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Oct 13, 2019
It's been years since this show aired and I still love returning to it! (Note: this review is based on the English-subtitled, Japanese anime. I strongly recommend watching this series in Japanese to better appreciate the characters for reasons I will explain in later in this review.)
A very fun, easy-to-watch show, with exciting moments, updated character designs [while still maintaining the charm of the 90's style, the new eye designs show the brown of Ash's eyes in more than close-ups and tearful moments], and better animation quality than its predecessors, although it hasn't reached XY's peaks of beauty or Sun & Moon's lively fluidity yet,
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it still has well-animated battles and very expressive characters.
The soft reboot-esque beginning of the series makes it easier for newcomers and children to start watching without prior knowledge of the series, but it also rewards viewers of the earlier stories by including references to the past, reanimated flashbacks, and returns of some familiar faces (human and Pokemon!) in its second season. This review will focus on the first season.
Despite its flaws (a weak league and a strangely one-sided rivalry where Shootie, while framed as the main rival, isn't really written as such and his story arc mainly concerns the Champion Adeku/Alder, a frequently misunderstood-by-fans scene in the first episode [a sick Pikachu with Electric type moves temporarily sealed after an encounter with a Legendary loses to a stronger-than-usual starter Pokemon given to a trainer]), it has a lot to enjoy if you liked the humour, friendship stories, sense of adventure of the original series, as well as some very unique/quirky main characters!
I absolutely love Satoshi/Ash's dynamic with Iris and Dent/Cilan, theirs is a very genuine friendship, each have their own unique inter-group dynamics, and no one is just pushed to the background or ignored until they get a focus episode.
The friendship is very genuine, balanced, and natural, with friendly teasing (the dub didn't convey this very well, so Iris' teasing still sounded mean later on for a lot of people) and their own in-jokes (Dragon Sneeze, etc.).
Ash is the same character from the first series, although he originally came here on vacation, before getting so excited, he decided to take on the Pokemon gym challenge and aim for the Unova league!
Iris is a Dragon empath with empathy issues due to her past and much of her story arc is about learning to open up to and empathize with others' problems!
Dent/Cilan, a Pokemon Sommelier (a sommelier is an expert in food/wine marriages; a Pokemon Sommelier judges the marriage of human trainers and their Pokemon... using wine terminology, do you see why the dub had to change his dialogue and character so much?) starts out very arrogant and self-absorbed (running a PG-rated host club that double functions as a Pokemon Gym with screaming fangirls does that to a guy), but learns to see a new point of view and becomes kinder, but still hilariously self-absorbed and dramatic.
He's played by MamoMiya (like Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club) which makes him very funny to watch in Japanese due to his theatrics and gratuitous use of English.
And these are just the main characters!! The rivals (Iris and Dent/Cilan also have rivals, not just Satoshi/Ash!) are also very funny and quirky, with their own motivations, goals, hobbies, and personalities that play off in amusing ways in the many, many tournament arcs of Best Wishes! which make use of this large cast of rivals.
As for Satoshi/Ash's "main rival," I found Shootie/Trip a very unique character, even if he wasn't invested as a rival for most of it (Kenyan/Stephan, Virgil, and even Bell/Bianca stepped up to that plate more), but he was a unique character and it was interesting seeing him clash with Satoshi/Ash on issues of morality (BW! 22), his cynical world view is quite unique, and seeing them become friends was cute (even if I do wish we had more time spent on that!).
The rivals are so colourful and varied in this series, EVERYONE gets a rival or two, and they're all so funny and different, there's a rival to fit everyone's tastes (Burgundy and Cameron are largely comedic, Georgia can be very funny too but also touching in how she develops and directly AND indirectly furthers Iris' growth, Bell/Bianca is a naive and spoiled-but-sweet character you'd love to cheer on, Shootie/Trip is one of those morally dubious rivals but he's kinder to his Pokemon and less sure of himself, with a surprising motivation that puts him in a different light from Shinji/Paul).
In short, any time I go back to this series, I find it very watchable and fun!!!
I wish the postponed two-parter would air (even if parts of it were repurposed for the Meloetta arc's finale, even XYZ's Flare finale), just to satisfy curiosity for how the first major Rocket mission ended in this series (the earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi disaster unfortunately occurred, preventing the episodes from airing [likely due to earthquake imagery and a possible nuclear power metaphor with the Meteonite which the Rockets seeked to weaponize... it would've been in very poor taste to air after that]).
Its exclusion leads to some episodes being reordered and a bit of a lull after episode 22 (which was supposed to lead up to the two-parter), but the series picks up again after a few episodes. Understandable. The original series also had similar issues after the banned episode.
The first season is more strongly liked and has wider appeal than the second (which takes different directions every few arcs and changes of the title the series to match).
