Recap: The Yoga Warrior

Hello again. Since Origins month turned out well and I’m going back to school, I thought I would try to eke out one more recap for you all before I see how busy this term will be. 

With on the table, let’s talk Mega Man. Even though Capcom is still treating him less than favorably; things might change soon. In addition to Mega Man Classic Collection coming out and Keiji Inafune’s Mighty No. 9 on the horizon; there is a movie and a new animated series from Man of Action (Ben 10, Generator Rex) in the works. Even so, my reaction to the latter two is “Please let them be good.”

I mean, we’ve already had Captain N turn him into a green guy with no Robot Master powers that sounded like a chain-smoker, and his own cartoon having aged incredibly poorly. You most likely know where this is headed.

That’s right, it’s time to head back to Den Tech City for more NT Warrior! When we last left the series, we had a misadventure involving the Maximum Valor series and a buffoonish villain that’s sure to be mirrored by Yo-Kai Watch launching against Call of Duty: Black Ops III! As you can imagine, there’s yet to be more idiocy on display! So, let’s open up “The Yoga Warrior!”

Once again, I’m skipping this garbled mess of a theme song and replacing it with something more tolerable to listen to. 

We open proper on Dr. Wily chastising is minions, saying they’re a disgrace to World 3. Do you even look at yourself? You look like the mad scientist from the intro to Robot Chicken with how cartoonish you are!

IT'S ALIVE!

Maddie is quick to blame Mega Man; but to be frank, she, Mr. Match and Count Zap are so buffoonish they’d make Team Flare look like professional hitmen! I still think XYZ needs to do something to distinguish them from their campier game counterparts; otherwise they’d be totally redundant with Team Rocket already in play.

Yahoot, the eponymous “Yoga Warrior” enters and begins spouting faux-New Age dialog at us. As you’re about to see, he’s essentially a discount Dhalsim. I may not have played the Battle Network games; but it’s rare to see someone copied from a franchise Capcom isn’t giving the shaft.

We then cut to Mr. Higgsby training for the tournament vigorously. Once again, I’m not doing the tournament; since I have enough to deal with this fall as it is. Instead, watch this nerd that makes me look like the Terminator.

I've seen "Gladiator" 89 times and it just gets better every time!

Lan and May Lu are on their way to train, once again late to to Lan’s net battling. Remind me why I’m supposed to see these guys as heroes again?

Sadly, the training is Yahoot’s program on TV; which is honestly about as useful for actual yoga as the minigame in Grand Theft Auto V. Sadly, I can’t hit Yahoot with my computer the way Michael did to Fabien once he lost all ability to give a fuck in my play through of that game (by the way, anodized aluminum=built to last).

Of course, Yai and Dax “Porkins” are totally enraptured by the program and its ludicrous benefits. Personally, I don’t think a few yoga poses will impact one’s allowance the way a bank account with good interest and planning will (that’s not a joke-that’s actually one of Yahoot’s alleged benefits his techniques provide).

It gets richer: Lan heads to the arcade and spots a potential new battler with a skilled Net Navi. His name is Chaud; though he’s not really as fun as the movie CHUD. In fact, the more I see of him, he’s a real chode. Also, the Net Navis somehow get the idea and ability to “go on ahead;” in Mega Man’s words. Don’t even ask me how that works. 

I know a sinking ship when I see one! TTFN!

Sure enough, even Glide is surprised how enraptured he is in human television.

This series about the ponies and how their friendship is magic is fascinating!

It’s even gotten to the point of being played on the biggest TV in Den Tech City, which has been repaired after the events of “Robotic Fish Gone Wild” (which still sounds like a video series for technophiles with a fish fetish to me).

Mike Nelson: Oh look! It's not often you see the stupidest thing you've ever seen!

Even the likes of Mr. Dugtrio, Miss Mari, and Mesa are mesmerized by it! This has to be bigger bullshit than that protest against the new Muppets for alleged nudity! (Seriously, I saw the pilot; and my laughter towards it seriously makes me want to show One Million Moms “Meet the Feebles.” This is a family show, for chrissakes!)

The first pose is the Grasshopper; which only further compounds how stupid this all is; and not just because everyone but Lan and May Lu is watching.

This is quickly followed by the crane and the pig; and the begging dog; claiming that it’s good for table scraps as “yoga humor” and “avoiding trouble.” … You’re not funny.

