Misty or May?

[Pogiforce-14]

I gotta admit Misty was pretty cool and may started out as a dits. But now that she is improving as a trainer, I'm thinking that she's kinda cool after all. Although I'm looking forward to when Misty comes comes back, I find I'm more looking forward to watch May as she improves even more over time. In my opinion she's like as much the star as Ash is, since Advanced Generation started with her monologue, and she is a starting trainer working her way up just like Ash was so long ago. In that way, I find May to be more of a fellow trainer or a partner than just a tag along buddy like Misty was, and that is why I had to vote for May.

 

[Jeikobu]

I won't deny that Erika-san is great and very attractive, but my heart falls to Haruka-chan. I love her looks, personality, everything. She's beautiful in and out. She's a learning trainer with alot of potential, and she's very caring. ^^

 

[Blitz~2005]

yeah i like the fact shes not a tag along

 

[pokeknight]

I must vote for misty!

Misty is so cute while may is a stupid girl!

 

[Aquacorde]

My fav is Misty. And for those of you who don't like one or the other's voice, May has the same voice actor as Ash (Veronica Taylor), and Misty & Jessie are done by Rachel Lillis.

 

[Pogiforce-14]

And just for the record, Veronica Taylor also does the voice of Mrs. Ketchum' and of the old woman from Pokemon 4 Ever.

The thing about May that I still prefer over Misty is that unlike Misty and Brock, who really didn't get anything out of traveling with Ash, May travels with him because she is working onher own goals. May has a solid goal that can be reached and isn't as vague as becoming the best water trainer. May wants to be the best coordinator and she can achieve this goal by participating in Pokemon Contests. MIsty wanted to be the best water trainer but besides participating in the Whirl Cup, she really didn't do anything to reach that goal.

In short , it's basically the same thing I said earlier. May feels more like a fellow trainer with her own hopes and dreams rather than a tag along character that spices things up occasionally. I don't know, it just makes her seem more real to me. Misty seemed too superficial. (Although granted she was a good character. Plus there was the romance interest...)

 

[Chairman Kaga]

Misty definitely wasn't a tag-along character, actually. Her ambitions were slowly altered over the course of the show. In the beginning, before she met Ash and Brock, when her life consisted of training at the Cerulean Gym, her only desire was to become a superb water pokemon trainer. She was of the mindset of a gym-leader in training. Slowly through the series, though, her concerns shifted from being the best water trainer to aiding Ash in his quest, and even though she still kept her love of water pokemon, the desire became secondary to being an integral part of his quest. I believe she has fulfilled her quest to be an exemplary water pokemon trainer...now with pokemon like Politoed and Gyarados, she?s one of the best out there.

Misty was never superficial, also. Ash couldn?t have made it without her companionship many times, and her emotions have so much more depth than May?s. All May ever does is smile and giggle, while Misty had her trademark fiery temper, as well as mood swings that made her anything from happy to sad to any emotion you can think of. Misty actually seems more real to me than the cut-and-dry May.

 

[Pogiforce-14]

Misty was more of an adlib than an actual influence on teh story. In Advanced Gen. May plays a major role in the fact that they go out of their way to go to contests that she participates in. May has already participated in one contest and according to my books, she'll be in at least three more asthe story progresses. MIsty only had so many major influence on teh story really, and that was when Ash battled her for the badge, battled her for Togepi, battled her in teh whirl cup, and when she left.

 

[Mullet]

Misty rules, and so do her water pokemon. Misty rules all who oppose. Fear her ultimate mallet and Politoed of DOOM!!!!!!!

 

[Jeikobu]

Misty is so cute while may is a stupid girl!

Ooh now there's a good reason. *rolls eyes*
Care to elaborate on that?

 

[~Ozy~]

Misty was more of an adlib than an actual influence on teh story. In Advanced Gen. May plays a major role in the fact that they go out of their way to go to contests that she participates in. May has already participated in one contest and according to my books, she'll be in at least three more asthe story progresses. MIsty only had so many major influence on teh story really, and that was when Ash battled her for the badge, battled her for Togepi, battled her in teh whirl cup, and when she left.

I'm sorry, but I must ask if you read CK's post. He explained Misty's purpose quite fluently. Now, if you're looking at just major events, then yes, I suppose you're right. But that characters have more influence on each other than in just the major events. If it was just major stuff that influenced things, Ash would hat Misty with a passion in all likelihood. She beat him multiple times throughout the series and in such a way and for such things that it would have devestated him. Instead, events such as the Whirl Cup seem to have strengthned their frindship. And if you're going for major event again, you forgot their battle for Totodile and how she yelled him out of depression afte he lost in the Indigo League.

