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Y'all see what I did thar?

Anyways, yes, the time has finally come for me to post a review of the BW anime series (circa BW17) because if I don't do it now then I never will.

I started watching the series, breaking a short hiatus (that lasted right through most of the Hoenn & DP episodes), in an attempt to both acclimatise to Generation V whilst satiating my desire to explore it by doing so vicariously. I must say, I was quite impressed. It wasn't as horribly bowlderised as I had expected and the plots du jour were interesting and unique(ish) IMO. Most of all I love the fact that the TRio is finally being taken seriously by the writers and I can't wait to finally find out what they've been up to.

I've also enjoyed the markedly quicker pace of the show, Ash already having 6 pokes and 2-going-on-3 badges. Also Dento Cilan and Iris are cool [most of the time...]. However I do have my gripes, and they are as follows:

Firstly, THIS:

Originally Posted by Some Character, Nearly Every Episode

"Attract won't work on two males" [or a variation thereof]

Way to stand up for LBGT rights there writers >:/ Seriously, this is really starting to piss me off now. I mean they might as well just have a big "Homos are WRRROOOOONNNG!" sign materialize out of the pokeball when Snivy is called, it would be subtler. I know some of you may think I'm being silly, and I didn't mind when it happened like the first 2 or 3 times (because thats just continuity) but happens EVERY time Ash's Snivy appears. What do they honestly expect people like me to think when they're almost word-for-word saying "two men can't be attracted to each other" EVERY other episode? And what message is that sending the children watching the show anways? They just didn't need to go there. I'm seriously considering writing a letter here, just to vent my fury.

But w/e, onto Gripe No. 2:

I'm trying really hard to keep liking Iris (and she's great, usually...) but the writers are making it really hard with that stupid catchprase they gave her [Quoth the Gym Leader: "You're such a child [Ash]!")

They even make her say it when its not appropriate and/or downright mean and I don't particularly enjoy watching people berate other people for no reason. Seriously writers, get it sorted.

Numero Tres:

Overanimation, or more specifically, sparklification (mainly of the battle moves). I cannot stress how much this is getting in the way of my viewing pleasure. I mean they even had to make quick attack, one of the most basic moves there is, a total glittergasm. My main problem with this is that it slows down the attacks and tbh thats what I really liked about the old anime battles; they were fluid, fast-paced, blink-and-you'll-miss-it thrillers. It used to keep you engaged and on edge and now, well...not so much. I think the main factor behind this was to appeal to kids more and so garner higher ratings but the original wasn't like this and it had droves of fans. And didn't they learn anything from Electric Soldier Porygon!?

*Sigh* let's move on:

4.) This isn't a big thing really, and it doesn't happen that often, but they have a tendency to flanderize battle strategies occasionally. For example, when Ash and Aloe start their gym battle the latter uses a mean-roar combo and everyone acts like its the most mind-blowing thing they've ever seen and proceed to go on about it for the next ten years in screen time. Ash even goes train at the Battle club to overcome it (So remember children, Brawn always beats Brain). I mean geez, buy a Shed Shell or something.

This also happens when Iris and Cilan are watching Ash's battles occasionally and the writers make them go on and on and on about type match-up and how Ash is such a fool for not obeying the almighty Type chart (but he wins anyways, so what have we learnt kids? Brawn over Brain.).

Idk, it just seems like a lazy cop-out on the writers behalf that they can't be bothered anymore to think of properly fluid & complex battles like they used to and so they just do overly animated, average ones and then occasionally treat you to something mind-blowingly inspired (like mean-roar -_-;).

And finally, onto my last whinge (honest!):

5.) I really loathed the Science vs. Superstition thing they tried (and failed) to pull off in BW14 (Deathmas) episode. I mean Iris' stance on the whole thing was perfectly understandable but Dento Cilan got completely derailed. EVERY five seconds he was coming up with (actually quite good) scientific reasons as for why ghosts and supernatural phenomena in general doesn't really exist. This would be good if it were not for the fact that:

a.) It needlessly interrupted the fluidity of the action and

b.) they live in a world of psychics and ghosts and spontaneously materializing hammers. It just ended up making Dento Cilan, the representative for science, look like a fool, in turn sending the message that science is basically irrelevant boffinry. If they'd've toned his near dogmatic anti-superstition/pro-science stance down just a little bit it would've been fine but nope, they didn't care.

UHHH. Rant off.

Still apart from all that BW has been fab and I can't wait to see Arti in the next epsiode (and Dawn/Brock specials only 1/2 episodes after!! <3).

Thanks you for listening, GZ out~

P.S. HAHA!! COPY-PASTE, SUCK IT DATA VAMPIRES! ;P