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A More Mature Pokemon Anime?

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SBaby

Dungeon Master
2,005
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19
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  • Seen Apr 9, 2015
- The jokes have always been cheesy. In the Clefairy ep Ash was talking about how the Clefairy were doing the macarena. It being 90s humour makes it that much worse...Cow-terpie was cheesy too. Yeah, jokes have always been cheesy
- I don't know what you mean by stupid fight. You mean Team Rocket fights? I thought them losing to Caterpie was quite stupid. Caterpie was weaker than the just-hatched Pokemon that defeated Team Rocket in later eps.
- Normal battles seem about the same (excluding Metapod vs Metapod XD) gym battles are longer (the longest are usually contest battles) The Kanto gym battles were interupted and not very long except 2 or 3 of them. Gym battles are longer now because the episode is actually dedicated to the battle, rather than what has interupted Ash
- When *haven't* they used squiggly lines when a Pokemon has fainted...? Except when they have Xs which I only remmeber happening a few times
- I don't rememeber *any* episode where someone got poisoned. Ill, yeah, not poisoned. Which episode was it?



But how?

I sound like I hate the first series, but I don't. I think that people may just be looking at it through rose-tinted glass...

Jokes have gone from actually funny 4th-wall material to cheesy running gags that just aren't funny anymore. Ash may have mentioned the macarena ONE TIME, they may have parodied movies three or four times TOPS, but now, Team Rocket usually can't go twenty minutes without fantasizing about 'da boss'. And when they do, they change their speech. Why do I care? Because I loved how the show used to almost make fun of itself in the first season. It helped get my mind off the overly repetitive plot.

The fights have gotten stupider. First, they're shorter, probably because most now use 'stopping Team Rocket' as the central theme, rather than anything regarding Ash's progress to the next League. Second, they seem to be more deformed and cartoony than before. Even going so far as to repeatedly use 3-d effects and stock animation way more than in Kanto. Come to think of it, since when did they start actually 'taking tuns' shouting orders? Whatever happened to the days when they could just shout out several orders in succession and freaking blitz the opponent?

Let's see... They started using squiggly lines (the hypnotize lines, to be more specific) in the latter half of Kanto and have been using them ever since. In the beginning, they didn't really use them much at all.

Pikachu gets poisoned in the episode titled, 'Here Comes the Squirtle Squad'. And Charizard gets frozen in another episode. And I believe I may have seen another episode where a Pokemon gets set on fire. Not to mention Ash and Pikachu have died a couple times too. They seem to just not do that kind of thing anymore.

My theory is that they changed things because they wanted to tone down the violence. But it's just odd for Japan to even give one whit about the amount of violence in their cartoons.

It's like someone already said, the rivalry between Ash and Paul is about the only good thing in Sinnoh. If not for that, people would be chalking this up as 'just anothet Generation'. Admit it, you know it's true.
 
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txteclipse

The Last
2,322
Posts
16
Years
I agree that pokemon could do well with becoming more mature. I'd like some more serious character developement, and for the fights to be less cute and more like fights.

As a matter of fact, if anyone recalls, there was a silhouette of a Pinsir chopping a Metapod in half in one of the earlier episodes. If they did the more brutal attacks like that, it would be more realistic without getting graphic. I don't mean I want decapitation and such, but let's face it. A Scyther's scythes don't hit things, they cut things. If there was some blacked-out stabs, beam-penetrations, etc., it would do the series good. I don't want any death, but injury can lend to some tense moments and a better story. It's unnatural for pokes to just be fine after an intense fight.
 

Sephychu

Moo.
20
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16
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  • Age 34
  • :O
  • Seen Nov 2, 2008
Well, some of the episodes such as the Kyogre(sp?) and Groudon fight was pretty intense. :O Or the time with the Aerodactyl almost eating Ash? That was pretty intense. xD I prefer the first season a bit more, since it really works for his age. The new season is becoming more too kiddy for me. >_> Such as the whole Pokemon Contests. o_o Turning Pokemon to become too cute. >:X
 

Lahar

Dragon of Chaos
16
Posts
16
Years
I also think thet the first season was more mature.

They did things that havent been shown again (probably becayse US censure of almost eveerything they consider inapropiate for kids), but i donth think the show has lost all the previous things it used to show.

It all depends on what you consider to be a mature teme for a show. If you refere to romance and such it still has some of that like it every seasson there is a love-hate interest betwen Satoshi(Ash) and the main female. As for more violence I dont think it need it but it would be good to see some injured pokemon aftern a good intense battle like it happened at the begining when pikachu almost died after they set out from Masara(Palet).

As for the contests i think they are a good distraction from the normal battles besides you get to see the attacks used in a more unique way by each trainer and not the same old move.