Anyway, I just can't develop any empathy, any sense of shared feeling with May. Misty, I cared about, I wanted her to wind up happy, I wanted her to achieve all her goals. She was a real person for me. I yelled at Rudy during the Orange Islands over hitting on her. May, I just can't feel the same way about. She seems vapid, ethreal (and not in the beauty sense) and weak to me. I see her as having no purpose but to introduce the concept of Contests, just as I saw Ash during the first season as no more than a cheap way to introduce battling. It's the other characters I felt more for, and that holds true now. The fact that they go out of their way for her contests disgusts me, really. She needs to gain some solo experience, then maybe come back as a more enjoyable character, instead of letting Ash sheperd her.

 

[Pogiforce-14]

You mean the way Misty at first sheparded Ash? -_-? you can't exaclty expect her to show up and be a good as ash or misty just like that. she's a developing character, which is something we haven't seen in a while. And she shows more emotions publicly than misty. misty msotly shows publicly only her emotions of fear and anger. may has publicly shown compassion, insecurity, Enthusiasm, fear, anger, shame, and occasinally awe.

Misty was a vibrant character who brought the attention to herself and Brock, but May helps bring the attention to the group as a whole. Although Misty was more developed than May, that was only because she has been around longer than May has. Already may has developed to a point where you know her passions and insecurities. I don't know aobt you, but i've learned that May want's to make her parents proud and wants to impres ash. that last one was obvious where they met Mr. briney. may lvoes fashion and sparkling appearances, this made obvious by her choice as coordinator and her frequent shopping for bathing suits. Already she ahs gotten the hang of contest battling, allbeit she hasn't won one yet. (Don't worry, she will.)

May is also a broader Character that can appeal to more people. (made obvious by these pol results) She brings with her a sense of newness introduced with a enw character that I admit I missed with the beginning of the johto region.

To sum it up, she's new, refreshing, and a developing haracter that i find to be more appealing all in all than misty was.

 

[~Ozy~]

I'm sorry, but I just can't agree with you on any of that, except perhaps that May is more public with emotions.

Now, on the issue of character devolopment: Go back and watch the first season, really. Misty shows up and we know almost immidiately that she's passionate and tempremental, just from Ash frying her bike. When he does the same to May's, we see almost no reaction. Pokemon was never much for character development, and I doubt we'll ever see much more to May than there already is. Secondly, Misty isn't the type of girl to show emotion when it's not constructive to the plot as a whole. Go back and watch Gotta Catch 'Ya Later for example. Or Ghost of Maidens Peak. I can point you to numerous other examples as well, if need be.

And you're **** right, Misty was a vibrant character. she was needed to take the focus off of Ash alone. I have yet to see May doing anything similar, excepting when a Contest is around. And yes, I know what May wants and fears, I see it as transparent. We knew the same with Misty. She wanted to be the best Water Pokemon trainer, but it seems you didn't pick up on the ulterior motive for this: To beat her sisters. All her life, they kept her from doing what she wants, now she wants to beat them at their own game.

Furthermore, I can't really say that these poll results are accurate. Forgive my language, but it seems to me that this community is comprised mostly of ****ed-up May lovers. Also, it seems to me that the poll results are a lot closer than you would like to pretend they are.

Finally, I don't see May is fresh or appealing, I see her as the generic cut & paste backup female that she is.

 

[Pogiforce-14]

Dude, chill out. We're entitled to our opinions here. I'm just telling you why I prefer May over Misty. You don't need to make a federal case out of it. :\

 

[Chairman Kaga]

Allow me to back up what TAD said. I don't see how May has ever been a more emotional character than Misty, actually I see it as the other way around. What have we seen of May so far? Nothing that you wouldn?t see in an everyday sweetly-exuberant ten-year-old: unbridled positivity and girly-sweetness. What emotions do you say May has felt? Misty has felt them too, and so many more. If May can have all those in one season, Misty has certainly had those emotions and emotions much deeper in five seasons on the show. Let?s make a list...

Compassion: If she didn?t have compassion, she would have sent Togepi on its merry way after hatching. She has more compassion than anyone else on the show; didn?t she always have a kind word for Ash when he lost his battles? Her caring touch was unparalleled.

Insecurity: Anyone who examines Misty at all knows that she is very insecure and covers it up with her rough demeanor. Besides, all people have insecurities, she is just good at hiding them. There was never a need for her to be insecure in the show, on the other hand May can?t do anything on her own and needs everyone?s support constantly. Her lack of confidence is amazing.

