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Do you like when the anime takes its own twist on the games’ plot?

Ignition

We are so back Zygardebros
One of the most infamous aspects of the anime is that it rarely follows the game’s plot and instead takes its own creative liberties. Some examples include Ash not actually disbanding Team Rocket, challenging Roxie instead of Drayden despite having the BW order of badges, and Team Flare’s target being Zygarde. Some times it’s due to mixing two games in one saga (FRLG & RSE in AG, DPP and HGSS in DP etc) while other times it’s simply a different way to tackle the main plot points like Gyms and villianous organizations. Like anything in the anime, this approach has mixed reactions depending on the event. Do you generally like the anime taking its own path or do you prefer it sticks to the game’s plot? Are there any instances you think it was pulled off well/not so well? Explanations behind your stance plz.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
One of the most infamous aspects of the anime is that it rarely follows the game’s plot and instead takes its own creative liberties. Some examples include Ash not actually disbanding Team Rocket, challenging Roxie instead of Drayden despite having the BW order of badges, and Team Flare’s target being Zygarde. Some times it’s due to mixing two games in one saga (FRLG & RSE in AG, DPP and HGSS in DP etc) while other times it’s simply a different way to tackle the main plot points like Gyms and villianous organizations. Like anything in the anime, this approach has mixed reactions depending on the event. Do you generally like the anime taking its own path or do you prefer it sticks to the game’s plot? Are there any instances you think it was pulled off well/not so well? Explanations behind your stance plz.

The biggest problem here is what exactly is a "twist"? A twist is something that's suppose to play with your expectations, mislead you regardless if it's exciting or disappointing. A great example is the Pokemon Adventures manga. Most of it's twists are exciting because it knows how to faithfully adapt to the plot that slowly built-up to unexpected twists not for the sake of a twist but to intentionally ask what if questions or improve certain characters. The anime on the other hand really makes you question if what it's doing is less of a twist and more simply just a different take. It's predictable, it obviously never tries to play with your expectations and when it does attempt to do a twist on the game's lore or story, it makes you question if the writers can even pull it off. A great example is actually the very same XY series that gets praise for being the most faithful out of all the anime series. And that example is Malva. What made Malva intriguing from the games is that she was a powerful Elite Four member who held high regard for Team Flare and the anime did a good job at portraying this until the Team Flare finale where she just suddenly switch sides with no believable explanation. To many this just seemed like bad writing and this was an extremely disappointing twist that felt like it was just trying to wrap up Malva' character arc. The Pokemon Adventures manga takes Malva's character in a much more familiar yet somewhat different direction in just how loyal Malva is, something not even the games could do and wow, Malva is loyal. There was one scene I won't spoil, a twist near the end of the XY arc that really establishes just how extremely loyal Malva is to Team Flare's cause or perhaps extremely loyal to Lysandre himself and it's quite a believable shocker. People already knew Malva was loyal, just not this loyal. If you know what I'm talking to the great lengths that Malva does for Team Flare, this is quite a contrast with how XY handled it's twist in that even when it was less predictable, it seemed like bad writing which even the most die-hard XY fans agree.

However here's the thing. When the anime tries to follow the games plot, it rarely actually does it well and twists just seem predictable for the most if you can even call them twists. A great example is Diamond & Pearl. From my point of view at least, Diamond & Pearl is easily hands-down an awful adaptation of Diamond and Pearl's storyline but it's greatest strength for most Pokemon fans isn't it's adaptation of the DP games which can lead to some proper mind-blowing twists but it's use of creative liberties that gave us characters like Paul, Hunter J and Zoey which is why it's considered for some fans as the greatest Pokemon series.
 

