What would make you watch?

[mr_pikachu]

So, judging by the activity of this forum, it seems that few of us watch the Pokemon anime these days. (I, myself, haven't watched for awhile simply because of time; I need to make a point of catching up so that there's an incentive to start watching again.)

We all have our reasons for not watching. But what would it take for you to start again? What could the Pokemon series change to make it worth your time to watch for that precious half-hour a week?

[The Blue Avenger]

Boot Ash from the main role, and put in his place someone who's a bit more interesting. Also, deviate from the games more. Make the main character not go for the badges for once. Maybe make Team Rocket, in a stunning act of competency, take over the world and have the main character infiltrate them and take them down.

For all the grief Colosseum got, I actually rather liked the tone of its story; something in that style would make me watch again.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Yeah, I've wanted to revive this forum, but haven't posted a new thread for ages. Perhaps I suffer of a lack of time as well.

Team Rocket taking over the world? That could bring some great seriousness to the anime, but if they did it, I might be wrong in that humor would disappear like in Dragonball (Z).

I have a confession to make. My mental health went down in 2004 when I was in the army, and one thing they suggested me was to watch Pokemon anime less. I still don't know if there was a connection, you could rather blame the Finnish conscription system. I can't risk my health now, however, I've got so far like you know, I teach Japanese.

I want to watch good episodes when I have time and when I think it's been long enough since I've watched last time. That's why I watch taped trusty Kanto eppies over and over. Catching up with the anime as it is now seems impossible.

[firepokemon]

Hmm as one of the people that do watch the anime and will continue to watch the anime. I still like it, sure its not exactly original and it still centers around Ash. But to me its done enough for me that it is still watchable. The addition of pokemon contests, more bad guys than solely Team Rocket. More interaction with other trainers and rivals. Characters that continue to recur throughout the series. Its these additions that have helped me continue watching.

Pokemon continues to rate in the top 10 anime series in Japan, thus with ratings like that I suspect to not see major changes anytime soon. One could moan about it and thus not watch. One could be unhappy but take-up fanfiction to write stories on what they would liked to see or one can keep watching and be happy.

[Dark-San]

Pokemon continues to rate in the top 10 anime series in Japan.

Goodness please tell me again that the above information is not true. >.<;

The problem with Pokemon is that basically people outgrow it. I am done and finished off with Pokemon, with the exceptions of the games that I am still playing with. With the outside global perception of 'Pokemon = childishness', I would only expect the downward falling watching trend to continue.

Secondly, Japanese producers are only interested in their home market. If what firepokemon had said is true, there would not be any reason for them to change the story plot soon. Advertising sales from the TV series in the Japanese morning primetime should have been stable for years now. Hence, changing the story plot would be adventurous and risky. We have also have to keep in mind that people in the past centuries has always been resistant to changes. Any sales outside Japan would only be treated as more of a profit surplus to them.

I seriously doubt anyone who had quit the series to even reconsider taking it up again. The only way for the Pokemon Trademark to survive would be to diversify elsewhere like into their Trading Card Games or their Nintendo DS games. There is no point in reinvesting their time and effort into a new story plot since their foreign target audience had already outgrew the intended age range a long time ago.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I told in my Japanese class that my favorite animes are Pokemon, Sailor Moon and Digimon and the reception was quite neutral. I don't know if that was because I had said beforehand "Now comes the funny part, I'll tell you my favourite animes." though.