"Gotta Catch A Roggenrola!" Review Thread

[matt0044]

is it me or is ash's voice getting worse.....

More like his dialogue is making it worse.

[Dogasu]

What an awful, awful episode.

Better yet, the reference to the machine being designed by Dr. Zaeger (SP?) once again ties back to the notion that Team Rocket is actively trying to take control of Unova by force and that Jessie and James are a key part of this, a notion that's sort of fallen by the wayside since the Meteorite arc fizzled in Castelia City.

Or, another way to look at it: it shows that Jessie, James, and Meowth have forgotten how to make robots. They didn't need to be given any of their mechas before Black and White started, but now, it seems like they can't make a move without headquarters holding their hands every step of the way. What happened to the Rocket trio that was resourceful enough to make their own mechas and traps and whatnot? Why does the "competent" Rocket trio need to be spoonfed every piece of technology they use in the Unova region?

Also, Dr. Seger seems to be on about the same level as Dr. Namba. His involement, by itself, doesn't necessarily mean that Team Rocket as a whole is moving forward.

And, again, the lines of the motto sounded very weird (due to some pauses by the voice actors) because of how bad the motto was translated. If only they had done the "Future! (...)" and "Universe! (...)". TWO SENTENCES are supposed to exist where there is only one in the dub!

Are you still going on about that? Even after this thread?

Let me just quote myself:

This is how foreign language dubs work. Things that sound good in one language don't necessarily sound good in another, so some things are rewritten to flow better in the new language. While "Future! The white future is the color of evil" sounds fine to a Japanese speaker, it's obvious that TPCI felt that it didn't. All the elements of the original are still there, just rearranged to flow better in English.

And as Team Rocket stated, there were too many lip flaps for James to say "Universe" the way Kojirou did.

Not a terrible filler overall, the new Team Rocket is at least bearable when watching - especially now that they are only seen occasionally, which means an episode that would have been ruined for being another boring TR scheme, is somewhat interesting.

Except...that's exactly what happened in this episode. If the Black and White Rocket trio hadn't been in this episode, the whole thing would have been a lot more entertaining. The scheme in this episode was no better than the hundreds of other schemes they've had in the past.

[Torterra Trainer]

I noticed one thing that bothered me in the episode, and I'm asking if anyone else thought about it too. When the Roggenrola Cannon was fired (I guess it was a collective Flash Cannon) how is it that Ash's future Roggenrola was able to stop it with just one of his Flash Cannons. It seems like he would have been blown away by that huge blast instead of intercepting it and stopping it in the middle. Does that just mean that that particular Roggenrola is powerful, or that the Roggenrola Cannon is just overrated?

[PTOldMan]

Are you still going on about that? Even after this thread?


And as Team Rocket stated, there were too many lip flaps for James to say "Universe" the way Kojirou did.

Yes, I am still going on about that, as this episode has clear evidence that I am not being unfair with my complaints. You say that "All the elements of the original are still there, just rearranged to flow better in English." but does anyone really think that it DOES really flow better? I mean, why the fuck do they stop in the middle of their sentence? Do you think that THAT'S they way to make things flow better? Really?

I wonder what those people who have no knowledge of the Japanese motto think of that. I suppose they think that Jessie and James are stopping in the middle of their sentences in a place where no such pause should exist... just because?

Anyone with ears and a bit of common sense will understand clearly that there is something wrong with the motto. It's true that translators change things to make them flow better in their language, but that's exactly what didn't happen with the motto.

[Ookalf]

a lil nostalgic on the title. But it was a filler like any other. I can't give it any more than a 1

1/100

How exactly is an episode where Ash catches a new Pokémon "filler?" Doesn't that term usually refer to episodes that don't get anything major accomplished?

[Moe]

Except...that's exactly what happened in this episode. If the Black and White Rocket trio hadn't been in this episode, the whole thing would have been a lot more entertaining. The scheme in this episode was no better than the hundreds of other schemes they've had in the past.

