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[Pokémon] Pokemon Anime Marathon Club

Explanation: I'm skipping EP 38, "Computer Warrior Porygon" due to it having no English dub. There's a split where "Holiday Hi-JynxI" and "Snow Way Out" were originally supposed to air after it, but "Pikachu's Goodbye" replaced them due to the show being put on hiatus and the episode schedule being shuffled around (since it wouldn't make much sense to release 2 Christmas episodes in April). Since the episodes were intended to air after "Ditto's Mysterious Mansion", Ash / Misty's team composition reflects that, and we're currently in the holiday season. The best compromise I could come up with is reviewing all 3 at once, and waiting 9 days instead of the usual 3 to post the next review to maintain the same pace.

Season 1 Episode ? - "Holiday Hi-Jynx!"

tbh I can see why they edited Jynx's skin to be purple after the initial airing of this episode; as it definitely comes off as a racial stereotype. Outside that, the episode was fairly average; it feels pretty disconnected from the main quest, which is fair enough considering it's a special. I was surprised it featured Santa so heavily, since my understanding is that Santa Claus / Christmas more broadly isn't considered a big deal in Japan. The episode dragged in the middle, since I felt the gang spent a bit too much time on the water (and even with anime logic in effect, the gang going from what seems to be a tropical beach area to the North Pole within a single day is extremely unrealistic). But I enjoyed getting some backstory on Jesse, and the moment where she forgives Santa but still tries to make off with the presents was pretty funny. Overall, it's a solid time, but Jynx being a borderline offensive racial caricature in this EP loses it several points in my book. I'd give it a 3/10.

Season 1 Episode ? - "Snow Way Out!"

The budding streak of mediocre / bad episodes ends here, as this one was an absolute banger. The premise of the gang being stuck on a cold mountain felt a bit contrived since they could've avoided it by just taking the other path, it would've worked better in my opinion if there was no fork and they had to cross the mountain to continue; but that's ultimately a nitpick. I felt like the episode had a nice balance of humor and drama, which the show's often struggled with in my opinion. The bit where Jessie (insert me realizing I've been misspelling "Jessie" as "Jesse" this entire time) reminisces about "snowgasboard" was simultaneously hilarious and actually kinda sad. I liked how nearly all of Ash's Pokemon and even a few of Brock / Misty's got an opportunity to help out as well, with Pidgeotto scouting out a path, Bulbasaur saving Pikachu and everyone else helping seal off the igloo. And the iconic scene of all the Pokemon huddling with Ash still held up fantastic. It feels much more earned compared to the emotional moment in Bye Bye Butterfree; since they've all gone through 6 gyms together and Ash has put himself on the line for his Pokemon numerous times to this point; including several times in this episode. It definitely felt like the show pushed Ash into this esoteric situation where he's completely separated from everyone else a bit forcefully, but the scene it maneuvers into hits so hard I can give it a pass; it's easily the best emotional payoff in this series so far. The ending is also quite good, with the gang finally making it out of the mountain, while TR is stuck being too cold out of the hot springs and too hot in it. TR was actually pretty good in general this time around, though I felt kinda bad for them being stuck in the cold, since they didn't really do anything wrong this EP. Overall, this was one of the best EPs so far. I'd give it a 10/10.

Season 1 Episode 39 - "Pikachu's Goodbye"

Another solid episode. We finally continue the main story after the specials, though tbh I found this one quite overrated. The beginning very much feels like your typical filler episode, with the gang helping free a group of wild Pikachu from a wacky TR scheme. TR were very much their generic villain selves this EP, and weren't particularly funny either. The main tension comes from Pikachu integrating into the wild Pikachu tribe, first saving a not-Pichu and later chewing through TR's net (after so many failures, why don't they ever try steel or barbed wire, or spray chloroform, or generally try anything apart from the exact same strategy that's failed dozens of times?). The bit where Ash runs away from Pikachu is still legitimately great; and I remember crying at that portion when I initially watched this EP when I was younger. But coming back to it, it's very obvious that they weren't actually going to separate both in the context of the episode (Pikachu still seems pretty OK with Ash, he just spends time with the Pikachu tribe as well) and the out-of-episode context that they aren't going to abandon their money printing mascot. And ultimately, one great scene can't save what's otherwise a generic filler episode. Overall, it's definitely well above-average; but I didn't find it to be the masterpiece a lot of people seem to depict it as. I'd give it an 8.5/10.
 
Episode 36

The only thing I have to really say about this episode was how great it was to see the twerps do the Team Rocket motto! It was cute and funny, and I really enjoyed it.

Other than that, the plot of the episode was basic. Especially for having a Pokémon that could transform into pretty much anything. I kind of wanted to see Duplica actually be doing petty crimes, but dressed up as an Officer Jenny or a Nurse Joy, using Ditto to cause problems. But the only clue that the twerps have to solve the problem is the fact that Ditto's face is stuck (as it pretends to be a Growlithe or something). IDK. Something better than basic "COTD's Pokémon has a problem and Team Rocket fixes it because they're better trainers" or something.

It was also a little strange that Ditto was able to talk like a human when it copied Meowth. Does that mean that Duplica can now have Ditto transform into humans? (This idea is going to get way too dark.)

