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Me too.
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Top Pokemon series/region
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Me too.
CodeHelmet
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While I respect your opinion, I disagree that May's rivals were better than Dawn's. For starters, you left out Solidad who is arguably May's biggest rival due to actually being a Top Coordinator(Drew and Harley have yet to achieve that). Zoey won the Sinnoh Grand Festival(hence is a Top Coordinator) and Kenny is about as strong as Drew(although I will give the edge to Drew) as they both beat Ash in a Pokemon battle(Zoey did too, albeit it was under Contest conditions). Zoey to me came across as the Sinnoh's version of Misty(albeit without the love affair with Water Types). She was a rather serious character who didn't care how she looked, but only how she performed and whether or not she was closer to achieving her goal(something I wish Misty would do but I blame the writers for that. Perhaps she gets redemption in SM42/43).
I could write my latest review/ranking tomorrow(I got most of it written in my head) but I'm going to hold off until at least September 15th or the day after SM42 premieres.
Frozocrone
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Ranking doesn't matter to me, I much prefer the character, their personalities, their quirks and their interactions with others around them. Pretty much nobody in this anime protagonist wise will achieve their goal so I generally don't care how far they get. If they win it, it's a nice surprise. If not, oh well.
I don't count Solidad as a rival because we only see her once before she battles May. Therefore it's up to Drew and Harley to pass on the rival torch to Zoey and Kenny and neither are particularly interesting characters (Zoey was interesting by saying what she meant but over time became boring by consistently using Glameow and having little to no flaws while losing her personality as the saga went on).
CodeHelmet
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So as I said I would do, here is my latest ranking as of today. Going a step further by basically scoring the series on 10 separate factors(which you can find in a previous post). I won't list the individual scores for each area, only the sum. If you want the scores broken down, just ask me.
Kalos Region(XY/XYZ or Seasons 17 to 19). 95.5 out of 100.
Where do I begin with this series. Ash was without a doubt a badass from another world who made us forget he's forever 10. His Pokemon team despite being just enough for a full team was also one of his strongest. Fenekin being a Prima Donna and Chespin being a selfish glutton(while also failing miserably at love with Eevee) made the Pokemon comedy pure gold. With regards to the companions, the family atmosphere this group exhibits makes me want to watch this series over and over. The Wife Gag with Bonnie, Bill Nye the Science Guy Clemont and the Bashful Serena made this group unique. Serena's progression from a timid secondary character to one of confidence and determination made me respect her as the main Female lead. When it came to the OST and Opening Themes, this series had some really good ones. Dori Dori is memorable for Serena and the XYZ theme is great(particularly its Japanese version). My only knock on it is that for the English Dub of Season 17 they reused Season 1's lyrics with a different vocalist and therefore docked them for creativity. With regards to Side Characters, Kalos admittedly came up short. Trevor was a recycled character and Tierno was annoying enough that I felt like I was watching his game counterpart(and no he was certainly not a rival to Ash). Only bright spot I can see was their play on the Wife Gag with Lilia(and boy was that Episode hilarious).
As for rivals, Sawyer and Alain were great. Not only did they push Ash hard near the end of the series but their battles in the League Tournament were awesome. As for Serena, her rivals were great as well. Shauna and Miette stood out with Miette adding that extra Amourshipping flavor that made any Episode she was in worth watching. Team Rocket, admittedly was ok during XY as their use within the Franchise ended long before this region came around and any time James screams "Copyright infringement, get away from him!", I knew they were going to be passable. As for Antagonist Groups, I gave extremely high marks to Team Flare as Lysander was insane. As for Champions and Gym Leaders, this region scored exceptionally well. Diantha was a superb Champion and virtually every Gym Leader tested Ash to the fullest. I only docked it a half a point because I thought the battle with Clemont should have been exclusively Electric Types(being an Electric Gym, hence no Bunnelby). Despite that, it takes my #1 spot(albeit barely).
Sinnoh Region(Diamond and Pearl or Seasons 10 to 13). 95 out of 100
Diamond and Pearl is arguably the best series for a lot of Pokemon fans and I can understand why. Ash was a seasoned trainer at this point and the team he assembled is arguably his second best team behind Kalos. Yet I feel he could have done more with Torterra as that Grass Pokemon couldn't win a fight if it's life depended on it. With regards to Pokemon comedy, two Pokemon shined the brightest. Pachirisu and its uncontrollable excitement certainly made us forget it's a Pika clone while Dawn's Piplup was the unfortunate victim to Draco Meteor(in addition to its Pride often getting it into spats). When it came to the group, Dawn and Brock were just awesome. Although Brock changed career goals at the end of this series, his path towards a Breeder was proceeding well as he raised a Happiny from an Egg to evolve into a Chansey. Tack on his classic Cassanova routine(with Croagunk in tow) and his Frying Pan as a Drying Pan and well you know the rest. As for Dawn, talk about a metamorphosis. Goes from a cocky and inexperienced trainer to one of confidence and passionate determination. Her consecutive defeats showed a dark and ugly side to her that ultimately made her more relatable to us fans. Finally, lets not forget her nickname: Diamond Dandruff. Talk about unique and a perfect 10 for companions. Side Character wise, this series need only look to Angie. If Ash were a Female, Angie would be that character in my opinion and the Episodes involving her at the Summer Academy and at her family's daycare were very memorable.
As for OST and other works within the Anime, there were a lot of original and creative works, most notably Dawn's Contest Theme that makes me want to watch her Contests over and over. I docked a bit because Season 10's English intro could have been better frankly but the next two(We Were Heroes and Galactic Battles) were just superb. With regards to rivals, had to give a perfect score here. Paul is arguably the best rival Ash has ever had. Brutally crude and unforgiving in his training methods and yet got the results he wanted by beating Ash at every opportunity(until the League Tournament of course... which made the result even more satisfying). As for Dawn's rivals, Zoey, Kenny, Nando and Ursula were great in their own respects. Zoey and Kenny in particular because they even put Ash in his place on a few occasions(hasn't been done since if I'm not mistaken). Team Rocket were average during this region, mostly because they've long outlived their usefulness, although they did have a role to play with Team Galactic. Speaking of Team Galactic, they were a superb Antagonist Group but I was disappointed because they used Hunter J to achieve their goals and objectives. As for Gym Leaders and Champions... just wow. Cynthia is an awesome champion and arguably the best there is. I took a point off the Gym Leaders because even though some gave Ash a rough time, I didn't quite think they challenged him as hard as those in Kalos. Overall though... a solid series and earns second place.
Kanto/Orange Islands/Johto(Original/Johto or Seasons 1 to 5). 86 out of 100.
The original series has been moving up my rankings over the past few weeks and it's not because of Brock and Misty returning to the Anime(although it does help) but because as I watch the series, I forget how savage Ash was towards Misty. I mean the burns he inflicted... not even Burn Heal could fix it. Ash was indeed a new trainer and at times his inexperience really showed but his stubbornness also played negatively in my ranking. His teams were solid and their performance was actually pretty decent despite Ash's shortcomings. This series defined Pokemon comedy and I don't know if Sun and Moon(a series based around it) can hope to overtake it. Be it Psyduck(whose theme I love), Jigglypuff, Chikorita/Bayleef or Totodile, this series had numerous moments where your stomach would hurt from laughing too hard. Brock and Misty set the bar for companions but the writers committed an inexcusable offense by throwing Misty into Gym prison and by replacing Brock with Tracey for 36 Episodes(Tracey must die). As for Rivals, Gary was decent but not in the manner that was portrayed in later series/generations. Namely, Gary didn't even consider Ash worthy of his time, which could be a knock on Ash but is also a knock on Gary from being a rival(rivals are meant to challenge the protagonist). Gary didn't truly fight Ash until Johto Tournament and afterwards lost his rival status(a big negative to me). Tack on Ritchie and Harrison coming out of nowhere and defeating Ash in their respective League Tournaments also didn't sit well with me.
Side character wise, this series had three memorable characters. Sakura and her sisters were the better version of the Eevee brothers(her Eevee evolving into Espeon was a bonus) and Casey brought a bit of a Sports flavor with Baseball(which is big in Japan). Both characters reappear in Pokemon Chronicles as well. Yet despite Sakura and Casey, Duplica takes the top spot as her introductory Episode is legendary in my book. Not only does she have Ditto but she and the main cast thoroughly and unequivocally "burned" Team Rocket by imitating them. No series has come close to matching that scene and probably never will(even though I want Sun and Moon to give it a shot). The series soundtrack is original, memorable and honestly really good, although Orange Island opening is not on my favorites list. Team Rocket(Jesse and James) were superb at trying to catch Pikachu and their comedic gags and schemes(Salon Rocket anyone?) were the best during their early run. Team Rocket as an overall antagonist group though were uninspired and meh frankly compared to other regions but they were still Team Rocket. The Champion or Lance was ok but he leads the Elite 4. The real disgrace of this series though were the Gym Leaders. Excluding the Orange Islands, the Leaders in Kanto and Johto could have done more to challenge Ash or at least made him earn the badge as opposed to outright giving it to him like in the case of Brock, Misty and Erika.
