Do you like how the anime treated the Trial Captains?

[DatsRight]

I feel like Lana could be sticking out more in terms of supporting roles however. I mean, sure, Ash is more extroverted, but not every role he has is defined by him being hyperactive, reckless or a screw up. He can play the straight man and make it fun at times. He's versatile.

Lana's more introverted but blunt and strange personality would likely make her a funny straight man in some episodes.

I admit this is again likely something harder to do with so many characters, especially given the ones they ARE giving proper focus to they are steadfast in keeping multi faceted and not over designated them into one cliche role (eg. Ash and Kiawe can be the competent ace/sane guy OR the flawed guy/comic relief, which is a cool versatility, but one that risks making a larger cast with more limited personalities feel redundant).

 

[Leonhart]

Lana just hasn't seen much action in a while, she's due for another episode and I think it's time for Popplio to evolve, but it's not like her episodes were awful or anything.

I just find it unfair that most of her episodes have led to development for her, while Mao's episodes seem wasteful and make her character feel like a joke. Mao's so much better handled in the games.

 

[LilligantLewis]

When I first read the thread title, I thought it was talking about how the anime treated the concept of trial captains, but reading everyone's responses, it seems to have more to do with the characters themselves. But to answer my initial thought, while I don't really have the issues many in this thread have with the characters themselves, the way the overall concept has been handled doesn't make me that happy since it means Ash skips many trials, for example on Akala Island he did only one of the three elemental trials leading up to the Grand Trial.

trying to make Popplio evolve into it's full evolution

Do you really think it's going to fully evolve? I mean, I would be excited as May is the only Pokégirl to get a fully evolved starter, and that too only in the final episode, so it didn't even really get to do much, but at the same time, based on the current pace I just don't see it happening, as much as I would love to.

Pls point me to one character in any other series that is less developed than Mallow.

Tracey

 

[DatsRight]

But to answer my initial thought, while I don't really have the issues many in this thread have with the characters themselves, the way the overall concept has been handled doesn't make me that happy since it means Ash skips many trials, for example on Akala Island he did only one of the three elemental trials leading up to the Grand Trial.

On the other hand I like that some of the other characters get to do the trials or equivalents of. Ash does the Grand Trials and at least one standard trial so I don't think he's too underused.


Concerning the character balance, looking back, it is something that is definitely imperfect, but I can't help but feel could have been a whole lot worse, especially since the anime hasn't been great for balancing character roles and importance and just making every companion stick out even with half the numbers.

Let's take another games adaptation that expanded into a six man band, Sonic the Hedgehog's 'SatAm' show. Not to completely diss the show, it had good points, but character balance was admittedly awful. We had about the same number and use of archetypes as we have right now (reckless hero, smart girl, powerhouse lancer, tech guy, etc.), however while the first handful of episodes showcased them okay, things nosedived afterwards, making it mostly about all of TWO same characters, and even them being streamlined in role so their chemistry wasn't as good (compared to Ash and Lillie's more even handed 'brains and brawn/strategy or on-the-fly' chemistry that seems to strengthen as the show goes on, Sonic just became a bullheaded dimwit who'd keep killing himself without Sally's tactics).

Relatively, SM does pretty good, it has a main hero, but all the cast get token moments of limelight, even if quality varies. More than half of the cast at least feel useful on a regular basis with plots maintaining them some degree of character agency, and while the remaining few are disappointing, they're not just forgotten about completely.

While Ash doesn't have great dynamics with EVERYONE, he at least has good ones with a fair few, compared to the usual ONE companion in previous series.

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

But to answer my initial thought, while I don't really have the issues many in this thread have with the characters themselves, the way the overall concept has been handled doesn't make me that happy since it means Ash skips many trials, for example on Akala Island he did only one of the three elemental trials leading up to the Grand Trial.

I honestly don't mind it. The games and the anime have very different requirements to actually being good. In the games the player character has to be the sole hero, the main character of focus, and pretty much everyone else doesn't really get to do much. The player has to be the hero with no personality. In the anime characters are required to be actual characters with some degree of realism, personality, flaws, and strengths to them, to make them likeable and relatable, and that means giving them all a bit of attention and space to develop themselves and show the audience who they are.

