Pokemon: Mezase Pokemon Master

That's it, our generation's journey in Anipoké has finally come to an end.
'Mezase Pokémon Master' is the special farewell miniseries in which they deliver the format that many fans have been salivating to see since the beginning of the final season: Ash traveling with Misty and Brock while doing rotations with old Pokémon and finding the meaning of being a 'Pokémon Master'. Here we see how Ash has matured bonding with different Pokemon while some familiar faces are seen along the way.

What seems to be a wish-fulfillment special series that ties Ash's story together in one final arc... is actually a handful of fillery plots ... that provide little to no sense of closure or farewell. Don't get me wrong, the episodes of MPM aren't exactly bad by any means, but they seem terribly misplaced. Instead of giving a legitimate send off to Ash's 26-year run, we're given random soft stories that don't really serve much of a purpose outside of cheaply invoking some nostalgia towards fans of the original series, and the only thing linking the episodes is a Latias stalking Ash without a deep overarching mini-arc with it, whose ending doesn't add a clear connection to the theme of the series. With each episode I felt the same sense of deja vu, rehashing plots and messages we've known for decades without displaying them in a fresh or engaging way, like the bond between Ash and Pikachu and how Ash is a cheerful and selfless child.

I have to say that seeing Brock and Misty traveling with Ash again is like my genwunner dream coming true. It's such a shame they're just there. The classic dynamic interactions between Ash and Misty in EP02 showing how he behaves differently towards Misty managed to put many smiles on my face, and then shortly afterwards the chemistry that gave the episode so much life was completely gone. Brock is just a shadow of his maturity shown in his previous comebacks, reverting back to being exactly the same stereotype as his earlier iterations. They go from one region to another with hardly any introduction or context and both look so faded that there's even a scene where Ash mysteriously arrives flying at an invisible object [Latias] right in front of them and they don't even show any reaction whatsoever as if they literally weren't there. The reserves also come back, but most of them are relegated to the background leaving only a few getting more treatment than a glorified small cameo, not just because of the short time left for the staff to work with them but also due to the same odd priorities arrangement from the previous phase, making it seem like a mere complementary extension of it (you can check my review of 'Pokemon (2019)' here on MAL where I comment in depth about this season's issues which MPM seems like a symptom of).

Speaking of realistic expectations, the first trailer gave me the idea that Gary would confront Ash about what it means to be a Pokemon Master early on, and then Ash would go on a little journey to meet with his old traveling companions and Pokemon reliving memories of each region one last time in order to find an answer - until reach an epiphanic moment at the climax. It would've captivated us more efficiently with a solid theme being developed in a tight storyline and a consistent feeling that we and Ash are about to go our separate ways, as something that would've signified tribute and a proper bookend to a 26-year-running show as well. Sure, we can't blame the show for astronomical personal predictions, but with Atsuhiro Tomioka as writing supervisor, it was reasonable to expect at least the same energy that perfectly blended character progression and nostalgia as in Paul's comeback.

To be honest, I don't blame people who hated this series. It's kind of funny to see years of fan theories about how the end of this legendary story would play out, and we ended up getting a much quieter, lighter conclusion. To be fair, the director himself basically admitted that this miniseries is all about "Ash just traveling around being a kid", which might still be something fun and necessary after the ambitious and fairly eventful Journeys. The execution however... Writers seemed to be trying too hard to replicate the feeling of watching the original season and I'm not sure an epilogue series supposedly meant to end Ash's lead is the appropriate time to convey the idea. For the climax at least, I'd change the weightless Pokémon Heroes reference for seeing Eon Duo staying with Ash and adding to the perfect metaphor of eternity that represents Ash's dream, just as running into the intangible rainbow at the end (as director himself also stated) brings to full circle the concept of what actually inspired the forever-10-years-old boy to want to become a Pokémon Master as well as poetically symbolizes the meaning of it - It's not about reach a goal, but live the endless journey (I do wish Ho-oh had been the one that made the rainbow though).

So, that's it. After investing several minutes a week to Ash & Pikachu pretty much my entire life, I really feel like I'm moving on to the next chapter of it along with the series, so the last thing I'd want is to say goodbye taking a bitter pill. That day was bound to arrive and frankly we should've been more relieved than anything. Change is hard, but change is also needed. Should you watch MPM though? Well, the series might still leave you glad to see the Gang of Four and Misty & Brock one last time. Small moments like Cilan congratulating Ash for his PWC victory and a group of people recognizing him as the Champion also mean a lot to anyone who has been following our hero for a long time. Plus, one of the most anticipated reunions in the history of TV shows takes place in the last episode, and they managed to end on a somewhat high note at least.

All in all, it may be a shame that the farewell wasn't the fleshed-out, narratively satisfying ending that most of us probably would have liked (it looks like Ash might come back in the future anyway, since it's open ended), but in the end, I still have gratitude to The Pokémon Company for all the memories with our childhood duo that defined an entire generation, and I'm sure many of those reading this do as well.

TL;DR - MPM is just a compilation of comfy and relaxing recycled stories using nostalgia as a showcase in the simplest and safest way conceivable, so we can get one last look at some Pokémon as well as Ash & Pikachu staying with us a little longer while the new anime doesn't arrive; don't expect any epic conclusions or emotional rollercoasters and you might have a fun watch.

Thanks for reading.