The journey of Satoshi and his friends through the Kalos region continues! After Satoshi obtains his seventh gym badge, the group is moving toward the next town when Eureka discovers a mysterious Pokémon resting in her pochette. Soon given the name Puni-chan, it is one that even Satoshi and Serena's new Pokémon Zukan cannot identify. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Puni-chan is the target of a mysterious group clad in bright red suits known as Team Flare, aiming to capture the new Pokémon to further their agenda. But when Satoshi and the gang realize that the enigmatic organization has no intention of treating Puni-chan with any decency, they take a stand in opposition to Team Flare's plans, daring to fight back.
With Gojika's predictions looming above them, Satoshi aims for his final gym badge while Serena contests for her last Princess Key in order to be able to compete at the TriPokalon Master Class. But as Team Flare begins to move in search of the mysterious Z, the stories of Pokemon XY and Pokemon XY: Mega Evolution cross paths as Satoshi and his friends, along with Team Rocket, get caught up in a scheme that could put Kalos in great danger.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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MidniteAndBeyond
Pokemon the Series: XY&Z Review (CONTAINS SPOILERS) It's not every day, I get to write a Pokemon review. It's always bittersweet, having a new generation of Pokemon come to an end. In the games department, X and Y was absolutely revolutionary for the Pokemon franchise. As for the anime, well... we just came off of the Black and White anime, which is widely considered to be the worst of the Pokemon anime. So X and Y had a lot of fixing to do? Does it succeed? Well, let's talk about that. First off, I don't know how they keep doing it, but the Pokemon anime just keepsgetting better and better, in terms of animation. That's undeniable. Right from the get go, the new art palette (teehee) is a huge step up from the already amazing looking Black and White (which is the only amazing thing about that season). Not only to the colors look improved, but Ash looks significantly older in this series. Of course he's still in 10 year old limbo, but we can at least pretend that he's aged over time, with this one. I get that they want to have a 10 year old protagonist so that the majority of the Pokemon anime audience can have a character that they can relate to, but I think it'd be even more impactful to have that protagonist grow up, along with its audience. While he may not be doing that in the age department, he definitely did that in the personality department.
So in Black and White, Ash had completely lost and and all knowledge and skill he ever had, throughout the entirety of Diamond and Pearl. And considering D&P has an INCREDIBLY smart and deep Ash in it, Black and White back peddled like nobody's business! So when X and Y roles around and introduces this new, more confident Ash, I was really impressed. This Ash is more confident, courageous, intelligent, and acts as a mentor to his traveling companions. Usually that honor belongs to the older male traveling companion. But Ash does a really good job with this role, while also continuing to have growth and struggles of his own. It's by far the best Ash Ketchum in the Pokemon anime, and I'm REALLY sad that the small bits of the Sun and Moon anime that I've seen so far seem to completely erase that personality and rewrite Ash from the ground up, once again. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see if that's entirely true.
Speaking of starting from the ground up, like always, Ash has an entirely new traveling party in this new region. And for the first time since the Hoenn generation, Ash is traveling in a party of FOUR this time, as opposed to three. First off, we have the female playable character in X and Y, Serena. Right from the beginning, Serena is a very interesting character. When we get to see her and personal life, she seems very atypical, compared to all the other female traveling companions that Ash has had, in the past. First off, she doesn't start off with any Pokemon, or even with any plans to get one and go on a journey. She's just a girl living at home, who doesn't seem to be really involved in anything related to Pokemon. But the reason she has for going on a journey is actually REALLY interesting. You immediately become interested in her story and hope to see it go somewhere that Pokemon has never really gone, before. Unfortunately, this big suspenseful journey gets wrapped up pretty quickly and anticlimactically. But that doesn't stop Serena from being an absolute joy to have on screen.
Serena reminds me a lot of Dawn, in which she's a character that continuously grows in both victory and failure. She has her victories like every main character always gets. But it's not always like that. A lot of her victories involve overcoming obstacles such as people and past events that tell her she's not good enough. And I'm not just talking about jerkish rivals. I'm talking about parents who paved a predetermined path for her. I'm talking about legends in the industry of her dreams that tell her she has no hope of succeeding, simply because the great classics that came before her already set the bar and nobody will ever be able to top it, simply because it isn't a classic. Not only that, she has a lot of times where she DOES fail and it breaks her up. Seeing her in those darker states is one of the more emotional things to witness in the Pokemon series. But what's even more powerful is seeing her recovery from those moments.
Serena goes through more growth and development in her journey than Ash was able to do in the first THREE generations of Pokemon! They didn't treat Serena like a side character. They made her important and an equal to Ash in the story. And not only does she look up to him for inspiration and admire him more than any other traveling companion in the past, but Ash also looks up to her, as well. We're always gonna have a soft spot in our hearts for Misty and I absolutely loved Dawn as a character in Diamond and Pearl. But I can easily say that Serena is the BEST female protagonist in the Pokemon anime's history!
And I'm happy to say that the great characters don't stop there! Ash's next traveling companion is the 5th gym leader in X and Y, Clemont. Who I constantly refer to as Clementine, because reasons. My favorite character in the Pokemon anime has always been Brock. He's both incredibly hilarious and he's also been such a great role model to the other members of the group. But throughout all the time we spent with Brock over the years, he never had a journey of growth in the anime. At least not one that was very prominent. The reason for that is because he didn't really ever need one. Being a well seasoned gym leader, he was incredibly smart and focused more on helping others, due to him kinda already having his life plan all figured out. But as soon as he discovered a desire to start something new, he went and did it, alone. So we never saw any of the struggles he may have had.
So now we switch over to Clemont, who is a gym leader just like Brock and also INCREDIBLY intelligent. But he isn't nearly as confident in where his life is headed and finds the desire to go on a journey to develop his skills and expand his horizons. And he gets that ambition from meeting Ash. Being a gym leader makes Ash look up to him, but Clemont returns those exact feelings in this random trainer that he just met. So they end up traveling together with a promise to help one another in improving themselves. Just like Serena, this made Clemont a lot more enjoyable to watch, since we get to see him grow, as opposed to just being the voice of reason. And while I still say Brock will always be my favorite, I can say that Clemont is the BEST male traveling companion that Ash has ever had. While his journey isn't as grand as Serena's, we still see a lot of growth that we've never seen in any male traveling companion before him.
Something I'm really glad about is that he wasn't as super nerdy as I initially thought he was gonna be. Ya, he's a sciencey inventor type of guy, but he's not really nerdy about it. The only thing I really didn't like is that his new inventions that got introduced almost every episode ALWAYS came with an overly detailed explanation on what they did and how they worked. And they were always followed up with Ash saying "WOW! SCIENCE IS SO AMAZING!" It was like having 2 Team Rocket mottos in every episode, and it just took up too much time, on top of it being super cheesy and not nearly as cool as the Team Rocket motto. But still, he has a ton of kick butt, awesome moments that make him seem really cool and not at all like your typical nerd trope. I also like how he's the first of Ash's traveling companions to actually get tired from all that walking and running around that they always do. I mean seriously! Ash and company have traveled the world by foot for over 20 years, and we JUST NOW get a character whose like "I'm too old for this!" Granted, it's probably cuz he's always lugging around a giant metal backpack, but still. It was a funny addition to his character.
