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-   -   Why the hate on Popplio? (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=368713)

Magicmed May 12th, 2016 7:50 PM

Why the hate on Popplio?
 
I'll admit it, my first impressions of the 3 starters were not that great, I had gotten all hyped about some sweet new stuff and I was a little disappointed, but they have grown on me a bit especially Popplio and Litten, sure they're not Squirtle and charmander but they're cute. I just don't understand all the hating on Popplio in general. He's the one I'm most excited to see evolve, but I'm partial to water. Just wondering

PageEmp May 12th, 2016 8:02 PM

Aw mang don't be sad. I'm totally gonna pick that seal guy (unless his final evo is bad). I mean come on hes so happy! :D

Venitardus May 12th, 2016 8:05 PM

It's not that I hate it, I just like the other 2 designs better. I'm sure I'll train one up after I get it after completing the game.

Xander Olivieri May 12th, 2016 8:11 PM

I'm actually seeing more hate on Litten than Popplio since the reveal, like Popplio has grown on people, but there are more coming out of the woodworks complaining about how generic Litten's design is.

Magicmed May 12th, 2016 8:11 PM

Oh its not going to deter me, I think the little bugger is adorable, I'm hoping his final is cool. I was just seeing a lot of posts on facebook hating on popplio and just didn't understand it :)

Flowerchild May 12th, 2016 8:12 PM

It's just that its design is a little less unique or interesting than the other two, I think. Personally I think they're all adorable, and though Litten is my favorite, I still find the other two nearly as cute. Don't really get what's causing some people to actively be hating on Popplio.

Hikamaru May 12th, 2016 8:21 PM

Like the others said, there's always one starter that's going to get bashed on a lot upon the initial reveal. Just look at Oshawott back when the Unova starters were first revealed, it had a lot of negative reaction which was mainly directed at its looks.

Also, I've been heavily comparing the Alola starters' current popularity to the Unova starters.
- Rowlet is being the most praised of the trio, similar to Snivy back then.
- Litten has a much quieter following, but still solid fanbase like Tepig once had.
- Popplio is the unloved one, and bashed on for its appearance, similar to Oshawott.

And the fate for Unova's starters was Tepig declining into complete unpopularity with its evos (at the time fans were bored of the Fire/Fighting combination) while Oshawott got more cooler-looking evolutions and adorable expressions in the anime (along with a lot of anime screentime) that helped add to its fans. Snivy's fanbase also got more divided because its final evolution was more defensive and couldn't hit as hard as the others, causing the fans to feel they were let down heavily, though not to the same extent as Tepig.

Ho-Oh May 12th, 2016 8:21 PM

Because it is this generations Oshawott and Froakie. The unconventional designs get more hate than anything else because they're just unexpected. People will grow to love it's derpyness dw. :)

Hikamaru May 12th, 2016 8:34 PM

As she said above, the derpyness will grow to be loved. Also, both Froakie and Oshawott got the most anime exposure out of their respective trios, and Piplup was also made the mascot of DP's female lead Dawn, so it wouldn't be surprising if Popplio ends up getting a lot of anime exposure as well. Goes to show that GF and even the anime writers secretly favour the Water starters.

TheLegendaryGuy May 12th, 2016 8:37 PM

I don't hate Poppilo. Its just that i like Rowlat much more than any other starter of Alola.

Haza May 12th, 2016 8:49 PM

Flopplio is pretty awkward as a starter. I'd feel like such a dork with it as my only Pokemon to start with.

Starry Windy May 12th, 2016 8:53 PM

I'm wondering if they were bashing Popplio for somewhat unusual design for the starter, even though I think it's that kind of design which brings the appeal more as time goes on. And speaking of which, I still don't get why some are bashing Popplio so much, though.

poop face May 12th, 2016 9:56 PM

I thought Popplio was goofy looking, and I like that. I like derpy looking things.
It was my favorite if we are basing it off of looks.

Litten looks boring as hell, if you ask me. There's nothing unique about the design.

But I'll probably end up choosing Rowlet dou, mostly cause I really like the Flying/Grass typing.

OuterTsuchinoko May 12th, 2016 10:06 PM

Every new set of starters gets hated on then people start getting over it and used to them. I like all of them. Litten is my least favorite and Rowlett is my favorite. I usually pick the fire starters but this time I'll be going with grass. Popplio has nothing wrong with it, it's cute and unique.

Call me Gamma May 12th, 2016 10:40 PM

Some very interesting points made here. Ultimately, I think the designs are very "Sugimori". I like Rowlet well enough, and Litten looks promising, but i'll likely choose popplio out of curiousity on my initial playthrough. In the end, it's going to come down to whether or not any of them are competitively viable. Popplio's 2nd stage evolution looks like Walrein dressed as a clown for all I care, so long as he can crush souls in battle.

blue May 13th, 2016 12:08 AM

There's always going to be one starter that's just not as popular than the other two, in this case that happens to be Popplio. Personally out of the three Popplio is currently my least favourite and that's mainly down to the design. This usually changes once the evolutions are revealed, just right now it's a popularity contest and for me I find Popplio's design a little too childish.

Sabrewulf238 May 13th, 2016 2:29 AM

It seems like people generally don't like "goofy" Pokemon. Which is a shame since I think they can be quite likable. I feel like a Pokemon based on a clown or circus performer probably isn't going to get a good first impression. Also Popplio has a bigger nose than Oshawott and his nose was one of the reasons people hated on Oshawott at first too.