Mr. Match scoffs at his silly act; conveniently ignoring their own moronic shenanigans as he puts on his duck face before he reminisces about the old days.

When I was your age, I used to wear an onion on my belt, because it was the style at the time!

Dr. Wily insinuates that because his is the most-watched show on air; his plan will go perfectly, but trust me when I say that it will get much dumber than this quasi-Swedish chef making a pretzel of himself.

Bork bork bork!

Finally, it’s time for the armadillo; which Yahoot claims will aid in concentration in the N1 Grand Prix. To be frank; I’m kind of wishing these techniques could make my limbs stretch like Mr. Fantastic or breathe fire like the Human Torch, even if they were part of a movie that was the biggest disappointment of the summer for many and merely underwhelming for me.

Then, things get even dumber when we’re introduced to Magic Man; who sadly isn’t the one from Adventure Time, or the one Heart sang of.

As Lan and May Lu arrive; Lan observes that Dax is a gorilla, and Yai’s a cat. Somehow, the yoga techniques have made them think they’re animals with Magic Man’s help. Don’t even ask me how that works. I gave up on trying to figure out the logic, or lack of thereof of this anime a long time ago.

Mega Man points out that Magic Man did this with a “high powered light wave” over the broadcast. That’s fucking stupid. It’s been a while since science class; but I’m fairly certain light doesn’t work that way. Here’s an idea: why not just use subliminal messages like in They Live? Why do you need to make the manipulation so blatantly obvious to make it work?

Obey, consume, reproduce, don't question authority.

Dr. Wily then gloats over his grand design, and apparently his lair even has a giant portrait of himself inside! Yet, he seems to lack the self-awareness that the head of the Takarada corporation in Kill la Kill had (I may consider doing the episodes involving him in 2016 to illustrate this and explain why he caught on more here than in Japan, much to Trigger’s confusion).

It gets richer: EVERYONE in the city thinks they’re animals! This plot has been done to death in all kinds of animation, and this episode brings nothing new to the table except some fauxlosophical self-help guru that makes Brad Goodman look like the poster child for modern psychology!

Seriously: they devour groceries in the store, hang from buildings, and even chase people up trees! I certainly hope that whatever the plan is for the new show and movie; it involves a straighter version of a young man gaining a robotic suit of armor and fighting the robot masters and a mad scientist!

Then, World 3 is affected by the Yoga as well. Great fucking job, guys. Great job. So, due to this technique; all the most competent and level-headed characters are entranced and the day must be saved by an egotistical idiot and his flame.

Do you even care? I don't think I do anymore.

Somehow, Miyu has become “a flying squirrel that can actually fly.” So, a flying squirrel then? We’re only 9 minutes in, folks. We still have 11 more to cover. Lan even wonders why Magic Man and Yahoot would do this anyway. Lan would be great on my blog.

Anyway, he deduces he needs to head to the TV station in order to stop the broadcast. I hate to be a hard-on about this, but Lan isn’t exactly the late great “Rowdy” Roddy Piper for that kind of assault.

He tries to plug in, but gets stopped by random civilians acting like dogs. Wow, does this hero suck. It’s a shame that Brad Swaile had to go through this shit before he got cast as Light Yagami. Magic Man somehow manages to beat him there. Don’t try to make him intimidating, guys. It’s not worth it after the Count Zap debacle I dealt with last time. Then, Dax; still in his gorilla mode, starts manhandling one of the civilians in a suggestive manner.

Just... look at it.

Yai also bites another one in the ass.

Let this screencap represent how Capcom has been treating this franchise for some time.

This enables Lan to help Mega Man engage Magic Man in battle as he prattles some faux-ominous poetry while Yahoot looks on. More people try to attack Lan and May Lu, but Dax starts thrashing around like Donkey Kong at them! 

In a plot point that’s incredibly tedious, Mega Man is just firing wildly at Magic Man’s screens while trying to find the real one. I really wish I were watching Beyblade right now. Sure enough, he finds him, and I honestly don’t care what’s going on right now. I’m just trying to liven this up even though it’s not easy. Maybe this will help. 

Undeterred by Mega Man’s threats, Magic Man then starts sending viruses that seem to be modeled after enemies from games I actually have played, in the classic and X series games. 