Another point, I don't actually like everything about how the games executed the trials either. The number of trials per Grand Trial is kind of arbitrary, there's no reason why it differs per island. I also don't like how the games don't even have trials for several Z-crystals, but instead just gives them away (Flynium Z, Psychium Z, Poisonium Z, Bugium Z, Icium Z, SM Fairium Z, I'm looking at you). That was dominated by factors other than story and world-building, namely by development time and game pacing. From an in-universe perspective there is no reason why there couldn't be trials for the other Z-crystals too. There isn't really much reason for the anime to copy the arbitrariness of that from the games to be honest.

 

[Ignition]

When I first read the thread title, I thought it was talking about how the anime treated the concept of trial captains, but reading everyone's responses, it seems to have more to do with the characters themselves. But to answer my initial thought, while I don't really have the issues many in this thread have with the characters themselves, the way the overall concept has been handled doesn't make me that happy since it means Ash skips many trials, for example on Akala Island he did only one of the three elemental trials leading up to the Grand Trial.



Do you really think it's going to fully evolve? I mean, I would be excited as May is the only Pokégirl to get a fully evolved starter, and that too only in the final episode, so it didn't even really get to do much, but at the same time, based on the current pace I just don't see it happening, as much as I would love to.



Tracey

I realized that, after reading through everyone's response, that my initial question was vague. But I did mean both of what you answered: the lack of the concept of TC and the characterization of the would be TC.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

I like the way they've expanded them into more 3 - dimensional characters.

I hate how they won't let the girls get a second Pokémon, seeing as each of the guys has had a second Pokémon for over 50 episodes now.

 

[Leonhart]

I like the way they've expanded them into more 3 - dimensional characters.

They kind of went overboard with Ilima, however. They practically turned him into Dent 2.0. And although I liked Acerola's portrayal, I wish she had stayed around much longer.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

They kind of went overboard with Ilima, however. They practically turned him into Dent 2.0. And although I liked Acerola's portrayal, I wish she had stayed around much longer.

Acerola will probably be back. She's part of the E4, after all. In both games. Also, they had to make Ilima into something more interesting than the games version.

 

[MidnightMelody]

No but to be fair they were treated like sub bar gym leaders in the game too. The anime just treats them worse. Would rather have had Ash with Lillie and and an anime only person travelling Alola while either facing the TC or just doing the trials with them in charge and getting to face the totems and Kahunas like gym leaders.

Acerola will probably be back. She's part of the E4, after all. In both games. Also, they had to make Ilima into something more interesting than the games version.

Not sure that matters since I doubt the E4 will even be made since at this point the league is not even made. Granted she could be made E4 later down the road after SUMO is done and they had the first league. Like the E4 will be decided by the top 4

 

[Evanibble]

I don't have a problem with some of the trial captains being classmates of Ash's, or there to not be trial captains at all. What I would have liked to see is how each of them ultimately become trial captains, as well as other characters like Ilima, Acerola, and Mina. Granted, there's still plenty of time for them to do this, but I think seeing them become captains gradually throughout the series would've been cool, too.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Eh. From what English audiences have seen...

Lana is amazing and largely unchanged from her role as captain. It helps that she has a Popplio (who isn't an Oshawott), which by default gives her enough importance.

Mallow is useless and only can shine when Lana is around. And when she gets a focus episode, it's really more about her family or her only Pokemon than her.

Sophocles is just a fat Clemont with a wrong idea of being shy around others (while Togedemaru is Bonnie. YEAH, I NOTICED).

Kiawe is a weirdo companion/rival. He should be one of those two. As a companion, he doesn't progress in his own Island Challenge, and it feels to me that drags him down to a crazy psychopath who switches between his unique bipolar attitude (as in serious and then INSANE).

Ilima's quirky behavior for battles has been destroyed and was turned into a very strange likeable Gary Oak.

Long story short, they're all worse as a whole. I only care about Lana.