Hoenn Region(Advanced or Seasons 6 to 9). 85 out of 100
Pokemon Advanced was the first series where they changed things up. Not only was Ash going to a new region but Ash also had a new Female Lead in May. Ash had matured enough as a Trainer that he could be her mentor but even Ash was still a student and had things to learn himself(wish he took a cue from Suzie). Ash's team was solid but not quite as well rounded as other regions. I felt he relied on Grovyle/Sceptile a bit too often(it was a powerhouse I'll admit) but their result in Hoenn League was a marginal improvement over his past League outcomes. As for Pok?mon comedy, most of it came from May. Be it her Torchic trying to peck Max to death(which sadly it didn't do) or her Skitty trying to catch its tail, the only other source of comedy came from Ash's Corphish. With regards to companions, May was a good companion but I thought they botched her early on with her dislike of Pokemon and then suddenly liking them(how did that happen?). I also didn't like her being sad after losing a contest one minute and being all bubbly and happy like nothing ever happened a few minutes later. They fixed that in the next series with Dawn. Brock was same as always and progressed by raising a Bonsly into a Sudowoodo. As for Max... I just couldn't stand Max. Max was frankly a useless fourth wheel that served no purpose other than to pull Brock away from his daily wooing of girls. May could have done that while also showcasing the new Coordinator arc. As for OST and other scores, I thought Advanced Generation did great in this regard. Lots of new content and scores that I really liked, including Hoenn Heroes and the openings for Season 7 and 8. Took a point off for Season 6(didn't like it) and Battle Frontier could have been a bit better in my eyes.
Side character wise, I thought one character stood out and that was Dr.Abby. She was a Top Coordinator turned Doctor who treated Pokemon in an unorthodox manner. Her methods at treating Pokemon is what I attribute to Brock deciding to become a Pokemon Doctor at the end of Sinnoh, hence I consider this Episode as the genesis for his decision. With regards to rivals, Tyson and Morrison didn't exactly come across as major rivals for Ash, hence I docked a few points. Could have been lower were it not for May's rivals being exceptional. Drew, Harley and Solidad were all great Coordinators(and I still ship DrewxMay). Team Rocket in Hoenn were actually decent, particularly because Seviper was one badass snake but their use within the series began their arduous decline from that point onward. As for Antagonist groups, Team Magma and Team Aqua were decent but they basically competed against one another for the top group in the region. Their goals also conflicted with one another and frankly having two groups was one group too many. As for Champions and Gym Leaders, Steven as the Champion was solid. Even appears in Kalos to help against Team Flare(and for ORAS promotion I would assume) but Hoenn's Gym Leaders didn't exactly put up much of a fight against Ash. Would have taken off more but then there was the Battle Frontier and well that was awesome.
Unova Region(Black and White or Seasons 14 to 16). 81 out of 100
I rewatched this series and honestly, my feelings towards it soured. Ash regressed into a prepubescent imp and his team grew so large that few Pokemon got any meaningful amount of screen time or battling. His result in the Unova League was.... unforgivable. Pokemon comedy was in no short supply though. Oshawott and Emolga made sure your funny bone was fed on a daily basis. Iris and Cilan were decent companions and both of them developed as characters(especially Iris). However I felt the need to scream at the TV/Monitor at times because "Your such a Kid" really drove me insane by the time I was a quarter of the way through the series. Yes we know he's a kid Iris... but so are you!!! As for OST and other scores, not too many to choose from, although I found its Season 15 theme to be the best. Season 14 fell flat to me(hence docked a couple points). Side character wise, Unova did ok in this regard. Be it Iris' friend Shannon demonstrating how difficult it is to raise Dragon types or Alexa giving us a sneak peak at the next region(while also giving a Unique perspective into Pokemon Journalism), these side characters made us forget we were watching the Black and White series. Heck even Clair made a positive mark for Unova.
What really hurt this series were the rivals. All of Ash's rivals, save for maybe Bianca, were just poorly designed and executed. Losing to Cameron with him having just 5 Pokemon... still the biggest disgrace in Pokemon anime history. Not even Iris' rival in Georgia or Cilan's rival in Burgandy can escape my wrath because they were completely unnecessary. Team Rocket was surprisingly good in Unova having tabled their efforts in catching Pikachu to go after Meloetta but quickly cratered when they returned to their stale goal. As for antagonist groups, Team Plasma and N were really good(just a smidgen behind Team Flare in my book). As for Champions and Gym Leaders, Alder was a decent Champion but again the Gym Leaders could have done better in challenging Ash. Only Elesa and Roxie came across as decent Gym Leaders(to me anyway). Putting Ash's imbecile nature aside, this region deserves its current 5th place placement.
Alola Region(Sun and Moon or Season 20*Ongoing*). 71 out of 100
Finally to Sun and Moon. Sun and Moon is still ongoing and therefore can vastly improve. However, Sun and Moon reminds me an awful lot of Black and White. Putting aside the change in art style, Ash has regressed yet again in terms of maturity. His team is currently incomplete, leaving a lot of room for improvement. Comedy in this region is in no short supply with Rowlett, Togedemaru and Snowy leading the way. As for Companions, it suffers from too many characters syndrome. Sophacles is a pointless character and Mallow has been shafted by the writers. Heck even Lillie(who played a pivotal role in the games) has yet to take charge and separate herself(which is a shame but again this series has the unique opportunity to change things as its still ongoing). Kiawe and Lana really are the only bright spots so far. For OST/Themes, the English theme is ok but for Japanese they've reused the Original series song which although its good it lacks creativity. Few side characters to really note so far. Outside of Noa(who had a brief appearance), the only other characters that stand out are Ia and Koana or the two characters that helped Lana master her Z-Move. Odds are these two characters will return.
With regards to rivals, its still early but we've only had 1 instance between Ash and Gladion and it was interrupted. Team Rocket, despite having outlived their purpose, has had their moments(notably in Episode 12 but I miss them blasting off... BeWear spoils it for me). If there is anything that has plagued Sun and Moon so far, its the antagonist group. Team Skull has been so bad I don't even think Guzma can save them. Plus Aether Foundation has yet to be introduced. I suppose the lone bright spot in the series is the Kahuna's(as there are no Gym Leaders or Champion due to no League). Hala and Olivia both gave Ash a solid challenge but with there only being two so far, I can only give it a marginal rating.
Kalos Region(XY/XYZ or Seasons 17 to 19). 95.5 out of 100.
Where do I begin with this series. Ash was without a doubt a badass from another world who made us forget he's forever 10. His Pokemon team despite being just enough for a full team was also one of his strongest. Fenekin being a Prima Donna and Chespin being a selfish glutton(while also failing miserably at love with Eevee) made the Pokemon comedy pure gold. With regards to the companions, the family atmosphere this group exhibits makes me want to watch this series over and over. The Wife Gag with Bonnie, Bill Nye the Science Guy Clemont and the Bashful Serena made this group unique. Serena's progression from a timid secondary character to one of confidence and determination made me respect her as the main Female lead. When it came to the OST and Opening Themes, this series had some really good ones. Dori Dori is memorable for Serena and the XYZ theme is great(particularly its Japanese version). My only knock on it is that for the English Dub of Season 17 they reused Season 1's lyrics with a different vocalist and therefore docked them for creativity. With regards to Side Characters, Kalos admittedly came up short. Trevor was a recycled character and Tierno was annoying enough that I felt like I was watching his game counterpart(and no he was certainly not a rival to Ash). Only bright spot I can see was their play on the Wife Gag with Lilia(and boy was that Episode hilarious).
As for rivals, Sawyer and Alain were great. Not only did they push Ash hard near the end of the series but their battles in the League Tournament were awesome. As for Serena, her rivals were great as well. Shauna and Miette stood out with Miette adding that extra Amourshipping flavor that made any Episode she was in worth watching. Team Rocket, admittedly was ok during XY as their use within the Franchise ended long before this region came around and any time James screams "Copyright infringement, get away from him!", I knew they were going to be passable. As for Antagonist Groups, I gave extremely high marks to Team Flare as Lysander was insane. As for Champions and Gym Leaders, this region scored exceptionally well. Diantha was a superb Champion and virtually every Gym Leader tested Ash to the fullest. I only docked it a half a point because I thought the battle with Clemont should have been exclusively Electric Types(being an Electric Gym, hence no Bunnelby). Despite that, it takes my #1 spot(albeit barely).