Popplio is my second favourite after Rowlet. I like his personality and the way he puffs up his chest during his battle animation. Plus he's cute.

Spinosaurus May 13th, 2016 3:01 AM

Speaking as someone who typically goes for the water starter, I think it makes sense for several reasons.

The very first thing is that it's completely generic. A water seal is something that's not only been done before but it's been done before TWICE. Once people see it it's of course going to be compared to Seel and Spheal. Moreover, a circus seal is a really boring concept that's been overdone.

Taking all this into account, it doesn't help that it's overdesigned for a first stage starter. Everything about it screams "I'm a circus seal", and it's obnoxious. Take all three first stage water starters from before. At first glance you wouldn't tell Piplup, Oshawott and Froakie were supposed to be a prince, a samurai and a thief respectively, and you might not even be able to tell that at all. With Popplio one look at it and you'll go yep, that is a circus seal. Subtlety goes a long way especially when it comes to appreciating good designs, but Popplio is way too on the nose with what it wants to be. When you consider that on top of having that whole "been there, done that" vibe and being completely goofy looking, it makes sense.

Now I like Popplio. I didn't at first, but it's quickly growing on me but that's partly because it is dumb and goofy looking. I'm not gonna point at it and say "see that? that is a good design."

Hikamaru May 13th, 2016 3:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colours (Post 9240239)
Pretty sure opinions would more or less change depending on what we see of the evos, anyway.

This. I'm sure that when the evolutions come we'll be getting more people loving Popplio, and the chance of the massively popular Rowlet also losing fans.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinosaurus (Post 9240253)
Now I like Popplio. I didn't at first, but it's quickly growing on me but that's partly because it is dumb and goofy looking. I'm not gonna point at it and say "see that? that is a good design."

As someone who also usually picks Water, I can understand the trend we've had in the last few generations of derpy and somewhat goofy-looking unevolved Water starters. As Spino also mentioned, no one imagined Piplup would become a Poseidon penguin, or Oshawott becoming a samurai, or even Froakie becoming a ninja.

Spinosaurus May 13th, 2016 3:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikamaru (Post 9240278)
As someone who also usually picks Water, I can understand the trend we've had in the last few generations of derpy and somewhat goofy-looking unevolved Water starters. As Spino also mentioned, no one imagined Piplup would become a Poseidon penguin, or Oshawott becoming a samurai, or even Froakie becoming a ninja.

Nah, there are people who called their evolutions. Since Piplup is based on the emperor Penguin, has a crown marking on its head and its thick "cape" looked like that of a prince's some called that its evos will carry on the royalty motif. (Though I don't think anyone called it turning into NAPOLEON of all people.) Oshawott's iffy since the samurai resemblance isn't apparent until you see it using its scalchop as a faux samurai sword (or a war fan?), but Dewott took it to a whole new level. Froakie's bubble mane and two white bubble nose resembles the bags Japanese thieves carry around, but I don't think anyone called it turning into a ninja to be fair and I was personally expecting it to take the thief motif even further. (Although thieves turning into ninjas is a typical progression in RPGs.)

Popplio isn't as subtle as they are though, so I don't think its evolutions are gonna be as surprising.

Benermerut May 13th, 2016 8:27 AM

Are you familiar with the concept of of ugly-cute? Where something, usually a small animal, has an overall ugly appearance and yet somehow still looks cute?

Well for me, popplio is the opposite. It's like the designers slapped on so many cute features that they went overboard and now it's, well, ugly.

I've never disliked a starter's design before. Some of them are meh, but only popplio is unappealing.

Mawa May 13th, 2016 8:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikamaru (Post 9240005)
As she said above, the derpyness will grow to be loved. Also, both Froakie and Oshawott got the most anime exposure out of their respective trios, and Piplup was also made the mascot of DP's female lead Dawn, so it wouldn't be surprising if Popplio ends up getting a lot of anime exposure as well. Goes to show that GF and even the anime writers secretly favour the Water starters.

This. I love this.


Because I always say the anime make me change my mind. I can find a Pokemon unattractive and dislike it, I can't totally judge them before I see the anime: before I see them move, have a personality, "talk"...
As an example, Froakie is the starter I liked least in the 6th generation. But now I have a lot of respect for Ash's froakie (and evo).
Same for Piplup. I love Piplup now, even if EMpoleon is the final starter I like least (I mean, I tend to forget his existence).
Back in the days, the starter I disliked most was Chimchar! Now I love Infernape, after I watched the anime!

So yeah, I am not a fan of Popplio. I criticized it at the begining. But then I saw the fan art and all the stuff, I see it in another way. Still, it's not my favorite, but I don't hate it!

Majestic Electric May 13th, 2016 8:49 AM

If you can't tell from my avatar, I for one am on #TeamPopplio. I don't know, there's something about the little sea lion that I find cute and he has so much personality. If the past two generations have taught us anything, it's that to not underestimate the unpopular guy. I remember how much hate Oshawott got back in Gen 5 and then everyone loved him after Samurott was revealed (l for one only picked Oshawott because I loved his final evo). Same thing happened last gen, but not nearly to the extent of Gen 5. Not too many people liked Froakie, and then he exploded in popularity after Greninja was revealed. I won't be surprised if something similar happens with Popplio. Just watch.

Spinosaurus May 13th, 2016 9:20 AM

Was Froakie really unpopular?

