Thread: Overall honest opinions of Pokemon Adventures/Special

In the future, I plan on writing text reviews of the Pokemon Manga (along with the Anime and Games but that's not important now) where I discuss my opinions of the various Pokemon Manga, the first one being Pokemon Special/Adventures.

Before I even start those reviews, I want know what Pokemon fans here honestly think of Pokemon Special overall. How it compares to the Anime, how it compares to the games they spawned from and your other opinions on the story, the artwork, the English version(s) and everything else. This way I can feature those thoughts in my review.

So, discuss away, guys!

If I'm being honest, I utterly despise Pokemon Special. D8; How unnecessarily dark and stuff it gets somethings. How like 90% of the fandom, the boy HAS to be the first version, while the girl is the second/third version. OTL Special Black/White was the last straw for me. Hilda, despite how tough she looks in the outfit she's in, appears to be a "tee-hee cutesy-poo I'm nice and girly and will stand pigeon-toed because I'm a girl!", if THIS pose is anything to go by. :/ And of course, "Black" HAS to be the typical hot-headed shonen hero.

Ruby and Sapphire were two subversions I might have been interested in, but then the story of how Ruby got his scar was beyond ridiculous. A random attacking Salamance? Really? ._. Plus Maxie gets killed off. That's unforgivable.

I could go on, but I'm afraid I already sound close to "complaining about manga I've never read", since I've never actually READ Pokemon Special. 8D; Everything I know about it comes from Bulbapedia and TV Tropes. But...but yeah, there's my opinion on PokeSupe.

Originally Posted by FairyRed

How unnecessarily dark and stuff it gets somethings.

It's not unnecessarily dark. It's only dark when it needs to be due to a certain event or what not, which is completely understandable. And even when it does get dark it doesn't get that dark, and it actually doesn't happen that often.

Originally Posted by FairyRed

How like 90% of the fandom, the boy HAS to be the first version, while the girl is the second/third version. OTL

To be honest I don't really get what difference that makes.

Originally Posted by FairyRed

Hilda, despite how tough she looks in the outfit she's in, appears to be a "tee-hee cutesy-poo I'm nice and girly and will stand pigeon-toed because I'm a girl!", if THIS pose is anything to go by. :/

You shouldn't make assumptions about a character based on just one single image of them. Especially when that character isn't even fully fleshed out yet (since the arc is just beginning), and when you aren't even reading the series that the character is in.

I will agree that the difference in White's personality is unexpected though, but she isn't exactly like that and she really isn't that bad. And the reason for the difference is Special always tries to make all their protagonists different from one another so it doesn't get boring, and since we already had a tough, tomboyish girl (Sapphire), there was no need to repeat that.

Originally Posted by FairyRed

And of course, "Black" HAS to be the typical hot-headed shonen hero.

Actually, Black ISN'T your typical hot-headed shonen hero. While I will definitely admit he has some of the qualities of one, he doesn't have all of them so he shouldn't be classified as one. Especially when he has some major differences that help set him apart from your typical shonen hero as well.

That's why it's best not to assume things about things you're not reading, since you'll usually be wrong.

Originally Posted by FairyRed

Ruby and Sapphire were two subversions I might have been interested in, but then the story of how Ruby got his scar was beyond ridiculous. A random attacking Salamance? Really? ._. Plus Maxie gets killed off. That's unforgivable.

How was that ridiculous? I believe it's fairly plausible in a realistic Pokemon world for a Pokemon to go on a rampage, and that Pokemon wouldn't always be in certain areas like on the games. And how is killing Maxie off unforgivable?

Originally Posted by FairyRed

If I'm being honest, I utterly despise Pokemon Special. D8; I could go on, but I'm afraid I already sound close to "complaining about manga I've never read", since I've never actually READ Pokemon Special. 8D; Everything I know about it comes from Bulbapedia and TV Tropes. But...but yeah, there's my opinion on PokeSupe.

