Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Switch) World Championship Trailer Thoughts.

Hey everyone- with 80 days to the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, here are my belated thoughts on the new trailer that debuted at the World Championships in London.

The trailer details the redesigned online battle system, which I am eager to try out when the time comes. Said trailer also contains a new Pokémon known as Cyclizar. Though the connections to the box legendaries (if any) are unknown at this time, I do like the design of the monster.

There are also more details on the Terastal mechanic, with Coalossal getting a special form and ghost-types getting one that’s an Easter egg to the Ghost sprite in the original games. A handful of new held items are also going to provide new effects in battle. The Mirror Herb can copy an opponents stat boosts. The Covert Cloak guarantees swapping out of battle. My personal favorite is the Loaded Dice, which can grant additional strikes to moves that hit multiple times. Miguel and Tulio definitely can make use of that one.

Though there is more information yet to be revealed (I am very eager to hear about the Stage 1 and 2 forms for the starters), I will address more details as the games get closer to release. That will be all for now, and I will see you all again soon. Take care.

Review- "Journey to the Starting Line" (Pokémon Chronicles)

Well, it's that time again- time to look at easily one of the worst episodes of Pokémon Chronicles. One that makes me seriously doubt those who pitched it as an alternative to the main series have actually watched it; let alone paid attention to it. Let's open up "Journey to the Starting Line" and get this over with.

The episode actually starts out all right- the opening bit of the Pokémon frolicking across the laboratory is nice; especially with Ash's Bulbasaur helping look over the others. I've made no secret that the professors have been my favorite characters for years (already looking forward to what Sada and Turo can offer in Generation IX), and me specifically mentioning Bulbasaur will be important.

Regrettably, that glimmer of hope is snuffed out when we're introduced to the new trainer: our character of the day, Gilbert. He's the mayor's son; and he will not stop using that as justification for his misbehavior. He could certainly use a sparring session with Commander Kamado.

Before that, Delia Ketchum comes to visit again with Mimey, and they are a bright spot in an otherwise mediocre story. She's brought over some herbs the Professor requested; and I will admit Muk trying to smother Tracey is actually kind of funny.

The 30 Tauros crash through the wall, spooking the starter Pokémon. Gilbert enters, and asks if something was blown up. I honestly don't care if it's the mayor's son or not; I already feel the need to dig out the MST3K Deathstalker quote.

Tom Servo: Is it too early to hate this guy?

Honestly- He doesn't even let Delia finish talking before sitting down in the Professor's chair and demanding a Torchic. Can't believe I'm typing this, but I actually miss those macros of Barron thinking of some toy or game instead.

Completely unaware of the region he's in; he starts rattling on about Hoenn and dismissing the starters at the lab as not worth it. Perhaps he could have a session as Hala's sparring partner instead- his Hariyama could use a new sandbag. 

Then, he actually requests a Pikachu; not caring the other starters got spooked and talking about another trainer who started with one. Gilbert just brushes that off and continues his demands. That tears it-

"How dare you stand where he stood!"

This is officially where this episode lost me; and illustrates my major issue with Chronicles- it isn't a good alternative to the main series; it's a test of patience for fans of the source material in the vein of Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation or Thundercats Roar. Seriously- when even Tracey is calling Gilbert out for being such a brat; that's saying something. He may be the mayor's son, but I get the feeling he'd be the kind of guy who'd torpedo his dad's aspirations for governor as a teenager.

Anyway, everyone pairs off to search for the starters; and Oak gives Tracey the Poké Balls to contain them. There's also a brief encounter with a shopkeep named Deena, and it doesn't really have much impact on the episode. The most she does is put out an APB on the missing starters; maybe start with Greek neighborhoods and bring back some of those "gyros."

Gilbert, of course, is less than receptive to her methods of help. Oak is getting just as irritated with him as I am. Have I made clear the professors are my favorite characters? The two groups search different areas of the hills; and though the animation of this episode is once again pretty weak, the hills are admittedly a highlight.

Tracey crosses a nearby river to scoop up Charmander; and this might be the same area in "I Choose You" where they did the waterfall dive. You make the call- reusing locations, or an actual decent instance of continuity in this spinoff?

Regrettably, Gilbert's demands have given way to a bunch of winging instead as they have to cross a ravine. Bulbasaur's expression in this picture speaks volumes.

Honestly- even Atreus in the 2018 God of War took more stock of the situation he was in; memetic dialog with his father Kratos and all. He continues making requests for stronger Pokémon even as the ground crumbles from under his feet. Though normally I'd be angrier about the liberties taken with Oak here; I actually agree with him basically telling off Gilbert as follows: "I'm not sure you have the right attitude here, Gilbert.  Maybe you should just call it quits and go home."