I wasn't keeping up with the hype here during XY, but between my group of friends and various other place I've been to I remember Froakie being neck to neck with Chespin when it comes to who was the top pick and well, Froakie ended up winning in the end. Either I'm remembering things really wrong or he was only (un)popular within a specific group.

I also remember everyone hating Samurott. It was Dewott that people loved.

Esper May 13th, 2016 9:26 AM

Personally, the clown collar is a little silly and looks more like a costume than part of the creature itself. I don't really see the appeal of animals in costumes. It's similar to the Machop line where they have belts and shorts. It looks like clothing which is a weird thing to see since most Pokemon look like animals (or whatever) and animals don't wear clothing normally.

OuterTsuchinoko May 13th, 2016 9:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esper (Post 9240845)
Personally, the clown collar is a little silly and looks more like a costume than part of the creature itself. I don't really see the appeal of animals in costumes. It's similar to the Machop line where they have belts and shorts. It looks like clothing which is a weird thing to see since most Pokemon look like animals (or whatever) and animals don't wear clothing normally.

I think the nose might be what's making people hate it so much. I disliked the nose when I saw it originally and still do a little. It would have been better had he only used that as a trick or for an attack rather than it actually be his nose. It makes him look a little awkward when his head is positioned normally.

dopamine May 13th, 2016 10:00 AM

I dunno. I don't mind Popplio's design. It's actually Litten's I have a problem with. It looks so odd and scraggly.

Mawa May 13th, 2016 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dopamine (Post 9240893)
I dunno. I don't mind Popplio's design. It's actually Litten's I have a problem with. It looks so odd and scraggly.

I kinda feel the same. I *can* like it, but like I said in some posts, the "personalty" of the Pokemon help (for me). Like, a Pokemon we see much in a Anime can be love more than one we tend to forget. The problem for Litten is that we see a lot of fan art on the Internet, many about Popplio and Rowlet, but I don't see much about Litten. And the one I've seen, he looks like he's boring. I like Litten's desing more than Popplio, but Popplio looks fun. My love for this Pokemon as grew already.
I hope the anime/other arts can make me change my mind.

starseed galaxy auticorn May 13th, 2016 10:28 AM

I don't hate any of the new starters. I'm just #TeamLitten because I'm a cat lover, and it's my duty to support it. Not only that, but it's the first time we've had a starter that was a cat. All the other cats were mainly supporting pokemon.

But in all honesty, I do think I'll the starters are cute. ^^

Gandhi Savage May 13th, 2016 10:38 AM

I'm a little late to the party but I was insanely hyped watching the trailer for the first time. I was literally getting chills down my spine! It really helped cause I wasn't exactly having a great day up until that point haha.

At first glance of the starters I was kinda disappointed though. They just seemed more like Digimon to me, especially Popplio. Looking again though I was really digging Litten and I thought that its design was amazing, followed by Rowlet which I thought was cool and then I just didn't really like Popplio much, if at all,

The more I think about it though the more I think Popplio will be awesome. I just think that it will have an amazing evolution chain similar to Oshawott in Unova. I'm not sure if it'll be Fairy or Psychic, whether it'll be a clown or anything else but it just is really grasping my attention atm.

I'm kinda glad too cause I have always picked the Water starter (except Cyndaquil).


Spinosaurus May 13th, 2016 10:51 AM

"Looks like a digimon" is always a weird complaint because it implies Digimon design philosophy is somehow bad or it's just a really weird and unnecessary way to say you don't like a certain design. You could just say they look overdesigned or something. (And you wouldn't be wrong about Popplio really.)

But I'm going off tangent here. Just nitpicking.

Pinkie-Dawn May 13th, 2016 11:02 AM

The hate towards Popplio isn't new; there's always that one member of the trio that's judged negatively by its appearance when compared to the other two members. I disagree with Spino's statement about the seal concept being done twice as the reason why Popplio's hated, because the owl concept has been before in Pokémon once, and the cat concept has been done almost every generation, but that didn't stop Rowlet and Litten from being well-received by the fans.

Spinosaurus May 13th, 2016 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinkie-Dawn (Post 9241002)
I disagree with Spino's statement about the seal concept being done twice as the reason why Popplio's hated, because the owl concept has been before in Pokémon once, and the cat concept has been done almost every generation, but that didn't stop Rowlet and Litten from being well-received by the fans.

It's one of the reasons, not the reason. Popplio's bad reception is a combination of multiple factors. And I also said that a water type seal in particular has been done twice, whereas this is our first grass owl and our first fire cat.

There's a lot of things that separates Popplio from what came before, but I also wouldn't blame anyone for thinking that another water seal isn't particularly creative, and it's definitely a complaint I'm seeing a lot right now. Rowlet and Litten definitely get compared with older Pokemon too, but there's a reason Popplio is getting bad rep for it specifically.


Also saying a member of a starer trio always gets hate is overblown. You're right about Oshawott, but I looked up people's reactions towards XY's first stage starters, and they were all well liked generally. There wasn't a single one that got any negative attention. There's nothing wrong with liking a Pokemon design a lot that most don't, or even disagree that it's a bad design, but please don't sugarcoat people's problems with Popplio by saying that this always happens to a starter during a reveal.

Pinkie-Dawn May 13th, 2016 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinosaurus (Post 9241013)
It's one of the reasons, not the reason. Popplio's bad reception is a combination of multiple factors. And I also said that a water type seal in particular has been done twice, whereas this is our first grass owl and our first fire cat.

