The Pokemon Animation/Art thread! 8D

Well, I don't think it's that great, really haha. A lot of the episodes they kind of just stand there with just their mouth moving up and down. When the animation is good, it looks alright, but when it's bad it looks blah. <There's my expert opinion XD
 
I think it is not a secret that Pokemon is not a high quality anime when it comes to animation and art. It is thought for younger kids and therefore is drawn and animated in a simple style. No match for animes like Death Note.

As Pokemon was drawn by different studios there are differences between the episodes. Some studios were better, some did a really bad job and some have such a unique style that you can tell, which episodes were made by them (like the studio that made "Riddle me this").

Also there are overall differences between the different Pokemon seasons. The colors in season 1 for example were pretty pale in comparison to the later seasons and I did not like the way they drew the characters back then. But they had much more interseting poses and expressions. The movement in the later seasons (especially the Advanced seasons) was not as fluent and varied. It seems that the animation got more simple.

Season 5 is my favourite season when it comes to the art because of the way the characters are drawn. The colors are bright and I like the highlights they added to the characters. "Gotta catch you later" is an awsome drawn episode.

The Advanced seasons are the seasons I like the least. Especially Ash's face and hair look awfull most of the time.

When it comes to Pokemon attacks the DP seasons are best in my oppinion. The attack animations got better and better, especially since season 6, probably because they had to come up with some good looking moves for the contests.

The movies are better drawn and animated than the TV show, of course.
I loved the art of movie 1 to 4. Movie 5 was not as good and movie 6 was the least well drawn in my oppinion. Movie 7 was a little better, movie 9 had the quality of movie 7.
Movie 8 and 10 were as good, maybe even better then 1 to 4. My criteria for this ranking were the animation of the movements, the ballance betwen the drawings and the computer generated parts of the movies and the way they drew the characters (especially the faces and the expressions).
 
Night Soul said:
I think it is not a secret that Pokemon is not a high quality anime when it comes to animation and art. It is thought for younger kids and therefore is drawn and animated in a simple style. No match for animes like Death Note.

As Pokemon was drawn by different studios there are differences between the episodes. Some studios were better, some did a really bad job and some have such a unique style that you can tell, which episodes were made by them (like the studio that made "Riddle me this").

Also there are overall differences between the different Pokemon seasons. The colors in season 1 for example were pretty pale in comparison to the later seasons and I did not like the way they drew the characters back then. But they had much more interseting poses and expressions. The movement in the later seasons (especially the Advanced seasons) was not as fluent and varied. It seems that the animation got more simple.

Season 5 is my favourite season when it comes to the art because of the way the characters are drawn. The colors are bright and I like the highlights they added to the characters. "Gotta catch you later" is an awsome drawn episode.

The Advanced seasons are the seasons I like the least. Especially Ash's face and hair look awfull most of the time.

When it comes to Pokemon attacks the DP seasons are best in my oppinion. The attack animations got better and better, especially since season 6, probably because they had to come up with some good looking moves for the contests.

The movies are better drawn and animated than the TV show, of course.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, but I want to dissect your points. Hee.

1. The reason why the animation is poor isn't because it's a kids' show (as there are plenty of kids shows that get excellent animation, west and east). It's because the Japanese don't have season breaks/hiatus, so they have to keep cranking out the episodes. In order to that, they have to lower costs, and the product suffers for it.

2. Yep. Different studios cover them, but the less quality ones always seem to do the important episodes (Groudon/Kyorge Part 2 and the BF gathering of Ash's old Pokemon, for instance). Although, they do use the score to compensate, which doesn't help the English version. Heh.

3. Well, the first five seasons were hand colored cel animation, then they switched to computer coloring. So, there is a big difference, there, as many have noted. I don't mind it, myself.

4. Right, the advanced CGI with Attacks from BF onward, which actually works. Rare in most shows that dabble in CGI, but it works well, here.

5. Character design: I do like the first season, even though, it's a tad too angular for my tastes. Compared to some of the oddities we've had, particularly with the Pokemon, I really miss that.

And poor bloated Electrabuzz. Hehehe.
 
no one else wanna look at that super sexy electabuzz? /cries
 
The animation resources have definitely improved compared to what the show began with (digitally colored pictures instead of the traditional cel-animation used prior to the last quarter of Jouto), but the actual quality of the art and the movements of the pictures have varied during the two recent series (I swear, am I the only one that noticed that the characters have ran/walked IN-SYNC head-to-toe with each other, at times?). I much preferred the animation of the original series (Kanto-Orenji-shotō and the openings/endings at least), because the animation directors seemed to actually know what the hell they're doing back then. Now, the only episodes that don't burn my eyes with bad art and horrible character movement is the episodes directed by 岩根雅明 (Masaaki Iwane. Who, by the way, is AWESOME. With him, deformed Pokemon are a rarity). Seriously, if it weren't for the budget and the weekly rush of this every-week ongoing show, that's what Pokemon could've looked like every episode.

