The Unpopular Opinions Thread

[DatsRight]

That’s true and I will admit his obsession with May doesn’t make it much better either considering the possible age difference as well.

We already have a child stalker villain in the series, but at least the other one keeps getting blasted off for it.

 

[Sham]

We already have a child stalker villain in the series, but at least the other one keeps getting blasted off for it.

I really need an age for Jessie and James. They’re “supposedly 25” but I always considered them older teenagers. Sure they seem like adults to Ash but for some reason they seem younger next established adults in the anime.

 

[mysticalglacia]

I liked Drew a lot, but I agree that his character was super inconsistent. It’s assumed that he likes May because of AG187, but that’s really all the depth we get out of him. I wish we could’ve seen how or why he became a Coordinator; would’ve done a lot for his character. We can also see he respects May a lot more after the Hoenn GF, but the next time we see him in the Arcanine episode all he does is insult her the whole time. It didn’t help that he was treated as some star Coordinator, but did the exact same routine with Roselia and Masquerain every Performance round.

 

[PorcelainVulpix]

I liked Drew a lot, but I agree that his character was super inconsistent. It’s assumed that he likes May because of AG187, but that’s really all the depth we get out of him. I wish we could’ve seen how or why he became a Coordinator; would’ve done a lot for his character. We can also see he respects May a lot more after the Hoenn GF, but the next time we see him in the Arcanine episode all he does is insult her the whole time. It didn’t help that he was treated as some star Coordinator, but did the exact same routine with Roselia and Masquerain every Performance round.

I think Drew’s insults to May were supposed to be taken as a “boys tease girls they like” cliche.

I agree that Drew could have been given more depth and Harley should have suffered consequences for his actions but I liked both of them anyway. May is the only pokegirl with interesting rival arcs to me.

 

[ash&charizardfan]

Harley was a good rival who brought out may's sassy side, whereas drew while able to bring out may's sassy side (especially in earler part of AG) was instrumental in development of may as a coordinator. He was the stepping stone for her and that's why her win over drew at kanto GF was a big deal. Drew definitely is best rival for any pokegirl in the entire series.

 

[maartjeverhoef]

Drew/Contestshipping was super annoying and Harley should of been her main rival since her primary one was a snooze fest.

I think Drew's personality would make him better rival for someone like Misty than for May. Their dynamic always felt so awkward.

If they wanted to give May green-haired rival, they should've go for Wally instead

 

[janejane6178]

I think Drew’s insults to May were supposed to be taken as a “boys tease girls they like” cliche.

I agree that Drew could have been given more depth and Harley should have suffered consequences for his actions but I liked both of them anyway. May is the only pokegirl with interesting rival arcs to me.

We need more rivals like Harly.....

 

[DatsRight]

I still feel like it would have worked better to composite Harley's role with Jessie, so she wouldn't feel like a third wheel throughout the contests and also so TR could maintain their devious side.

I also feel like the role could have been more compatible with Jessie since she always works in alter ego. She could always excuse her sabotages as being down to Team Rocket, with a Hooded Claw type dynamic where the twerps assuming her contest persona would never do anything so despicable. (The twerps repeatedly falling for TR disguises is probably where it should stay for them being incessantly gullible.)

I always felt like late AG was TR at their most pathetic and irrelevant, like ANYONE with a remotely nasty side could easily surpass them. They were like school nerds, nerds with a mean side, but still the punching bag for any REAL bully. DP had decayed them, but it had at least run the course enough that they actually reversed it around a few times and made them do something competent every now and then.

 

[mysticalglacia]

I don’t know if Wally would’ve been a good rival for May. It would’ve been a cute precursor to Sawyer, but May needed someone to push her and make her realize her faults as well as her strengths. Drew did that, but I have no idea how Wally could’ve.

We need more rivals like Harly.....

I had problems with some of his writing, but by and large he was such a fun rival. Ursula was similar and she was great, too. I didn’t really like Georgia, but Burgundy was hilarious, and I wish she had been given more development.

I also wish the writers didn’t make Miette so nice and friendly after the Poképuff episode, but her and Serena’s dynamic was fun regardless, so I can overlook it. But Amelia was the perfect candidate for a Harley/Ursula-esque rival, and it’s annoying that she was wasted as a COTD. She didn’t even show up at the Master Class, which was disappointing.

 

[DatsRight]

Again Jessie could have taken the role of Serena's antagonistic rival, but besides that one episode she ruined Serena's dress they didn't even interact. Rivals were barely relevant in the showcases.

Horacio was the best handled antagonistic rival in a long while, and even he only really appeared in three episodes of SM.

