What are some unpopular thoughts on the female protagonists?

[Sham]

Misty should of never been written off as a Gym Leader. It wasn’t really fair how Brock had other dreams and Iris just basically shrugged her shoulders. I would of at least like her to be excited about it like Kiawe taking over for Olivia. Brock had his siblings watch over the Gym and Iris practically ignored it even after Cilan brought it up to Claire and that’s about it. They weren’t forced.

Instead it was just an odd thing especially when she wanted to continue traveling with Ash and felt bad leaving him. Eventually of course she got over it and became a good Gym Leader with a remodel but most of that stuff was later in the series.

The dub was chaotic thought for making a whole song over the anime soundtrack

 

[janejane6178]

Misty should of never been written off as a Gym Leader. It wasn’t really fair how Brock had other dreams and Iris just basically shrugged her shoulders. I would of at least like her to be excited about it like Kiawe taking over for Olivia. Brock had his siblings watch over the Gym and Iris practically ignored it even after Cilan brought it up to Claire and that’s about it. They weren’t forced.

Instead it was just an odd thing especially when she wanted to continue traveling with Ash and felt bad leaving him. Eventually of course she got over it and became a good Gym Leader with a remodel but most of that stuff was later in the series.

The dub was chaotic thought for making a whole song over the anime soundtrack

Omg what an emotional song. Misty is wonderful. Stilll remembering her from my chilhood

 

[Gingertail24]

Mallow goal had alot of potential, even if it seemed boring. They just had to explore it a bit better. There could be so many interesting episodes involving it. Maybe an episode where a famous but harsh food critic comes to there restaurant, fear of the restaurant shutting down, maybe someone stole there recipe (if she had a rival),

She said her goal was for people and pokemon to have a smile while eating her food (dub), but by the end of that it looks like she already achieved it?

I feel like her lackluster goal execution is partly the reason so many people rant about female characters and their goals

 

[Gingertail24]

Eh, Mallow was basically the "Brock" of the SM girls, meaning she was just there to be an older sister to Lana/Lillie and cook food. In that regard she was fine for what she was, a supporting character. At least she looked nice.

Idk , the way the show is written it feels like she was meant to be more than a supporting Character.Unlike Chloe who appears once every ten episodes yet is leagues above mallow in terms of development who I believe is actually a supporting character compared to ash and goh

 

[Psajdak]

Misty is better than Serena.

 

[DatsRight]

Mallow goal had alot of potential, even if it seemed boring. They just had to explore it a bit better. There could be so many interesting episodes involving it. Maybe an episode where a famous but harsh food critic comes to there restaurant, fear of the restaurant shutting down, maybe someone stole there recipe (if she had a rival),

She said her goal was for people and pokemon to have a smile while eating her food (dub), but by the end of that it looks like she already achieved it?

I feel like her lackluster goal execution is partly the reason so many people rant about female characters and their goals

I feel it was both the lack of unique situations and milestones to give her goal, along with the fact they didn't really think of many ways for it to intertwine with her role as a trainer. Tsareena and Shaymin didn't really have a lot of agency in Mallow's job besides being waitresses, with their abilities seldom put to use in a creative way. In that sense, her job wasn't much different from a chef in any other franchise.

It's odd because the show has done plenty of COTD chefs that use Pokemon more creatively. Not to mention the potential with stuff like Alola Raticate, Pokemon that have specific lore as being practical in the culinary business.

 

[Gingertail24]

I feel it was both the lack of unique situations and milestones to give her goal, along with the fact they didn't really think of many ways for it to intertwine with her role as a trainer. Tsareena and Shaymin didn't really have a lot of agency in Mallow's job besides being waitresses, with their abilities seldom put to use in a creative way. In that sense, her job wasn't much different from a chef in any other franchise.

It's odd because the show has done plenty of COTD chefs that use Pokemon more creatively. Not to mention the potential with stuff like Alola Raticate, Pokemon that have specific lore as being practical in the culinary business.

Yeah, it was weird that we only really saw her utilize her pokemon with her cooking goal once. And that's in the baking episode with the sweet scent bread. I feel like if you take away tsareena and replace it with any other grass type , would anything really change?

 

[DatsRight]

Yeah, it was weird that we only really saw her utilize her pokemon with her cooking goal once. And that's in the baking episode with the sweet scent bread. I feel like if you take away tsareena and replace it with any other grass type , would anything really change?

I think the biggest thing going for Tsareena is that Steenee-onwards, she's very anthropomorphized, which emphasises her acting more like a human sister to Mallow as one episode elaborated.

Granted the Tsareena line is hardly the only humanoid Grass type.

A shame she didn't get the Lurantis line, which hardly got exposure in the anime, and would be ideal slicer cooks.

 

[SerenaRulez]

One of my unpopular opinions is that May should not have came back for the Wallace Cup tourney because in the end Dawn beating her made May seem weaker by comparison.

And speaking about Dawn I also do not think she should have won that tourney at all. Her losing streak after Hearthome was a waste of time and she should have won her 2nd ribbon in Solaceon.

 

[Blood Red]

One of my unpopular opinions is that May should not have came back for the Wallace Cup tourney because in the end Dawn beating her made May seem weaker by comparison.

Yeah, always thought it was stupid how this newbie was able to beat someone who placed high in two Grand Festivals.

 

[Pikachu979]

Yeah, always thought it was stupid how this newbie was able to beat someone who placed high in two Grand Festivals.

