Your views on the anime characters and 4Kids...

[Giratina ♀]

wat

Conjecture and opinions != facts

Another day, another "WE <3 KASUMI SHE SO KAWAII >3<" thread. People only grew attached to Misty after she left. Despite the amount of people who clamour for his departure, Ash being written out would have the same effect. I see the point in people preferring Misty as a character to May and Dawn - she was a lot more tomboyish and was actually a very good role model in that she was a strong female character, and not simply eye candy. The fact is, however, times change. The anime has to adapt itself to appeal to a new wave of young people - the sort of people who might never even have heard of Pokémon Red and Blue. Using new characters to put a breath of fresh air into a show is nothing new, so just go with it.

As for accusations of dipped quality since Misty being written out, I say that those people are probably firmly within the grip of romantic nostalgia. You can level the charge of newer stories being uninteresting, but a lot of them have a firm basis in older episodes. As for those episodes that don't, I think they are some of the better ones. The Tag Battle Tournament arc, the Pokémon Summer School episodes and the two-part Ash vs. Shinji battle are highlights for me. Voice acting has only ever gotten better since PUSA took over the dubbing, and art has steadily improved, with perhaps a few exceptions with dodgy animation directors.

I bet the OP is one of those people who refuse to acknowledge anything past the first 251, or maybe even the first 151. All because of some perceived drop in quality, when in fact the series is experiencing a resurgence after a poor time during the third generation.

tl;dr: take off your rose-tinted spectacles and stop being so nostalgic.

QFT.

Seriously, Apo has taken everything I wanted to say and put it into words. Yeah, I think that they've been soaking in nostalgia for just a little too long.

 

[GymLeaderMisty]

I guess I have to get some of the original episodes just to compare the background music.

I am not embarrassed because I like the dub, but I suppose that is before they screw up things such as Yu-Gi-Oh! as 4Kids dubbed Pokémon in 1998.

I just found this...


Most of the music (not all) is the same in that episode . I like the Japanese music a little better.

 

[*Charizard*]

Ive seen every single Pokemon episode up to date and I must say that I still enjoy it. And frankly I didn't really care when Misty left. I actually prefer May.

 

[Team Rocket's Raichu]

The anime went down hill when it went to Hoenn. That's my opinion.

 

[>Feelings<]

It didn't have much to do with just Misty leaving. There were a whole range of factors that made the show bad later on.
Whether the fans of the anime these days agree with me or not, in my opinion the show really has lost quality and the feel it used to have, and the content are just not satisfying anymore.
It used to be, and now it isn't - the end.

 

[jasonresno]

Can't be bothered replying fully to another "Pokmeon sucks now" thread but all I'll say this, the show is more than one character. There are other interesting characters than Misty, like Ash, Brock, Team Rocket etc.

Have you also ever considered the possibility that the reason you find it childish now is........... well that you arn't a child anymore? Nothing major has really changed with the format of the show. He still does the same crap every episodes, except there's a new female companion (to keep it fresh) and obviously new Pokemon.

The animation quality has majorly improved since the first season, the episodes are taking less time to dub, the battling more resembles the style of the games and they're not modifying the dubs as much from the original.

And that's exactly why I don't watch the show anymore. It has saturated itself with such repetition and cliche. There is nothing wrong with following a formula but there is no reason they cannot expand on it. They have such a wonderful setting and world to let these characters and their story breathe and, yes I know it's a childrens show, they just don't do it.

I'd really love to see a little bit of a darker more story-centric Pokemon TV show. That would probably get me back into it. Reading good fanfiction proves that you can keep make the story interesting with what they are working with.

 

[yossarian]

And that's exactly why I don't watch the show anymore. It has saturated itself with such repetition and cliche. There is nothing wrong with following a formula but there is no reason they cannot expand on it. They have such a wonderful setting and world to let these characters and their story breathe and, yes I know it's a childrens show, they just don't do it.

I'd really love to see a little bit of a darker more story-centric Pokemon TV show. That would probably get me back into it. Reading good fanfiction proves that you can keep make the story interesting with what they are working with.

