest of that season was also really good, so for me Sinnoh's contests > Hoenn's contests.

Then again, I think AG is one of the most boring seasons while DP is my absolute favorite so I may be a bit biased.

Though I'll concede that, for the most part, May's rivals were a lot more fun (Drew and Harley) than Dawn's (ZZZZZZZZZZZZoey. But Ursula was great <3)

 

[SalvaPot]

And he still has a spot left for a last Pokémon

He should get back his Goodra.

We are getting Charizard back and you know it =P-

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

You thought the Hoenn League was bad?

I mean, it wasn't as good as Johto's as it lacked a big rival showdown like with Gary, but I thought it had enough stuff going on like the awesome Katie battle to save it. I also love the cute battle at the beginning with the Corphish and Torkoal Double-Team. Although I guess in retrospect, it lacks the "freshness" of the Indigo League, the importance of the Johto League, and the intensity of Sinnoh League (I've actually never got around to watching that despite loving DP), so I guess you're right it is only ahead of BW's.

You're right about Contests, I guess I should've meant I liked the less "cute" nature of them and the better Pokemon variety, because DP's were a bit more consistent and Jessie being competent at them was a great twist I enjoyed, and one of the reasons I think Team Rocket were at the top of their game in DP and Best Wishes was an insult to Rocket fans anywhere---I still think the filth is present in XY, but they were smart enough to bring back Wobbuffet. But they won't get rid of that canned motto they re-use over and over where before they'd give us a new version basically every episode. Hate that.

 

[Lynx_7]

Man, what are you doing? Go watch the Sinnoh League, Ash defeats two freaking legendaries in a row! It was one of those few moments where I said "damn, look how much the kid has grown" before he hit his head and regressed like 10 years of development in BW. Also one of those rare instances where I actually felt Pikachu put up a fight like a damn badass, he was beastly up against

Spoiler

Latios

. Paul VS Ash remains my favorite pokemon battle to this day too.

My problem with the Hoenn league was that it lacked conflict. It just felt like going through the motions. Ash had no big rivalries, the battles were so-so, the ending was predictable and boring... It was just a very forgettable conference. The battle against that one chick was surprisingly really good, but even then it didn't reach the same highs as Johto and Sinnoh. May on the other hand had a lot of good rivalries so the resolution to her journey felt like the true climax of that saga.

 

[AerialAir]

Can't understand why they won't just anouce Pokemon Z already

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

I was busy with college when we finally reached the Sinnoh League, and just never got around to it---and now it's hard to find those episodes online anywhere. The dub version is out there, but Diamond and Pearl was the first series I watched subbed from the beginning, and I couldn't switch over to the dub to finish it off.

Sinnoh and Best Wishes are the only seasons I never finished watching, although the latter I feel like that's a good thing.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Yeah Hoenn wasn't bad per se but he lacked a built-up enemy there. I think his enemy was the one with a Puss-on-Boots thing? Though at least not as bad as BW for sure.

 

[Stuart444]

To the person who said they wish older episodes of Pokemon were released subbed online like other anime: I would LOVE that. I'm quite a fan of watching anime in both English dub and sub, it's fun to compare them I find.

Too bad they will probably never do that.

 

[perfectchaos007]

Is Pokemon Z officially confirmed for 3DS yet?

 

[Stuart444]

Is Pokemon Z officially confirmed for 3DS yet?

Nope!

 

[Black_Red]

Paul VS Ash remains my favorite pokemon battle to this day too..

Yeah, that was the only season when Ash was a really good trainer, and that is by far the best fight in the anime. (I just watched the league and some gym battles tough)

I was really proud when Ash used

Spoiler

Heracross with sleep talk against Darkray

in the next fight, even if it didnt work , it should have OHKO'ed that legendary.

 

[AnkiRendan]

The music changes in the English anime are atrocious.

The scene where Serena cuts her hair is a prime example.

American: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SKxZUM7gWc

Japanese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hxJKbQKwqw

The American composer (Ed Goldfarb) is really bad about creating an atmosphere with his music. It's all very one-note "Oh this is happening, have to play this music now. Oh this character is talking, have to play their theme now" as opposed to making each shot feel like a part of one cohesive scene. The contest judge (Palermo) has this theme in the American dub that plays every time she's onscreen even though her presence in this scene is meant to give focus to Serena. The Japanese track on the other hand really builds throughout the scene and does a great job at telling the story in its own way that complements the onscreen visuals. The American music is far too erratic and specific to do that. Plus the fact that most of the Japanese music (as this piece does) comes from the games just unifies the franchise where there's no such connection in the dub.

