Why did the writers gave Serena so little focus compared to May and Dawn?

[DatsRight]

I get you are not pro-female lead being GAGA over MC But Serena was much more than that. I have to say her standing up against her mother for what she believed in was pretty nice to watch and something we can all relate to at times. Sometimes our parents want us to do what is right for us vs what we want to do because it makes us happy. Serena discovering herself and fighting the best she could for it was inspirational. She even went through a meltdown for goodness sakes. Serena is a girly girl and that's just that. But I think her trials and tribulations overshadow her "ditziness".

I don't think it's ditziness that got on his nerves but more trying to convey such feminine traits as more the core of her character, in his eyes at least.

The elements he listed for May and Dawn for example were foibles, character flaws that made them more vibrant as well making more obstacles for them. Serena was shy and under confident, though besides her crush that obviously could only go that far, it didn't really play that much into plot and development any more than the other girls, who similarly had confidence issues at times as well as other defining personality issues. XY did have a bit too much of a 'good for you' vibe going for it, not really letting the flawed side of the protagonists take hold of the story much or have too many long lasting consequences, which I think maybe hindered their ability to improve that much, compared to previous sagas where they tended to give the twerp cast very hard reality checks.

 

[Nyter]

Oh hahaha that's not what I wanted it to look like nor did I want it to appear I was being a Serena hater for her crush. I just felt her crush was to much apart of her character. It's sad to say but most Serena "fans" are amourshippers and that's because that's what she's more known for... her crush, it overshadowed her character development in my eyes. Yes her interactions with her mother concerning her goals was good development in my eyes (especially settling the disagreement with a race) but that and her crying scene or "meltdown" as you'd say just wasn't enough for me personally to see her as a fleshed out character

I can agree with you that Serena ended her saga on the note of Ash by planting a kiss on him at the end. That is the last image we take when seeing her leave. I agree. I would have rather her be seen meeting up with Palermo and taking on her next phase in life. This would have made her more about female empowerment, but her journey overall made it more than just the girly-girl antics she had. I think she had to make a choice between following her crush or her dreams and she chose dreams which in a way, follows empowerment. It just was not emphasized as should to inspire little girls to set their sights on their goals first.

I would love to see a female rival in the anime, with skills similar to that of Paul or Alain.

 

[Zoruagible]

Because they wanted to give her an anime exclusive goal instead of going with contests, which she eventually did.... but should have from the start. Or could have given her a Battle Chateau related goal since that was touched on once and literally just abandoned afterwards. Jessie and Miette were the only part of showcases I gave a damn about cause the Showcases were as boring as Serena's development.... they didn't try and give her an Harley/Ursula either, which Amelia would have been perfect for! Miette was way too friendly to even be considered an antagonistic rival.... heck, she seemed superior to every one of her rivals the whole time seeing how she only lost via accidents, and not because the other girl was just better than her. And let's not forget tossing a random cotd, who should have stayed a cotd as her rival.... Nene, really? Nene had nothing to offer to warrant making her a rival, Amelia would have been a million times better!
And Pancham got the worst development of the cast, he was caught and....... nothing, that's it. Sylveon stole the light from him when she appeared too.
Honestly the best development she got was manning up and kissing Ash.

 

[Nyter]

Honestly the best development she got was manning up and kissing Ash.

Hey do not forget her pulling a Britney... That was awesome in my eyes. It was her "New Year, New Me" moment except she actually went through with it (not like most people I know).

This to me made her stand out. And is the first Pokegirl to drastically change her look in a season. It developed her character in a form of evolution.

 

[DatsRight]

My big problem with the hair change is that it felt like it was there to punctuate evolution and growth that hadn't happened as much as they claimed. As said it just sort of represented this transition point she was suddenly meant to be capable and cleaning house. Before the haircut she struggled against Team Rocket and had nerves during the showcases, yet after it she could suddenly thrash both of those things effortlessly. There was no actual working to that level or substance showing why she was suddenly better, she tended to just do the same thing over and over like before. 'BUT SHE HAD THE HAIRCUT! SHE'S MATURE AND INDEPENDENT NOW!' It was such a superficial and cheap way of going about her competence boost.

Her closing points like the Flare arc and her last limelight episode where her protective bubble would pop unless she demonstrated proper effort felt like them admitting they hadn't really put proper elaboration into it.

 

[Nyter]

Before the haircut she struggled against Team Rocket and had nerves during the showcases, yet after it she could suddenly thrash both of those things effortlessly. There was no actual working to that level or substance showing why she was suddenly better.

I have to disagree. After her haircut, Serena caught Eevee and learned its dancing technique (which was the cutest thing in the world to see). She trained from it and that gave her the technique and skill to not only win Poke Showcases but also properly battle as she did when her and Eevee battled Tierno and his Blastoise.

I think her haircut was more to tie in with the aesthetic changes that are now possible in the X and Y game series.