Yahoot is also in the TV studio posing atop a bunch of chairs. Remind me why I’m supposed to take this seriously? Or are you going to pull the “it’s just a show” excuse as if it were a “get out of criticism free” card? It doesn’t work for “The Bicker The Better,” and it doesn’t work here. 

Mega Man then starts getting the upper hand with help from Lan’s battle chips. However, it turns that Yahoot anticipated this move. Of course he did.

Mega Man activates the Wide Sword, but Magic Man somehow catches a blade of pure energy. This should be cool, but it doesn’t make any sense; nor anything else in the anime.

Then, when Magic Man readies his finishing move; what should happen now? A mysterious figure causes him to use it on himself instead.

Mr. Plinkett: You know, it really creates a lot of tension when the enemy is totally ineffective!

Magic Man is forced to log out, and Lan confronts Yahoot as a result. Don’t try to make this interesting, guys. It’s not worth it.

Now, in its defense, Yahoot does at least agree to reverse his spell without any real-life fighting. You see, Yo-Kai Watch? THIS is how you do a nonviolent solution.

It also turns out Mega Man was saved by Proto Man ex machina. Isn’t that a kick in the pants? Yet, even he talks down to Mega Man!

Is everyone in this anime a total ass?

So, we close on Lan vowing to beat Proto Man. Still not doing the tournament arc. Take my word for it: the results are less than desirable. There’s also some inane comedy, and the shock that the dub was cowritten by Steve Blum. As in Spike Spiegel, Leeron, and Roger from The Big O. Just as well, I better wrap this up.

“The Yoga Warrior” is so inane a viewing experience that it will instantly get you to switch to Pilates. While it may not be as bad as some other episodes I’ve recapped; there’s just a lot that doesn’t make sense about Mega Man NT Warrior; though I admit a lot of it may come from my unfamiliarity with the games. Even so, the animation and writing just aren’t getting any better. 

One more thing: since I’m going to be busy with Spanish and tangling with financial aid, this is going to be the last recap for a while, so check back in October for Halloween-related material, including yet more Yo-Kai Watch! See you space cowboy! 

Recap: File 4-Charizard

We now conclude my look at Pokémon Origins with Part 4-Charizard!

Red has beaten the Elite Four, but Lance tells him there is one more challenge to face: the champion! It's Blue! With great vigor; Red steps up to the challenge to take on his rival. The battle goes on with attack after attack until it comes down to Red's Charizard and Blue's Blastoise. They are on much more even footing than the match at the start of the special; though they are both much more powerful. Blastoise even takes a punch to the face and his glare doesn't even break! Even so, Red wins! So he becomes champion. Wow. They weren't messing around when they made this special; were they?

So, now Red's next task is filling in the blank spaces in his Pokédex, which is standard procedure for me when I beat the Elite Four and Champion in the games. Pokémon of note include his capture of Pikachu; essentially the Mickey Mouse of the franchise and as big a Nintendo icon as Mario, Link, or Samus. There's also his adventure in the Safari Zone. The bait! Throw the bait!

He also gets the legendary birds: we see him get Articuno in the Seafoam Islands; but it's not shown when he gets Zapdos in the abandoned power plant and Moltres in Victory Road. Yet, the Ultra Balls dissolved over their bodies are all we need. 

Red returns to Pallet Town, and finds Blue lying in bed covered in bandages. Professor Oak is by his side; and Blue's Pokédex is broken. It seems he went after Mewtwo; and he's every bit as threatening as he has been in prior adaptations. Professor Oak then reveals that Red will need the Mega Stones to capture him. 

Red goes to the cave by Cerulean City; and Mewtwo is waiting for him. Not even the Legendary Birds stand a chance against Mewtwo. Charizard is the last Pokémon; but he and Red are knocked into the water! As Red and Charizard lay adrift; Red then activates the Mega Stones! Behold! Mega Charizard X! I'm enjoying the design of him; with the black skin and blue flames. I'm getting a kind of Night Fury vibe looking at him. With this, Red defeats and captures Mewtwo! With an Ultra Ball, no less! 

Red returns home to celebrate his completion of the Pokédex; but then he announces his next task: finding Mew, as he drifts by Red's window! It's as organic a sequel hook as you can find; akin to Luke getting a new hand and vowing to stop the Empire once and for all, Nick Fury showing up at Tony Stark’s house; or Emmett "Doc" Brown inviting Marty to come back to the future to help his children.

