Does the anime always ruin the game storylines?

[Pokeplayer150]

Apologies if I'm stating the obvious, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that the anime always screws up all of the evil team story lines except for Team Rocket, that being because they never had a resolution. Anyway, here's my question: Do you think the anime always ruins the story lines from the games and why? Here's what I think the reasons are for why the story lines end so poorly:

1. They're always anticlimactic. The teams hardly show their faces enough times in the anime to actually create any buildup. Heck, in the Advanced series the leaders of Magma and Aqua don't even appear until the LAST TWO EPISODES. Also, when the finale does come, the kids hardly battle the team and aren't even the ones who directly defeat them.

2. All their memorable qualities are taken away. You know how Maxie and Archie were so well-meaning and unexpectedly sympathetic in the end, or how Cyrus was so frighteningly emotionless throughout most of the game, how about N's tragic backstory, Ghetsis going beyond the limits of monster, or how Colress really wanted nothing to do with Team Plasma? Well, all that disappears once they're incarnated in the anime. Team Magma and Aqua became generic thugs, Cyrus' personality was ruined, N lost all of the depth that he had in the games, Ghetsis lost all of the monstrous reputation he had in the games, and Colress was reduced to the status of a typical mad scientist. Heck, I'm baffled just talking about it.

Well, overall I just hope they don't end up doing the same with Team Flare (And maybe give their leader a Pokemon for once!).

 

[Osprey]

I think as a general rule, yeah, it's practically mandatory that all villains besides Team Rocket and the TRio are reduced to plot devices, stereotypical thugs and anticlimatic conclusions. As a matter of fact, I think it's mostly the TRio's fault that this always happens, since they're often right there to steal the regional team's thunder. It's also obvious that the guys in charge seem to believe that Ash and the audience can't handle a more complex villain than the usual "take over world/steal people's stuff/destroy world for no damn reason" kinds, so everything that made the Teams unique is dumbed down or just ignored completely. Of course, this may just be the result of the regional bad guys not getting enough focus in 4-5 episodes. Remember that all these other bad guys are encountered frequently throughout the games, often fairly early into the story (in Unova's case, right outside the starting town and all the way to the final fight of the story), while in the anime, they hardly appear at all. They're lucky if they get a 2-3 episode arc that concludes them.

Or maybe the guys in charge don't feel like going all-out with an edgy villain or actual climatic crisis unless it's a movie. Who knows?

 

[Hidden Mew]

The anime has never been a faithful adaptation of the games. Aside from Team Galactic, they haven't handled any of the evil teams particularly well, including Team Rocket as an organization. They barely covered any of their appearances in the first and second generation games, mainly because they didn't want Team Rocket to disband due to the Team Rocket trio. They had no experience as to how to handle a team's defeat with Advance, which is why the Team Magma/Aqua finale was poorly handled, and they only had an arc to cover Team Plasma. That arc also had only Neo Team Plasma designs and characters and without the storyline in B/W, they turned them into basically bland generic villains focused on mind control. The whole earthquake situation probably didn't help them, but I think that B2/W2 being sequels at the last minute and introducing a new Team Plasma hurt their chances of getting a good storyline in the anime just as much, if not more so.

Team Galactic was handled pretty well though. They covered a good amount of their appearances from the games, each of their appearances helped to buildup to their ending and the conclusion was satisfying. It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty solid treatment compared to how the other teams have been handled.

 

[Team Gaara]

I don't think the Anime "ruins" the evil team plots, but that's mainly because I don't think the Anime is about the evil team and it never has been about their storyline, so I don't expect it to be this amazing animation of the games' plot. The Anime is more focused on Ash's badge quest, so anything we do get that features the evil team isn't gonna be too focused upon for very long and they aren't gonna be very in depth about their goals, so as not to interrupt his badge quest pace. Team Galactic did get the best treatment, though, luckily for them.

 

[Gabo2oo]

I think Team Galactic was pretty good, and I believe Team Plasma was going to be handled well before the earthquake and that they were set to do a completely different thing, appearing as recurring characters (much like Team Galactic), and I blame all the screw-ups on the delaying of their debut episodes. Most people think the post-earthquake BW isn't much different as how it was planned, but I truly think they were going to appear from time to time, but that was scrapped early after the earthquake.

 

[DracoMan]

My biggest gripe about the anime's handling of Team Galactic is that they never got around to showing their resurgence under Charon. Personally, I think they might've intended to, but they took too long getting Ash to the Sinnoh League and had to wrap things up quickly so they could get Our Boy to Unova in time for Gen V to be released.

 

[henrymidfields]

My biggest gripe about the anime's handling of Team Galactic is that they never got around to showing their resurgence under Charon. Personally, I think they might've intended to, but they took too long getting Ash to the Sinnoh League and had to wrap things up quickly so they could get Our Boy to Unova in time for Gen V to be released.

Yeah, that's one problem with DP. I mean they had other options. They could have wrapped up Shinnoh halfway through, with a fully-detailed Team Plasma and a speedier pacing, with the basics planned from the start, and do a HGSS mini-arc. (The mini-arc, in turn, can be chasing down legendaries and finding out the mysteries with Lyra and several people Ash met in the past - I'll further detail that in my blog later.)
Alternatively, Shinnoh could have been planned to finish 5-6 weeks prior to the scheduled BW release and either:
a) do re-runs of the best 5-6 episodes, or
b) have the lesser crews do some people do side stories of other characters (May, Max, Misty etc), or any applicable spin-off games
...while the main crew gets ready, and time their BW debut. What's stopping the crew from taking a short break like western tv shows do? I'm sure people would appreciate a good story even if it means a hiatus between seasons. I'm also having a feeling that TV Tokyo and GF don't always communicate very well over the release dates etc, but I could be wrong.

