What are your thoughts of Misty as a character?

[Pokegirl Fan~]

What did you think of Misty as a character both during and after her run as a main character in the series? What things did you enjoy and think were executed well for her character and what flaws did her character have?

For me I thought she had an entertaining personality and good chemistry with Ash, during Kanto. She was also good as a mentor for Ash early on in the series along with Brock. However during the start of Johto I felt like her role as a mentor wasn't as needed as much anymore and I noticed that she was being neglected more and being pushed into the background except for a handful of filler episodes. Her short temper and fiery personality also seemed to be toned down more than it was in Kanto and the Orange Islands too for some reason. I feel like that after Takeshi Shudo stepped down as head writer that Misty started being handled alot better and started getting some decent development by the tail end of Johto, even though I felt it was a tad bit too late for her. However, I do like the focus she got when she returned for guest appearances in AG as well as the Pokemon Chronicles special episodes that focused on her and her time at the Cerulean Gym since they showed that she matured a little after she left the main cast and she did have some pretty interesting interactions with Max and the rest of the AG group.

What are your thoughts?

 

[TheWanderingMist]

I grew up with Misty, so I love her as a character.

As you said, her chemistry with Ash and Brock was great, and being a Gym Leader made her sort of a mentor to Ash for a while (not that he ever bothered to listen). I don't believe that it's a coincidence that she started getting more focus after Shudo stepped down. I've read on TVtropes or somewhere that he actually wanted her to be a bit incompetent and yet convinced of her own great skill as a Trainer. Her guest appearance in AG really showed how much she'd grown from Kanto. And, of course, she sadly had to release Togepi to live with others of its kind after it evolved into Togetic. People bash on Togepi all the time, but I always found it rather cute. It just didn't get enough development and since Misty was usually holding it, it caused people to think that Togepi was the cause of her lack of action in Johto. Hmmm, I'm wondering how the anime would've been if switching to May hadn't worked out. Would Misty have returned somehow?

 

[Zoruagible]

I feel like she's the only character who outstayed their welcome, she got boring once Johto started. Didn't help her any that her goal was "type master", the most bland and boring of all goals.....
She was still far better developed than Serena though, so she has that going for her at least.

 

[satopi]

When I was little, I loved Misty, she was the only girl on the cast at the time. Now, I think she's ok, I like her but I'm not much of a fan of her. I would love for her to appear again. I loved her one shot episodes like calming down the angry Tentacruel and the Pokémon Chronicles episode where she and Tracey are dealing with Cassidy and Butch. I also loved her bickering and fights with Ash and her friendly comradeship with Brock and later on Tracey. But I did find her kind of boring I mean outside of her temper, snarkiness, and supportive side, Togepi mellowed her and it mostly showed her motherly, nurturing side which was really boring to watch. I felt bad for her that her bossy lazy sisters didn't treat her well and expected to have her take care of the Gym as Gym Leader (and also the mermaid of their show) while they relax and push all their responsibilities on her.

I didn't really care about her goal as it was really bland (and the Water Pokémon never really interested me). The only Pokémon I care somewhat about are her Corsola and sort of her dumb as rocks Psyduck even though it was annoying hilarious at times. I liked her departure from the main series and I'm glad she's happy with her life, she's doing what she loves (being around Water type Pokémon) and she isn't alone, she has Tracey helping her a lot. She's a pretty entertaining character even though she has a boring goal and a lot of the time, it felt like she was on the show just to support Ash.

 

[Red and Blue]

She isn't my favorite Poke girl (that would be Dawn) but I liked her. Though I wish the writers did more with her goal before retiring her from the franchise.

 

[mystic9899]

she was alright, but her departure was kinda bad though. i wish it was something she decided to pursue herself rather than her sisters going "lol we're leaving, be the gym leader."

 

[DatsRight]

I don't believe that it's a coincidence that she started getting more focus after Shudo stepped down. I've read on TVtropes or somewhere that he actually wanted her to be a bit incompetent and yet convinced of her own great skill as a Trainer.

