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The Unpopular Opinions Thread

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mysticalglacia

Alola Shill
May was a character that was extremely new for Pokémon at the time, as was the AG series as a whole. A lot of the new ideas in the series were fine-tuned in DP, but that doesn’t make any of them bad, just a bit unpolished.

I loved May’s character. Her personality had range, her development flowed very naturally (if not always written the best, but they tried), and you could see how different of a person she was when BF ended. Her rivals were by far the best we’ve ever gotten for a Pokégirl, and I liked how she went through a ton of trial-and-error; made her seem fallible and human. But like with every girl, she had her own group of haters and fans. The complaining on how she wasn’t Misty faded away, but people thought she was too girly or too nice until eventually they thought the same with Dawn and started singing May’s praises. Rinse and repeat with every girl following.

.... because she was the second girl ever created. Dawn didn’t follow Ash because she had an opportunity in Sinnoh, Iris straight up ditched Ash in Kanto because she wanted to see Clair and Serena caught the next flight to Hoenn and got away from Ash. Dawn was considering staying with him but ultimately left. May is the only girl to part with Ash only to travel with him again. Almost all the girls have interests explicitly outside of Pokémon. Iris likes the outdoors, Serena liked making people smile, Lillie likes to research, Mallow loves cooking and Lana enjoys fishing (which includes Pokémon but not battling).

I’d like to add that Dawn also had her interests outside of Pokémon and Contests explored and developed way more than any other girl. There were whole episodes dedicated to Pokémon Styling, something Dawn was portrayed as super talented at and interested in.
 

DatsRight

Well-Known Member
I liked Lillie's early arc though admit the pacing was horrifically slapdash and she was cured way to cleanly and easily.

With that said I kinda liked her synergy among the main group, with her having the role of the exposition/strategist character in many episodes. I like when Ash is paired alongside an intellectual like her, Clemont and Sophocles, since the anime is surprisingly good with how they cooperate.

I'm willing to leave my ratings on the SM cast until we know for sure whether or not their arcs are ending at this series. I mean Lillie still has Mohn and Magearna to attend to, surely they can't do all that in one episode at the tail end........can they? They might try doing that, might they?..... :p
 

NesRemix

Well-Known Member
I also find it kind of funny, and bizarre, people constantly talk about how they want a more outgoing, less girly and passive, female companion...who has a temper, but is also funny/silly and nice, and has a goal and character development throughout the series. And yet that's exactly what May was 17 years ago. May was actually the closest thing to a female battler we ever had on the cast because also the Contests weren't that differentiated from normal battles yet and all the Contests just feel like battle tournaments.
 

Sham

The Guardian of Ruin and Birth
I mean the way it's executed is unrealistic and very shallow. She fears them yet she can act normal when they are around her. That's not what PTDS is.


I see it more like disliking them than fearing them as she perfectly can coexist with them. IIRC there is even an episode where she touches a Pokemon and she hadn't overcome her fear yet. It's just unrealistic.

You admiting she is portrayed as perfect further proves my point. She isn't really flawed. Her flaws are one dimensional.

Sivally saving her only made Lillie remember it wasn't Sivally's fault. Since there is no PTDS she overcame nothing. She was able to "trust" Pokemon again but we've seen her this before so it wasn't well executed, as it was very shallow.

Cool. All SM girls also got crystals and entered the league yet they did nothing impressive aside from Lana. Lillie did anything unique after Aether arc ended.
PTSD is “A disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event”. There’s literally not correct way to have PTSD. She was afraid to touch Pokémon because a Nihilego touched her and almost stole her. People are able to recover from that; so her touching them one by one isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. The fact she screamed at the mere sight of seeing Silvally clearly proves there’s some underlying mental problems there past the stage of “disliking Pokémon”. If she disliked Pokémon; why would she enroll in the Pokémon school?
 

game3524

Well-Known Member
.... because she was the second girl ever created. Dawn didn’t follow Ash because she had an opportunity in Sinnoh, Iris straight up ditched Ash in Kanto because she wanted to see Clair and Serena caught the next flight to Hoenn and got away from Ash. Dawn was considering staying with him but ultimately left. May is the only girl to part with Ash only to travel with him again. Almost all the girls have interests explicitly outside of Pokémon. Iris likes the outdoors, Serena liked making people smile, Lillie likes to research, Mallow loves cooking and Lana enjoys fishing (which includes Pokémon but not battling).

Dawn had every intention of following Ash to Pallet Town. Buneary's photo op was the only reason she didn't go and we know about Misty and her bike. May could have followed Ash to Sinnoh and yet decided to go to Johto alone. Before Iris and Serena, she was really the first girl to do that, which IMO made her stand out.

I’d like to add that Dawn also had her interests outside of Pokémon and Contests explored and developed way more than any other girl. There were whole episodes dedicated to Pokémon Styling, something Dawn was portrayed as super talented at and interested in.

Yet, that interest is still tied to Pokemon, Mays weren't.
 

PorcelainVulpix

currently watching LOK
Well that's because she had to stay as a main character till AG ended, lol.

I also don't know why @PorcelainVulpix is not commenting on this, she likes May/Contestshipping and talks about her all the time on her twitter and back on tumblr and sees how huge the following May and her rivals are.

I already commented on this. I've made it clear that even though I like May, compared to some other pokegirls *dawn* she can be forgettable. When I think of contests, I think of dawn.
 

NesRemix

Well-Known Member
D

Yet, that interest is still tied to Pokemon, Mays weren't.