Not only does Gilbert seem to entertain the idea, Oak is right- it doesn't matter whether Gilbert is the son of the mayor or a gas station attendant- this behavior is completely unacceptable. It's not even malicious like Damian, Paul or Trip- it's just incredibly arrogant. Gary may have behaved like this at first; but he did have more than enough skill and knowledge from his grandfather to back it up and eventually become a researcher himself. So, while I might not put Oak's chastising of Gilbert on the same level as Picard calling out Wesley in "The First Duty," it does work in a similar context.

Before that happens, they find Squirtle hanging from a tree over the cliff! OK, here's the Speed Racer clip again.

Gilbert falls of the cliff; and Bulbasaur then rescues him and Squirtle! Two starters down, one to go. Hopefully they won't fall down any more traps. The way Bulbasaur calms the young Squirtle down is actually one nice moment in what's otherwise a pretty bad episode. 

Of course, Gilbert tries to get Squirtle out of its shell with his own faces; causing Bulbasaur to respond with his best Brock face. 

Still smoother than when he attended a Halloween party at Smiling Friends.

Yet, he does get through to Squirtle and get them to come out.. To reference that memetic board book, Squirtle is proud of who he is.

Back in town, Deena has been keeping watch over people responding to her APB, and Bulbasaur has been really getting around; even showing up in her vegetable stands.

STEALTH- 100

Deena then gets a call on old time candlestick phone; and gets a lead from "Miss Owens" about Bulbasaur being chased by a horde of "Mankeys." Again, it's "Mankey," it's already plural without an "s." That's like calling Bale, Affleck and Pattinson "Batmans."

Likewise, it turns they're Primeape now, which Tracey again erroneously calls "Primeapes" for plural form. (Sighs) Every scene makes me miss the dignity of "Primeape Goes Bananas" more and more. Gilbert then offers to just take Ash's Bulbasaur, and everyone tells him don't be a thief. Didn't even have to reach for that one, fellas.

Thankfully, Oak distracts the Primeape while Mimey uses Psychic to get Bulbasaur down from the tree. However, this plan goes south when Gilbert alerts the Primeape with a sneeze! Gilbert, you idiot.

Everyone starts running back and forth between the trees like an episode of Scooby-Doo, and I stand by my comment preferring "Primeape Goes Bananas." Furthering this is when Gilbert and the Bulbasaur pair off from the others down a fork in the road. He'd have never made it in Hisui.

With few options left, Gilbert says it's time to stop being afraid; when the issue was never that; but being an unlikable dingus. Also, bit late for that at less than three minutes left. His solution is to try to take on the Primeape himself, rather than use Bulbasaur. Ash's Bulbasaur has to bail them out.  OK, I may depict Ruby/Brendan as an adrenaline junkie; but even I don't have him act this recklessly. Gilbert just almost became a Darwin award candidate.

After lifting them across a ravine, Ash's Bulbasaur wipes out the Primeape with a single Solar Beam attack! OK, this episode should have officially been about Bulbasaur acting as the lab's bodyguard/peacekeeper; and not Gilbert's antics. I just came off looking at a video game anime that has ideas for a story more interesting than the one it's actually telling; so it's not my first go at this.

The episode mercifully ends on Gilbert choosing Bulbasaur; and we're thankfully spared further adventures with this character. This episode is going on my least favorite list for sure.

"Journey to the Starting Line" trips over its own feet right out of the gate, with its character of the day effectively destroying the intended appeal of both the episode and the spinoff as a whole. Replacing the main character doesn't always solve the problems with an existing one; and as I've detailed, it can just as often create an entirely different one instead. Some rather mediocre animation doesn't help either.

Post-review follow-up: Most annoying character of the episode easily goes to Gilbert. It doesn't matter whether a new trainer is the child of a mayor or a lathe operator- your background does not give you carte blanche to be human trash. 

Next Chronicles review is on "Putting the Air Back in Aerodactyl," a vast improvement over this that incidentally also highlights a major missed opportunity with this spinoff. First, there's something else I've been wanting to address a while. You'll just have to wait and see what it is. That's all for now, take care.

"Tekken Bloodline" Anemic and Dull (First Viewing Thoughts)

Well, surprise surprise- another Tekken adaptation that fails to capture what makes the source material work. With a new video game being teased by series creator Katsuhiro Harada (whether it's an eighth main game or something else; I'm interested); let's go over my first viewing thoughts on "Tekken Bloodline," and why it's anemic and dull.

First, the most obvious problem is with the animation. I had my doubts about the CG animation with 2D styling; but I waited to reserve judgment until the series actually streamed. I am sorry to say that those doubts were justified. While the character designs do look largely accurate to the games, it's the way they move that's the fatal flaw. When the video games that this anime reportedly adapts had better framerates and more energetic movements in the PS1 era; you've done something wrong.