Sinnoh Region(Diamond and Pearl or Seasons 10 to 13). 95 out of 100
Diamond and Pearl is arguably the best series for a lot of Pokemon fans and I can understand why. Ash was a seasoned trainer at this point and the team he assembled is arguably his second best team behind Kalos. Yet I feel he could have done more with Torterra as that Grass Pokemon couldn't win a fight if it's life depended on it. With regards to Pokemon comedy, two Pokemon shined the brightest. Pachirisu and its uncontrollable excitement certainly made us forget it's a Pika clone while Dawn's Piplup was the unfortunate victim to Draco Meteor(in addition to its Pride often getting it into spats). When it came to the group, Dawn and Brock were just awesome. Although Brock changed career goals at the end of this series, his path towards a Breeder was proceeding well as he raised a Happiny from an Egg to evolve into a Chansey. Tack on his classic Cassanova routine(with Croagunk in tow) and his Frying Pan as a Drying Pan and well you know the rest. As for Dawn, talk about a metamorphosis. Goes from a cocky and inexperienced trainer to one of confidence and passionate determination. Her consecutive defeats showed a dark and ugly side to her that ultimately made her more relatable to us fans. Finally, lets not forget her nickname: Diamond Dandruff. Talk about unique and a perfect 10 for companions. Side Character wise, this series need only look to Angie. If Ash were a Female, Angie would be that character in my opinion and the Episodes involving her at the Summer Academy and at her family's daycare were very memorable.
As for OST and other works within the Anime, there were a lot of original and creative works, most notably Dawn's Contest Theme that makes me want to watch her Contests over and over. I docked a bit because Season 10's English intro could have been better frankly but the next two(We Were Heroes and Galactic Battles) were just superb. With regards to rivals, had to give a perfect score here. Paul is arguably the best rival Ash has ever had. Brutally crude and unforgiving in his training methods and yet got the results he wanted by beating Ash at every opportunity(until the League Tournament of course... which made the result even more satisfying). As for Dawn's rivals, Zoey, Kenny, Nando and Ursula were great in their own respects. Zoey and Kenny in particular because they even put Ash in his place on a few occasions(hasn't been done since if I'm not mistaken). Team Rocket were average during this region, mostly because they've long outlived their usefulness, although they did have a role to play with Team Galactic. Speaking of Team Galactic, they were a superb Antagonist Group but I was disappointed because they used Hunter J to achieve their goals and objectives. As for Gym Leaders and Champions... just wow. Cynthia is an awesome champion and arguably the best there is. I took a point off the Gym Leaders because even though some gave Ash a rough time, I didn't quite think they challenged him as hard as those in Kalos. Overall though... a solid series and earns second place.
Kanto/Orange Islands/Johto(Original/Johto or Seasons 1 to 5). 86 out of 100.
The original series has been moving up my rankings over the past few weeks and it's not because of Brock and Misty returning to the Anime(although it does help) but because as I watch the series, I forget how savage Ash was towards Misty. I mean the burns he inflicted... not even Burn Heal could fix it. Ash was indeed a new trainer and at times his inexperience really showed but his stubbornness also played negatively in my ranking. His teams were solid and their performance was actually pretty decent despite Ash's shortcomings. This series defined Pokemon comedy and I don't know if Sun and Moon(a series based around it) can hope to overtake it. Be it Psyduck(whose theme I love), Jigglypuff, Chikorita/Bayleef or Totodile, this series had numerous moments where your stomach would hurt from laughing too hard. Brock and Misty set the bar for companions but the writers committed an inexcusable offense by throwing Misty into Gym prison and by replacing Brock with Tracey for 36 Episodes(Tracey must die). As for Rivals, Gary was decent but not in the manner that was portrayed in later series/generations. Namely, Gary didn't even consider Ash worthy of his time, which could be a knock on Ash but is also a knock on Gary from being a rival(rivals are meant to challenge the protagonist). Gary didn't truly fight Ash until Johto Tournament and afterwards lost his rival status(a big negative to me). Tack on Ritchie and Harrison coming out of nowhere and defeating Ash in their respective League Tournaments also didn't sit well with me.
Side character wise, this series had three memorable characters. Sakura and her sisters were the better version of the Eevee brothers(her Eevee evolving into Espeon was a bonus) and Casey brought a bit of a Sports flavor with Baseball(which is big in Japan). Both characters reappear in Pokemon Chronicles as well. Yet despite Sakura and Casey, Duplica takes the top spot as her introductory Episode is legendary in my book. Not only does she have Ditto but she and the main cast thoroughly and unequivocally "burned" Team Rocket by imitating them. No series has come close to matching that scene and probably never will(even though I want Sun and Moon to give it a shot). The series soundtrack is original, memorable and honestly really good, although Orange Island opening is not on my favorites list. Team Rocket(Jesse and James) were superb at trying to catch Pikachu and their comedic gags and schemes(Salon Rocket anyone?) were the best during their early run. Team Rocket as an overall antagonist group though were uninspired and meh frankly compared to other regions but they were still Team Rocket. The Champion or Lance was ok but he leads the Elite 4. The real disgrace of this series though were the Gym Leaders. Excluding the Orange Islands, the Leaders in Kanto and Johto could have done more to challenge Ash or at least made him earn the badge as opposed to outright giving it to him like in the case of Brock, Misty and Erika.
Hoenn Region(Advanced or Seasons 6 to 9). 85 out of 100
Pokemon Advanced was the first series where they changed things up. Not only was Ash going to a new region but Ash also had a new Female Lead in May. Ash had matured enough as a Trainer that he could be her mentor but even Ash was still a student and had things to learn himself(wish he took a cue from Suzie). Ash's team was solid but not quite as well rounded as other regions. I felt he relied on Grovyle/Sceptile a bit too often(it was a powerhouse I'll admit) but their result in Hoenn League was a marginal improvement over his past League outcomes. As for Pok?mon comedy, most of it came from May. Be it her Torchic trying to peck Max to death(which sadly it didn't do) or her Skitty trying to catch its tail, the only other source of comedy came from Ash's Corphish. With regards to companions, May was a good companion but I thought they botched her early on with her dislike of Pokemon and then suddenly liking them(how did that happen?). I also didn't like her being sad after losing a contest one minute and being all bubbly and happy like nothing ever happened a few minutes later. They fixed that in the next series with Dawn. Brock was same as always and progressed by raising a Bonsly into a Sudowoodo. As for Max... I just couldn't stand Max. Max was frankly a useless fourth wheel that served no purpose other than to pull Brock away from his daily wooing of girls. May could have done that while also showcasing the new Coordinator arc. As for OST and other scores, I thought Advanced Generation did great in this regard. Lots of new content and scores that I really liked, including Hoenn Heroes and the openings for Season 7 and 8. Took a point off for Season 6(didn't like it) and Battle Frontier could have been a bit better in my eyes.
Side character wise, I thought one character stood out and that was Dr.Abby. She was a Top Coordinator turned Doctor who treated Pokemon in an unorthodox manner. Her methods at treating Pokemon is what I attribute to Brock deciding to become a Pokemon Doctor at the end of Sinnoh, hence I consider this Episode as the genesis for his decision. With regards to rivals, Tyson and Morrison didn't exactly come across as major rivals for Ash, hence I docked a few points. Could have been lower were it not for May's rivals being exceptional. Drew, Harley and Solidad were all great Coordinators(and I still ship DrewxMay). Team Rocket in Hoenn were actually decent, particularly because Seviper was one badass snake but their use within the series began their arduous decline from that point onward. As for Antagonist groups, Team Magma and Team Aqua were decent but they basically competed against one another for the top group in the region. Their goals also conflicted with one another and frankly having two groups was one group too many. As for Champions and Gym Leaders, Steven as the Champion was solid. Even appears in Kalos to help against Team Flare(and for ORAS promotion I would assume) but Hoenn's Gym Leaders didn't exactly put up much of a fight against Ash. Would have taken off more but then there was the Battle Frontier and well that was awesome.
Unova Region(Black and White or Seasons 14 to 16). 81 out of 100
I rewatched this series and honestly, my feelings towards it soured. Ash regressed into a prepubescent imp and his team grew so large that few Pokemon got any meaningful amount of screen time or battling. His result in the Unova League was.... unforgivable. Pokemon comedy was in no short supply though. Oshawott and Emolga made sure your funny bone was fed on a daily basis. Iris and Cilan were decent companions and both of them developed as characters(especially Iris). However I felt the need to scream at the TV/Monitor at times because "Your such a Kid" really drove me insane by the time I was a quarter of the way through the series. Yes we know he's a kid Iris... but so are you!!! As for OST and other scores, not too many to choose from, although I found its Season 15 theme to be the best. Season 14 fell flat to me(hence docked a couple points). Side character wise, Unova did ok in this regard. Be it Iris' friend Shannon demonstrating how difficult it is to raise Dragon types or Alexa giving us a sneak peak at the next region(while also giving a Unique perspective into Pokemon Journalism), these side characters made us forget we were watching the Black and White series. Heck even Clair made a positive mark for Unova.
