Definitive Anime Chronology with Movies - Does it exist?

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MilesMetal

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Hello, all.

I've recently rediscovered my enjoyment of the Pokémon series (and Yu-Gi-Oh! for that matter!) and would like to begin collecting the complete anime series, beginning with Indigo League and going up to Master Quest or Battle Frontier, as well as the early movies since these are the ones that I grew up with. I'd like to get into the later series and movies too but would rather start with the ones I remember.

My question is: Is there a definitive order to watch the anime and movies in that is agreed upon by this community?

I've tried looking on a number of different forums and none seem to agree on the best order to watch the anime alongside the movies. I understand that some of the films are not directly related to the plot of the main-series anime and don't really have any impact on it but would still like to watch them in an order that retains some degree of logical chronology nonetheless.

Regards,
Miles.
 
poke trey said:
Hi there! If you want to watch the series properly, you can watch the Kanto series and try to work your way up further and trust me it gets so much better later.
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That's what I was going to do. Begin with series 1: The Indigo League and work through it but I'm not sure of the best order to watch them in with the films.
 
Hi MilesMetal, I have recently been having a similar dilemma (though less acute because I am quite poor at sticking to the order I have set myself anyway...)

So far I have made the decision that M1 should follow this episode. The rest are as yet undecided, but if I get that far I will probably just slot them after the episode which aired before the movie's release in Japan. I can't find any good reason against that logic for movies 2 onward.

Let us know what you decide to do!
 
ii kanji said:
Hi MilesMetal, I have recently been having a similar dilemma (though less acute because I am quite poor at sticking to the order I have set myself anyway...)

So far I have made the decision that M1 should follow this episode. The rest are as yet undecided, but if I get that far I will probably just slot them after the episode which aired before the movie's release in Japan. I can't find any good reason against that logic for movies 2 onward.

Let us know what you decide to do!
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Thanks for the response, Kanji!

That sounds like pretty good logic. The only alternative would be to watch everything in some general order and then stitch them together using cues from the environments the characters are in.
 
There's no definitive chronology since nearly all films (except M01 and M16) have very little do to with the main anime. But I tend to use release dates of movies and episodes to decide where in chronology the movie could take place. Which should be something like this:
* M01 - between "Showdown at the Po-ké Corral" and "The Evolution Solution". The film was released way earlier than these episodes but because of events happening in the former episode it makes sense for it to take place there.

* M02 - between "Bound for Trouble" and "Charizard Chills".

* M03 - between "Forrest Grumps" and "The Psychic Sidekicks".

* M04 - between "The Kecleon Caper" and "The Joy of Water Pokémon".

* M05 - between "Just Add Water" and "Laprax of Luxury".

* M06 - between "The Spheal of Approval" and "Jump for Joy" (air date places it earlier but in the middle of the Slateport City arc. This is the earliest it could take place instead).

* M07 - between "Lights, Camerupt, Action!" and "Crazy as a Lunatone". (air date places it before the former episode, but the former episode has Ash looking at the Badge he won the episode before, so it would make more sense for the film to take place here).

* M08 - between "A Real Cleffa-Hanger" and "Numero Uno Articuno".

* M09 - between "Aipom and Circumstance!" and "Strategy Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight!".

* M10 - between "Steamboat Willies!" and "Top-Down Training!".

* M11 - between "Arriving in Style!" and "The Psyduck Stops Here!".

* M12 - between "Beating the Bustle and Hustle!" and "Gateway to Ruin!".

* M13 - between "For the Love of Meowth!" and "The Eighth Wonder of the Sinnoh World!". Airdate places it in the middle of the Sinnoh League. It can't take place after, so it has to take place before, and this is the most plausible option.

* M14 - between "Club Battle Finale: A Hero's Outcome" and "Meowth's Scrafty Tactics". Airdate places it in the middle of the Club Battle, this is ther earliest it could take place instead.

* M15 - between "Caution: Icy Battle Conditions" and "Clash of the Connoisseurs". Airdate places it in the Undella Town arc. To not mess with things said in the main anime, the most logical place is between these episodes.

* M16 - between "What Lies Beyond Truth and Ideals" and "Farewel, Unova! Setting Sail for New Adventures!". Airdate places it in the Decolore arc, but that doesn't make any sense. It should take place right after Episode N, on the gang's way back to Nuvema Town.

* M17 - between "The Forest Champion!" and "Battles in the Sky!".

* M18 - between "Rotom's Wish!" and "A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell!".

* M19 - will likely take place between XY124 and XY125. Airdate places it in the middle of the Kalos League so this should make more sense.

You could do the same thing for specials.
 
That's quite an ambitious quest you're setting off to. As for my suggestion, well, Neo Blaze took the words out of my mouth.
 
Ryu Taylor said:
That's quite an ambitious quest you're setting off to. As for my suggestion, well, Neo Blaze took the words out of my mouth.
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Same here, I know the Dub works diffrently with when they air their movies unlike Japan which is always in July. So, I would at least say do it to the point in the season where you think "OK now I should be safe to watch the movie."
 
Nicolas721 said:
User:SnorlaxMonster/Anime ordering - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia
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WOAHHHH MY GOD.
I never thought about rearranging the Girls' Day and Children's Day episodes.
My whole existence is now thrown into question.
Girls' Day before Guardie & Kojiro.
Hooooooooo Lord.
I need to contemplate this and reevaluate my life.
(It would have ?aired on Tuesday March 3rd 1998, which is two days before Thursday March 5th and omg this is totally irrelevant to anyone bar me but I don't care!!)

Thanks for linking Nicolas!
 
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