 

[Platinum fan.]

I'm surprised Serena is still talked about. Anyway to answer the question why she got little focus that is easy. Because she existed in XYZ. Had she been in a better written series she probably could have surpassed both May and Dawn. Serena only had three Pokemon, went through long droughts of doing nothing, her goal had no battles in a show about battling magical creatures, it was introduced rather late, her end tournament was only 2 episodes, and after that she did little to nothing and didn't matter at all during the Team Flare finale arc. I'm convinced the writers didn't care about her, but to be fair they didn't care about anyone but Ash in XY so she's not alone. It's sad because when she did get to shine she did steal those episodes but part of that is probably because she rarely does anything that you're starved to see more of her so anything will do.

I've said it many times that I like Serena, but she was a very poorly written character. She was at her best when she wasn't part of the main cast and with her mother. A shame her legacy is her one sided ship. She deserved better.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

I'm surprised Serena is still talked about. Anyway to answer the question why she got little focus that is easy. Because she existed in XYZ. Had she been in a better written series she probably could have surpassed both May and Dawn. Serena only had three Pokemon, went through long droughts of doing nothing, her goal had no battles in a show about battling magical creatures, it was introduced rather late, her end tournament was only 2 episodes, and after that she did little to nothing and didn't matter at all during the Team Flare finale arc. I'm convinced the writers didn't care about her, but to be fair they didn't care about anyone but Ash in XY so she's not alone. It's sad because when she did get to shine she did steal those episodes but part of that is probably because she rarely does anything that you're starved to see more of her so anything will do.

I've said it many times that I like Serena, but she was a very poorly written character. She was at her best when she wasn't part of the main cast and with her mother. A shame her legacy is her one sided ship. She deserved better.

Yeah I totally agree with this!

 

[DatsRight]

I don't really buy into the whole 'writers preferred Ash in XY' theory. XY Ash just felt so empty and unemotive compared to the supporting cast, like they didn't have as much of a passion or grip of his personality. He was more a pivot for them. As I said before I think it was just a case that given his usual arc with the leagues and lots of battling and what not, he was much easier to write into stories using the old formula that they were edging out of the following series, while the other characters better moments were the rarer occasions they could diverge from the usual plot and do something new, which obviously they couldn't do as much that series.

While I prefer SM, I'll admit that series probably has more Ash favouritism than XY, since the writers love writing in loads of episodes and scenes of his CHARACTER as the draw appeal, not his battles, not his Pokemon, or his influence on other characters, HIM, while the supporting cast have actually only got minimal time in centre stage.

 

[Swagga09]

Because the writers realized that the girls plots are mostly boring filler.

Were Those performance/contest episodes as popular and as entertaining as a gym battle? Not in the slightest

Glad they at least got it right with Iris. A girl who actually wanted to kick butt instead of being pretty.

 

[UltimateNinja]

Because it was already difficult for them to find something she can do. Sky battles, Racer etc. sounds good, but doing some proper tournaments about them is the problem and also strict her pokemon pool she could get (Sky battler needs more flying pokemon, Racer more raceable pokemon etc.). They could've made it that way she could use Rhyhorn all the way but that would end up being repetive. They could've give her the contest goal, but probably wanted to do something new and honestly I felt the same way during the first year of XY.

The search for the goal already took too long, but the series also was shorter than both series May and Dawn appeared. Well she got quite many episodes afterwards, but that wasn't enough, yet she still got a decent goal and character progression.
It could've been better if she found her goal in the first 20 episodes.

 

[Ashton Ketchum]

Well, so did to please the quality against the amount.

 

[Mrs. Oreo]

Because they were too busy overglorifying Ash, giving Bonnie too much focus and to overhype the shipping subplot which hardly did anything for her character.

I kind of agree regarding Bonnie since she got alot of screentime that she didn't need since she hardly did anything with it, but I don't think that Ash getting glorified hindered Serena too much cuz Ash always gets the most attention on the show even when May and Dawn were around, yet they still managed to develop well.

 

[Daniel31]

My big problem with the hair change is that it felt like it was there to punctuate evolution and growth that hadn't happened as much as they claimed. As said it just sort of represented this transition point she was suddenly meant to be capable and cleaning house. Before the haircut she struggled against Team Rocket and had nerves during the showcases, yet after it she could suddenly thrash both of those things effortlessly. There was no actual working to that level or substance showing why she was suddenly better, she tended to just do the same thing over and over like before. 'BUT SHE HAD THE HAIRCUT! SHE'S MATURE AND INDEPENDENT NOW!' It was such a superficial and cheap way of going about her competence boost.

Yeah, it would a superficial way to boost her competence, except for that's NOT what the scene or the haircut itself represented. It represented her individual resolve, break from her past, and a change in her attitude as a person. It's relatively similar to the change that Lillie went through in the SM games, to give a better understanding.