It would be nice if they made the show more mature and introduced more development and backgroung for the characters, I mean come on even the pokemon are geting their personalities developed (Aipom). Also it would be nice to see a time line cauze i find it quite dumb to keep a character that seems to have been traveling for around 4 years the same age as when the anime began.
 

STEELIXMANIAC

Hatena de Wasshoi!
453
Posts
16
Years
Meh, I would definitely like a more mature Pokémon anime, but it's not gonna happen because the show is so obviously aimed at small little kiddies. They don't want them kiddies to grow up to be violent and engage in fights, see.
 

Jorah

What do I put here?
4,215
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17
Years
  • Age 33
  • UK
  • Seen Aug 18, 2021
Jokes have gone from actually funny 4th-wall material to cheesy running gags that just aren't funny anymore. Ash may have mentioned the macarena ONE TIME, they may have parodied movies three or four times TOPS, but now, Team Rocket usually can't go twenty minutes without fantasizing about 'da boss'. And when they do, they change their speech. Why do I care? Because I loved how the show used to almost make fun of itself in the first season. It helped get my mind off the overly repetitive plot.

Running gags? You've made Brock cry. Every single episode with a girl in...I got sick of him very quickly. He should be killed off. At least they're making new running gags. I think the boss one has been occuring more frequently, but still not every episode, definatly. And I still find them amusing because of all the crazy ideas they come up with. Even if its a strong or legendary Pokemon, they seem to need other reasons *Articuno* XD

The fights have gotten stupider. First, they're shorter, probably because most now use 'stopping Team Rocket' as the central theme, rather than anything regarding Ash's progress to the next League.

I haven't noticed battles being shorter. If anything, battles improved after Kanto. He started using strategies and actually winning gym battles in...battles. The only short one's I can think of are league matches that have been rushed like Ash vs Gary in Johto. It was all 1HKOs until Charizard vs Blastiose.

Second, they seem to be more deformed and cartoony than before. Even going so far as to repeatedly use 3-d effects and stock animation way more than in Kanto.

The only thing that looks bad about the animation now is the CGI. CGI wasn't used until Here's Lookin At You, Elekid anything before didn't have it (I think). Except the movies.

Reuse of scenes - Kanto did this a LOT. It's impossible not to notice this. The same animation for Pidgeotto coming out the Pokeball (flying upwards) was used all the time over loads of episodes until it evolved, so was Bulbasaur just standing there using Razor Leaf. And the most reused scene ever
indigo.gif

That was used SO much, all the way up until Here's Lookin At You, Elekid maybe not every episode, but in a LOT. That's about 250 episodes? And what's even more scabby is that I presume they took it straight from the opening.

Come to think of it, since when did they start actually 'taking tuns' shouting orders? Whatever happened to the days when they could just shout out several orders in succession and freaking blitz the opponent?

Since never o.O The most commands they ever give is 2 or 3.

Let's see... They started using squiggly lines (the hypnotize lines, to be more specific) in the latter half of Kanto and have been using them ever since. In the beginning, they didn't really use them much at all.

...? In the Brock gym battle, Pikachu faintes and gets squiggly eyes. Episode 5 counts as the second half? Its used everytime a Pokemon faints. There just wasn't much fainting in the first half because there weren't many *actual* battles. Just Team Rocket.

Pikachu gets poisoned in the episode titled, 'Here Comes the Squirtle Squad'.

Pikachu wasn't poisoned. He was just badly hurt. They didn't say poisoned and Ash got a Potion, not an Antidote.

And Charizard gets frozen in another episode. And I believe I may have seen another episode where a Pokemon gets set on fire.

Lots of Pokemon have got frozen. In Wheel of Frontier (I've watched a lot of Battle Frontier repeats o.O) Snorlax is frozen and is actually Focus Punched until the ice breaks.

I remember James's head getting Firepunched XD

Not to mention Ash and Pikachu have died a couple times too. They seem to just not do that kind of thing anymore

Yeah, I can imagine why. Most living things find it a bit hard to die a couple of times o.O They fainted and become ghosts once. And Ash got turned into stone...once. It wasn't something they did often anyway.

My theory is that they changed things because they wanted to tone down the violence. But it's just odd for Japan to even give one whit about the amount of violence in their cartoons.

Apparently, 4Kids put pressure on Japan to do what they wanted. According to Dogasu, anyway.

It's like someone already said, the rivalry between Ash and Paul is about the only good thing in Sinnoh. If not for that, people would be chalking this up as 'just anothet Generation'. Admit it, you know it's true.

Where did I mention D/P...? If I thought something, I'd say. I like D/P, even though it seems to be taking a long time there seem to be a lot less fillers. I enjoy contests (though not as much as in AG), all the Pokemon with personalities, the Elite Four are actually getting mentioned, good gym battles, Ash and Dawn get about equal screentime unlike Ash and May.

