Should the villianous groups be introduced into the anime earlier?

[Cilan]

Do you think the villainous group should be introduced earlier into the series? The closest we got to that was seeing Magma grunts in the 3rd AG episode. Even though Team Rocket appeared early we didn't really see any grunts or Giovanni do much during Kanto and Johto (the Red Gyarados event is the most they did I think) It took about 36 episodes for Team Galactic to be introduced and since the Plasma episodes were skipped there's no telling when we'll finally get to see them in an episode. I think that the villainous team should show up at least within the first 10-15 episodes. It can just be a group or gunts or a commander doing something suspicious that will have Ash and co trying to stop them and find out what their goals are. I can understand waiting 20+ eps to introduce the boss of the orginization (because I honestly don't expect the writers to spoil the surprise of seeing Ghetsis or N that early into the show when Ash first gets to Accumula Town) unless they show a sihouette like with Giovanni early on, but we can still see some of their work being done earlier on. That's why I kind of wish all that stuff Jessie and James were doing in the beginning of BW was Team Plasma doing it. At least they mentioned something about "another orginization" a few times to foreshadow Team Plasma.

They should at least show grunts doing suspicious work early on so that it can foreshadow that orginization's plans and the appearance of higher ups in that orginization and eventually the boss. What do you think?

 

[Cybersai]

I don't really get why they only give the villain teams like 10 eps per saga and that's it.

Team Galactic only got 10 eps in DP, and Magma/Aqua only had roughly 10 eps back in AG as well. I imagine Team Plasma will be about the same in BW.

 

[Araragi-hakase]

Team Rocket grunts were introduced pretty early (the SS Anne episode was the first time we saw them, I think). And Team Plasma has been mentioned, but not by name. It was build up to the Team Rocket/Plasma episodes that we never got to see. But unless there's a specific reason for needing them (over all plot of that series) then the way it's going is fine. The criminal organizations as a whole are not a huge part of Pokemon anime, they are just another plot device, brought in when needed, sparingly. Most fans like the battles, the pokemon, contests, whathaveyou. If they were shoved in our faces they wouldn't be as mysterious or as interesting to fans. Having them here and there is the way it should be. Each series needs time to let the fans get to know the new main characters first before introducing a new threat, because if we don't care/know enough about them, why should we care if they're being threatened by some evil organization? I think the way BW is handling it is especially is good. There are mentions of another criminal organization, but we don't see them (assuming the Plasma episodes had aired on schedule) for 20+ episodes. It makes it more exciting when we finally do start to see glimpses of them and learn about their motives. I don't think we'll see N until much later, and Ghetsis, not until near the conclusion of the series.

All of this excluding the TRio, of course. They're their own thing. Team Rocket as a whole was handled very differently than the other criminal gangs, as they were introduced very early, and are still reappearing. What would be interesting is seeing other criminal gangs infiltrate regions outside of their own, like Team Rocket has been doing.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

I was rather disappointed that Maxie, Archie, and Cyrus were introduced so late in their arcs. At least Cyrus got more than the finale episode though! Maxie and Archie basically had, what, twenty minutes total? Wheras in the games you encounter all three of them fairly frequently.

Going by that, they really should have introduced Ghetsis by now. He wasn't even in the preview so we don't know if he'll be in the Plasma introduction.

 

[Dogasu]

It really doesn't make any sense to me. Do the writers actually think fans enjoy seeing so many evil team appearances from the games skipped over in the TV series?

With the Plasma-Dan, for example, the TV series has already skipped over:

• G'Cis' speech in Karakusa Town and the introduction of N.
• The bone theft in the Shippou City museum and the chase into the Pinwheel Forest.
• The theft of Bel's Mun'na in Hiun City.

(...and then they gave the Site of Dreams storyline to the Rocket trio, for some reason.)

And what do we get instead? A Pokabu capture episode, a Kidachi pisses off a Deathmas episode, and a fishing tournament episode.