Now like I said, this generation of the anime actually had FOUR traveling companions! The final member of Ash's group is Clemont's younger sister, Bonnie. Right off the bat, you're reminded of Max from the Hoenn anime. I actually like Max a lot more than most people do. I found him more interesting than May and he's also the main focus of my favorite episode in the entire Pokemon anime, "Do I Hear A Ralts?". So I was actually really excited to see another younger, non-trainer character join Ash's group. Bonnie is both absolutely hilarious and extremely adorable. At first, she does seem a bit much, with how she thinks every single Pokemon is "SOOOO CUUUUTE!". But she plays off of Clemont really well and has a lot of cute moments, herself. One thing she does is that she tends to go to every attractive girl she sees and asks them to "Take care of" her brother. Which then results in Clemont pulling her away, super embarrassed. Obviously this is just a re-skin of the Brock gag that we all know and some of us love. While it's not as funny as watching Brock's ear getting ripped off or getting poisoned to death but miraculously recovering from it, it's still funny to see.
Bonnie actually plays a really important role in the anime, despite not being a trainer and thus not really being able to start a journey of her own, yet. She has a lot of episodes centered around her that range from cute to funny to "OH MY GOD IT'S SO SAD!!!!! ESPURR WHY!?!?!?!?!?" She gets even more important in the show's second half, known as XY&Z. First off, as if the jump from Black and White to X and Y wasn't impress enough, in terms of animation, the animation jump from XY to XY&Z is EVEN MORE mindblowingly amazing! Honestly, the episodes in XY&Z look up to par with the Pokemon MOVIES! And I don't mean the old ones, I mean the ones getting released right now! Seriously, this show is stinkin gorgeous and deserves respect for not only seeing how far the Pokemon anime has come, but also for simply being one of the best looking anime I've seen.
But ya. Back to Bonnie. In XY&Z, we find a mysterious, unknown Pokemon. Bonnie takes it upon herself to take care of it and give it the name "Squishy". Now Squishy actually plays a very important role in the show's story. But honestly, having a name like Squishy makes it VERY hard for me to take a lot of those intense moments at the end of the show very seriously. Regardless, Bonnie is thankfully never pushed to the side or treated too much as a mascot character. She plays a very important role and she's an absolute joy to watch. All 4 of the main human characters play off of each other so well. I can easily say that this is my favorite group of human characters in any Pokemon anime generation. They were all fantastic and I very much enjoyed going on a journey with each and every one of them.
And of course, Team Rocket. Unfortunately, they don't get NEARLY as much screen time and emotional episodes all to themselves as they did in Diamond and Pearl, but they still had a ton of great moments and were 1000 times better than they were in Black and White. As for the Pokemon characters... again, Diamond and Pearl has this show beat. Those of you who have seen Diamond and Pearl will probably understand and agree with me when saying that they had the BEST Pokemon characters in the history of the show. X and Y had some Pokemon that stood out more than others, but Diamond and Pearl made EVERY Pokemon important and likable. This show did not. Probably the most prominent one is Ash's Greninja. They tried REALLY hard to make Greninja the next Charizard. They REALLY wanted you to like this Pokemon. Did they succeed? Well... sort of? Greninja actually does a lot to make Ash more likable, as weird as that sounds. It's sorta hard to explain it all briefly, but you'll understand when you see the show for yourself, how Greninja makes Ash more involved in battles, as well as more deep of a character.
The music is classic Pokemon style. It's good, but nothing super memorable. The 3 opening theme songs are all great, however. The 1st one is just a remix of the original theme song that we all know and love, so that may turn some people on, right off the bat. The other 2 are really good and also really different, compared to the theme the past couple of openings seemed to have. I just REALLY wish they made the english openings longer than 30 seconds. I mean, come on! Kids aren't THAT impatient! Especially at 8:00 in the morning. I promise you! Now, like every generation of Pokemon, there's a butt load of cash cow movies, trailing behind it. X and Y has 3 movies attached to it, which I'll go over very briefly. The Diancie movie has an ending that'll probably scare some kids who are new to Pokemon. But if you've seen the first Pokemon movie, you know EXACTLY how the "BIG PROBLEM" at the end of this movie is going to get resolved. All in all, not worth the watch. The second movie stars Hoopa, who is one of the most annoying talking legendaries in Pokemon movie history. Not nearly as bad as Keldeo, thankfully. But still incredibly annoying to where I'll tell you to avoid this movie, simply because Hoopa is in it.
The last movie stars both Volcanion and Magearna, and I gotta be honest. This is the first Pokemon movie in OVER A DECADE that I can actually say wasn't absolutely terrible! It's still not as great as the oldies, but it was ACTUALLY fun to watch, which is something I can't say about any other Pokemon movie that was released within the past 10 years! Magearna is the best part of this movie. It's just a really cool Pokemon to look at. This movie made me love a legendary I probably never would've cared about, otherwise. They had moments that made me happy and sad, as well as whimsical and entranced in their story and just overall design. I would seriously recommend watching this movie just to see Magearna. This movie won't blow you away in the story department, but it's got SOMETHING, at least. So that alone is worth the watch, when compared to the past 10 years of shovelware Pokemon movies.
Back to the anime, the XY&Z portion of the show is sort of a movie, itself. I may just think that because of how deep these characters are, but the final episodes at the Pokemon League, onward are actually really intense. Now, I'm gonna start talking about the outcome of the Pokemon League and what happens after that. So if you don't wanna be spoiled, I'd recommend skipping to the final paragraph. So with all the growing Ash had in this journey, and with these specific Pokemon on his team being SIGNIFICANTLY more powerful than teams he's had in the past. I truly believed that this would finally be the generation that has Ash win the Pokemon League! I thought it was finally time! However, he had some tough competition. There's this SUPER FRIENDLY rival of his named Sawyer, who is honestly one of the more annoying characters in this show (and voiced by Pikachu in the Japanese version). And there's also a character named Alain. Alain actually has his own series of spin off episodes that got released throughout the X and Y anime. I won't spoil what they're about, but it's pretty interesting stuff and gives you an idea of what a Pokemon anime without Ash would be like. Honestly, it was cool. And as much as I liked Ash in X and Y, I wouldn't mind seeing the world of Pokemon through someone else's eyes.
But throughout that side series, you see that Alain is a ridiculously powerful trainer. He eventually meets Ash in XY&Z and the two of them become friends and wish to battle each other in the Pokemon League. Ash gets his wish when he goes up against Alain in the FINALS! This is the first time in Pokemon HISTORY that Ash has made it to the FINALS in the Pokemon League! I truly believed that this would be the time that Ash would come out on top. And throughout the whole battle between him and Alain, they make it all seem like it's going to come true. Ash and Greninja are in COMPLETE control of the battlefield, whenever they're working together. They make Greninja INTENSE and you just KNOW that they're gonna win and Ash is FINALLY going to win! .........but he doesn't.
