When did you stop watching?

[PokemonNation2000]

I will say BW wasn't bad, but it just doesn't hold up to what I'd expected from the beginning episodes it had.

My path with the series:

Watched ever since the preview episode that aired during the Macy's Day Parade back in 1998.

Started with EP001 from the very beginning. Enjoyed all episodes thoroughly up to AG145. Absolutely loved Pokemon and everything about it then.

MOMP made me cry like hell, and so did BF. I watched it nonetheless.

DP made me quit the anime entirely, because I was very bored and the dub voices for Ash and Brock became unbearably bad for me. I'd had enough. I still watched them occasionally, watched all eps eventually, and did see the end of DP, which felt bitter without Taylor and Stuart showing those characters part ways at long last.

I got back into it in BW for Season 14. Season 15 is alright as well: I like it a bit.

The current VAs changed the whole feel of the English dub to me...I guess it's not because they're bad...it's that the former crew was so well...amazing...in their roles. It's kinda lifeless without them and the show has become so bland without them. It's boring now without the awesome cast that made the show entertaining, I guess. I've seen all 15 Seasons too, I might add, so I have come to this conclusion after the time period (of course, I'm not right or wrong here, it's all opinion). I still prefer the cast used for the first 8 seasons greatly. They just fit a lot more to me/are more natural in delivery and performance, I guess.

 

[Shiny Ho-Oh]

Never really was a big viewer of the anime. Watched a few odd episodes here and there but I never got too drawn into it.

 

[Dawn and Piplup]

I still watch the anime, that's diamond and pearl and ag and sometimes os, but I stopped in black and white. I watched it but I didn't like it, the same with black and white 2. I didn't like how Ash was acting, the pokemon personalities and Iris (sorry if this offends anyone)

 

[Brownie]

Stopped watching during Johto League Journeys, but for a different reason. I didn't lose interest, I just wasn't able to watch anymore, due to the loss of Kids WB in my house.

 

[fitzy909]

I've been watching since johto, but i have seen the first series as well and i stopped at the start of the advanced series. then icame back for dp, but stopped at around the middle. is it just me or did it go on for way, way to long? I started watching again later on and haven't stopped!!!

 

[Rhonder]

Hmm, well I was born in 1994, so pokemon in America was juuuust starting up right about when I was coming of age anyways. For a while, my mom prevented me from watching Pokemon because she thought it was too violent (for whatever reason, idek) but I eventually got Blue Version for my Gameboy Color, and my dad watched a few episodes and convinced her it was fine. So I started watching in the Indigo League. I didn't even get close to watching every episode (I was like... 5-7 years old, of course I didn't!) But I thoroughly enjoyed the show. I continued on like this (watching whenever I saw it come on TV, but not religiously watching/catching up when I missed an episode) up until... the late part of the RSE saga. I think when Team Magma/Aqua started becoming more involved. I don't know why exactly, but I just lost interest. I still watched the show occasionally, but I didn't see nearly as much. I also watched some of the Battle Frontier, but I don't remember much of it at all. I remember when DP came out on Cartoon Network, so I decided to sit down and watch the first few episodes. I didn't like it much at all. I thought Dawn was really obnoxious and I didn't like the 4th gen games very much anyways. That's pretty much where I stopped watching completely. I think I've seen maybe... 10 episodes total of the DP saga.

Recently, I've gone back and started with the very 1st episode and have decided to over time watch all the way back up to current and catch up. I watched... the first 25ish episodes of the Indigo League, got sick of the fillers, and then watched like... 3 episodes from then until the actual league, and then watched the entirety of the league itself. Overall, my nostalgia glasses came all the way off, and I realized that (imo) the original season wasn't that good. It was okay sure, but Ash's team kinda sucked, and it seems like every time he finally got a fully evolved pokemon he got rid of it as soon as possible.

I skipped a lot of the Orange Islands, up to the Charizard Freezing episode. I actually really like that season (feels like the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker to me xD) but I own the first 2/3 of the season on DVD so I've seen those episodes tons... so I just skipped them this time around. I feel like Orange crew leader was pretty good, but I still think it's funny how there wasn't a tournament for it... I always thought there was one.

I'm currently on episode... 3 of Johto I think. So no comment on that saga yet.

Overall, I liked the series pretty well up through the AG. My main issues with the series as a whole are the same as most people's. I think that there's waaaaay too much filler in all of the seasons... well at least those I've seen. Obviously can't judge those I haven't. And it's not even just the filler, but rather the fact that it's the "help the character of the week" type. If they structured the filler into some sort of story arcs like most series, it wouldn't be that bad (to an extent) but often times they don't even try. I feel like they should at least put tournaments in or something (like I hear BW does maybe?) since it's pokemon. making filler like that should be a piece of cake.