The next issue is the creative liberties taken with the games. To date, there hasn't been an adaptation that's accurately captured what makes the games so interesting. Though this is the third one that attempts to adapt the basic plot of the King of Iron Fist Tournament with a bit of revenge thriller for Jin's storyline; it's the execution that does it in; as with both the feature films. Not only does the inciting incident feel underwhelming; it's typically not Ogre that kills his family, which will become even more apparent as I continue. Normally, I wouldn't be getting into spoiler territory for this kind of post; but in this case, I'll make an exception.

Then, we have the characterization. Lots of video game adaptations fall into this trap; where they simultaneously make changes that end up disappointing fans, but also make the cast virtually impenetrable to newcomers. Again, people like me get annoyed over semantics about the flames on Jin's outfit; and newcomers have no idea why King is a luchador so committed to his gimmick that he speaks exclusively in wildcat noises. This isn't an impossible task to pull off- my looks at Detective Pikachu and the Sonic movies have proven that you can retain what makes a character work in the source material while still showcasing them in a different medium. He does get said flames and his game counterpart's tattoos, rendering said semantics entirely pointless.

There's also the issue of pacing- the actual tournament that is the basis for the franchise doesn't start till the third episode. In the process, this also adds more problems to the characters I just mentioned; including a scrap with Jin and Hwoarang that would have been way more interesting to see. Plot threads that don't feel glacial feel more rushed than WB Discovery removing content. ... Too soon?

However, beyond all this is the main issue I have with Bloodline- the story. It's not really a promising sign when one episode lists several characters from the games as missing (I specifically saw Wang, Baek and King); only to have the next show them arrive at the tournament like nothing. By the time of the finale, it became clear that this anime didn't have much to justify its existence. Though the crew is by no means inexperienced, it lacks that spark that made the Castlevania adaptation work so well. I personally found myself more entertained by the other offerings Netflix had this month, including the documentary miniseries Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie.

As a lifelong Tekken fan, I am sorry to say that I do not like Tekken Bloodline - it's not as bad as the previous adaptations were; but it's also not very good. Just play the games again while the new one is being made, I know I will. I am still contemplating reviewing the previous anime adaptation, Tekken: The Motion Picture, but that can wait for now. I have unfinished business with another spinoff. That's all for now- Get ready for the next battle.

Review- "Celebi and Joy" (Pokémon Chronicles)

Hey fellas- with the reveal of Pokémon Arceus Chronicles getting dubbed in English at last; it's time to pick up where I left off with Pokémon Chronicles. Let’s open up "Celebi and Joy."

"The machines rose from the ashes of the nuclear fire. Their war to exterminate mankind raged for decades, but the final battle would not be fought in the future. It would be fought here in our present, tonight..."

The episode begins with Richie and his partner Sparky coming across a Pokémon Center with a rustic appearance and a shrine to Celebi. As Richie stops the building from being razed; the elderly Nurse Joy watching over the place mourns her lost childhood love, who died in a landslide. His name was Nick, and if you haven’t guessed yet; this episode is going to have Ritchie time travel 75 years ago to prevent this from happening. Charitably, this means we’re following Terminator rules; where we’re deliberately trying to change the future to prevent a worse one; as opposed to Back to the Future rules; where all potential changes can have immeasurable consequences.

At roughly the 7-minute mark; Celebi sends Richie & Sparky back through time 75 years; saving Joy from falling off a ravine while riding on Ponyta. Guess they might call that the Eastwood Ravine.

Wouldn’t you know it- Nick is the one who built the shrine; and he has feelings for Joy as well. If you have figured out what's going to happen; congratulations- the episode will take much longer to get there. 

Before that happens, we get scenes of Joy remarking on Richie's outfit as a "Traveling Trainer." If she asks about him wearing a life preserver, I'm out.

They reach the Pokémon Center under construction, and it turns he builds with leftover material after his dad finishes big jobs. Guess that's like our clock tower in Hill Valley; just hope nobody has the almanac.

So, Nick reveals that tomorrow is Joy's birthday and the opening ceremony for the Center; but he has to leave with his father on another job. Richie basically has to prevent him from dying in the landslide that will take place then.

Before that, we have to sit through a "will he/won't he" of Nick admitting his feelings toward Joy; despite the ticking clock. Again, we have what's actually not the worst idea for a story getting turned into a sitcom-caliber story.

As Richie tries to convince Nick to open up to Joy; it turns out Joy has gone missing during a storm; and the townsfolk need help to find her! They find Joy unconscious under a log; taking her into the crook of a tree; and wow is this scene badly-animated. Even Nick trying to save the shrine looks worse than this screensaver I used to have on my computer back in Sebastopol. 

