Does The Original Pokmon Hold Up? – Anime News Network

At the time of this writing, it seems like this season of the current Pokmon anime is in the final stages and I must say it has been a pretty interestingjourney to bear witness to as a long time fan of the franchise. While not perfect, the show's focus on re-introducing former characters as well as launching probably the largest scale tournament the franchise has ever seen adds a sense of scale that feels important alongside a weird sense of finality. What's more, when you consider all of the spinoff shows that The Pokmon Company has continued to put out in the past couple of years, it's clear that the Pokmon brand could go in a multitude of directions once this season is over. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to go back and see how that journey first began. My name is AJ from the Cartoon Cipher and today on Anime News Network we are going to explore the very first saga of the Pokmon franchise to see if it still holds up today

I will admit that covering this series with a broad brush can be a bit difficult considering the fact that there are technically multiple different versions of the show depending on where you watched it. Pokmon got massively popular in the West in no small part due to it being a hack dub. In other words, the Western broadcast and distribution for Pokmon often had cut or edited content to make the show appear more like a Western Saturday morning cartoon. Sometimes upwards of almost entire episodes worth of scripts were rewritten, cultural meanings changed, and the soundtrack was entirely replaced. In fact, speaking from personal experience, as a kid I didn't know that Pokmon was a foreign property until much later in my life. There are definitely enough differences between both versions for them to be considered completely different shows. That is a topic for another time as a much larger piece and I will do my best to talk about the show in a way that encompasses the different versions (though I will be referring to characters by their americanized names for the sake of ease). However, I would argue that's not really difficult since the overall atmosphere and tone of the series largely stayed intact regardless of the audience.

Even in the original Japanese language, I think we can all agree that the first season of Pokmon itself was a goofy, over-the-top cartoon a lot of the time. This definitely clashed with the more rigid games. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the original Pokmon anime is probably a very poor representation of the video games that inspired it. Granted, the original Pokmon games were far from perfect and were very simple by most RPG standards even back then. In the first season of the anime, Pokmon learn moves that they technically should have no way of learning ever, stuff like type advantages feel more like a suggestion rather than a standard, and the actual rules for battling seem to change on a dime.

It is also possible that the show decided to focus less on battles and more on environment as well as characterization because the technology of the time just wouldn't be able to properly flex how powerful some of these creatures were on a consistent basis for such a long running show. That is undeniably one of the things that ages the show the most: its looks. There's an abundance of still shots and basic fade transitions and an unapologetic use of recycled animation. All of this was pretty standard at the time but let's be honest, we have been spoiled by much better produced shows since then, including the more recent seasons of Pokmon in the past couple of years. It took a LONG time for the anime to start getting more fluid and creative with its animation. But just because the battles might've sucked and the first season of the show is probably one of the ugliest in the entire franchise, that doesn't mean there wasn't a significant emotional weight to everything.

The original Pokmon series isn't the story of Ash Ketchum actually accomplishing his goal of being the very best like no one ever was. It's about a young child leaving home for the first time and realizing just how difficult the world truly is. Not everybody is going to immediately like and gravitate towards you, you need to prove yourself and earn it. Recklessness will only get you so far and sometimes you need to take a second to appreciate the little things around you. You can't expect good moments to go on forever, sometimes things need to come to an end. And sometimes you need to learn to say goodbye no matter how much you might not want to.

Do any of these lessons sound familiar? Ash technically didn't win some of his gym badges, but he earned them through his character. He and his friends constantly got in trouble because of childish stubbornness. Ash's Charmander went from one of his most trusted Pokmon to one that barely even wants to look in his direction once it evolves. Then there's the Bye, Bye Butterfree episode which to this day has subliminally programmed all of us to cry at the sheer memory of it. All of these moments, questionable localization or not, were still retained as major story beats and could be found throughout the entire show. They're remembered so fondly and have such a hold on me when rewatching because THAT'S what the show was good at; taking you on an emotional journey while on a literal quest full of monsters and mayhem.

There is a part of me that wishes the show was a bit more technical or that we would get some kind of reboot that would expand upon the narrative set up in the video games, as simple as they are. We technically have things like that in the form of the internet Pokmon specials and the Pokmon manga but a proper season would yield a potentially more timeless show. However, because the original Pokmon anime didn't take that direction, it was able to lean more into the imagination of these creatures and the world that hosts them. There's a sense of mysticism to everything. You remember when you were a kid and there were moments where, just outside the corner of your eye, you would catch glimpses of unexplained things, but they'd disappear once you turned in that direction? That anxious excitement permeates this entire season. There were times where it could feel magical or inspiring, but there were also moments that felt creepy and unsettling. The giant Pokmon at the lighthouse cloaked in shadow? The mystery of the ghost women that turned to stone? Sinking to the bottom of the ocean? Heck, the mini arc with Sabrina with the ghost and Psychic-type Pokmon, I think is one of the most unsettling few episodes in the entire franchise to this day. But the show wasn't just unpredictable in the world it created. It was also paying off character moments in ways that were just as unexpected.

Ironically, in a day and age where a lot of older anime fans seem so obsessed with ranking Ash's skills as a trainer by looking at how far he gets in each tournament, it almost feels appropriate that Ash's first ever Pokmon League Championship displayed one of his most embarrassing public losses. Yes, you could argue that the only reason Ash lost is because of extenuating circumstances that made him unable to perform at his best. However, you could also argue that if Ash was a more competent trainer that didn't always rely on luck and instinct, he would've overcome those circumstances a lot easier or, at the very least, been better prepared. In fact, it's pretty clear during that final match at the Pokmon League that Ash's most powerful Pokmon at the time, Charizard, would have been capable of sweeping most challenges Ash faced. But because it didn't respect him as a trainer enough, it ended up being the one that lost it for him and if you really think about it, this shouldn't have been that surprising as a kid. That right there is a perfect microcosm of what I think this season was supposed to be: an exercise in humility.