I see where you're coming from but for me, I don't watch the anime to be challenged mentally and to be hooked and moved by a great plot and storyline. If I wanted to I'd watch a better produced show like Dexter, The West Wing, The Wire etc etc. As you say it essentially is a children's show so the writing is not going to be on the same level and they'll be less to prone to make massive changes because there's no need as children are less demanding than adults.

I just watch it for fun really, something to not take that seriously and also because I've known the characters for the good part of 10 years now so I do have an affinity with them.

 

[SolarAbusoru]

I no longer watch the anime, the same episodes are constantly aired where I am, and I can't be bothered to watch, the show is practically suffering from Groundhog day syndrome, the Wallace cup just keeps playing, nothing new. and of course, the show is too much like a regular cheap cartoon nowadays.

 

[GymLeaderMisty]

Pokémon wasn't designed to be a thought provoking cartoon... I do like it because of the world building and the characters, not because of the plot. In comparison to other animes, Yu-Gi-Oh! is more plot-driven, while Pokémon focuses on world-building. Yu-Gi-Oh! has more nunanced characters though, but Pokémon also has fairly developed characters.

I will make a concession... I did not argue that the show was objectively bad after Misty left. I always said it was my opinion. Yes, one reason why I liked the characters is that I always had an affinity towards them (much like Togepi being imprinted by Misty), and I never had this affinity with May or Dawn. Yes, my opinions will inevitably be based on my subjective attachment for Misty. However, one could still make a case the Misty was a more complex and multidimensional character compared to Dawn or May. Unfortunately, I cannot make this argument since I only saw a few Hoenn episodes and no Diamond and Pearl Episodes, so I cannot make the appropriate comparisons. Nevertheless, the purpose of posting this thread was not argumentative, but investigational: I wanted to know how many people in the Pokémon fandom share my views, and to elicit opposing views.

Apop was correct when he speculated that I was one of those people who refuse to acknowledge anything past the first 251. Let's say this: I just learned that Chimchar was a starter Pokémon during this weekend. For all practical purposes, treat my knowledge of Pokémon as if "I have been living on Mars for the past decade. Under a rock in a cave. With my eyes shut and my fingers in my ears."

 

[Vernikova]

The anime went down hill when it went to Hoenn. That's my opinion.

Why?

Anyway, I prefer the Sinnoh saga because of the nice mix of Paul, Team Galactic, even though they need more episodes, and exciting battles as well as Dawn's realistic development and character development of ther Pokémon.

 

[GymLeaderMisty]

Why?

Anyway, I prefer the Sinnoh saga because of the nice mix of Paul, Team Galactic, even though they need more episodes, and exciting battles as well as Dawn's realistic development and character development of ther Pokémon.

How does Dawn's development compares to Misty's? Like I said before, I haven't seen Diamond and Pearl.

You are refering to the Pokémon USA dub, not the original right?

 

[Vernikova]

How does Dawn's development compares to Misty's? Like I said before, I haven't seen Diamond and Pearl.

I think Dawn has better develpment at this point but Misty had the disadvantage of being stuck in Johto which was bad with development of its characters and Pokémon. Dawn started out over-confident and thought that she would just win Pokémon Contests like that but was beat pretty quickly. She had her depressed phase where she questioned her skill and her comeback moment when she won the Aqua Ribbon. Most people would consider her a nicely developed character considering that this is Pokémon we are talking about here.

You are refering to the Pokémon USA dub, not the original right?

I was talking about the plot overall but I do like how TPCI and DuArt are dubbing the show.

 

[Porygon-2000]

For me, it was all going well until they got rid of arbok (and, to a lesser exctent, weezing) the new pokemon just dont have that same charm of the old ones (seviper be damned!)

 

[MastaMind]

/wow at some of the people in this thread

Isn't the show supposed to be entertaining towards little kids and such? Granted, young adults do watch the show, being that they grew up on pokemon, but some of you guys act like spoiled babies.

Grow up

 

[GymLeaderMisty]

For me, it was all going well until they got rid of arbok (and, to a lesser exctent, weezing) the new pokemon just dont have that same charm of the old ones (seviper be damned!)

Jessie would still have a Seviper if she kept her Arbok. Arbok evolves into Seviper, right?

