Further Thoughts on "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master" and the 2023 anime.

Now that I’ve had time to let it sit (and as someone who’s almost finished with the subs of Journeys); I give you further thoughts on the “Aim to Be a Pokémon Master” miniseries and the 2023 anime.

Having seen the first two episodes (with a third out this Friday), my early impressions of the OVA are quite positive. I think it does a good job at honoring the vast legacy of the anime while also putting its own spin on it. Even that match over a Clauncher was a neat homage to “The Totodile Duel.” With the miniseries bringing in both monsters and characters from across the 25-year history of the series; it should definitely prove a good way to close out Pokémon Journeys.

On that note, let’s talk a bit more about the 2023 series. I still have my reservations about that one, especially in regards to new leads Roy and Riko. The theory that the latter was Ash’s daughter (and the idea of Ash marrying and having children at all) was effectively debunked by Rica Matsumoto in an interview. Now, there are some who claim she’s connected to the Orbeetle line; given how her hair clip resembles one of its antennae. Honestly continue to be amazed at how much speculation there can be over minute details like that; since I tend to prefer to only talk about concrete details. At this stage, there still aren’t a whole lot of those other than the facts that the anime will be based on “Pokémon Scarlet and Violet” and will be focusing on new characters (though ones from past series are said to show up).

As I have mentioned before, this is the first time in decades I don’t have any clear idea of what to expect from the next generation. If it works, it certainly is a fictional universe that can support more than one “anchor” to have as a franchise lead. However, if audiences don’t respond to Riko and Roy, that could raise questions about what’s next (if they had to find a new lead, still would have preferred Florian and Juliana; with Nemona, Arven and Penny in supporting roles).

To use analogies from another franchise I have immense enjoyment of, let's go with Transformers this time. Though Beast Wars was the first version of the franchise I ever experienced and enjoyed (with its writing, voice acting and groundbreaking CG being key reasons); the reaction from many longtime fans was divided to say the least. Yet, the crew and writers still proved that they could make a compelling and worthwhile addition to the franchise; and one that continues to influence subsequent fiction to this day (Rise of the Beasts is a movie I'm low-key excited for this summer). Beast Machines may be a bit dicy in some areas of the fandom; but I have appreciation for it (especially as an anime fan). That one even introduced the idea of the Spark to the franchise; which became a fixture of its canon ever since. Though Energon may have been a mess, the storylines in Armada got quite good in the later episodes; and Cybertron was also a worthwhile end to the Unicron Trilogy.

On the other side of the coin, there's Hot Rod. He might be my favorite Autobot (definitely would not object to Judd Nelson voicing him in future live-action projects); but he got blowback like you wouldn't believe when he was first introduced, to say nothing of other characters introduced in the 1986 movie. Nightscream is also a divisive character among many; but he actually might be my favorite Maximal (though I do admit I'm still astonished that his McDonald's premium was more show-accurate than the Ultra Class figurine). The less I say about Drift, the better (not even Ken Watanabe could save the character on film).

That said; I think it's good to come back to the Star Wars analogy I brought up about a year ago. That is is a textbook example of how a franchise can explore different aspects of its universe while still retaining what made it great to begin with. Obi-Wan Kenobi managed to strike a balance between the wonder of A New Hope with the dark times of Revenge of the Sith (including opening on a new perspective of the Jedi Temple attack). Jedi Fallen Order showed how a Padawan survived Order 66 and went into hiding; with it being the ideal take on the saga's own version of Uncharted and Dark Souls (definitely interested in the upcoming sequel when I get a PS5). Andor was both a compelling spy caper and a haunting parable for the dangers of extremist leadership (and a very timely one at that). I am eager to see what Skeleton Crew, the Ahsoka event series and the third season of The Mandalorian bring to the table. Bottom line- the skeptic in me is concerned about the 2023 anime, but the optimist in me is hoping they'll make it work (especially as heavy hints have been dropped about legacy characters showing up as well).

Overall, it’s nice to know that the series is still resonating with people nearly 25 years after it first came stateside. It’s a textbook counterargument to the idea that every video game adaptation is a disaster (a mindset which is thankfully becoming less common now, with Pokémon Detective Pikachu and the Sonic films being two key examples). I will most likely continue analyzing it going forward; since I still find new ways to talk about its past and new material for the future. I think “The Distant Blue Sky” special would be good to address further on February 27th.

As mentioned before, I don’t plan on formally reviewing the miniseries or addressing the 2023 reboot until I have more details; especially not before they receive English dubs. That will be all for now, take care.