Ignition

We are so back Zygardebros
The biggest problem here is what exactly is a "twist"? A twist is something that's suppose to play with your expectations, mislead you regardless if it's exciting or disappointing. A great example is the Pokemon Adventures manga. Most of it's twists are exciting because it knows how to faithfully adapt to the plot that slowly built-up to unexpected twists not for the sake of a twist but to intentionally ask what if questions or improve certain characters. The anime on the other hand really makes you question if what it's doing is less of a twist and more simply just a different take. It's predictable, it obviously never tries to play with your expectations and when it does attempt to do a twist on the game's lore or story, it makes you question if the writers can even pull it off. A great example is actually the very same XY series that gets praise for being the most faithful out of all the anime series. And that example is Malva. What made Malva intriguing from the games is that she was a powerful Elite Four member who held high regard for Team Flare and the anime did a good job at portraying this until the Team Flare finale where she just suddenly switch sides with no believable explanation. To many this just seemed like bad writing and this was an extremely disappointing twist that felt like it was just trying to wrap up Malva' character arc. The Pokemon Adventures manga takes Malva's character in a much more familiar yet somewhat different direction in just how loyal Malva is, something not even the games could do and wow, Malva is loyal. There was one scene I won't spoil, a twist near the end of the XY arc that really establishes just how extremely loyal Malva is to Team Flare's cause or perhaps extremely loyal to Lysandre himself and it's quite a believable shocker. People already knew Malva was loyal, just not this loyal. If you know what I'm talking to the great lengths that Malva does for Team Flare, this is quite a contrast with how XY handled it's twist in that even when it was less predictable, it seemed like bad writing which even the most die-hard XY fans agree.

However here's the thing. When the anime tries to follow the games plot, it rarely actually does it well and twists just seem predictable for the most if you can even call them twists. A great example is Diamond & Pearl. From my point of view at least, Diamond & Pearl is easily hands-down an awful adaptation of Diamond and Pearl's storyline but it's greatest strength for most Pokemon fans isn't it's adaptation of the DP games which can lead to some proper mind-blowing twists but it's use of creative liberties that gave us characters like Paul, Hunter J and Zoey which is why it's considered for some fans as the greatest Pokemon series.
A twist is adding something that’s not apparent in the game’s or an alternation of such
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
A twist is adding something that’s not apparent in the game’s or an alternation of such
If were talking about that, then the anime should just do what it wants. I think were pretty much at the point where most fans are just fine with seeing their favorite Pokemon and characters from the games animated. I feel that at this point, what the anime does that is game-related feels somewhat similar to fanservice in that fans would just go happily nuts to see say Guzma in a last-minute episode or a favorite Pokemon, like Golisopod, also in a last-minute episode showing their glory before it abrupt ends to the next story. I say that much of it's "twist" on the game's content feels like fanservice in much of the way Star War fans saw a returning character appearing out of nowhere in the Han Solo movie at the last-second. Every episode that features a Pokemon, a game character feels like that returning character from the Han Solo movie, fan-service to be honest and in some ways it does kind of fit that definition, especially for game characters, like Cheren for example, who have almost nothing to do with the plot.
 

Jeal

Well-Known Member
A great example is actually the very same XY series that gets praise for being the most faithful out of all the anime series..
No one ever said that XY was the most faithful out of all anime series. In fact, this is obviously false. XY anime and games are completely different.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
No one ever said that XY was the most faithful out of all anime series. In fact, this is obviously false. XY anime and games are completely different.
I'd say it's obviously the most faithful by default regardless if there are a lot of obvious differences.
 

Jeal

Well-Known Member
I'd say it's obviously the most faithful by default regardless if there are a lot of obvious differences.
Why? The plot of the games was completely changed. AG is the most faithful. And you said ''XY gets praise for being the most faithful'', so you say ''you''(not the majority, you) think so.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
Why? The plot of the games was completely changed. AG is the most faithful. And you said ''XY gets praise for being the most faithful'', so you say ''you''(not the majority, you) think so.
Nope. I hear it a lot as one of the reasons why some people think it's the best. Due to the strong lack of filler at least compared to previous seasons, more fast-paced nature and the consistency the XY plot has with the games until around half-way, and even then it's more like a take on the game's plot that you still recognize it in the end, it would be pretty absurd to say that XY's anime plot is "completely changed" from the games.
 

_AISP

Insect/Pokemon lover
I'm neutral about it. Sometimes it's alright sometimes it isn't but mostly I don't care.
 

