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Goh Doesn’t Deserve the Hate He Gets: An analysis of what I like about his character and what could be done better

SerGoldenhandtheJust

Deluded Dreamer
Ok, I'll bite. What is a "valid reason" for you?
Having problems with his uneven development pace, made more evident by the stage at which he caught a legendary Pokémon. The fact his goal can be boring to watch and they took too long to make it interesting with project mew (and we have yet to see the fruits of that). The fact plot can be too convenient for him at times with the absurd Amount of first pokeball captures he has or things like grookey randomly in his arms, Sobble randomly being caught, Durant randomly joining Goh etc. The fact we don't get more bonding moments with him and his mons, etc

When it comes to complaints like he's akin to a hunter, he doesn't care about his Pokémon or their feelings, he's a bad friend to Ash and selfish, he didn't deserve a capture because Ash should have got it etc. I just roll my eyes coz it's all just untrue.

I can also understand if someone doesn't like Goh's character's personality or his backstory and all, even though I love it. It's just the sheer amount of nitpicking and angriness thrown at him that makes me disillusioned with his criticisms
 

Spider-Phoenix

#ChespinGang
I agree with nearly everything except Sobble. For me it's clear the capture was meant to be comical and honestly, I didn't really hate it. I think it was a good episode.

This whole Sobble thing wouldn't have been so problematic if there wasn't such a misleading trailer back then
 

SerenaRulez

Well-Known Member
I think Goh is an easy target for some people to go after whenever something in Journeys does not go the way they wanted.

I think Goh is mostly an ok character but the one thing that I do not like about him is that he caught some Pokemon that I wish Ash had caught like Absol and Flygon. I wish Goh had caught Dracovish instead of Ash or trade his Flygon to him but that will probably not happen. :(
 

DatsRight

Well-Known Member
I might also add that it likely doesn't help that Goh's approach is pretty jarring RIGHT after SM, which took the opposite approach to captures, streamlined teams but the Pokemon were all treated like main characters and family members.

Not to say Journey taking a different method about it is automatically bad but it comes off lacking after SM actually broadened the characterisation of Pokemon teams, and this series admittedly hasn't really shown its alternate positives that well yet. Yeah Goh has a much larger Pokemon count than any of the Alola teams, but how is that being used as a benefit to the plot exactly?
 

Ignition

We are so back Zygardebros
I don’t think Go is the reincarnation of Satan like some make him out to be and I actually enjoy his character from a personality standpoint. I just find his goal to be boring (to be fair I don’t think you could make a Pokédex completion goal entertaining) and his ways of catching Pokémon to be either too simple or just trying to hard to convince the viewer that he deserves it.

As I said, I don’t believe he’s nearly as bad as people make him out to be. However I also feel like so many people see any criticism of him as hate. I see so many generalizations about anyone that has an issue with Go like that people who hate him are mad because he’s not constantly acknowledging Ash. It’s such a reach lol and they’re just as bad as people who call Go a heartless collector
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
I might also add that it likely doesn't help that Goh's approach is pretty jarring RIGHT after SM, which took the opposite approach to captures, streamlined teams but the Pokemon were all treated like main characters and family members.

Not to say Journey taking a different method about it is automatically bad but it comes off lacking after SM actually broadened the characterisation of Pokemon teams, and this series admittedly hasn't really shown its alternate positives that well yet. Yeah Goh has a much larger Pokemon count than any of the Alola teams, but how is that being used as a benefit to the plot exactly?
I believe that this would apply to Satoshi's handling of his own Pokemon as well since there've been many complaints that Satoshi hasn't used Kairyu, Gangar, and some of the others much outside of battles.
 

Gamzee Makara

Flirtin' With Disaster
Goh is the result of marketing and management going off of poorly stated feedback, mobile markets being more profitable than the games, and ol' capitalism, resulting in overcompensation as usual in an attempt to make more money than is needed.

He isn't the problem.