I can say I was satisfied with this last part of the special, as well as its entirety. While I agree that the finale is a bit rushed; it does do a very good job of tying up the loose ends, as well as leaving an opening for more specials if they desire. I'd be open to the idea of it, but it's really up to the creators to decide. Since reception to this special has been roundly positive, I can say it could happen. 

However, as much as I like how they were able to pull off a direct-to-game adaptation and show Red; I can say that Ash and the main anime are not without merit. I have taken very great care to give newer seasons and newer games a chance; as well as point out there are far worse characters and merchandise-driven anime out there. If I took one character or adaptation as an opportunity to disparage another, I'd be like I was when I was 13; or a Kotaku writer. In my opinion, Ash and Red would be friends, fighting alongside each other; sharing lunch and occasionally playing Super Smash Bros. Wii U. I would be open to seeing more specials; starting with one centered around Gold and Silver. My answer to the whole Ash or Red debate is taking a third option with Gold. I close with the fact that it's OK to like more than one adaptation and character of Pokémon; much like it's OK to like more than one Jedi Knight or Star Wars movie. I daresay I'm getting off track; but I'm going to wrap this up here.

My last big comparison is this; something I drew even before this special went into production: if the current anime is like the Adam West Batman, then Origins is very much like The Dark Knight. This will not be the last Pokémon-related piece I do on this blog for that reason. With how XY has used its influence to great extent (and not just by the animators taking over the work for the mainline series); I can say the best is yet to come. Bang.

Regarding Pokémon XY and Z.

It seems I may have pulled the trigger a bit early in my previous post regarding Pokémon XYZ.

Not long after I made the post; the Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel leaked the first trailer; and there is a lot crammed into just 30 seconds of footage.

While I still don't have all that much information to go on; I'll just take what I can get at this early point.

As expected, more footage is shown of the other Zygarde forms; with the one that I spent hours trying to catch in my X and Y games now referred to as "50% Zygarde". The green blobs have now been unveiled as the previously-mentioned "Cell form" and the "Core form" I forgot to mention last time. There is also the dog-like "10% form" and the "Perfect Form" that resembles a mecha that could easily give Golurk a run for its money.

I must also note; with some dismay, that Team Flare and Alan are indeed making their way into the mainline series. I still think that Flare needs to be distinguished in some way from Team Rocket; otherwise their portrayal would be redundant apart from Lysandre or possibly Malva. Personally, I thought their game portrayal was a massive step backwards from Team Plasma in terms of motivation and threat level (spoiler alert! at least the "ancient WMD" subplot kicks in) and harmed a lot of X and Y's potential; great games as they were.

As for Alan: I've spoken at length how his primary reason for existing is to give someone like me someone to relate to as an older fan. The problem is I personally don't consider Alan to be a relatable character; I consider Ash to be one. Sorry, Kensho Ono and Johnathan Silver: your voice acting is terrible and I never wanted to have someone like Alan representing me as an older fan.

At best, provided Alan isn't to prideful to keep walking at the end of that trailer; I imagine their dynamic could be handled similarly to Ash's repartee with Paul, and to a lesser extent, Trip.

While little is still known at this time; I still think XYZ could be an overall interesting series, especially with it possibly teasing a new mainline game for the 20th anniversary of the franchise in 2016.

With this; I shall work on fine-tuning my notes for my final installment of Origins Month, and mull over some options for one more recap before I go back to school. While I will be busy; I still have Halloween-related material planned for October, including plenty of words for Yo-Kai Watch. As a closing statement; I shall simply state that you try this test: between the characters I mentioned in this post, who would you personally want to have a battle with? For that matter, who could you stand talking to for more than a minute? I will let you know any further developments as they come. Bang.

Recap: File 3-Giovanni

So, now we arrive at Pokémon Origins File 3: Giovanni. Red continues his journey, clashing with Team Rocket and meeting Giovanni, in addition to getting the Rainbow Badge from Erika; and the Soul Badge from Koga. Once again, I must address the pacing. I will admit it's kind of choppy in this part; especially in regards to the gym leaders; but it's totally worth it for what I'm about to tell you about.

Red reaches Saffron City; and the place is crawling with Rocket Grunts; who have the city held hostage. Red and Blue rescue a secretary from Silph Tower; who tells them that Giovanni is after the prototypes for the Master Ball; which as you know, can capture any Pokémon without failure. They have the Pokémon, scientists, and office workers locked up; and it's implied that the secretary is injured. She's limping, and her stockings are all torn up. 