 

[janejane6178]

j

I don’t know if Wally would’ve been a good rival for May. It would’ve been a cute precursor to Sawyer, but May needed someone to push her and make her realize her faults as well as her strengths. Drew did that, but I have no idea how Wally could’ve.



I had problems with some of his writing, but by and large he was such a fun rival. Ursula was similar and she was great, too. I didn’t really like Georgia, but Burgundy was hilarious, and I wish she had been given more development.

I also wish the writers didn’t make Miette so nice and friendly after the Poképuff episode, but her and Serena’s dynamic was fun regardless, so I can overlook it. But Amelia was the perfect candidate for a Harley/Ursula-esque rival, and it’s annoying that she was wasted as a COTD. She didn’t even show up at the Master Class, which was disappointing.

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She had SO MUCH potential and an AMAZING design. Such a waste

 

[ash&charizardfan]

Here is one really unpopular opinion, ash vs paul rivalry made more sense in AG series hoenn part than in DP especially after ash conuered the BF. The main reason for there rivalry was paul was too critical of ash's battling style which made no sense considering he just defeated strong trainers last season (including trainer which made paul obsessed with power). If ash had mentioned during there first battle he won the BF then paul would hardly had any ground for criticizing him. So that's why that rivalry made more sense in hoenn than in sinnoh.

 

[mysticalglacia]

Here is one really unpopular opinion, ash vs paul rivalry made more sense in AG series hoenn part than in DP especially after ash conuered the BF. The main reason for there rivalry was paul was too critical of ash's battling style which made no sense considering he just defeated strong trainers last season (including trainer which made paul obsessed with power). If ash had mentioned during there first battle he won the BF then paul would hardly had any ground for criticizing him. So that's why that rivalry made more sense in hoenn than in sinnoh.

It wouldn’t have been too out of place there, but it just wouldn’t have the same impact it had in DP imo. The main reasoning for their rivalry wasn’t Paul being critical of Ash’s battling style, it was the opposite way around which fueled it. Sure; he expressed his opinion of Ash negatively multiple times and clearly had a problem with him, but Ash being at odds with Paul’s moral philosophy was the kicker. I don’t think Paul would lay off of the criticism if he learned that he had beaten the BF early on, he’d probably just criticize him more for devoting himself to ‘weaker’ Pokemon instead of his best, like with Starly. Paul finding out after he’d battled him a couple of times that Ash- who consistently lost against him- had beaten Brandon- the person who fueled his obsession with power- was far more logical, since it showed him starting to realize that Ash was a more respectable trainer than he thought, even if it wasn’t apparent in their battles.

 

[Sham]

I find Burgendy to be the most useless rival in the history of rivals just barely beating Nene

 

[janejane6178]

I find Burgendy to be the most useless rival in the history of rivals just barely beating Nene

I think she had a crush on Cilan

 

[Lunalah]

I find Burgendy to be the most useless rival in the history of rivals just barely beating Nene

That's not an unpopular opinion is it? 'Cause I don't think I have ever seen anyone give Burgundy any kind of praise or pat on the back.

 

[shoz999]

You've been lied to people! Those aren't jelly-filled donuts in Brock's hand! THOSE ARE RICEBALLS SERVED WITH A PINCH OF SESAME SEEDS WITH A SLICE OF DRIED SEAWEED! I know this may too hard to swallow, you may even accuse me as a liar, but it's the truth I tell you! THE TRUTH!

 

[Sonnas]

I find Burgendy to be the most useless rival in the history of rivals just barely beating Nene

And all she has is just a hate boner for Cilan, and that's all she seems to do from what I've seen in my rewatch of BW. And also doesn't help that she's not good at battling as she never reaches past the first round of any tournaments.

 

[PorcelainVulpix]

It was 1000% a crush.

There was a filler episode where a tourguide was masquerading as a sentai hero styled after Accelgor. His childhood friend was an adult, female version of Trip. When that bloke started describing how abusive and critical she was of him, yet was always tagging along, Cilian and Iris showed exasperation because they picked up on it being affectionate behaviour.

What was described is exactly how Burgundy behaves. I think Georgia picked up on this as well. The running gag is characters might be aware of crushes involving other people but are always oblivious when they're a part of one.

I'm pretty sure it's a recurring theme for writers to show crushes as the characters harshly teasing each other what not. Ash/Misty, Drew/May, etc.

However, I still can't stand Burgundy or her crush..

 

[Sham]

I don’t believe she had a crush on him but either way she was annoying. Georgia for all her faults and being almost just as stagnant; at least had an interesting personality.

Edit: to avoid double posting; I also ain’t mad at Ash for winning the Alola league/this being his first official league he’s won. I know naysayers are going to try to claim that Palkia sent Ash to a different universe and Alola never happened but I don’t really care about Ash so idc what’s his first league win so long he has one.