To be honest, I don't think you should say you "utterly despise" something if you've never read it. Because if you've never read something you actually don't know how you feel about it, and for all you know you could feel the exact opposite if you actually gave it a chance sometime. While I suppose making assumptions based on what you've read on Bulbapedia and TV Tropes is better than nothing, you still shouldn't ever base your entire opinion around that. IMO opinions should only be given if you actually know what you're talking about, because otherwise what's the point?

So, what do I think? Good points first, then bad.

Well, first the battles. I particularly liked how the battles are very strategic, as they generally take advantage of field effects, conditions of the field, vulnerabilities by a Pokemon and so on. These cannot be replicated in the games, which has more systematic battles rather than dynamic. The anime has this too, but the manga is able to demonstrate the techniques well. Of course, it helps that the main battles are held by skilled trainers, who are able to make use of the Pokemon's abilities and attributes to do well. I mean, in the games, Stealth Rock is just rocks that Pokemon can get hurt, but in the manga, Pokemon can ride on it and get an air boost! Because battles can happen in pretty much anywhere, it makes me interested to see how the battles will turn out, as the equally-skilled trainers often have something up their sleeves. It's also an interesting quirk that trainers ride their Pokemon while they battle, which you never actually see in the anime.

The realistic take on the Pokemon world is also something I admire, although not always liking them. First of all, the anime is more kid-friendly, so you never see a lot of the dark side of the Pokemon abilities (one example I can recall in the anime is Hunter J). The manga shows us not only their dark side, but their talents as well, which is what I actually liked. We get to see Garchomp perform that flying technique, or Mantine carrying 20 Remoraid (I wished Mantine is this useful in the games too!), Skarmory making use of steel feathers like a boomerang, or funnily, Qwilfish swelling up like a balloon and floating. In other words, every Pokemon in the manga is shown to be useful in some way, unlike the games, where there will always be a bottom tier for all the Pokemon that cannot perform well (On the bright side, we have Pokeathlon wonder Sunkern!). Heck, Delibird is actually threatening in the manga!

When the characters do fun stuff, it's always fun to watch. There's the Great Marsh, where the three protagonists go to hunt for a Grass-type, and there's the Goldenrod race (in that event, Sudowoodo was caught), and there's the bike race where Red has to race to the finish (here, Snorlax was caught), and there's Emerald's soil-shooting talent. They are fun to watch because they are generally exciting activities. I also like the banter by Diamond (Lucas) and Pearl (Barry), because that made the characters more interesting.

I like how every character has a moment of awesomeness. Casting aside the main protagonists, we have that swimmer in Hoenn, Gabby and Ty the reporter and cameraman, the Magma and Aqua admins, the Gym Leaders, Dr. Footstep, Chairman of the Pokemon Fan Club, Juan and so on. Having the relatively less important characters do something great is something you don't normally see in the anime (all but three of Kanto's Gym Leaders were only important in the episodes they were in).

OK, now for the negative views. I didn't like how all the Dex Holders are like the ultimate chosen ones. OK, the concept of them being gifted is nothing special, but it feels that if you are not a Dex Holder, you are not gifted and powerful. Well, that may not necessarily be true, but that's how I feel, because they are very young and they are already special. It's common in manga, I know, but it's something I dislike. Also there are two characters whom I actually dislike. I am going to cast Agatha, because she's not important anymore. So, the characters are *ahem* Green (Leaf) and Sird. I felt like Sird is immortal, and Green, well, I think she is too perfect as a character.

Well, the main negative view is how dark the manga can get. Every time I read a new story arc, I grew less and less happy when I begin, because I often felt down at the end of the story arcs, where bad things happen here and there. I got the feeling starting from Ruby and Sapphire onwards, and when I started reading Diamond and Pearl, I lost the happy feeling of enjoying it, as if expecting something bad to happen so soon. I feel the same way for Black and White, where the first few chapters felt depressing, despite not being exactly depressing themselves. In other words, I feel the dark part of the story had outweighed the light as the series go on.

Well, that's my honest view of the manga.

Thanks for reading.

