Production problems Pokemon anime

[Yuugis Black Magician]

The production committee wants the series to air weekly, so it airs weekly. The lead animation production company—OLM—is not being provided with the time or resources needed to produce a high-quality product that matches the standards of the creative minds working on the series in large part because they are not receiving those resources from the production committee.

 

[ShinyCharyZard]

When you’re utilising the anime to advertise a new game yearly or new generation every 2-3 years, then being “seasonal” isn’t really an option.

The fan base need to come to terms with this - It’s not about what we want or how we feel. It’s all about what the boss wants. It really doesn’t matter to them whether their staff are exhausted or struggling to keep up with the workload. They want money and money is airing weekly.. Will the quality suffer? Sure. Will mindless 7 year olds still tune in every week and make the big boss lots of money? Of course.. Nothing will change unfortunately, so unless the staff walk, the show will go on and they will remain stressed and overworked..

 

[MetaMantis]

I don't mind fillers,but do we always need to same kind of fillers? Eevee,fishing,eggs, Pokémon get lost,Team Rocket splitting up,daycare,summer camp,...

Theoretically we could make each series like 100 episodes with 60% plot and 40% filler. We don't need Dragon Ball Super and Naruto kinds of hell tho. Nobody will get better by that.

I think we can all agree, the writers need a break to catch their breaths. What is the point of getting into the next anime with the same issues as the previous one?

If we make 40% filler, then that's a higher percentage than Naruto. Not even the current pokemon anime is 40% filler.

 

[SatoSereFan224888]

I'd say start fresh with a new studio, new original characters, new plot.

 

[Panky..]

so unless the staff walk, the show will go on and they will remain stressed and overworked..

What do you think is happening...?

If we make 40% filler, then that's a higher percentage than Naruto. Not even the current pokemon anime is 40% filler.

Fillers are fine if they're a fun breather that adds to the world or character building. But if it does absolutely nothing of value, or worse, degrades what I mention, and exist in a standalone bubble, then they're a problem.

 

[MetaMantis]

What do you think is happening...?

Fillers are fine if they're a fun breather that adds to the world or character building. But if it does absolutely nothing of value, or worse, degrades what I mention, and exist in a standalone bubble, then they're a problem.

Well if it's character building then it isn't filler.

 

[mehmeh1]

When you’re utilising the anime to advertise a new game yearly or new generation every 2-3 years, then being “seasonal” isn’t really an option.

The fan base need to come to terms with this - It’s not about what we want or how we feel. It’s all about what the boss wants. It really doesn’t matter to them whether their staff are exhausted or struggling to keep up with the workload. They want money and money is airing weekly.. Will the quality suffer? Sure. Will mindless 7 year olds still tune in every week and make the big boss lots of money? Of course.. Nothing will change unfortunately, so unless the staff walk, the show will go on and they will remain stressed and overworked..

One interesting thing tho, is that in gen 8 we've had a big increase in alternative pokemon anime. We got TW, Evolutions, Poketoons, and Hisuian Snow all in the past 3 years (+Gotcha and the Bidoof short). I could see us getting more shorter types of stuff if they want to let the anime end/take more breaks

 

[masdog]

When you’re utilising the anime to advertise a new game yearly or new generation every 2-3 years, then being “seasonal” isn’t really an option.

That might have been true in 1996. I don’t think it’s true now. The media landscape has changed, and there are other ways to reach fans besides airing a show for a half hour every week.

On-demand content can be a game changer when used properly, and TPC seems to be doing that with the shorter YouTube content released over the last couple of years.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

I think this anime was just trying to be something new and then 2020 happened and everything kinda got screwed since no one knew how long that was gonna last.

As for it being seasonal, not gonna happen. The show exists to advertise the games and the merchandise, and advertising weekly is going to be more effective for that than doing it seasonally.

 

[mehmeh1]

I think this anime was just trying to be something new and then 2020 happened and everything kinda got screwed since no one knew how long that was gonna last.

