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josearc
Reviews
Pokemon konsheruju (2023)
Inspired and deft short
As a lifelong Pokémon fan, I've always wanted a show like this: a piece that explores the relationship between people and Pokémon in a casual setting. The GameCube's Pokémon Channel was really the first and only time I remember. Pokémon Concierge is a short but delightful slice of Pokémon media. There's no thrilling battles here. Instead we get Haru, a down-on-her-luck office employee who takes a job at the Pokémon Resort for a change in scenery.
The series artfully blends cute Pokémon visuals with stories about how Haru helps Pokémon and in doing so learns a little about herself. At around 60 minutes total runtime, it's a must-watch for ANY Pokémon fan, regardless of age.
If I had one nitpick it's that the first episode is far weaker than the following three as it serves as mostly introduction.
Rugrats: Second Time Around (2021)
Successful Reboot
If the goal of this episode was to take the Rugrats you know and love and bring them into the present, then this was a huge success. We have a full-length episode whose main story is Chuckie trying to be brave. It is well-trodden territory but the show executes it perfectly. The sequence where Angelica swipes right on a bunch of dates for Grandpa Lou and they all visit his house was very funny.
The show does a lot of subtle (and not so subtle) updates to bring it to the 21st century. My favorite is probably the ending bit: After Chuckie displayed amazing bravery to save Tommy, Chuckie asks his friend if he can play the brave one on their next adventure. Then Chuckie corrects himself and says that maybe they don't need to worry about things like that and just be themselves.
If I had to fault the episode it would be that this is not a good starting point for the franchise. With six babies and more adults, it would be quite hard to follow 13+ named characters and their personalities if this is your first time seeing them.
The Big Bang Theory: The Scavenger Vortex (2013)
One of the best episodes in the series
Rewatching this episode and seeing the cast interact together throughout it reminded me what episodes in later seasons lack. It's a joy to watch and lands most of its jokes.
Gekijouban Pokketto monsutâ Besuto uisshu: Shinsoku no Genosekuto Myûtsû kakusei (2013)
One of the Better Black and White Movies
The Pokemon movies can get pretty formulaic, but I still like to see them because the animation gets a humongous upgrade from the anime series (although that rift diminished in the spectacular XY anime series). This movie sees Ash and co. exploring a Central Park-esque Pokemon Hills. Trouble looms, however, as a group of Genesect are set on making Pokemon Hills their new home, disrupting the Pokemon ecosystem and potentially the power plant beneath it that runs the city. It's up to Ash, Cilan, Iris, the Pokemon Hills director Eric and Mewtwo to put a stop to it.
The Genesect's motivation at the beginning of the film is clearly established; they've been fossils for 300 million years and have been woken up by Team Plasma and weaponized. This is clear enough, but having the Team Plasma scientists play a bigger role could have greatly enhanced what is a middling entry in the series.
Mewtwo's appearance in this film is understandable given that they wanted to advertise its mega form. What was unnecessary, however, was erasing the relationship Ash and Mewtwo built up through two movies plus several other appearances.
The way Mewtwo and Genesect's conflicts were resolved were also very unclear. Overall, this is a passable film and one I'd put around the middle of the Pokemon pack. It didn't take full advantage of its unique setting, but it did shed some light on Genesect, a Pokemon that even in the games is very mysterious.