He's a failure of a solution based on a failure to eloquently communicate feedback without negativity in sufficient amounts.(Twitter is niot conducive to market feedback, just the raging minority of a fandom raising stink after stink because their id and ego are being challenged/questioned)

People asked for change again after blasting SM for being different when the marketing people were listening to feedback pre-NatDexers killing feedback being dignified(due to death, rape and bomb threats at anyone working on Pokémon anything) with consideration, since it's now buried in a avalanche of BBND and conspiracy theories.

They got another different/changed formula. And people refuse to swallow their pride, put aside their egos admit that they weren't good enough at asking for what they want, and thus lose internet fandom credit(Which is coming in a related medium after next week when people try to save face for not asking for Platinum remakes, and thus not getting Platinum features in BDSP and PL:A).

Or

Just admit you want an Adventures anime, Ash to time travel and either beat Tobias and the Magmortar guy/to avoid Zekrom to beat Trip's Snivy, or Gyms with Scottish Pokémon Trainer & Milo/Gordie/Allister/Hop already, or some other mental reality alteration fantasy designed to save face and soothe your bruised egos.

Either way...

It's obvious what people are doing, because EVERY FANDOM DOES THIS BULL because fandom ego is universal.

Take the L already.

It'll free your mind from oodles of disappointment and worries about toys.
 

Ryker101

Well-Known Member
This came out wayy longer than I expected lmao, but it's below. I've wanted to analyse him for a while:

Goh's actually great character and backstory wise, functioning as almost a perfect counterpart to Ash. Whilst Ash is bold, courageous, improvisational and outgoing in nature, Goh's the opposite. He's calculated, solitary, prudent and spends more time learning about rather than bonding with pokemon. Unlike how Ash went out to summer camps, interacted with pokemon and hung out with Gary, Goh spent most of his time in a dark room front of a screen. The one time he actually went to a summer camp, he's really just flexing his knowledge on pokemon (which even his only friend calls him out on) and wanders off on his own, rather than actually spending time with other people there. His parents being workaholics only furthers this - even on family vacations they're so exhausted and nap, leaving Goh by himself yet again. They almost even regret not spending enough time with him growing up (in episode 15). The one time actually he tries to make a new friend, it unintentionally backfires massively on him. His experience with Tokio both reinforces his belief that he should spend most his time himself but also subconsciously motivates him to seek out pokemon partners in compensation for his lack of human ones. So when we meet him, he almost comes across as standoffish, selfish (rejecting Scorbunny at first), cold-hearted (remember his comment towards the Ivysaurs in ep 3), a smartass and purely just interested in pokemon rather than living his life (since he skips school even). In reality, he's just deeply insecure about himself due to his experiences.

There's a lot more to his character than just 'haha monsta ball go brrrrr'. I feel like people don't give him enough credit for what he does right. Part of what makes him so polarising is that he's unique: he's not based off any game characters, his goal is more ambitious than any companion, he started as Ash's only companion this series, isn't tied down to just 1 region and of course owns the most pokemon out of any character we've seen (let alone a main character). He's certainly not whatever braindead labels people have given him.

However, he can be inconsistent and his development has been rocky. He's definitely progresses as a character - he learns to recognise his pokemon's desires (seen with Raboot), confronts demons from the past, opens up to new people, becomes comfortable with releasing his old mons (Floette), care for them (Suicune in particular, but his whole party really) and truly begins to empathise with them (Drizzile, Alolan ninetales even). I just think they didn't take the time to properly flesh him out and streamline the journey. They have the right idea but could've handled incidents like Zapdos, Suicune and Grookey better. Also could've helped to introduce/hint to project mew earlier so he didn't feel that aimless from the start. Sometimes he also feels too similar to Ash and that his flaws appear to be 'ironed out' too soon (which is what make him more interesting in the first place). For example, his battle skills. He does get a lot of second-hand experience analysing Ash's battles/strategies and trains with him occassionally (+ beating team rocket), but he ramps up pretty quickly. Could've spaced that out and have him struggle more.