The next day, Richie rides after Nick and convinces him to attend the party; as well as confess his feelings for Joy, which his dad agrees to; evading the landslide in the process! He did change the future after all!

Celebi takes Richie back to the present of Marion Town (not even the time travel shenanigans made this town memorable enough to mention before now). The laborers from before are now helping preserve the building and the town itself. Not quite a bully becoming an auto detailer after getting decked; but I will take it. We close on the reveal that Nick stayed after confessing his feelings to the elder Joy, and Marion Town now looks a mix of Olde Town village with a dash of solar punk. I guess Richie made a good future in this zone.

"Celebi and Joy" does not spark joy, but it doesn't make much for sadness or rage either. The concept isn’t the worst; but the execution of its time travel plot fails to invoke any emotional reaction on the Voight-Kampf test. Honestly prefer Captain America looking at how "thick" he was in his 2012 costume. The animation looking worse than a Newgrounds fan project doesn't help make up for the underutilized story either.

Post-review follow-up: most annoying characters go to the laborers bookending the episode, with a dishonorable mention going to young Nick for his self-doubt making zero sense in the context of the story.

Since I already recapped "Training Daze," next Chronicles review is on "Journey to the Starting Line," a textbook example of how not to start a journey of a new trainer. That's all for now, take care. Later.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) Review

Welcome to the next level, and welcome to my review of this year’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2! This sequel followed up on all the good stuff of the first film and took things even further; much like the video games that inspired it, so let’s open it up!

The film picks up where the last movie left off, where Dr. Ivo “Robotnik” Eggman attempting to escape his isolation on the Mushroom Hill Zone. The opening scene is hilarious right out of the gate; especially with the alternate opening that’s surfaced online.

He finds a way off-planet, with the aid of Knuckles the Echidna. Though not the first time the Doctor has tricked him, this time introduces new elements into the fray; which I will get to later. One constant is that they have a mutual adversary in Sonic; and a common desire for the Chaos Emeralds.

Back on Earth, we rejoin Sonic in Seattle; breaking up would-be bank robbers under the alias “Blue Justice.” The whole scene is a great showcase of comedic action, and I especially like the use of Run-DMC’s “It’s Tricky.”

Speeding back to Green Hills, he goes fishing with Tom Wachowski; and the two bond, talking about it what it really means to be a hero. 

Elsewhere, Stone is working at a coffeehouse known as the Mean Bean Machine- yay for alluding to that puzzle game spinoff; which is essentially the American version of Puyo Puyo.

Anyway, Tom and his wife Maddie are about to head to Hawaii to attend the wedding of their in-laws. Sonic has to watch the place while they’re gone; and I like the Easter eggs from the games here already; with Sonic’s skateboard and styling his quills in the guise of his low-polygon early 3D games. Also, remember the rings he gives to Tom and Maddie, it will be important later. 

In the hills, Miles “Tails” Prower appears; making good on his promise to find Sonic; who is none the wiser about the impending danger while listening to Montell Jordan.

However, his days of binge-watching movies with the dog while riffing a la his actor’s time on Parks and Recreation is short-lived when Eggman and Knuckles show up at his door. 

After some banter, a fight ensues; and there are parallels with their first encounter in Sonic X. Tails is able to scoop up Sonic before it’s too late; commandeering a car with a gadget of his own design. 

I really like how this movie handles Tails- not just how he invented his gear; but how he sees Sonic as a best friend and big brother. Though the exact conditions of them meeting are different in each version (Sonic Origins added a new cutscene detailing their first encounter); that is the one constant between them all.

A chase ensues, and Knuckles crashes through a truck for Splash Hill Spring Water. Nice nod to Sonic 4; which were actually pretty nice examples of “retro reimagined” games. Too bad they only made two episodes; but Mania more than made up for it.

Eggman and Knuckles meet up with Stone; and after gearing up (and a brief scene of Eggman doing a Fortnite dance), Sonic and Tails need to find the Emeralds before Eggman does. 

Back in Hawaii, Tom is bonding with Rachel’s fiancé Randall (Shemar Moore). There’s even a volleyball game that wouldn’t be out of place in Top Gun. All that’s missing is some Kenny Loggins in the soundtrack.

Uncovering a hologram message from Sonic’s guardian Longclaw; he and Tails find the first clue to the Emeralds in Siberia; along with a warning: the Emeralds combine into the Master Emerald, which can grant the holder what they desire most; and contains power that can cause great chaos in the wrong hands. So, I totally called it that these would be Sega taking a recognizable aspect of the games and making them their own Infinity Stones.

Sonic and Tails reach Siberia; and naturally, the scene where they show up at the lodge all bundled up has become one of the many memes this movie spawned. 