A lot of characters aren't what they seem at first and should be given time to properly judge them; the Champion Adeku/Alder, for instance, is disappointing due to his character flaws compared to the idealized image another character has of him. That's the point. Keep watching to see him actually display his good qualities too, like his wisdom and strength.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 25, 2016
Youth, simultaneously innocent and cruel, but endlessly perseverent. This is the story of twins, born two months prematurely: Riki and Momoko, both named for the blossoming plum tree's perseverence in winter by their father, who wa inspired by the sight of it in bloom.
Despite a slow frame-rate and some sub-standard voice acting, this is a movie will surely move those who have suffered for being different, felt embarrassed (and later regretted feeling that way) by a relative who is not what society considers "normal," and for those who remember how difficult childhood can often be. The children are nine, they're still easily influenced, as shown
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by how quickly many of Riki's classmates grow to accept Momoko after steps have been taken to integrate her, but the darker side of this easily-influenced and malleable nature is also shown in the bullying Ryuuji, an overachiever whose father is cold-hearted and success-oriented. Momoko is innocent and childlike, moreso than the others, having a younger mental age and a pure, almost angelic nature--
Although the characters initially feel like cliches, they are well-written and given enough time, they will show their hidden depths and human fears. There are hints even from the earliest scenes that the children have more to them. The bully is not mean and spiteful for the sake of being mean and spiteful (pay attention to what angers him most in each scene he lashes out, what he attacks and mocks, you will quickly figure out his issue). Momoko is not constantly cheerful and giving simply by nature, and Riki suffers the whole range of emotions that come from being both a third caregiver and child at once. The plot is simple and rather predictable, but there are some sweet turns and plenty of charming scenes where you will grow to love the characters.
It's not trying to be new and innovative in its story, but it succeeds in portraying the everyday lives of children, building an emotional connection with the audience, and creating mood.
Momoko's perseverence and insistence on doing things on her own or at least trying to, rather than being coddled by everyone around her, is also rather unique in anime heroines and I appreciated her resilient spirit. Her mental handicap may have her struggling with reading and speaking with a babyish lilt, but her emotional intelligence is high. She understands the other disabled children perhaps even better than their own mothers.
The art is simple, sweet, and easy on the eyes, although in terms of animation, the frame rate is somewhat slow and the animation can be choppy at times (most notably when Riki starts crying in the principle's office, it almost seems as if some transitional frames had been skipped?). But it's overall easy on the eyes and the character designs are good, fairly realistic (no outlandish hairstyles or naturally pastel-coloured hair here!) fitting such a realistic, down-to-earth story. I was particularly impressed by the way Momoko's body was drawn, her legs and arms are drawn and thin. They certainly look like someone suffering from muscular atrophy (although in Momoko's case, they simply stopped growing, making her overall much smaller than her twin brother). The animation is consistent about her physical limitations and does a good job of conveying difficulties she has in moving, particularly when she tries to run a race.
The backgrounds are quite lovely! Flowers feature prominently, what with the central characters being named after a blossoming tree.
One of my only real issues with this film is the voice acting; Momoko is well portrayed, most characters are acceptable, Riki has some issues in the earliest scenes, but is otherwise alright...
But Ryuuji, the bully, is quite stilted. It lessens some of the impact of some of his scenes, unfortunately, but the animation and music help convey the tone even if his seiyuu's bland performance leaves the viewer confused. It's fitting, then, that his most poignant scene does not rely on words at all.
This film might not be groundbreaking, but it doesn't have to be-- it simply chose to tell a poignant, sentimental, but honest story that isn't often told in animation, and did it well enough to leave one weeping.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 22, 2016
Ginga e Kickoff!! is highly underappreciated, a true hidden gem with fantastic character writing and a relatively down-to-earth story. Even if one isn't the biggest fan of sports anime (neither I nor my sister are, but we were swept up in this story and finished it very quickly!). It boasts no amazing, out of this world moves, the characters play pure soccer and it's a story grounded in reality with one or two amazing events that wouldn't be out of place in children's movie. After all, it IS aimed at children and it has a soothing atmosphere, a gentle score, and plenty of idealism.
But it's
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also excellent and truly enjoyable for an adult to watch too. Why? Because the character writing is fantastic. It is as much a show about being a child as it is aimed at children. The kids are in their last year of elementary, they're scared of being torn apart when they all go off to different middle schools based on their exams, they're scared of having no more time to play with the higher strains of education, this is their last chance and they want to make it count.
And do they ever! It ends, just like a beautiful dream, but with hope for the future.
The cast is diverse in many ways, the main team (Momoyama Predators) is a mixed team with two girls along with the boys. Shou himself is inspired by a professional female soccer player who trains him and Erika for a day and her lessons to them remain important for the rest of the series! Tagi is half-Arab, although this isn't explicitly stated in the anime version, it's clear in his design, with his darker skin and thick, curly brown hair!
Blind soccer is featured respectfully and legitimately, not as a pity party at all, and by practicing with blind soccer players using the same training methods, the kids hone their senses and polish their skills.