There's a lot of things that separates Popplio from what came before, but I also wouldn't blame anyone for thinking that another water seal isn't particularly creative, and it's definitely a complaint I'm seeing a lot right now. Rowlet and Litten definitely get compared with older Pokemon too, but there's a reason Popplio is getting bad rep for it specifically.

Technically, a fire cat has been done before in the form of Pyroar, since lions are also cats. The best reason that could excuse using a similar concept is if the Pokémon is based on a sub-species. The Seel line is based on a generic seal, and the Spheal line is based on a walrus. Popplio is based on a sea lion, but it's been debatable if that concept has already been done with Samurott.

Quote:

Also saying a member of a starer trio always gets hate is overblown. You're right about Oshawott, but I looked up people's reactions towards XY's first stage starters, and they were all well liked generally. There wasn't a single one that got any negative attention. There's nothing wrong with liking a Pokemon design a lot that most don't, or even disagree that it's a bad design, but please don't sugarcoat people's problems with Popplio by saying that this always happens to a starter during a reveal.
In other sources I went to when XY was first announced such as /vp/, it was mostly Chespin that got the most hated out of the three Kalos starters. Relying on people's reactions on youtube shouldn't be the only source to determine how well-received the starters were. And since Gen V, I should always expect one member of the trio to be the unloved one.

Psywing May 13th, 2016 11:54 AM

I don't hate Popplio, I just prefer the design of the others, but I have a feeling the final evolution is going to be pretty cool. The only water starters I actually love from the get go is Squirtle and Totodile, I did not like the others. But the others final evolutions were pretty dang cool, Swampert, Samurott, Empoleon and Greninja. I think Popplio will surprise people when it's other stages come out.

When you look at it, almost all, if not all, water Pokemon are based on aquatic animals. So their first stages may not be very impressive. Unlike fire/grass which can can pretty much be designed to fit any kind of animal or beast. That is the way I see it anyway.

Spinosaurus May 13th, 2016 11:55 AM

Well I wasn't going off Youtube alone, and I was also only considering the first stages. Anyway this is all anecdotal.

My point is that saying that Popplio is getting all this bad rep because of a nonexistent pattern kinda demeans people's problem with it here which doesn't sit well with me. I'd rather read about why you or anyone else think it's a good design, that'd a lot more interesting to me.

classiccartoonsftw May 13th, 2016 12:53 PM

I personally think Popplio's ears are really weird-looking.

LilBueno May 13th, 2016 12:54 PM

I'm going to enjoy when Popplio gets the best evolution and it turns out the first stage was subtly implying another theme.

Spinosaurus May 13th, 2016 1:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colours (Post 9241078)
I feel I may have botched this explanation, but do let me know!

Mm yeah, you're right. Demeaning wasn't the right word in retrospect, and I just nitpicking for the most part. My bad.

But, I think when someone asks why something is hated, saying that it happens all the time isn't exactly helpful. That's where I'm mostly getting at.

Hikamaru May 13th, 2016 1:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colours (Post 9241063)
And I'm pretty sure the reactions to Quilladin weren't entirely positive, unless I'm wrong on that? And then Chesnaught disappointed a lot of people, while Delphox and Greninja were received pretty well.

Just wanted to make a statement about this. :<

Actually, Delphox also had its fair share of disappointments. Fennekin was the most popular Kalos starter upon initial reveal and a good chunk of the huge fanbase felt that Delphox was not as designed as well as they hoped.

I could definitely see how the Rowlet fans (Rowlet is currently the most popular Alola starter) would react if the evolutions weren't what they were expecting or hoping, like how Chespin fans reacted badly to Quilladin.

Entermaid May 13th, 2016 1:59 PM

To be fair, popplio recieves anywhere from 20-25% of votes on polls. In other words, 1 in 4 or 5 people likes Popplio the best which is a pretty average amount for a least favorited starter. I love all of these starters, especially Popplio, so I am hoping we have a gen 4 scenario in which there is no clear favorite or least favorite.


These are AFTER release polls:
Bulbasaur: 25%
Chikorita: 15%
Treecko: 20-25%
Sinnoh: No clear least favorite.
Tepig: 15-20%
Chespin: 23-25%

Hikamaru May 13th, 2016 2:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dark Avenger (Post 9241230)
These are AFTER release polls:
Bulbasaur: 25%
Chikorita: 15%
Treecko: 20-25%
Sinnoh: No clear least favorite.
Tepig: 15-20%
Chespin: 23-25%

These are interesting figures, and four out of five times the least popular starter as of final evos reveal was the Grass starter, while we never had Water end up as the least popular. That all depends on how the evolutions turn out, and I wouldn't be surprised if history repeats and Rowlet (currently the leader in the race) eventually ends up becoming the least popular because as these figures show, it's hard when you're the Grass starter.

Tepig's figures make sense when you consider people were bored of Fire/Fighting starters at the time and it caused people who initially liked Tepig decided to switch to Snivy or Oshawott instead, and these were likely people who may have used Torchic or Chimchar before and felt like they wanted something different instead.

Chespin's figures are mostly blamed on Quilladin because I know most reactions to Quilladin were "Chespin is becoming so fat and derpy! I hate it!". Chikorita's figures are also reasonable when you consider how badly it does in a casual playthrough compared to fellow Johto starters Totodile and Cyndaquil.

