BW 027 "The Road to Become a Dragon Master! Kibago VS Crimgan!!" Review Thread

[Poke'Aussie]

was there a vocal at the end?

[Grave-E]

I only caught the second half, but I wasn't too enthusiastic about what I saw. Even if they did put up a good fight, it just felt like they were using Team Rocket as a crutch again imo. Serious or not, them capturing a pokemon, flying off, crashing and then getting beaten by the gang still feels as paint-by-numbers as ever.
I dunno. Maybe I'm just being too critical and need to watch the whole thing once more.

[Reila]

Pokabu lost? I'm not really surprised. Druddigon looks so strong and epic and the little pig is basically our new Turtwig.

[Masurao]

Lol @ TR just dodging the Dragon Pulse. That part was pretty great.

[The Fighting Misty]

So did this feel like an Iris episode at all?

[martianmister]

So did this feel like an Iris episode at all?

Yes it is. We hardly see other characters and COTD was the blandest character in BW. Iris was the only focused character in this episode.

[The Fighting Misty]

I only caught the second half, but I wasn't too enthusiastic about what I saw. Even if they did put up a good fight, it just felt like they were using Team Rocket as a crutch again imo. Serious or not, them capturing a pokemon, flying off, crashing and then getting beaten by the gang still feels as paint-by-numbers as ever.
I dunno. Maybe I'm just being too critical and need to watch the whole thing once more.

This is the first time TR attacked the twerps since...BW6? I don't see what the complaining is about, they're still not appearing in every episode and this is the first time they attempted to attack the twerps since the beginning of BW.

[Grave-E]

This is the first time TR attacked the twerps since...BW6? I don't see what the complaining is about, they're still not appearing in every episode and this is the first time they attempted to attack the twerps since the beginning of BW.

...so? Just because they don't pull this stuff off frequently anymore, doesn't suddenly make it better when it does happen.

[The Fighting Misty]

...so? Just because they don't pull this stuff off frequently anymore, doesn't suddenly make it better when it does happen.

This sounds like a cranky complaint. You sure you're not outgrowing the series, Gravy? ;)

[Meron Targaryen]

I thought the plot of this episode was overdone too. It really didn't stand out at all.

[Hellion]

We hardly see other characters

Except for Satoshi training Zuruggu, fighting Crimgan and Team Rocket...

COTD was the blandest character in BW. Iris was the only focused character in this episode.

Agreed on both counts.

Anyway, saw the episode, here's for impressions

Good Points

+ Some Zuruggu action
+ CRIMGAN!
+ Team Rocket being serious and still badass
+ Team Rocket's pokémon fighting and looking like they can open a can of whoop ass!
+ No Blastoff

Bad Points

- Not enough Zuruggu action
- Blander than bland COTD. OMG There wasn't an ounce of personality in there. Hollow shell character was a hollow shell.
- Ash not referencing Gible upon seeing Draco Meteor (for that alone, all copies of this episode need to be burned)
- Pokabu - Personality = Boredom
- Everybody's personality chip was off this week... except maybe TR but even then.
- Cliché plot... We've seen it all before... a lot... and I mean... a lot.

Overall, not bad, not good, but the thing I dreaded happened here. I just didn't care. Iris was doing stuff and quite frankly, I just didn't give a crap. Her "I want to be a dragon master" riff rings sorta hollow when we saw her doing barely nothing to reach that goal in the last 26 episodes (might as well say 29 cause I highly doubt she did anything to that effect in BW23-24 and BW26... if she did anything at all). Her constant inaction and nagging throughout the beginning of BW were anything but endearing and ultimately didn't make her relatable or interesting... so when I watch an episode like this... I just don't care.

Even after an episode like this, there's nothing about Iris' personality or storyline that I find interesting. So yeah... as of now, I just don't care.

She really is the new Brock.

[Yoshi-san]

I thought the plot of this episode was overdone too. It really didn't stand out at all.

I agree though this episode was entertaining IMO.

[himanuts]

I really enjoyed this. And no, it wasn't because of Druddigon, like I had expected. Druddingon was like a cross between the Aerodactyl of the Gary special and Ash's Charizard.

What made this episode for me was Iris. Why are you so evil with us writers? If you stick Iris to her goal most of the time you've got yourselves something highly enjoyable and consistent. Now I'm really likeing Iris again, but I bet I'll be dissapointed in her again come 5 or so episodes. :)

TR..they weren't as annoying as they where before BW, but, was this really that necessary?

[Iteru]

- I liked how Dent was standing while Satoshi, Pikachu and Zurrug had collapsed due to Dragon Rage. And +1 for training at the start.

- Iris sure likes Dragon types if she'll happily say their name after they fire a Flame Emission at her xD

- Pikachu seemed kinda cute with the arm movements...

- I thought it was quite good how Iris approached Crimgan carefully and showed that she wasn't a threat before removing the binding as it reminds me of approaches to helping animals in distress.

- This sounds kinda random, but I liked how much detail they gave Musashi's lips when you could only see the lower half of her face. The extra detail for stuff like this really "polishes" the animation off.

- I was a little bit disappointed that Crimgan didn't seem to have Sharkskin as an ability, though I love that Pokabu has adopted Charbu's stomping in the build up to Nitro Charge. I always wanted it to do that. The battle was a little bit short (though this is an Iris episode so not unexpected), but I thought it was entertaining nonetheless.

- Someday I will learn that technique of climbing up trees and cliffs by spreading out my arms and running. Someday...

- I loved that we got a flashback from Iris. I'm quite enjoying seeing them explain her backstory and what she was told from the village elder. One of my hopes is that we see the elder later on in the saga, to comment on Iris' growth which this episode is developing.

- They really like the Satoshi vs Gishin track from the Arceus movie to include it again after BW15 and BW16 xD

- I didn't quite get Iris being able to see Kibago and Crimgan, or was she just focusing on listening to them cry out in the distance?

- I quite liked when Deathmas used Night Head (as Shadow Ball was getting a little bit overused) and that we got to see how much Crimgan cared for Emmy.

- Dragon Meteor Shower and Dragon Rage looked beautifully animated, especially Deathmas getting hit by one of the meteors. I was pleased to see that the Rocket-Dan did not blast off.

Overall I thought this was a really good episode. Emmy was a little bit flat, but the development that Iris got was both interesting and progressed her story as well as giving us some insight into her potential with Dragons in the future. I thought that the Rocket-Dan attack was okay and I liked how the Pokémon escaped by themselves.

So yeah, good episode :D

[martianmister]

I thought it was quite good how Iris approached Crimgan carefully and showed that she wasn't a threat before removing the binding as it reminds me of approaches to helping animals in distress.

It reminds me Satoshi's approach to Pokabu in BW004. Did Iris learn something from a kid?

Ironically, that was the most boring BW episode for me. As Iris episodes, BW27 and BW28 was hundred times better. And what is Iris' goal exactly? Is become a "Dragon Master" similar to Misty's goal? Or something related to Kibago's raising (like she said in BW009)?