The Death of the Anime?

[StellarWind Elsydeon]

I've been wondering about the latest things happening around PokeMon... How everything seems to be slowly coming full circle...

First of all the new Intro. A symphonic medley of many PokeMon themes, and the whole... non-standardness of the animation... The REGIS showing up... Same for Deoxys and Mewtwo (in a VERY Batman-esque scene.) x_X

Basically... The more I think of it, the more it looks like a great big goodbye.

And the 8th movie. Mew and The Wave-Guiding Hero.

Why would they return to Mew rather than just... conjure up some new legendary from Diamond/Pearl? I mean, they revealed Latios/Latias to the public long before the new Ruby/Sapphire versions were heard of...

And then it hit me.

The first wild PokeMon Ash has ever seen was Mew.

Well, he barely saw it - it was mostly a rustle in the bushes - I've thought it was a Rattata once, but then, upon more careful observation of the episode, I realized that it was Mew.

Coming full circle, anyone?

It would be interesting if the movie would have finally explained WHY do so many legendaries come upon Ash's path (And why he never remembers them!)

Well... here goes. I may be just paranoid, but it seems like they're planning to end the anime after Advanced Generation, and let it end with a blast.

... Maybe they're planning a whole new fresh start for Diamond/Pearl?


Thoughts, anyone?

 

[Lugiasian]

On the subject of the anime ending, I would like to say one thing.


YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

Sorry, it's just that the anime went downhill ever since Advanced. (Stupid, whining May replacing Misty....) Besides, I don't think yhey're gonna end it. What about the fourth gen Pokemon? I doubt they will not make a TV series dedicated to them.

 

[Linkachu]

Like I said over AIM, I've been thinking a long the same lines as you Stel. Returning to Mew seemed odd enough, but now the new intro? The animation is above and beyond anything we've ever seen in one, and it does have that whole "Let's wrap this up!" feel to it. Even if this isn't the end of "Pokemon" the anime, it may very well be the closing of Ash's saga. I, for one, would be glad. I want new heroes! Not that I dislike our current cast (I love them all), I just want something new - something brand new.

LOL... You know I disagree with you, Lugiasian. Compared to the Johto saga AG is much more entertaining, and I love May

 

[Nemesis]

It does seem as if it could be the last opening, for the Ash saga atleast. Maybe close the first 3 gens now, and have a completly new Gen 4 season.

The inclusion of ALL the legendaries, including Mew and Jirachi flying past at he start of the groudon/kyogre scene seems unusual.

On the movie thing, the first movie was about Mewtwo, so I can see why they might want one focusing on Mew, althogh the Regis would be better. Hopefully the Mew movie will show some of its mysterys of being connected to all Pokemon etc.

 

[NonAnalogue]

In response to Stel: This may sound like a dumb question, but when exactly did Ash see Mew in the first episode? I remember the Rattata, but the Pokedex clearly identified it as such...

 

[Doctor Oak]

No Ash/Pikachu = No Anime.

It's for KIDS. There is no avoiding that, it's created with kids in mind. Kids cling to an image and stick it as the main feature of what they're seeing. Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblades, they all follow the same thing, one main hero with weird spikey hair.

One member on Serebii's boards commented that it might not be signifying an end to the anime, or Ash - but to AG. And the Gameboy 'saga'. I mean, this new intro comes out on the day of the DS release - where the newest games are coming out and the next series of Pokemon will undoubtedly cover.

Look at the 8th Movie - it covers the last Pokemon unobtainable in the GBA 3rd Generation, which will also give people that Pokemon.

It's all coming full circle yes, but that is the WHOLE idea of Pokemon anyway. When you're ready to take on the biggest challenge in the game, where do you have to head? Right back to where you began.... OK, R/S/E is a bad example of that because of Hoenn's layout - but the other games follow that.

I don't think this is the end of anything other than Hoenn's 'saga'. And hopefully May and Max.

Either way, Ash and Pikachu are going no-where.

 

[Doctor Oak]

It does seem as if it could be the last opening, for the Ash saga atleast. Maybe close the first 3 gens now, and have a completly new Gen 4 season.

The inclusion of ALL the legendaries, including Mew and Jirachi flying past at he start of the groudon/kyogre scene seems unusual.

On the movie thing, the first movie was about Mewtwo, so I can see why they might want one focusing on Mew, althogh the Regis would be better. Hopefully the Mew movie will show some of its mysterys of being connected to all Pokemon etc.

On the point of that, it's not THAT unusual - a lot of the intros have featured all the revealed legendaries. The only unrevealed Pokemon in Symphonic Melody are the Regis - and much as i'd rather they never even existed, let alone be shown at all, they're in there to complete the set - heh, coincidentally, left to the last as nothing more than necessary - just what a lot of people do in the games.