Red tells Blue to go take the secretary to Celadon City to call the police. Blue is unsure of this, but he changes his mind when Red grabs him by the collar of his shirt and calls him on it. If I must bring up the Ash analogy; I'm once again limiting it to this: I like both characters very much; but in different ways, in the same manner I like different Starfleet captains in different ways. Kirk, of course, is the icon; the crafty loose cannon that has been subject to much parody. In the case of the 2009 Star Trek film; it would be an official, CBS and Paramount-approved one. Picard is more by the book; but he is more level-headed and willing to seek out diplomatic solutions before the phasers come out. Sisko: he has to be an envoy of peace on Deep Space Nine as well as deal with the fact that he's raising his son as a widower. I'm in the process of re-watching Deep Space Nine; and I can easily liken this to Sisko punching Q in his first appearance on DS9.

You know what's about to happen, what they're up against!

Anyway, back to Pokémon. Red then storms Silph Tower, rescuing the hostages; both human and Pokémon alike. To thank him, the staff gives him Lapras. It's been a while since I've read the Red and Blue arc of Special; but I imagined something like this when I was playing Red and Blue. A 10-year-old kid is stepping into a situation where most adults are filling their pants with fudge. What makes this significant is this isn't just the Wile E. Coyote-like Team Rocket of old. I'm reminded of Helen's advice to Violet and Dash in The Incredibles, which is my favorite Pixar film: "Remember those bad guys on those shows you used to watch on Saturday mornings? Well these guys are not like those guys. They won't exercise restraint because you're children. They will kill you if they get the chance. Do not give them that chance."

Now, Red confronts Giovanni in the boardroom of Silph Tower. Giovanni in this special is voiced by Jamieson Price in the dub. As in Lordgenome. The man who voiced the villain of my favorite anime is now voicing the villain of my gateway into anime. Despite Red's best efforts, Giovanni not only wipes the floor with him, he smashes through the wall! He then escapes. Even though Red does not feel good about his escape, the president of Silph Corp thanks Red for rescuing him.

Red continues his journey, capturing more Pokémon and defeating Sabrina, Blaine, and the fighting dojo.

Now, he has arrived back in Viridian City; and he finds Blue already has the Earth Badge. Red has little time for Blue's gloating, and goes to challenge the leader himself.

Biggs! How are you?

Then, he is astonished to find that the gym leader is Giovanni! Outraged at this; Red vows to defeat him once and for all! The battle begins with Giovanni on the upper hand; but Red perseveres till it's down to his Charizard and Giovanni's Rhydon. Giovanni is angry on the surface, but in his mind; he's impressed. He remembers his own training as a child; before became one of the most iconic villains in the franchise and quite possibly the entire Nintendo canon. This scene can easily resonate with longtime fans like me. I'm also seeing a lot of parallels with Simon's fight with Lordgenome.

To the very end, Red and Charizard come out on top. Giovanni gives Red the Earth Badge. While Red is reluctant to accept it from the head of Team Rocket, Giovanni insists he keep it as a symbol of victory against him as Gym Leader. With this; he decides to disband Team Rocket. Red then rides off into the sunset toward the Indigo Plateau!

So, this part of the special was a marked improvement over the previous segment. The key standouts were Red's assault on Silph Tower and his battle with Giovanni. I must once again address the pacing; since while it is doing a very good job at making the world of Red and Blue come alive, it does kind of chug through much of the gym battles. I may have liked to see a bit more time spent on the other gym leaders and the significance of Red's captures; but it's still very good in terms of storytelling. Once again, I must reiterate that I am trying NOT to compare this to the main anime as many are. I know it's difficult; given that the main anime now has as many detractors as it does fans, but put it this way: Origins is essentially doing to Pokémon what Evangelion did to mecha series and what Puella Magi is doing to magical girls. I haven't read Special very much; but I do admire its more serious treatment of battles and how it often plays with my expectations in terms of characters. The art is also very good. I love how Mato adapted Ken Sugimori's designs; but unfortunately, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's as the Gold and Silver arc was winding down and had to retire from drawing. The new artist has a good style; but that's not important right now. Back on the Star Trek analogy I used earlier: not just in characters, but the stories of the bulk of TOS and early TNG were very optimistic. After Gene Roddenberry's death in 1991; the rest of TNG and all of Deep Space Nine and Voyager became much more cynical, bringing about key events like Wolf-359 and the Dominion War and focusing more on the imperfections of the Federation. I can only imagine how dark the alternate reality films will be as they go on. Likewise, while the main anime is still very idealistic with some dark elements thrown in; the various manga, games, and Origins are much more cynical. Even then, they still manage to capture the fun of being part of the Pokémon World; which is why I'm still a fan at my age.