Unbeknownst to Sonic, Eggman and Knuckles are tracking their texts. So… not a stretch really. After a brief mixup with Tails’ digital assistant and the map; the two find themselves in a dance-off. Fortunately, with some quick thinking and Sonic putting on some Mark Ronson; they win the map back and the trust of all the others in the lodge. We even get the Sonic Adventure pose! 

Resting until the blizzard breaks up, the two reach the first clue; with Knuckles and Eggman right behind them! The snowboard chase is another standout scene; being a huge callback to the Ice Cap Zone, one of my favorite recurring stages in the series.  

Knuckles also reveals that he lost his family the same day Sonic did; and while him being the last of his kind is a recurring element from the games and other adaptations; he’s put through the wringer even more than usual this time.

An avalanche occurs, and the ring Sonic gave Tom helps him and Tails escape with their lives! However, it turns out the whole wedding was a front; with Randall really being a mercenary for GUN!  I kind of figured that they’d make an appearance with all the Sonic Adventure Easter eggs in both movies so far. The Chief of Staff from the last movie is also in charge of their unit; taking Sonic and Tails into custody! I also figured they’d basically be the SHIELD of this franchise.

The next clue is also in Hawaii, and Sonic and Tails must escape to find it! While Rachel is still peeved about what happened in the last movie; she does agree to help the escape plan to get back at basically being catfished. The movie’s words and mine. 

While Tom and Maddie help free Sonic and Tails (especially since the latter was injured in their escape); Rachel has a bone to pick with being used in more ways than one by Randall. She crashes into their reception stage in a golf cart; downing the bubbly like it’s a 40-ounce. Disclaimer: I do not endorse and/or encourage doing this for real; but I do find it hilarious. Also a great use of “Barracuda” by Heart, a song I really enjoy.

Since Tails hasn’t fully recovered, Sonic; not wanting his new friend to get hurt anymore, goes after the Emeralds himself. Though he’s still not big on water; he is able to find the coordinates to its location. It uses elements from the Labyrinth Zone, the Aquatic Ruin Zone, Hydro City and Marble Garden Zones and the Lost World from the first Sonic Adventure. 

Sonic finds the Master Emerald; and we get another fight with Knuckles as its guardian! Knuckles only realizes he’s been had once Eggman claims the Emerald for himself! I must say, the air bubbles are a nice touch; and the music score has a really good arrangement of the drowning music as they escape from the collapsing ruins.

Tails comes to, and taking the plane that was at the wedding; flies Sonic and Knuckles back to the mainland. The Tornado, and Sky Chase Zone- didn’t even have to reach for those ones. Eggman, glowing green in a new suit from the Emerald’s power; forges the Death Egg robot from the material around him! The three heroes unite to stop this mechanical final boss; which is piloted in this version by Jim Carrey doing his best G Gundam/Jaeger impression. If he really is retiring after this movie, least he’s leaving us laughing.

As Sonic reclaims the Chaos Emeralds and his rings (after dropping them during the fight in Siberia), we get the worst-kept secret of the movie- Super Sonic! I was able to dodge most of the spoilers for this part; though the merchandise did slip through (everything from the McDonald’s premiums to the high-end collector statues). 

The Death Egg is destroyed and Eggman is once again sent packing; and Tails and Knuckles join Sonic’s family with a friendly ballgame and the Master Emerald safely back in their hands (and their cooler). The credits roll to another 16-bit animated sequence set to “Stars in the Sky” by Kid Cudi.

The stinger reveals a setup for the upcoming third film, which reveals that GUN has found something else at a black site: Shadow the Hedgehog! Keanu Reeves is also the frontrunner to voice him, which should make a fine addition to his other roles (including Neo, John Wick, Theodore “Ted” Logan and Johnny Silverhand, to name a few).

Naturally, this movie was another big hit; building upon the success of the first; much like its video game source material. To date, the film has made $190 million domestically and over $401 million worldwide on its $110 million budget. As I have just mentioned, a third film is in development; as well as a spinoff series centered around Knuckles for Paramount Plus. I also don’t have a problem with the filmmakers breaking sequence to adapt future stories; as people making comic book films don’t adapt every single story that’s ever been published. They pick specific elements that work on film for the story they want to tell; often using entire plot lines for narrative and tone. With that in mind, I’m not sure who I would want to play Maria Robotnik (most likely a younger, lesser-known actress); but my first choice for Gerald Robotnik would be Ben Mendelson.

With that, this movie joins its senior and 2019’s “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” among the few live-action video game adaptations to get roundly positive critical and commercial success. Sega has also expressed interest in having other games they make adapted; with the Shin Megami Tensei/Persona series currently being shopped around as you see this. Thank you letting me share this with you all, and I will be back soon. Take care, everyone.

Presenting a Pokémon Presents Riff- 8-3-2022.