 

[satopi]

It doesn't help that the writers gave her strong cute Pokémon but didn't let them show off their power as much outside of Performances which further cements Serena's girly girl image. I wish Serena had more conflicts that'll motivate her about her career but I did like her realization that she didn't do Performances just to have fun with her Pokémon but to make many people smile. She needs to work on her technique and outfit.

Hey do not forget her pulling a Britney... That was awesome in my eyes. It was her "New Year, New Me" moment except she actually went through with it (not like most people I know).

This to me made her stand out. And is the first Pokegirl to drastically change her look in a season. It developed her character in a form of evolution.

Even though I really liked the haircut scene, I don't think she really changed. Her appearance changed but it wasn't the haircut or costume design that changed her, it was her Pokémon and hard thinking that motivated her to continue Performances. She didn't even get better at battling until the very end of the saga and her technique barely changed. I feel like the new wardrobe change was a way for her to feel better about herself and wanted to wow the audience. Perhaps long hair was to be expected where she could use different hairstyles but with short hair, her face is front and center... remember this face!

 

[DatsRight]

Yeah, it would a superficial way to boost her competence, except for that's NOT what the scene or the haircut itself represented. It represented her individual resolve, break from her past, and a change in her attitude as a person. It's relatively similar to the change that Lillie went through in the SM games, to give a better understanding.

It still doesn't change the fact that straight by that point any conflicts she had were effortless ones. The arc with her mother was over, Team Rocket suddenly became her jobbers and never remotely challenged her, and no one was able to really match her in the showcases, despite little substance really added to why she was doing any better besides 'OMG important haircut=change in direction'. There were some cases they made it blatant she was still novice in these areas, but it didn't change that they always plot armoured them and refused to let her be on the losing end or even struggle because the haircut was supposed to represent development out of such things. It felt like the writers wanted to have their cake and eat it too in that regard.

 

[satopi]

It still doesn't change the fact that straight by that point any conflicts she had were effortless ones. The arc with her mother was over, Team Rocket suddenly became her jobbers and never remotely challenged her, and no one was able to really match her in the showcases, despite little substance really added to why she was doing any better besides 'OMG important haircut=change in direction'. There were some cases they made it blatant she was still novice in these areas, but it didn't change that they always plot armoured them and refused to let her be on the losing end or even struggle because the haircut was supposed to represent development out of such things. It felt like the writers wanted to have their cake and eat it too in that regard.

Her haircut scene made her feel better about herself. I agree that she didn't really change but to girls, when they want to get better and focus on something major they're venturing into, they get a haircut and new outfit to show off their new altitude. It feels like a fresh start for her like the old Serena died and gave birth to a Serena that's more self confident, innovating, and gotten over the flaws that old Serena had.

 

[Daniel31]

It still doesn't change the fact that straight by that point any conflicts she had were effortless ones. The arc with her mother was over, Team Rocket suddenly became her jobbers and never remotely challenged her, and no one was able to really match her in the showcases, despite little substance really added to why she was doing any better besides 'OMG important haircut=change in direction'. There were some cases they made it blatant she was still novice in these areas, but it didn't change that they always plot armoured them and refused to let her be on the losing end or even struggle because the haircut was supposed to represent development out of such things. It felt like the writers wanted to have their cake and eat it too in that regard.

You still don't understand the point of it and will always be too hung up on the things that you keep repeating over and over when it comes to Serena, so I'm done trying to explain.

 

[Satomine Night]

It still doesn't change the fact that straight by that point any conflicts she had were effortless ones. The arc with her mother was over, Team Rocket suddenly became her jobbers and never remotely challenged her, and no one was able to really match her in the showcases, despite little substance really added to why she was doing any better besides 'OMG important haircut=change in direction'. There were some cases they made it blatant she was still novice in these areas, but it didn't change that they always plot armoured them and refused to let her be on the losing end or even struggle because the haircut was supposed to represent development out of such things. It felt like the writers wanted to have their cake and eat it too in that regard.

You missed the point of Serena's haircut, then. It wasn't about her competence or her conflicts. It was about her resolve, her change in attitude, and her personal growth--as in, her growth as an individual person, not her growth as a Trainer or as a battler. That was the moment when Serena changed as a person.

(Why do you always bring Team Rocket into these discussions? They were jobbers for everyone in XY(&Z). It's not like Serena was any special in that regard.)

 

[U.N. Owen]

They tried to make her plots (Ash and Kalos Queen) drive the character rather than the character drive the plot. This is most evident in the episode where she went up against the local hotshot Amelia and promptly won like it was any other contest. Keep in mind, the very place Amelia lost was her home: friends, families, locals, etc. It felt like the odds were stacked in Serena's favor despite Amelia's grip rather than against her.

I simply don't buy that the 26 episodes(?) she received were not enough for focus. That number alone is roughly a season's worth of episodes in the West. I think it comes down to mismanagement of the 26 episodes themselves. After all, quality over quantity.