As ends up losing to Alain, even though the final attack is done by Greninja, who ends up fainting from exhaustion. This was the most frustrating part of the entire show. This was the PERFECT time for Ash to finally come out on top! I know the show creators have said that if Ash ever won the Pokemon League, his journey would be over. But I KNOW that's not true! Ash wouldn't just go home and stare as his 1st place trophy for the rest of his life, whenever he won it. He would go out to a new region to find new Pokemon and go to new places and take on a new challenge. He would NEVER end his journey, as long as there's still new places to explore in the world of Pokemon. He won 1st place in the Orange League! Did he stop his journey, then? Nope! He became king of the Battle Frontier and was even offered a position as one of the Frontier Brains! Did he take the position? Nope! He continued his journey around the world! So ya. It's nonsense to say that Ash isn't allowed to win, or else his journey would be over. He DESERVED to win here and it would've been a perfect end to an incredible journey with a character we all grew up with.
But whatever. Alain wins the Pokemon League. But the show actually doesn't stop there. Out of nowhere, the final battle with Team Flare begins. And it's one of the most epic battles with an evil team in Pokemon history! Team Flare's ambitions are explained in a way that makes them seem a lot more intense and fierce, as opposed to how they were explained in the games. They made Team Flare both incredibly evil and genuinely frightening. So it's up to not only Ash, but Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and the unsung heroes of Pokemon, Team Rocker, to stop Team Flare and save the Kalos region. All of them play a huge role in this final battle. Clemont and Bonnie have very deep and emotional moments that were both very sad and incredibly dark for Pokemon standards. Serena didn't stand out as much as they did, but considering how much her character rocked the rest of the show, I say she gets a pass. As for Ash...
Let me just say this. The voice actors of both Ash and his traveling companions deserve recognition for how stinkin awesomely they voiced these last couple of episodes. It's honestly some of, if not the BEST moments of voice acting in the Pokemon anime's history. Ash sounds truly intense and is able to send chills down your spine with his words, alone. Clemont does just as good of a job as Ash with that, and Bonnie goes from cute mascot, to downright heartbreaking. Seriously. I know a lot of us were real uppity when the Pokemon dub got handed over to a new company and all the voices got changed. But I loved their work in Diamond and Pearl, onward. And now that they've been doing the dub LONGER than the original dub, and seeing the performances they gave with these last few episodes of XY&Z, I applaud the heck out of every single person who worked on this show. You all seriously did an amazing job and you should be truly proud of your stellar performances.
In conclusion, Pokemon X and Y is FANTASTIC. It was a million times better than Black and White, the animation is the best it's ever been, the main human characters are absolutely incredible, and the ending of this series was everything that the ending of Black and White should've been. I still think that Diamond and Pearl wins by a hair, in terms of story and overall cast, however. Both of them are fantastic and the absolute highlights of the Pokemon anime. If you've been out of the Pokemon anime for a long time and don't really think it's worth returning to, I can tell you with total confidence that you WILL like X and Y. As long as you can accept that all the Pokemon and characters and their voice actors from your childhood aren't there anymore, X and Y will prove to be something truly special and something that can be enjoyed by every Pokemon fan, as well as fans of anime, as a whole.
Pokemon The Series: XY&Z gets a 9/10
Nyrotike
First off, a little background. I have been watching the Pokemon anime on and off since I got into the franchise. I watched a few episodes of the original series, some from Hoenn and nearly all of Sinnoh, but ditched the show in Unova for reasons most people already know (aka that series sucked). I wasn't planning on watching Pokemon XY since I found the games pretty underwhelming, but one day, my computer broke so I had to wait a few weeks for it to get fixed. During that time, I did what any person would do in that situation: watch anime. I was goingto rewatch the Sinnoh series since I remembered it being pretty good, but then I saw an episode of Pokemon XY about to start on my TV, so I figured, "Why not watch an episode?" Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying the episode a lot, so I spent most of my time that week binge watching every episode of Pokemon XY that was out at the time. By the time I was finished, Pokemon XY&Z had begun airing. Now, Pokemon XY was pretty average anime overall, but XY&Z was amazing! Let's talk about why this series was, and probably will forever be, the greatest season of Pokemon.
Story: The story of this season was so well structured and the development of the plot and characters was great! I'll get more into the characters later, but I think that this season had some of the most emotional episodes of Pokemon ever. Of course, everyone remembers "Pikachu's Goodbye" from the original Pokemon series, which was incredibly sad, and I could probably think of some other example if I thought about it more, but XY&Z has brought me to actual tears on several occasions, which I won't go into as to not spoil it from anyone. XY&Z also had the best villain arc in Pokemon to date. Even as the series is ending, you can still feel the effects of Team Flare's actions on the protagonists. I'm going to stop myself here so I don't spoil anything, but I'm just going to leave it with this. The setup of events in this series is great, and when you finally reach the payoff of it all, even if you already know what's going to happen, not only does it hit you in the feels, but it hits you hard. Episode 41 (I'm pretty sure that's the episode) in particular has some fantastic payoff moments, that even though I know what's happening, I still get a little choked up each time I watch them. 9/10 right here.
The art in this series is also fantastic. The animation in some of the battles, particularly Ash vs Sawyer and Ash vs Alain in the Kalos League, is really amazing. Definitely the best the Pokemon anime has ever looked. You can really see the detail that went into to every attack that every Pokemon uses, and it looks freaking great. It's so great that I am running out of adjectives to describe this series! As for how the characters look, each of them has their own unique and interesting look that tells you a lot about who they are. For example, Alain's design has the same colors and a similar style to his ace Pokemon, his Mega Charizard X, which tells you a lot about their relationship without you having to go watch the Mega Evolution specials (even though you totally should). The art gets an 8/10.
The music and voices in this anime are all fantastic. Well, kind of. You see, I watched the subbed version of XY&Z, and I rarely watched subbed anime unless the dub is really unbearable. From what I just said you can probably guess how I feel about the dub. The intro music to XY&Z in the sub is upbeat and fast-paced, which makes it perfect Pokemon like Greninja, who gets a ton of battles this season. The intro music in the dub however, is slow and doesn't fit well with the battles. When Greninja is jumping all around the battlefield firing off Water Shurikens, you would expect the music to be fast, like it is in the sub, but the dub kind of throws that away. Then there is the voices of the characters, I haven't seen much of Ash's dub voice actor in XY&Z, but I did watch a few battles dubbed just to see how well the VA did, and it was not good at all. The English VA for Ash just doesn't have the energy and emotion that the Japanese VA does, which is important for this series. Also, Sawyer's dub voice is unbearable. That's all I have to say here. Since I watched this series subbed though, I still give it an 8/10.