Hey everyone- on August 3; a new Pokémon Presents livestream was shown with a variety of new information for the series- most of all; a bevy of details for Generation IX. So, let’s address them all.

First off, the World Championships in London will be taking place from August 18 to August 22; the first time they will be held in person since the start of the pandemic. The event will also be streamed online for those unable to attend.

There are also updates to Pokémon Go; with the currently in progress event for the Ultra Beasts set to have its finale later this month; which will see all the Ultra Beasts introduced to the game in raids. This should make a good transition to the next update.

The spinoff game Pokémon UNITE is currently in the middle of its first anniversary event; with Glaceon and the Ultra Beast Buzzwole having recently joined the game. In addition to Tyranitar; the second wave of new monsters will be introduced in September. There is also a new event called “Pikachu Party,” which features the series mascot in a new “quick battle” that introduces the G-Max form as a boss. I’m working on clearing the bonuses for that on both mobile and Switch.

We also have some small updates on Pokémon Masters EX; which is rolling out a special area called the “Trainer Lodge” later this year, and Pokémon Cafe Remix having a repeat of the special event with Mewtwo. 

Finally, we have more details for the highly sought-after “Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.” The games will take place in the Paldea region; with the open world based on Spain and its culture. There will be a story with three distinct paths, including a gym challenge which can be completed in any order. I don't know how it will work with the redesigned progression; but I do know that Grusha; the ice type specialist has already garnered considerable attention in the fandom. There is also the “Treasure Hunt” for the main quest; where the headmaster of the Pokémon Academy, who is called Clavell dispatches players to complete the Pokédex. As well as returning favorites from previous games; some brand new ones join the game- they are Fidough, a dog who looks good enough to eat in more ways than one; a regional variant of Wooper who is Ground/Poison type; and my personal favorite, the ice beast Cetitan. Though the evolved forms of the starters have yet to be revealed; one detail from an AMA session on Reddit revealed that they will be genderless for the first time since the first generation. Other companions include Jacque, Penny and Arven. For the gameplay, there are the arrival of the Union Circle for multiplayer; and a new mechanic called “Terastal,” which can give Pokémon special abilities and additional types through crystal formation. I am very eager to try it; and claim the special Pikachu upon the games’ launch this fall.

I will bring you further details as they become available; and I will see you all again soon with my review of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Take care. 

Honest Thoughts- Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (2022).

Digimon, Digital Monsters; a multimedia franchise to reshape the entertainment landscape. I try to picture packets of information as they move through the world. What do they look like- robots? Dinosaurs? Were the bandwidths like castles? I kept dreaming of a revival I thought I'd never see. Then, one day, something happened: I got in.

Hey everyone- now that this year's Digifest has come and gone, I thought I would address one of the more notable reveals from the convention- a new movie slated for later this year (though some reports have suggested it could release in early 2023); known as Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning.

Title card for the film.

Taking place two years after the events of 2020's Last Evolution Kizuna, the film follows the cast of the second season as a mysterious new individual named Owada Rui (voice of Ogata Megumi), who claims to be the first ever Digidestined and a Digimon known as Ukkomon (voice of Kugimiya Rie) cross paths with them.

Though bigger plot details remain scarce at the time; the film will have the same writer and director as the previous film... Which is one of the many reasons I have mixed feelings toward the prospect. Also don't know about any "sauce" in this cast, think the source material had the infamous "pink sauce" that's all over TikTok. 

I also want to make clear that while I don't exactly hate the 02 season; I also have my issues with its story. Even the now-infamous epilogue was merely the end result of every controversial decision made beforehand. A symptom of the season's problems, but not the cause; relationships be damned. Keeping it canon despite many events of the last movie retconning and contradicting it is already a concern I have. 

On that note, this movie is following the previous installment's premise of being a finale for this cast; despite the subtitle. That decision always baffled me since the last movie and this one would honestly work better as standalone installments; or even legacy sequels.

I will say this- based on the first minutes of footage shown off at this year's Digifest; the animation remains the strongest aspect of this movie. The same crew has worked their magic once again; and even though I am a skeptic about the story at this point (honestly more interested in Dragon Ball Super Hero and One Piece Film RED), I will give credit where it's due for at least looking impressive. I just hope this movie can avoid the pitfalls the last one made with its characters.

Whenever the movie officially releases; I will likely address it further after I've gotten the chance to watch it myself. For now, this week had a long-awaited Pokémon Presents with more details on Generation IX; and I'm eager to get into it more soon. That will be all for now, take care everyone.

Honest Thoughts: Why Digimon Adventure (2020) Failed Where Digimon Adventure (1999) Worked.