Ash isn't the only character that gets knocked down a few pegs throughout the season. Since the first episode, Ash gets teased by his rival Gary who very openly possesses the skills and knowledge that Ash lacks. You'd think that the show was mainly building up to their first big battle but no. The two never battled in the season and Ash actually lasted one round longer in the Pokmon League compared to Gary despite arguably being the less experienced trainer. Yeah it's a little anticlimactic and I felt that way even as a kid. But looking back on it, that needed to happen narratively for the two to actually have that major experience of loss separate from each other. This way there was no sugar coating or associated blame. The two just weren't as good as they thought they would be and realizing that is the first step to maturity.

In fact, Ash's most beloved companions seem to almost represent different modes of that maturity while also failing to be perfect role models themselves. Misty definitely has a bit more life experience than Ash does but she's just as stubborn and gullible as he is, albeit for different things. She is sort of in that in-between phase where she recognizes that she has limitations and has room to grow but also thinks she's a bit more capable than she arguably is. Then again that desire to constantly prove herself might stem from her relationship with her sisters. Maybe part of the reason so many anime fans had this headcanon about Misty and Ash being romantically interested in each other was due to those emotional and social similarities.

Brock on the other hand is kind of the closest thing the show has to a layered reoccurring adult character. Even though he's the oldest of the group, he has gone through experiences that arguably nobody his age really should. Brock actually had to grow up fast due to family circumstances as he needed to be the adult that took care of all of his brothers and sisters. He's patient, knows his limits, has a wealth of knowledge and is a natural caretaker. Brock's biggest weakness is that he's unapologetically infatuated with women and that would go on to be one of the longest running gags in the entire show. Kind of a fun albeit dated character quirk but it still kind of shows that even when you are at your most mature, there are still things in this world that make you act out. Just don't let that immaturity dominate your life or show an unwillingness to grow because otherwise you might end up like Team Rocket who sort of personify adults that never really learned those lessons. The organization is composed of a bunch of petty crooks that want to steal from others but Jessie, James and Meowth see the group as a sign of freedom and independence which fits with their backstories being nothing but a pattern of opportunities being taken away. Maybe that's why this first season of Pokmon has stuck with people for so long, it kind of runs the gambit ganbatte of relatability across a multitude of different spectrums.

Even as a kid I always found the climax to the entire series interesting because it really just solidified the fact that this series was never really about the battles or the fancy game mechanics. It was about realizing that there is more to everything. It was about understanding that it takes a lot to be the best at anything and, even when you're good at something, sometimes that will only get you so far. Even as a kid, I was so used to the protagonist reaching the end as a triumphant hero, but instead Ash barely got close. Maybe the experiences that got him to that point were more important than the tournament itself? I don't really think any of the other Pokmon seasons after this one hit on that message quite as hard as we see here.

Maybe that's because, at least for the first couple of seasons after this, you could see an arguable growth in Ash as a character. This wasn't a lesson he needed to learn again. He never really loses that stubborn straightforwardness or that wide-eyed whimsy that we expect from shonen protagonists. But since then, Ash usually loses just because the other trainer happens to be stronger than him, not because he himself is an inexperienced trainer. And similar to how that first season laid the groundwork for these characters, the lives of children and the world at large took on a turning point as well. This might sound like a copout answer, but even if the original Pokmon series doesn't hold up as some kind of masterpiece that has always and will always stand the test of time, I think at the very least it needs to be respected. Even if this isn't your favorite season of Pokmon, I guarantee you that you would not have your favorite season of Pokmon if this show started any differently.

The golden rule that Ash can't win a Pokmon tournament has already arguably been broken when you consider the fact that Ash is the champion of the Alola League. So there's plenty of reason to be at least open to the idea that the current season may very well be leading up to the end of an era. No, I'm not talking about the end of Pokmon as a whole. This train will never run out of steam no matter what diety you pray to as there's no way that The Pokmon Company would just stop producing one of the most lucrative franchises in the entire world. However, that doesn't mean that parts of the show won't disappear. Could this be the end of everyone's favorite eternal 10 year old Ash Ketchum?

Now, this might be a pretty big assumption to make, but it's hard to top what is being done right now. The current goal this time isn't a singular league tournament in a separate region but rather a global rank tournament where the goal is to beat Leon, the undefeated champion who towers over all. He is literally the goal that champions and Elite Four level trainers strive for! Even if we assume that The Pokmon Company will get cold feet at the last minute and not make Ash the winner, where exactly do we go from here? Yes, you can argue that Ash's dream still wouldn't be fulfilled even if he was the best trainer because the title of Pokmon Master is still left extremely vague, but considering this is the most powerful we have ever seen Ash, it's a little bit difficult to imagine what other kind of challenges he could reasonably face after this. (That is assuming the show-runners also don't just reset Ash's progress for the sake of keeping the status quo). It's hard to say if Pokmon will finally pull the pin on that grenade and mark the end to one of the oldest 10 year olds in media. But if this truly is the beginning of the end, that doesn't mean it's ever going to be the end of the beginning. No matter what happens, I could still go back to that little corner of Pallet Town where it all began and appreciate the emotions that informed the lives of so many people who would later go on to start journeys of their own.

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Does The Original Pokmon Hold Up? - Anime News Network