Recap: A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition

Hello again. Given all the circumstances with my grandfather; I have decided to switch up my plans to detox from Yo-Kai Watch. You will still see one of my planned pieces to do so after I go see my extended family in New York; but I thought I would do something to tie into that.

By that proxy; this is my first Pokémon episode recap in months, since I did “The Fires of A Red-Hot Reunion” to help kick off the festivities for the 20th anniversary in February. It’s also, as promised; an opportunity to explain how I don’t really fit in with the current trend of bashing Generation V on principle. I can honestly say I enjoyed the Black and White segment of the franchise; as it played a large part helping shape the resurgence in the popularity of Pokémon we have now.

Personally, even though I initially had issues with parts of Generation III; on the whole, I can definitely say it had a similar impact. Hell, even Johto and Sinnoh had their fair share of detractors before people mellowed out about them. While it remains to be seen whether or not this notion of throwing shade at BW will fade away; I intend to do this recap as someone who never had all that many issues with this anime, and still doesn’t. There are a handful of episodes from Best Wishes that I disliked; but there’ll be another time to cover them. So, let’s open up “A Fishing Connoisseur in A Fishy Competition” and take a look.

Please note that this episode had to be reworked because of the disaster in Tohoku; resulting in it being an episode that was banned temporarily due to the tragedy. The original Rocket VS Plasma 2-parter, on the other hand ended up being indefinitely postponed because of the disaster; and was subsequently rewritten into Episode N when the Black 2 and White 2 games were released. So let’s get started.

We open with Ash, Iris and Cilan on their way to Nimbasa City for Ash’s next gym battle. I am also considering doing a gym battle showcase next year; but my priority is still on the movies. This is just me needing a breather for now.

They walk by the riverbank as they go along their way. What could possibly go wrong?

Surprise surprise! He’s knocked into the river by his good friend, Bianca! No relation to that lady from Heroes (which I will cover soon); this one is a bit of a goofball.

We then get the BW opening, which I still think is very relaxing as the TCPI themes go (though I am enjoying the hard rock sound of the XYZ theme, “Stand Tall”).

After that, we get the title card; and I rather like how the BW title cards are simple, yet showy at the same time.

We then see Ash and Pikachu drying his clothes right there in the middle of the sidewalk. I’ve seen some weird stuff; so the sight of a 10-year-old kid in his underwear in a stand-in for a city with at least 16 million people doesn’t really faze me anymore.

Let's be honest, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing.

When Bianca tells them about the fishing tournament; Cilan is ecstatic. There we go! This version of the character took his game counterpart’s relatively timid persona and turned it into a man who gets genuinely enthusiastic about whatever he talks about! Much prefer that to how dull Alan is (unless the remainder of XYZ can do something with him; my chance of liking him has essentially dropped to zero).

We then get an imagine spot detailing his love of fishing; and regardless of which version you’re watching, you can really get a sense of how much he enjoys whatever is on tap for that day.

Cilan then declares his intent to enter and win the tournament. Atta boy! Again, my exact words were that I don’t do tournament arcs. Informal tournaments like this episode are doable in the time I have set aside for this blog.

Bianca wonders if there’s such a thing as a “fishing connoisseur” when Cilan mentions he’s one. Why sure. It’s like how the term “otaku” can reach far beyond the traditional association with anime, manga, video games and Japanese culture in general. You could technically declare yourself an otaku of something like Star Trek and your enthusiasm would have the same level of impact. Google it sometime; I’m sure you’ll be surprised at what you’d find. 

Naturally, the whole tourney is a setup by Team Rocket so they can-what else?-take over Unova. 

I must say; the animation of this anime definitely showed off the fact that it was the first fully-HD saga of the series. I particularly like how a lot of the facial expressions are handled; such as Cilan’s smirk at the Poké Ball in his hand.

I say, this will be a jolly good show, lads!

Whoever catches the biggest water Pokémon wins a golden fishing rod; and Jessie and James wish everyone the best of luck.

Cilan, of course, has his own rod and reel that can fit in a pen! Isn’t that something?

