If you could recommend any season...

[Palamon]

So, let's say someone you know wants to start watching the Pokemon anime. What series/saga would you recommend to them and why?

 

[AliceBlaze]

Well the most obvious choice would be Indigo League since that's Ash's first journey and what started it all. It also has the least amount of filler of all the seasons.

 

[Lucario]

Indigo league, as it is the first season, therefore the best to start with.

 

[Kurosaki]

Probably just the original Kanto series, if they did want an example of how it started it out, though other than that I would probably recommend XY&Z, because it's my personal favorite in quite a while. Also, since it's currently the one being the most talked about it, it might be fun for new fans to jump into!

 

[Iceshadow3317]

It is hard to say. But Kanto and Johto are extremely lacking compared to the later seasons, especially Johto which is basically a copy and paste of Kanto until the Whirl Islands and Pokemon League. If they knew about the anime and had the basic concept, I'd suggest Unova Saga. Although it would become confusing once they got to Undella City as they wouldn't know who Dawn is.

I would also strongly suggest XYZ as it has by far been the best season.

 

[Horn]

I would definitely NOT recommend Unova. That was the worst saga since Johto, maybe even surpassing Johto in that account.
I'd say Sinnoh or Kalos. Sinnoh had great set of rivals and Contests added a great dynamics to the story, but Brock is weakest link in the chain. Kalos has the best character dynamics ever and great battles, but I could live without sexist Pokémon Showcases. So, both sagas had their weaknesses, but IMO are still the best place to start with the anime for now.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

I would definitely NOT recommend Unova. That was the worst saga since Johto, maybe even surpassing Johto in that account.
I'd say Sinnoh or Kalos. Sinnoh had great set of rivals and Contests added a great dynamics to the story, but Brock is weakest link in the chain. Kalos has the best character dynamics ever and great battles, but I could live without sexist Pokémon Showcases. So, both sagas had their weaknesses, but IMO are still the best place to start with the anime for now.

Unova was only worse for the people who have watched the anime there entire life, because it made Ash a noob again. People don't look at the story aspect of the Unova Region from the Plasma Arc and the Team Rocket Arc. Unova explained pokemon perfectly with a lot of battling.

And for me Unova was far superior to both Kanto and Johto, but especially Kanto. Making Ash a noob again had no effect on me and made me enjoy pokemon again.

 

[Horn]

You know, this is quite funny, but it was during Unova when I lost interest in Pokémon Anime for a few years and it wasn't until I saw Kalos, when I got my interest back. I later forced myself to watch the rest of Unova and Decolress, but I can't tell I enjoyed it. I guess everyone has different tastes. Still, I respect your opinion, even though I don't hare it.

 

[Luzu]

Indigo League, of course because it's the beginning, or dare I say it/agree with IcyIce: Best Wishes.

The fact that Ash is a 'noob' again in Best Wishes makes for a good series for someone to come into, honestly. And while it sucks that he became a 'noob' again, he learned a lot of nice lessons during that whole 'phase' and there are some brilliant things about Best Wishes. The Team Rocket Arc and Episode N are definitely worthwhile watches. And watching Ash's dynamics with his companions and Pikachu are really important. People who start with Best Wishes will get a good grasp on who Ash is as a character because battling aspects aside Best Wishes does do a pretty good job of showing all sides of Ash. The nice side, the bratty side, and although the moments can be few and far inbetween, the side of Ash that can turn around a situation even if it goes back. Also his dedication to his Pokemon I feel is really there in Best Wishes... at least to the Pokemon you actually see.

But that said I wouldn't recommend say... Sinnoh or even XY until they've seen Best Wishes because then they'll fall into the same opinions as many others when Best Wishes honestly does have much to offer. Just not in terms of battling and, to a good extent, strategy.

 

[Guest123_x1]

Right off the bat, I'd recommend starting at the beginning with the Indigo saga. The pacing of the story throughout the journey in Kanto is the fastest of all the regions Ash has been to so far, and dare I say, some of Ash's behavior back then might've actually been justified (or not) due to him being a 10-year-old new Trainer. (Just as Ash made crucial mistakes during this early portion of his Pokémon training career, I made crucial mistakes when I first played the main series Pokémon games when I was 11.)

 

[Akriloth92]

I've only watched up to Johto. This past winter I started rewatching the series and started with Kanto and am now near the end of the first Johto series. I would recommend someone start with Kanto. I can't tell you whether it's the best or not, but it's always a great start to get acquainted with the series.

 

[RegalSin]

Early episodes of the original. After the parasect episode meh.