I disagree, apart from perhaps the personality of TR in BW, there's a huge difference in how the schemes occur that's for the better. Fundamentally making it a useful part of the episode is that the contraption actually served to teach something useful about the Roggenrola - the powerful core. The pre-BW TR appearances were,
- In nearly every single episode, making them extremely repetitive in a short space of time and even when the goal was to catch a specific other Pokemon, it always fell back to the boring capture Pikachu plot
- The contraptions made no real sense, before BW they would have tried to capture the Roggenrola inside a giant-mecha-Roggenrola, this one provides actual context for them using it, rather than for its own sake
- And the captures really showed no real thought - a 'boss fantasy' justification vs TR being specifically advantaged with having made the capture is a clear win for BW

Sure, they could add more back in to the TR personality, Meowth is especially graining with his serious voice, but now that TR aren't being relied on as comic relief in each episode their plots are better developed and I don't find myself skipping them as I do when replaying many older episodes.

[Neko iggy]

The Cilan freakout should have been funnier.

[SuperTrainStationH]

I disagree, apart from perhaps the personality of TR in BW, there's a huge difference in how the schemes occur that's for the better. Fundamentally making it a useful part of the episode is that the contraption actually served to teach something useful about the Roggenrola - the powerful core. The pre-BW TR appearances were,
- In nearly every single episode, making them extremely repetitive in a short space of time and even when the goal was to catch a specific other Pokemon, it always fell back to the boring capture Pikachu plot
- The contraptions made no real sense, before BW they would have tried to capture the Roggenrola inside a giant-mecha-Roggenrola, this one provides actual context for them using it, rather than for its own sake
- And the captures really showed no real thought - a 'boss fantasy' justification vs TR being specifically advantaged with having made the capture is a clear win for BW

Sure, they could add more back in to the TR personality, Meowth is especially graining with his serious voice, but now that TR aren't being relied on as comic relief in each episode their plots are better developed and I don't find myself skipping them as I do when replaying many older episodes.

EXACTLY.

I like that excepting the machine they used in the Cottonee episode, their the TRio's robots and weaponry actually serve some purpose to further a mission or experiment which would advance Team Rocket as a whole, or serves a general purpose, such as a hovercraft or a freighter for transporting captured Pokémon.

It wasn't really practical to me for see them designing and scratch-building a giant, easily defeated, Pokémon-shaped (sometimes not) mecha on a whim to capture very specific pokémon-of-the-day + protag's pokemon on a whim and think their superiors would approve of it.

[Flying Christi]

I didn't really like this episode, and I'm not too fond of whatever Satoshi caught (Read my sig quote). It got no development and I think that until it eventually evolves, it will stay a soulless asshole-faced Pokémon.

[Trainer Gabriel]

I noticed one thing that bothered me in the episode, and I'm asking if anyone else thought about it too. When the Roggenrola Cannon was fired (I guess it was a collective Flash Cannon) how is it that Ash's future Roggenrola was able to stop it with just one of his Flash Cannons. It seems like he would have been blown away by that huge blast instead of intercepting it and stopping it in the middle. Does that just mean that that particular Roggenrola is powerful, or that the Roggenrola Cannon is just overrated?

Tbh, I was wondering the same thing. If that particular Roggenrola's Flash Cannon was that powerful, then it would appear TR made a mistake to let that one, of all Roggenrola, get away from them. Lol.

[HumanDawn]

Well, Dogasu is pissed as always because Team Rocket don't rhyme in every sentence they say or create dumb mechas. I've started watching from the original series and Team Rocket entertained me the most in 'Scare at the Litwick Mansion!'. I watch it for the fillers, you watch it for minute made up jokes by TR. What I found amusing was when TR locked them in the cave. Iris was all like: “LOL, I'll just use my Excadrill!”. I'll admit I got bored halfway with the English dub because the video was low quality.

Garrison was generic but we can't expect every character we meet act abnormal or have a deep background. He's your normal guy.

The mech was pure genius. Looked dumb when the attack was equal to a normal Roggenrola. Battling was just some tackles but the smooth animation with the sun makes up for it.

I have to give this an IMPRESSIVE. Needed WAY more comedy. Oshawott failing isn't enough. The dub can crap on itself for all I care. Sarah wowed me with her voice acting on the Palpitoad and Stunfisk episode and it reverted back to same old “Voice acting while smoking” in Dragon Buster. Girl can sing but she can't act. What's the point of being able to sing if you can't act out?

Oh, and who said that this was a filler episode needs to have his thoughts rearranged. Why is it with if it's filler it sucks? Just because an evolution or capture didn't happen doesn't mean it's bland.

