Review XY063: A Fork in the Path of Indecision!? Musashi and Sonans!!

[ii kanji]

If I'm not allowed to make this thread... I don't care! Infract me! Ban me!! I can't contain myself anymore!!!!!!

My only current coherent thought is that they gave me the freshly animated motto I so desperately wanted with the bonus of my one true motto theme music love <3333333333 And it was soooooo beautiful and everyone loves each other deep down sooooo much <3

So who else has an opinion on this episode?





Be still my beating heart...

 

[Misty-Moo]

Aww, that was completely adorable - I managed not to cry until Wobbuffet appeared at the end

 

[ii kanji]

Having now had time to adequately collect my initial thoughts (and watch the episode again ;-) )...

I was worried that Musashi would turn into this completely OOC shrinking violet the moment she set eyes on White, but luckily they made it quite clear that she was having to suppress her normal boisterous self and Musashi's fantasies were completely LOOOOOOOOOOOL!

Other lol things included the snog-nansu moment (I can't believe that they went there!), the way in which Musashi was found out by the brats and Satoshi's reaction to the word marriage!

White and Berry's relationship made a nice and very obvious parallel to Musashi and Kojiro's, eventually tying into the climax scene where Musashi chooses to go and save her friends. I imagine that they left the reason for her leaving White vague on purpose, but I'm happy that the interpretation that hearing White's words actually makes Musashi think about the safety of her friends (and not that she is "rejected" as I had feared before) is a valid one. I found the motto to be a truly beautiful scene where she reaffirms her love for Kojiro et al in a subtle and very in-character way. (And for anyone that didn't get that they wrote the end scene )

It was a pleasant surprise to see Kojiro get so much focus. I didn't understand a lot of what he said so it will be interesting to to find that out. Although his Musashi montage was generic in extremis, it was a shock that he was actually allowed that. He really is a lovely, selfless guy isn't he? Speaking of which, I loved the music which played during this and then later once Sonansu came to win the day.

What I didn't love was the fact that that was all Sonansu did in the episode! The storyline about him ?loving lipstick-nansu was not fleshed out AT ALL so why did they even include it? If anyone hadn't been sure that he wasn't leaving before, then they'd have known for certain when they saw the 2-second-long farewell scene he had with Musashi. It was a very heartfelt scene but so downplayed that frankly Kojiro's attempted release of Maaiika 9 episodes ago was more likely to end in a release. And what were the writers thinking with Bakeccha? Completely non-sensical.

As an aside, it's nice that leaving the main cast for a few episodes actually means that Citron gets more focus than usual.

Nitpicking:
- If that cage was electrified, how come Eureka didn't get shocked when she just casually plucked Dedenne off it?!
- Were Musashi and the brats just stood in the exact same spots in the garden discussing Musashi's love life long enough for the sun to set?! I mean, really?
- That hunter's a real dumbarse for allowing Musashi to say the whole motto.

 

[JacobYBM]

Staff.

Woah, I was not expecting this to be an Asada Yuuji directed and storyboarded episode! Iwane Masa'aki did all of the key animation as per usual, but this was definitely his best episode in a while. The layouts, the camera work and the emotive drawings we all in top form. It's wild to think Iwane can pull something like this off in a month and a half.

Yonemura Shouji wrote the script.

It's no surprise, as usual, that Musashi and Soonasu didn't leave the Rocket Gang. It's a shame we can't have a romance between Musashi and Kojirou, because that would definitely allow for a greater amount of variety in their storylines.

Pocket Monster XY Episode 65 - Album on Imgur

Spoiler

Iwane Masa'aki sure knows how to draw Musashi!

 

[Paperhorse]

I loved the episode. Great focus on Team Rocket, especially Musashi. I loved how Musashi just accepted that the doctor liked someone else and didn't get angry or feel rejected. She simply went back to the team, where she knows she belongs (at least that's how I interpreted it).

Ash and Serena were really cute in this episode too. I like how they wanted to help the Rockets.

Overall, it was great and I really enjoyed it!

 

[WatcherMark]

You know what was especially nice to see in this episode... a Ringuma that wasn't a total jerk. Ever since it first appeared in the show it's almost always shown to be a vicious bully, so to finally get one that was gentle and friendly was certainly a refreshing change.

 

[Gabo2oo]

...Does anyone knows where the music that played when Wobbuffet rescued everyone at the end is from? It was awesome but I can't remember it from anywhere.

 

[Kelvin Lee]

M. A. G. N. E. T. O. N

 

[ii kanji]

This episode felt a bit weird to me and I've finally worked out why - despite the focus of the episode, Musashi did not converse with Kojiro or Nyasu AT ALL! Obviously there was an interaction during the motto, but that wasn't exactly dialogue was it?

Staff.

So was the staff list we orignally got for this episode complete bs then?! Iwane was 100% not listed as the AD. Speaking of which...

Iwane Masa'aki sure knows how to draw Musashi!

Some of the animation in this episode was completely stand-out - his best episode in aaaaaaages. And those caps are in blindingly good quality! Did you cap them yourself?

It's a shame we can't have a romance between Musashi and Kojirou, because that would definitely allow for a greater amount of variety in their storylines.

I don't believe such a storyline could add anything which we don't already know/couldn't predict. At this point, do you think anyone would be surprised if Musashi and Kojiro finished the anime in a similar way to how they did in the Dengeki Pikachu manga? We know that they're inseparable best friends and if this episode doesn't prove that Kojiro feels a twinge (or more) of something else, then nothing else the Pokemon anime can produce ever will!