Bianca tries to cast, but accidentally snags Ash’s shirt. Wouldn’t be the first time he’s been catch of the day.

Naturally, Cilan is more than willing to help Bianca as a first-timer after he unhooks Ash. I kind of like moments like this that show off how each series has its own unique character dynamics. Even if not everything is perfect; at the end of the day, they’re still good friends.

At the end of his demonstration; Cilan has got a blue-striped Basculin!

Now, the real challenge begins as CIlan demonstrates the dance of fishing, as he calls it.

He sends out Pansage to battle; but Basculin quickly gets the upper hand.

Passage is able to turn things around with Bullet Seed; overcoming Basculin’s edge in the water!

With one last Solarbeam, Cilan captures the Basculin! 

Undeterred, Iris declares Cilan will not be ahead for long!

She goes to another spot, and decides that she’ll make a bigger catch than Cilan; but as she finds out, the waiting is the hardest part.

Dramatization of me waiting for me to upgrade my phone to one that can play Pokémon Go.

Tired of waiting, Iris then decides to take another course of action. As for this Redakai bumper at the bottom of the screen: that was a terrible show. I encourage anyone who has issues with this anime to watch a lot of that before ever issuing a complaint about a merchandise-driven series again. It also has me seriously considering making a list of Top 13 Worst Anime-Influenced Western Shows in the near future. Don’t worry, I’ll also do a Top 13 Best Anime-Influenced Western Shows to offset it.

She takes off her pants and shoes to get ready to dive in the water and catch a Pokémon with her bare hands. Before you get any ideas: to my knowledge, she’s 10. Get your mind out of the gutter!

She dives into the water and actually does manage to catch a Basculin, which unfortunately gets her penalized by James as a result. I know I could make a joke about this, but I’m above the one I’m thinking of. So, here’s some music I’ve been listening to lately instead.

Bianca then bags a female Frillish! It’s so cute! I want one!

Yet, Ash’s reaction is less than stellar. Come on! She just wants a hug!

Even so, Ash is writhing and twitching in her tentacles. No comment there.

His friends try to free him as Bianca looks on. Good grief, it’s a running gag. I just got back from the new Ghostbusters; so I’m not particularly inclined to start making jokes of this caliber right now. Besides, I laughed my ass off at it, vitriolic backlash be damned.

Pikachu manages to free everyone with a thunderbolt. One of my few disappointments with this episode was that Ash didn’t catch that Frillish. Still, I simply do not share the vitriol others have towards Best Wishes. Again, while there were some episodes I didn’t enjoy, that can wait for now. 

Team Rocket then catches wind of this scuffle, and decide to simply get out while the getting’s good. One thing I like about this series; as well as something that could potentially be used for a more straightforward Pokémon live-action film if the Detective Pikachu movie is a hit: Team Rocket are depicted here as competent villains rather than the ineffectual sympathetic villain character type they usually exhibit. While some people prefer their usual Wile E. Coyote infused schemes; personally, I found this to be pretty refreshing. It got downplayed as the saga went on; and as of the XY series, they’re back to their usual selves (to the point where I’m glad Team Flare did away with the campier aspects of their game personae in favor of embracing the malice of their leader, Lysander. Would have been redundant otherwise.).

Then, their getaway boat is sent upstream by the same mischievous Frillish!

Needless to say, everyone is surprised at their judges’ attempt at a sudden exit.

Bianca then points out all the Poké Balls in the bags. Well, what were you expecting? The dirty laundry? The whites? 

With their Unova motto, I rather appreciate how faithfully they translated their motto. As for the confusing continuity their exit creates: it’s simply due to circumstances. After the events of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami; many people, myself included; were not in the mood for a silly animated TV series. 

As for the Rocket VS Plasma two-parter: there’ll be another time to address what led to their being blacklisted.

They try to make off with their captures, but leave it to this goofy Frillish to set them all free! Now that’s something that they should have factored in: one pink jellyfish to screw up their plans.

At that point, they decide to just cut their losses and escape on jetpack.