I think the problem was that Shudo didn't really do anything clever and developed with her concerning that. Sure we had a few instances she was arrogant or shortsighted and screwed things up, but it didn't really differentiate her from most other headstrong but hopeful looking trainers. Team Rocket for example had some good individual character analysis episodes concerning their vices and failed goals in life. The nearest Misty got to this was being looked down on by her famous sisters, but the problem was her sisters were generally portrayed as shallow and incompetent, so Misty was less a black sheep and more an underdog who proved she was better than them by earning her lot in life.

Misty never intentionally felt hopeless, like if I hadn't found out about Shudo's plans for her I would never have figured out that was his intent. It felt a bit like the same problem with Serena in that they didn't really want her to specialise well as a battler but still didn't have the heart to make her look bad and not get in the same victorious moments as the other protagonists, so she kind of ended up neither, a battler that didn't get a great deal of development but still somehow was almost always a winner (besides the odd moment they wanted her to get taken down a peg which was the exception rather than the rule).

When Shudo left she got a bit more spotlight, but in the end I don't think they had much plans for her and between her and Team Rocket, they ultimately decided she was more dispensable. She was a likeable archetype, but in the end, one they couldn't think up as much for. She still had it better than Brock I guess.

 

[HoundoomFan]

I've grown to appreciate her more around the XY series. I have to say though, most of what Misty did in OS bothered me to no end, & still wished she got called out more for some of the things that she did (poor ash got called out on everything while Misty got a free pass). But thinking back on Misty, her backstory makes me sympathize with her & makes me understand why she was so bratty & bossy at times. I also like that she spoke her mind & didn't let people get away with using her (Iris & dawn did it better though imo).

In the chronicles & movies is where I found her a more enjoyable character, as she wasn't so pissy & in chronicals I enjoyed seeing some character development from her. And the same for her return in hoenn, she was a lot more tolerable.

 

[345ash-greninja]

Nah, I didn't like Misty that much. Her constant arguing and bickering with Ash- that was something which I despised very much. But still that was better than Iris in BW because Ash's OS personality was just a bit too hot-headed. But her character was really complex, At times, she can look furious and angry, pulling Brock's ear and quarelling with Ash, to sometimes seeming very sweet and nice. It's the mixed emotions and short temper in her character which made her a bit unique. I still put her above Iris as a Pokegirl, because of this uniqueness in her character.

 

[satopi]

But her character was really complex, At times, she can look furious and angry, pulling Brock's ear and quarelling with Ash, to sometimes seeming very sweet and nice. It's the mixed emotions and short temper in her character which made her a bit unique. I still put her above Iris as a Pokegirl, because of this uniqueness in her character.

So displaying different emotion makes a character complex or unique? Gee, everyone must be. Even 'nice girls' like Dawn openly show their temper, tease Ash with Iris, get depressed, and yet seem very sweet, kind, and optimistic. Serena too, and May, and Iris. Girls aren't one dimensional creatures that are only allowed to display one core trait of their personality.

 

[345ash-greninja]

So displaying different emotion makes a character complex or unique? Gee, everyone must be. Even 'nice girls' like Dawn openly show their temper, tease Ash with Iris, get depressed, and yet seem very sweet, kind, and optimistic. Serena too, and May, and Iris. Girls aren't one dimensional creatures that are only allowed to display one core trait of their personality.

I know that I might sound a bit wierd here, but I do like one-dimensional characters more. I liked that serious, mature and badass Ash of XY and that Serena who always showed a deep affection for Ash and cared for him always. I know that many people are going to disagree with me here, so consider this as an unpopular opinion.

 

[DatsRight]

I have to say though, most of what Misty did in OS bothered me to no end, & still wished she got called out more for some of the things that she did (poor ash got called out on everything while Misty got a free pass).

Usually because, outside the people Ash was directly facing in his goals, Misty was the one doing most of the calling out. Brock from what I remember was rather passive and indiscriminate to both of them. Whenever Misty was active for a change or got into a cat fight, it was usually her turn. Even then though, Misty had times of being a butt monkey or Ash getting the last laugh on her in their arguments.