Another big issue i have is team rocket being in /every/ episode. I never realized how disruptive that was before i started re-watching recently. I swear, they can't get through any sort of battle unhindered it seems. Like it's good to have villains, but they're not good ones, and tbh they're not that funny either. they're just kinda... there (this is coming from an 18 yr old though... I should ask my younger cousins what they think of team rocket maybe... definitely humor targeted at a younger audience.)

And lastly, though it's less of an issue and more of just preference, but... quite frankly I feel like Ash doesn't even actively try to "become a master" or whatever. He rarely tries to catch pokemon and when he does... they're often either starters (which he usually doesn't evolve) or... meh pokemon. He's also kind of lack luster about evolving (but, judging by his serebii profile he's been getting somewhat better about this at least). I dunno. The song "2BA Master" from season 1 stands out to me especially. It's clearly talking about theoretical Ash, but it's funny because almost every line of that song contradicts him except "My buddy pikachu". I dunno.

 

[OshyHikari]

I've been watching since Pokemon first aired in Australia, but I ended up going on a hiatus when the Hoenn saga began cos it was always on when I was going to school.

I did get back into watching when Sinnoh started airing and eventually continued into Unova (Season 14) but I have now stopped watching altogether, at least on TV though. This was due to Eleven (the channel that airs Pokemon in Australia. It used to be on Ten, but moved to Eleven as of February 2012) holding off Rival Destinies until February 2013 at least, resulting in endless Sinnoh reruns.

I got sick of it and I now resort to watching episodes online, which was fun cos I also caught up on Hoenn/BF episodes I missed and also watch some of my fave episodes too, as well as the new Rival Destinies ones.

 

[Tamer Hamlet]

Been watching Pokemon since the aired in the 90's and in all honesty I stooped in the middle of DP was pretty sick of the same thing over and over again, came back when Best Wishes was release watched 10 episodes and got sick of it. Hate to say it but it's the same thing over and over again I mean e.e for once can't Ash just evolve his Pokemon, or be a mature Trainer and think things through...hopefully one day they get rid of Ash and make an anime similar to the Black and White 2 animated trailer with a much more adult content. .___. but that's just me wish full thinking.

 

[Thriller]

Started to get tired of it all around the time Chimchar joined Ash. At the time, I thought Chimchar was the biggest wimp I've ever seen in Pokemon, and I thought it deserved all the torment and abuse it went through (specifically battling that Zangoose) because of how much of a gutless coward it was. I would have much rather see Chimchar go off on its own, eventually going into seclusion due to how pantsless it was. But of course, Ash had to give it a second chance. Chimchar didn't change either. Not once. It learned nothing. It was still a big baby anytime it battled a fatty, and what the heck was up with that mental problem it had when it activated Blaze? It never did get over that, did it? I was glad it got to evolve all the way though, and got more confident. Still, the damage was done, and I already had my own problems with D/P/Pt (terrible, TERRIBLE generation) so I stopped watching.

 

[Becoming]

I stopped watching with Best Wishes. I started watching in Japanese at the very last episode of DP (because I wanted to see Dawn's final episode really badly) and, seen as Pokemon is nearly every week in Japan, I tuned in for Best Wishes. I watched the first 20-ish episodes before I stopped. I just got tired of having to go on the internet and watch it. I live in New Zealand, so I didn't get to see the english dub on TV at the same time as other countries, but nevertheless it made its way onto TV here and I watched BW again (in english this time) until the episode Iris caught her Emolga. I probably would have kept watching but apparently it was the end of the season . . . which was a complete lie, they just wanted to replace it with some rugby show. This is why I spite rugby now.

Basically I stopped watching after Iris caught her Emolga. Although I'm gonna probably go through and watch the anime again at some point, start to finish (or wherever it's up to in Japan).

 

[xEryChan]

I stopped not too long after the BW saga began. Not that I didn't enjoy it, I just have been so busy and haven't had the time to watch it.

 

[wingzx]

Started to get tired of it all around the time Chimchar joined Ash. At the time, I thought Chimchar was the biggest wimp I've ever seen in Pokemon, and I thought it deserved all the torment and abuse it went through (specifically battling that Zangoose) because of how much of a gutless coward it was. I would have much rather see Chimchar go off on its own, eventually going into seclusion due to how pantsless it was. But of course, Ash had to give it a second chance. Chimchar didn't change either. Not once. It learned nothing. It was still a big baby anytime it battled a fatty, and what the heck was up with that mental problem it had when it activated Blaze? It never did get over that, did it? I was glad it got to evolve all the way though, and got more confident. Still, the damage was done, and I already had my own problems with D/P/Pt (terrible, TERRIBLE generation) so I stopped watching.

chimchar was no where near a coward if you actually kept watchign you wouldve seen he became one of ash's strongest pokemon.

 

[FinalSynFrey]

I stopped at Diamond & Pearl because It was getting boring. I did continue to watch again during the Best Wishes series, but I stopped again because It was boring. Honestly, the Anime already lost its entertainment value a long time ago. I would say, before DP aired.