 

[JacobYBM]

Yeah, the staff list we original got was completely different, which is surprising. I wasn't expecting another Asada Yuuji and Iwane Masa'aki episode so soon with Mega Evolution Act III just two weeks later. Heck, I'm even more surprised Asada Yuuji had the time to do his own storyboard. Last time they squeezed an episode in Kadawa Takenori did the storyboard for Asada. Three episodes within a seven episode span is almost the same sort of magic Asada and Iwane pulled back at the end of Diamond & Pearl.

Yeah, I did take the screen captures myself. I seem to be doing that for all the episodes for all of the shows I watch these days. Media Player Classic makes it easy to get some good screen captures.

I do feel like the Musashi and Kojirou relationship is still played really asexually. If it was loosened up we could at least get 'married couple gags', which would at least be something different, especially if Satoshi and the others make fun of them for it.

 

[ii kanji]

Yeah, I did take the screen captures myself. I seem to be doing that for all the episodes for all of the shows I watch these days. Media Player Classic makes it easy to get some good screen captures.

Thanks for sharing, they really do the images justice!

I do feel like the Musashi and Kojirou relationship is still played really asexually.

Spoiler

But yes on the whole it is played asexually, however as this is the Pocket Monsters anime I'm not sure I'd like to see it sexed up (not least because I don't trust them to do it well )

 

[JacobYBM]

It's a lot like watching Star Trek: The Next Generation where Riker and Troi, old loves that both the actors and fans wanted to see reunite, never got around to rekindling the romantic side of their relationship until Star Trek: Insurrection and then Star Trek: Nemesis, both of which pretty much had no time to play with the concept and also effectively burned the film franchise for seven years.

It's a real shame. It isn't like having the two in a platonic relationship leaves them open for any sort of meaningful romance with other characters, anyway.

 

[Dogasu]

I don't think the Rocket-Dan need to be in romantic relationships to be interesting. I think they're fine just the way they are.

To touch upon a few other things that haven't been brought up yet:

- Hayashibara Megumi absolutely KILLED IT in this episode. I mean sure all she really did was put on her Ayanami Rei voice and called it a day but it worked so well here that I didn't mind. Shinichirou Miki did a fantastic job as well despite how little he was given to do.

- I really loved how Nyasu brought up Madonya when he said something like "I've had experience with love before dot dot dot" in the second half of the episode.

- This episode had really fantastic scene transitions. Thanks Asada / Iwane!

- I do wish the Pokemon Hunters would be given better character designs, though. Every Hunter we've gotten since J has just looked so generic and the guy in this episode was absolutely no exception.

- I feel like Satoshi and his friends ate up way more screentime than they should have. Every time the episode would cut to them I'd be like "go away!"

- Poor Bakeccha gets ignored once again. ;_;

And finally,

- Yay, the second Rocket-Dan episode in three months! Thank you, XY!

...Does anyone knows where the music that played when Wobbuffet rescued everyone at the end is from? It was awesome but I can't remember it from anywhere.

I think it was a brand new piece. It sounded like it could maybe be the instrumental for a song that hasn't been released yet (it doesn't happen often but it does happen) but there's no way to be sure at the moment.

 

[JacobYBM]

Yeah, the transitions were great. I just about died when I saw this one. Obscuring the camera to cut really gives a nice change to the pace.

 

[WatcherMark]

I do wish the Pokemon Hunters would be given better character designs, though. Every Hunter we've gotten since J has just looked so generic and the guy in this episode was absolutely no exception.

I agree with this totally. All the hunters that have appeared in this franchise (with the exception of Vicious and J) are so similar they all blend together for me. Male, large, deep voice, facial hair... and they all have pretty much the same personality too. Just a few minutes coming up with a new character design, that's all we want.

 

[ii kanji]

I mean sure all she really did was put on her Ayanami Rei voice and called it a day but it worked so well here that I didn't mind.

I agree with most of what you said Dogasu, but I have to take exception to this! Megumi Hayashibara's was excellent at making Rei sound scary and dead inside, which does not at all apply to her delivery of a single of Musashi's lines in this episode!!

Also has a gif of that snognansu scene appeared yet? If anyone can provide this I'll be much obliged...

 

[Dogasu]

I was talking more about those scenes in Evangelion where she would make Rei sound meek and vulnerable.

"Scary and dead inside" only applies to her performance during Best Wishes!

 

[JacobYBM]

I like that darker scene from early on in XY where Kojirou and Musashi were allowed to be serious. That's the sort of scenes they should be able to have, not simply be 'on' all the time. Their gag nature should change variance and tempo. It's like in music, you don't always need to be fortississimo, use some pianissimo and fortissimo. Miki and Hayashibara can act, so let them use all of their abilities. The Rocket Gang can be any type of character, whether it's dark and menacing, playing the straight man, or rising to a comical climax. More than any of the other characters they have this freedom because they are gag characters.

 

[Misty-Moo]

Sub version is out there - get searching & have your hankies ready, everyone

 

[ii kanji]

"Scary and dead inside" only applies to her performance during Best Wishes!

Exactly! For some of us those memories are still fresh and painful enough to sting when even vague/non-allusions are made, so please Dogasu show a little sensitivity henceforward

I like that darker scene from early on in XY where Kojirou and Musashi were allowed to be serious. That's the sort of scenes they should be able to have, not simply be 'on' all the time... Miki and Hayashibara can act, so let them use all of their abilities.

Which scene?
And do you not feel that the characters were serious or that the seiyuus didn't get the chance to shine in this episode? My personal opinion is that when the Rocket seiyuus get the opportunity to really act they blow the rest of the cast out of the water, and that the reason this is so effective is because the serious sides of Musashi, Kojiro and Nyasu's characters are used so sparingly. We have seen how it plays out when the balance tips too far into the serious side and this did not suit me well.

Sub version is out there - get searching & have your hankies ready, everyone

Any revelatory dialogue?