What really hurt this series were the rivals. All of Ash's rivals, save for maybe Bianca, were just poorly designed and executed. Losing to Cameron with him having just 5 Pokemon... still the biggest disgrace in Pokemon anime history. Not even Iris' rival in Georgia or Cilan's rival in Burgandy can escape my wrath because they were completely unnecessary. Team Rocket was surprisingly good in Unova having tabled their efforts in catching Pikachu to go after Meloetta but quickly cratered when they returned to their stale goal. As for antagonist groups, Team Plasma and N were really good(just a smidgen behind Team Flare in my book). As for Champions and Gym Leaders, Alder was a decent Champion but again the Gym Leaders could have done better in challenging Ash. Only Elesa and Roxie came across as decent Gym Leaders(to me anyway). Putting Ash's imbecile nature aside, this region deserves its current 5th place placement.
Alola Region(Sun and Moon or Season 20*Ongoing*). 71 out of 100
Finally to Sun and Moon. Sun and Moon is still ongoing and therefore can vastly improve. However, Sun and Moon reminds me an awful lot of Black and White. Putting aside the change in art style, Ash has regressed yet again in terms of maturity. His team is currently incomplete, leaving a lot of room for improvement. Comedy in this region is in no short supply with Rowlett, Togedemaru and Snowy leading the way. As for Companions, it suffers from too many characters syndrome. Sophacles is a pointless character and Mallow has been shafted by the writers. Heck even Lillie(who played a pivotal role in the games) has yet to take charge and separate herself(which is a shame but again this series has the unique opportunity to change things as its still ongoing). Kiawe and Lana really are the only bright spots so far. For OST/Themes, the English theme is ok but for Japanese they've reused the Original series song which although its good it lacks creativity. Few side characters to really note so far. Outside of Noa(who had a brief appearance), the only other characters that stand out are Ia and Koana or the two characters that helped Lana master her Z-Move. Odds are these two characters will return.
With regards to rivals, its still early but we've only had 1 instance between Ash and Gladion and it was interrupted. Team Rocket, despite having outlived their purpose, has had their moments(notably in Episode 12 but I miss them blasting off... BeWear spoils it for me). If there is anything that has plagued Sun and Moon so far, its the antagonist group. Team Skull has been so bad I don't even think Guzma can save them. Plus Aether Foundation has yet to be introduced. I suppose the lone bright spot in the series is the Kahuna's(as there are no Gym Leaders or Champion due to no League). Hala and Olivia both gave Ash a solid challenge but with there only being two so far, I can only give it a marginal rating.
Alexander18
Banned
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Paul remains to be the best rival to Ash to this day. He was a powerful opponent that ash had trouble over coming. So Paul is top rival for me.
The next best rival for me is Alain because he is that one rival that Ash can never beat. Ash does not need to beat every rival and Alain is a prime example of that.
Gary is also a good rival and the fight between charizard and blastoise was fantastic.
The next best rival for me is Alain because he is that one rival that Ash can never beat. Ash does not need to beat every rival and Alain is a prime example of that.
Gary is also a good rival and the fight between charizard and blastoise was fantastic.
weedle_mchairybug
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To be fair to Misty, that bit wasn't actually her fault, that was her sisters. If anything, she stopped them from giving him the badge by battling Ash and afterwards they overruled her. Though I see your point regarding Brock and Erika. Personally, though, I thought the Gym Leaders in the Original Series were probably among the best, with only XY coming close, and that's mostly because they actually DID come across in both Kanto and Johto (to say little about Orange Islands) as actual forces to be reckoned with. Sure, you have your duds like Misty's sisters, but Brock was definitely no pushover at all (outright beating Ash once, and even the second time around requires some really cheap methods to beat him), and Sabrina... Sabrina handed Ash his butt twice and would have come closer to three times had Haunter not interfered. And Lt. Surge definitely was the definition of a very badass trainer where Ash actually had to WORK to beat him. And Johto really improved regarding the Gym Leaders where Ash actually had to earn his badges many times.
If anything, AG and BW were the worst gym leaders if you ask me. Say what you will about the "pity badges" in Kanto, at least the Kanto Gym Leaders themselves actually fought Ash into a corner and actually came across as impressive, even Team Rocket during their brief stint as the Viridian Gym Leaders, and the Johto gym leaders even managed to be impressive without resorting to pity badges, and they certainly lived up to their reputation as being very skilled trainers. With AG, with the exception of Roxanne (due to her losing to Pikachu, a confirmed veteran) and Brawley (due to him being the only Gym Leader in Hoenn to actually BEAT Ash), all of the Gym Leaders lost to Ash's rookie team FAR too easily, coming across as being more like how Team Rocket lost to that Caterpie in Episode 3 which resulted in their reputation of being bottom feeding trainers not just among fans, but even in-universe, and in the case of Wattson, it was a case of both Ash AND Wattson essentially cheating during their battle (Ash via Pikachu being supercharged from defeating the mechanical Raikou, and Wattson from using said Raikou in the first place). The fact that, as you yourself stated in your review, they put Misty into Gym prison at the end of the Original Series immediately beforehand made an already appalling depiction of Gym Leaders in Hoenn look even WORSE considering it came across as them outright MOCKING Misty's skill level. When the regional gym leaders, who are explicitly stated to be skilled trainers, in their battles come across as little different in abilities to that of the comic relief villains' skills, especially back when they weren't even comic relief and had them lose in a similar humiliating manner, you know you've really messed up. And BW... don't get me started on how the gym leaders there not only lost just as easily to rookie Pok?mon, but in this case, to a trainer who actually CAN be quite accurately called mentally deficient. DP did slightly better in that the gym leaders at least managed to hold their own against Ash and actually beat him a few times. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of making Ash and Pikachu themselves look grossly incompetent in the process considering it occurred right after Ash and Pikachu managed to essentially one-shot a freaking Regice during Battle Frontier (thus essentially treating Ash's one true accomplishment in the series as nothing more than a joke). Of the regions after the Original Series, only XY came even remotely close to truly restoring the honor and prestige of Gym Leaders actually BEING formidable opponents. And hopefully, with SM's battles between Misty and Brock, they'll fully restore Gym Leaders to actually being reputable challenging trainers rather than just pushover joke characters.
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Been waiting for an update and I must say, pretty good. Got to agree with you on most things brought up.
CodeHelmet
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Its been 5 months since I made this assessment and honestly... I can't pull Sun&Moon from the cellar. Lillie got the development she needed during the Aether Arc but at the sheer expense of everyone but Ash. Even Kiawe and Lana who've had meaningful development have been shoved into the background and don't even get me started on Sophocles and Mallow(sheer disgrace what writers have done with her). The whole Power Ranger/Voltron aspect with Ultra-Guardians... yeah that's not Pokemon. Team Skull still sucks more hot air than Wela Volcano and Team Rocket needs to be retired. I mean why give them a Dark Z-Crystal if they're never going to use it! Pokemon Sun&Moon just has too many flaws for it to ever redeem itself and I'm calling it now that Sun&Moon has etched itself, in this author's opinion, as the worst Pokemon series to date. I hope to god they don't bring Serena back because her character shouldn't be tainted by this disgrace of a series.
I do agree that SM is even more flawed than BW, even if the plots have been interesting as of late. The fact Ash has so many companions in this series means some of them are underdeveloped, and also the format change has caused the anime to not feel like Pokemon, and instead trying to be a completely different show, such as the school setting and focus on slapstick comedy screaming an attempt to copy Yo-Kai Watch which was Pokemon's biggest competition in Japan due to how often the ratings were destroyed in the XY saga. Also, that "Ultra Guardians" stuff like you said, feels more like Voltron or Power Rangers/Super Sentai than Pokemon.
I also hate Ash's design and personality in this season. He looks way younger than any of his previous incarnations, and acts too much like an immature toddler. Lillie is the only good character to me in this saga, since Lana, Mallow and Sophocles all get treated like shit by the writers. Kiawe isn't treated as badly as those three, but that's likely only because he and Ash are the only seasoned battlers in the group. Then there's the fact the girls still only have one Pokemon each, meaning that I dread they'll end their companion run with no secondary captures for Lana and Lillie, and Mallow having the only evolution aside from Ash.
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I don't like how BW or SM Ash was/is being handled, but just saying, he is a 10 year old kid so it's makes sense that he acts like a prepubescent and immature boy because he is one.
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Thanks for posting this. You're amazing. I feel the same way as u . I really miss Serena and I wanna see her again but I dont wanna see her with this UGLY design. They just ruined Mist and Brock. They looked aweful omg. So I prefer she doesn't come back
CodeHelmet
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Eh Misty and Brock only look "ruined" because of the different animation/art style. Take that cosmetic change aside, they were their old selves and gave Kanto Gym Leaders a much deserved reputation boost. In fact, its largely why Kanto/Original series moved up my list over the many iterations of my rankings(I should update them sometime soon).
