Perfect Sharpness! Kartana has Arrived! (1067)

[OniCornwalis]

So, this episode is probably one of my least favorite in the series, and it’s not due to the story or anything like that; Nah, it’s due to the animation. The thing about SM episodes is that even if the story can be meh in some episodes, like in episode 24, the fluid animation is enough to make people continue watching.

However, with this episode, it was outsourced to a Korean animation studio for some reason, and it shows. Stiff movements, no real fluidity, lots of stock backgrounds and repeated animations filled the episode. Say what you will about this series, but it’s animation is beautiful and fluid almost all the time, and when you have an episode that doesn’t play to this series’ biggest strength, it shows. Just look at the preview for next week’s episode, and see how much of a difference in quality there is. I would’ve liked this episode way more if the animation wasn’t so terrible for the most part.

 

[Red and Blue]

Last time he appeared, Viren said he was going to make a stadium. Here, we see said stadium. Again, I like SM's continuity, even for minor one-off lines that don't really matter in the end. It's the little things.

I liked the cutting gags, my highlights being when Kartana cut through the Team Rocket motto background, but my absolute favorite scene was Bewear grabbing Team Rocket, shoving them into the robot, putting it back together, and then blasting. That's the kind of insanity I expect from it.

*Ahem* But there's a one scene that really confused me. No one's mentioned it by now, so I'm probably the first to notice/care.

There's only supposed to be 20 Meltan in total, including Ash's (I counted; it was consistent between both Meltan episodes), but now they've doubled and there's 38 (not including Ash's). What's with that?

Melmetal is on its way. We should be getting at least a hundred Meltan over the next few episodes

 

[British Soul]

Bourgain: Buy now and get these photos of my toned bod

Me: can I shred those?

 

[BTS_fan]

I should've known that the Rayquaza vs Deoxys fight would be pointless. The meteorite could've fallen to Earth randomly without that scene needing to be shown. Kartana was pretty cool though, probably my second favorite Ultra Beast after Buzzwole.

 

[Ignition]

Kartana’s voice really took me aback. Was not expecting that in the slightest. Not much happened and the meteor didn’t feel like a threat in the slightest but a decent episode.

 

[DragonKahuna]

*Ahem* But there's a one scene that really confused me. No one's mentioned it by now, so I'm probably the first to notice/care.

There's only supposed to be 20 Meltan in total, including Ash's (I counted; it was consistent between both Meltan episodes), but now they've doubled and there's 38 (not including Ash's). What's with that?

Ask Clefable

 

[Leonhart]

The episode was pretty entertaining since the Ultra Guardian shtick has always been fun to watch. I thought that Kamiturugi slicing things up such as the Beast Ball that the others wanted to capture it in was amusing, and I'm really glad that the episode was resolved with Kamiturugi simply returning home on its own.

 

[lemoncatpower]

Kartana speaking Japanese is thematically appropriate and explains why he seemed to understand Ash almost immediately.

I was also thinking that in his ultraspace there were people, meaning he could have already had experience in his own world speaking with humans before talking to Ash. But games ain't anime

 

[WhiteBlair]

I should've known that the Rayquaza vs Deoxys fight would be pointless. The meteorite could've fallen to Earth randomly without that scene needing to be shown. Kartana was pretty cool though, probably my second favorite Ultra Beast after Buzzwole.

At least, they could've made the 'legendary fest' a bit unique by not giving Rayquaza the cliche Palkia cry. Or, an ORAS reference with Brendan on top of Mega-Rayquaza would made it stand out.

As for Kartana, I was surprised that it was actually 'talking'? Thought it may be a reference to the people worshipping it in its' Ultra Forest, but its' cry left me shook a little bit.

 

[ballinamon]

Geez Rayquaza and Deoxys calm down at once could you?

 

[Twilight-Kun]

This episode raises so many questions

-Where did Kartana learn about Arceus? (Where'd the limiter ring on the furfrou come from?)

-Where did PokeEarth get an asteroid field from?

-Why is the Aether Foundation going Big Brother's Always Watching on Alola?

-Why are the adults so far behind on trying to capture and research Ultra Beasts? They're lucky the UB haven't been actively malevolent, otherwise Alola would've been reduced to a smoking ruin due to them sometimes waiting dozens of hours to actually do anything

-Are they foreshadowing Lillie winning the League by equating the Alolan vulpix line to god?


Also, 2 meltan pyramids at 19 meltan each = 38 meltan
9 meltan carrying the Beast Ball Box + Ash's Meltan = 48 Meltan

All they need to do is double once more and you'd probably have enough to make a Melmetal...

 

[ballinamon]

This episode raises so many questions

-Where did Kartana learn about Arceus? (Where'd the limiter ring on the furfrou come from?)
The Kartana world have kinda trainers, but seems no Pokeballs.

-Where did PokeEarth get an asteroid field from? That was a meteor rain or something like that.

-Why is the Aether Foundation going Big Brother's Always Watching on Alola?