Characters! The best part of this anime. Let's take it one at a time. Ash, our main character, is a lot smarter and a better battler than he has been in previous regions, and you can really tell how much he cares for his Pokemon. This theme of Ash caring for his Pokemon was established way back in the 2nd episode of Pokemon XY, and comes full circle with Ash-Greninja in XY&Z. That is just awesome. Speaking of Greninja, let's give him his own little space here. Ash and Greninja's bond is a major part of XY&Z, and something they have been building up to since Ash originally caught Froakie way back in the beginning of XY. You can really tell how much of a struggle it is for both Ash and Greninja to handle the power they gain this season, especially after a particular streak of losses half-way through the season, which I won't spoil. Even though I don't like the way Ash and Greninja's story ended, it was a still a bittersweet moment for Ash's best Pokemon. Next is Ash's companion, starting with Serena. Serena is one of the best travelling partners for Ash, and she has a character arc that no other female companion of Ash's goes through. Hell, she even changes her design half-way through XY. What!? Literally, no one else does that. Ever. She has a lot of very powerful and emotional scenes throughout XY&Z, however I can't say more due to spoilers. Although, she has got the best ending to any female companion's story ever. Those who have seen it know what I'm talking about. I really hope Serena comes back at some point in the Sun and Moon anime. Next is Clemont and Bonnie. There's not really much to say about Clemont, as his character arc with Ash was pretty much dealt with back in XY, and Bonnie is usually just an annoying character who has a freaking legendary Pokemon in her bag. Although, I have to say, her role in the Team Flare arc was sad and amazing. One of the best moments in the whole series. Finally, I'll cover Ash's rivals, Sawyer and Alain. These two serve as interesting counters to each other. When we first meet Sawyer, he is weak and a bad battler, taking down every note he can to try and become stronger one day. Ash acts as a teacher of sorts to Sawyer, guiding him to becoming a better trainer. Overtime, you can really see the progression of Sawyer as he becomes a better trainer. I really loved the idea of Ash helping this weak Pokemon trainer get stronger, only to realize that Sawyer has become even more powerful that Ash in some ways. It's stuff like that that make Ash and Sawyer's last battle my personal favorite in all the seasons of the Pokemon anime. Alain, on the other hand, meets Ash already leagues ahead in terms of strength. So, we got Sawyer, who started as weak trainer, slowly becoming stronger than Ash and Alain who is already stronger than Ash. These two characters are fantastic rivals to Ash, and I love the ending of both of their final battles with Ash (okay, I didn't love the ending of Ash and Alain's battle, but the rest of XY&Z is so great that can't really feel good about hating on this one point, even though the end result is very frustrating). Characters get a 9/10.
I absolutely loved this season of the anime if you can't already tell. It has emotional moments, amazingly animated and energetic battles, and still has the humor and fun that you'd expect from a Pokemon series. Even the filler episodes were fun to watch! There is not really much else that I can say that I haven't already said. 9/10 in the enjoyment category. I looked forward to this anime every week when it came out.
If you've been wanting a more mature story out of Pokemon, while this may not be exactly what you're looking for, it is still great and takes on some themes that are pretty mature, just not in the same way that an actual adult anime would. With the previews for the Sun and Moon anime having already came out, I am not liking the chances for us to get another fantastic season of Pokemon. No matter how bad, or good the Sun and Moon anime turns out to be, we can still always turn to XY&Z, the best season of the Pokemon anime.
DeusSolaris
The 4 main characters are absolutely amazing and I actually cried when I saw the last episode when everyone says goodbye, it made me so sad thinking that I will never see this art style nor Serena, Citron and Yurika as companions ever again, it can get boring at times or a bit childish (but it's aimed to children so no point putting it as a negative) but for being the pokemon anime and definitely aimed at children this season has a lot of depth and character development, I absolutely loved it and even though I wouldn't watch it again (personally took me a lotof effort to watch it all) I highly recommend it to anyone that loves Pokemon.
Duckielover151
Wow. Where to even begin? Usually, it's a recipe for disaster when a show has already been hyped to death by the time I get around to watching it. But for the entirety of XY&Z, my opinion swung between 'Huh, this season IS pretty good' and 'Is this really still Pokémon?' I first started to get the impression that this season could be something really amazing around episode 10. I'd been worried that Team Flare's inclusion would seem rushed, but their plot was really well done. I didn't think Zygarde was a thing until Sun and Moon, but in hindsight, this actually tied into their schemesa lot better than their plot in the games. (Honestly, I'm still not really sure what the giant and his Floette had to do with anything.) And yes, Bonnie taking care of "Squishy" was just a little too cutesy a lot of the time. But they did a great job of making Team Flare seem actually threatening. Like I said, episode ten was genuinely moving, which I don't usually expect from Pokemon. Not stemming from anything serious, anyway. That image of the kids sitting around the campfire, struggling to come to terms with their feeling powerless to protect a friend... It was the first indication that XY&Z was going to be something really special and not just the standard Pokemon fare, even dramatic as that can be. And the writers didn't disappoint.
There are just so many things to praise here. Likable characters continuing to be developed? Excellent. Ash and Greninja having a Digimon Tamers-esque connection and power? Never something to complain about. Giving Steven a role to play after totally stripping him of his importance in his own season? Yes. Any time. And the new characters really grew on me. Alan was mysterious but not overly angst-ridden or edgy. Sawyer was an interesting case. I started out not thinking much of him one way or another, but in the end, I wouldn't have been disappointed if Ash lost that battle and Sawyer ended up becoming champion. He grows so much in such a short time and has one crucial skill that Ash lacks-- adaptability. To this extent, anyway. A lot of this season kind of became about showing off all the mega evolutions, and I know they make sure we know it requires a strong bond between Pokemon and trainer, but honestly, I would have loved to see that sort of raw power overcome by a really good strategy.
Honestly, parts of the Pokémon League itself felt a little rushed. I mean, we all knew who the important players were going into it, but the beginning stages with all the competitors help to really give it the feel of a tournament. And this season it was literally opening battles one episode, semi-finals the next. We don't even get to see all of Ash's battles in full. But honestly, even that is a little hard to complain about when the end of the Pokémon League blends so effortlessly into the major plot of the story. And damn was the final arc done well. I mean, all the regional villains' plans are at the world-takeover/destruction level, but usually it feels like they really only affect Ash and his friends. I love that everyone had a role to play here. I've always been of the belief that kids' shows are at their best when the material isn't treated like it's for kids. You know, the danger dumbed down and made to be obvious that the heroes are going to triumph. Everything was just as dramatic and high-stakes as it should have been. The writers played all their cards so well. I was getting actually emotional over the comic relief/plot device robot! (Seriously, though, that scene-- with the dramatic music playing instead of the explosions-- was done particularly well.) And Clemont! How is it that we spent twice as much time with Brock, but I am twice as attached to Clemont? I know I'm gushing. But I don't think I can truly impress upon you how good those final episodes got. I mean, the gym leaders all band together to form a sort of elite Pokémon army. Do I even need to say anything else?