 

[PokemonTrainerLisa]

Wow, I haven't posted here in ages. XD

Okay, first of all, this is a great topic!! ^^

Second of all, I actually like all the characters on Pokemon. There aren't any characters that I dislike or hate. Although, of course, I do have a favorite character. And that would be the main charater, Ash Ketchum! I've always loved Ash!! <3333

And finally, here's my thoughts on the show. I have been watching Pokemon ever since it first started airing. Back in the day, I watched the 4Kids dub all the time, when it was airing on KidsWB. I absolutely loved coming home from school on the weekdays, and turning on the TV to watch Pokemon. And of course, watching the new episodes and Saturday's was awesome too!

I love how nostalgic the 4Kids dub is. <33 It gives you such a wonderful feeling to watch season 1 through 8, because it brings back so many memories. ^_^

Which brings me to my next point. Unfortunately, I feel that the Pokemon USA dub lacks most (if not all) of the nostalgia from the 4Kids dub. And personally, I would contribute the loss of nostalgia, to the fact that Pokemon USA replaced ALL of the original voice actors. Because, when we no longer hear those same voices anymore...there's nothing familiar to us, long-time fans. That is why I believe the Pokemon USA dub (seasons 9 through 12) has lost most of its nostalgia. To be honest, the show just isn't the same anymore.

Of course, personally, what I dislike the most about the Pokemon USA dub, is Sarah Natochenny's portrayal of Ash. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Sarah as a person. I simply dislike the way she portrays Ash. And I prefer Veronica Taylor's portrayal of Ash, because I grew up watching Pokemon and Veronica truly brought the character of Ash Ketchum to life (in my opinion). Veronica's Ash voice seemed unique and her portrayal of the character was amazing. I loved the way she delivered every single line. You could tell that she really enjoyed playing Ash, because the character seemed more "real". And this of course, was thanks to the amount of emotion that Veronica gave him. You can actually hear that emotion in Ash's voice, too. It's there with every single line.

And to clarifly my opinion, once again, with the Pokemon USA dub, Ash isn't the same character to me. I mean, it's not that Sarah Natochenny's a horrible VA. Although, there are times when she messes up the line delivery, or doesn't give Ash enough emotion, still - Sarah can be pretty good. However, the problem is, Sarah just isn't the right person to play Ash Ketchum. In my opinion, the role of Ash Ketchum belongs to Veronica Taylor, because she brought him to life for 8 years and she didn't just voice Ash, she WAS Ash. She actually BECAME the character! The voice that Veronica gave him sounded very unique and it was very recognizable as "Ash's voice". And not only this, but through her acting and outstanding portrayal of the character, Veronica gave Ash his heart and soul! That's why Veronica Taylor, (in my opinion) is the true Ash Ketchum.

By the way, in case you couldn't tell, in general, I prefer the 4Kids dub over the Pokemon USA dub. And of course, I also prefer the original voice actors over the new voice cast. However, I actually don't mind the new voice actors and have grown used to them, which is good. The new voice actors are at least decent, so they don't bother me too much (but even so, I will always prefer the original voice actors over the new cast). In fact, the only new voice which is difficult for me to tolerate is Sarah Natochenny's Ash voice. But of course, that's because I strongly prefer Veronica's voice and portrayal of Ash, over Sarah's portrayal of the character.

 

[GymLeaderMisty]

I thank you for posting in my thread. I see that you are 23, and I am happy that you liked Pokémon and are proud of it. I am 20 years old now, and I will always cherish my memories of watching Pokémon. Pokémon will forever be a part of my identity, I will not allow my age to destroy it. Many people simply grew out of Pokémon, and I find that sad.

I do admire Ash, but my favorite character is Misty. She is truly a character I could empathize with (I am somewhat bipolar and do ossillate between moods sometimes like Misty.) I just want a female friend that I could share an emotional rapport with, not someone that I seek physical pleasure from, nor just to look at their physical characteristics. The songs Together Forever and My Best Friends capture the essence of Misty.

 

[randomspot555]

Yes, any of the episodes after the Kanto and Johto episoids are SH*T! The new episodes are really, really, dumb! i mean, he's (Ash) is traveling with what a 10 year old?!?! And the show starting to get EDUCATIONAL!!!!! IT'S MADNESS!!!!!

lol. This is someone who obviously never watched Johto. Johto has so much crap in it. You can skip dozens of episodes and not miss anything.