-Why are the adults so far behind on trying to capture and research Ultra Beasts? They're lucky the UB haven't been actively malevolent, otherwise Alola would've been reduced to a smoking ruin due to them sometimes waiting dozens of hours to actually do anything:
Ultra Ruin

-Are they foreshadowing Lillie winning the League by equating the Alolan vulpix line to god? I hope not


Also, 2 meltan pyramids at 19 meltan each = 38 meltan
9 meltan carrying the Beast Ball Box + Ash's Meltan = 48 Meltan

All they need to do is double once more and you'd probably have enough to make a Melmetal...

 

[Twilight-Kun]

The Kartana world have kinda trainers, but seems no Pokeballs.

Too bad that world doesn't exist in the anime

That was a meteor rain or something like that.

They weren't moving until Rayquaza knocked one towards the earth though

 

[Leonhart]

The increased number of Meltan in this episode intrigued me. I hadn't noticed it when I first saw the episode and I had to have it pointed out to me, but I like that they're at least growing in number since this might eventually lead to something involving Satoshi's own Meltan.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

I wonder where Kartana learned to speak Japanese in reverse, because it keeps saying "Once again, I have cut down a worthless object."

If only the anime took the time to actually explore the concept of Ultra Beasts instead of only giving them 22 minutes (with the sole exception being Guzzlord, which isn't treated like an Ultra Guardians mission and the sheer quality is extremely jarring compared to the rest)

 

[WaterShuriken]

Oh you know what. There were two noteworthy things in this episode. Well one was the multiplying Meltan. But secondly, we got some "gender confirmations" for the cast. I don't recall if it was shown before but Meltan and Sandy are considered male and Shaymin is considered female.

Male:
Pikachu, Rowlet, Lycanroc, Torracat, Meltan, Turtonator, Marowak, Vikavolt, Sandy.

Female
Togedemaru, Snowy, Primarina, Tsareena, Shaymin

 

[Leonhart]

I wonder where Kartana learned to speak Japanese in reverse, because it keeps saying "Once again, I have cut down a worthless object."

Probably from the Ultra Forest if it exists in the anime. That place looked like a Japanese rock garden in the games, so it'd make sense that the inhabitants would know a language that's similar to Japanese.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

I don't recall if it was shown before

It was shown in the Pheromosa episode

Probably from the Ultra Forest if it exists in the anime. That place looked like a Japanese rock garden in the games, so it'd make sense that the inhabitants would know a language that's similar to Japanese.

A pity we'll never know whether or not anything besides the Ultra Ruins and Deep Sea exist

Who knows, maybe we'll get a post-League filler arc to kill time until the S&S anime begins airing that has the class going on a whirlwind field trip through Ultra Wormholes, seeing all the Ultra Beasts they kicked out of Alola in their natural habitats

 

[DatsRight]

I should've known that the Rayquaza vs Deoxys fight would be pointless. The meteorite could've fallen to Earth randomly without that scene needing to be shown. Kartana was pretty cool though, probably my second favorite Ultra Beast after Buzzwole.

I think that was a cool setup though, establishing these legendaries as these greater scope entities that go beyond the 'mortal' antics of the main series, especially since many fans complained too many mythicals are being brought down to earth, it works to keep some top tier Pokemon as mystical forces of nature (not that I really mind the quirkier ones that get to be caught this series).

This was a decent UG episode. Kartana was a weird and hilarious Pokemon much like most of the other Ultra Beasts (what the hell is up with that voice???). Once again no malicious intent but it's impulses are destructive and potentially dangerous. It seems to subside when Ash asks it not slice up the school at least.

Any key complaint is that most of the characters have no agency really, this is pretty much Kartana's episode, it even saves the day single handed, despite the UGs at least trying with a decent plan. This isn't a bad thing it made Kartana a memorable one shot, but it's ironic that the UGs have gotten less and less effective as episodes passed, starting off reasonably competent if bungling around a bit, and now pretty much failing until something does the job for them. Shouldn't it really have worked vice versa?

Like Charizard getting to take part in the class exercise. Tsareena's tantrum was also funny, first time Mallow's really lost at any of them I think. And poor Ash is naturally robbed a chance to maybe pull things off by both Rowlet's laziness and Kartana.

Bourgain once again ended up the asshole victim to the UB's rampage. Also TR being unimpressed by his stock and getting sliced before their motto even finished (with the twerps struggling not to laugh).

So Kartana is so sharp it can slice reality (and the fourth wall)???

 

[BTS_fan]

I think that was a cool setup though, establishing these legendaries as these greater scope entities that go beyond the 'mortal' antics of the main series, especially since many fans complained too many mythicals are being brought down to earth, it works to keep some top tier Pokemon as mystical forces of nature (not that I really mind the quirkier ones that get to be caught this series).

I mean it was cool that the writers didn't just shove Deoxys and Rayquaza down our throats like they have with Shaymin and soon to be Magearna when she activates, but I dunno, this seemed like an instance where they should not have bothered showing them at all.