You think this was absurd? Wait till Universal gets someone to so shout "Action" on Detective Pikachu!

Cilan then finds the prize rod in the wreckage of their shack; and discovers it’s just an Old Rod spray-painted gold! Well, that was a bigger ripoff than Robopon! Go watch J-Wittz’s review to see what that game was like.

So, we close on Ash, Iris and Cilan continuing on their way to Nimbasa City; and Bianca bids them farewell for now. She also joyfully declares to catch up to Ash in his journey. Well; still prefer that to Alan being so downbeat all the time. Don’t worry, that’s probably the last time I’ll be throwing shade at Alan till I’m back from vacation in New York.

“A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition” is a great example of how I don’t consider Unova to be that bad a chapter in the Pokémon canon. Far from it. I have not changed my positive appraisal of the series that initially had, and it’s highly unlikely I’ll do so given how this year has been so far. While it is clear the episode had to be reanimated and re-edited because of what happened in Tohoku; it still manages to give us plenty of colorful animation and amusing antics from the characters it was given. I mean, who would you rather talk to: a laid-back young man or some depressing emo teenager?

I do have other episodes I want to address, including some bad ones; but they can wait. My next big Pokémon-related recap will be my look at Pokémon Heroes, along with some of the other Pokémon movies. I’m not sure how many I’ll be able to do; but I at least want to keep going until Sun and Moon come out. You should see it after I come back from New York. I’m also going to be upgrading my phone to one that can run Pokémon Go, so I’ll let you know how I feel about that game as a lifelong fan. See you, space cowboy. 

Detective Pikachu Live Action Movie Coming Soon From Legendary Pictures.

I know I'm working on a new recap before I go see my family in New York; but I thought I would give this a post.

It turns out that Legendary Pictures has officially secured the rights to the Pokémon film franchise, with a live-action adaptation of Detective Pikachu being the first planned film in the series.

While the video game on which it's based has not yet come stateside; there is definitely potential in the concept. I'm still not sure how the film will do, given the uneven quality of many video game and anime adaptations; I still believe that the movie franchise has the potential to be every bit as big as the likes of Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Even though the film has yet to be cast or given a director; I definitely think that after producing massive blockbusters like Jurassic World, that Legendary can successfully make a convincing case for Pikachu and the other Pokémon with the level of special effects we have now. If they want to include darker elements (the game on which the film is set to be based contains implications of an Aipom homicide investigation); that's fine, but I can say that the best way to approach the whole thing would be to just embrace the insanity of the concept. If a wisecracking, gun-toting raccoon and a talking tree can be movie stars, then so can an electric mouse.

I'm going to get back to work on my recap before I play in the final Splatoon Splatfest (it's appropriately enough, Callie VS Marie) and go see Star Trek Beyond this weekend. See you, space cowboy.

A Word about the Live-Action Pokémon Movie.

Hello again. While I am still mulling over what to do next for my detoxing from Yo-Kai Watch; I have noticed the fact that Pokémon Go has set a new record and become the most successful mobile phone game ever, further cementing the 20th anniversary as a milestone for the series.

With the news of this development; the previous mention of the live-action Pokémon movie has been further stoked, with Legendary Pictures being the presumed frontrunner in the bidding war for the rights; closely followed by Warner Bros. and Sony.


There are also unconfirmed rumors of Max Landis (Chronicle) being attached to write the script; as well as Asa Butterfeld as  a possible choice to play Ash. While I would prefer to have someone of Japanese descent play Ash, I do concede Butterfeld might make a good Gary Oak or Ritchie. As for Landis: it definitely is possible to make a compelling story about the series; even with anime and video game adaptations having a somewhat shaky track record. As I said before, I will be all right as long as the story, cast and director are good.

On a more broad level; I would suggest you wouldn't have to make the film like Transformers; wherein the robots are routinely shot, stabbed and ripped apart. Nor would the Pokémon have to be all "juiced" like the live-action Transformers (and now the rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). That said; it's definitely possible to make Pikachu and the others work in live-action, since special effects have reached a level where a wisecracking; gun-toting raccoon and a talking tree can be turned into movie stars.

