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animebw · 4 years

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Binge-Watching: Pokemon, Episodes 7-10

In which I consider how surprisingly well this show handles comedy, Ash broadens his perspective, and Team Rocket is still The Best(tm).

Giggity Goofery

It’s always a challenge when it comes time for me to analyze comedy on this blog. What does or doesn’t make us laugh is probably one of storytelling’s most subjective aspects, so I always tend to feel like I’m grasping at straws. But hey, if there’s anything I learned from 367 episodes of Gintama, it’s that good comedy gives you something it chew over while it’s making you bust your guts laughing. Pokemon is many different things at once- adventure, battle shonen, slice of life- but it’s a comedy first and foremost, and an incredibly childish, goody one at that. It’s got wacky characters, wackier expressions, patently absurd situations, and big, cuddly animals with highly expressive personalities that play off each other often wordlessly. That goofiness is at the forefront of its appeal, so if Pokemon wasn’t capable of making me laugh, this would be one slog of a show to get through. Thankfully, it is good at making me laugh. Almost kind of shockingly good, if I’m being honest; I was fully prepared to find myself cringing at bad voice acting and obnoxious characterization, but while there’s definitely some grating unpleasantness to the proceedings, the vast majority of Pokemon’s comedy manages to wring genuine giggles out of me. Even when Team Rocket’s not on screen! I know, I was shocked too.

So, what’s Pokemon’s secret weapon for good comedy? Oddly enough, for as goofy a show as it is, I think what really pulls it all together is that it’s also salty as fuck. It is well aware of how corny and ridiculous it is, and it doesn’t have any problems laughing at its own stupidity even as it indulges in said stupidity. Team Rocket’s obviously the star players on that front (”I think she’s even more conceited than we are!”), but even when they’re somewhere off screen picking themselves up from their latest blastoff, there’s a seriously entertaining irreverent streak running throughout the goings-on. I don’t know if this was original to the Japanese or if it’s a product of the dub, but either way, it’s seriously appreciated. Buffoonish tomfoolery from Ash and Misty is one thing, but Brock’s weary attempts at peace-making make it clear this show’s just as over their bickering as I am (”Oh yeah?” “Oh yeah!” “Oh brother.”) But even Brock’s capable of being the goofed-upon, as evidenced by Officer Jenny’s stone-cold drag of his advances (”Sorry, my shift ends past your bedtime.”), making him probably the most versatile character in the main cast. And all the central threesome are chock-full of the kinds of flamboyant jibs and jabs that Gintoki himself would be proud of. ”I’ll be on the sidelines, cheering you on and ready to drag your carcass away!” ”Ooh, she can violate my rights any day!” ”I go for quality, not quantity!” ”ALL THAT CRUNCHING IS RUINING MY ROMANTIC DAYDREAMS!” Not to mention Brock’s glorious French accent as he excitedly describes his crepe-making skills.

But what really cracks me up about this sardonic edge is that even the goddamn narrator is in on the joke. He’s constantly poking fun at Ash’s poor navigational skills in the same peppy radio announcer voice he uses to get us excited for Pokemon action: ”Since he doesn’t have a compass, Ash must rely purely on his instincts. And that means trouble!” ”Let’s hope he doesn’t take too any more shortcuts, or it’ll take a long time!” Hell, he even freaking leads into Ash commenting on his own lack of direction: ”On the path to...” “Where are we going?” It’s such a stupid little gag, but the mere fact that this show’s enjoying laughing at itself so much is a huge part of the reason it works so surprisingly well. It’s able to appeal to kids who just wanna see goofy stuff and to adults who enjoy mocking goofy stuff. And if you’re a stunted man-child like myself who enjoys both paths equally, well, that’s just gravy. Especially when even Brock ends up breaking the fourth wall: ”Come on, we’re already late, we gotta start the show!” Good lord, that caught me off guard. It’s a good sign that this show’s got a good sense of humor about itself, and that’s more than enough for me to enjoy its nonsense.

Different Strokes

Of course, Pokemon isn’t fun and games all the time, and while we haven’t stepped into any particularly dark territory yet, I’m becoming more and more impressed with how unexpectedly nuanced this show’s portrayal of living in a Pokemon world is. It would be so easy to fall into the trap of being all friendship all the time, with Ash’s incredible ability to befriend Pokemon on their level used as a cudgel to overrule all challenges he faces. But instead, these episodes give us a chance to meet a slew of different people from all different walks of life, all of whom engage with Pokemon in vastly different ways. AJ’s a discipline-minded coach who runs a tough training regimen to let his Pokemon achieve their ebst potential. There’s a snobbish Pokemon school that’s super upper crust and elitist (and has underground flashcard pop quizzes on outdoor treadmills by candlelight, because why not), but also gives its students a ton of valuable technical knowledge on the theoretical side of training Pokemon. It would be so easy to demonize a lot of these people and cast them as thugs who don’t get Pokemon, arrogant and disrespectful in contrast to Ash’s almost druid-esque connection with the little critters. But instead, we’re allowed to see the benefits of these school of thinking as well as their drawbacks. AJ’s a strict teacher, but he genuinely cares for his Pokemon, and he inspires them to take on the intense challenges he asks of them. The school may be far too blinkered for its own good, but it’s clear the kids there are genuinely learning a lot, even if they could stand to ease up on the stress a little. They’re not perfect ways of doing things, and neither are right for Ash, but they’re not inherently wrong methods just because they’re not what our protagonist practices.