How is the show becoming educational?

Even if it is, how is that a bad thing?

And don't get me started on Shigeru/Gary's voice. @~@ Oh dear lord. . >.>" It was just terrible. Did his voice actor has a lisp or something? =/ It didn't sound anything like his Japanese voice. .

​

According to Bulbapedia, Gary is one of the few characters whos had the same VA in the American dub.

The fact is, however, times change. The anime has to adapt itself to appeal to a new wave of young people - the sort of people who might never even have heard of Pokémon Red and Blue. Using new characters to put a breath of fresh air into a show is nothing new, so just go with it.

The irony is that people are complaining about "anime repetitive." It's like, do these people even play the games the show is based off of? The changes in the games are very minimal, at best. 10 year old, get starter, some rival with an odd personality trait, 8 gyms, elite 4, the winner is you.

The anime went down hill when it went to Hoenn. That's my opinion.

Great. Why do you say so? Is it because Sinnoh and Hoenn have these things called "plots" and Johto is just filler after filler after filler?

It didn't have much to do with just Misty leaving. There were a whole range of factors that made the show bad later on.
Whether the fans of the anime these days agree with me or not, in my opinion the show really has lost quality and the feel it used to have, and the content are just not satisfying anymore.
It used to be, and now it isn't - the end.

Like what? I mean, were you expecting the show to change drastically when the games themselves haven't? Or other long running television animte shows, such as The Simpsons and the Flinstones. These are also shows that barely change.

And that's exactly why I don't watch the show anymore. It has saturated itself with such repetition and cliche.

It's been like that since Kanto, Episode 1.

I'd really love to see a little bit of a darker more story-centric Pokemon TV show.

This is Pokemon, not Halo.

That would probably get me back into it. Reading good fanfiction proves that you can keep make the story interesting with what they are working with.

Oh man, that is an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

These are professional writers, not fans making slash fic out of a children's cartoon. I'm going to entrust them to do a quality show rather than fans who just want needless blood and gore.

I see where you're coming from but for me, I don't watch the anime to be challenged mentally and to be hooked and moved by a great plot and storyline. If I wanted to I'd watch a better produced show like Dexter, The West Wing, The Wire etc etc. As you say it essentially is a children's show so the writing is not going to be on the same level and they'll be less to prone to make massive changes because there's no need as children are less demanding than adults.

I just watch it for fun really, something to not take that seriously and also because I've known the characters for the good part of 10 years now so I do have an affinity with them.

QFT

Apop was correct when he speculated that I was one of those people who refuse to acknowledge anything past the first 251. Let's say this: I just learned that Chimchar was a starter Pokémon during this weekend. For all practical purposes, treat my knowledge of Pokémon as if "I have been living on Mars for the past decade. Under a rock in a cave. With my eyes shut and my fingers in my ears."

Your choice. I think they're producing a high quality plot for the confines that they have to work in, but if you're this infatuated with the filler of Kanto and Johto (Because they have tons of them in there), then you won't like this.

I thank you for posting in my thread. I see that you are 23, and I am happy that you liked Pokémon and are proud of it. I am 20 years old now, and I will always cherish my memories of watching Pokémon. Pokémon will forever be a part of my identity, I will not allow my age to destroy it. Many people simply grew out of Pokémon, and I find that sad.

I do admire Ash, but my favorite character is Misty. She is truly a character I could empathize with (I am somewhat bipolar and do ossillate between moods sometimes like Misty.) I just want a female friend that I could share an emotional rapport with, not someone that I seek physical pleasure from, nor just to look at their physical characteristics. The songs Together Forever and My Best Friends capture the essence of Misty.

Oh dear lord, this is your second account, isn't it?

 

[GlitchCity]

a lot of my friends did that, stopped watching it after misty left. I was sad when she left but I was excited for the hoenn saga.

 

[Darthbane2007]

You know, I don't understand why people give Johto such a bad rap. Sure, it was a little long and had less than spectacular fillers, but i'm just beginning to look through the episodes, some of them I haven't seen in 8-10 years since they first aired, and i'm liking them all over again...