I actually liked that to. May was developed more outside of Contests at least at the beginning, whereas a lot of Dawn's development was always focused on her Contest career. I actually love the early AG era of the first 25ish eps when May had no clue what she was doing, it was refreshing.

I already commented on this. I've made it clear that even though I like May, compared to some other pokegirls *dawn* she can be forgettable. When I think of contests, I think of dawn.

Well to each their own, usually I think of the AG Contests because they came first, and May/Drew/Harley are the coordinators I think of, then Dawn, etc.
 

Kuzehiko

That moment I found a lifetime treasure
PTSD is “A disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event”. There’s literally not correct way to have PTSD. She was afraid to touch Pokémon because a Nihilego touched her and almost stole her. People are able to recover from that; so her touching them one by one isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. The fact she screamed at the mere sight of seeing Silvally clearly proves there’s some underlying mental problems there past the stage of “disliking Pokémon”. If she disliked Pokémon; why would she enroll in the Pokémon school?

What I meant is she doesn't show real PTDS symptoms like to say she suffers PTDS. And even if she suffers it, its terribly executed due to her being able to coexist with Pokemon, being around them and stuff.
 

DatsRight

Well-Known Member
Well to each their own, usually I think of the AG Contests because they came first, and May/Drew/Harley are the coordinators I think of, then Dawn, etc.

I think a lot of DP's, but mostly for the catharsis of Team Rocket actually winning stuff for once. Oh and Dawn's theme, which unlike May's, did actually get into the dub a few odd times.
 

AznKei

Dawn & Chloe by ddangbi
I also find it kind of funny, and bizarre, people constantly talk about how they want a more outgoing, less girly and passive, female companion...who has a temper, but is also funny/silly and nice, and has a goal and character development throughout the series. And yet that's exactly what May was 17 years ago. May was actually the closest thing to a female battler we ever had on the cast because also the Contests weren't that differentiated from normal battles yet and all the Contests just feel like battle tournaments.
I actually want the series exclusively about the companions after their journeys with Ash, I'm just sick about the guy, but yeah it won't happen as he's the MC after all.
 

Sham

The Guardian of Ruin and Birth
I think a lot of DP's, but mostly for the catharsis of Team Rocket actually winning stuff for once. Oh and Dawn's theme, which unlike May's, did actually get into the dub a few odd times.
May’s theme was used once in her cameo episode where they tagged battle in a restaurant. It’s the scene where they’re chasing Team Rocket for stealing their food and she sends out Glaceon.
 

DatsRight

Well-Known Member
May’s theme was used once in her cameo episode where they tagged battle in a restaurant

Oh right. That was still in DP though. There seemed to be this selection of episodes they handed to a different studio that kept all the music as is (even the moments of no music at all, which generally isn't a thing in the dub).
 

mysticalglacia

Alola Shill
Dawn just seemed to have a bigger long-lasting impact, I feel. Like I said, May was always very popular, especially on these forums, Tumblr, and fan art sites. But Dawn exploded in popularity, probably because of her co-star role, ‘nicer’ personality towards Ash and her well-written dynamic with him (the Pearlshipping thread is the longest one on here, for example), better development, and the rise of social media and the internet during DP’s run. Couple that with the DP series being regarded as the best or one of the best sagas, and that’s the perfect formula for a memorable character.
 

Kuzehiko

That moment I found a lifetime treasure
IMO Dawn was only overshadowed when XY came out. Probably everything in past series got overshadowed by it too. It was too strong. I find it weird there were no mention of old companions nor flashbacks of past series either.
 

mysticalglacia

Alola Shill
Dawn was under the radar for a while during BW-XY. I remember a lot of people praising Iris at first because she was a break from two girly girl coordinators. And Dawn and her rivals didn't leave as much in the way for fanfic/fanart when they left. I remember when May left most wanted specials of her in Johto with Drew/Harley to this day, you never saw that same impact again. Meanwhile a lot of Dawn fans also happen to be Pearlshippers who want to see Dawn travel with Ash.

Then when XY was airing I do remember Serena overshadowing Dawn, especially when Amour kicked off. It's only now that we're in SM and DP nostalgia hit an all time high that Dawn is heavily talked about more.

Really? I know some people felt Iris was a breath of fresh air (at first); but imo way more people wanted Dawn to go to Unova. People had been begging for her return and when she got it, I remember people getting back into the anime just to watch it (the sentiment that BW was a letdown had been forming a bit by then). Pearlshipping was really big then too, so I never felt like she got overshadowed during BW.

I was very active in the fandom during the XY days. Serena was a hot topic then; you either absolutely despised her or loved her. When Ash referenced Piplup I remember people freaking out about it; wondering if she could come back. When Serena’s development started she was the main focus of conversation, but the Dawn comparisons grew even stronger still. Now that DP nostalgia is at an all-time high, she’s talked about a whole lot more, but her presence in the community never faded gradually like May’s imo. Dawn was always used as the standard to which the other girls were compared to, and that’s still true now.
 

Sham

The Guardian of Ruin and Birth
What I meant is she doesn't show real PTDS symptoms like to say she suffers PTDS. And even if she suffers it, its terribly executed due to her being able to coexist with Pokemon, being around them and stuff.
Again there’s no right way to experience trauma. That’s like asking how an animal who’s
been abused by humans is still able to co-exist around humans. Naturally the animal is going to be vary of humans but can learn to grow and trust humans again. Lillie being able to to be in the same room as a Pokémon doesn’t dismiss that she would tremble and scream at sight of Pokémon. You’re judging her trauma based on your standards on what they should be like.
 
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