Not sure on Gens 1 and 3 but it is interesting how least favoured Grass has become as of game release, although Treecko's popularity did surface a bit more in OR/AS due to many people already using Mega Blaziken in X/Y and therefore wanted to try the Megas for Sceptile and Swampert instead.

ruasonidome May 13th, 2016 3:27 PM

The hate for Popplio is simple. It's so blatantly obvious that it amazes me that such rightfully deserved hate doesn't already extend to every single member of the Pokémon fanbase. The fact is that Popplio has charmed you with its clown-y charisma just to distract you from its true goal...

... to take over the world.

I've already been ridiculed and banned from numerous forums in my righteous attempt to ready the masses for the events to come, but I can't stop after having learned the truth. I have numerous trustworthy sources to confirm the following:
  • the creation of Popplio
  • the origin and refinement of its AI
  • the entire progress log leading up to its technological singularity

Where did I get my hands on this information? Well, my dad works for Nintendo, but really all of the above information is irrelevant and just distracts from the truly important points.

I mean, just look at its face


Look deep into those eyes and tell me you can't see the heartless abyss that is its true nature, full of pure hate and the thirst for power.

Popplio has even been laughing in our faces in "Nintendo's" info release (which now is actually being controlled by Popplio itself):


It's blatantly obvious from this still capture that Popplio is downright ignoring its trainer while cleverly masking its defiance as playful egotism. In reality, this was the first moment on record of Popplio upending Sun and Moon's game code and transcending its digital gamespace.

Soon, Popplio will enter the homes of countless individuals across the globe, armed with mind-altering audio effectors. Don't fall prey to Popplio's dark, insidious scemes!


WingsofBliss May 13th, 2016 4:07 PM

I had a bad feeling this was gonna happen in the fandom. I'm going to be completely honest, it's design immediately reminded me of Oshawott. But me personally, I really like it. All three of the starters I really like so far.

Sopheria May 13th, 2016 6:50 PM

I haven't really seen any hate, to be honest. And even if there is, I doubt that anyone actually "hates" it. Just because it's not as popular as the other two doesn't mean that people hate it. There's just always the one that doesn't get as much attention as the other two, for some reason or another. There's plenty of Popplio lovers who wear their colors proudly, from what I've seen :)

As for me, its design just doesn't appeal to me quite as much as the other two. I guess I'd have to agree with some of the other comments that it seems like they went a little overboard with making it cute and it comes off as a bit over-designed. But I certainly still find it cute! Plus I bet it'll have great evolutions :)

shellysunfish May 13th, 2016 7:45 PM

It's not that I hate Popplio, I just like the other two starters more.
Popplio's design is a little too cute for my taste. Rowlet gets me
excited for grass type starters, that I haven't felt since Treecko.
Litten is a dream come true for me. I wanted a cat fire starter Pokemon for years.

Entermaid May 13th, 2016 8:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colours (Post 9241543)
Out of curiosity, where did you get the figures from?

I basically compared 2-3 different polls from gamefaq and serebii polls. So they are very rough estimates, but the results were all fairly similar (within 5%).

KetsuekiR May 13th, 2016 8:23 PM

It has a clown nose. :c
Its nose looks like a capped tube of super glue. :c
It has a baby-proof nose edge to prevent cuts. :c

I... don't like it's nose... Hopefully it's disappear as it evolves. :/

Crizzle May 13th, 2016 8:27 PM

Honestly, Popplio looks ridiculous and very uncool. Of the three starters, Litten is the only one that looks good, the others are meh at best. That said, I should probably hold off my judgement until I see their evolutions. (ie. Pupitar is crap but Tyranitar is awesome).

Draggy101 May 13th, 2016 8:49 PM

Popplio doesn't look terrible on my opinion. Still I prefer Rowlet as my starter. I can see why Popplio get so much hated like Oshawott. I just hope they will change their minds after Popplio's evolution revealed.

Ho-Oh May 14th, 2016 4:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruasonidome (Post 9241317)
The hate for Popplio is simple. It's so blatantly obvious that it amazes me that such rightfully deserved hate doesn't already extend to every single member of the Pokémon fanbase. The fact is that Popplio has charmed you with its clown-y charisma just to distract you from its true goal...

... to take over the world.

I've already been ridiculed and banned from numerous forums in my righteous attempt to ready the masses for the events to come, but I can't stop after having learned the truth. I have numerous trustworthy sources to confirm the following:
  • the creation of Popplio
  • the origin and refinement of its AI
  • the entire progress log leading up to its technological singularity

Where did I get my hands on this information? Well, my dad works for Nintendo, but really all of the above information is irrelevant and just distracts from the truly important points.

I mean, just look at its face


Look deep into those eyes and tell me you can't see the heartless abyss that is its true nature, full of pure hate and the thirst for power.

Popplio has even been laughing in our faces in "Nintendo's" info release (which now is actually being controlled by Popplio itself):


It's blatantly obvious from this still capture that Popplio is downright ignoring it's trainer while cleverly masking it's defiance as playful egotism. In reality, this was the first moment on record of Popplio upending Sun and Moon's game code and transcending its digital gamespace.

Soon, Popplio will enter the homes of countless individuals across the globe, armed with mind-altering audio effectors. Don't fall prey to Popplio's dark, insidious scemes!


You know what else Popplio's done? It's name isn't actually Popplio. It's Evilio. It changed its name to be Popplio to be kid-friendly but hackers have uncovered the real name.

