Can you really compare Kanto and Johto to Hoenn and Sinnoh?

[HappyPumpkin]

They're the same franchise, same anime, same characters, mostly the same plot, but that's all I can find that's similar between them.

The first seasons were..Unique, for lack of a better word.
They didn't resemble their game counterparts much, it was like they just threw battles and Pokemon into some random world. It seemed more like a typical shonen.

Now, it resembles the game more. They have real rivals, they train, it seems more serious in certain aspects, etc

 

[Cybersai]

Kanto was a great arc, but it really did feel like an almost completely different show from the rest of the series.

As soon as the Orange Islands started, the show changed forever. Its like the first season alone is entirely different from everything that came after it.

 

[HappyPumpkin]

Kanto was a great arc, but it really did feel like an almost completely different show from the rest of the series.

I guess so. I've never seen much of the 'Islands, or Johto, so I wouldn't actually know if it's really different or not.

But Kanto..Just feels different. Like someone threw Pokemon into some random world. It didn't resemble the games at all.

I don't even know where they were at in Kanto, most of the time, until they say a location.

 

[Brock's Biggest Fan]

And that is what I think is so good about it. I haven't seen much of the later seasons but I am getting there (rewatching all the seasons from start till finish currently) but from what I've seem the latter seasons seem very formulaic. At least the Kanto and Orange Islands (my favorite season) had originality to them and they seemed like they actually were about a Pokemon adventure and not just 'battle for badges and go to league' even though that is what they were actually about.

 

[Cuddy]

None of the regions can be compare. Different pokemon, different attacks, different type of gyms. It is just like compairing apples and oranges.

 

[Mijzelffan]

yes you can compare them. They're the same series, so comparing you can.

 

[Ampharos King]

Aside from the contests and replacing Misty, the series generally follows the same format. You know, catching pokemon, Team Rocket trying to capture Pikachu, gym badge quest.
There is a darker tone to Advanced Generation and Diamond & Pearl than the original series. Comedy, which was abundant in the original series, is hardly present in these two series.

 

[Yotsuba]

they seemed like they actually were about a Pokemon adventure and not just 'battle for badges and go to league'

This.

I don't know if it was the Battle Frontier or what, but for some reason the writers got a real hard-on for battles. Where as Kanto focused on exploring the world of pokemon, the later series (especially Shin'ou) seem to be about nothing but Satoshi training and battling. It's like Satoshi went from this kind hearted kid who got by due to his kindness and love for people and pokemon, to this kid who (although still loving to others) is more concerned with getting physically stronger.

 

[Dewgong Reign]

Pokemon is a kodomo...

But yeah, I liked Kanto the best for the anime, and they did sort of change a lot of things. But Hoenn and Johto and Sinnoh are just... the same, almost.

 

[Dogasu]

At least the Kanto and Orange Islands (my favorite season) had originality to them

I fail to see what's so unoriginal about the later sagas.

Kanto and the Orange Islands had their fair share of clunkers too.

and they seemed like they actually were about a Pokemon adventure

The new ones are, too. Just because Satoshi isn't going around helping out a weak Paras or helping a bunch of insomniacs on the roof of some skyscraper doesn't mean that he's not on an adventure.

and not just 'battle for badges and go to league'

"Battle for the badges?"

More like "battle, get interrupted by Team Rocket, and then have the badge handed over to him."

I don't know if it was the Battle Frontier or what, but for some reason the writers got a real hard-on for battles.

I don't see what's so bad about that. The games are primarily about battling. The TV series has, finally, realized that.

Besides, every other region's gym battles > Kanto gym battles.

It's like Satoshi went from this kind hearted kid who got by due to his kindness and love for people and pokemon, to this kid who (although still loving to others) is more concerned with getting physically stronger.

Nothing about the Hikozaru story shows Satoshi being kindhearted at all, does it?

 

[Yotsuba]

I don't see what's so bad about that. The games are primarily about battling. The TV series has, finally, realized that.

Ya, but how many people buy pokemon just to battle? Like ten percent? Most people like pokemon for it's world and characters. Sure you love to catch a pokemon and train it, but exploring the world, seeing the different creatures in it, fighting the signature bad guy of that game, etc. that's what really drives you. Although some people may be hardcore battlers, not all of us are. If anything, don't most competitive battlers hate the anime?

