Jackson's Cage

Crappy Ramblings The Pokemon anime has been a masterclass in disappointing me, especially as of recent. What could have been one of the greatest coming-of-age stories in animation history instead became a soulless merchandising treadmill that actively disrespected me, as all long-running series do. Ash isn't even a character at times. He was a corporate mascot locked in a cage, eternally ten years old, eternally forgetting everything he learned, eternally losing leagues so the cycle could start over. Every new region promised some sort of change, some sort of twist on how it acts. And even then? That's not the end-all be-all for me. For me, it's the show's humor. It's a children's show that doesn't rely on over the top, low brow humor which is fine in moderation, but not for something I think tackles fairly mature topics. But Pokémon kills that, especially during the middle point. Sinnoh showed some of Ash's promise to return. Some pokemon with an actual...