With 20 years of video games, anime, manga and 19 other films under its belt (with the 20th being teased for next year); Pokémon has not only joined Mario, Zelda and Metroid among Nintendo's biggest names, it is now on the same pop cultural order of magnitude as Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to The Force Awakens showcasing the power of nostalgia as a marketing tool; with heroes such as Ant-Man and Doctor Strange entering the fray, I would suggest it's totally feasible that we could rally behind a movie about a 10-year-old capturing all sorts of creatures and having them  do battle.

I will continue to bring you any information as I get it. See you, space cowboy.

Recap: Yo-Kai Illoo/Let's Exorcise

Hello again. Well, with another E3 having come and gone; it’s as good a time as any for me to address more Yo-Kai Watch. It has been duly noted that many people love this anime. I do not. Be that as it may; there is a second season being dubbed as well as the first movie. While many people have tried to convince me otherwise; if you expect me to simply not watch something, you’ve clearly come to the wrong place. So; let’s open this up. 

We open the first segment I have chosen; “Yo-Kai Illoo” on Springdale Elementary, where it’s apparently Valentine’s day and the girls wonder about their day. As I pointed out in my recap of “Gohan’s First Date,” I’m asexual; and I spent my Singles Awareness Day watching Deadpool. So, seeing this as a man who doesn’t really obsess over romantic plot lines doesn’t really do anything for me. 

Of course, Nate, Bear and Eddie claim to not be interested in that sort of thing. The episode will definitely go out of its way to make sure that’s disproven, I promise you that.

Naturally, Eddie is the first one to be asked out. The girl who does so (normally, I would try to learn her name; but it’s honestly not worth it this time) claims to be into Eddie for his headphones and how tech-savvy he is. Is this chick really into tweedy tech nerds? Christmas, this is trite.

Right on cue; Eddie is ecstatic at the idea of something more tangible than filthy Zootopia fan fiction. 

Boi-oi-oi-oing! Hehehehe!

To top it off, he’s given a box of chocolates to close the deal. 

Hot damn! No more ogling my poster of Gal Godot as Wonder Woman for me!

This is then followed by Bear being asked out by Lulu; someone I only know the name of from doing a side quest in the game (Note: while the game is decent; it’s definitely not the next Pokémon, nor is it as good as Ni No Kuni from the same developer. Depending on how I feel; I may or may not be trading it back in towards Sun and Moon. We’ll see.). 

Nate, distraught at the idea of being alone on Valentine’s day; then collapses.

Help. Police. Murder.

We then get an imagine spot where Whisper is apparently one of the doctors. Personally, if I was being taken into the ICU by a doctor whose head looked like a Stay-Puft knockoff; I’d probably have a fucking heart attack.

Nate ends up flatlining, and Whisper tries to defibrillate him.

Stop. Don't. Come back.

He comes to; and of course decides to get to the bottom of this. Yes, an anime with unrequited love and revenge fantasy as plotlines. You know, for kids! 

He runs into the park; and I still feel that Johnny Yong Bosch isn’t giving this role his all as a voice actor. He’s a good one, don’t get me wrong; but I can’t shake the whole feeling his performance is like a discount Noby from Doraemon (a better anime, by the way). Even when he was a Power Ranger, he was more energetic than this! 

Joke's over, bone brain!

Also, if it’s all right for me to ask, how the Hell did they get this…

… from this?

I know things often have to be changed for adaptations; but Pokémon at least tried to replicate the games’ battles in anime form! Are people who like this series just afraid of losing touch with the younger generation?

We are then introduced to Illoo; who seems to be dressed to go to a midnight showing of Suicide Squad (by the way; that looks like a pretty cool movie. I’m also expecting a copy of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition on Blu-Ray soon.). 

Nate then decides to engage Illoo with the intent of getting some of Katie’s poon tang! See, Hino, I can make risqué jokes too; it’s not hard. 

It's morphin' time! MASTODON!