Jeal

Well-Known Member
Nope. I hear it a lot as one of the reasons why some people think it's the best. Due to the strong lack of filler at least compared to previous seasons, more fast-paced nature and the consistency the XY plot has with the games until around half-way, and even then it's more like a take on the game's plot that you still recognize it in the end, it would be pretty absurd to say that XY's anime plot is "completely changed" from the games.
This hasn't nothing to do with being ''the most faithful''. What consistency? Team Flare was completely ignored for around 90 episodes. The only plot in the XY anime until around half-way is the badges(nothing new here). Ok, you loved XY(I did too), but your bias is completely blinding you.

Team Flare in Glittering Cave? Nope. In the Power Plant? Nope. Pokéball factory? Nope. Frost Cavern? Nope. Geosenge Town? Nope. Ultimate Weapon? Never appeared.
 

Zhydra

Master of Chaos!
Nope. I hear it a lot as one of the reasons why some people think it's the best. Due to the strong lack of filler at least compared to previous seasons, more fast-paced nature and the consistency the XY plot has with the games until around half-way, and even then it's more like a take on the game's plot that you still recognize it in the end, it would be pretty absurd to say that XY's anime plot is "completely changed" from the games.

The only thing about the anime's Team Flare plot that is like the games is that Lysandre wanted to commit genocide with a doomsday weapon that involved a legendary pokemon. Everything else is scrapped off. (And for good reason, the XY games plot was freaking terrible!)

The rest is your usual standard the anime does practically all the time. Go to town of the day, tussle, maybe it is like the games... but most of the time it isn't, go to filler town at worse luck or get hindered by COTD. Saying the XY anime is like the games is stretching it and generally being flat out wrong.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
This hasn't nothing to do with being ''the most faithful''. What consistency? Team Flare was completely ignored for around 90 episodes. The only plot in the XY anime until around half-way is the badges(nothing new here). Ok, you loved XY(I did too), but your bias is completely blinding you.

Team Flare in Glittering Cave? Nope. In the Power Plant? Nope. Pokéball factory? Nope. Frost Cavern? Nope. Geosenge Town? Nope. Ultimate Weapon? Never appeared.
Which is why I said it wins hands down by default.
 

Jeal

Well-Known Member
Which is why I said it wins hands down by default.
This makes no sense. Basically, you're saying ''it's the coolest, therefore is the most faithful. AG is the most faithful adaptation. And the XY anime is good because didn't followed the games's plot, the plot of the games was terrible.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
The only thing about the anime's Team Flare plot that is like the games is that Lysandre wanted to commit genocide with a doomsday weapon that involved a legendary pokemon. Everything else is scrapped off. (And for good reason, the XY games plot was freaking terrible!)

The rest is your usual standard the anime does practically all the time. Go to town of the day, tussle, maybe it is like the games... but most of the time it isn't, go to filler town at worse luck or get hindered by COTD. Saying the XY anime is like the games is stretching it and generally being flat out wrong.
Not really. The XY series has a much better time adapting the XY games better than any other previous series is because there's barely any plot at all which is why it's just the usual meeting Professor, beat Gym Leaders, Mega Evolution storyline and Zygarde replacing Xerneas/Yveltal in the Team Flare's storyline. Combine that with the lack of filler towns compared to previous series, a consistent Kalos-esque theme they're maintaining and the pacing having around the same as the XY games except for the second season, so it would be pretty absurd to say XY doesn't adapt much of the XY's plot. In fact, it's based on this reason alone that some people think the XY anime series is even superior to that of the games plot.

This makes no sense. Basically, you're saying ''it's the coolest, therefore is the most faithful. AG is the most faithful adaptation. And the XY anime is good because didn't followed the games's plot, the plot of the games was terrible.
Nope. I've never said that. Your just twisting my words as usual. To be honest your jumping to conclusions is getting a little annoying. Also how is AG the most faithful adaptation? It doesn't even faithfully adapt the Magma/Aqua storyline right and it only wins over Team Flare in terms of faithfulness by default which you admitted.
 