Further Thoughts on Trigun Stampede.

I know I wanted to have my first review of 2023 out sooner; but it's once again been held up (by a combination of life, Generation IX and Shredder's Revenge to name few). Rest assured, it will be out once I have it ready. In the meantime, here are further thoughts on Trigun Stampede.

Though it's still not the complete disaster I was worried about it being; I also continue to question why it was necessary. The second and third episodes have marginally better animation than the first; but it also just seems off to me. Other people have praised its art direction, but I honestly don't see it. Maybe it's my personal preference, maybe it's how high the bar has been set by Lupin III The First (along with Orange's previous work on Land of the Lustrous and BEASTARS); but the movement feels choppier than even the original anime did in the same point. I am starting to adjust my eyes to the presentation, but I typically don't watch most anime on pause. Honestly hope people that prefer the reboot design of Vash are joking, since I still think he looks like a Fortnite avatar in this version.

Not pictured- vibing with Goku, Deku and the Mandalorian.

The pacing and tone are still issues I have with this version: I now have to rescind placing this above Digimon Adventure 2020 (forget you, Toei, I'm not including the colon in the title), since it committed the same mistake of tipping their hand too early in terms of the villains. Not just with Knives (who didn't confront Vash until the original's denouement); but the Nebraska brothers as well. While I'm on that subject; I don't really agree with the changes made to their designs. Some of this was necessary given the different medium; but Hard Puncher looks more plasticky than his SH Figuarts tie-in. His handler also looks less like the mad scientist from its senior and more like Zack de la Rocha with a bad platinum bleach job.

Character redesigns aside, this raises further questions about why this reboot was necessary if Orange is just going to plow through the story and threats like this. To put this into context; it gives me flashbacks to when 4Kids removed Laboon and Little Garden from One Piece... only for both arcs to be connected to Brook and Water 7, respectively. Oops. In a more recent analogy, it would be like if Luffy followed Zoro to Wano immediately after freeing him from the Marines' prison.

Though I am at least glad they got Johnny Yong Bosch back as Vash; I honestly wonder why it took this long to just come out and say it. He might have been under NDA, but he said on his social feeds he hadn't been contacted before the reboot announcement was officially made; and I believe him. I honestly would have been way more open to the reboot if the promotional team wasn't going out of their way to put the lens of bad optics even on good decisions like that. It just makes the questionable ones stand out even more (yes, I am still disappointed about the absence of Milly at this stage).

Three episodes in, and while not a complete misfire; this reboot still lacks the magic of the original personally. I still do not plan on giving it a full review until the whole anime is out. I sincerely recommend those who haven't seen it or read the original manga please do so; as it is a much better use of time than this. Take care everyone.

General Update 1-19-23.

Hey fellas- just a quick update for tonight: my first review of the year is taking longer than I expected, rest assured it will be out to you when it's ready. 

On another note, I am aware of the next major update coming to Generation IX; I have something in mind for the 27th of next month as I usually do. I also did hear about Level-5 allegedly wanting to return to the US market; but given my experience with them, I will need time to address it. Don't expect anything this month on that, I will need time to give my honest thoughts on the matter.

Lastly, I know Digimon Con is next month; and two of my larger projects for this year will be in relation to the franchise. You'll just have to wait and see what they are. That is all for now.

Trigun Stampede (2023)- Episode 1, "No Man's Land" Thoughts.

So, the time has finally come. The first episode of Trigun Stampede, entitled "No Man's Land" has finally released and I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it's not the complete trash fire I was worried about it being. On the other, I also don't think it's very good. The anime could go anywhere from here; but it's got an uphill battle on its hands. Let's explore why, and there will be spoilers; if you care about that.

Courtesy: Crunchyroll/Toho/ORANGE

First, the positives- as reboots of beloved classics go, this isn't the worst thing ever even as it's far from the best. I would put this above the 2020 Digimon Adventure and the infamous 2016 Berserk; but a smidge below the 2021 Shaman King. The fact that I have this metric is definitely an indicator of where we are. The voice acting is relatively solid on the whole, and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Inosuke from Demon Slayer and Raihan from Pokémon Journeys, among many others) is at least a decent fit for what they're attempting to do.

That's not to say that this is completely without flaws either. Far from it- I was never onboard the hype train for this reboot; and was honestly baffled to why there was one to begin with. I always felt it appeared average; and now that I've seen it, at least in the pilot's case: I consider it to be average. 