The characters deal with problems children do both on and off the field, like Erika deals with casual sexism and the ways growing up affects boys and girls differently. Tagi deals with hitting a growth spurt early, winding up gangly and tall for his age, losing confidence in his ability to play because his mind hasn't caught up with his new height. Reika deals with the stuffy expectations of being the heir to a rich family which expects her to live her life protected and ladylike at all times.
Coach Hanashima is a rather useless, shameless drunk when they first meet him and piece by piece, it's revealed he used to be a great player and even coached other kids before a tragic incident made him deathly afraid of robbing more children of their futures with his risk-taking. His story and character development is beautifully cathartic and ultimately uplifting.
The art style suits the wide-eyed, naive, enthusiasm of the main character and the youthful story, the animation is smooth and although there's some rough patches in the first few episodes (some anatomical hiccups here and there that look really strange and funny if you notice them), overall, it looks really good and crisp as you go along. The art style veers towards moe levels of cuteness about the face, but the kids' bodies are well drawn to portray the action.
There is some poignant drama too, so it's not all sunshine and butterflies, it's a balanced show, although it's certainly more on the optimistic side-- but in a good way, certainly not saccharine. Even the most painful stories that end well, never feel sugarcoated or cheap, because they're handled respectfully and fairly, there's no solutions that are magical band-aids-- instead, the happy endings are most often a case of everyone expecting the worse and being surprised by the beauty born out of persevering despite the difficulties.
Matches rarely take more than two episodes ( unless it's a tournament! ), the pacing is believable and the matches exciting even if one knows little about soccer. It really makes you want to get up and cheer them or move around or play yourself!
Overall, this is a very sweet, encouraging show with surprisingly well-written characters (both child and adult) and an engaging plotline, that should be enjoyable to both boys or girl, adults or children!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 21, 2016
The principle characters are Yune who leaves Nagasaki for Paris to work as a maid for a pair of ironsmiths, the somewhat amorous but kind Oscar and his grandson, the initially aloof, very troubled, but very earnest Claude. Other recurring characters include a young thieving boy, a bratty, but free-spirited, Victorian weeaboo (yes, they did exist in 19th century France, look up Japonisme) named Alice and her elegant, ladylike older sister, Camille, who is not free to pursue the one she loves.
A very sweet, relaxing show. The art style is quite cutesy about the face, but the detail on clothes is phenomenal and attention paid
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to setting and subtler body language is very nice. The pace is slow, but soothing. The characters have more bubbling under the surface, but while the finale and lovely extra episode touch on these subjects, they do not delve into it as much as the manga does (I recommend it, especially the Grand Magasin chapter, for those who want to see the story take a more serious and high-stakes turn-- as well as see more development of Yune and Claude's relationship).
It overall has a gentle and innocent feeling and doesn't sink to the same lows as a lot of moe shows with young-looking protagonists (Yune is actually in her early teens, she's just very young-looking and smaller-built than everyone else due to her ethnicity!). Fanservice is practically non-existent, there's one comedic scene very early on where Yune tries to take a bath, unused to the fact that they're a rare luxury in France and Claude sees water leaking from the roof and runs in on her while her back is somewhat exposed and everyone panics, but that's it (half the scene is rendered as chibi scribbles and it isn't played up).
Subjects explored are cultural shock and misunderstandings arising from differences, class differences, and more, but mostly, it is a gentle and warm show, with beautifully rendered settings that bustle with life thanks to the high quality animation and painterly-soft, but also vibrant colours that seem to glow and also help bring the setting to life.
There is some drama at the end of the series and even tragic backstories, but the story is ultimately a gentle, hopeful one with characters whose love and support for one another is enduring, even if they have disagreements, even if they are powerless to change the world around them, making an impact on one another, no matter how small, is good enough. Camille cannot help her restricted freedom, but she can be the perfect lady so her little sister, Alice, can be free. Claude cannot change the fact that their trades and old-fashioned shops are dying, but he still searches for inspiration everywhere he can to make beautiful and inspired signs. Fitting a slice-of-life series, it's about finding joy in the little things in life and connecting with others.
It's not for someone who doesn't enjoy slice-of-life however, unless you really enjoy period dress or enjoy very light romances with class differences and age differences and are willing to overlook a slow pace.
The score is sweet and evokes the setting and time period very well. The ending song is a bit too cutesy, but the opening is very lively and very Parisian. The best is probably the very traditional (in a Japanese sense) love song sung in the special episode 4.5 (one of my favourite episodes, especially in light of the manga, because it touches on the real reason Yune came to France...).
Somewhat minor, but I nearly dropped the anime and switched to the manga when Alice was first introduced-- I'm glad I forced myself to continue watching, I now love Alice's character too, but her voice was quite unbearable in her first episode. She shrieks her lines and I think this must've been a direction issue, because her voice actor has played very believable children before her...
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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