Originally Posted by 1dbad

To be honest, I don't think you should say you "utterly despise" something if you've never read it. Because if you've never read something you actually don't know how you feel about it, and for all you know you could feel the exact opposite if you actually gave it a chance sometime. While I suppose making assumptions based on what you've read on Bulbapedia and TV Tropes is better than nothing, you still shouldn't ever base your entire opinion around that. IMO opinions should only be given if you actually know what you're talking about, because otherwise what's the point?

I usually read about the story and characters and stuff before I read a new manga series, to see if I actually want to read it or not. PokeSupe didn't pass my own test. 8D; I guess I posted here so the OP could see a not even halfway opinion on the series.

And how is killing Maxie off unforgivable?

I mostly added that line for a joke. Maxie is my favorite villainous team leader, so I grew sad when I learned that he dies later on, in a rather unflattering way too. :<

I don't like Pokespe. It's a good manga no doubt, but it isn't as good as other manga. It's a real shame it's the only one fans care about.

The way they portray characters is also a bit.. Odd.
The Kanto arcs were my favorite by far, though it's puzzling why they made certain characters into bad guys; what's wrong with the Team Rocket grunts they had?
Blue is the polar opposite of his game counterpart, which is an interesting take from the typical arrogant jerk portrayal of him. I prefer his personality in the earliest chapters then to his more quiet later version; it fits the game version the best, and his game personality fits his role the best.

I don't get where they got the idea to make Brendan into such a camp and docile kid like Ruby, why Silver is not an a-hole, what the heck happened to a majority of the gym leaders (especially Whitney) and Elite Four, or why Hilda became so....Pearl seems very different from Barry too. I do enjoy how they expanded certain characters roles though, such as Misty's and Courtney's.
I also wish they'd make the girls the main protagonist more. The one that takes the game characters role. Sapphire was the gym battler, but she was still in the role of Birch's kid; Platinum can be seen as the game character role, though she's still more like Rowan's assistant then anything.

I can't stand the Hoenn arcs, or the Unova arc so far. They're just so different from the games, and not really entertaining in their own right. The character designs are also a downer. The Sinnoh arc was okay, though I only enjoyed it when Diamond and Pearl were out of the picture; likewise with the GSC arc, with Crystal out of the picture.

What's with the whole "Pokedex holder" thing? They're just a bunch of random kids given a digital encyclopedia, and why are they the only people to have Dexes? The way they portray the Leagues are also unusual.

I don't get why people say it's so dark and edgy. It doesn't seem that dark to me, especially arcs after the first generation.

I do enjoy the battles though. The design of the manga is quite nice too, especially when there's an action scene.

So my general opinion is this: It's a good manga, though not great. It's one of the series you should read, but it doesn't deserve the recognition it gets. It's like, excuse me fans who like this comic, the Archie Sonic comics of the Pokemon world.

Eh. Pokemon Adventures is the very first Pokemon manga I ever read. I remember having my mom order it online for me when I was in the seventh grade. It's my favorite Pokemon manga (mainly due to it being the first I ever read) but I even like other stories more than it (See DPA).

While I do enjoy it, I wish more people would know about other manga. It gets really annoying to see Pokemon Adventures being referred to as "The manga" (without specifying what Pokemon manga they're talking about) which implies that it's the only Pokemon manga in existence.

Originally Posted by Somari

I don't like Pokespe. It's a good manga no doubt, but it isn't as good as other manga. It's a real shame it's the only one fans care about.

Uh...isn't that a harsh generalization? I'm a fan, and I care about other manga....(In fact, I'm annoyed by the fact that it receives the most attention)

I really like PokeSpe, I think it's excellent.

The fact that their interpretations of the characters given to them are often quite different from those that could easily be assumed are great in my opinion. It's not like they ever go against anything that's pre-established except by the fandom or by the anime (which is just an alternative fandom tbh, like PokeSpe itself)

Originally Posted by Homu Homu...

Uh...isn't that a harsh generalization? I'm a fan, and I care about other manga....(In fact, I'm annoyed by the fact that it receives the most attention)

That wasn't what I meant. Special is the one that everyone pays attention to, the one that people talk about all the time. Except for maybe Reburst and DPA, that's the only one a lot of fans read.