 

[BlackButterfree]

Team Galactic was handled pretty well though. They covered a good amount of their appearances from the games, each of their appearances helped to buildup to their ending and the conclusion was satisfying. It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty solid treatment compared to how the other teams have been handled.

Yes, exactly this. I mean, we even got implied death (J's and Cyrus'!) at the end of this arc. Definitely the best team arc.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

To be honest i was never fan of animated series doing close adaptation of games. Even when show is based on games themselves.

Because to me limits creativity, freedom to treat show to degree as separate media and have its own direction, storyline, characters and sense of following which builds on itself and goes forward.
Containing more diverse personalities, emotion, unpredictability of plots and follow up on epic adventure. Where you cannot know what to expect next and in what way protagonists, villains and developoment will go if some of imagination amd selfexpression comes from writers heads to alter universe and cast to their own desire.

However i do have to say how there should exist balance between constructing elements in anime story to someone own according and faithfully depicting material from games onto big screen as well.

Something which writers arent really doing.

This can be noticed in abomination called Team Aqua and Team magma where half of admins werent showed. Where main boses Archie and Maxie barey got focus and ultimately rushed, poorly designed finale. Doing injustice to Kyogre and Groudon depriving show from what appeared to be innovative story dealing with subjects of how human influence and abuse of nature can lead to gravely consequences for climate and eco system.

In Team Plasma very avaricious coverage. Never showing seven sages in main light. Leader Ghetsis being pretty shallow and generic character in anime. There was no depth to his characterization, more emphasis on his plans to conquer Unova through Reshiram and motives present behind his plans. In general i noticed we dont get much insight in villains background, what induced them in wanting to do malicious things and dive into their thoughts of developing twisted perception on world and how should pokemon be used. We rarely get this things in pokemon show, especially nowadays when promotion of games takes higher priority than quality of story and how to make believable, consistent and impacting work .

Even with N while this was one better points of Unova, writers never went beyond whole disagrements in opinions between him and Ash . Regarding how should pokemon be treated advocating for their release and freedom of human influence. Or touching on subject of how pokemon creatures feel themselves of being trained and used in battles, having to leave their own members of specie and habitat where they lived.

There are also important events and storylines which quite oftewn pass on either low note or dont get any feature at all. Such as whole World Cup.

This was biggest and most prestigue tournament ever made in games. It gathered all kind of powerful trainers, gym leaders, E4 members etc from all around the world delivering creative and meaningful plot.

However anime instead of turning whole Decolora island side adventure after league in meaningful, exciting story. Dividing concept of tournament on global scale in seevral mini tournaments with each one representing more chgallenging level of competition. Bringing various past gym leaders (lt. Surge, Sabrina, Winona, Candice etc). E4 not featured before (like Karen, Phoebe, Sidnesy etc). Past important characters like Misty for who entering tournaments, batting all kind of powerful trainers developing more complex techniques would help in advancing water pokemon master goal. Making step closer in becoming renowned and acknowledged top class water trainer on global scale making many people happy to see her back. Or maybe Paul having rematch vs Ash.

Depicted very, very poorly concept of World tournament in show turning it in pointless , local based small competition called Junior Cup. Which for international tournament had vast majority of participants coming from Unova(with exception of Ash and Dawn who as coordinator gained nothing from it). What a joke.

Its kinda ironic. Writers are capable of delivering some of most unique and creative storylines when letting their imagination start to play. Creating highly advanced and versatile anime exclusive competitions like pokeringer, Whirl Cup, Battle Clubs headed by Don George. Filled with mystery and suspense anime exclusive locations like Orange Islands exhibiting new way of utilizing pokemon. Different format of battles. Beautiful landscapes and secrets circulating around being world on its own.

Warped, cruel and egoistic poacher Hunzer J bringing lot of conflict, urgency and unpredictable twists to anime plot.

But when they have it easier, with games providing them with lot of interesting and untried ideas they could transfer on screen. Writing staff either blatantly omit them from anime never being showed or in good chunk of cases deliver watered down version of what could have been eventful storytelling.

Not always though. Team Galactic had pretty decent build up and memorable portrayal of their leader Cyrus. Who was borderline insane wanting to create entirely different world an d universew to his own desires and views. Manipulating with lake trio abnd legendaries like Dialga and Palkia, Being too power obsessed and delusional to understand consequences behind this action.

Some aspects of Team Rocket activities in games like Red Gyarads arc or Lugia and dr. Namba(although that was based on manga) were pretty faithfully covered as well, being some of most exciting, action packed episodes out there.

But when weighting out good vs bad. Lot more material from games was wasted than in reality adequatelly showed through anime. Pity.

 

[majormanafemale]

No. They are two diffrent worlds with in same universe. So have very little impacts one another

 

[Master Cyrus]

Yes.

As an example, Black and White are generally considered to have the best storyline in any pokemon game to date.

The Black and white anime is a souless husk that brings shame to the entire franchise.

 

[Akaryu]

In the games, when it's time to storm the team's base, you've got a team of your best mons at your disposal and ready to bring the organizations down once and for all. In the anime, Ash only uses Pikachu to fry some machines and almost never used any of his powerhouses.

 

[Boshi234]

They don't ruin the storylines because the anime is best described as being loosely based on the video games and I think that dealing with the villains anticlimactically would be a way to surprise those who had played through the game or that the studio is downright lazy.