• Hi all. We have had reports of member's signatures being edited to include malicious content. You can rest assured this wasn't done by staff and we can find no indication that the forums themselves have been compromised.

    However, remember to keep your passwords secure. If you use similar logins on multiple sites, people and even bots may be able to access your account.

    We always recommend using unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication if possible. Make sure you are secure.
  • Be sure to join the discussion on our discord at: Discord.gg/serebii
  • If you're still waiting for the e-mail, be sure to check your junk/spam e-mail folders

Ultra Beast Clash! Operation: Boom Boom Crackle!! (1021)

FrozTKnight

Will ORA ORA ORA you
Wonder if this will go any where...
 

British Soul

Top Hat Regulator
I did like that Blacephalon was channelling its inner Michael Jackson by doing some of his moves like the moonwalk.
 

Satomine Night

The Power of Z!
Now that I've seen a higher quality, uncut version of the episode, I can actually post my thoughts on it.

IMHO, this was the best Ultra Guardians episode we've had so far. Even though there wasn't much of an actual battle between the Ultra Guardians and the Ultra Beasts, there was still some action and emotions were still running high. You could feel the urgency Ash and the others felt trying to think of a way to catch the Ultra Beasts. It was also incredibly satisfying seeing the Ultra Guardians use their creativity to come up with a great plan to catch the Ultra Beasts, from distracting Xurkitree with Pikachu, Togemdearu, and Charjabug's electricity, to Ash's idea of creating a larger fireworks display to out-perform Blacephalon and Xurkitree and using Splintered Stormshards to stun them.

Speaking of which... I wasn't expecting to see Splintered Stormshards debut here, but it was a creative use of a Z-Move, which I appreciate. It also served its purpose of stunning Blacephalon and Xurkitree long enough for Lana and Lillie to catch them in Beast Balls. I also loved the animation for it.

That wasn't anywhere near the XY Artstyle, that was Ash pulling a Brock and going full Bishonen Prettyboy
I'm pretty sure that was actually meant to be a reference to another anime, just like Ash and Kiawe's crazy, yellow-eyed faces were probably a reference to Pop Team Epic. SM is definitely pulling out all the stops when it comes to pop culture references. It makes me wish I was more up to date with recent popular anime in Japan.
 

U.N. Owen

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night ...
I assume that the writers got tired and told the animations "yeah, do whatever you want. We'll make a story out of it somehow." The flashiness was all at the forefront. It's not to say it's bad, but I'd like to get the references to Japanese pop culture. Unfortunately, I haven't been to Japan in forever.
 

mehmeh1

Not thinking twice!
I wonder what koko appearing here and in the celesteela episode means (please writers, make it mean something, there's barely anything more annoying in this show than unresolved plot points, please, we don't need more GS balls and Malamars)
 

i2i

Big Bad Wolf
I do wish Lillie would've used Aurora Veil instead of Powder Snow, we don't get to see Aurora Veil enough and this was a perfect opportunity.

I'm not sure how Snowball be able to use Aurora Veil in that scenario, She'll literally had to be above their fireworks display when she uses that move.
 

lolipiece

Pictured: what browsing Serebii does to a person
Staff member
Moderator
I wonder what koko appearing here and in the celesteela episode means (please writers, make it mean something, there's barely anything more annoying in this show than unresolved plot points, please, we don't need more GS balls and Malamars)

Didn't the tapu fight the Ultra Beasts in the past, as revealed in the first ep of the Aether arc?

Either way, it and the other tapu have been involved with UB stuff since Nebby showed up. I wouldn't worry about it being unresolved.

Plus there's still a tapu-exclusive Z-Move that needs debuting.
 

mehmeh1

Not thinking twice!
Didn't the tapu fight the Ultra Beasts in the past, as revealed in the first ep of the Aether arc?

Either way, it and the other tapu have been involved with UB stuff since Nebby showed up. I wouldn't worry about it being unresolved.

