Pokemon: Mezase Pokemon Master

There we have it ladies and gentleman. The end of our time with Ash and Pikachu. What a crazy amount of years it was to get to this point, and now we're here, and it's...Good. Not great, but good. Here is why.

Story and characters: 7
The reason why it's good and not great, is because of how it is. If you're expecting something massive for Ash in his final episodes, will be mistaken.Not that anything massive needs to happen, more that if you're expecting major plot points to come out from fan theories or such, then you're gonna be let down in that regard. They really ... took a safer route with it, which isn't bad, more that it's usual Pokemon that is normally stella week by week. But what hurts it for me, and will most likely hurt it for those who have been keeping up with the Pokemon anime, is that all this nostalgia has been done so much, that doing it AGAIN, loses it's impact. While yes, it's to celebrate Ash and his journey. But for current viewers, it may not hit it's mark, but returning viewers may get a real enjoyment out of seeing returning faces, and throwbacks to past moments.

Again, there isn't anything wrong with how they handled it, it's more the little differences for a viewer, can really make or break it. I think what hits it's marks a little more however, is the fact knowing that this is potentially Ash's last moments with us. It's the tear jerker, that'll push this show more on the up than down. We could've gotten more yes, but in terms of what was shown and given, it can be given a good grade.

Art and sound: 8
Pokemon's style always looks great, and has it's charm. Much like it's quality of sound, the OP and ED were really nice touches, and it was really great to see. Can't say any more about it, they really did an amazing job in both departments.

If you are a returning fan, you will find this relaxing, and enjoyable, and scream at the moments that do happen as you'll notice the call backs from previous series and such. As a current viewer, while it'll be nice, but it's stuff we're used too. I would say watch it either way, as it's great to send off a character that has been with us for years and years.

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.

Endings can make or break a piece of media. If done correctly, their legacy can be cemented in the pantheon of pop culture for ages to come. Conversely, community goodwill that’s been painstakingly built up for years can be undone in an instant.

With that said…it is with a heavy heart that I bring you this bad news: Pokémon got the Game of Thrones treatment. If you’ve never watched Game of Thrones or read up on the angry fan backlash that ensued after the final season was over, I’ll get straight to the point.

Ash’s final season was a pile of rotting, stinking dogshit

If you ... expect any questions to be answered, don’t bother.
If you expect Ash’s father to be revealed, don’t bother.
If you expect a showdown with Giovanni, don’t bother.
If you expect any shipping resolutions, don’t bother.
If you expect ANYTHING to happen, don’t bother.

Before the season aired, I was optimistic upon reading that Misty and Brock would return for Ash’s final season. Misty left the show permanently after Johto in one of Pokémon’s most emotional episodes, ‘Gotta Catch Ya Later!’. She went on to make multiple cameos over the years, but Mezase Pokémon Master (referred to as MPM from now on) was going to be the first season in 20 years in which the original trio would be reunited for a full season. My shrivelled boomer heart grew three sizes at the news. Fans celebrated, Pokeshippers blew their load, Serenabros were in shambles. My optimism only grew after I finished watching episode two which was (objectively) the best episode out of the lot. It featured an engaging battle, great humor, and fun interactions between Ash and Misty. Surprisingly, the ending of the episode seemed to imply that Ash wasn’t as dense as the bottom of the Mariana Trench when it came to girls like the past two decades made us believe. Promo material also suggested that most of Ash’s reserve Pokémon were going to be used for his grand send-off. The future looked bright.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The next several episodes consisted of bland Pokémon-of-the-day filler that didn’t even capitalize on showcasing the original trio’s bond. Hell, Misty barely spoke or did anything in episode 10. It’s almost impressive how badly they dropped the ball after episode two, because she and Brock basically became cardboard cut-outs. Ash has turned into a less interesting character over the last 26 years, so his plain characterization here was par-for-the-course. Team Rocket was…present. They had some forced drama by the end, but, like everything else in this series, it didn’t go anywhere. Don’t expect them to turn a new leaf. The status quo must remain supreme.

Had this been any other run-of-the-mill season, I would have given it a below average rating due to the tepid, disjointed storylines, the misuse of side characters, and the general lack of excitement (even my cat looks more animated about me writing this review than I am, and she’s napping). But as the epilogue season of Ash’s journey which has spanned more than 1000 episodes? Crime against humanity. Send it to the Hague.

That’s not to say MPM didn’t do anything right. Asides from episode two, episode eight was the only other that I found had any creative merit. Without spoiling anything, read Banette’s Emerald Pokedex entry: “An abandoned plush doll became this Pokémon. They are said to live in garbage dumps and wander about in search of the children that threw them away.” Trying to find out who was Banette’s original owner and why they abandoned their doll made for an effective children’s show tearjerker.

Another positive were the sparse moments of nostalgia that were executed well. Seeing Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charizard, and friends reunited might elicit some smiles from 90’s kids. There were also call-backs to the earliest episodes of the franchise that were a nice touch from the creative director and his team (like Misty ‘catching’ Ash with her fishing rod again.) Also, if you’re a fan of Gary and/or Tracey, you might get a kick out of them being given a speaking role after years of silence.

Music was also a notable highlight. The absolute banger 1st OP ‘Mezase Pokémon Master’ is still as fantastic as ever; Ash’s story highlights were interspersed as the song played. While ‘One Hundred Fifty-One’ was the ED that played for most episodes, MPM used old favorites like ‘Face Forward Team Rocket!’, ‘Riding on Lapras’, ‘Takeshi's Paradise’, and the catchy ‘Type: Wild.’ Call me nit-picky all you want, but I think it was a miss from MPM’s director not to use ‘Meowth’s Song’ in the episode that heavily focused on him. Another solid aspect of the show was the BGM, which consisted of remixes of old songs from the first season; the songs themselves had enough subtlety not to completely overtake the *cough* story, but delicately accentuate key scenes.

MPM used a vivid color palette, with unassuming human character designs. Now, I did not expect Ash, Misty and Brock to look the same as their Indigo days, but their new designs are nothing to write home about either. This could have been easily overlooked if there was great cinematography, engaging camera shots, and awe-inducing battle choreography but…it doesn’t have that either. When Misty and Brock made their Sun and Moon cameos, they didn’t look any better, but their personalities shone through amusing facial reactions and cute banter with Ash. Frankly, animation-wise, it was a step back. Even more jarring, the final villain, who came out of nowhere, was dressed as a My Chemical Romance reject who somehow stumbled into stealing Pokémon for a living. Backgrounds were fine. Pokémon designs were stellar but they’re the same ‘mons that we grew up with.

Frankly speaking, the safe, open-ended nature of the ending was most likely planned just in case the new Pokémon series that airs next month (April 2023) bombs, and they can bring up Ash for a Brand New Journey! (all rights reserved). I’ll always be a Pokémon fan, even when I’m an old lady who’ll scare kids off her lawn with Cannibal Corpse blasting from her speakers, but this was still a massive disappointment. We fans deserved better.

So, what exactly did it mean to be a Pokémon Master? It was, unironically, the friends we made along the way.

Recommended to anyone with a desire to see the last innocent vestiges of their childhood crumble one by one.
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Gotta Catch Em’ All!