They keep the music when Ash and the gang see her new hairstyle, so why couldn't they keep Az's theme earlier in the episode? Shit's stupid. 4Kids was able to keep most of the music in the first few seasons, I don't know why Pokemon Company can't.

Serena's voice sounds way too old for a 10 year old in the dub. What the hell.

 

[Boss Doggie]

So this has been roaming

 

[Nightbird]

The music changes in the English anime are atrocious.

The scene where Serena cuts her hair is a prime example.

American: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SKxZUM7gWc

Japanese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hxJKbQKwqw

The American composer (Ed Goldfarb) is really bad about creating an atmosphere with his music. It's all very one-note "Oh this is happening, have to play this music now. Oh this character is talking, have to play their theme now" as opposed to making each shot feel like a part of one cohesive scene. The contest judge (Palermo) has this theme in the American dub that plays every time she's onscreen even though her presence in this scene is meant to give focus to Serena. The Japanese track on the other hand really builds throughout the scene and does a great job at telling the story in its own way that complements the onscreen visuals. The American music is far too erratic and specific to do that. Plus the fact that most of the Japanese music (as this piece does) comes from the games just unifies the franchise where there's no such connection in the dub.

They keep the music when Ash and the gang see her new hairstyle, so why couldn't they keep Az's theme earlier in the episode? Shit's stupid. 4Kids was able to keep most of the music in the first few seasons, I don't know why Pokemon Company can't.

Wow, it's a difference like day and night

We are getting Charizard back and you know it =P-

But he already has brave bird

 

[SalvaPot]

So this has been roaming

Huh.

Huh...

The question is, one version or two versions?

 

[Zalman]

So this has been roaming

This has to be a coincidence

 

[Dominator]

So this has been roaming

What am I supposed to be looking at here? They don't look that similar, whatever this is.

 

[PreyingShark]

What am I supposed to be looking at here? They don't look that similar, whatever this is.

It's the area you find Zygarde.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I think we got a hint on why Ash was crying lol

 

[PK Gaming]

The music changes in the English anime are atrocious.

The scene where Serena cuts her hair is a prime example.

American: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SKxZUM7gWc

Japanese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hxJKbQKwqw

The American composer (Ed Goldfarb) is really bad about creating an atmosphere with his music. It's all very one-note "Oh this is happening, have to play this music now. Oh this character is talking, have to play their theme now" as opposed to making each shot feel like a part of one cohesive scene. The contest judge (Palermo) has this theme in the American dub that plays every time she's onscreen even though her presence in this scene is meant to give focus to Serena. The Japanese track on the other hand really builds throughout the scene and does a great job at telling the story in its own way that complements the onscreen visuals. The American music is far too erratic and specific to do that. Plus the fact that most of the Japanese music (as this piece does) comes from the games just unifies the franchise where there's no such connection in the dub.

They keep the music when Ash and the gang see her new hairstyle, so why couldn't they keep Az's theme earlier in the episode? Shit's stupid. 4Kids was able to keep most of the music in the first few seasons, I don't know why Pokemon Company can't.

That... that actually evoked emotion from me. Does the XY anime generally have this degree of quality? I was basically turned off by the incredibly repetitive format of the show (+Team Rocket) but I might give XY a shot if treats its characters like this.

 

[Dez_]

Ash has a Greninja, now? That's pretty cool. Having Greninja there and watching those gifs posted earlier almost make me want to try and watch the show again. I remember really enjoying the episodes that gave some personality and development to the pokemon, but man it's been so many years, I don't really remember much anymore besides Team Rocket's tired attempts to catch Pikachu.

 

[SalvaPot]

That... that actually evoked emotion from me. Does the XY anime generally have this degree of quality? I was basically turned off by the incredibly repetitive format of the show (+Team Rocket) but I might give XY a shot if treats its characters like this.

XY treats its characters like characters, including the pokemon, they all have personality and relationships with other pokemons in some way (Chespin has a friendly rivalry with Pancham, Dedenne its cute yet capable, Hawlucha likes to show off but its strong and kind, Bunnelby its always trying to keep Chespin out of trouble and he is more like a reluclant big brother for the rest of the pokemon, he is also the only Pokemon that Eevee, a very shy pokemon, trusts).

I can say its the best version of Pokemon so far.

 

[Boss Doggie]

For those who are curious, here is the ED.

 

[Kouriozan]

So this has been roaming

Looks like an X and Y fused together.