The question isn't whether Serena will come back(she's too popular not to but its been over a year and its questionable as to whether her star power is still there), its whether she should come back during Sun&Moon. To me, and this is just my opinion, but assuming Ash is going to be the male protagonist in Generation 8(which is TBD since Sun&Moon has really hampered the Anime imo), I'd have the X&Y gang(including Serena) surprise him in Kanto(Ash's mom did invite them in the XYZ finale if you'd recall). Then have them travel to the next region together.
Granted, that's likely a pipe dream. Odds are we'll get a Serena special sometime soon(I hope). Would be interesting if she runs into Dawn and/or May while in Hoenn. Either that or Lisia to give more ORAS promotion(and because I want her in the Anime god damn it).
TLDR: Sun&Moon has earned its last place ranking and honestly, I don't know how much lower the series can go. If it keeps it up, we may not even get a Generation 8 for the Anime.
CodeHelmet
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I've been re-watching Diamond&Pearl the last couple of weeks and it's given me a new appreciation for not only Brock(who can be as savage as Ash in regards to one-liners) but also May. Of all the Pokegirls who've had a return to the series, May's return for the Wallace Cup was the best in that her aim/goal wasn't neglected in lieu of fan-service like Misty's and even Dawn's return. Furthermore, she gave Dawn a much needed push to come out of her funk caused from her consecutive defeats. As such, May's return gave Pokemon Advanced a nominal bump in my rankings.
Up to date rankings. If anyone wants a specific score, PM me.
#1: Pokemon XY/XYZ(Kalos region, Seasons 17 through 19).
I re-watch this series after watching Pokemon Sun&Moon and it hits home hard. I get the same feeling when watching Teen Titans Go and reminiscing about 2003-2006 Teen Titans. You know... the more serious version that wasn't slapstick comedy? The similarities between Teen Titans and Pokemon are striking. In fact, watch the link in the spoiler below to really get what I mean. Anyways... where was I. Oh yes, this series is still my favorite, albeit barely. Although this series got off to a slow start, particularly with regards to Serena, the series more than made up for it in the end. Bill Nye the Science Guy Clemont(love that nickname), "You're a keeper" Bonnie and bashful Serena were a unique compliment to a much improved Ash from his Black and White variant. Ash's Pokemon team barely hit the maximum allowed but each member of his team was fully evolved along with 2 Dragon types(Iris would be proud).
Alain and Sawyer gave Ash a run for his money as rivals while Shauna, Nani and Miette gave Serena the competitive push towards Performances and in Romance(Amourshipping ftw!). I'm still salty over the Kalos League outcome for Ash but compared to previous League outcomes, I can't complain too much. Team Rocket was passable, although their usefulness within the series was pretty much done after Johto. Team Flare was superb during the XYZ season(which honestly was too short based on their tenacity) and Kalos Gym Leaders were excellent(along with Champion Diantha).
#2 Diamond&Pearl(Sinnoh region, Seasons 10 through 13).
Someday I may convince myself to place this number 1 as Dawn and Brock were excellent compliments to Ash. Their group chemistry was superb and Ash's Pokemon team is arguably as strong as his Kalos team, although I dock it only because Torterra couldn't win a fight(Team Rocket excluded). The reason this series comes so close to being #1 is thanks in large part to Paul. His serious and rather obsessive nature made it all too easy to dislike the guy but its his complete 180 approach to Pokemon training when compared to Ash that made him the perfect rival. Then there's Dawn's rivals in Zoey, Ursula, Nando and Kenny(Kenny and Zoey even knocked Ash down a peg or two) that give it another boost.
To this day, Cynthia as the Champion still sends a chill down my spine as she exhibits superb confidence 24/7. She's compassionate and forgiving when its warranted but get on her bad side and she has the tenacity to let you have it. Team Galactic was arguably the second best Antagonist group to date. They're a smidgen behind Team Flare due to using Hunter J. Sinnoh Gym Leaders were decent but not as skilled or challenging as Kalos counterparts. Finally the Sinnoh Tournament outcome is just... inexplicable. A trainer(Tobias) with a Darkrai and other legendaries? Seriously... did Ash even have a chance after beating Paul? Biggest middle finger next to his result in Unova League as far as I'm concerned(Kalos was a coin flip).
#3: Pokemon Advanced(Hoenn Region, Seasons 6 through 9).
My new number three happens to be Pokemon Advanced. Although May replaced the much beloved Misty and was botched early on by the writers, she had considerable character development over the course of the series. Along with Brock and Max, the group exhibited some decent chemistry, although Max, to me, was a useless fourth wheel. Ash's team was solid, although I thought he relied too much on Grovyle/Sceptile(even if it was his Ace). Ash's rivals were sub-par but May's were excellent and honestly they ought to have returned along with May in Diamond and Pearl.
Speaking of that return, May's return in Diamond and Pearl really left a mark for me that I had to give Advanced a bump over the Original Series. The reason why is because Brock and Misty's return in Sun&Moon was purely fan-service for the most part. I mean they showcased their Mega Evolutions but no explanation as to HOW they acquired them. Furthermore, they did little to help the secondary characters in Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, Kiawe and Lillie on their respective goals.
Steven as the region's Champion is solid and gave this region another boost when he appeared in Pokemon XY(although I attribute that for ORAS promotion). Gym Leaders were decent although not as good as future series/regions. Team Aqua and Team Magma were decent but is one group too many in my opinion. Finally Team Rocket was passable but only because of that bad-ass Seviper.
#4 Original Series(Kanto/Orange Islands/Johto Region. Seasons 1 through 5).
I took off my nostalgia glasses and this series fell below Hoenn Region. Ash was a rookie trainer just starting out and as expected made lots of goofy mistakes. His Pokemon teams were decent and his results were honestly expected(just losing in the manner in which he did was not...). Brock and Misty set the standard for group companions but their growth as characters didn't really occur until after they left the show. I mean Misty caught Pokemon but in terms of her battling skill, she didn't noticeably improve until she went back to her Cerulean Gym. Team Rocket was superb during the early years but their usefulness after Johto was alas non-existent(why have other Antagonist groups then?). Considering Brock and Misty's longevity within the Anime, this series earns a respectable fourth place finish.
#5 Black&White(Unova Region. Seasons 14 through 16).
This series was, until roughly a year ago, the Anime's Black Sheep. Every region post Johto undergoes a soft reboot. With this one, the writers opted to go with a really hard one. They took a really good Diamond and Pearl Ash and turned him into an imbecile one at the start of Black&White in an attempt to recapture the Tsundere atmosphere with their new version of Misty in Iris(and that's just not who Iris was). Brock leaving the show was inevitable but Cilan being the man to replace him is probably why he's on many fan's sh**lists. Its unfair but expected considering Brock's popularity. Then they tried using a Paul clone in Trip and adding in rivals for Iris and Cilan(which had never been done before and honestly backfired).
Ash's team was rather large, paying homage to his Original series days. As a result, many of his Pokemon were un-evolved and hence made it hard for people to accept Ash defeating anyone throughout the series. Unlike the series below it on my list, it at least tried to stay true to the traditional theme of the show of traveling around from Gym to Gym and even promoted more battling with the Battle Clubs and various Tournaments. The Unova League result for Ash was, until Sun&Moon came around, the single biggest middle finger the writers have done for the Anime. Losing to Cameron with 5 Pokemon... makes me sick just mentioning it again. Black and White is solidly in 5th place.
6th: Sun&Moon(Alola Region. Seasons 20, 21(ongoing)).
Every Pokemon region undergoes reboots but every region/series tries to stick true to the game they're modeled after. This series doesn't even do that!!! Mallow, Kiawe, Lana and Sophocles aren't Trial Captains and two of them only have 1 Pokemon after 63 Episodes. Heck, what's Kiawe's/Sophocles' goal, much less purpose, within the series? Lillie spends 50+ Episodes suffering from PTSD(all the while gobbling up the spotlight from everyone else) while Ash has managed just two Island Trials so far. Team Skull has been an abject disgrace and Team Rocket has demonstrated the need for them to be retired.
There is absolutely nothing the writers can do to change my mind or move Sun&Moon from its last place ranking on my list. Black and White was bad compared to every other series and I thought nothing could beat it in terms of mediocrity but I was wrong. This series isn't Pokemon and it may do so much damage to the series that the Anime may never recover.
Up to date rankings. If anyone wants a specific score, PM me.
#1: Pokemon XY/XYZ(Kalos region, Seasons 17 through 19).