He summons Jibanyan, but that just ends up backfiring as Illoo makes him think a piece of playground equipment is a plate of chocolate bars. Yeah, and I’m Louis CK! Were you expecting me to type that? No? Now you know how I feel whenever I write about this.

He then decides to summon Manjimutt; and I once again omitted his segment in this episode on the grounds that I find him more interesting than Nate and Whisper. I have started a backup file with Nate in the game; but as I expected, it’s still bogged down by how the anime has made him the most obnoxious Asian character since Short Round, minus anything that made him useful.

Illoo then gives him a fantasy of schoolgirls to ogle. OK, now they’re just TRYING to turn him into the creepy neighbor from Family Guy; aren’t they? 

Then, Nate turns into a soccer player practicing for Inazuma Eleven. I don’t like that series either; but I might do a Next Top 13 Anime I Will Never recap in lieu of writing about it to explain why. 

This fantasy somehow breaks Illoo’s illusion and gives him his medal. Screw it; this segment’s almost over; I’ll manage. Might as well put the toy plug in anyway, though.

Only $9.95! Watch and other medals sold separately!

Katie (who I am primarily playing as in the game) then comes up to Nate.

He gets his chocolates; and while it’s all another one of Illoo’s tricks; Whisper then decides to just let the baby have his bottle; stating that “ignorance is bliss.” I guess that can be said for all fans of this anime who still are living in the Matrix. I, on the other hand; took the red pill as soon as I could. 

Before I continue, I’m going to just say that some unnamed parties accused me of “trash-talking” this anime in earlier recaps. While I may have let my emotions write those initial ones; I personally have no intention of getting rid of them, given how I was still coming to terms with an old friend of mine committing suicide. That said, while I took no pleasure in banning this man; I know full well when I’m trash-talking. Trust me, this is better. 

The next segment; “Let’s Exorcise” (I think that pun just gave me a half-life) opens on the Adams household, essentially turning what’s a reasonably creative setup into a corny ‘90s sitcom.

Mrs. Adams then asks Nate what happened to her gourmet European chocolate bars. Obvious localization coverup is obvious.

Also, I didn’t mention this in prior recaps I’ve done of this anime; but how old was Mrs. Adams when she got married and had Nate? To my knowledge; Nate is 11, but she doesn’t look much older than her late 20s or early 30s. I digress; I’m not here to discuss family dynamics, I’m here to deconstruct media series meant for children and make fun of them!

Even so, Mrs. Adams just brushes this off as she gets back to sorting her groceries. Sigourney Weaver, she is not.

Nate goes up to his room; and sees Jibanyan with his manga in his hands (not merely comics, I suggest you learn the distinction, Steinberg and Kogan) and the missing chocolate in his sash. Who’d have thunk it, folks? 

Whisper then tells Jibanyan there’s only room for one Yokai and Nate doesn’t make a good roommate. Is this supposed to be a joke? Because I’m not laughing.

Whisper then claims he’s asking Jibanyan nicely to leave. No you’re not. You’re yelling at him, you’re insulting him and Nate; and you’re being a total dick about it, something that was absent from the Japanese version; or at least less apparent. 

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

I’m honestly running out of things to say about the voice acting, Pinocchio wasn’t this wooden.

So, this piece of Slimer cum then tries to strangle Jibanyan with his own charm. Now you are being a total ass, welcome to the club.

Jibanyan then explains the reason why he’s crashing there is because there’s been an uptick in cat-type Yokai in the intersection where he lives. Well, Level-5 is getting a bit excessive with all these snow clones, to say nothing about the planned third game letting people make their own. Seriously, at least when Pokémon introduces a new Pikachu analog, it’s usually just one or two per game!

Then, more crazy stuff starts happening in the Adams’ house; starting with more chocolate being stolen.

Nate then has to throw Jibanyan out of the bathroom. Again, how many times are you going to go back to the well of toilet humor? I know this is written for 7-year-olds; but even they might like something else to challenge them every so often! I actually had to rule out some episodes because of how they were little more than 8-minute piss and fart jokes. I need more to work with than that.

