Well to start with, I didn't necessarily say that they were more appealing to me when they acted goofy and got tossed around like punching bags; I was just curious about why them being competent for such a short period of time in Unova appeals to some people since it came at the cost of them losing their personalities for the most part. Also, and I should have probably said this before, but since nothing that they did during early BW paid off given the banned Team Plasma vs Team Rocket episodes, I guess it felt super meaningless to me that they acted serious without anything major coming out of it.
I never said you did. I asked a question about why they were more appealing with the point of saying how appealing is subjective when it comes to the method to their madness. As you later say, you enjoyed their rather out there plans like I said I didn't. It comes off as saying "But I liked it".
Also, I could argue that while the stuff they did didn't pay off, I couldn't lace the blame on their actions/demeanor in that area. I could easily make sense that it was being held for research and the project eventually dropped by the headquarters which would make sense. It takes away from the build-up yes, but it doesn't negate they still were engaging nor does it negate they still have plenty of engagement potential.
My biggest issue with the nonsense Rocket is they aren't engaging to me. I like their personalities and all that, but having a break from the nonsense for them to try and actually get good with the boss in a way that would make sense helps for me especially with how successful they were throughout the series.
We'll have to agree to disagree I guess, but I didn't think that them following orders closely made for entertaining television. To me, Team Rocket excels at thinking outside the box and coming up with their own ridiculous mechas and elaborate plans to steal Pikachu. It doesn't matter to me that they fail so much as long as they bring the laughs.
So that just means you enjoyed the comedy they brought which I can agree upon. I said I liked the more competent ones since they brought something new and had something building up. Also, the elaborate plans for God knows how long could get old so a different thing could work for making something engaging. Not everything new works, but I feel this one did since they weren't so tied to ash's character and had other things on their agenda.
To be fair, I was talking specifically about when the Rocket trio acted serious in early BW when they wore their dark uniforms. So the things that they did to help prepare for Giovanni's arrival in Unova later in the saga (when they had already reverted back to their old white uniforms and were acting more like their goofy selves again) isn't something that I had a problem with.
The dark uniforms aren't tied to them acting seriously. I will say that the later ones lost a bit of that moxie they had but they still were more competent than any other season especially when dealing with Team Plasma. If you didn't have a problem with the latter one that makes me wonder why they get a pass compared to earlier when both were serious just one was more following orders than being more freelancing for the job, though that's probably why.
I'm pretty sure that we're allowed to disagree with other peoples' assessments, though. This topic wouldn't gain much traction if everyone agreed about everything. Besides, I only criticized your Team Rocket comment; I didn't have anything bad to say about your other points.
When in that comment did I ever say you weren't allowed to disagree with my assessment? I said it's an unpopular "opinion" that would be a fit for this, not that it's reasoning cannot be challenged. Me just saying that it has a reason being here doesn't negate that nor does it imply no one can challenge it. I don't get why you came to that conclusion and am a little annoyed that you seemed to remind me with "everyone can challenge a subjective thought" something I wouldn't mind doing.
Also, I can disagree with your assessment of my post. If you wanna discuss it, we can, but me replying with counters to it shouldn't imply that I'm shutting down your opposing view.
Though again, it could have been by the way I worded that and I will say that if it came off as shutting you down that was never its intention.