Yeah I can understand peoples frustration with Dawn winning. Though I always looked at it as May’s least experienced pokemon vs Dawn’s most experienced and even then it was a close match.

 

[DatsRight]

Yeah I can understand peoples frustration with Dawn winning. Though I always looked at it as May’s least experienced pokemon vs Dawn’s most experienced and even then it was a close match.

Yeah plus one could call it karma for how many effortless wins May got in AG, while Dawn was forced to up her game like crazy just to make it as legit competition in Sinnoh's contests.

I also think it was interesting how Dawn could beat May but never Zoey, who May defeated. Maybe that was the point they were making, it was less Zoey was undefeatable and more she was 'that one guy' who just always had her number specifically.

 

[Pikachu979]

Yeah plus one could call it karma for how many effortless wins May got in AG, while Dawn was forced to up her game like crazy just to make it as legit competition in Sinnoh's contests.

I also think it was interesting how Dawn could beat May but never Zoey, who May defeated. Maybe that was the point they were making, it was less Zoey was undefeatable and more she was 'that one guy' who just always had her number specifically.

I feel like Dawn could have beaten zoey if she had commanded togekiss to duck or dodge the attack lol

 

[Blastmaster]

It's also not all that fair to call Dawn a rookie when it had been like 70-something episodes by that point. Sure, that's still a lot less than May, but neither girl was "new" to Contests by that point. Plus yeah, Sinnoh Contests generally came across as a LOT tougher than AG ones.

Plus, a running theme of the anime has practically always been that younger trainers can match more experienced ones if they're willing to put in the effort. What's far more important to me is whether the winner actually felt like they properly outskilled (or at least matched) their opponent. Which I think the Wallace Cup handled fantastically.

 

[J.Agera]

I have been reading the thread and I am not sure why people are obsessed with "snarkiness" here.

Misty developed a bad temper because she had difficulty properly communicating with her sisters due to how they treated her. Meeting Ash and Brock led her to open her heart gradually and hence get better at communicating her feelings with people rather than closing them off with bad temper.
Serena was naïve and rebellious due to her mother at the start and hence snarky, as she went out on her own she had nothing to be rebellious against anymore and hence this trait faded.
Same with Dawn, she was cocky at the start but repetitive failures were a wake up call for her and hence why this trait faded.

It's basic character progression and I see nothing wrong with it. Unless... you want the characters to be stagnant or something.

 

[Gingertail24]

I have been reading the thread and I am not sure why people are obsessed with "snarkiness" here.

Misty developed a bad temper because she had difficulty properly communicating with her sisters due to how they treated her. Meeting Ash and Brock led her to open her heart gradually and hence get better at communicating her feelings with people rather than closing them off with bad temper.
Serena was naïve and rebellious due to her mother at the start and hence snarky, as she went out on her own she had nothing to be rebellious against anymore and hence this trait faded.
Same with Dawn, she was cocky at the start but repetitive failures were a wake up call for her and hence why this trait faded.

It's basic character progression and I see nothing wrong with it. Unless... you want the characters to be stagnant or something.

I said I understood why misty isn't snarky anymore. The other characters too. All I meant was that it was a fun part of their personalities that I missed later on in the show, that's all

 

[Mr.Munchlax]

I often question whether Serena & Clemont are actually friends. She was shown to have strong dynamics with Ash & Bonnie in XYZ, but often times she didn't really show any kind of feelings for Clemont like whether she saw him as a good pal, or even butting heads with him like Iris & Cilan, Dawn & Brock, or Lana & Sophocles. With the other groups, all of the companions had strong dynamics with each other, and I could tell they were genuinely friends since they were able to interact and have strong chemistry without Ash around, but I never really got that with Clemont & Serena.

It's part of the reason I felt like the XY gang were less like a family and more like Ash's entourage as the series progressed. Plus, I've been wondering the same thing with Ash & Chloe for the same reasons

 

[RafaSceptile]

I often question whether Serena & Clemont are actually friends. She was shown to have strong dynamics with Ash & Bonnie in XYZ, but often times she didn't really show any kind of feelings for Clemont like whether she saw him as a good pal, or even butting heads with him like Iris & Cilan, Dawn & Brock, or Lana & Sophocles. With the other groups, all of the companions had strong dynamics with each other, and I could tell they were genuinely friends since they were able to interact and have strong chemistry without Ash around, but I never really got that with Clemont & Serena.

It's part of the reason I felt like the XY gang were less like a family and more like Ash's entourage as the series progressed.

Did Serena and Clemont even like each other?

They both cared about Bonnie and obviously care about Ash (although Serena had a fangirl crush on him), but I don't think I remember the two interacting directly. They didn't outright hate each other from what I recall, but it seems like they were acquaintances who were friends with the same guy.

forums.serebii.net

Oh sh*t here we go again

 

[Sham]

I think it makes sense asking that. They have the weakest group history to date. OS group for obvious reasons, AG had… well can’t speak on that, DP group felt like small family, Iris and Ash were the arguing siblings with Cilan as the “adult” and XY got… some Bonnie and Serena moments?

 

[Kuzehiko]

Also depends on how well written they are. I can appreciate helga, tatsumaki and korra even though i dislike tsunderes, but misty is just bland. Same with serena/may/dawn, although i like their personalities they are bland characters with zero depth.

Misty would be the worst female protagonist if Mallow wouldn't exist in all honesty.