Jeal

Well-Known Member
Nope. I've never said that. Your just twisting my words as usual. To be honest your jumping to conclusions is getting a little annoying. Also how is AG the most faithful adaptation? It doesn't even faithfully adapt the Magma/Aqua storyline right and it only wins over Team Flare in terms of faithfulness by default which you admitted.
It's the most faithfull, like it or not. The Magma/Aqua adaptation is the most faithful of the anime to this day. Just because it wasn't ''epic'' like in Adventures doesn't meant it wasn't the closest to the games.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
It's the most faithfull, like it or not. The Magma/Aqua adaptation is the most faithful of the anime to this day. Just because it wasn't ''epic'' like in Adventures doesn't meant it wasn't the closest to the games.
So from what I'm getting at the mishandled villain plot alone makes AG the most faithful? There's more to a games story and lore outside of the villain and the villains team. The handling of games locations, gym leader battles and other side plots such as the S.S. Anne of Kanto to the Ultra Wormholes of Alola count. The Hoenn region in my opinion is average in terms of faithfulness. As for the villains itself. I'm honestly starting to rethink it's not as faithful as some claim it is. It's like the reverse of the issue with Team Flare that you mentioned, where Team Flare's storyline only starts getting faithful in the second half only for Magma and Aqua, it's only faithful in the first half.
 

Jeal

Well-Known Member
So from what I'm getting at the mishandled villain plot alone makes AG the most faithful? There's more to a games story and lore outside of the villain and the villains team. The handling of games locations, gym leader battles and other side plots such as the S.S. Anne of Kanto to the Ultra Wormholes of Alola count. The Hoenn region in my opinion is average in terms of faithfulness. As for the villains itself. I'm honestly starting to rethink it's not as faithful as some claim it is. It's like the reverse of the issue with Team Flare that you mentioned, where Team Flare's storyline only starts getting faithful in the second half only for Magma and Aqua, it's only faithful in the first half.
Yeah, but out of the villains, all the sagas are the same. Every saga Ash collects badges and loses the league. Anime Team Flare was never faithful. Games's Team Flare never used a walking giant rock to destroy the world. Never used plants to destroy cities. Anime Team Flare is superior because isn't faithful.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
Yeah, but out of the villains, all the sagas are the same. Every saga Ash collects badges and loses the league. Anime Team Flare was never faithful. Games's Team Flare never used a walking giant rock to destroy the world. Never used plants to destroy cities. Anime Team Flare is superior because isn't faithful.
True but I wouldn't really call the huge rock monster a huge change. It's more like an addition to a pre-existing story. What is a change is Zygarde obviously but it still maintains that same role and quite well, if not serves as a pretty good balance in how the versions depict Team Flare's goals differently with Xerneas and Yveltal. I'm saying the XY series is the most faithful by default is because it's doing a lot to enhance a game that barely has any plot compared to previous games. Part of the reason I think why so many fans I've talked to unanimously agree the XY Adventures manga and the XY anime series is undoubtedly ten times better than the games plot is simply because the games almost seemingly empty-rushed plot leaves a lot of room for storytelling and the XY anime series manages to do that well without dragging it's Gym Leader, Mega Evolution, Villain stories and other side-story content down, at least until Season 2 where for some people the filler is a bit too much.
 

Jeal

Well-Known Member
True but I wouldn't really call the huge rock monster a huge change. It's more like an addition to a pre-existing story. What is a change is Zygarde obviously but it still maintains that same role and quite well, if not serves as a pretty good balance in how the versions depict Team Flare's goals differently with Xerneas and Yveltal. I'm saying the XY series is the most faithful by default is because it's doing a lot to enhance a game that barely has any plot compared to previous games. Part of the reason I think why so many fans I've talked to unanimously agree the XY Adventures manga and the XY anime series is undoubtedly ten times better than the games plot is simply because the games almost seemingly empty-rushed plot leaves a lot of room for storytelling and the XY anime series manages to do that well without dragging it's Gym Leader, Mega Evolution, Villain stories and other side-story content down, at least until Season 2 where for some people the filler is a bit too much.
Well, so ''faithful'' isn't the right word. Anime Team Flare could have been a lot better, too. They came so late and so little.

Too much fillers in season 2? How so? Season 2 had the least fillers out of all the seasons.
 
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