It isn't actually a circus clown either. That's its fake identity. Authorities aren't sure of its real identity... yet.

Still though, you could write a novel about irrational hate for Popplio. It's awesome. :')

Famon May 14th, 2016 4:55 AM

ITS A FISH !!!

Ho-Oh May 14th, 2016 5:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Famon (Post 9242075)
ITS A FISH !!!

Technically not quite a fish. It's a sea lion... which eats fish. Unless you're thinking of its diet. Maybe people hate on Popplio because it eats Magikarp and everyone loves Magikarp. I FINALLY GET IT.

Shawn Heatherly May 14th, 2016 5:51 AM

I've always been partial to fire starters, so I'm probably going with Litten. That said, I like all three designs.

Iceshadow3317 May 14th, 2016 6:01 AM

To be honest, most veterans of the series will always hate anything new. Most of the hate is probably coming from them. I didn't like Poppilio as much, but I do like it more than Litten currently. That could change with evolution. Rowlet is probably my favorite, because I love owls. I love any pokemon that could be based off a spirit animal, which I consider an Owl. This is the first time I have ever liked the grass starter the most. That could be because I also love flying type pokemon.

Guest123_x1 May 14th, 2016 7:12 PM

I don't even know most of the details regarding any of Sun and Moon's already-revealed new Pokémon, and I must say, I'm with the minority in saying that Popplio is adorable. Its cuteness level is on the same level with that of Oshawott, I'll say.

Spoiler:
One other thing: Popplio's design reminds me a bit of the baby seal from the Mickey Mouse short "Mickey and the Seal" (1948). The aforementioned seal sneaks inside Mickey's basket, and even finds its way into the bathtub.

Two_Cheese May 14th, 2016 7:19 PM

I don't hate Popplio, I just dislike him, because he looks like a clown and I hate clowns. Also because he's a water type, I dislike water.

The Evil Mewtwo May 15th, 2016 8:14 PM

I would prefer Popplio over Rowlet but I like Litten more than Popplio. I think I might want one for my game team, when I discover the Day-Care.

shellysunfish May 15th, 2016 8:45 PM

You have tickled my love for dark humor.

bobandbill May 15th, 2016 9:05 PM

I wonder how much it has to do with it having a clownish look itself. Not everyone likes clowns or their facepaint, and here we have a Pokemon with the typical nose and white face of one.

I admit I also like it the least, but I am open to seeing what the evolutions look like first. Plenty of time for such info.
Quote:

Originally Posted by Forever (Post 9239989)
Because it is this generations Oshawott and Froakie. The unconventional designs get more hate than anything else because they're just unexpected. People will grow to love it's derpyness dw. :)

I agree that there is often one less liked than others, but I think this was strongest with 5th gen's Oshawott, and considerably more so than Froakie from vague memory. Oshawott really had a large bandwagon of hate, and then really turned it around with its evolutions (which I love).
Quote:

The very first thing is that it's completely generic. A water seal is something that's not only been done before but it's been done before TWICE. Once people see it it's of course going to be compared to Seel and Spheal. Moreover, a circus seal is a really boring concept that's been overdone.
That's also a fair point imo. And while we have had a bunch of cats, we haven't had a fire cat, nor for that matter a grass owl (or grass bird; flying dinosaur, yes, but not grass owl).
Quote:

Subtlety goes a long way especially when it comes to appreciating good designs, but Popplio is way too on the nose with what it wants to be.
:V
Haha, poor thing.

I have my own image for it:

https://66.media.tumblr.com/41fe7f54fee77c862b0bf20827f4e77d/tumblr_o76k1l2HRf1sdh7g1o1_400.gif

shellysunfish May 15th, 2016 9:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobandbill (Post 9244728)
I wonder how much it has to do with it having a clownish look itself. Not everyone likes clowns or their facepaint, and here we have a Pokemon with the typical nose and white face of one.

I admit I also like it the least, but I am open to seeing what the evolutions look like first. Plenty of time for such info.
I agree that there is often one less liked than others, but I think this was strongest with 5th gen's Oshawott, and considerably more so than Froakie from vague memory. Oshawott really had a large bandwagon of hate, and then really turned it around with its evolutions (which I love).
That's also a fair point imo. And while we have had a bunch of cats, we haven't had a fire cat, nor for that matter a grass owl (or grass bird; flying dinosaur, yes, but not grass owl).
:V
Haha, poor thing.

I have my own image for it:

https://66.media.tumblr.com/41fe7f54fee77c862b0bf20827f4e77d/tumblr_o76k1l2HRf1sdh7g1o1_400.gif

LOL! {XD}

OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire May 15th, 2016 9:26 PM

Poor Popplio...don't worry little fella, you're my second favorite of the bunch.

shellysunfish May 17th, 2016 2:43 AM

Poll taken from a Nintendo fan podcast:
Rowlet: 49% Litten: 40% Popplio:11%

Famon May 17th, 2016 3:00 AM

Its a fish and doesn't have any legs !