Yeah, it may basically be the same thing happening over again but what does ANY of this have to do with maturity? Its just going into why people prefer the 1st series rather than why its anymore mature

I also think thet the first season was more mature.

They did things that havent been shown again (probably becayse US censure of almost eveerything they consider inapropiate for kids), but i donth think the show has lost all the previous things it used to show.

They do still edit stuff now and again. Like the Giovanni thing in one of the Combee story arc episodes. Its a shame they banned some of those episodes, I watched the Jynx episode recently and I thought it was really good.
 
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438
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17
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  • Seen Oct 21, 2009
The way I understand it, the episodes are more for humour and fun while the movies are more serious. Pokemon and humans die in the movies. The movies have good story and characters (at least a few of them). There are more violence in the movies.

Apparently, 4Kids put pressure on Japan to do what they wanted. According to Dogasu, anyway.

I think so, too. I hate 4kids. They have never done anything right. I can't understand how the owners of the anime let them release it. To me, if you let them release the anime in US, it just a sign that you don't care for your anime at all. I would never have done it if I was Satoshi Tajiri. Is there no better company that sells anime in US? Of course there is.
 

Kitoshi

Introverted Procrastinator
32
Posts
16
Years
It would be nice if they made the show more mature and introduced more development and background for the characters, I mean come on even the Pokémon are getting their personalities developed (Aipom). Also it would be nice to see a time line because I find it quite dumb to keep a character that seems to have been travelling for around 4 years the same age as when the animé began.

Yeah, I always wondered why Satoshi hasn't aged a bit, but is not the same comedic newbish trainer as he was in the beginning of the animé. The characters are supposed to have backgrounds too; the producers make it seem like they only live in the moment.

I'd like to see some character development rather than the centre of attention focused on exclusively their Pokémon.
And maybe a little profanity used conservatively to indicate when they're really infuriated.
(Already in effect in JPN version of the animé)

To me, if you let them [4Kids] release the animé in US, it just a sign that you don't care for your animé at all.

Either that, or they want to maximize profits and minimize international marketing/distribution costs.

Especially in Seasons 06 through 09. It bored me because they tried to make it child-friendly and easily marketable to international audiences. I couldn't really bear to watch even a quarter of the entire Advanced Generation series; it lost its sense of originality and blended towards a loosely linear formula that subsequently repeats itself from season six onwards.
4Kids screwed us over.

If they can raise the maturity level of the animé, they can use realistic language again, cut out those pesky one-second black screens with hit marks replacing it with real battles and return the Japanese text & culture.
(Which got me hooked onto Season 01 in the first place)

Hopefully--if it were to happen--they would hire a better team of animators and directors to choreograph the battles in the animé and the motion pictures. But I guess they're a bit busy balancing their money on the animé production and their game development.
(They choreograph at a satisfactory level in their animated motion pictures, but their animé series is very lacklustre)

I mean Pokémon should at least be DBZ level, that's more mature than what Pokémon is now.

It should have been dubbed by Funimation from the start :D .
DBZ? Its level is over 9000!
 

sabrina_diamond

Blazing dark Vulpix
228
Posts
17
Years
  • Age 35
  • Seen Nov 15, 2023
I think that it is time that the Pokemon saga started a darker plotline, like introducing Pokemon Hunter J as a central plotline... or having a darker edge like Digimon Tamers :)

It would be very cool if there was a dark plot like in Ace Sanchez's fanfic, Pokemon Master (where the characters age, saving the world from new Shadow Pokemon and romance relationships develop between Ash/Misty/Duplica).
 

Jessie

Don't forget to be awesome.
1,038
Posts
16
Years
Well, of course. I like a first movie the first season of something is usually the best. I haven't even really watched any of the really new seasons...but I still watch the first 2 or 3 seasons and the first few movies. I don't like most of the new Pokemon in the newer stuff.
 

xxspeedy101

master trainer
34
Posts
16
Years
well i for one have gotten bored of team rocket being so.....stupid! seriously if the characters were more serious about it than the show would be way better in my opinion, that's why the only characters i like are Giovanni and Paul.
 
1
Posts
10
Years
  • Age 28
  • Seen Dec 7, 2013
well think about it the current show is aimed at younger people and pokemons been out for a little more then 15 years so you would think it would of been fine if they made it for more mature people because the people watching it now were not watching it when it started.
 

Aquacorde

⟡ dig down, dig down ⟡
12,453
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19
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Hey, this thread is from 2007! We have a rule about not reviving threads that have been dead for over 30 days. If you want to discuss this topic further, please feel free to start a new one!
 
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