What are your thoughts on Serena?

[KungFuMaster]

Oh, don't get me wrong; I like the idea of Serena participating in Contests, as well. However, I would have appreciated it if she had at least looked into what Contests entail, rather than just taking Palermo's word for it that they are similar to Showcases. It would have made her decision a little less out of left field.

What drew me to Serena at first was that she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She left home without a set goal in mind. Every other main character set off on a journey with a goal in mind. However, not everyone knows what they want to do from the get-go. Sometimes, you have to set off on a journey to discover your calling. I appreciated having a main character do just that. She was a relatable character to fans who are still trying to decide what to do with their lives.



From what I understand, some people seem to think that Serena wanting to become more attractive for the boy she likes is anti-feminist or sexist, and that her saying Ash is her goal means she is throwing aside her goal of becoming a Performer who makes people smile (even though she was on her way to catch a flight to Hoenn at the time). I don't get it, either. IMHO, there is nothing anti-feminist or sexist or anything about wanting to become attractive for the person you like. I call that animal nature.

I totally agree with every word, lol. Well, it's up to her to if she wanna know what contests are like. She probably wants to discover herself.

And actually yes she is relatable to a lot of people. 'What to do in life?' A lot of people (like me) haven't decided what they want to do with their life. Becase if you decided you can't go back.
This together with her crush on Ash made her very popular all over the world. And you know what comes together with popular? Hate, a lot of hate. So quickly she became also one of the most hated, which is very sad ofcourse. She got a lot of criticism because of her having no dream, only existed for Ash and bring money for the writers. It's kinda true somewhere, but she's more than that! I think the writers wanted to show us/kids in Japan that you can take your time to find your dream, as long if you try to look for it. And that's absolutely what she did, going on a journey searching for somthing she likes.
I think she's a role model for Japanese girl right now, or that was their intention. They designed her to look beautiful, make her character very likable/ hard to hate (but still hated by some).
And oh god she got a huge character development. I just can't stand people who say she didn't. Okay, she did long to find a goal but sometimes it's better to look for something better. And that's what she did. Her shyness at the beginning, is now (almost) completely gone. She's more open and dares to do some 'crazy' things. Okay, she's still kinda shy but that's her cute part

And yes, it's totally she wanted to become more attractive, to break Ash his denseness, that's the reason I think. So the first step, kissing him, breaking that 1% of his wall. Mission succeed .
She knows Ash isn't really interested in girls (she notices multipletimes) but she doesn't give up! Something she learned from himself. It's actually thanks to Ash she went on a journey, found a goal, and make up decisions by herself (rejecting Palermo). She has grown so much from episode 1. It's almost like another person. And even a lot of people hated it, she said 'You are my goal Ash', leaving the question what this Kalos Queen dream is still? Was it a hide up for her real dream? Or was she Always focused on getting Ash's attention? Maybe she wants to become Kalos Queen to be attractive to Ash?
On the answer of: 'She has no goal except for being Ash's wife.' could be true, but come on people, what is the purpose of life? 3 things:
1. To survive
2. Propagation
3. Having fun/dream

So if I'm correct the most important thing is survive, which they could because they have enough food and shelter. So what next? Propagation. And this is only possible if a man finds a woman and vice versa.
Last in the list, having fun. If you are sure about your life, have a partner to count on, you can have fun/live your dream. No need to worry about anything. Some people even skip 2 because 3 is easier.
So from what I can say, Serena just does the most normal thing in life, looking for a partner to propagate. And then they can have a happy life. (especially when you're in love)

So conclusion? Serena is just a regular person with a sweet character (IMO) and knows what she wants.

 

[mystic9899]

all in all, most polarizing pokegirl among fandom since misty

 

[KungFuMaster]

all in all, most polarizing pokegirl among fandom since misty

No clue by what you mean with polarizing? 2 sided? Good and Bad things? And I'm sure the other girls had that too then.

 

[DatsRight]

I can maybe see where some are getting from, since games Serena was like, the total opposite of anime Serena. She was a more serious and knowledgable action girl, she was driven to be a tough battler and was a bit of lone wolf, she even respectfully made the player her rival to train herself. She was at worst only ever a step behind the protagonist and often ended up bailing them out when they got in over their head. She was an archetype the anime series hasn't really tried before and judging from some discussions I've seen here, many would like to see used.