Next time, my look at Pokémon Origins concludes with Part 4: Charizard!

This October: On the Origin of Yo-Kai Watches and Zygarde Forms.

I am well aware that I'm about halfway through Origins month; with a planned look at Halloween-related material in October, including one of my targeted episodes of Yo-Kai Watch.

However, I have just been informed of something that is making me amend my plans yet again. It seems that Disney XD will be airing the dub of Yo-Kai Watch starting October 5. This is clearly aping the strategy that Pokémon used in the '90s to launch the anime ahead of the game; but as much as myself and others might like it to be, it isn't the '90s anymore. One must adapt to a changing market in order to survive.

With that on the table, The Strongest Mega Evolution Act IV will now be airing on October 29; kicking off a new incarnation known as "Pokémon XYZ". Additionally, the new Pokémon previously teased is now a new form for Zygarde, known as the "cell form." Also unveiled are new forms such as the canid "10% form" and the quasi-Big O "Perfect Form"; with the already-revealed form now being referred to as "50% form."  As it were: Cast in the name of Arceus, ye not guilty.

While details are scant about the XYZ incarnation of the anime at this time; it has fueled further speculation towards the next main series game, presumably due out for the 20th anniversary of the franchise in 2016.

Be that as it may, I do plan to watch Act IV to see where this development goes; and now also plan to expand my viewfinder to the Yo-Kai Watch dub in October once I finish Origins month, and believe me when I say I have some choice words for it. Bang.

Recap: File 2-Cubone

We pick up by actually loading the save game as if we were playing it on an old Game Boy! Red won his battles against Misty and Lt. Surge, caught more Pokémon, got more TMs and HMs; the bike, and clashed with Team Rocket. Welcome to Pokémon Origins Part 2: Cubone!

At the Pokémon Center in Lavender Town; Red hears of the ghosts of Pokémon Tower. He's new in town; and it's revealed it's a Pokémon Graveyard, much like in the games. While the main anime was more humorous; this one is absolutely heartbreaking. That's one mention of the main anime for this segment; as things are going to get real dark, real fast.

Red mentions he doesn't believe in ghosts, but decides to go anyway. Before he does, he goes to the Pokémon House. Much bigger on the inside. It's a home for abandoned or orphaned Pokémon. Ready your tissues; get ready to hold the bridge of your nose, it's going to be one of those times. I shall try to maintain my composure the best I can; but it's one of the most emotionally powerful Pokémon moments ever.

Cubone is in the pen; and now we begin the story. So, now we see the first animated depiction of how vile Team Rocket can be. We see how far they will go to steal Pokémon; and we get the very first animated depiction of them killing Marowak. Mr. Fuji has helped Cubone cope; but it's not doing too well. Then, Mr. Fuji has been taken hostage by Team Rocket at Pokémon Tower! Red gets ready to storm the place; as Team Rocket has declared a stakeout at Pokémon Tower. Given their presentation: it's drawing directly from how they behaved in the games; and the violence and tone are about a hard PG on par with Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark.

And now, your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden rebel base.

Blue sets out to stop Team Rocket; but for the glory rather than the noble cause. Shinji Miyazaki's rendition of the Lavender Town theme is very haunting and emotional. A woman coming to visit her Nidoran's grave escorts Red upstairs. 

Blue is also skeptical of ghosts, even more so than Red. While Blue's clothes are based on his redesign, his characterization would be right at home in 1998. I've always been a fan of how worldly the adaptations have made the games. Even though the stories have gotten more elaborate and the characters have gotten more varied; this special captures the feeling of playing the game at age 6 and trying to fill in the details yourself. Even when playing in black and white (or monochrome color if you had a Game Boy Color); you can make your way in the Pokémon world any way you want to. Above all, I can say that Origins succeeded in where Chronicles failed for me in recreating the experience of playing the game. A direct to game adaptation is actually not as easy as you think. It's not like adapting a book or a TV show; where there are concrete story paths and character descriptions given. Playing a game can take the story in any direction; and you might not always make the right choices the first time. Why do you think the subgenre was seen as so bad until Wreck-It Ralph came out?

