Opinion of the Pokemon anime

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I thought it was really lame. My brother watched it obsessively growing up, and I couldn't stand the stupidity of much of the plot. For example Team Rocket were the most bumbling and incompetent villains on any show ever, yet they STILL managed to fool Ash and his friends more often than not, even with their "disguises"*. The episodes would mostly be them being fooled, then some deus ex machina, a Pokemon battle, Team Rocket are defeated and flee and Ash and his friends move on. I think most people only watched it for the cute Pokemon and how they only said their names, which I'll admit, I found funny.

*On a side note, this is part of why even as a kid I couldn't stand Inspector Gadget. Inspector Gadget never did anything to defeat the villain of the episode and his gadgets were effectively useless, all that would happen is he would mistake the villain as an ally, go along with him, and then his niece and the dog would somehow save the day. I believe someone made a YouTube series cutting him out of it and realized the episodes are actually much better if you remove Inspector Gadget from them, much like how it was discovered Garfield comics are better without Garfield.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

And actually, the show is when you think about it quite dark. Think about all of this:

-The primary form of entertainment and driver of the economy in this world, is capturing animals and having them engage in battles much like illegal dogfights in the real world.
-This is done by having 10-year olds roam the world unsupervised finding such creatures and training them. It's just one step above child soldiers. I'll note that they are frequently in danger as evidenced by Team Rocket.
-As has been pointed out by many, how many adult males exist in the Pokemon world? Few, and almost all are criminals or military or law enforcement of some type. Hence the Pokemon War theory.
-While we're at it, what type of government exists in the Pokemon world? There's no mention of a monarch or elected President or anything. Each town seems to be self-governing like post-apocalyptic hamlets. Kind of makes you wonder who runs the Pokemon centers and law enforcement, but police in the Pokemon world have more common with uniformed vigilantes than actual law enforcement.
-It is kind of interesting how there's more Pokemon centers than hospitals and it seems more is spent on healthcare for Pokemon than humans.

[Higgs]

Loved it as a kid, mega lame now.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm very positively surprised that even BRTD acknowledges how awful it was.

I have a particular hatred for this show because of how it eclipsed the truly excellent Digimon Adventure, which made my childhood more than any other show and which I still rewatch occasionally. It's a great show that really, really deserved more recognition in the West.

[This account no longer in use.]

Absolutely, utterly horrible. Each episode has the exact same storyline:

1. Team Rocket try to steal Ash's Pikachu.
2. They get foiled somehow.
3. They blast off again.

It should also, of course, be noted that Ash is a horrible Pokemon trainer who thinks he can defeat entire Pokemon Leagues with an unevolved Pokemon as the most important member of his team.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Everybody were obsessing about this, so I watched one episode to see what's the fuss about and my opinion is negative ever since.

[Illiniwek]

Loved it as a kid, but find it hilariously bad now. If you want some entertainment, watch the PokeSins series of videos on youtube. They are hilarious and it is just really fun to speed through the series and laugh at how stupidly they were made.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

-This is done by having 10-year olds roam the world unsupervised finding such creatures and training them. It's just one step above child soldiers. I'll note that they are frequently in danger as evidenced by Team Rocket.

OK, oldiesfreak.

[Mike Thick]

Watched it as a youngster, gradually realized how crappy it was and stopped after a relatively short period of time.

[RaphaelDLG]

Absolutely, utterly horrible. Each episode has the exact same storyline:

1. Team Rocket try to steal Ash's Pikachu.
2. They get foiled somehow.
3. They blast off again.

This is a big problem, as well as how lame the humor is.  The biggest issue for me was how Ash's pokemon never evolve, as that was the biggest draw of the game in my opinion.

I watched for a few episodes in the first season and quickly jumped ship to the much more exciting Digimon.

[Free Bird]

Loved it as a kid, mega lame now.

[Slow Learner]

Wish there were more episodes with him.

[Goldwater]

TBH, it's probably the reason I never really got into Pokemon.

[Lyin' Steve]

Back when everyone was into Pokemon it was mainly there to flesh out the world and add more to our imaginations.  For that purpose it did pretty well.  As a standalone thing it's kind of lame.  Watch it if you like Pokemon and want more ideas about games to play in your backyard with sticks, I guess.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Also it's kind of ridiculous how much time Team Rocket spent trying to kidnap Pikachu. If they had spent half as much time  just hunting and training Pokemon as normal instead of hatching zany schemes to kidnap Pikachu, they'd have far stronger ones.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Fun fact: Since the English opening theme is in ballad measure, it's very possible to sing it to the tune of 'Amazing Grace' (and vice versa).

[Antonio the Sixth]

Fun fact: Since the English opening theme is in ballad measure, it's very possible to sing it to the tune of 'Amazing Grace' (and vice versa).

I've got to learn the lyrics to Amazing Grace, so that I can sing the (admittedly friggin' awesome) theme without the boring lyrics that go with it.

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

Loved it as a kid, mega lame now.

[rpryor03]

Loved it as a kid, mega lame now.

[Mr. Smith]

Loved it as a kid, love some of it even more now for MST/Rifftrax-esque reasons.

Sure the newer stuff [read: not dubbed by 4Kids, which I've watched with my younger cousins a few times] is objectively better and everything's better developed (such as Team Rocket being threatening), but that just makes it pedestrian and lame.

The original stuff with Misty and Brock, rice balls being called donuts, Tentacrools being allowed to destroy buildings, Team Rocket being in this 3/4 incompetent loop [which got worse and worse until the newer stuff overcompensated], all of it is freaking hilarious if sleep-drunk.

[Sozialliberal]

I loved the first two seasons as a kid. Now I think it's okay.

I remember the series as enjoyable light entertainment, albeit a bit too repetitive over time. It has mostly nostalgic value for me now.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

I think you missed the point of Inspector Gadget, BRTD. That he was bumbling and incompetent was the whole idea.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Fun fact: Since the English opening theme is in ballad measure, it's very possible to sing it to the tune of 'Amazing Grace' (and vice versa).

wow

[Antonio the Sixth]

Fun fact: Since the English opening theme is in ballad measure, it's very possible to sing it to the tune of 'Amazing Grace' (and vice versa).

wow

Can't be un-listened... nor should it.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Fun fact: Since the English opening theme is in ballad measure, it's very possible to sing it to the tune of 'Amazing Grace' (and vice versa).

wow

Can't be un-listened... nor should it.

Obama pls drone.