I re-watch this series after watching Pokemon Sun&Moon and it hits home hard. I get the same feeling when watching Teen Titans Go and reminiscing about 2003-2006 Teen Titans. You know... the more serious version that wasn't slapstick comedy? The similarities between Teen Titans and Pokemon are striking. In fact, watch the link in the spoiler below to really get what I mean. Anyways... where was I. Oh yes, this series is still my favorite, albeit barely. Although this series got off to a slow start, particularly with regards to Serena, the series more than made up for it in the end. Bill Nye the Science Guy Clemont(love that nickname), "You're a keeper" Bonnie and bashful Serena were a unique compliment to a much improved Ash from his Black and White variant. Ash's Pokemon team barely hit the maximum allowed but each member of his team was fully evolved along with 2 Dragon types(Iris would be proud).
Alain and Sawyer gave Ash a run for his money as rivals while Shauna, Nani and Miette gave Serena the competitive push towards Performances and in Romance(Amourshipping ftw!). I'm still salty over the Kalos League outcome for Ash but compared to previous League outcomes, I can't complain too much. Team Rocket was passable, although their usefulness within the series was pretty much done after Johto. Team Flare was superb during the XYZ season(which honestly was too short based on their tenacity) and Kalos Gym Leaders were excellent(along with Champion Diantha).
Spoiler:
#2 Diamond&Pearl(Sinnoh region, Seasons 10 through 13).
Someday I may convince myself to place this number 1 as Dawn and Brock were excellent compliments to Ash. Their group chemistry was superb and Ash's Pokemon team is arguably as strong as his Kalos team, although I dock it only because Torterra couldn't win a fight(Team Rocket excluded). The reason this series comes so close to being #1 is thanks in large part to Paul. His serious and rather obsessive nature made it all too easy to dislike the guy but its his complete 180 approach to Pokemon training when compared to Ash that made him the perfect rival. Then there's Dawn's rivals in Zoey, Ursula, Nando and Kenny(Kenny and Zoey even knocked Ash down a peg or two) that give it another boost.
To this day, Cynthia as the Champion still sends a chill down my spine as she exhibits superb confidence 24/7. She's compassionate and forgiving when its warranted but get on her bad side and she has the tenacity to let you have it. Team Galactic was arguably the second best Antagonist group to date. They're a smidgen behind Team Flare due to using Hunter J. Sinnoh Gym Leaders were decent but not as skilled or challenging as Kalos counterparts. Finally the Sinnoh Tournament outcome is just... inexplicable. A trainer(Tobias) with a Darkrai and other legendaries? Seriously... did Ash even have a chance after beating Paul? Biggest middle finger next to his result in Unova League as far as I'm concerned(Kalos was a coin flip).
#3: Pokemon Advanced(Hoenn Region, Seasons 6 through 9).
My new number three happens to be Pokemon Advanced. Although May replaced the much beloved Misty and was botched early on by the writers, she had considerable character development over the course of the series. Along with Brock and Max, the group exhibited some decent chemistry, although Max, to me, was a useless fourth wheel. Ash's team was solid, although I thought he relied too much on Grovyle/Sceptile(even if it was his Ace). Ash's rivals were sub-par but May's were excellent and honestly they ought to have returned along with May in Diamond and Pearl.
Speaking of that return, May's return in Diamond and Pearl really left a mark for me that I had to give Advanced a bump over the Original Series. The reason why is because Brock and Misty's return in Sun&Moon was purely fan-service for the most part. I mean they showcased their Mega Evolutions but no explanation as to HOW they acquired them. Furthermore, they did little to help the secondary characters in Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, Kiawe and Lillie on their respective goals.
Steven as the region's Champion is solid and gave this region another boost when he appeared in Pokemon XY(although I attribute that for ORAS promotion). Gym Leaders were decent although not as good as future series/regions. Team Aqua and Team Magma were decent but is one group too many in my opinion. Finally Team Rocket was passable but only because of that bad-ass Seviper.
#4 Original Series(Kanto/Orange Islands/Johto Region. Seasons 1 through 5).
I took off my nostalgia glasses and this series fell below Hoenn Region. Ash was a rookie trainer just starting out and as expected made lots of goofy mistakes. His Pokemon teams were decent and his results were honestly expected(just losing in the manner in which he did was not...). Brock and Misty set the standard for group companions but their growth as characters didn't really occur until after they left the show. I mean Misty caught Pokemon but in terms of her battling skill, she didn't noticeably improve until she went back to her Cerulean Gym. Team Rocket was superb during the early years but their usefulness after Johto was alas non-existent(why have other Antagonist groups then?). Considering Brock and Misty's longevity within the Anime, this series earns a respectable fourth place finish.
#5 Black&White(Unova Region. Seasons 14 through 16).
This series was, until roughly a year ago, the Anime's Black Sheep. Every region post Johto undergoes a soft reboot. With this one, the writers opted to go with a really hard one. They took a really good Diamond and Pearl Ash and turned him into an imbecile one at the start of Black&White in an attempt to recapture the Tsundere atmosphere with their new version of Misty in Iris(and that's just not who Iris was). Brock leaving the show was inevitable but Cilan being the man to replace him is probably why he's on many fan's sh**lists. Its unfair but expected considering Brock's popularity. Then they tried using a Paul clone in Trip and adding in rivals for Iris and Cilan(which had never been done before and honestly backfired).
Ash's team was rather large, paying homage to his Original series days. As a result, many of his Pokemon were un-evolved and hence made it hard for people to accept Ash defeating anyone throughout the series. Unlike the series below it on my list, it at least tried to stay true to the traditional theme of the show of traveling around from Gym to Gym and even promoted more battling with the Battle Clubs and various Tournaments. The Unova League result for Ash was, until Sun&Moon came around, the single biggest middle finger the writers have done for the Anime. Losing to Cameron with 5 Pokemon... makes me sick just mentioning it again. Black and White is solidly in 5th place.
6th: Sun&Moon(Alola Region. Seasons 20, 21(ongoing)).
Every Pokemon region undergoes reboots but every region/series tries to stick true to the game they're modeled after. This series doesn't even do that!!! Mallow, Kiawe, Lana and Sophocles aren't Trial Captains and two of them only have 1 Pokemon after 63 Episodes. Heck, what's Kiawe's/Sophocles' goal, much less purpose, within the series? Lillie spends 50+ Episodes suffering from PTSD(all the while gobbling up the spotlight from everyone else) while Ash has managed just two Island Trials so far. Team Skull has been an abject disgrace and Team Rocket has demonstrated the need for them to be retired.
There is absolutely nothing the writers can do to change my mind or move Sun&Moon from its last place ranking on my list. Black and White was bad compared to every other series and I thought nothing could beat it in terms of mediocrity but I was wrong. This series isn't Pokemon and it may do so much damage to the series that the Anime may never recover.
CodeHelmet
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New rankings posted below that has been influenced from my recent binge watching of the Japanese dub(I feel hoodwinked or shortchanged after seeing the Japanese dub and comparing it to what we get in English) and applying criticism I have for Sun&Moon across the board(which ironically affects the top of my list). I'm also not going to regurgitate the same old stuff so if you want to know more about each region/series, just check out past rankings. Anyways, to the list....
#1: Diamond&Pearl(Sinnoh Region, Seasons 10 to 13).
I said last time that I would find a reason to put this in first place and apparently I just found a reason to do so. Dawn in the Japanese dub is frankly better than I thought she would be, especially considering her theme plays more frequently(******Shakes fist at English dub******). I also got a vibe that Penguinshipping was subtly pushed based on the music being played during conversations between Dawn and Kenny. English dub plays something entirely different and hence gives a very different vibe for the same exact scene.
#2: XY/XYZ(Kalos Region, Seasons 17 to 19).
Although I really don't want to do this, I have no choice but to move my favorite series down to second place. I dropped it due in large part to how long the writers took to give Serena a goal/purpose within the series. For the first 38 or so Episodes, she basically leaves home to see Ash, whom she saw on TV and remembered meeting him while at Professor Oak's Summer Camp when she was younger. She then opts to join him on a journey largely because she has a crush on Ash. While finding yourself is indeed a mechanism for character growth, do you really think it'd take a character 38 Episodes to do it? I mean May didn't like Pokemon at first but she acquired her goal by Episode 13. Then when Serena DID get her goal, it was one that didn't involve battling and hence gave the writers the excuse not to give her a full team. Don't get me wrong, I loved Serena as a character but I've been harping on Sun&Moon like mad in recent weeks and it didn't seem right to play favorites in my ranking. As such, I had to respectfully move it down 1 spot.
#3: Advanced(Hoenn Region, Seasons 6 to 9).
Advanced or Hoenn region still holds onto third place since May was a solid character. Although I thought the writers botched her early on, she and the writers redeemed themselves over the course of the series. When she returned in Diamond&Pearl, she established herself as the only protagonist to come back without being complete fanservice, hence helped Dawn come out of her funk to win the Wallace Cup. May or Haruka's theme, like with Dawn in Diamond&Pearl, is played far more frequently in Japanese Dub(sigh).