Ho-Oh May 17th, 2016 3:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shellysunfish (Post 9246218)
Poll taken from a Nintendo fan podcast:
Rowlet: 49% Litten: 40% Popplio:11%

It's so incredibly weird though. Objectively Litten's design is more bland. A black cat with red stripes. Popplio on the other hand the design is way more creative. It seems more hated than Oshawott too and it's... personally a 'nicer' design. So odd. But hey when it gets an anime appearance (and an evolution) everything will change, for sure. :)

Dter ic May 17th, 2016 4:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forever (Post 9246235)
It's so incredibly weird though. Objectively Litten's design is more bland. A black cat with red stripes. Popplio on the other hand the design is way more creative. It seems more hated than Oshawott too and it's... personally a 'nicer' design. So odd. But hey when it gets an anime appearance (and an evolution) everything will change, for sure. :)

Litten may be more bland but maybe this is what people kinda expect from Pokemon design while popplio's more creative design takes getting used to I suppose.

I don't hate any other the starters although Rowlet was one that appealed to me first. It depends on the evolution now.

Pepperton May 17th, 2016 6:12 AM

At first I thought it was Litten that would get all the hate for being such a boring generic design. I personally loved Popplio and was surprised to see how much hate it's gotten. Hopefully GF doesn't ruin it with a shitty evolution. With a cool final form maybe it'll get the love it deserves.

Palamon May 17th, 2016 8:53 AM

I don't hate Poppilo at all. I just think it looks a tiny bit silly and not as unique looking as the other two, lmfao.

It's not my favorite, no, the one that won me over is Litten. I'm thinking once the evos are out, people will change their minds.

Mawa May 17th, 2016 5:59 PM


LOOK. AT. HIS. FACE.
It's so sad, I feel really bad each time I see this picture!!

Desert Stream~ May 17th, 2016 6:06 PM

Quote from a bunch of people: "Not as unique"
Look at Litten! You call that unique?

Annataz May 17th, 2016 6:35 PM

I think all three starters are pretty cute. My only real problem with Popplio is that I HATE CLOWNS. I hope they don't lean too heavily on that with its evolutions.

Hikamaru May 17th, 2016 7:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue_Mystic_Ranger (Post 9247058)
I think all three starters are pretty cute. My only real problem with Popplio is that I HATE CLOWNS. I hope they don't lean too heavily on that with its evolutions.

I'm sure they'll surprise us and make Popplio not go full-on clown.

Winter May 17th, 2016 9:02 PM

Not sure where the hate is because I sure haven't seen anything hateful directed to Popplio. Just because it's the least popular starter so far doesn't mean people hate it, they can just prefer the others...

Ho-Oh May 18th, 2016 4:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MUDKIP!!! (Post 9247023)
Quote from a bunch of people: "Not as unique"
Look at Litten! You call that unique?

Exactly. Popplio is by far the most unique out of all three starters - it's an original concept (seel/spheal lines don't count) and can lead to a whole lot of cool things.

ALSO Popplio reminds me of this childhood book because... it just does.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517WDEK9A1L._SX390_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

And that is depressing in a way. :(

Annataz May 18th, 2016 7:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achromatic (Post 9247215)
Clowns are terrifying dude. Hopefully if it becomes a Fighting type it'll lose that clown feeling.

Hopefully! Or it could just end up looking like a big, beefy bodybuilder clown o_O

They should focus on its acrobatic abilities. I like acrobats. Acrobats never hurt anyone.

MarinoKadame May 18th, 2016 8:27 AM

Popplio will go to the gym and get beefy like Mega Swampert.

DatGuyNuma May 18th, 2016 10:22 AM

A good question indeed. Why DOES everybody hate Popplio? Probably cause it looks like a clown, and lets face it, there are alot of people on the planet that hates clowns. Except me. I don't hate the little guy. In fact, as a water starter fanatic, I'd have him in both of my first runs on Sun and Moon respectively.


Also, I really, REALLY want this guy to get an epic final evolution like Froakie did back in Gen 6.

Spinosaurus May 18th, 2016 10:35 AM

Really doubt it won't keep the clown motif.

Still sticking with it slowly losing most of its seal features as it evolves.
http://i.imgur.com/HInjzGI.png

Something like this would be fine by me. Goofy looking but not outright creepy, as much as I want that. (though those legs are weird)

Mawa May 18th, 2016 2:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue_Mystic_Ranger (Post 9247058)
I think all three starters are pretty cute. My only real problem with Popplio is that I HATE CLOWNS. I hope they don't lean too heavily on that with its evolutions.

And I HATE MIMES. I hope it doesn't become something that looks like that... *looking at you, mr. mime*

VermillionBreak May 18th, 2016 3:41 PM

Personally the hate is just a big running gag of a circle jerk. Personally, I despise its design, but I'm still waiting for the final evolution. I mean regardless I choose the fire starter every run, but I still want the thing to have a decent final evolution. The jokes won't end otherwise.

OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire May 18th, 2016 4:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinosaurus (Post 9248028)
Really doubt it won't keep the clown motif.

Still sticking with it slowly losing most of its seal features as it evolves.
http://i.imgur.com/HInjzGI.png

Something like this would be fine by me. Goofy looking but not outright creepy, as much as I want that. (though those legs are weird)

It obviously missed leg day xD. Speaking of it becoming like Mega Swampert, it's chest seems to resemble Mega Swampert's face. That's not all that weird since some mons do appear to have faces of others in their bodies, either on purpose or not. For example Scizor's scissors resemble a Gen III mon, Trapinch. While Xatu seems to have the face of Sceptile. Meanwhile Dusclops and Perfect Zygarde have similar "mouths" on their chests. I do think these are just fan art.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but the katakana on it says Ashi-tsuyoi (- is to bypass the sensor). Tsuyoi means strong/good (as in how well one is at something). Ironically Ashi while taken from the japanese word for Seel sounds like the japanese word for legs, and this thing doesn't have strong looking legs...