The biggest points of contention are definitely the CGI and changes from the source material. I acknowledge that the style ORANGE has is distinctive, but while it works for Land of the Lustrous and for BEASTARS; I don't think it was the best fit for Trigun. Again, it's not as bad as the aforementioned 2016 Berserk; but it's also got this sheen like a video game cutscene (and not a cinematic one like Horizon, Elden Ring or Jedi Fallen Order). The original had impact and grit in nearly every frame, this reboot feels weightless; and everything looks too clean for a fictional universe that shares DNA with everything from the Mad Max series to spaghetti Western films. There's a scene where they're served allegedly dirty water; but I've had cups of Pepsi at Taco Bell that were murkier than the water in that scene. Honestly: I think Lupin III The First did a much better job at making 2D anime traits work in CGI.

I also want to make clear that I'm not against the idea of making changes for an adaptation or reboot, otherwise there wouldn't be that much point in doing one at all. The problem is that a fair amount of people would have preferred a direct adaptation of the manga (which wasn't finished when the original anime aired) or an adaptation of Maximum; and we got this instead. They're trying, but the energy just seems... off in this show. It doesn't help that attempting to open on Vash and Knives being sent to "No Man's Land" by their surrogate mother Rem ends up being less impactful than the original, since the buildup isn't there for the audience to get invested.

Then there's the character changes. Out of all the switches made, the omission of Milly Thompson (at least at this stage) is the one that upset me and others the most. Given how the character made a good contrast to Meryl Strife in both looks and personality; her removal didn't make any sense to me, or others. While I'm on the subject; I am very much not a fan of the changes made to Meryl's character; either in looks or personality. The inclusion of new character Roberto also doesn't do it for me in terms of making up for the aforementioned changes. Call me crazy, but I'm not buying Vash crying over reloading his weapon when his counterpart was able to; on occasions in the original, ward off attackers with some tomato juice, a kid's toy popgun that shoots rubber darts; and even his own finger.

In one infamous case, fan backlash to giving Wolfwood a lollipop instead of his cigarettes caused the change to be reverted (honestly got 4Kids One Piece flashbacks from that). Which begs one question- if you're willing to acknowledge that some fans aren't onboard for this kind of change in a reboot; why do it? Why not just do a more direct adaptation of the manga or Maximum? Admittedly, the anime could go in any direction from here, but for now; it's got an uphill battle on its hands.

I'm also not buying the claim of there not being a market for homages to past styles. I may not be into Megalobox; but that was lauded for how it used modern techniques to honor its source material. Heck, Lupin Zero is exactly the anime I wanted this to be; showing how cunning a thief he was even in his school days; and how he started working with Jigen and Fujiko. Best of all, its art direction is gleefully retro; coming directly from the anime that it acts as a precursor to.

The promotional campaign also did not help matters- it's one of the most baffling and confusing rollouts I've seen in this decade so far; and I've seen the preview campaign for Sonic Frontiers (I do like that game for the record, and post-launch ads have been much better). I'll have a clearer idea of how I feel another time; but for now, it's a very middle of the road update on a bonafide classic (one I put on the same pedestal as Cowboy Bebop).

If you are familiar with the material, definitely tread carefully as I have. If you are on the fence like I was, and haven't been exposed to the series beforehand; I strongly recommend reading the manga and watching the original anime first (all 26 episodes and the Badlands Rumble movie). I won't be doing a full review before the anime finishes, so it could take any trajectory from here. That will be all for now, so if you'll excuse me; I'm going back to the original anime.

2023- Year of the Rabbit with New Possibilities.

Happy New Year everyone- I once again apologize that I didn't get as much done as I wanted last year; but I did get a fair amount done all the same. So, I thought I might share what I might like to do in 2023.

On top of the projects I began work in last year I want to finish; I'm also preparing a look at some episodes of the original Trigun; as I remain a skeptic about Stampede (it's not just overly nostalgic fanboys either- most of the concerns I've heard are quite sensible). I am on the fence about doing the Cowboy Bebop movie, but it's not something I would rule out for the 25th anniversary later this year.

Still don't intend to formally address "Aim to be a Pokémon Master" or the 2023 anime until they officially come stateside; though I am considering a followup post as my thoughts continue to evolve with each new piece of information. (sighs) I also am seriously contemplating finally doing full examinations of both Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna and Digimon Frontier ahead of both 02: The Beginning and the proposed 20th anniversary Frontier project. Not looking forward to either one honestly.

I just thought I would let you know what the current situation is; that I'm not just playing games online and rewatching FLCL for New Year's (though that's also true). That will be all for now, and I should have my first review of 2023 worked out and posted by the time of my 31st birthday this month. Take care.