☆Media LOG!★

So like I’ve talked about in blogs, Pokemon has always been a big part of my life but after a few years of gradually almost tapped out I’m back in again in full swing. My friend and I were talking abt this and they always mention how this series is goated and how good it is. A select moment of the year and they’re always rewatching it. And while I have technically watched Pokemon anime before, through YouTube clips (I was like 7 and didn’t have the resources or at least didn’t know of how to watch it normally), I was excited to 1. properly enjoy some pokemon anime and 2. excited to figure out why my friend loves it so much.

And yeah THIS WAS SO AWESOME jesus. I cried so many times watching this it’s almost embarrassing but if you get it you get it. All they gotta do is have a sad moment happen then have a flashback sequence and I’m bawling my eyes out.

It takes a bit for things to pick up, but it does turn awesome. It is a kids show, so sometimes watching it can feel like a drag either because of the repetition or because the characters are being stupid, but it does manage to make you emotionally invested and care for the characters and I can laugh at the cheesiness with love.

All their character arcs, while not being profoundly written, were smoothly carried on and made it certifiably feel good/satisfying. And seeing Pokemon interact with each other was so cute and made me like some Pokemon I didn’t care for before because I felt they had a personality.

Team Rocket is such a highlight (Maybe the best part…). Everything about them is so unserious, from the fact they literally never succeed or even have a real driving goal, they just cause chaos as they please and appear whenever and sometimes even team up with Ash’s guys. They also have the best dubbing by far; while other character’s phrasing was kind of weird, their lines actually sounded like English was the original language. Their intro, where sometimes, was always such a hit too. They’re just so silly!!

This series made so many crazy things “canon”. I know Relfection Cave is in the game and has some established lore but damn thats crazy that theres a whole other reality where Ash is a little bitch and normal Ash got trapped in it. And also the Malamar things were crazy. There’s just canonically a trio of Malamar who wanna destroy the world? That whole episode of possessed Officer Jenny felt so weird in a Pokemon series like it was breaking the formula. And the fact they went back in time cause a Rotom just decided to let them do that (whole ep of that was crazy)?? Some episodes/moments were surprisingly weirdly bold and out there.

Choosing a favorite episode is almost impossible but I can rattle off a list of standouts. All the Serena Pokemon Showcases are so awesome, every episode concerning Goomy/Goodra (Goomy stock skyrocketed watching this, he is just so unbelievably silly), the one with Meowth & Pikachu in the Pokeball factory, James snapping Inkay out of Malamar’s mind control by feeding in a Croissant (& for similar reasoning ep where Jessie thinking she’ll leave Team Rocket is a fav, too) Boonie and Tyrunt, and the Korrina/Lucario saga episodes.

Annd finally…favorite character is probably Clement, he’s like the geeky smart one and that’s just an archetype I’m totally biased for. But he’s also silly and his glasses does the stupid shine. He’s just so likable to me.

Overall awesome experience and a pretty great first experience watching Pokemon anime like it was intended. As this is my first Pokemon anime in full I can’t really speak on whether or not the consensus of this being the best Pokemon anime is bogus or not but this was pretty solid and a fun time overall. Also many Mawile cameos, even mega Mawile :D

They’ve already teased Xyneras, so I’m excited to see how XYZ plays out and how the legendaries will like. Be involved. Already 5 episodes in, hopefully it will live up to the internet and more importantly my friend’s high praise of this gen having the best series!

AAAAA ok wow funny kind of changed my brain chemistry damnn. im not sure where to start.

very interesting and paced well. they did a good job of integrating the performances with the going plot. other characters performing gave things like the internal conflicts of yuuri time to simmer and it worked good alongside each other. there is a thought im trying to convey here and my 5th grade level vocabulary and nuerodivergent communication skills are not fucking working together but like basically it tastefully worked together these two components of character conflicts and showing the cool shots of the characters skating.

speaking of the characters, there was no real "villan" in this story; it was just the characters mental fortitude being put to the test many times which i found more realistic and relatable and more three-dimensional. there wasnt a character i didnt like cause the voiceover parts of them talking about their motivations or whatever while skating made me want to root for them.