And the conclusion of Serena's character arc impressed me as well. I think it's safe to say she's grown the most of any character, and the fact that her journeys are going to take her into the contest realm kind of smoothed out any lingering dissatisfaction I had. I still can't really respect the showcases... The judging is so subjective (and open to so much bias, because let's be honest, everyone is going to vote for their friends, regardless of whose performance was actually the most impressive), and particularly in Serena's case, it's literally just a trainer and their Pokémon prancing around on stage. But I think it's a good starting point to get into the world of contests. But mostly, Serena going off on her own is just so satisfying to me. She was so aimless starting out. I know her reasoning for splitting off from the group was almost identical to May's-- that she needed to really be able to depend on herself-- but it feels more impressive for Serena. I kind of mentioned in my last review that the basis of her character was just this shallow love interest for Ash. It was nice to see her grow into a full-fledged character. Someone who greatly admires Ash but isn't totally lost without him.
Ugh. I just love it all so much. I've decided to take a break from Pokémon for a while-- maybe start similar journeys back through my other childhood shows-- but now I almost don't feel ready to move on. Congratulations, Pokémon. You started out as just a kids show that had some good moments but was mostly just good for background noise while I took notes... but have become something truly great. I feel like this season could honestly stand on its own as a great anime, without the need of the Pokémon franchise's history of success. This has been a long journey for me. And I'm happy to say that at the end of it all, it feels like it was worthwhile.
devildice
Indeed, this is Pokemon's best arc. The Pokemon XY has introduced us to a great embarkment in the vibrant Kalos Region with dope animations and character designs, and a great difference in Ash's personality and his bond with his Pokemons. The sewing of episodes are much more integrated than the individualistic episodical nature of the series where the development of the main characters is observable. The battles are lit, and well-written, as it associates more than the power of pokemon, but bonds and clever tactics from Ash. However, you think you have seen it all? Bud, you are just on your way to the best. Pokemon XY&Zcatered a quite darker plot with fiercer battles from Ash's best opponents, and equally good animation. I love how the plot suddenly drifted to a more shadowy phase for Ash as he undergone a realistic personality crisis because of Sawyer's rapid evolution. Honestly, I was able to relate to this Ash's phase because it really happens to highly competitive people, and it brought attachment to me. Hence, this is a successful attempt for Pokemon XY&Z in intersecting the fictionality of it so the audience can reflect to themselves sentimentally and momentously.
In a more relevant note, the Kalos League, the best part of it, it's remarkably majestic and epic. The aerial battles are my favorite as the animation did it thrillingly good. You will realize that the characters of the series, prior to the league, is well-developed as they can bring real threat to you for Ash's possibility in championing the league. At the same time, you will root to these characters because they are in the same footing as Ash, or more, and there is no predictability in Ash's winning probability, especially Sawyer and Alain. Everyone's Pokemon was able to use their full potential and capacity. None is nerfed, at least for me. The trainers brought our the best from them, including their special abilities, matched with insanely well-thought tactics. It's savoring with spice and heart electrification.
Oh there's more, the final battle of Kalos. Episode 42 has to be my favorite because they just a made goddamn history of integrating all the Kalos Gym Leaders in one place! Sure it looked legendary, it's star-studded and full casting, even Team Rocket! Pokemon XY&Z just did that. Moreover, the plot for this arc is finely written because they managed to use the Chekhov's Gun they implanted in the series in leading to the path of the concluding battle involving the entire Kalos-- smooth and logical.
If there is one thing I could ask for more, it is that Ash could have won the league, it would be perfect. However, it couldn't be helped because Alain is really in a different level. Overall, this is the peak of all the series I have seen from Pokemon. The details and story is refined and well-written. It deserves a chef's kiss gesture.
yoman21a
NOTE: Contains light character spoilers, but I have tried to avoid major plot spoilers, but implied enough for someone who has watched the series will know what I am trying to get across. After having time to soak in Pokemon XY&Z to really consider where I wanted to put it on my list, it only grew on me. I watched it as it aired but didn’t feel right giving it such a high score given why I waited so long to write this. Although I have been a hardcore Pokemon fan my entire life, I never thought a Pokemon anime series would feel so genuinely good.Looking back in 20/20 retrospect, it had so many compelling attributes that contributed to a fantastic season that took me away from the beginning.
There is no way XY&Z would be a 10 if not for the setup of XY. Sure, XY wasn’t the greatest, but it set up XY&Z so well. It was essential. I knew from the first episode of Pokemon XY&Z that it was going to be different. There was a drastic change in the animation style and tone of the show once we hit the XY&Z era. We already knew about the amazing cast of our four main protagonists, which I enjoyed all of them very much. Each one played an essential part to the story and their interactions felt right. I did not cry at any Pokemon series prior to this one (even you Butterfree and Pikachu), but the whole Clembot thing got me. That is how much the characters meant to me along with a few other moments. I don’t think Pokemon has ever had such a solid set of characters balanced so well throughout any series done previously.
The story was phenomenal throughout. It brought me back every single week begging for more. Ash’s arc just doing his thing fighting in gym battles, league battles, and various special battles were astounding to watch. The animation quality that came out of those battles were through the roof compared to any other season. Prior to XY, you had the stagnant or low quality animations in the back of Pokemon as they were using moves. XY changed this with keeping the background with a 360-type viewer. This interested me as a view a lot more as it was not just copy and pasting animation all the time, so you have to appreciate the effort they put into this. Serena’s arc was absolutely brilliant. The hardships and problems she had to overcome felt so real. Although over seasons have got this idea done before, this was executed differently. The way she dealt with things emotionally or physically felt much more relatable over any of her female companion predecessors. I was never one to like the arcs about the contests and stuff before, but Serena had me interested from day 1. And let’s not forget about her and Ash. I absolutely loved everything that went on with that. Clemont, although in my mind the weakest of the characters, had some good backstory. The bit with his luxio/luxray was a strong moment for him and one of my favorite moments in the whole series. He had Clembot and everything that happened with that made me feel emotions that I would have never expected to come from Pokemon in general. So he just had a lot of short spurts of good stuff, but still a very quality character. Lastly, our sly girl Bonnie (who does in fact know) had a phenomenal arc once the XY&Z part hit. From that first episode, you knew she was going to be important. The whole trip has been her learning more about the real world and her learning more about being less self-centered and more willing to help others in need. In my mind, the relationship between Bonnie and “Squishy” is the foundation of the whole XY&Z series and would not be able to be half as good without it.
I personally liked how much of a darker tone this series put in as compared to the other series. There was a heavier emphasis on Ash really putting all of his battling knowledge on the table and was accompanied by a strong team. Watching the last few league battles of his absolutely blew my mind. Not only were they stunning as I had mentioned before, but the emotion put into it was phenomenal. I think some of this can be attributed to Ash-Greninja and how much the power of people and Pokemon connecting can achieve. Ash was able to build a strong bond with Greninja by finally understanding it after it had many previous owners that it abandoned. I would argue that it would even beat the bond of Ash and Pikachu as Pikachu really took the backseat in the XY&Z series, which I was okay with. Although, Pikachu did do a big butt whooping in the league battles, but watch that on your own. The final battle was an absolute baller to watch from a visual, story, and emotional standpoint. Say what you want about the ending, but never have I seen such an intense battle ever come out of Pokemon and I don’t think I ever will again. Hats off to this.