I like PokeSpe a lot. I read it without rereading after, though, and avoided spoilers of it like the plague while reading from the beginning to the end of the Emerald arc. Therefore, I only have my first experience with it to go by, and my first experience with it was great, so I think highly of the series, you know...?

Originally Posted by FairyRed

If I'm being honest, I utterly despise Pokemon Special. D8; How unnecessarily dark and stuff it gets somethings. How like 90% of the fandom, the boy HAS to be the first version, while the girl is the second/third version. OTL Special Black/White was the last straw for me. Hilda, despite how tough she looks in the outfit she's in, appears to be a "tee-hee cutesy-poo I'm nice and girly and will stand pigeon-toed because I'm a girl!", if THIS pose is anything to go by. :/ And of course, "Black" HAS to be the typical hot-headed shonen hero.

There is no such thing as first and second versions, as both versions are released on the same day.

And there are perfectly viable reasons why the girls are named after the "second" or "third" versions, as you claim. Blue (Green in America) was based on a Prototype Character who didn't get an official appearance until FRLG, and the writer simply decided to use a prototype design from the games for her design. "Yellow" sounds like a feminine name, and even then, everyone thought she was a boy at first. "Crystal" obviously wasn't introduced until Pokemon Crystal was released, and thus HAD to be named after the third version. "Sapphire" works better as a girl's name. You can say the same for Ruby, but Ruby can work as a unisex name, that's why the boy character got it. And the name "White" is way better as a girl's name, don't you think? =P

"Platinum" is pretty much the only one that's a bit odd. But everyone else has perfectly viable reasons for their names, at least to me.

And honestly, so WHAT if the girls are named after version names you don't like. Many of the girl characters still have their own strengths in the comics. A name is just a name.

I absolutely hate Pokémon Adventures...
...yet I keep buying and reading it.

I don't even know why I bother - reading it just annoys me! Definitely the worst part of the Pokémon franchise. :I

Originally Posted by FireMeowth

I absolutely hate Pokémon Adventures...
...yet I keep buying and reading it.

I don't even know why I bother - reading it just annoys me! Definitely the worst part of the Pokémon franchise. :I

It doesn't make sense to keep buying and reading something if you hate it and it annoys you. You must like it somewhat (whether you want to admit it or not) to keep doing so.

But would you care to elaborate on why you hate it and why it annoys you? And even if you don't like it -- I think saying it's the worst part of the Pokémon franchise is a bit of an exaggeration. There are other parts of the franchise much more deserving of that title, IMO.

Exactly, it doesn't make sense! I don't enjoy reading it, so I definitely don't like it "somewhat". Maybe it's just an urge of mine to collect them - I am a collector after all - but even then it's just stupid. A waste of time, a waste of money, a waste of paper.

To elaborate... ugh, that's hard. There's just so much I don't like, and I don't even want to think deeply let alone write about the reasons...
I suppose I can give you a brief summary, though:
I usually don't like the art. I don't like their original plots. I hate most of the main characters. I despise their naming schemes. I'm annoyed by most of the darker twists (the very ones that most fans seem to enjoy, yes). And, of course, I hate the die-hard fans.

I've yet to come across a part of the Pokémon franchise that I hate more than Pokémon Adventures, so to me it's definitely the worst.

Originally Posted by FireMeowth

Exactly, it doesn't make sense! I don't enjoy reading it, so I definitely don't like it "somewhat". Maybe it's just an urge of mine to collect them - I am a collector after all - but even then it's just stupid. A waste of time, a waste of money, a waste of paper.

To elaborate... ugh, that's hard. There's just so much I don't like, and I don't even want to think deeply let alone write about the reasons...
I suppose I can give you a brief summary, though:
I usually don't like the art. I don't like their original plots. I hate most of the main characters. I despise their naming schemes. I'm annoyed by most of the darker twists (the very ones that most fans seem to enjoy, yes). And, of course, I hate the die-hard fans.

I've yet to come across a part of the Pokémon franchise that I hate more than Pokémon Adventures, so to me it's definitely the worst.

Okay saying "a waste of paper" is waaaay too much. Because others like it, so it isn't a waste of paper to them.