Anime Serena was the shy, playful little ingenue and the love interest to the protagonist. She was in complete contrast to the games Serena, an inexperienced and slightly ditzy girl at first, and spent half the series letting Ash do the action or needing to be protected by him or even being put in tight spots just for the 'Awww' value of him rescuing her. Even when she developed on her skills, she wasn't quite built for the action and was usually the team mom. I mean, she was an endearing little thing no doubt, but compared to games Serena, I can see why some think it's a degrading treatment. It's comparable to the personality vs competence arguments with the different Ashs. Games Serena was more capable but she reminded me a bit too much of those bland action girls in nearly every 90s cartoon, the ones deliberately made to pander to feminism.

It was actually odd how much the anime retooled Serena into their own character, while most of the XY cast remained fairly similar to their games counterparts, sometimes right down to catchphrases, Serena was, by the end of the series, practically as much linked to games Serena as Ash was to Red. Perhaps this was what furthered the belief she might stay since she wasn't really a period piece advertising the game she was created for anymore.

 

[DankOverlord]

- Hey, SatoSere and Serena's character might have had problems.
- Let's *** on Misty and Poke instead!

Quality posting PAD.

Dnno why people bring up Misty

 

[DatsRight]

Dnno why people bring up Misty

Misty arguably contends with Serena as the least active Pokegirl due to similar issues with goal development and often being an inactive or ineffective battler compared to the others (I will give credit however that Misty had a far larger number of competent moments than Serena).

Misty was also the only other main female that had a canon crush on Ash (if far more subtle than Serena's, to the point later episodes barely looked into it).

 

[DankOverlord]

Misty arguably contends with Serena as the least active Pokegirl due to similar issues with goal development and often being an inactive or ineffective battler compared to the others (I will give credit however that Misty had a far larger number of competent moments than Serena).

Yeah but I don't see any connection between Serena's character flaws and hating on Misty, I mean I', not a big fan of Misty either (Dawn and May 4life) but I rarely bring her up in a discussion about other Pokegirls unles its relevant unlike here were people just randomly decided to hate Misty

 

[DatsRight]

Pokeshippers vs Amourshippers.

May not seem like anything, but for the internet, shipping's all you need for intense warfare.

 

[DankOverlord]

Pokeshippers vs Amourshippers.

May not seem like anything, but for the internet, shipping's all you need for intense warfare.

And both ships have infamous fanbases who were tainted by their elitist shippers.
Luckilly PearlShippers, AdvanceShippers and any other shipper fanbases have mostly stayed decent in the long run

 

[tommytoe]

Pokeshippers vs Amourshippers.

May not seem like anything, but for the internet, shipping's all you need for intense warfare.

The odds of Misty ever coming back are so low that calculating them would probably cause the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to blow a fuse. Pokeshipping is dead and has been for 10+ years.

 

[DankOverlord]

The odds of Misty ever coming back are so low that calculating them would probably cause the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy blow a fuse. Pokeshipping is dead and has been for 10+ years.

Same with AdvanceShipping, PearlSHipping, Negaishipping, etc.
And Amourshipping is joining the ranks after SM ends

 

[tommytoe]

Same with AdvanceShipping, PearlSHipping, Negaishipping, etc.
And Amourshipping is joining the ranks after SM ends

If anything, I think you're being too optimistic on Amour. Now that XY is over I'd say it's already dead.

 

[DankOverlord]

If anything, I think you're being too optimistic on Amour. Now that XY is over I'd say it's already dead.

Yeah , but the (now less likely due to continuity being forgotten almost entirely) traditional region episode comeback can still give some interactions but after that its game over for real

 

[greninjamaster]

If anything, I think you're being too optimistic on Amour. Now that XY is over I'd say it's already dead.

Exactly. There is no endgame in Pokemon. There stopped being one after the OS finished and they realized hey we can keep this going to promote the games and that's what it's been since.

 

[greninjamaster]

Uh Pokeship wasn't mutual just so you know...And second I am confident, you don't have to be

Those blushes when people asked Ash about it like Trio and moments where Ash got jealous suggest otherwise. I mean you want to be in denial go right ahead. At least Ash actually showed it w/Misty. Whereas with Serena it's all her, one sided. As it has been since it was introduced.

Great that you're confident. I'm sure you'll be reminding everyone about this for years to come even when it's clear Serena and AMS is dead.

If S/M is the last of the anime(it isn't) but if it is then maybe you may get that FF but if it is not which is pretty high probability then...no. Serena will join the ranks of the forgotten Pokegirls cause this anime is never gonna end as long as Gamefreak is continuing to make games.

Seeing as Pokemon S/M is the highest pre-ordered game in history...I would suggest you brace yourself.

Ash is forever 10. Enjoy this moment though as you should, just don't get too confident that there will be payoff. Look at the anime this is after all.

 

[DracosWulfgar]

I somewhat agree with most people Serena needs work.
She is okay in my book but I hope she goes to alola because it might make her a better character.
I really like her sylveon though.
Hope for the best.

