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Pokemon: Indigo League - Anime Series Rewatch

by Neal Ronaghan - February 22, 2016, 1:22 pm EST
Total comments: 28

Neal hasn't watched the Pokémon anime in close to 20 years, so now seems like the perfect time to rewatch it.

I’m what I’d term a lax Pokémon fan. I was crazy into it all back when it hit America in 1998, digesting all the games, anime, cards, and what not Nintendo and The Pokémon Company would unleash. Around 2001, I fell off the series, and only really got involved again with the games when Diamond and Pearl launched. My current affection is only for the games, and I legit only thought there were like nine movies until recently (the 19th movie launches this year apparently).

But it’s been 20 years since Pokémon launched. That feels important (or at least that Super Bowl ad sure as hell told me it was important). Maybe just maybe, I should extend my gaze past the Pokémon games. So, I’m embarking on a journey of watching a bunch of the old anime, which is named Pokémon: Indigo League on Netflix.

Talkback

WahFebruary 22, 2016

Don't do it!
The series is cancer.
Literally everything wrong in a anime is in this one don't do it!
The Dubbing, omg the dubbing...

MythtendoFebruary 23, 2016

The anime was pretty good, I think I stopped watching around the time that they switched dubbing companies,

WahFebruary 23, 2016

r u serious the original anime dubbers sucked big hairy khush balls!

MythtendoFebruary 23, 2016

Better than a lot of anime

broodwarsFebruary 23, 2016

I pretty much stopped watching the series after the original season, as I feel the series peaked with the first Pokemon tournament. Plus, the series went on to introduce all the lame post-Red & Blue Pokemon, not to mention dumping Brock for a while.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterFebruary 23, 2016

I've actually heard pretty good things about the Diamond and Pearl arc of the anime.

Quote from: broodwars

I pretty much stopped watching the series after the original season, as I feel the series peaked with the first Pokemon tournament. Plus, the series went on to introduce all the lame post-Red & Blue Pokemon,

Hey, don't you be dissing on my boy Tyranitar.

Speaking of, anyone who hasn't watched the episode "A Poached Ego" from the Advanced Era (or whatever they were calling it at the time) needs to rectify that right away.

And bring a tissue box because Arbok and Weezing go bye-bye.

I'm also quite fond of the last battle between Ash and Gary in the Johto championship.

WahFebruary 23, 2016

Quote from: Mythtendo

Better than a lot of anime

you obviously don't watch a lot of anime.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterFebruary 24, 2016

Look, there's one part of the anime I think anyone can find at least somewhat amusing.

http://youtu.be/jkZMcP4NIoM

OedoFebruary 25, 2016

I went back and started watching the anime again in university a couple years ago since I found it to be a good show for study breaks and ended up watching 700+ episodes. I'm sure some of it was nostalgia driven, but like the games it's a really endearing show, especially the first season. Unfortunately my interest waned when they tried to turn Jesse, James, and Mewoth into "serious" criminals and just took the anime in a direction that I didn't enjoy as much.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterFebruary 25, 2016

Quote from: broodwars

Plus, the series went on to introduce all the lame post-Red & Blue Pokemon

You mean like Ho-oh in the first episode?

WahFebruary 25, 2016

Quote from: broodwars

I pretty much stopped watching the series after the original season, as I feel the series peaked with the first Pokemon tournament. Plus, the series went on to introduce all the lame post-Red & Blue Pokemon, not to mention dumping Brock for a while.

Bad Gen-1oner! Go to your room!

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterFebruary 25, 2016

It's "Genwunner" if you're going to use that stupid phrase then get it right.

WahFebruary 25, 2016

Bro don't dis my legit swag.

broodwarsFebruary 25, 2016

Quote from: Lucariofan99

Quote from: broodwars

I pretty much stopped watching the series after the original season, as I feel the series peaked with the first Pokemon tournament. Plus, the series went on to introduce all the lame post-Red & Blue Pokemon, not to mention dumping Brock for a while.

Bad Gen-1oner! Go to your room!

Yeah, I just fell out of Pokemon in general once I could no longer remember even 1/4 of the Pokemon. There's just something about the original 151 that appealed to me that I've never been able to replicate since every time I've tried to get back into the franchise since. There's just too damn many Pokemon. They all blur into a generic mush.

WahFebruary 25, 2016

so Muk, Magnemite, and pidgey are creative are they?

TOPHATANT123February 25, 2016

I find it funny when people complain about there being too many Pokémon, you're essentially complaining an RPG has too much enemy variety.

WahFebruary 25, 2016

I know right? silly BroodWars! :P

broodwarsFebruary 25, 2016

Quote from: Lucariofan99

so Muk, Magnemite, and pidgey are creative are they?

Compared to the vast majority of the post-151 Pokemon that are just reskins of the original batch, yes. The original 151 are just memorable to me. The rest just blur together. Hardly a variety, IMO.

Quote from: Lucariofan99

so Muk, Magnemite, and pidgey are creative are they?

Pidgey's more creative than the new Pidgey clone they insist on introducing in each new generation. I don't mind adding new ones, but it feels like a lot of them suffer from the 3D Mario "No, we have to have 120 of them!" design philosophy. I get the feeling of them going through the motions a lot more with the later games, with a new shitty bird and a new shitty bug every time around for no good reason.

WahFebruary 27, 2016

Talonflame was different...

Episode 2 is up! http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/41992/pokemon-indigo-league-anime-series-rewatch-episode-2-pokemon-emergency

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterFebruary 29, 2016

I've actually been watching the D/P version of the Anime because I'd heard pretty good things about it and I have to say, it's been a really fun watch.

That pizza recipe of Oak's means a new headcanon: Professor Oak is Donatello.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterMarch 01, 2016

Quote from: NWR_insanolord

Quote from: Lucariofan99

so Muk, Magnemite, and pidgey are creative are they?

Pidgey's more creative than the new Pidgey clone they insist on introducing in each new generation. I don't mind adding new ones, but it feels like a lot of them suffer from the 3D Mario "No, we have to have 120 of them!" design philosophy. I get the feeling of them going through the motions a lot more with the later games, with a new shitty bird and a new shitty bug every time around for no good reason.

Generation 5 is hilarious, it's basically a 50/50 split of either blatant copy of an existing pokemon (look out, it's Woobat) or a really neat, interesting idea like Chandelure or Braviary that probably won't evolve until level 57 or something because B/W had a different experience system where that actually sorta barely made sense that they ultimately ditched.

Evan_BMarch 01, 2016

I would argue the first 252 are the most iconic. However, my interest waned with the third generation and came back strong with the fourth. I generally find many Pokemon designs to be quite recognizable and unique, and while there are duds in each generation, it's worth taking a look at the new designs just in case you see something you might like.

OedoMarch 01, 2016

Quote from: pokepal148

I've actually been watching the D/P version of the Anime because I'd heard pretty good things about it and I have to say, it's been a really fun watch.

Diamond and Pearl is awesome. One of the last Sinnoh League battles in particular is the one time I would use the word "hype" to describe the Pokemon anime.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterMarch 01, 2016

I'm going to take a wild guess on who that battle is with.

http://youtu.be/J9PppayA3XY

OedoJune 30, 2016

Mentioning Goomy and its evolutions in the other thread reminded me that I watched the XY series because of this feature and... XY is pretty good! They're certainly not taking the anime in a bold new direction (though the way they handle Mega Evolution is cool), but I caught up to the newer episodes earlier in the year and the series was pretty enjoyable up to that point. Probably gonna wait until they move on to the next series until I start watching it again.


Also, pokepal, yup, that'd be the guy.

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