And that’s to say nothing of Misty, who it turns out is in much the same boat as Ash; she left her gym-running sisters behind to set out on her own because she wanted to become just as great a Pokemon trainer as them. This world is full of talented people of all stripes, and the more of them Ash comes across, the more easily he’s able to check his own ego, see the flaws and limitations in his own approach, and learn from experience to get a much fuller understanding of what kind of trainer he has the potential to be. That doesn’t mean everyone else is always right either; he could never treat his Pokemon as intensely as AJ, nor handle Misty’s intense internal pressure, nor be as rigid and inflexible as the tech school would want him to be. He’s got as much to teach the people along the way as they’ve got to teach him, after all (”There are some things you can’t learn in school, and that’s a good lesson!” It honestly is). But as long as he’s able to broaden his own perspective alongside them, he’ll be far more capable of figuring out for sure which path is the right one to take. Here’s wishing him luck, however astronomically long that journey will take him.

Changes From the Games

-Oh, so now Ground-types are immune to electricity. Cheater.

-Apparently the Pokemon video game exists within the show’s world as an arcade cabinet. Huh.

-Starmie’s deflatable limbs are wigging me out. I always assumed they were, like, hard shell or something.

Best of Team Rocket

-”It’s times like this I wish I could go straight!” Oh, James, honey, we both know that’s impossible.

-”I guess we’re all washed up!” “We’ll never come clean!”

-”At least he doesn’t look like he’s trick-or-treating like you do!”

-”Maybe we should go back to our old motto.” Are you seriously trying to figure out your entrance here WHY ARE YOU SO INCREDIBLE

-”How about, ‘Choreography Killed the Cat’?”

-*wheeze* WHY ARE YOU ROLLING IN A BALL THEY’RE SO DUMB I LOVE THEM

-”My leg fell asleep!” “I wish your mouth would.”

-”A real gentleman always carries the bag.” “Well, as you know, I’m no gentleman!”

-”That felt great, we don’t need a theme song!” “It’s a classic!”

-At Meowth chasing a ball at the mercy of his feline instincts: ”Stop pussyfooting around!”

-Meowth, upon breaking his teeth: ”Aaaah, the moment of tooth!”

-”At least you’re the top of the bottom.” “You’re the tops, Meowth!” I don’t know what hit me harder, the clearly-rehearsed recitation of their school day woes in rhyme, or Meowth’s private eye getup. Either way, good lord.

-”I love a splashy entrance!”

-”Don’t worry, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it!”

-”What do we do now?” “Get into windsurfing?”

Odds and Ends

-I just wanna say, I don’t remember Tentacruel growing as big as they do in the opening. That’s disconcerting.

-”Nice face, Misty!” askjdhaskjdhas little shit

-”I’ve never been to jail!” “That’s what they all say.” Jesus Christ, Jenny.

-”Know yourself, know your adversary, and you’ll have the key to victory!” Regular G.I. Joe here.

-”We pool our talents to make a big splash!” ...you know what, I don’t blame Misty for ditching them if they’re her sisters.

-I still can’t get over how human the Goldeen’s VA sounds. It’s like she’s trying to seduce me, ffs.

-DON’T YEET THE PIKACHU FFS ASH

-”Wait a second, water conducts electricity!” Eey, good on you for finally using your noggin!

-”My name may be Misty, but I’m gonna be perfectly clear about what I want!” Apparently, the pun-apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

-”You’re too young to drink this stuff, but trust me, it’s good.” Brock is the ultimate Team Mom.

-Okay, the timing of the gags this episode has been killer. The fog blowing away to reveal the school slew me.

-”You’d have to be pretty stupid to fall into one of those holes.” Listen, I saw the joke coming a mile away, but it still got me.

-”They never run out of ideas, do they?” Nope, and that’s why we love them.

-Bout time Ash got a Bulbasaur on his side. Now just for Charmander and Squirtle...

Ten down, a thousand more to go. See you next time!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #pokemon #ash ketchum #misty pokemon #brock pokemon #team rocket #pikachu #meowth #gary oak #professor oak

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