The Pokemon Anime has come a long, long, way since it's airing 10 years ago. Although now it's less like a train continuing on its course and more like a rubber band being pulled to its limits. If there is any merit to the show, its that it makes you want to play the game, only to console yourself for the lack of opponents as weak as Team Rocket and as ridiculously powerful as Ash.
A decade ago, I loved the series a lot. I'd even go to the point of fighting over my family just to watch it. Although what mostly appealed to me at the time was the concept of Pokemon, and not the story, there were some moments in which I liked the show simply for what it was. Episodes like the one in which Ash first meets his Charmander, which captivated me in a manner that would now make me puke. I especially enjoyed the First Movie, and even now, I can't help but be awed that a show so simple, whimsical and carefree could introduce mature concepts, such as Death and the price of war and violence. (which is a first for the series at the time)
Back then, Ash was simply a kid who wants to make his dreams come true, a simple and easily admirable trait, together with his friends and Pokemon, whose trust are gradually built as they spend more time with each other, they learned life lessons over amusing little skits and the occasional "defeating of the bad guys and proving good always triumphs in the end."
But now...well, we can pretty much summarize the series into this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
ic-eGLctY4
It would be fine if Pokemon were a bit less mind-numbing but sometimes it sinks even lower than educational programs for toddlers with its repetitive lessons. (the whole lessons on friendship thing is 10 years past its expiration date) It fails to introduce new concepts for children, especially concepts that would be very helpful in a rapidly changing society.
Even the Movies lack depth, Simply put:
Ash meets legendary pokemon.
The Legendary Pokemon fights with other pokemon in fantastic but utterly pointless fight scenes
Ash leaves. end of movie.
I really don't see the series as anything else anymore other than a means of advertising the game.
And on the matter of new characters, I think a change is nice once in a while. Characters like Tracey and May were needed to introduce new views into the series, such as that of a POkemon Watcher and a POkemon Coordinator, and their perosnalities brought some sort of life into the series. The only character I don't understand is Max. What role does he play? He is an utterly useless character, whose only function is to annoy us with his incessant nagging. And than there's Dawn. I can't understand what the point of replacing May, and the female characters in general is. Misty was a lot better than any of them, she had a lot more personality and fans loved to go on about the budding romance between the 2 certain trainers. May on the other hand was most likely an attempt to show some maturity in Ash and the need for a newbie in the new series, to help answer the questions new viewers would ask. However, her journey as a Coordinator, and as a character was cut short and it would have been nice to see her further mature in a way Ash did.