Plus there's still a tapu-exclusive Z-Move that needs debuting.
true, hopefully his (mentorship) rivalry with pikachu doesn't get unresolved either, it and torracat's (mentorship) rivalry with incineroar could have some nice parallels
 

Akkipeddi

All set to be a nice guy
This episode rated less than 3.5 in audience and is the second time a Sun and Moon episode does not enter in the top 10 anime audiences. The first time was a Lillie's focused episode

Well not that it matters, but it's not true that it's only the second time that a Sun and Moon episode hasn't entered the top 10. Including this episode, it makes it 9 times that a Sun and Moon episode isn't in the top 10, the others being episodes 8, 13, 15, 25, 26, 42, 48, 69, and this, 78.
 

mehmeh1

Not thinking twice!
wow, 42 didn't enter the top 10? that's pretty shocking, to a lesser extent 15 and 25 too, not too surprised about the rest though
 

Animac

Well-Known Member
Well not that it matters, but it's not true that it's only the second time that a Sun and Moon episode hasn't entered the top 10. Including this episode, it makes it 9 times that a Sun and Moon episode isn't in the top 10, the others being episodes 8, 13, 15, 25, 26, 42, 48, 69, and this, 78.
I actually checked and you're right. Sun and moon appeared in the list, but not in the top 10. Sorry about that.
 

xEryChan

Demon Child
I must have seen this episode a million times and it does not disappoint.

Honestly, this was the best Ultra Guardians episode so far. Everything about this episode was done brilliantly and I wish more of them would be done like this one. There was so much tension in the beginning part with the Ultra Guardians tried to figure out how to solve the problem and even came up with some creative ways, they really thought outside of the box. Using Pikachu, Togedemaru, and Charjabug’s attacks to catch Xuriktree’s attention and having it chase them while the others attempted to capture it was pretty smart idea on Ash’s part. Of course it did not work out so well because Blacephalon showed up.

Ash definitely came up with a very unorthodox way of solving the crisis by coming up with the idea of using a firework show to distract Blacephalom and Xurkitree while Ash and Lycanroc performed Splintered Stormshards to stun them long enough for Lillie and Lana to capture them but it did work out in the end. I was not expecting to see it this episode but I’m glad we did because I loved the animation for it, which brings me to my next point.

The animation in this episode is superb. Everything about it was done perfectly from the firework show to Splintered Stormshards, especially the latter with Future Connection playing in the background. Oh, it was just great.

I have nothing else to say. This episode was perfect from beginning to end and I loved every minute it. Outstanding episode, very well done.
 

TheWanderingMist

Paladin of the Snow Queen
Love the use of CGI for Blacephalon and Xurkitree. Gives them that "this thing doesn't belong here" feel. What the heck was that face-off though? Were they trying to threaten one another out of the territory or what?
 

LilligantLewis

Bonnie stan
The fireworks were Pikachu and the three starters

The finale was kind of trash compared to the rest tbh

Togedemaru's just running around like a maniac!

2 UBs VERSUS each other!

LOL AT LANA "boom, boom, and spark spark!"

I knew none of the Beast Balls would work

Why did Ash make his eyes like he's trying to emulate Flynn Rider's smolder?

Splintered Stormshards!

Lillie wound up like a pitcher
Wow Steenee's throwing the Beast Ball instead of Mallow

It was kind of weird at the end when the narrator said "You can do it, Ultra Guardians!"

CHARGE FOR ADMISSION incredible line to end the ep
 

Ryu Taylor

Unwavering beliefs. Richter Taylor is my name now.
Alolan fireworks >>>> Kanto fireworks.

"Boom Boom Spark Spark battle" just utterly reeks of overly literal translation. Besides, only Sokka can make a ridiculous name like that sound charming. "Super Pokemon Fireworks" is bland, but much better. And it made for quite the visual spectacle. And hey, it was Ash's idea, so where do people get the idea he's an idiot???

After a certain distressing music announcement was dropped earlier this week, my aversion to JP music has grown even more, so a big BOOOOOOOOOOO!! on TPCi keeping whatever remix of the main theme that was playing over Blacephalon's introduction (can't identify it because, well, you know the state of remixes in the show these days...). The JP music ruins everything it touches, plain and simple. Even seeing its composer's name in the credits irks me to no end. So, as you can imagine, the dub music is very VERY VERY welcome, even when it's average fare like today's (except for reusing the Pikachu vs Surskit theme from XY; that was amazing). But at this point and considering what it replaces, average (for the most part) = masterpiece.

Though this one takes first place for Ultra Guardian episodes in regards to animation and spectacle, it's not as good as the Celesteela one overall.
 

Bguy7

The Dragon Lord
Blacephelon was very fun to watch animated. I gained a greater appreciation of the Pokémon, having watched this episode.

I have to say though, that "firework" they made has to be one of the biggest stretches in physics logic this show has ever made. It puts any of those ridiculous Contest/Showcase combinations to shame.
 
Top