I thought the integration of the special episodes prior to XY&Z was very cool. Although I didn’t realize it would have such an important role later on, those episodes were some of the best quality episodes I have felt come out of Pokemon. When I saw the characters put into the main arc was astounding. They couldn’t have brought them in in a better way. Alain’s struggle with what he wanted to achieve and the motives behind his resolves created a tear in his heart and made him one of my favorite antagonists (if you can call him that) of all time.
One thing I am glad I dodged while watching it was watching the dub. The content is all the same, but the music changes so many aspects of the show. If you are to watch this show at its fullest potential, I highly recommend the sub. The last battle sucked in the sub in comparison as the music was changed and it doesn’t make it feel so intense. I highly recommend the full OP of the show, but the TV size is amazing on its own. One of my favorite OPs of all time. So yes, the music in this show was through the roof.
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this show putting aside my bias for Pokemon. It is very well written and paced in my opinion and I feel like Pokemon took a huge step forward in this series (although Sun and Moon is different, but that review will come later). As of the time of this post being made, it sits at my #9 favorite anime of all time and I couldn’t recommend a better Pokemon series for the more serious-style anime fan.
abasu0819
POKÉMON XY & XYZ JOINT REVIEW STORYTELLING: The same old-school formula of Ash finding out a region, meeting new friends & rivals and aiming to conquer its league. Except, this time he deservedly got too close. But don't let this mere description fool you. Even if it was the generic system of storytelling, the tone & intensity the series carried throughout made it the greatest ever Pokémon anime series till the date, at least for me. Though, most of the fillers were forgettable while many are too memorable. The ending, however, made me forget every complaints I had. PACE: This is the weirdest part. In early XYS1 & XYZ, there were bunch of annoying and boring fillers that actually hindered the pace of the series as a whole that caused the series to be rushed significantly towards the absolute end (though, it was still great). Storyboarding was something that needed to be done way better than it was.
CHARACTERS: Every single characters were great & that's a major reason why I fell in love with Pokémon XY. The significance certain characters had, be it on plot or on the main characters, needs to be appreciated. Unlike its predecessor, none of the characters were "boring" but rather enjoyable! Alain, Serena, Sawyer, Clemont & Ash (despite being a bit static at times) were the ones who stood out the most for me! Serena's character in arc in particular was the most realistic I've ever seen in Pokémon, while Sawyer was the most unique kind of rival Ash has ever had. Whereas Alain's story was totally not so Pokémon-ish with the dark turn of events here & there that developed Alain into the one we know today.
POKÉMON: The introduction to Kalos Pokémon & Mega Evolutions were great throughout. The Pokémon of Ash's friends, rivals & companions were all interesting too. But for Ash, it was a different story with all the focus going into Ash-Greninja eventually for nothing significant. Overall, his team was undeniably the strongest he's ever had (alongside Sinnoh & Alola) but in terms of characteristics, the team wasn't really all great. Also, Team Rocket's Pokémon weren't that memorable either. Another minor complaint could be the no explanation behind Mega Evolution X & Y (like Charizard).
REGION PORTRAYAL: The modernism of Kalos & uniqueness of certain cities were captured magnificently in the series. There's no doubt that it was the best portrayal we've had until this point (alongside Alola, of course)!
TEAM ROCKET: Classic Team Rocket, nothing particular to say about them. At times, they were hilarious. But most of the time, they were boring & annoying. OS-AG-DP Team Rocket was creative, BW Team Rocket was terrible & XY Team Rocket was mediocre. But the role they played in Team Flare Arc was really great so there's that!
TEAM FLARE: Easily the best Evil Team till the date, with not so evil motive. But the threatening they looked & the devastation they caused ended up giving us one of the greatest Pokémon arcs ever, so I don't complaint much!
GYM BATTLES: Pretty much every single Gym Battles were great and with a lot of emotional values, with Viola, Korrina, Clemont, Olympia & Wulfric's battles being the greatest ever gym battles till the date. Every gym leaders were great too & the buildup we've had prior to the Viola, Korrina, Clemont & Wulfric's battles made the battles even more significant in solidifying their greatness! Moreover, Olympia's battle was the most significant of all in the larger picture to the plot while Wulfric played a key role in Ash's development. Whereas the battle of Clemont was pinnacle of friendly rivalry m In short.... Cinematography, choreography, writing, intensity, tone & direction, everything were just perfect!
LEAGUE: Even with the chopped off battles & all, the Kalos League was simply phenomenal with its intensity, tone, battle choreography and writing & animation. The significance it played to build up the final arc made it even better!
ANIMATION: A huge upgrade over its predecessor undeniably. But still not "great" for a 2013 show. Could've been way better. But the fantastic art-style, some brilliant background arts, the wonderful character designs & the phenomenal battles compensated the otherwise mediocre animation most of the time. Regardless, this is the kind of formula I still prefer for Pokémon than the new generation of style!
MUSIC: XY S1, my all time favourite Pokémon OP, had a phenomenal remake of the "Gotta Catch 'em All!". XY S2 OP, on the other hand, felt a little lackluster in composition but strong lyrically. XYZ OP was quite the opposite of XY S2 OP though. But in terms of background, the English Dub was really incompetent in replacing the Japanese OSTs. But question remains, was there any necessity even?
VOICE ACTING: The voice cast was something that isn't talked about enough. After Diamond & Pearl, I feel like this is the peak of Pokémon altogether from every aspect & rightfully so! Although, there's no doubt that Sarah Natocheny definitely could've done a better job than she did. I believe she was nowhere near her Diamond & Pearl or Black & White self this time around. The maturity she tried to bring in this time didn't quite suit Ash & actually made him feel static at times in the series.
OVERALL DIRECTION: Almost everything was just fantastic. Be it utilisation of the characters, to building up the final arc, to handling certain arcs, or the series' pace as a whole. There were a few flaws here & there though (like the Ash-Greninja, Filler Streaks & all) but in the end, it didn't really hinder the enjoyment I've had while watching the series weekly or rewatching it after 4 years. In the end, the old-school formula reached its peak with the near perfection direction!
MOVIES: Well... Probably the weakest point of the series but it doesn't really count as they're all non-canons. The last movie, however, was quite decent comparatively.
SPECIALS: Pretty mediocre & unnecessary even. Although, not particularly bad. Enjoyable somewhat, more so if you wanted more of XY content. But I'd rather suggest rewatching a few moments through the official Pokémon TV or YouTube.
FINAL RATING (FOR BOTH XY & XYZ): An unbelievable improvement over its predecessor(s). Even with its major or negligible flaws & rare inconsistencies, Pokémon XY (Z) will forever remain as the greatest Pokémon series ever with its unmatched legacy due to the way it perfected the iconic & classic formula of Pokémon. A solid 9/10!