the skating shorts were also beautiful btw, i thought they were very good at capturing the motions in animation. sometimes though the character just kind of looked to be fucking standing there tho and the commentary guy would be like "look at that diabolical step scequence" and i was like "huh" but its chill. i understand its hard to convery still but active movements like that in flat animation

especially yurios like holy shit every time he had a skating sequence the camera angles would get crazy. his style of skating was my favorite. i liked how elegant it looked. same with the chinese skater guy he kind of served (burger and fries) with his short program. BUT SPECIFICALLY YURIO (who might be my favorite character?) he was so pretty on the ice and it really lookd like he was giving it his all during his last performance so im so happy he won gold :3

idk what else to talk about the plot. to summarize its pretty sweet and it really feels like youre climbing up the ranks with yuuri. all the moments of tension you can relate to and feel his character because of the nature of competition. if youve ever been in a competition and climbed up the bracket, it makes you feel some light feeling of tension and stress for yuuri or all the other characters. all the characters being so likeable (EXCEPT THE FUCKING CANADIAN GUY GOD DAMN) made me feel connected and i really was rooting for them! like phichit being the first southeast asian skater to win gold at the china cup and stuff, and hearing his story of wanting to define history. also side note phichits really cute damn

oh i guess this isnt a good review if i dont talk about the gay aspect. so before watching all i knew about yoi was that everyone said it was gay and thats all iknew about it and uh yeah its gay and pretty sweet. its not incredibly obvious but its also pretty obvious. i dont really care that it isnt plainface bl even though i usually only watch romance (i am the worst) because i was invested in the story. they have an interesting dynamic. yuuri is a likeable character. THEYRE ALL LIKEABLE. WHAT U WANT ME 2 SAY>?????????? GOOD ANIME SHOULD WATCH PRETTY SHORT PRETTY GOOD TIME

err i already wrote about the manga and this was a pretty faithful adaptation of the first installment; doukyuusei, so i dont have much else to add. it was quite beautiful and adapted the manga well. it cut out the fucking part of harasen's perverted pedophillic crush with rihito so that provided me with more time to be swept up in bliss rather than like annoyed grossed out rage

it followed the plot of the manga very accurately, besides cutting some stuff out (which i found fine) and it still told a sweet, concisive story.

i found the animation really beautiful and very fitting for the story. it adapted the manga artstyle really well. the watercolor backgrounds and soft palette really conveyed a feeling of romanticized, sweet life. the ending music was beautiful and the va was nice

not many notes on this besides it was a good, very comforting watch, better experienced if you read the manga first probably.

first off HOLY SHIT THEY GOT MARRIED CAN U BELIEVE IT second hikaru is my son i love him

i read all the main? installments? i think?: doukyuusei, sotsugyousei, and blanc, so my ramblings will encompase all of these. i skipped the side story and harasen's story because for the former idk and the latter cause uh fuck him i do not care what he does

i really love this story, its something special for real. i love seeing how this story grows with them and takes us through their life. doukyuusei, the first part, starts off rushed to establish the relationship but the pacing becomes better in later chapters. i loved chapter 4. it cemented their relationship for me. and hikarus ramblings. SAJO IS MY NUMBER ONE" ARE YOU REALLLLL

if i were to specifically address doukyuusei, id say it was very good at establishing the fundamentals of the story. it brought the two together and in the mere 6 chapters i did feel a closer connections. even though the whole part of them becoming a couple was rushed in the beginning i can easily look over that in the grand scheme of things. i like how rihito and hikaru are written to both be naive and inexperienced (in relationships) in their own way. i just found it so sweert brleeeh. so many moments i felt happy from their interactions.

THEYRE SO CUTE TOGETHER STOP LOOKING BACK AT THE CHAPTERS ITS LIKE JESUS CHRISTT. no big drama happens so its mostly just slice of life-esque, but theres still some angst, so the plot progresses realistically.

in the cse of sotsugyousei...i really liked that one too...it further developed their relationship and brought in the element of rihito's mom being diagnosed with cancer (pretty sure?) which sotsugyousei ended with a recalling back to their time as high school graduates, SEEMLESSLY MOVING ON FROM THEIR PERIOD AS CLASSMATES TO THE NEXT BOOK, BLANC, WHICH IS THEM AS ADULTS LOOSING MY MIND.

and in blanc, theres a more established plot point of them becoming adults but also dealing with being apart. it starts in an interesting position of them having broken up but still yearning for each other, and rihito's situation brings them back together. it was so fucking filling seeing how they boh simultaneously still wanted to be together, but you could sense from their character writing the emotional barrier that prevented them from getting back together. blanc might be my favorite and its not just cause they get married in that one lol

this series ended on a high note, perfectly making me feel satisfied yet wanting more at the same time. can u believe it. perfect. while parts of the plot left some to be desired, its easy for me to look over it and enjoy what was given. love these two.

p.s. fuck all the teachers in this story. why are they so chill about being pedophiles? this really dampened my experience reading cause it be so sweet then wed get the fucking predator harasen again and hed be creepy and why the fuckkk was he invited to the wedding.

p.s. ART IS SO FUCKING GOOD