Before I get started, I want to make clear that this isn't the worst thing I've ever seen; let alone the worst Digimon adaptation I've seen. Over the past 10 years especially, I've tried my best not to pass judgment on something until I actually get to experience it myself. Most importantly of all, I don't think every single reboot of an existing IP has to be exactly like its predecessors; especially in terms of anime. There have been numerous ones; including ones I've talked about that vary significantly from their source material while still providing a unique take on it.

That said, I've also seen ones that don't live up to their potential; and this subject occupies the latter camp. Having watched the entirety of the new series and rewatched the original again to write this; I can honestly say the reboot's problems run far wider than merely letting down nostalgic fans and failing to appeal to new ones. I do my best to conduct myself from an objective point of view; so with that in hand, I intend to examine in earnest why the 2020 reboot of Digimon Adventure not only didn't measure up to its senior; but also why it fundamentally doesn't work as an adaptation of Digimon on its own merit. Here are my honest thoughts on why the 2020 reboot Digimon Adventure failed where the 1999 original worked.

1. Oversimplified characterization

One of the biggest strengths of the franchise is its characterization; something that could be felt in the original even in its early stages. Whether or not it was part of the main cast or a supporting character, each individual felt like a fully-realized character. They all had arcs of their own that felt like complete stories in and of themselves. That is very much not the case in this reboot at all. Riddle me this- if you're going to reboot something people around the world loved, why in the name of this green earth would you remove a reason why so many of those people loved it?

A common complaint I've seen is the need to force Tai into every single episode; which contrasts the original in how there were multiple stories where he wasn't present or at least, wasn't the main focus. While I agree this is a problem (I can suggest this actually does more damage to the reboot than Pokémon has with Ash), it's merely a symptom of that issue, not the cause. Everyone in the main cast is impacted in their own way. Let's start with my favorite character from the original, Joe. The main arc of his character was to discover his inner confidence; going from someone doubtful of his capabilities as leader to being right there with his friends, talking the main villain to death in the finale. Sure, there were a lot of jokes about his studious nature (a trend which is a regrettable facet of most subsequent versions of his character); but there was a clear sense of progression. This version hints at the idea, but doesn't do much with it. There's also way too much time with him spent in the hot springs for my taste; and the reboot as a whole makes him the butt of way too many jokes for my liking. In fact, there's one memetic screenshot that sums up my feelings toward this version's approach to him.

Every fan of Joe watching this reboot.

People have also pointed out that Izzy has been downgraded as a character from the original; where his tech obsession partially was a result of finding out he was adopted, something the reboot mostly glosses over. Heck, even with the mixed reception towards Tri; I did like the aspect of him meeting his birth parents and not harboring any ill will towards them. In fact, the familial connections between a lot of characters seem downplayed in this version. We'll touch more on this in later points, but it's one of the more glaring missteps this reboot made.

2. Action taking precedence over storytelling

Though the series is no stranger to spectacle, this version in particular seemed to really favor the action aspects. That's all well and good if you give people enough story and character to latch onto; which this anime's predecessors and contemporaries did quite well. That's not really the case here- the story takes a backseat to the action in many instances; both in terms of individual episodes and the overall narrative as a whole. This wouldn't be a problem if the action itself made up for the story; but as I will continue to explain in later points, we don't really get that either.

3. Inconsistent animation quality

This is one of the more noticeable drawbacks of this incarnation. While the animation on the original incarnation was never perfect by any means, it did still have an ample amount of moments that were quite impressive for its time and budget. Even though there are plenty of impressive moments in the new anime as well; it's clear the quality became quite inconsistent once production felt the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; and you can really tell. Though these circumstances are admittedly out of their hands, it's not impossible to have a work made and released in these conditions and still have it be good quality. In addition to the later Ghost Game; My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer and Toei's own work on the Wano arc of One Piece provide key examples of this. Still, even if the animation quality was more consistent; it still wouldn't be enough to makeup for the other shortcomings I'm about to address.

4. Plot changes mismanaging the stakes

Having watched both versions of Digimon Adventure to write this, I can honestly say this is one of the aspects where the reboot paled compared to the original. There was a clear sense of escalation of threat; and how the time and actions in the digital world were connected. What was days for the characters in the digital world was only minutes in the real world. Sadly, in more ways than one; the connection is far more muddled in the reboot. We get brief glimpses at how the digital world is impacting the real world; but it just feels like a glorified exposition dump each time it happens. This mismanagement of the plot and stakes is especially clear when we compare the antagonists in each version; and how the story uses them. Though Devimon was an imposing figure in the first course of episodes; I still stand by the fact that the threats and the anime itself really got heated when Myotismon took his place. 