 

[Schade]

I stopped watching it on TV many years ago. Sometime during the Hoenn-adventures

 

[Necro101]

I lost during DPP. This my storyfounded not like the idea that Ash was going to Sinnoh (I'm a third gen guy). After the first episode I did not know what to expect after Ash lost Pikachu. In the third episode when Ash is all like Naruto climbing Team Rocket's machine, they decided Dawn should join them on their adventure. (I saw it coming) I kept watching even if I did not like it that much. But after the first gym I was just like wow Dawn is just another b***h like Misty (sorry I did no like Misty). So I stopped watching it. One morning when I got up I oppened the TV and I see pokemon so I decide to watch it. It was at the last episode I had watched like 1 year ago. They where replaying the serie. I decided why not watch it. So I kept watching every episode until the league cause BW came out and they started airing it. So I started watching BW and then I got pissed at Iris. She is my least favorite Pokemon trainer in all of the anime. She is always b****ing at Ash. Oh your a kid, oh you suck, I knew it... So I got tired of it after two or four episodes.
Well in the end I stopped watching the anime in BW since I watched DPP later on.

RAWK ON

 

[Trainer Michael]

I stopped watching the anime completely in late 2003, when Pokemon Advanced premiered. It was for a combination of factors, but mainly for these two reasons:

1. I really, really couldn't stand the Advanced Generation. I was still upset over Ash, Misty, and Brock splitting up, and even though Brock came back, the series just didn't feel the same. May and Max were not my favorites.
2. I started middle school around that time, and as a result, felt a bit "too old" for Pokemon.

I came back to the anime full-time just last year, with the Best Wishes Saga. Like I've always said, in my opinion, it's the best Pokemon series since Johto (and yes, I've seen a few episodes of Sinnoh, didn't like it all that much). Best Wishes just has that Gen I feel to it; a brand new region, completely brand new Pokemon, characters of the day, etc.

 

[CyberCubed]

I stopped watching the anime completely in late 2003, when Pokemon Advanced premiered. It was for a combination of factors, but mainly for these two reasons:

1. I really, really couldn't stand the Advanced Generation. I was still upset over Ash, Misty, and Brock splitting up, and even though Brock came back, the series just didn't feel the same. May and Max were not my favorites.

I came back to the anime full-time just last year, with the Best Wishes Saga. Like I've always said, in my opinion, it's the best Pokemon series since Johto (and yes, I've seen a few episodes of Sinnoh, didn't like it all that much). Best Wishes just has that Gen I feel to it; a brand new region, completely brand new Pokemon, characters of the day, etc.

So basically you felt you were too old for pokemon, rather than anything to do with the quality of the show? And I find it amusing that the exact description you used for Best Wishes describes both previous sagas perfectly.

 

[OceanicLanturn]

I stopped when DP ended. IMO it was the best saga ever... I stopped watching Pokemon after going through a few episodes online in BW, I just don't like Iris that much. So when Dawn was returning in BW2, I picked up from BW2 and thought "mmm why not?" and started watching the Dawn Episodes. I skipped the Mamoswine V.S Dragonite episode because it was just pure bs, but yeah.

After when Dawn left (I was pretty steamed for Cynthia to barge in and not let Quily get his win), I was just like: "meh, let's watch bw". I then went online and watched BW from the first episode... Well, the stuff that kept me going was Bianca, Cilan and the occasional episodes Leavanny starred in, which is barely any.

I'm currently up till the Twist Mountain episode... But I was getting bored... xD

 

[mockingjay]

I stopped after around 20 episodes of Diamond and Pearl. Got incredibly boring and predictable from there. Then when BW got announced, I was all hyped up and excited about it. Pokemon finally seemed to be getting better, nope, stopped after the first three episodes. Boring as **** and then when they announced TR vs. TP, got really excited then bam, cancelled (not gonna bother saying postponed anymore).

I tried watching the Victini movie twice, but it was so bad that I couldn't watch it all. Let's hope the Keldeo movie is better.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

So basically you felt you were too old for pokemon, rather than anything to do with the quality of the show? And I find it amusing that the exact description you used for Best Wishes describes both previous sagas perfectly.

I don't think it has to do anything with becoming too old going by reasons he provided.

Many people who stopped watching at some point didn't liked direction in which anime was taken becoming more focused on promotion of games rather than development of story itself. Something which was more prevalent in earlier years with writers straying away more from advertizing. There are people who enjoyed more in specific cast with new characters which took their place not providing same amount of humor and quality dynamic like previous ones did, along with series losing appeal to them because of which they generally got hooked on it.

Sometimes viewers can't adjust to change, if that change shows that anime has become less enjoyable to them than it was case prior to that.

There is surprisingly big number of older fans who quit when AG began not being interested in new series until BW started which ended up more similar to OS formula they originally liked, showing how they preferred more this type of set up .