I'm not saying battles suck or anything, I just think the writers need to find a better balance between the two. People are always saying it'd be nice if the anime writers would incorporate more of the game's story into the show instead of just focusing on getting gym badges and that's pretty much what I'm saying here.

Nothing about the Hikozaru story shows Satoshi being kindhearted at all, does it?

...

"to this kid who (although still loving to others) is more concerned with getting physically stronger. "

I never said Satoshi became a jerk, I merely pointed out how much they've shifted his focus compared to earlier series.

 

[emanuellburnell]

The Advanced Generation series didn't really have a dark tone to it, but The Diamond&Pearl series which is different from the AG series does have a darker to it, but it is still not anything like the original series which was the best and the Orange Islands weren't really part of the Kanto series and they wasn't really all that great either.

 

[HappyPumpkin]

Pokemon is a kodomo...

Pokemon's shonen, not kodomo.

 

[WolfMan]

I always thought that the original series, including the orange islands and johto were the best. I mean Team Rocket were actually threatening in the original series (to an extent) as was the corperation of Team Rocket with Giovanni and such.

For me Advanced was one thing Flat, it had no real good story line that the original series didn't have and to make matters worse, they made Ash wear a hoody, they made Misty vanish and they......introduced......Max. To quote the simpsons, worst seasons ever. The music and voice change thing didn't help me with this either, although it sucked even at the start.

Diamond and Pearl is good on certain points but bad on others, good points, some cool Pokemon. One badass trainer in Paul, epic villian (one that you just love to hate) J as well as getting rid of Max. Bad points, they made horrible starters for this season (Turtwig ftw and Piplup and Chimchar are just freaky. They got rid of all the humor and now the episodes are stale. They also introduced tooooooooooo manyyyyyyyy rivals. I mean it started with Zoey and Nando as well as Paul but now we have too many to count. I honestly hate to see what is going to happen with the Sinnoh League as well as the grande festival.

 

[Cybersai]

I'll never understand how anyone can think the Johto seasons were better than Hoenn. Johto was a dull, tedious arc that made Pokemon jump the shark. The writers apologized to us for it and revamped the series entirely due to the amount of complaints back then.

Hoenn had better Pokemon on the group (this I cannot stress enough), new clothes for Ash/Brock, better group dynamics, actual character development, a Contest arc, less fillers overall, Ash actually evolved his Pokemon, more humor between the group and its Pokemon, and most of the Battle Frontier arc was pretty good.

To each their own I suppose. The writers themselves more or less admitted Johto was handled poorly, and pretty much moved the show into greener pastures.

 

[Piplup]

Pokemon's shonen, not kodomo.

It's kodomo
It's a cartoon for young kids
Maybe at first it was more aimed at boys (but it was still more of a "kodomo" than "shonen") but in AG and especially DP it's aimed equally at girls too

I mean Team Rocket were actually threatening in the original series (to an extent)

No

Advanced was one thing Flat, it had no real good story line that the original series didn't have and to make matters worse, they made Ash wear a hoody, they made Misty vanish and they......introduced......Max.

...............
*facepalm*

I'll never understand how anyone can think the Johto seasons were better than Hoenn. Johto was a dull, tedious arc that made Pokemon jump the shark.

That's only your opinion which comes from your crazy hate
Johto wasn't nearly as bad as you (and some others) make it sound like
It corrected a lot of mistakes from the original, actually
Like the Gym Battles
Yes - it did have its mistakes... so what? any other saga has its mistakes too and you could still enjoy the episodes
You're just exaggerating

The writers apologized to us for it and revamped the series entirely due to the amount of complaints back then.

The writers don't care about random forum members
Most of the target audience don't really care about anything other than the fact the show is called Pokémon and they see these cool and cute creatures fight

new clothes for Ash/Brock

Wow... you're really desperate... to say Ash and Brock not getting new clothes is a one of the reasons a saga was bad...

To each their own I suppose.

So stop repeating the same thing again and again and let people like what they like

The writers themselves more or less admitted Johto was handled poorly, and pretty much moved the show into greener pastures.