Another reason why I think Goh gets so much hate is because Ash himself hasn't done much this series (relatively speaking). Because we've seen Goh's journey so much, it's easy to use him as a scapegoat for the whole series' problems. I think if they had a more concrete plan with him and handled Ash's journey properly from the start, people would've been way more forgiving towards him. In the end he's still one of my favourite companions and a pretty interesting character to analyse and discuss. We'll probably not get another character like him, for better or worse.
 
Last edited:

SerGoldenhandtheJust

Deluded Dreamer
This came out wayy longer than I expected lmao, but it's below. I've wanted to analyse him for a while:

Goh's actually great character and backstory wise, functioning as almost a perfect counterpart to Ash. Whilst Ash is bold, courageous, improvisational and outgoing in nature, Goh's the opposite. He's calculated, solitary, prudent and spends more time learning about rather than bonding with pokemon. Unlike how Ash went out to summer camps, interacted with pokemon and hung out with Gary, Goh spent most of his time in a dark room front of a screen. The one time he actually went to a summer camp, he's really just flexing his knowledge on pokemon (which even his only friend calls him out on) and wanders off on his own, rather than actually spending time with other people there. His parents being workaholics only furthers this - even on family vacations they're so exhausted and nap, leaving Goh by himself yet again. They almost even regret not spending enough time with him growing up (in episode 15). The one time actually he tries to make a new friend, it unintentionally backfires massively on him. His experience with Tokio both reinforces his belief that he should spend most his time himself but also subconsciously motivates him to seek out pokemon partners in compensation for his lack of human ones. So when we meet him, he almost comes across as standoffish, selfish (rejecting Scorbunny at first), cold-hearted (remember his comment towards the Ivysaurs in ep 3), a smartass and purely just interested in pokemon rather than living his life (since he skips school even). In reality, he's just deeply insecure about himself due to his experiences.

There's a lot more to his character than just 'haha monsta ball go brrrrr'. I feel like people don't give him enough credit for what he does right. Part of what makes him so polarising is that he's unique: he's not based off any game characters, his goal is more ambitious than any companion, he started as Ash's only companion this series, isn't tied down to just 1 region and of course owns the most pokemon out of any character we've seen (let alone a main character). He's certainly not whatever braindead labels people have given him.

However, he can be inconsistent and his development has been rocky. He's definitely progresses as a character - he learns to recognise his pokemon's desires (seen with Raboot), confronts demons from the past, opens up to new people, becomes comfortable with releasing his old mons (Floette), care for them (Suicune in particular, but his whole party really) and truly begins to empathise with them (Drizzile, Alolan ninetales even). I just think they didn't take the time to properly flesh him out and streamline the journey. They have the right idea but could've handled incidents like Zapdos, Suicune and Grookey better. Also could've helped to introduce/hint to project mew earlier so he didn't feel that aimless from the start. Sometimes he also feels too similar to Ash and that his flaws appear to be 'ironed out' too soon (which is what make him more interesting in the first place). For example, his battle skills. He does get a lot of second-hand experience analysing Ash's battles/strategies and trains with him occassionally (+ beating team rocket), but he ramps up pretty quickly. Could've spaced that out and have him struggle more.

Another reason why I think Goh gets so much hate is because Ash himself hasn't done much this series (relatively speaking). Because we've seen Goh's journey so much, it's easy to use him as a scapegoat for the whole series' problems. I think if they had a more concrete plan with him and handled Ash's journey properly from the start, people would've been way more forgiving towards him. In the end he's still one of my favourite companions and a pretty interesting character to analyse and discuss. We'll probably not get another character like him, for better or worse.
THANK YOU
Perfectly said it man! Kudos
 

Litleonid

Well-Known Member
Having problems with his uneven development pace, made more evident by the stage at which he caught a legendary Pokémon. The fact his goal can be boring to watch and they took too long to make it interesting with project mew (and we have yet to see the fruits of that). The fact plot can be too convenient for him at times with the absurd Amount of first pokeball captures he has or things like grookey randomly in his arms, Sobble randomly being caught, Durant randomly joining Goh etc. The fact we don't get more bonding moments with him and his mons, etc
This sums up pretty much every complaint I have with Goh.
 
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