#4: Original Series(Kanto&Johto Regions, Seasons 1 to 5).
The series that started it all is sooooooo much better in Japanese dub. First off, the Dratini Episode was perfectly fine in my book. Porygon Episode I could understand but the censorship really rubbed me the wrong way since the dialogue in Japanese dub was just superior. Perfect example was the Eevee brother Episode where Misty(Kasumi) calls Jessie(Musashi) an "Old Hag" in English or "Old Lady" in Japanese. Where they diverge is how Jessie responds. In the English dub, she calls Misty a "puny little punk". In Japanese dub, she calls her a "flat brat girl", referencing the Beauty Contest Episode(which they also edited here in the USA). Talk about neutering a line that had a far greater impact in the Japanese Dub since Jessie was getting back at her for calling her old by calling her "undeveloped". Its banter like that that makes me wish the PC police didn't rule the day(like they did with XYZ47.... **CRIES**).
#5: Black&White(Unova Region, Seasons 14 to 16).
Having been harping on Sun&Moon lately has caused me to appreciate Black&White a lot more while at the same time wishing they had just done more for Iris. I mean they gave her the goal of being a Dragon Master, similar to Misty when it comes to Water Types but they don't even give her a Dragon Type capture until Episode 89 when Dawn is around and Ash had already acquired all 8 Unova badges. I mean she did catch an Emolga but why that Pokemon? I thought Elesa did a spectacular job in showing it off in the Gym Battle with Ash but I suppose the nature of Iris' Emolga and the conflict between it and Snivy did serve some comedic purpose. The main reason I wish the writers could have done more with Iris is due to Black 2 and White 2 or the "sequels" to the Generation V games. The Anime attempts to promote them by having Ash face off against Roxie for his 8th Gym Badge. Well if they're going to give BW2 a promotional two part Gym Battle, then they ought to have given Iris far more love seeing as she's the CHAMPION in BW2(with a theme that is arguably second to none. I mean I like Cynthia's theme but Iris... is just number 1 in my book). Yet they don't and like with the other comments I made about the series in the past, its deserving of its current placement.
#6: Sun&Moon(Alola Region, Seasons 20&21(ongoing)).
**Rubs hands together**. This series, is unequivocally pure Muk. I used the Pokemon metaphor because that's what it is. Too many Protagonists with no clear purpose or goal within the series. Kiawe's purpose is to be a rival to Ash? If so, why isn't he partaking in Island challenges and catching more Pokemon? If not, give him something to strive for besides being a waste of Animation. I'd have him pursue being a Fire Gym Leader seeing as Kakui wants to set up an Alolan League(or Fire Trial Captain if they want to finally mirror the game....). Sophocles.... kill his character now and be done with it. I don't care about next week's Episode(69).
Biggest disgrace this series has done so far is how they've treated the Female Protagonists. Firstly, Mallow has been completely shafted by the writers with just 1 Evolution and no captures despite having an Episode where they highlighted her distinct lack of Pokemon. Whatever is going through the writer's minds is clearly not logic, especially for a character that exhibits leader of the group qualities. Furthermore, her goal is rather weak but could be made stronger if she pursues developing a unique menu of Pokemon food by becoming a Pokemon Breeder(something I thought Brock would help steer her in that direction but as usual... pure fan service). By developing her own unique Pokemon Food, it would help promote her Family's Restaurant as a go-to destination.
Then there is Lana who, until Episode 71 airs, has had no Evolutions or Captures. Instead she acquires a Z-Ring and a Waterium-Z. Her goal, like Mallow's, is also relatively weak and I was hoping that with a "Performer" Pokemon that she be pushed into a Pokemon Contest Arc direction(which has performances and battling). That direction would sync really well with her desire to develop Popplio's strength and the fact she has cool under pressure/diehard competitive personality(something that would do really well in Pokemon Contests). If not that then perhaps mirroring Kiawe when it comes to becoming a Water Pokemon Gym Leader in the Alola Region(which I thought Misty might have helped nudge her in that direction but like with Brock, pure fan service).
Finally there is Lillie. I get the whole Fear Arc(which honestly was pretty good) but for it to take 49 freaking Episodes is just too many(15, at most 20 but 49?!). Now that its over, what's Lillie's goal or purpose within the series? Right now she has nothing but to be a Bianca clone clutz that continues to hog the spotlight from other characters. Due to her importance in the games, the way they've treated Lillie is to me a crime. She's overcome her fear so time to start catching Pokemon(yet there hasn't been any). Lillie's inquisitive nature and her extensive knowledge of Pokemon, I think Lillie should pursue being a Pokemon Professor due to the relationship she has with Professor Burnet. Whether the writers will pursue that remains to be seen but based on the Ultra Beast arc that has taken center stage(wherein it doesn't resemble Pokemon one bit), I highly doubt they'll take that approach.
#1: Diamond&Pearl(Sinnoh Region, Seasons 10 to 13).
I said last time that I would find a reason to put this in first place and apparently I just found a reason to do so. Dawn in the Japanese dub is frankly better than I thought she would be, especially considering her theme plays more frequently(******Shakes fist at English dub******). I also got a vibe that Penguinshipping was subtly pushed based on the music being played during conversations between Dawn and Kenny. English dub plays something entirely different and hence gives a very different vibe for the same exact scene.
#2: XY/XYZ(Kalos Region, Seasons 17 to 19).
Although I really don't want to do this, I have no choice but to move my favorite series down to second place. I dropped it due in large part to how long the writers took to give Serena a goal/purpose within the series. For the first 38 or so Episodes, she basically leaves home to see Ash, whom she saw on TV and remembered meeting him while at Professor Oak's Summer Camp when she was younger. She then opts to join him on a journey largely because she has a crush on Ash. While finding yourself is indeed a mechanism for character growth, do you really think it'd take a character 38 Episodes to do it? I mean May didn't like Pokemon at first but she acquired her goal by Episode 13. Then when Serena DID get her goal, it was one that didn't involve battling and hence gave the writers the excuse not to give her a full team. Don't get me wrong, I loved Serena as a character but I've been harping on Sun&Moon like mad in recent weeks and it didn't seem right to play favorites in my ranking. As such, I had to respectfully move it down 1 spot.
#3: Advanced(Hoenn Region, Seasons 6 to 9).
Advanced or Hoenn region still holds onto third place since May was a solid character. Although I thought the writers botched her early on, she and the writers redeemed themselves over the course of the series. When she returned in Diamond&Pearl, she established herself as the only protagonist to come back without being complete fanservice, hence helped Dawn come out of her funk to win the Wallace Cup. May or Haruka's theme, like with Dawn in Diamond&Pearl, is played far more frequently in Japanese Dub(sigh).
#4: Original Series(Kanto&Johto Regions, Seasons 1 to 5).
The series that started it all is sooooooo much better in Japanese dub. First off, the Dratini Episode was perfectly fine in my book. Porygon Episode I could understand but the censorship really rubbed me the wrong way since the dialogue in Japanese dub was just superior. Perfect example was the Eevee brother Episode where Misty(Kasumi) calls Jessie(Musashi) an "Old Hag" in English or "Old Lady" in Japanese. Where they diverge is how Jessie responds. In the English dub, she calls Misty a "puny little punk". In Japanese dub, she calls her a "flat brat girl", referencing the Beauty Contest Episode(which they also edited here in the USA). Talk about neutering a line that had a far greater impact in the Japanese Dub since Jessie was getting back at her for calling her old by calling her "undeveloped". Its banter like that that makes me wish the PC police didn't rule the day(like they did with XYZ47.... **CRIES**).
#5: Black&White(Unova Region, Seasons 14 to 16).
Having been harping on Sun&Moon lately has caused me to appreciate Black&White a lot more while at the same time wishing they had just done more for Iris. I mean they gave her the goal of being a Dragon Master, similar to Misty when it comes to Water Types but they don't even give her a Dragon Type capture until Episode 89 when Dawn is around and Ash had already acquired all 8 Unova badges. I mean she did catch an Emolga but why that Pokemon? I thought Elesa did a spectacular job in showing it off in the Gym Battle with Ash but I suppose the nature of Iris' Emolga and the conflict between it and Snivy did serve some comedic purpose. The main reason I wish the writers could have done more with Iris is due to Black 2 and White 2 or the "sequels" to the Generation V games. The Anime attempts to promote them by having Ash face off against Roxie for his 8th Gym Badge. Well if they're going to give BW2 a promotional two part Gym Battle, then they ought to have given Iris far more love seeing as she's the CHAMPION in BW2(with a theme that is arguably second to none. I mean I like Cynthia's theme but Iris... is just number 1 in my book). Yet they don't and like with the other comments I made about the series in the past, its deserving of its current placement.
