The originalPokémonanime ran for 274 episodes, from September 1998 to October 2003 in the US, a solid five-year run that immediately transitioned into theAdvanced Generation/Ruby and Sapphireera of the anime. The original series is eternally cemented into pop culture, and many fans look back on the show fondly, even 20+ years later.
However, something likePokémonis particularly likely to be influenced by nostalgia for better days. How good was the original series, objectively speaking, and does it deserve to be remembered as fondly as it is? There are certainly some problems with the original series that become apparent upon re-watching.
The Original Pokémon Series Built the Pokémon World Fans Know
Even Compared to the Games, the Pokémon Anime Defined the Franchise’s World
Being based on a video game, the originalPokémonanime was unique in certain ways. While the basics of thePokémonworld were laid out in the games, the details of that world were largely left to the anime to fill out, and many elements that are considered a given today actually got their start thanks to the anime.
The anime helped to flesh out the world, showing many different kinds of trainers and how people could have differing relationships with their Pokémon companions.The early anime also wasn’t afraid to go to wild extremes, implementing things like actual ghosts, which painted the world as one full of mystery and wonder.
ThePokémonanime was also pretty good at establishing characters. The first episode is a master class in introducing a protagonist and building thebond between Ash and Pikachu. Team Rocket is established as absolute menaces first and foremost, but as the series explores their characters, it becomes clear that they aren’t all bad.
Then there are characters likeBrock, who has a somewhat tragic pastfor a kids' show. Abandoned by his parents, Brock must care for almost a dozen younger siblings, all while running the gym. Brock’s nurturing side remains a huge part of his character, as he often plays the big brother role to Ash and Misty.
Misty is, unfortunately, the character who receives the least development and characterization, despite being there as long as Ash. She isn’t able to make much progress towards her own goals, something that later female protagonists of the series never seem to struggle with. Still, Misty is a very likable character overall.
Pokémon’s Anime Suffered When it Came to Pacing
Pokémon Quickly Became Stuffed With “Filler”
While the characters and world ofPokémonlargely hold up, there are definitely elements of the original series that haven’t aged well at all. By far, the series' largest issue is pacing. Originally, the pacing forPokémonwasn’t all that bad; Ash obtains badges in episodes 5, 7, 14, 24, 26, and 32, then a long gap until episodes 59 and 63.
However, during the Johto era of the original series, the pacing of the story slowed down substantially. Ash obtained his Johto badges in episodes 131, 144, 159, 182, 209, 224, 238, and 254.It went from roughly a badge every 9 episodes to one every 14 episodes, due to numerous “monsters of the week” being introduced in between gym challenges.
While they aren’t technically “filler,” as filler is defined as material added to an anime that wasn’t present in its original manga, andPokémonisn’t based on a manga, these monsters-of-the-week episodes were often less interesting, taking cookie-cutter plots that mostly served to drag events out.
The anime would also sometimes just drop plot threads completely, sometimes without any real acknowledgment whatsoever. TheGS Ball storyline, for example,lasts for over 60 episodes, only to be passed off to an “expert” character and was never addressed again. Things like this keep the story ofPokémonfrom reaching true greatness.
Pokémon’s Original Series Wasn’t Afraid of Risks
The Original Pokémon Anime Would Take Chances the Modern Series Would Never Do
ThePokémonanime has obviously evolved a lot since the days of the original series, and that goes for Ash as well. It has adopted a more child-friendly tone over the years, turning away from some of the cynical behavior seen in the original series. But that cynicism helped to shapePokémonmore than most fans realize.
Many characters in the early episodes of the anime are surprisingly rude, like Lt. Surge, whereas the anime would never portray a gym leader like that today. Even Misty and Brock can be a little mean to Ash when he’s not thinking things through, and they occasionally grow tired of his antics.
No doubt, the biggest risk that the series took was inAsh’s tournament performance in the Indigo League. Having Ash lose his first attempt at a championship was realistic, but the way in which he lost, with Charizard disobeying him, was just pathetic and made Ash look incredibly incompetent.
Losing the tournament was a harsh awakening for Ash, but it would go on to shape much of his behavior from this point forward, to the extent that he’s a totally different trainer by the next tournament.
All in all, though, this helps to portray Ash as a realistic kid. He had big dreams, but he didn’t really understand what went into making those dreams a reality.Losing the tournament was a harsh awakening for Ash, but it would go on to shape much of his behavior from this point forward, to the extent that he’s a totally different trainer by the next tournament.
Does thePokémonanime hold up, though, even without nostalgia? It certainly can still be entertaining, as the original series has better jokes than later series, helping it to remain engaging all these years later. The pacing can make rewatches brutal, and the slow pace of the story, particularly later on, can be too boring for modern-day kids.
That said, there’s still plenty of good stuff in the originalPokémonanime, from classic episodes like “Charmander - The Stray Pokémon” to “The Misty Mermaid.” The Orange Islands arc, between Kanto and Johto, is a very unique entry where the creators of the anime were allowed to make up their own Pokémon,leading to the likes of the Crystal Onix.
ThePokémonanime had the most freedom in the original series, and that fact has helped it to age better than some other eras of the anime. It’s far from perfect, butPokémonis still entertaining, even without the element of nostalgia influencing one’s view.