Do the writers actually think people prefer things this way?

 

[Charbok]

I don't get why the anime skips the evil team's early schemes from the games. Why is Team Rocket doing all of this OOC stuff in BW when that role could be going to Team Plasma? I understand that the show is mostly centered with the battles, contests, etc. but that doesn't mean the evil teams should be treated like crap and their schemes skipped over. Ash and Giovanni never even met in the original series (when he was suppose to be the 8th Gym Leader) and I don't even think Giovanni was apart of the Red Gyarados scheme (anime only Prof Sebastian and Tyson were). Archie and Maxie didn't appear until the Aqua/Magma finale (which was horribly rushed). At least we got to see Cyrus earlier than the finale but waiting 36 episodes for Team Galactic's introduction was just horrible.

I'm not sure how Team Plasma will be handled but hopefully better than the other teams have. I still say that Team Rocket's schemes should be going to Plasma. I know TR are popular characters but I feel that they shouldn't be as active so that we can see the evil group of that region more often. I don't expect Ash to battle someone like Ghetsis early on but since N is a lot younger than the other bosses I don't see why he couldn't batle him when he got to Accumula Town, or at least met him. I don't mind that they added the Battle Club but why couldn't they have Ghetsis' speech, N's introduction, and the Battle Club in the same episode, or at least in parts? I don't mind if the anime wants to add things that are anime exclusive but that shouldn't mean taking out the villainous schemes either.

 

[The Puppetmaster]

I think the way BW is handling it is especially is good. There are mentions of another criminal organization, but we don't see them (assuming the Plasma episodes had aired on schedule) for 20+ episodes. It makes it more exciting when we finally do start to see glimpses of them and learn about their motives. I don't think we'll see N until much later, and Ghetsis, not until near the conclusion of the series.

I agree largely with this. I feel like the way BW handled Team Plasma was going great until the arc was put on hold. However, previous villainous teams (Aqua, Magma, and to a lesser extent Galactic) should have been introduced earlier. Galactic I'll let slide since they did have a few appearances before formally being introduced, but it would have been nice to have them be more involved like they are in the games.

It really doesn't make any sense to me. Do the writers actually think fans enjoy seeing so many evil team appearances from the games skipped over in the TV series?

Yeah, it perplexes me, as well. I'm okay with the evil teams not appearing every single time they do in the games, but there's so much potential there that doesn't get used. It's okay to me if the writers take liberties and have the evil teams take on other missions, but they're just not doing anything at all in place of all those game appearances they miss.

 

[Miar]

It really doesn't make any sense to me. Do the writers actually think fans enjoy seeing so many evil team appearances from the games skipped over in the TV series?

I dunno. Do you enjoy watching someone play your game for you? Because that's essentially what it would feel like to me if they kept all of that in.

The show is meant to be a looser adaptation. The villains appear at different times and do different things. And I'm happy with that.

And honestly, I think it's more the other way around with Black and White: Plasma appeared far earlier than usual in the games.

 

[The Puppetmaster]

I dunno. Do you enjoy watching someone play your game for you? Because that's essentially what it would feel like to me if they kept all of that in.

The show is meant to be a looser adaptation. The villains appear at different times and do different things. And I'm happy with that.

I somewhat agree with you, but at the same time, the villains are still getting less appearances than they do in the games. I'd be much more pleased if they appeared just as much, even if they weren't doing exactly what they do in the games.

 

[Dogasu]

I dunno. Do you enjoy watching someone play your game for you? Because that's essentially what it would feel like to me if they kept all of that in.

It wouldn't feel like that at all. Asking the TV producers to give us a competent adaptation and not skip the games' major plot points isn't the same as wanting to watch an animated walkthrough of the video games. Just like the badge quest, there'd be enough new content and changes made in the transition from video game to TV show to make it worth watching.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

At least we got to see Cyrus earlier than the finale but waiting 36 episodes for Team Galactic's introduction was just horrible.