 

[Akkipeddi]

I've been watching the anime since the time it started, and honestly I'm not a big fan of Misty. Sure the trio of Brock Misty and Ash as a group were great, but individually, I disliked her. Her frequent temper and mallet smashing of Ash was funny initially, but over time it just got irritating. I also disliked her whole reason of following ash in the first place (for a bike), and her goal of being a water specialist just wasn't very interesting. Then in Johto, she was just in the background most of the time, and it felt like she overstayed.

 

[satopi]

I know that I might sound a bit wierd here, but I do like one-dimensional characters more. I liked that serious, mature and badass Ash of XY and that Serena who always showed a deep affection for Ash and cared for him always. I know that many people are going to disagree with me here, so consider this as an unpopular opinion.

To each their own.

 

[DarkLeviathan]

I'm neutral about her, by which I mean that I don't even think of her since she's been irrelevant for so long.

I know that I might sound a bit wierd here, but I do like one-dimensional characters more.

What a surprising twist.

[img139]http://www.serebiiforums.com/images/avatars/anime/XY%202/let's%20get%20them.png[/img139]

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

I think Misty was pretty alright, but I think she suffers from the fact that the series was still finding its footing in the earlier parts. They managed to develop Ash decently in OS, he was still pretty incompetent in the Indigo League but was already a lot better in the Johto league. The goal of becoming a water type master was interesting, but they just didn't really do enough with it to actually develop that, sacrificing development for cheap humour, primarily with Psyduck. Ash actually managed to get Charizard under control in the end, but it felt like Misty never even tried with Psyduck. I think it's a similar problem with Brock, where development is sacrificed for repeated gags with creeping on girls.

Then they tried giving her a bit of a focus with the Whirl Cup, which I liked a lot. The Whirl Cup was cool. If they had done more of those things, maybe expanded it to multiple water pokémon tournaments across the region, they could have really developed Misty a bit further and give her some more focus, similar to the idea of the Pokémon Contests in AG and DP. Just the single Whirl Cup Tournament, while fun, just wasn't really enough. I think the Orange Islands could have been a great place to put such a large 'water pokémon league' or something like that.

 

[UltimateNinja]

Bad. Just bad.

Her character was annoying, the *****ing over Ash despite her not being any better or doing ANYTHING important was awful and her whole run was a waste of time. Like really she only was there to fill up the woman role in the anime.

And her goal and especially character progression was non-existent. Outside of the whirl cup, there was nothing. Only a sassy girl with so many negativ (sexist) characteristics and zero goal progression.

 

[LilligantLewis]

Then they tried giving her a bit of a focus with the Whirl Cup, which I liked a lot. The Whirl Cup was cool. If they had done more of those things, maybe expanded it to multiple water pokémon tournaments across the region, they could have really developed Misty a bit further and give her some more focus, similar to the idea of the Pokémon Contests in AG and DP. Just the single Whirl Cup Tournament, while fun, just wasn't really enough. I think the Orange Islands could have been a great place to put such a large 'water pokémon league' or something like that.

I wish the Whirl Cup had been closer to the end, like the Grand Festivals, Master Class, and Opelucid Gym. I also wish she needed to qualify for the Whirl Cup somehow, maybe by winning 3-5 Water Pokémon events, not all battling ones -- one could have been like the race at the beginning of Movie 5, for example.

 

[snorlax512]

Pretty charismatic character, formed great chemistry with Ash and Brock. Unfortunately, she was written when the writers didn't care about the companion's goals.

 

[Satomine Night]

I was a pretty big fan of Misty back when she was the only Pokégirl, before any of the others were introduced (and most of my memories of her are from Kanto and the Orange Islands; I don't remember much of Johto). I thought she was a good, strong character (she didn't take crap from nobody); her goal of being a Water type Pokémon Master was interesting; and her interactions with Ash were absolute gold. (Seriously, those two practically defined the child version of "I hate you but I love you." )

However, there are definitely some flaws to Misty's character (just as there are flaws to any character). This wasn't as prevalent in dub (at least not in my memory), since 4Kids changed a lot of the dialogue, but when I watched some of the Japanese episode, I was surprised at just how vain Misty could be sometimes. And I won't lie; she could also be a bit of a *****, both in the Japanese original and in the English dub. However, I still think she is a strong female character.