As for it being seasonal, not gonna happen. The show exists to advertise the games and the merchandise, and advertising weekly is going to be more effective for that than doing it seasonally.

Tbh the cracks in production had already started to show even in the early episodes that aired late 2019/early 2020

 

[santiagus]

I think this anime was just trying to be something new and then 2020 happened and everything kinda got screwed since no one knew how long that was gonna last.

As for it being seasonal, not gonna happen. The show exists to advertise the games and the merchandise, and advertising weekly is going to be more effective for that than doing it seasonally.

Pokemon Journeys was reallu bad in the beginign let's not suggarcoat that.

And yes we had this production issues, but the series is still bad and if they knew they had not enough money or time or staff is due to bad planification.

 

[Akkipeddi]

I'd rather they take a break and take a while to start the new series, but try and preserve the weekly format
As much as people rag on fillers, for a Pokemon MAIN anime, there needs to be fillers to allow proper world building and time spent on all the new Pokemon and stories with them
What they need the most is a fresh start without the prior series expectations on them

And you think fillers are needed to allow "proper world building" and time with Pokémon? That's definitely not true and for a series running this long, let's not pretend like Pokémon doesn't have some of the worst world building since they try to claim it's one continuous series, but each series is treated separately. This anime has rarely felt like an organic world (evidenced by the fact that character returns are celebrated) The occasional filler can allow for more creative and hilarious hijinks, but otherwise they barely serve a purpose. Good tight writing in a seasonal format can easily create proper world building.

Even Spy x Family, primarily a comedy, establishes better world building in 12 episodes by setting up the East and West and the potential war that might be brewing. I'm not even gonna bring up series like AoT, OP, Jojo, HxH and FMA cause their world building is way too elite to even compare (and barring OP and HxH, everything else was made seasonally)

 

[Shadao]

When you’re utilising the anime to advertise a new game yearly or new generation every 2-3 years, then being “seasonal” isn’t really an option.

The fan base need to come to terms with this - It’s not about what we want or how we feel. It’s all about what the boss wants. It really doesn’t matter to them whether their staff are exhausted or struggling to keep up with the workload. They want money and money is airing weekly.. Will the quality suffer? Sure. Will mindless 7 year olds still tune in every week and make the big boss lots of money? Of course.. Nothing will change unfortunately, so unless the staff walk, the show will go on and they will remain stressed and overworked..

In that case, Pokémon Journeys has begun the process of ending that tradition.

Do you recall if Nessa ever showed up in the main anime? No, of course not. In fact, most of the Galar Gym Leaders are absent.

Do you recall Ash using D-Max/G-Max for Pikachu or Lucario? No, Ash uses old gimmicks that nobody could use now, Z-Moves and Mega Evolution.

Do you recall Ash and Goh's main hub to be in Galar? No, they are in Kanto. Vermillion City to be precise. And then you have Lisa and Wallace show up for a Contest promotion even though ORAS is almost 10 years old by this point (damn, it's that long?). And then Erika shows up out of the blue.

It is clear that the Pokémon Anime could easily do a quick mini-arc of the games' story and Pokémon for promotion... and then go back to either have long breaks or do whatever it wants to do.

 

[Blood Red]

I really do hope the anime switches over to a seasonal format for the next series. It’d give staff more time to actually work on the show, and they could also drastically cut down on all the filler.

Of course, the show’s episode count would also be reduced to like half its size…but if this series has taught me anything, it’s that we could use a tighter, more cohesive narrative.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

Pokemon Journeys was reallu bad in the beginign let's not suggarcoat that.

And yes we had this production issues, but the series is still bad and if they knew they had not enough money or time or staff is due to bad planification.

Disagree heavily on it being bad, even at the beginning. Lacking in focus and giving Ash way too many Kanto Pokemon, yes, but not bad.

