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Opinion: The POKEMON Anime Needs a Reboot and Ash Should Retire

No, I don’t think they should stop doing a Pokémon anime or movies for that matter. The series is such a big cash cow that I can’t blame The Pokémon Company for keep on doing this. But Ash is a character that has met his “best before date” years ago.

I’ve had this feeling for years, but it got abundantly clear when I watched a movie called Pokémon: Clash of Ages. It’s a movie that starts off fairly strong but loses its focus faster than a speeding bullet as soon as Ash and his friends get into the picture.

How are they introduced you might ask? They happen to be in a random hotel and get randomly involved. It was pretty clear that they were only there because of fan service. I can’t understand how they force themselves into putting themselves into a corner. Yes, Pokémon isn’t Shakespeare, but that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t do some interesting when you talk about storytelling.

So what would I do instead? The same thing that The Pokémon Company does with the games. Make the anime/movies an anthology series. For each region, a new protagonist. Sure, you can have cameos from other characters here and there when it works for the story. It confuses me even more why they haven’t done that, considering that’s the approach of their most popular Manga called Pokémon Adventure. A manga that I recommend you read if you manage to get your hands on it.

I remember when Ash finally got to the final in the tournament for the Kalos arc (the season that covered the X/Y games), something he had never happen (If you discount the filler arcs that no one cares about). It was all over social media. “Is it finally time for Ash to win a tournament?” At the end of it all, what happens? Ash lost, and fans got downright furious. While I’m with them on that, I think we all should have seen it coming.  Especially considering one of the recent movies being a re-telling of the first arc. (The less said about that, the better.)

They should have looked at the fan outcry, and realize that people want an endgame for this character.

But instead, we get the same old stick as always. Ash becomes a strong trainer during a season, but in the start of the next season, they treat him like a nobody that knows next to nothing about Pokémon, which makes the question of an anthology series even more legit.

I’m ending this rant with this. While I don’t expect the showrunner to read this, or change their approach in any way, I do hope Sun & Moon is the last season we see when it comes to Ash and his companions. He had a solid run for a while. But what you hope is not always something you expect.

The Sun & Moon season might have some solid episodes, but that doesn’t change my feeling that the expiration date is long gone. Let’s hope that the live action Detective Pikachu brings something new to the table.

What do you think about this? Do you agree or disagree? Comment below and let us know or tweet at us at @WOBAMEnt.

Isak Wolff
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Co-host of the Amateur Otaku Podcast. A writer of many things. Loves everything nerdy from anime/manga to comics and video games. Fire Emblem is the greatest of all time.