NOTE: ALL THE RATINGS are given on the basis of POKÉMON ANIME STANDARDS. XY & XYZ are a 7/10 for NORMAL ANIME STANDARDS OTHERWISE, I believe. And I watched entirety of Pokémon XY, XYZ, Movies & Mega Evolution Acts in English Dub (with the notable exception of the Specials, that I watched in Japanese Dub with English Subs).
CloverDragon03
Ah yes, Pokemon XYZ, what is widely regarded as the greatest iteration of the Pokemon anime series. Do I think it holds up that title? Well, let's find out shall we? Note: I'll be exclusively reviewing based on the Japanese dub version, because in my opinion, the English dub is just an overall downgrade. Also, SPOILER WARNING because I'm not sure what counts as a spoiler, so this is like a safety net so my review doesn't get Thanos'd. Story (10/10): Jeez, I was blown away by how much story was put into this. It really made me wonder if I was still watching Pokemon, withthings like Olympia's prophecy in the final episode of the previous XY season and the elephant in the room that is Ash-Greninja. It was all beautifully done and my only minor complaint is some filler episodes, but it really didn't take away from my overall awe at the story that was so well-woven together.
Art/Animation (10/10): This is by far the best art style we've seen from the Pokemon anime. Ash definitely doesn't look 10, first of all, and everything just looks so... crisp. The animation is largely the same in this regard, as it's a lot of fast-paced action that's an outright joy to watch. The fights later in the season kick this up a notch, even when I thought that wasn't possible, and really drive home how shonen-like XYZ was.
Sound (9/10): The music in XYZ is superb. While there are a few soundtracks that are meh, the overwhelming majority are a joy to listen to. And oh boy, don't even get me started on the opening... it's an absolute banger, A LITERAL DRUG I TELL YOU, THAT'S HOW ADDICTING IT IS! Easily the best opening in the Pokemon anime by far!
Character (9/10): The characters are just as well-done. They all have things about them that make them lovable, and they all grow so well throughout the series. Despite this though, I do not agree on all the hype for Serena. Yes, she's a good character, but I believe she's pretty overhyped. On top of this, Ash's maturity in XYZ was great to see... but it ended up being more of him going from being Ash to being a typical shonen protagonist. Now, this all seems like negatives, but I still loved seeing this mature Ash and Serena is still a well written character, so it's just a matter of not being as amazing as people may make it out to be, but still great though.
Enjoyment (9/10): XYZ was a blast, and is by far one of the best iterations of the Pokemon anime to date, something that many people agree on. It told a wonderful story, had amazing action and music, and I loved the characters. There is one thing that took away from my enjoyment though... the Kalos League. Yes, you may know where I'm going with this. Ash had finally mastered the Ash-Greninja form, something that would be great for him to fight against Mega Evolutions, and the semifinal match was a great indication... but the finals is what killed all the hype. Case in point: Ash loses. This was a MAJOR slap in the face to long time fans of the Pokemon anime, and it was a similar case for me. Heck, I donned my Pokemon t-shirt when watching this episode because of the hype, only to fall into complete outrage when I saw the result of the Kalos League finals. I will still never forgive the team behind the anime for this decision.
Overall (9/10): Most of what I said in the enjoyment section applies here. This is regarded as one of the best iterations of the Pokemon anime, and for good reasons that I've mentioned before. Even with the disappointing result of the Kalos League, Pokemon XYZ was overall a great success.
Twauma
(MINOR SPOILERS) This is a story,about Ash's journey in Kalos. First off,I don't recommend this be the first Pokemon series you watch,as it will set your standards high.It is a must watch though. Second,I watched this in eng dub,so some names I use might be different from yours. Story (8) This is the highest rated Pokemon Arc, and for good reason.Let's talk about the weird pacing of this series.
I felt the Team Flare taking over the world thing was a bit too rushed.We didn't see them often.I wished they had used the useless filler episodes to build up Team Flare even more.
Still,I loved the final few episodes,when Team Flare took over Lumoise City.I was crying genuine tear when Bonnie sang to Squishy,or well,Zygarde.
Why did I still rate it an 8 then?Bad filler and unbuilt villian team,shouldn't it be a 5 or 6?
This is because,
I like adventure.I like travelling.
Pokemon fits this well.
I just love seeing Ash and his companions on a journey.Meeting new people and Pokemon,discovering even more!Build their friendship,fight evil,I just love any anime with journeys!
I often fantasize,what would I do,if I was isekaid into this world?(God please answer my prayers)
It is on my mind all the time,which made this series unforgettable for me.
Art (8)
The top grossing franchise of all time,of course they have enough budget.
I like the art style,animation is great.
Sound (10)
One of the best Pokemon openings,very different from the previous ones.
Character (6)
Uh...Can we skip this part?
...
No?Alright then.
Let's talk about the underwhelming characters.
Ash/Satoshi
Our forever 10 years old boy.
He was mature in this series,he was strong,and put up a good fight against Alain.
I loved Greninja's growth from a Froakie,bring em back!
But other than that,nothing much to say.
Just that stereotypical kind and energetic protagonist.
Serena
She went through the most growth.
At the start of the series,she was just some goalless girl,trying to escape from her Rhyhorn training.But as the series goes,she grows too.She finds a passion,a goal.She makes friends,she learns a lot more about Pokemon.She shouldn't have lost that Pokemon showcase master class.I loved her performance.
But,I think she deserved better.
She is the third female protagonist to be a pokemon performer.
THIRD.
(To clarify,I absolutely loved her performance.I thought it was a great moment for her and it was astonishing)
But couldn't the writers give her some other goal?There are many other feminine goals,like fashion designer,or a Pokemon groomer.I could totally see Serena as one,since she already shows some interests in it.
Still waiting for a strong female protagonist that has the same goals as Ash.Would be a great rival and friend!
Overall,I still absolutely love it.If you are a Pokefan and aren't watching this,you are missing out on something in life.
zamandzoe
Whenever I here somebody say that Pokemon isn't a 'real' anime (which is blatantly incorrect alone), it bothers me. Clearly, they haven't seen Pokemon XY&Z. Honestly, this saga of Pokemon does 'anime' things a lot better than some other anime. Story: 8 The XY series has been noted for it's story. While I never though much of it, XY&Z blows everything the entire series of Pokemon has ever had out of the water. There's things like pacing and story arcs! Unlike previous series which jumped around the entire region at random, XY&Z takes its time when going among the Kalos region. You can clearly define the paththat Ash and the gang are taking and it never feels like they come to a complete halt for a few episodes.
The two highlights are the 'Kalos League' and 'Team Flare' arc. While not perfect, the Kalos League arc does its job better than most people give it credit for. It knows what we want to see. It didn't bother showing Ash battling random people, but his actual rivals instead. Every win and loss Ash takes feels justified, even during the league.
As for the 'Team Flare' arc, it does an even better job. Again, unlike previous series and movies, Ash is not the sole 'hero'. Multiple characters play a key role in the arc and each is done well. In fact, Ash could be considered one of the least important aspects of the arc. Instead, his allies, rivals, and even 'enemies' play bigger roles. In the grand scheme of Pokemon, it's a welcome change of pace.