One key reason is that they weren't treated like something that could be dealt with in the course of a single episode. Even the infamous pizza crust monologue in the dub is something that actually has been re-evaluated by myself and others over time. Essentially, our heroes had exhausted all other options; and it was talking the monster to death that ultimately won the day. The reboot attempts to show how the digital world's actions are impacting the real world; but it reeks of the "show, don't tell" rulebook being discarded. Sure, you get a power outage here and a sibling being blockaded there; but my next example in this point is one of the biggest cases of how mismanaged this was: I never felt like they were in any danger. Even in the early stages; the original made sure we understood who the characters were and what the stakes they were in. I was hoping this show could do something similar with a new take. However, they instead decided to adapt the "Our War Game" storyline well before we even saw all the Digidestined onscreen; within the first three episodes. Didn't save much for the rest of the series, did they?

Pandemic-induced hiatus aside, that was why I waited for the entire series to finish before I began writing about it. Some figured that meant they would have to find a way to nerf Omnimon for later storylines; but no, the staff instead decided to double down on this at the end of the first third of the series. I will touch on this more in the remaining bullet points; but this makes the series seem both dragged out and overstuffed at the same time.

5. Target Audience Uncertainty

This should have been the easiest aspect to get right. Yet, out of the many questions this reboot raised, one in particular was the most surprising: who was this even for? It's a reboot that treats new viewers like it's their first Digimon story, yet it requires them to know how the franchise operates and have knowledge of its previous incarnations. At the same time, it's a completely new continuity that takes creative liberties with the original story and contains elements from other parts of the franchise that only fans would understand (up to and including monsters that didn't appear in animated form previously). So; that is one problem that ended up damaging this reboot- the uncertainty of its target audience. Though this anime often been compared to Frontier (a series which is getting new material; which I have mixed feelings about); I will at least say it's better than that. Still, there is one last point to address; and one that is easily the one that is the issue I had the most with it.

6. How it wasted the potential of the material

As I stated at the beginning, I'm not saying every reboot has to be a carbon copy of its source material. All the same, despite what they were handed; this reboot had all the potential to be the next great iteration of the franchise. Instead, they settled for a mere cash grab of nostalgic fanservice, and they couldn't even do that right. To put this into its proper context, Toei themselves wrote this adaptation off as a loss; especially compared to other brands in their portfolio. 

I genuinely believe this reboot had potential; but that potential wasn't realized. Again; I've heard people compare it to Frontier, but this anime is at least better than that.Even so, I've heard a few arguments against this anime that I shall now offer counterpoints to. Some individuals (who shall remain undisclosed here) tried to blame the story's shortcomings on writer Atsuhiro Tomioka and his work on Pokémon; which I consider an oversimplification. His work on that anime has contributed to some of its best stories in years; and he's also worked on My Hero Academia along with Toei stablemates One Piece and Dragon Ball Super. He clearly understands what makes an anime for that demographic compelling, it's just that maybe he doesn't understand Digimon. 

More infamously, there's that Reddit meme attempting to dismiss the disappointing reception on simply being targeted at children. However, I can cite examples in and out of the franchise, on both sides of the Pacific to dispute that claim since the original Adventure aired. My favorite season, Tamers completely shattered the mold set by the previous two seasons with how mind-bending (and thought-provoking) its approach to the digital age is. Data Squad (AKA Savers) featured a protagonist that's an aspiring MMA fighter (and former gangster) whose entire character arc is a redemption arc; and an antagonist who ends up committing genocide. Xros Wars/Fusion definitely felt like a tonal spiritual successor to Adventure (Young Hunters Leaping Through Time aside). Ghost Game, this anime's followup; is a Digimon horror story that's proven to be everything this reboot should have been in terms of quality. 

With other anime, there's of course examples I cited here with Demon Slayer (again, different standards in Japan), My Hero Academia; and Toei's own work on Dragon Ball Super and One Piece. On my side of the pacific, shows such as the Avatar verse; the DC Animated Universe, The Owl House and Amphibia have been able to offer so much depth to the same audience this reboot targeted (that last one even had its three main characters get near-death experiences in each season finale).

My final and arguably most important point is, I never wanted or needed this reboot to be a carbon copy of the original. At the least, I wanted it to be good. At the most, this could have been a worthy alternate take on the story that even surpassed its senior in some respects. Yet, it accomplished neither; and its very existence completely undermines the ending of Last Evolution Kizuna. Seriously- you couldn't have waited a bit longer after the movie came out to announce this reboot, let alone release it? The closing moments of this anime already have me concerned about a potential repeat of this scenario with the 02 cast in both movie and TV anime formats.

Above all, the original Digimon Adventure had the right foundation for the reboot to succeed; but the house built by the reboot just didn't hold up that well. I honestly have mixed feelings about this reboot being dubbed (though I am OK with Zeno Robinson as Tai, I need a full cast list before I say more), I personally am among those that would have preferred a dub of Ghost Game instead. Whatever Toei decides to do next with the franchise; I honestly hope it's better than this. That will be all for now, take care.