Anyway, the Rocket grunts are just polishing Poké Balls while they stand guard. The have the Silph Scope, but they're defeated and Red gets it. I must note the Silph Scope kind of looks like the Virtual Boy; this really crappy 3D game system that did what the 3DS does; only a lot worse. 

It's revealed to be the ghost of Marowak, who is quelled when Cubone comes to make peace. I'm reminded a lot of Dinobot's death in Beast Wars. While the original Pokémon was among the first TV shows to make me cry; Dinobot's death in Code of Honor was THE first. I can even imagine this scene being used with this final soliloquy from Shakespeare: "Tell my tale to those who will hear; honor my memory, and let my soul be judged accordingly. The rest is silence."

With this; Red then goes to take care of Team Rocket. He has a Jolteon now; and it makes short work of their Koffing. Koffing even sports the familiar grin even as he's being hit with Thunderbolt. With Team Rocket driven from the tower and Mr. Fuji rescued; the mourners are able to return to pay their respects.

To thank him; Mr. Fuji gives him the Poké Flute and the Mega Stones. Red asks what they're for, and Mr. Fuji says he'll know when the time is right.

With this, Red sets off; and now I must address the pacing. Apart from the montages of the battles, this segment managed to cover about 3 hours of gameplay in about 22 minutes. This goes back to my statement of how adapting a video game is not as easy as adapting a book or a TV show. While it still does a good job of adapting the general gameplay paths one might take; it can feel kind of rushed and uneasy at times, which is also the only real complaint I had with Man of Steel. As for a certain scene: I can't judge Henry Cavill's Superman the same way I can Christopher Reeve's; Tom Welling's, Brandon Routh's, or even Tim Daly's. As such, I must reiterate that I simply cannot judge Ash and Red by the same standards; as they are very different interpretations of the same character. Both the creators and fandom have made it abundantly clear that you can't really go by the same standards. Even so, I regard Ash and Red more favorably than I do other characters. For instance: I watched this really awful Korean show called Tai Chi Chasers; and its lead, Rai, has a reasonably sympathetic backstory of his home life being ruined. So what does he do? Use it an excuse to act like an asshole to everyone around him. Thankfully, Ash and Red; and the great pantheon of Pokémon characters share my ideologies and embody some aspect of my personality, in the same manner Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Indiana Jones do. Despite this segment having some pacing problems; it is satisfying to watch in terms of storytelling and animation. It's clear that the people working on this have taken the same approach with Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Avengers: take the media and character types of the works that influenced them and use them to make something everyone will enjoy; regardless of background or prior interest. 

Next time, my look at Pokémon Origins continues with Part 3: Giovanni!

Recap: File 1-Red

Recreating the opening screen of the game, and Professor Oak sounds very deep. The animation showing the opening of the Pokémon Red and Blue takes me back to 1998, when everything seemed so much simpler.

So, it's File 1: Red of Pokémon Origins. His mother sounds all right, and Red sounds pretty nice. He has flaws of his own to offset Ash and the public perception that pretty much turns Red into Superman, as Red tumbles down the stairs and rushes out.

Apparently, Green is called Blue. I don't mind; as I never really played Fire Red and Leaf Green; and I was never a big fan of the character redesigns. I find it easier to call him Blue, since when I think of Green, I usually think of the woman in the early Special/Adventures chapters. I'm also not the biggest reader of Special/Adventures, because I don't actually own many of the book collections of them; so I'm limited to fan scans of them.

Professor Oak gives Red and Blue their Pokédexes, and gives them the task of cataloging the Pokémon of the world. Then, he gives them their first Pokémon. 

Also, it seems he refers to Bulbasaur as a "plant Pokémon" rather than a "grass Pokémon". Not too big a gripe; especially given how the writing for Chronicles was a mistranslated, pun-ridden mess.

Blue, much like in the games; as well as his counterpart Gary, is a bit of an ass. It seems the Pokémon Company is aware of all the memes made about him. "That's right! I remember now! His name is DOUCHE!"