[Flying Christi]

Well this episode isn't a filler (Satoshi got a Pokémon) from my POV, but I've seen fillers better than this episode IMHO.

[Dogasu]

I noticed one thing that bothered me in the episode, and I'm asking if anyone else thought about it too. When the Roggenrola Cannon was fired (I guess it was a collective Flash Cannon) how is it that Ash's future Roggenrola was able to stop it with just one of his Flash Cannons. It seems like he would have been blown away by that huge blast instead of intercepting it and stopping it in the middle. Does that just mean that that particular Roggenrola is powerful, or that the Roggenrola Cannon is just overrated?

It *must* be the former, because the Black and White Team Rocket is *far* too competent to rely on a piece of shit mecha.

Anyone with ears and a bit of common sense will understand clearly that there is something wrong with the motto.

And anyone with eyes and common sense knows that the animation for the motto changes with every episode and that the lip flaps, therefore, change as well. There is zero consistency in the number of mouthflaps given to the dubbers in the motto, so they can't just write one "perfect" version of the motto and copy and paste it into every episode. TPCI can hardly be blamed for the Japanese animators' inconsistencies.

- In nearly every single episode, making them extremely repetitive in a short space of time and even when the goal was to catch a specific other Pokemon, it always fell back to the boring capture Pikachu plot

How was the plot in this episode any different?

Also no, their old schemes didn't "always fall back to the boring capture Pikachu plot." With a few exceptions, Pikachu hasn't really been their main focus since Jouto.

- The contraptions made no real sense, before BW they would have tried to capture the Roggenrola inside a giant-mecha-Roggenrola, this one provides actual context for them using it, rather than for its own sake

Their contraption in this episode was a beehive looking thing that fires off a beam of energy that can be blocked by a single pokemon. It was also be defeated by the very pokemon it was designed to capture in the first place. This is better than their old stuff...how?

I like that excepting the machine they used in the Cottonee episode, their the TRio's robots and weaponry actually serve some purpose to further a mission or experiment which would advance Team Rocket as a whole, or serves a general purpose, such as a hovercraft or a freighter for transporting captured Pokémon.

Team Rocket's goal is to capture pokemon. Having mechas that do that very thing is something they've been doing since the very beginning.

Well, Dogasu is pissed as always because Team Rocket don't rhyme in every sentence they say or create dumb mechas. I've started watching from the original series and Team Rocket entertained me the most in 'Scare at the Litwick Mansion!'. I watch it for the fillers, you watch it for minute made up jokes by TR.

Yes, everyone knows how much I love Team Rocket's rhyming in Diamond & Pearl and how I only watch the show for their jokes. You sure nailed it!

[Queen Cynthia]

A decent episode!
When I learned that the plot would be revolving around Roggenrolla, I was happy already because I also caught one with Adamant nature in Pokemon Black. Now my Gigalith has become an indispensable part of my team because it mopped the floor with Alder's "strongest" Pokemon Volcarona (Take that, Alder...) What I want to say is that I've always had sympathy for the Roggenrolla-family and seeing it finally appear in the Anime was a great thing. But undoubtedly the best thing about this week's ep is that poor Ash has at least one really good and apparently powerful Pokemon now. It was about time!

As for the rest of the episode: Who else thinks that Ash's battle performance was once again pretty lousy? Although using two of his rather strong Pokemon, he completely failed to catch Roggenrolla at his first attempt. To be honest, I would feel ashamed if I were Ash. Where did good old competent DP Ash go? Please, come back, will you?

Also, I was surprised at how brutal and reckless Team Rocket can actually get. Or, as Cilan would out it: "That adds a new ingredient to the recipe"
Anyway, it reminds me of Hunter J who again reminds me of the good old DP times which remind me of my wonderful angel Cynthia. Awww, sweet memories


And, by the way, I honestly don't get it why some of you are making such a fuss about whether Team Rocket's lip movements were in sync with their lines...Actually, their pauses fitted really well because I couldn't help thinking that it added a touch of mystery to their motto.

All in all, a more than average episode.

[HumanDawn]

That was a joke Dogasu. I just find the show less predictable with the TR competence therefore making me enjoy it more. Why do you watch the show anyways? You're saying that you are enjoying it less with the TR change. That's the impression and vibe I'm getting. At least Meowth was back with its original personality for 6 episodes.