Art: 8
When it comes to the animation, Pokemon XY&Z has outdone itself again. In short, the highlights of the series are the battle scenes. When compared to other big anime in the industry, Pokemon was certainly a hidden gem. There is not one battle that is 'boring' or 'bad.'
The biggest change is the fact that there are no more static backgrounds. During the battle scenes, the entire world around the battle is shown. You'll hardly ever see a blur that would indicate a budget cut.
When not showing a battle scene, the animation remains solid as well. However, some animations are reused, and some art in a certain filler episode is downright sloppy.
Sound: 8
Again, the soundtrack is better than anything the series has had before. The opening theme is probably one of the best openings I've EVER seen.
Though it may seem as a cheap way to shove the opening theme into the show itself, whenever the opening is used during a battle, it only makes it 10 times better. They even made a remixed version to keep things from getting boring.
There are actually several ending themes, all of which are great in their own right. One of the best would be Clemont's personal song which is 'Brilliantly."
Character: 7
I'll briefly cover each main character.
Ash - Believe it or not, he actually gets a better development arc then you'd see from most anime protagonists. However, he still doesn't have a 'personalty' to speak of though.
Serena - Bleh. Somehow Serena has even less character than Ash. She may as well be a female clone of him for the first half of the series, and then a character that only serves the purpose of fulfilling 'Amourshipping'.
Bonnie - Better than Max from Advanced Generation. She gets even more development than Ash which is nice to see.
Clemont - A truly great character. It's a shame we don't see more of him. However, he has one great scene during the 'Team Flare' arc.
Team Rocket Trio - Probably the best characters. The way they are portrayed in the 'Team Flare' arc is great.
Alain - Hit or miss. Either you like him or you hate him. He was good in the Mega Evolution specials, but now he's just an monotone edgelord.
Sawyer - Underrated. Probably Ash's best rival.
Enjoyment: 8
I loved this series. The battle scenes are what really made it for me. When Pokemon has better storytelling than most anime these days, you know it's good.
Overall: 8
If you haven't watched it, you should. Though you must watch the (slightly less exciting) XY series, it's worth it. Both series are great and are levels better than some of the trash we see from modern anime.
Absol95NL
Another journey is over for Ash, off he goes to a new region, most likely to follow the same formula as every other season yet. He starts over, makes new friends, briefly reunites with old companions (I hope?), builds his way up to the next League, loses it, says good-bye to its friends to head to yet another region. It's an non-stop cycle each generation. But with the XY&Z anime, Nintendo actually did a pretty good job, despite a number of decisions where the fandom has had it's disagreements on. And from what I have seen, that is an understatement. Just note I take XY inconsideration along with XYZ.
Story - 6
The story gets the lowest score, as it is all right, but has a couple of flaws. For starters, the story regarding Zygarde is an interesting one that was more consistently running through the XY&Z arc. My only real complaint is that the battle around Lumoise City feels a bit rushed, probably due to lack of time, because of Sun & Moon.
Another good thing is seeing how Ash has become a mature and experienced trainer and actually looked to be in reach of becoming champion. Unfortunately, he lost. Now I wasn't outraged by this, just disappointed. And the outrage is for a lot of fans justified as Nintendo made us believe Ash was actually going to win. Bit of a dick move. A pretty big one, really. So big it deserved it's own place at the controversy section at the Wikipedia page of the anime!
Thirdly we had romance. There was a lot of talk around AmourShipping. Despite a number of clues put in the anime, I feel Nintendo never took it that seriously. The entire romance was one-sided, as only Serena has shown to have a crush, while mature-yet-naive Ash never gave me the impression to have feelings for her, or even realize it for that matter. So realistically, it was predictable that Ash ♥ Serena is something that won't happen. But I could help feeling the dissatisfaction. Secretly I did hope it would come true.
Art - 10
What's there to say about it? Pokémon XY&Z has arguably one of the most gorgeous anime around when it comes to art.
Sound - 10
Like the art, the music around the Pokémon is also fantastic and I have very little to add to it.
Character - 9
Unlike almost any other seasons of Pokémon, Ash has barely given the impression that he is an idiot. As mention above, his character has made a great improvement, even though I had my doubts at first when he came off the plane in the first episode of XY.
Unlike the B&W anime, the companions were also really good. Serena has gotten some very good character development, probably the best I have ever seen in Pokémon. I also like Bonnie a lot. She is young and playful, but not in a way that is annoying. Clemont is also a pretty fun character, though I must say he does not stand out as much as the girls do.
Enjoyment - 9
All these things combined make it a very likable anime to watch. It's got great looks, sound and characters throughout the show and made me excited for each episode that came next, even after the Kalos League finale, as we jumped straight into the attack on Lumoise City.
Overall - 8
It is not strange to say that XY&Z is the best series yet. It would probably battle with Diamond and Pearl and the original series for the throne for the very best, but while the latter is out of pure nostalgia and is not as good as the other two, Diamond and Pearl was actually a really good anime as well.
I think overall the XY&Z is slightly better than Diamond in Pearl on all areas, but showed some downsides towards the end of the series. So whatever your favorite was, is your own choice. But if I had to pick, I think that the XY&Z anime is my favorite.
LightningKaito
I personally like this anime, but it is not as good as people make it out to be. Story: The big problem with the story is that it's a string of setups with very underwhelming payoff. This series is absolutely incredible at building up hype for certain subjects and characters, but falls short when giving the climax and ending to those characters. Art: Animation is flawless, with a few hiccups, but nothing major. Sound: Music is fantastic. Special props to the Ash-Greninja theme in particular. Character: To make it simple: Bonnie: Great, Clemont: Good, Serena: Good but generic and easy to predict, Ash: Boring and empty. Mostof the side characters are meh, Alain is pretty good, and while they don't get a whole lot of screen-time, the Gym leaders are okay. But Team Rocket is just bad in this series. This is the most boring Team Rocket has ever been and that really hurts most of the episodes.
Enjoyment: I did like this series for it's animation and fights, along with a cool soundtrack that really pumped me up. It's great at hyping you up.
Overall: While the story and characters were fairly bland, and the ending being rather abysmal for many reasons other than the obvious, I enjoyed this series for its high quality animation and its great fights. It's a really style-over substance anime, which would work well for Pokemon if they didn't try and clumsily write in a story that ends fairly poorly. Overall, it's pretty good and I do recommend watching it if your into seeing Pokemon in some awesome fights.
Penicilina98
Pokemon xyz 4/10 This saga became one of the most overvalued of all the Pokemon anime. Animation and music are good: (7/10) But the story is the same as always: (1/10) 1._Ash reunites medals and returns to fight in the league. 2._the league, lose it again as always. 3._El evil team did not last 5 or 10 chapters and all sorted CRYING (much melodrama for an anime that promotes the game and in the end everything returns to normal). Some techniques that were never seen in pokemon, were taken from other anime, for example naruto, such as shuriken or water pulse.This saga is not compared with Pokemon Special (Fire Red & Left green) where there are deaths of characters, blood, falimiares meetings and characters mature.