Enthusiasm: Err...training for the Whirl Cup ring a bell?

Fear: Remember when the chandelier in Pokemon Tower that fell on Ash? She was horrified and thought he was dead.

Anger: She gets angry a lot. How could you say that Misty never experiences Anger when it?s her most apparent and common emotion besides general happiness?

Shame: Misty has nothing to be shameful about, but she does feel it after losing a battle.

Awe: Remember the expression on her face when she watched Togepi hatch? That was beautiful.

And those are all single examples. Misty matches and exceeds May in every category; especially emotion. There?s no way May can be more vibrant than Misty in less than one year, and I honestly don?t see how so many people have jumped ship and sided with the newcomer instantly, I could never do that, especially with someone as bland as May. If they would have put a little more thought into the character, I could more easily accept her, but she?s nothing, a blank slate, the pinnacle of orthodox pokemon training, except sub-par in everything she does. At least Misty could win battles or put up a good fight in the ones she lost, May sends out her tiny little Torchic expecting it to burn the opponent to a crisp, it gets taken out immediately (save for battles with TR, they HAVE to lose, no matter who they?re up against) and then she weeps over the loss. I haven?t watched her in any contest battles and don?t care to, I expect that they?ll take a similar route as her regular battles.

Back onto the subject of Misty?s emotion versus May?s emotion, though. I don?t see how it makes a difference how much they display their emotion. May wears her heart on her sleeve. Misty is more complex than that, always having to hide her feelings to keep up her tough tomboy fa?ade. May has no restraint, and on top of it any emotion she does show is usually grinning, grinning, and more grinning, and I tire of it very quickly. Misty?s passions and insecurites were apparent as quickly as May?s were; she let Ash know almost right away that she aspired to be a master of water pokemon. Of course that wasn?t her only passion, might I add. She was so much more than just training pokemon. Her companionship to Ash and her devotion to his causes made her put hers aside and help him on his path to victory, and her bond with Ash was forged at the very beginning of both of their journies, and that?s something May can never overcome. The only time I ever saw Ash display something close to despair was during Gotta Catch Ya Later; they spoke very openly of their friendship with each other and how incredibly valuable their friendship was with each other. May can only be a friend to Ash in the context of their love for pokemon. Misty is Ash?s friend for life. Definitely Misty had more of an effect on Ash than May ever will, and that makes her so incredibly important to the show and to the other characters. Ash, Misty, and Brock made a trio of amazing trainers with complex personalities and the stories were more involved then, interpersonal relationships were more pronounced when Misty was on there (up until Johto, but let?s not get into that.) Right now with May, it just feels like two guys, a girl, and their pokemon. There?s nothing between the lines to read in AG. Misty gave the show depth. May is a drone, made to sell to video games, a slap in the face to people who have been with pokemon from the beginning like me.

 

[~Ozy~]

Dude, chill out. We're entitled to our opinions here. I'm just telling you why I prefer May over Misty. You don't need to make a federal case out of it.

And I'm responding to what you said. It's what you do in a debate. I'm sorry for my language, but I was merely informing you of what I see and think. I don't really have respect for someone who would so readily accept something that I see as infinately inferior.

 

[Pogiforce-14]

People have their tastes in girls. :D I happen to prefer May, you happen to prefer misty. She's not worse nor better. It's all a matter of opinion.

And Chairman Kaga, i DID say that Misty felt Anger quite often. and I didn't say that she didn't feel those emotions, I said that she showed less than may does. And some peopel happen to like the kind that wears their heart ontheir sleeve. Again, it's all a matter of personal taste and opinion.

To ask which is better is the wrong question. To ask which we prefer is much fairer.

 

[~Ozy~]

I know, I know. I've been over this particular point before with Jeikobu. But, I happen to love a good debate (and seeing as how political mones are banned here) and this is an excellent topic. I'm refuting your points, you do the same with mine, and we give our reasonong for out preference. It's a good time.

 

[Pogiforce-14]

I admit, a good debate is fun. but since it is indeed all opinion, there is really no way to truly prove or disprove anything. It's like what they say in English class: You cannot call a sentence with Better, best, worse, or worst in it a statement of fact because it's a matter of opinion and someone else may beleive otherwise.

To be honest, when I voted I had to really think about my choice. Since it was a matter of opinion, I had a rought time with my choice. But in the end I went for May for the prestated reasons. ( Or maybe I just ain't one who goes for redheads. Again, personal tastes. :D)

 

[~Ozy~]

But a good opinion debate is also temendous fun, even though it's unlikely that anything will be resolved, or anyone's mind changed. Just look at the Nationstates forums for example.