Not at all
They simply followed the important change Crystal gave us - the possibility to play as a girl (it was too late to change things during the middle-end of Johto, so they started it with AG)
They realized a lot of girls like Poké too and that it'd be smart to advertise it to girls too
They also got better in their writing with the time which is logical - it's not a decision you make, you just get better at these things with the time

Also, I think part of why Ash didn't evolve most of his Poké in the original series is that he was a beginner
From AG onwards he's shown as experienced trainer so now it's "ok" to give him more evolutions

Scott, please shut up already
You cause me to repeat myself again and again just like you do
I really should copy some of my replies and just paste them every time which is probably what you're doing with your posts

 

[Cybersai]

Ash/Brock's Kanto clothes were definitely getting stale by the time Johto was airing.

I wish the trio got new clothes when Johto started. It would have been nice rather than keeping the Kanto clothes.

 

[emanuellburnell]

There was nothing wrong with Ash and Brock wearing their Kanto clothes in Johto because it was really damn good,and just because they had their Kanto clothes on while being in Johto does not mean that their clothes wear getting stale during Johto.The Johto saga was not poorly handled it was the best saga of the original series and Ash's Johto team was the best team he did have and they are not his weakest team this is not really true,the only good thing about AG saga is that it made Ash a little bit more experience,but he still had a long way to go compare to the Hoenn saga, and that he would become even more experience in the Sinnoh series and were he will train his Sinnoh team to be a much better team then his old Hoenn team ever try to be,DP series is ok, Paul is an ok rival that you can either love him are hate him,and J is not really an epic villian (she is not really one to hate maybe love but that's about it) some of the fans got way out of control with this Hunter J crap which is not even true.Scott really need to shut the hell up, and stop reapeating the same thing over and over again if he don't like Johto who cares there are other people will like it,and the writers did not moved the show in greener pastures and the show really sucks now it will never be like the first season which was the best.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

In my opinion nriginal seasons semed more different than older ones,charater interaction was different and more enjoyable to watch in my opinion(big merit goes to Misty for this aswell).Anime didnt sticked to the games so much,there were more unique arcs(the whole OI was pretty much unpredictable and new due to fact it wasnt from games).Overall series had a different tone and some charm to it,which i find isnt present anymore in newer seasons.Not to mention that i liked this show more with cetain redhead being in it,with finding said character replaced being reckless and stupid move.

Of course not everything was handled adequately back than,but hey none of the seasons was brilliant in terms of everything.

As for Advance and Sinnoh series,true writing has improved,there were introduced new features like contests,Ash received decent rivals(like Paul)etc.However in terms of chemistry between characters,due to fact how some older characters are neglected like they have been forgotten,and how anime in these days at least to me seems more predictable than before i cant really say how i find them being better than Original seasons.

The writers apologized to us for it and revamped the series entirely due to the amount of complaints back then.

You do realize,that writers dont plan and write for this show by following fandom complaints?If that was the case than Misty would already return,Brock would be replaced,Ash would be replaced,anime would get darker etc.
Reason why formula of this show has changed after Johto was because they needed to advertize new games to promote them through show.The same thing happened again during DP(see connection?).
In reality this show is just a big marketing tool,and writers dont care about some random complaints.That should be obvious by now.

Also contrary to your belief,not everyone hated Johto complaining about it.

They realized a lot of girls like Poké too and that it'd be smart to advertise it to girls too

Except that girls liked this show before Advanced series aswell.Reason why they introduced contests was more due to fact to promote new games,rather than anything else.

Aside from this i agree with pretty much everything you said.

 

[TyranitarGirl]

Simple summary.. too simple.
Older games different to newer games,
older episodes ,newer episodes all based on the current game,newer games have more features. I've never really seen Johto but I've watch a little bit of one Johto episode and I kinda got bored of it. And about the "They realized a lot of girls like Poké too and that it'd be smart to advertise it to girls too"
..*facepalm, going crazy inside*
Girls like the show even before that, I don't like contests.I'm a girl and I liked Pokemon when I was about 5 or 6, playing Pokemon Blue and watching Pokemon(The first movie and pokemon 2000 like 20 times or more in one year) I never saw any eps didn't know they were on(infact the only thing I really liked to watch was pokemon )
Oh yeah
Old directors, new directors?
well for the games anyway, but Kanto was more epic,funny and well the writers didn't know what they were doing and it had a lot more interesting plots back then. Ahh Kanto will always be the best.