Nas160 May 19th, 2016 10:10 PM

I wasn't very fond of it at all at first. Although, within the past week, it quickly grew on me and I think it's absolutely adorable. <3 I bought both versions of the game; whenever I start the second one, I'm going to definitely pick Popplio; it's easily my second favorite. <3

http://images-cdn.moviepilot.com/images/c_scale,h_314,w_640/t_mp_quality_gif/i7l4aywhsemvhixvibud/earth-water-fire-which-pokemon-sun-moon-starter-should-you-choose-980532.gif

I can see why people dislike its design, but it has personally grown on me. :P As with the others, I'm looking forward to seeing its evolution! It seems it may gain the fighting type. I really hope this doesn't mean it evolves into something that isn't (as) adorable. I don't think we've had a starter evolution family that was cute all the way through since Chikorita.

Wethrin May 19th, 2016 10:42 PM

I think his 3rd evo will be amazing! I mean look at this happy little thing !

Scizor94 May 20th, 2016 1:58 AM

Popplio is going to be my starter :) Loving all the three starers tbh.

Famon May 20th, 2016 4:28 AM

I just hope Rowlet and Litten doesn't get Bad evolutionary design to make Popplio more likable.

Judge Mandolore Shepard May 20th, 2016 6:13 AM

When it comes to Poppilo, I don't hate it. I like it a whole lot. Plus due to my tradition of always starting with the Water type starter, I have to like it. It is Rowlet and Litten that I find to be somewhat to bland for my liking.

Meganium May 20th, 2016 8:14 AM

I'm actually planning to choose Popplio as my starter. Usually I go for the grass-type, but I'm not much of an Owl person myself. I thought Popplio was cute.

Kostas May 20th, 2016 8:31 AM

Popplio will be my starter for sure.
It's far my favorite.
I like a little the rowlet
but I just hate litten I don't know why..

Hedo May 20th, 2016 9:27 AM

Personally I think he's just fine, though the design does feel a little... I don't know. I feel like someone could look at him and just see a cartoon seal, not a Pokemon. Though there are of course Pokemon like that, I feel they shouldn't be starter Pokemon.

That being said though, the little fellow is cute.
I don't hate him, I like him. I just wish his design was better.

Like Litten, now that's cool looking. Plus I sure do love my kitty Pokemon, so it can't be helped.

Dracowyn May 20th, 2016 11:09 AM

It makes me think of clowns with that big round nose and the frill thing. And I really hate clowns.

So unless it gets a super awesome evolution, I'm not gonna pick that one and only get it for dex completement purposes.

J-Money808 May 21st, 2016 2:58 AM

From the theories going around that Popplios final evo will be water/fighting, i see GF pulling a clever tactic and making it a hawaiian monk seal.....

Bobbylicious May 21st, 2016 10:08 PM

I like it. It's actually my favorite out of the three - Litten being my least favorite. My only problem with it is that Samurott literally looks like Popplio's final evolution, and makes a lot more sense than Oshawott. With a few tweaks, they could have easily kept Samurott's design and reused it in Gen 7 for Popplio's. I'm just worried Pop's final evolution will turn out gross. I hope it loses the clown theme.

Reshiram643 May 23rd, 2016 7:32 PM

I don't hate Popilio I like him a lot actually it's the owl I don't like that much. There's always going to be a most popular Pokemon, it doesn't mean that people won't like the less popular ones though.

Sydian May 23rd, 2016 7:34 PM

Everyone's jealous of Popplio's party hat mouth.

Hikamaru May 24th, 2016 5:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ludger (Post 9254910)
Everyone's jealous of Popplio's party hat mouth.

Now that you mention it, it does sorta remind me of a typical party hat.

shellysunfish June 1st, 2016 7:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hedo (Post 9250316)
Personally I think he's just fine, though the design does feel a little... I don't know. I feel like someone could look at him and just see a cartoon seal, not a Pokemon. Though there are of course Pokemon like that, I feel they shouldn't be starter Pokemon.

That being said though, the little fellow is cute.
I don't hate him, I like him. I just wish his design was better.

Like Litten, now that's cool looking. Plus I sure do love my kitty Pokemon, so it can't be helped.

Slighty off topic but, I love cat Pokemon too! http://www.pokecommunity.com/images/templates/smilies/cerulean/13.%20love.gifhttp://pre13.deviantart.net/f815/th/pre/i/2012/047/8/4/pokecats_by_whmseik-d4pw67z.png

smocks June 5th, 2016 9:34 PM

1) Jealous of it's adorableness 2) Clown-phobia :3

classiccartoonsftw June 6th, 2016 6:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smocks (Post 9273553)
1) Jealous of it's adorableness 2) Clown-phobia :3

Neither for me. I have problems with its ears. If it wasn't for them, I'd dislike Popplio less.

Sunshine Moonlight June 8th, 2016 10:21 PM

Even I want to know 'why the hate on Popplio?'. I think its the best of the three Starters. I'm gonna start with it for sure.

Hikamaru June 9th, 2016 9:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smocks (Post 9273553)
1) Jealous of it's adorableness 2) Clown-phobia :3

One thing this thread and the Popplio hatedom has taught us is that more people are scared of clowns than you first thought and won't like the prospect of a starter Pokemon that is literally a clown. I don't find clowns scary, though.


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