 

[pardusco]

One interesting thing tho, is that in gen 8 we've had a big increase in alternative pokemon anime. We got TW, Evolutions, Poketoons, and Hisuian Snow all in the past 3 years (+Gotcha and the Bidoof short). I could see us getting more shorter types of stuff if they want to let the anime end/take more breaks

I've pointed this out before. They've been experimenting quite a bit with these supplemental animated series and I've brought up the potential implications of their positive reception by normies. I personally hope that they expand something like those into a seasonal anime.

That might have been true in 1996. I don’t think it’s true now. The media landscape has changed, and there are other ways to reach fans besides airing a show for a half hour every week.

On-demand content can be a game changer when used properly, and TPC seems to be doing that with the shorter YouTube content released over the last couple of years.

Well said. People don't even watch TV like they did before and the transition of the dub to Netflix is clear that they know this. The vast majority of normie Pokemon fans in 2022 will never watch an episode of the anime outside of the first few episodes of each season and the major battles. If a ton of anipoke fans are skipping episodes, then it shouldn't be a surprise that normies aren't gonna sit through the plethora of fillers. The Pokemon anime as it currently stands is not a good advertisement.

In that case, Pokémon Journeys has begun the process of ending that tradition.

Do you recall if Nessa ever showed up in the main anime? No, of course not. In fact, most of the Galar Gym Leaders are absent.

Do you recall Ash using D-Max/G-Max for Pikachu or Lucario? No, Ash uses old gimmicks that nobody could use now, Z-Moves and Mega Evolution.

Do you recall Ash and Goh's main hub to be in Galar? No, they are in Kanto. Vermillion City to be precise. And then you have Lisa and Wallace show up for a Contest promotion even though ORAS is almost 10 years old by this point (damn, it's that long?). And then Erika shows up out of the blue.

It is clear that the Pokémon Anime could easily do a quick mini-arc of the games' story and Pokémon for promotion... and then go back to either have long breaks or do whatever it wants to do.

Yeah, it's clear that the "the anime needs to stick around to be an advertisement" argument doesn't work anymore. What is Journeys supposedly advertising? It's not even named after the most recent games. Pokemon Go? That game's popularity declined after summer 16. Some of the most popular Galar characters barely got any screen time, if any at all. Normies online lose their minds over Marnie, Nessa, Melony, Piers, and I promise you that hordes of them would tune in if those characters got to show up consistently. Bro, even the DLC areas were not advertised in Journeys. The Isle of Armor got more screen time in Twilight Wings than it got in Journeys.

I really do hope the anime switches over to a seasonal format for the next series. It’d give staff more time to actually work on the show, and they could also drastically cut down on all the filler.

Of course, the show’s episode count would also be reduced to like half its size…but if series has taught me anything, it’s that we could use a tighter, more cohesive narrative.

It would be so nice to have a Pokemon series that is clearly planned out from the beginning instead of just stalling around and winging it before rushing at the end when it seems like they gotta wrap it up real quick. An actual plot would be refreshing.

 

[Espeonite]

Just end it and start fresh with a new story and characters for Paldea, I am sick of Ash Ketchum and that Mary Sue Goh.

 

[masdog]

Pokemon Go? That game's popularity declined after summer 16.

To be fair, Pokemon Go had over 1.2 billion in revenue in 2020 and 2021.

 

[Evstike]

Very interesting interview providing some insight on the industry and its conditions from anime director Sumito Sasaki, who has directed a few JN episodes (102, 110, 120). I strongly recommend reading as it is relevant to the current production issues faced by JN and doesn't hold back. Also explains the large number of animation directors on some episodes.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1576889010743451648

 

[sutellakiara]

I only pray to God and all that is sacred that this is the end of the Ash anime. Don't care what we get afterwards, seasonals, shorts, OVAs, etc. Don't care about the setting either, can be game, can be original, whatever, as long as it's something new and completely unconnected from it.

I'll never be able to get over how I went from wanting Ash to make it to being annoyed and disgusted at it all happening at long last after so long just because of how horrendous the execution has been. It's depressing. I really wish I could enjoy it like so many others seemingly do but I simply cannot.