 

[DankOverlord]

I somewhat agree with most people Serena needs work.
She is okay in my book but I hope she goes to alola because it might make her a better character.
I really like her sylveon though.
Hope for the best.

Her only deal in Alola is fo her crush on Ash.
I mean what caan she gain there that she can't in Hoenn ?

 

[pokemon fan 132]

Misty arguably contends with Serena as the least active Pokegirl due to similar issues with goal development and often being an inactive or ineffective battler compared to the others (I will give credit however that Misty had a far larger number of competent moments than Serena).

Misty was also the only other main female that had a canon crush on Ash (if far more subtle than Serena's, to the point later episodes barely looked into it).

Misty still battled far more often(both TR and other trainers) with results being more positive being recognized by others and often took initiative to push things forward. Whether is in saving other pokemon or people like Rudy sister Lana, Tracey, Marill , Wooper etc. Entered diverse number of competitions even when not related to her goal(Acapulco contest, Balloon race, Princess festival, catching fish competitions and so on. Often gave suggestions and had plans how to stop enraging pokemon or villains like when Porta Vista was under mutant Tentacruel invasion, how to get Snorlax of the island preventing to eat whole food supply, acted as intermediator in bringing people together when noticed they were in love etc. And of course mentored Ash along with Brock.

So im not sure minus the crush part Misty can be really compared to Serena. Now Serena did had her fair share of moments and her crush and at this point temporary goal(showcases)were handled with more attention. But at end of the day Misty was overall much more active(she was more active than Iris too, despite most for some reason being under different belief).

Yeah but I don't see any connection between Serena's character flaws and hating on Misty, I mean I', not a big fan of Misty either (Dawn and May 4life) but I rarely bring her up in a discussion about other Pokegirls unles its relevant unlike here were people just randomly decided to hate Misty

I wouldn't say they decided, Truth of the matter is how they never liked Misty, so its not hard to express dislike on character you were never fond of to begin with. Because as popular as Misty was/is, she also has a large pool of haters too(and in this place that number is anything but low).

 

[DatsRight]

I think people give Iris more credit because, in spite of arguably being a bigger buffoon than Misty and Serena, she was against a tougher league of antagonists (eg. Plasma, a competent TRio) as well as taking part in frequent tournaments, so looked more like she putting legitimate hard work and skill into it all, compared to Serena and sometimes Misty who were often just stopping comical nuisances or putting in effortless curb stomps any novice could do (for all the times she thrashed TR, Serena couldn't even handle Meowth the moment he fought back, let alone Team Flare).

Not to mention, Iris was made to notice her misgivings more than either. Misty often excused Ash being worse than her to avoid looking at her own follies (Psyduck never really got better under her training, nor did Togepi until it evolved), while Serena relied on dumb luck or someone else saving her a lot of times, with only her final battle showing a developed amount of strategy and prowess. People called Iris out for her incompetence or dysfunctional relationship with her Pokemon such as Dragonite so was made to deal with it and improve as the series went on.

Her only deal in Alola is fo her crush on Ash.
I mean what caan she gain there that she can't in Hoenn ?

If Alola has contests or other performance tournaments, I can see her rushing there after Hoenn easy.

She may not derail her goal for Ash, but if he's conveniently on the same path to it, I don't see her avoiding him.

 

[snorlax512]

I think people give Iris more credit because, in spite of arguably being a bigger buffoon than Misty and Serena, she was against a tougher league of antagonists (eg. Plasma, a competent TRio) as well as taking part in frequent tournaments, so looked more like she putting legitimate hard work and skill into it all, compared to Serena and sometimes Misty who were often just stopping comical nuisances or putting in effortless curb stomps any novice could do (for all the times she thrashed TR, Serena couldn't even handle Meowth the moment he fought back, let alone Team Flare).

Not to mention, Iris was made to notice her misgivings more than either. Misty often excused Ash being worse than her to avoid looking at her own follies (Psyduck never really got better under her training, nor did Togepi until it evolved), while Serena relied on dumb luck or someone else saving her a lot of times, with only her final battle showing a developed amount of strategy and prowess. People called Iris out for her incompetence or dysfunctional relationship with her Pokemon such as Dragonite so was made to deal with it and improve as the series went on.



If Alola has contests or other performance tournaments, I can see her rushing there after Hoenn easy.

She may not derail her goal for Ash, but if he's conveniently on the same path to it, I don't see her avoiding him.

I think part of the reason she is going to hoenn is so that she can become independent and not rely on ash and clemont all the time, like how may wanted to travel alone as well. She can still go to alola afterwards