#6: Sun&Moon(Alola Region, Seasons 20&21(ongoing)).
**Rubs hands together**. This series, is unequivocally pure Muk. I used the Pokemon metaphor because that's what it is. Too many Protagonists with no clear purpose or goal within the series. Kiawe's purpose is to be a rival to Ash? If so, why isn't he partaking in Island challenges and catching more Pokemon? If not, give him something to strive for besides being a waste of Animation. I'd have him pursue being a Fire Gym Leader seeing as Kakui wants to set up an Alolan League(or Fire Trial Captain if they want to finally mirror the game....). Sophocles.... kill his character now and be done with it. I don't care about next week's Episode(69).
Biggest disgrace this series has done so far is how they've treated the Female Protagonists. Firstly, Mallow has been completely shafted by the writers with just 1 Evolution and no captures despite having an Episode where they highlighted her distinct lack of Pokemon. Whatever is going through the writer's minds is clearly not logic, especially for a character that exhibits leader of the group qualities. Furthermore, her goal is rather weak but could be made stronger if she pursues developing a unique menu of Pokemon food by becoming a Pokemon Breeder(something I thought Brock would help steer her in that direction but as usual... pure fan service). By developing her own unique Pokemon Food, it would help promote her Family's Restaurant as a go-to destination.
Then there is Lana who, until Episode 71 airs, has had no Evolutions or Captures. Instead she acquires a Z-Ring and a Waterium-Z. Her goal, like Mallow's, is also relatively weak and I was hoping that with a "Performer" Pokemon that she be pushed into a Pokemon Contest Arc direction(which has performances and battling). That direction would sync really well with her desire to develop Popplio's strength and the fact she has cool under pressure/diehard competitive personality(something that would do really well in Pokemon Contests). If not that then perhaps mirroring Kiawe when it comes to becoming a Water Pokemon Gym Leader in the Alola Region(which I thought Misty might have helped nudge her in that direction but like with Brock, pure fan service).
Finally there is Lillie. I get the whole Fear Arc(which honestly was pretty good) but for it to take 49 freaking Episodes is just too many(15, at most 20 but 49?!). Now that its over, what's Lillie's goal or purpose within the series? Right now she has nothing but to be a Bianca clone clutz that continues to hog the spotlight from other characters. Due to her importance in the games, the way they've treated Lillie is to me a crime. She's overcome her fear so time to start catching Pokemon(yet there hasn't been any). Lillie's inquisitive nature and her extensive knowledge of Pokemon, I think Lillie should pursue being a Pokemon Professor due to the relationship she has with Professor Burnet. Whether the writers will pursue that remains to be seen but based on the Ultra Beast arc that has taken center stage(wherein it doesn't resemble Pokemon one bit), I highly doubt they'll take that approach.
CodeHelmet
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I won?t disagree with you regarding Unova but XY/XYZ wasn?t that bad of a series. It gets off to a slow start and pretty much has Serena flailing in the wind for 38 Episodes before finally giving her character a goal/purpose(besides being romantically involved with Ash), but it quickly makes up for that with Korrina, Greninja and Team Flare. Not to say the Romance subplot was bad(far from it actually) but I think what people are yearning for is a strong Female lead that actually does what you do in the games(challenging Gyms, enter League) as opposed to doing Pokemon Contests/Showcases.
Also, Iris deserved far better than what the writers portrayed her to be.
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Considering that people are actually pleased with SM, where the girl characters' goals are actually: Make big bubbles, open a resturant, get A+ grages at school.. Not even CLOSE to the games goal.. so I doubt they wanna see the girls do something like this (I do tho)
weedle_mchairybug
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Eh, I didn't have too much of a problem with Iris from what I gather (actually, to be honest, I actually found Ash more annoying that time largely because he came across as a complete moron, even by his usual nature in that saga). But I do agree with you regarding his losing to a less experienced trainer literally at the start (and don't get me started on the whole Cameron situation). In fact, the only reason I might consider Unova to not be the absolute worst of the various seasons is because, for all its faults, and it has PLENTY, at least Unova actually ALLOWED Ash to pursue his goal, while SM clearly doesn't, forced him in a school environment that he didn't even need in prior sagas, and if it weren't for the Kanto revisit, we probably wouldn't even HAVE any leagues at all (especially when CoroCoro strongly implied in their coverage that Ash changed his goal to graduate like never before).
Eh, to be fair, SM barely even does the games goal anyways (I don't recall "going to school" being a plot point in the Gen VII games). And I'm not sure people are all that pleased with SM considering that it was even MORE of a ratings disaster than XY was.
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BZRich64
The Mustachioed Machamp
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The original series will always be my favorite, mostly due to nostalgia but also because Ash was still relatively new to Pok?mon Training, so he somewhat of an excuse for being an idiot. With each new region, the fact that he doesn't seem to have progressed at all just seems weirder and weirder.
Hoenn and Sinnoh were alright, but things started to feel a bit more repetitive. I only saw a few episodes of Best Wishes, but it looked like it was slightly better. I haven't seen any of XY or Sun and Moon at all, so I don't really have an opinion, other than that I don't care for Sun and Moon's new art style (but at least Ash looks his age now).
Hoenn and Sinnoh were alright, but things started to feel a bit more repetitive. I only saw a few episodes of Best Wishes, but it looked like it was slightly better. I haven't seen any of XY or Sun and Moon at all, so I don't really have an opinion, other than that I don't care for Sun and Moon's new art style (but at least Ash looks his age now).
The Diamond and Pearl series is my all-time favourite. First off, Dawn is a remarkable character, she's kindhearted, passionate, understanding, supportive, and ambitious. Some may argue that she tended to be a touch sensitive, I think she was very realistic. She had times of doubt and faced insecurities that in my mind is refreshing, as it makes her very relatable. (Might I add, she held her composure better than her predecessor, May). She had her own goals and truly embraced them. In my mind, she was the first female companion who didn't take a back seat to Ash, her contests were equal in importance to Ash's battles, which enthralled my 9-year old self growing up. Dawn and her contribution to the series alone made it worthwhile. DP was also full of other exuberant and interesting characters. Of course, Paul is worth mentioning. He was an ass, sure, but he was a formidable rival and constantly kept Ash on his toes. He was powerful, arrogant, cruel, but there was something just so appealing about him. The battle between Ash and him at the Lily of the Valley Conference has to be the most iconic battle in the entirety of the series. The episodes were well-thought out, exciting and were executed fantastically, there was always something happening. Ultimately, the nostalgia from this series is immense, DP truly played such a huge role in my childhood and the series is something I will always cherish.
The Best Wishes series was easily the worst. Ash acted so immaturely in comparison to previous seasons and the series introduced one of the worst, most obnoxiously annoying characters ever-Iris. Iris ruined the anime for me, I genuinely despised her and wanted the show to kill her off. I remember being 10 or 11 forcing myself to watch the show praying for a Snorlax to fall on her or for a Steelix to maul her. Cilan, on the other hand, was alright, just kind of a Brock wannabe. X&Y made a comeback, though. Serena was lovely, Ash regained his maturity, and the series regained legitimacy. S&M isn't something I'm interested in (I simply dislike the animation and the series itself looks very juvenile). Although, I can't form a proper opinion because I haven't actually watched the series yet.
The other generations are all generally good. I grew up with AG (I began watching it at age 4) I loved it growing up, however, looking back it's a tad dry. Although, I truly love May and Drew and the Hoenn region itself. Kanto and Johto also had excellent seasons, you can't deny it.
I haven't watched the anime in a long time (upwards of 2 years) but this topic has me reminiscing and I might just have to binge watch a few DP or AG episodes in the near future. :)
The Best Wishes series was easily the worst. Ash acted so immaturely in comparison to previous seasons and the series introduced one of the worst, most obnoxiously annoying characters ever-Iris. Iris ruined the anime for me, I genuinely despised her and wanted the show to kill her off. I remember being 10 or 11 forcing myself to watch the show praying for a Snorlax to fall on her or for a Steelix to maul her. Cilan, on the other hand, was alright, just kind of a Brock wannabe. X&Y made a comeback, though. Serena was lovely, Ash regained his maturity, and the series regained legitimacy. S&M isn't something I'm interested in (I simply dislike the animation and the series itself looks very juvenile). Although, I can't form a proper opinion because I haven't actually watched the series yet.
The other generations are all generally good. I grew up with AG (I began watching it at age 4) I loved it growing up, however, looking back it's a tad dry. Although, I truly love May and Drew and the Hoenn region itself. Kanto and Johto also had excellent seasons, you can't deny it.
I haven't watched the anime in a long time (upwards of 2 years) but this topic has me reminiscing and I might just have to binge watch a few DP or AG episodes in the near future. :)
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