Then, Jibanyan starts fiddling with the TV; confusing Mr. Adams at the sight of the “girl group.” Viz, how many times are you going to keep calling them that? You did think up a name later, so what was the point of this? It’s like just calling Metallica a “rock band.”

Yet, the nights go on as the Adams parents keep getting spooked like they were in an old episode of Scooby-Doo. What’s the matter? You got no scrote?

Again, I would suggest that the characters being idiots isn’t a problem; but rather they’re not entertaining idiots. Good examples include Son Goku, Monkey D. Luffy, Natsu Dragneel; or Ayumu “Osaka” Kasuga. Call me crazy; but I tend to have trouble identifying with characters whose brain cell count is directly proportionate to their shoe size.

It's a wonder how those minds can generate enough power to move.

Confused at everything going on; Nate’s parents then decide to hire a paranormal investigator. 

I see the old priest. Where's the young priest?

Whisper is skeptical of the idea; saying “they probably hired him off the internet.” Well, that’s what happens when you get your priest on Craigslist.

The priest, or “onmyioji” (a term which was understandably cut from the dub) then starts spouting a bunch of gibberish in this discount Mad Hatter/King Candy voice. I’ve been saving this Ghostbusters quote for a while: “Your theories are the worst kind of popular tripe, your methods are sloppy and your conclusions are highly questionable. You are a poor scientist!”

To think people are dissing Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy.

Yet, this chant somehow causes Whisper to ascend; with him proclaiming “It’s full of stars.” Word of advice, guys: don’t reference something I love in something I hate. Just a favor.

Nate then tries to harangue the priest with some “scones.” I put those in quotes because in the Japanese version; they’re actually manjuu, a type of pastry filled with sweet bean paste. Once again; I refer you to Katie and this Awkward Zombie comic in response.

Of course, Nate’s parents don’t seem happy about his interference. 

Not now, Nate. Demonic possession is family time.

Then, Nate starts massaging the priest’s shoulders! I can’t even touch this scene. If you walked into a room showing this, what would you say?

Despite all this (I didn’t even show you half the bullshit between Nate and the priest); Whisper and Jibanyan start ascending into heaven. Personally, if I were making the call; I’d send them to Hell.

Then, Nate simply says the spirits are gone! I would complain about this ass pull; but it makes the episode shorter, so I’ll be fine.

You figured out how to do this yourself? Well, I still get paid!

So, we close on Jibanyan cleaning their house; even taking the time to straighten up everyone’s shoes in the doorway. OK, I don’t even need to check this time: houses are not built like this in Idaho. This is not Idaho; and the Americanization of this anime really isn’t working. I’m just calling the setting “Random Fantasy Zone” from now on. 

Of the Yo-Kai Watch recaps I’ve done so far; this is the episode I’ve disliked the least. It honestly took me a long time to determine what episode of the dub I was doing next because of how some of the fans have been trolling me. While the animation is admittedly impressive for a TV anime budget, the story makes no goddamn sense to me and the characters are more blatantly toyetic than the Mattel and Mars Bar Quick Energy Chocobot Hour.

People have tried to tell me that this isn’t a bad anime. To me; nothing can make an anime more mediocre for me than everyone else saying how amazing it is. Regrettably, this has also soured my potential enjoyment of the video game; but even that is subject to hype backlash, albeit to a lesser extent. Nothing can make a decent game harder for me to play than calling it a fantastic one.

My point is; you can definitely do worse among anime of its type, but you can also do far better. I agree it’s not as bad as say, Bakugan is; but it’s every bit as insufferable because of how much potential is wasted in the concept.

As for the plans to bring the sequels stateside: I admit I don’t know if they’ll achieve the same level of success they have in Japan, but I also admit I’m once again skeptical. With Pokémon Sun and Moon generating more hype at this point in time; as well as Pokémon Go shattering records among cell phone games, Hino and Level-5 have an uphill battle on their hands.

I still plan to do a couple more subbed targets and the movie; but not right away. I need to detox again; and I have a couple options on the table to do so. You should see them out soon. See you, space cowboy.