Weekly Anim? Discussion #379: Where's Armaldo?

[Rukario]

I know.. this is VERY LATE! sorry..

comments and discussions on the KWB episode, #379: Where's Armaldo?

 

[Charaxes]

Since the episode is airing right now, I'll comment on the highlights, since the ladies covered everything nicely.

I didn't think much of it but yes, lack of continuity with the fossil Pokemon of the prior seasons. Shouldn't be so surprised by their revival. But also, didn't Devon said in Season Six that it was conducting fossil experiments? Maybe a reference to it, to make up for the fact the Silph omission of the original series? Sighs.

At least Annie looks attractive in her linear design.

Anyone notice Professor Proctor's name? Dr. Proctor from Season One comes to mind, given all the name drops it was bound to happen. Hee.

Proctor's goal actually spits in the eye of the fourth season Omastar episode ("Fossil Fools") where the moral implication was to leave the Omastar alone so they can live in peace and not be exploited by people, scientists and criminals alike (same subtext moral for the "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokemon"). Here, that theory is quite dashed as the fossils are to be used as sideshow attractions, seems so hypocritical, doesn't it? Thankfully, the series doesn't do this too often.

Meowth's Boss Fantasy continues to disturb with Giovanni's ripped body. Shudders.

As the twerps go use their Pokemon to defuse, there is a rarity here. Usually in the Pokemon defusing discussion, Meowth is usually there. Surprising he wasn't used as it's part of his function. Armaldo went crazy for food...okay...whatever. First time hunger made a Pokemon berserk. Not counting Snorlax.

The Rockets' big part (with a slow weird march) once again made the episode bearable. With their moral debate to Norman's kids, to their brutality of mowing everyone down.

The main issue I have with the episode is the oh so convenient shattering of the mountain by Petal Dance. That was more serendipity and bad serendipity as May could have just instructed Bulbasaur to do that instead of just getting lucky with the direction of the attack and luckily hit the mountain (instead of hitting air). More deus ex machina writing. Just once...can't they do simple physics and write themselves out of the hole that way?!

Meowth's desire get into battle was amusing (when was the last time THAT happened?).

Overall, the episode was nice in the minor features and horrible in the major. Typical Pokemon filler. 5/10. At least the fossils were fun to watch.

 

[Miss Reyna]

This is late. Kinda forgot what happens but umm I try. Can't rewatch it because DVR is acting screwly.

This one didn't have much meaning to me except it the one after Vanity Affair and it just the second one after the Shaking Island one (which I still mad that they banned. Find happy place.) and that it just annouce which pokemon May will use in the upcoming contest.

The title was a bit corny but ok. Working off the Where Waldo? books and making be called 'Where Armaldo?' which doesn't really have nothing to do with it. Still a bit corny.

The show got predictable after you saw Armaldo go crazy after its evolution. It just wanted those anicent berries. Saw how this was going end once it got to that part. But I still stay to watch and see what happen.

Trainer Choice was a hard one. What was Ash's orginal choice when he was going to choose a pokemon in the begining of his journey? Hard one is it? Well I like it because it show a connection to the old episode and I like it when they do that.

Found it intresting that Team Rocket once again was trying to define the defination of 'Stealing'. Shows that they have some smartness in them. I kinda agree and I like to add this: Isn't Ash and May stealing from nature when they capture a pokemon? I mean May with Blubasuar and Ash with his pokemon like Treeko? Just a side thuoght.

Where the Breloom came from? Crazy little Island.

They go look for Armaldo and they find out it going to the edge of the island to get the berries. Team Rocket comes and make off with the fossil pokemon. They almost succeed if they didn't turn over. Bust open and the pokemon escapes. Then Ash and Pika put in their classic Tunderbolt attack to blast them off. (was that needed?)

The show ends with everybody happy and the Armaldo is even happier because it found what it wanted and and that somethings never changes.

I was ok with this episode except May came out of nowhere and metions that she going to use Blubasaur is in the next contest. Now was that need to be known in this episode?!?! Like I said, all this episode was for was to announce what pokemon May will use in her next contest. Makes this episode and what happen a complete waste of a show and maybe one of the worst fillers.

6/10- If May kept her month shut about what pokemon will she use in the next contest and just be satified with her Bulbasaur learning Petal Dance then I would have rated it better but... I jsut didn't like them wasting the whole episode on just that little piece of information. Like the Trainer Choice.

 

[Light_Azumarill]

This was an okay episode. Lileep, Anorith, and Cradily were all pretty cute.
Problems I had with it:

Armaldo... what the heck? Why on Earth would someone go so beserk for some old berries its ancestors used to like millions of years ago that it never grew up eating? o.o I'm sorry, I just don't understand that. I suppose it was like the ancient instincts or something, but why would it destroy everything in its path to get to some berries that it has no idea where they even are? It surely can't smell them through the lab walls... collective unconscious maybe? XD

May teaching her Bulbasaur Petal Dance... I missed the last episode, so I can't say this for certain... but how exactly do you teach a pokemon that attack? Just randomly say, "Okay Bulbasaur! Shoot petals out your bulb!" and hope it knows how to try to do that? -_- I hate it when they just all of a sudden know something... I want to see the steps that took them there. Or how May even knew how to teach a pokemon an attack. Brock's advice maybe?

I found the storyline a bit tired. I mean, the whole fossil pokemon thing has just been done too much. Did they honestly expect everyone to be surprised about the supposed-extinct fossil pokemon being alive? Ash should have looked at the guy and said, "Hmm... this doesn't surprise me one bit. I've already met a group of Omanyte, been stolen by an Aerodactyl, almost killed by a sinking island of Kabuto, seen a Kabutops, Omastar, and countless legendary pokemon."

Team Rocket had a small and quite predictable role, as usual, so I wasn't surprised at that one bit either.

Overall, a 5/10.

On the up-side, this brings us that much closer to next weekend's contest episode! Yay for Harley! I'll actually have some good things to say next time! ^-^

 

[Miss Reyna]

Good point there Light. One thing I don't like about the show is that they never and NEVER talk about the past episodes unless it was like Team Magma/Aqua. No flashbacks of Ash and Co before or anything. You think that Ash and (at least) Brock remember an event like that an ancient pokemon attacking. I mean if I was trapped in a cave with ancient pokemon and then kidnapped by an areodactly then I remember that for like forever. They could have at least mention it.

 

[Charaxes]

Found it intresting that Team Rocket once again was trying to define the defination of 'Stealing'. Shows that they have some smartness in them. I kinda agree and I like to add this: Isn't Ash and May stealing from nature when they capture a pokemon? I mean May with Blubasuar and Ash with his pokemon like Treeko? Just a side thuoght.

Where the Breloom came from? Crazy little Island.

Then Ash and Pika put in their classic Tunderbolt attack to blast them off. (was that needed?)

I was ok with this episode except May came out of nowhere and metions that she going to use Blubasaur is in the next contest. Now was that need to be known in this episode?!?!

Yeah, yet that argument isn't made too often by the Rockets, I still think Kenta's argument with Bashou on the Raikou special is the best case for this line of thinking.

I'm more where they think a Breloom is like a Cradily? That was too random.

And Ash did Thunder. Don't you just love this sadist? Smirks. And when is it ever needed?

Actually the contest drop doesn't bother me, as it's for future reference. I think it's for future continuity since they apparently don't bother with the past.

Yeah, my review of sorts is up. Whee.

 

[Miss Reyna]

Thanks for correcting me. I saw it and I said the same thing. I need to see that episode.

Good point! They may not speak of the past but they do focus on the future. Still mad it was just to annouce her contest pokemon.