96 episodes, really. Sure we saw Saturn before then but the actual introduction was at nearly 100 episodes.

I don't mind that they added the Battle Club but why couldn't they have Ghetsis' speech, N's introduction, and the Battle Club in the same episode, or at least in parts? I don't mind if the anime wants to add things that are anime exclusive but that shouldn't mean taking out the villainous schemes either.

Yeah, one would think that it would be easy to slip in a speech here and there. That's basically how the game did it, with the whole "well, that was...special...let's go back to doing what we were doing" approach.

 

[Caseydia]

Team Plasma should have definetly been shown long ago. But with the way things are going, will we even see Team Plasma?

 

[AshK]

I don't mind if evil teams make an apperance in the anime as part of a mini series/arc but I don't care to see them THAT much in teh anime. Keep the focus on them in the games where they are really needed because they make the games interesting.

 

[Cybersai]

To be honest its kind of funny at this point. We can all agree in Kanto the TR "plot" was mainly about Mewtwo, which was handled alright.

Orange Islands = Brought back Butch/Cassidy as new TR villains.

Johto = Mewtwo Returns special, TR plots from the game such as Red Gyarados were adapted, also the Baby Lugia arc.

AG = Magma/Aqua are adapted, but they're nothing like in the games, Maxie/Archie don't even appear till the final 2 parter.

DP = Galactic get about 10 episodes, are MUCH better handled than any previous team, but still could have appeared a lot more.


I am guess Team Plasma will get similar treatment to Galactic.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

To be honest its kind of funny at this point. We can all agree in Kanto the TR "plot" was mainly about Mewtwo, which was handled alright.

...no, not really. That didn't even start being an issue until right around the Earth Badge time.

DP = Galactic get about 10 episodes, are MUCH better handled than any previous team, but still could have appeared a lot more.

No they weren't. Nothing beats anime Rocket for sheer awesome. Especially since anime Rocket is still going strong, while all the other teams have had severely anticlimatic finales.

 

[Charbok]

I still don't get why they had Team Rocket do these missions involving the Site of Dreams and the meteorites when Team Plasma could have been doing all of that. Why did they wait this long to give Team Rocket such a serious and active plot? I feel like they should have been this active in Johto. Maybe then Aqua/Magma could have been handled better. I could easily see Plasma grunts doing the same things TR is doing in BW with Ghetsis leading them. Ash should have at least met N by now. I hope he meets N when he gets to the 4th gym's city because that's where you find out N is the boss of Team Plasma in the games. If he doesn't find that out he should at least meet N (and maybe battle) him there. Maybe they could have TP scheme something there.

 

[Magmortar123]

Honestly I wish they were. It would be great to see more focus on the current evil team. Being introduced late in the series kind of makes it feel rushed.

 

[Cilan]

It seems like they have to rush the finales when they don't show the villainous teams that often. It's like "Oh crap! We gotta hurry and wrap this story up!"
We all know how horribly rushed Aqua/Magma was, and even though Galactic was handled better, they could have done more. Why didn't we see Giratina or the Distortion World? If they plan on having N's Castle appear, I hope they do a good job with it.

 

[Cybersai]

They didn't adapt the third game's inclusions to the finale. Hence no Rayquaza in Magma/Aqua's finale and no distortion world in DP's.

Yes, I know Looker and Charon were introduced in Platinum, but those were the only elements they kept.

 

[Charbok]

Since they already featured Giratina and the Distortion World in Movie 11 there really was no need to include it in the anime either. I do think they could have expanded on it but I still liked the direction they went in.

As for N, I have a feeling Ash might meet him sometimes before or after the Elesa Gym Battle. In the games that's when you find out that N is the boss of Team Plasma. I don't know if Ash will find that out right away (probably not) but I have a feeling either N or Plasma grunts will be doing something during that time.