Also, Team Iguchi seems to love abusing the use of CGI in the later parts of AG and the episodes of DP. CGI is horrible when used for the most inappropriate of things, especially when it's accompanied by bad art. Seriously, a Pokemon bouncing from branch to branch on a HAND-DRAWN AND DIGITALLY COLORED tree looks much better than a Pokemon bouncing off a giant CGI tree with CGI branches that look like they aren't even supposed to be in the same scene. :/
 
Last edited:
CharmUp! said:
The animation resources have definitely improved compared to what the show began with (digitally colored pictures instead of the traditional cel-animation used prior to the last quarter of Jouto), but the actual quality of the art and the movements of the pictures have varied during the two recent series (I swear, am I the only one that noticed that the characters have ran/walked IN-SYNC head-to-toe with each other, at times?). I much preferred the animation of the original series (Kanto-Orenji-shotō and the openings/endings at least), because the animation directors seemed to actually know what the hell they're doing back then. Now, the only episodes that don't burn my eyes with bad art and horrible character movement is the episodes directed by 岩根雅明 (Masaaki Iwane. Who, by the way, is AWESOME. With her, deformed Pokemon are a rarity). Seriously, if it weren't for the budget and the weekly rush of this every-week ongoing show, that's what Pokemon could've looked like every episode.

Also, Team Iguchi seems to love abusing the use of CGI in the later parts of AG and the episodes of DP. CGI is horrible when used for the most inappropriate of things, especially when it's accompanied by bad art. Seriously, a Pokemon bouncing from branch to branch on a HAND-DRAWN AND DIGITALLY COLORED tree looks much better than a Pokemon bouncing off a giant CGI tree with CGI branches that look like they aren't even supposed to be in the same scene. :/
Click to expand...

First, I bow to your superior knowledge of Japanese animators.

Second, on the plus side, Bulbapedia is useful in documenting the specific animation teams in question. I mostly use it for the writers on specific episodes, myself. That's one thing that has always bugged me with 4Kids' end credits, how they weren't as specific on the animation teams/writers. Although, toward the end, they were slowly improving in their acknowledging.

PUSA, they're better from the jump. But, from what I've seen of the end credits, they still are not as specific as they ought to be. Thus, how am I going to know who to yell at, regarding off-model animation? Shakes fist.
 
Different animation directors also mean different art quality for a respective episode. Episodes done by Masaki Iwane are generally the best of the lot, IMO.
 
Different animation directors also mean different art quality for a respective episode. Episodes done by Masaki Iwane are generally the best of the lot, IMO.
Click to expand...
On the theme of animation directors...
Kazue Kinoshita tends to be the worst although her recent episode was good for her.
Izumi Shimura is said to be pretty good too but she draws Shinji and some other characters bad/awkward and anyone who draws Shinji bad...
Yuusaku Takeda - second worst to Kinoshita, tends to do flat looking characters
Akihiro Tamagawa - responsible for Hikari's panty shot
Toshihito Hirooka - did Hikozaru's Tears aka responsible for the blood in that episode.

Thank you Bulbagarden
I wish I could post a link to the thread because it's very informative but I dont know if that'd be considered advertising.
 
Crystal Clair said:
Akihiro Tamagawa - responsible for Hikari's panty shot

Thank you Bulbagarden
I wish I could post a link to the thread because it's very informative but I dont know if that'd be considered advertising.
Click to expand...

Since you're using it for learning purposes, nah, it's fine with me. It's when one spams to promote the site that I have a problem with.

Hikari had a panty shot? Shows how behind the times I am.
 
Charaxes said:
Hikari had a panty shot? Shows how behind the times I am.
Click to expand...

I think it's DP039, Dawn and Ash jump onto a Wailord and you can see Dawn's pants ("pants" is not a typo, I'm not changing my Britishism ha. "panties" seems an ugly word, anyway...) for about 1 second. I noticed and I wasn't even looking out for it haha. They're black.
 
In that case, here's the thread for the animation directors
I hope they update it soon.
I'd post Hikari's pantyshot but unfortunately I cant find anyting.
And also, I went to search it on google and forgot that moderate safe search was disabled
X_X
 
I could screencap it from the video of that episode, if anyone wants a bigger snapshot. =P
 
And also, I went to search it on google and forgot that moderate safe search was disabled
X_X
Click to expand...
LOL I always disable the save search myself.... >.>

Jessie would be perfect for a pentyshot... Did she have one?
 
There is a really close shot that I took ages ago. Not for Jessie...I was taking loads of Meowth screenshots and someone on the Pocket Monsters Imageboard noticed it, not me

https://imageboard.pocketmonsters.net/Nyarth/src/119836398762.jpg

Charaxes said:
And Jorah, would knickers work better for you? Heh. Because I can see your point about the word "panties."
Click to expand...

That word sounds so weirdly perverted to me...hah. Nah, I prefer pants. Knickers is what young children or old people say. And anyway, pants confuses people haha

Anyway, this screenshot is seemingly innocent

https://imageboard.pocketmonsters.net/Rocket_Gang/src/119722039825.jpg

Until you turn it upside down o.O

https://imageboard.pocketmonsters.net/Rocket_Gang/src/119775982491.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top