The other great part was the way Zubat had the zoomies when it came back from searching for Ditto. Pidgeotto's having a conversation with Pikachu while Zubat's just flying around happy to be free.

Episode 65? (At least according to the list I'm using)

This episode felt like an eggnog-induced dream.

A lot of it was just weird. Jynx is not a Pokémon that makes me think Christmas. Lapras was weird with its ability to talk telepathically, which is something that we'll never see a Lapras do again. It was weird that Ash could pull a raft by himself when it took four Pokémon. It was also weird that the twerps thought that taking a raft from *tropical island* to the North Pole was a good idea.

It really just came off as a slapped-together Christmas special and was the only way that the writers could think of to include Jynx without things becoming too offensive.

Episode 66?

This was probably the best episode to date.

It had everything. A decent plot that wasn't just "COTD with new Pokémon." The storyline was one about survival (which wouldn't have happened if either Brock or MIsty would have fought against Ash's suggestion to climb the really huge snowy mountain). It was really great to see every Pokémon of Ash's be used in different ways. Especially Pidgeotto, after not seeing it for that long streak of episodes. Even Brock's team had some special attention, with Vulpix and Onix making an appearance.

Team Rocket was also great in the episode. They didn't cause problems. They were just in the same survival situation as the twerps. More of Jessie's backstory was revealed. Though it does make watchful audiences wonder how truthful she is if in the last episode she was living in a castle on a hill, while this episode she's living in a small village and poor enough that she has to eat snow. Really, the only thing I guess we can say for sure so far is that Jessie did not come from a rich family (which is an interesting parallel once we reach another episode).

Fun fact: The version of this episode that I watched had a Pikachu's Jukebox attached to it! The music video had clips from the Orange Islands in it, which was neat. (I absolutely can not wait to get to the Orange Islands.)

insert me realizing I've been misspelling "Jessie" as "Jesse" this entire time)
Click to expand...
I didn't notice until I think last week. Then I thought that I had been spelling it wrong.
[PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon Anime Marathon Club
By Friday nights (when I watch these) I am very tired, and so very easily confused.

Episode 39
"I think the best thing in the world is for Pikachu to be here with its own kind."

Brock. What the heck.

I'm sure that I enjoyed this episode way more when I was younger. Because those first few minutes of the episode were seared into my mind. Every frame of it was so familiar, right up to the title card. So this must have been an episode that I watched many times over back in the day.

These days, it's just an episode. It's obvious that Pikachu isn't going anywhere. And there really weren't any signs before this that Pikachu was having an identity(?) issues not being around other Pikachu. That's why Brock's statement came off as very odd. Because that should hold true for every Pokémon then, right? Except trainers go around capturing wild Pokémon, taking them away from their families and homes. (The line is a little better in the original. Takeshi says that it's nice to be surrounded by companions, but still. Pikachu has companions in the rest of Ash's team. This whole thing makes no sense.)

I guess Pikachu herds sing songs to the full moon? Are they worshipping it? What's the connection to Pikachu and the moon?

Also that song at the end? Pure 90's pop.

And now I've seen so many Pikachu that they don't look right when I try to see one in my mind.
 
Season 1 Episode 40 - "The Battling Eevee Brothers"

A nice portrayal of Eevee and its central gimmick. I found it a bit odd how the 4 brothers presumably live together, but their parents are nowhere to be found; but I liked how Misty brought up that Pikachu also didn't want to evolve when Mikey was having trouble deciding what to do while not letting him off the hook for leaving Eevee alone. In general, the episode did a good job not feeling like a rehash of Electric Shock Showdown despite having a similar premise of evolved Pokemon not inherently being superior to unevolved Pokemon. This time around it's Eevee's trainer who doesn't want to evolve it, while previously it was the Pokemon (Pikachu) who didn't want to evolve. TR was really good this EP as well, their plan was more clever than usual, driving away in a Jeep instead of trying to escape via balloon. The 3 Eeveelutions were also each portrayed very well, I liked how they all had unique abilities aside from just being different types; and it was nice to see Mikey's brothers accept him just training Eevee instead of evolving. Overall, this EP wasn't off-the-charts incredible or anything, but it was a solid, entertaining filler episode. I'd give it an 8/10.
 
Must be Friday.

Episode 40

At first, I thought that I wouldn't have much to say about this episode other than that I found 75% of the COTD to be really obnoxious. I think it was mostly the designs of Mikey's brothers that bothered me the most. Those clothes. And that hair!

But then that scene with Misty talking to Mikey came along. I liked that scene. It showed a lot about MIsty's character, and how she could relate to Mikey's issues. She's also the youngest of four, and had decided to go her own way, leaving the Cerulean Gym. Kind of wish that we could have seen Misty talk to her sisters about that. Like why she decided to leave from the Gym and head out even though she's the best battler of the three. But at least we can get some characterization from Misty as she takes on her own "older sister" role to guide Mikey.

It also wasn't until this episode that I realized just how intelligent Pokémon are written as in the show. To bring it back to a previous episode, Pikachu had its own reasons to not evolve, and it was able to get that point across. Horsea came up with the idea to leave a trail of ink so that the captured Pokémon could be found. And Pidgeotto saw those ink blotches on the ground and realized that they were a clue that could be used to help the others.

I'm going to have to agree with Jessie. Dark Flareon is the best. (That's a TCG reference.)