Naturally, Red chooses Charmander, like I did in my copy of Pokémon Red; and I still do. He says that it's because of his father that he's doing so. I know. My father has been very supportive of me even though I don't see him all the time.

 I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.

He says his dad named him Red because of the fire in his eyes; and his heart. They had to rework the rationale for Blue choosing Squirtle because of the name change, but it still gets the point across in its own way. 

Then, after declining the nicknames, they decide to have a battle to test their skills. It seems Kyle Hebert is Professor Oak, and Bryce Papenbrook is Red. I should really not need to introduce Kyle because of teenage Gohan, Saiyaman, and Kamina; but I think Bryce Papenbrook needs some information. He had previously voiced Masoami Kida in Durarara, and young Vash in Trigun; both anime I recommend, by the way. He does a fairly good job on capturing the character's energy.

So, Red starts building up his roster, battling, even' making the mistake of trying to catch someone else's female Nidoran.

Now, get the memetic battle between Red's Charmander and Blue's Squirtle. The one that realistically depicted how a battle would go; and pretty much made older fans cream themselves when Squirtle bit Charmander's cheek and Charmander screamed in pain. The fact the Pokémon cries are more based on the sounds from the games exemplifies this.

Red is distraught at this; and is told by Brock that his method needs work and he needs more experience as a trainer. Also, Brock is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch. While I was hoping he would get cast as Red; he is still one of my favorite anime voice actors and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to get a role of some sort in this special. 

So, Red works more on fine-tuning his skills as he goes to Viridian City have his Pokémon healed. After talking to Professor Oak about the PC system, he wastes no time in heading to Pewter city.

He goes to the museum and overhears how powerful Brock is. He goes to the gym to challenge him; and they even added the "you're light-years away from facing Brock" line from the games. My theory is this: that trainer knew better. They were just tossing out jargon to try and pull a fast one on a new trainer. Like in the games, it doesn't work.

It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.

So, Brock accepts Red's challenge, taking out two Pokémon; since Red has no badges. Just how I would expect a gym leader with Zero's voice to behave after starring in a crappy second season. 

Brock's Geodude and Red's Charmander face off, and it's clear Red is outmatched. The animation is also incredible, even integrating some of the HP bars from the games. Brock also talks to Red about his strategy; as his ego is what cost him the first battle against Blue. Typical that a gym leader that sounds like Vash the Stampede can offer advice like that.

Then, Red has a trick up his sleeve to win: it's a male Nidoran! He uses the Double Kick to coast through the rest of the match. I honestly did not think about that, in any of my playthroughs of Red, Blue, or Yellow. My strategy was to catch a Caterpie or Metapod in Virdian Forest, raise it into a Butterfree; and spam Confusion, since the Psychic type was easy to exploit in those days. It became more balanced later. 

Red has won, and Brock gives him the Boulder Badge; as well as a TM. While they have yet to appear in the main anime; Origins has depicted them as a disc, much like how the games have for a while. With this, Red actually saves his game before he gets ready to catch more Pokémon and get more badges! I'd say this is the most self-aware Pokémon adaptation I've ever seen.

So, I can say a good job was done with the dub of the first part of Origins. The voice acting and animation are on par with what you'd find in most movies these days. While the main anime is very cartoony and campy; Origins is much darker and more realistic. It's a massive standout in terms of characterization and treatment of battling. The way the Pokémon and trainers behave: it's almost as competitive as you would expect; since that aspect of the games has gotten very big. Even rewatching the older episodes; it's clear that it's just as big a phenomenon in-universe as it is in real life. Merchandise is everywhere; TV coverage of matches is shown in multiple languages, and entire criminal empires are based on Pokémon. Above all, I'm glad this first part managed to capture what's fun about Pokémon while targeting the older audience; which is where Apocalypse failed with me. Still; it's hard not to bring up the main anime when talking about this. Personally, I think you can do worse with merchandise-driven anime; and you can find far worse characters than Ash. At least he never tried to string a guy up by his ankles like Ky Stax did, or try to use an enchanted cell phone diary to coast through life. They are simply two of many ways of seeing the same character. They are just scratching the surface of how diverse protagonists and interpretations of Red are. I'll get more into the character revision aspect later; but for now, I'm going to enjoy this special.

Next time, my look at Pokémon Origins continues with Part 2: Cubone!