If you want to take unrevealed as a point in case against them... take a look back to the start of the very first intro and tell me what you see. ^^

 

[Linkachu]

No Ash/Pikachu = No Anime.

It's for KIDS. There is no avoiding that, it's created with kids in mind. Kids cling to an image and stick it as the main feature of what they're seeing. Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblades, they all follow the same thing, one main hero with weird spikey hair.

Err... Since when was Yu-Gi-Oh meant for kids? The target age group in Japan is young teens. Have you even seen the original manga?

And speaking of Yu-Gi-Oh, Japan is making a side-series for it that doesn't star Yugi. So yeah ;p

Also, you don't go right back to the beginning in G/S/C, so really R/Y/B are the only games that theory applies for. I don't doubt that Ash will indeed be the hero of a new season, but don't set him in stone as the hero forever. In the anime-world anything can happen, and animes do end/start brand new series'. Even the kid animes.

And heeeey... Since when did you visit Serebii's forums? :twisted:

I disagree with something people at Serebii been saying, too. This is the FIRST intro that ever made me think the show might end. None of the others have felt this 'wrapped up'. Like I said at TT, if we are reading too much into it the creators are the ones to blame. Personally I don't see the step from GB to DS a big deal because eventually we will go back to GB

 

[NonAnalogue]

The 'side series' for Yu-Gi-Oh is not a side series. It is a sequel - as the original series has already been brought to a close. The original Yu-Gi-Oh characters make appearances, but it is entirely new. And since the original Yu-Gi-Oh is not running new episodes, it can not be considered a side-series.

 

[QuagsireQing]

Man, all my thoughts have been voiced already. Everyone has points that I share. When I saw this, together with the info on Mew and the Wave-Guiding Hero, I really did think, "What, are they trying to...end it?" Like Katie, this is the first season that made me think that they're trying to put a close to something or other.

Like, when Ash is sitting in the playground in the rain, and they all come over to him...May is crying, and Max looks sad, too. I think they're definitely leaving, at least. Big changes are in store for season 9.

As long a they keep Brock and his Ludicolo, I'm good! ^_^

I just realized that that was Mewtwo wearing the cloak in the alley. I got it when it turned its head and looked at me with those glowing eyes... Hadn't caught that before!

And...holy cow is this song ever song ever going to be destroyed in the dub. :shock:

 

[Doctor Oak]

Maybe 4kids would do the same thing with the English songs? That'd rock just as much.

Like, when Ash is sitting in the playground in the rain, and they all come over to him...May is crying, and Max looks sad, too. I think they're definitely leaving, at least. Big changes are in store for season 9.

There's one of those luvy-duvvy scenes everywhere in the japanese endings and stuff. Look at Smile, May is sitting crying on her own when her Pokemon come round to comfort her. It wasn't because of anything, it was just to show her relationship.

It's the same with that scene in the intro.

I personally think people are reading a tad too much into this. Like I said, there is no way the anime will continue without Ash and Pikachu and with Pokemon riding another huge peak of popularity and with the DS games coming... there is no way they'd end a still VERY popular show.

Also, you don't go right back to the beginning in G/S/C, so really R/Y/B are the only games that theory applies for. I don't doubt that Ash will indeed be the hero of a new season, but don't set him in stone as the hero forever.

I think you need to play Gold/Silver and Crystal again, Katie. How do you get to Kanto to go to the Elite 4? .... See? Not to mention the fact a big deal is made of it in the Anime everytime Ash is returning to Pallet.

I'd say this intro is doing little more than saying a goodbye to Hoenn - with maybe a side quest coming about in the summer and then Generation 4 at the end of the year. I certainly do not think the anime is ending, nor do I think they'd drop the two faces of Pokemon from it and continue on.

 

[Linkachu]

I think you need to play Gold/Silver and Crystal again, Katie. How do you get to Kanto to go to the Elite 4? .... See? Not to mention the fact a big deal is made of it in the Anime everytime Ash is returning to Pallet.

EDIT: Yeah... Gary's right. I was wrong about the G/S stuff. b00! ;p

And Ash going home is only logical. Plus the main reason he went back at the end of Johto was to acompany Misty...

Anyways... I already stated above that I "don't doubt" the series will continue, so stop with this 'reading into it' bit. If everyone who's watched the intro extensively is getting the same impressions then something must be hinting towards it, eh? It's not like we all got together to share ideas ;p
That's what I mean by it being the fault of the creators. If they wanted us to think otherwise, why do this? Johto didn't get any special thingy for the end of it. I don't think the move to DS warrents something like this either because DS isn't going to last forever. Sooner or later (if Pokemon is still around) we'll be moving back to Gameboy. So why? Why now with all the 'returning'? Are they simply running out of ideas, or is D/P further off then we think?

Meh. I'm just repeating myself now ;p