Will the Pokemon anime ever have a concrete ending instead of an endless loop?

[jph139]

To be honest, I've never really figured Ash as a real "character" with an "arc." He's just... a guy. Like, Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny. They have character traits and each episode/short/movie has a goal (outsmart Fudd, solve a problem, catch a Pokemon), but Ash is just a plain ol' "I WILL BE THE BEST!" guy. As a kid I never really expected him to ever win. When I was watching cartoons alongside Pokemon, there was never a start or a finish. They just started and stopped; nothing was resolved by the finale because there was nothing TO resolve.

To the average kid watching today, Ash is not a character as older fans envision him. When they started watching Pokemon, he was already established. They neither know nor care about Kanto or Johto. When they stop watching Pokemon, nothing will have changed. He's Mickey Mouse. He started. He'll stop. He'll start again. Nothing will ever be resolved. There's nothing to resolve.

Maybe a decade ago they thought he would have an arc, but Ash lost that trait a LONG time ago. Pokemon is something kids watch, and then stop watching, just seeing a small chunk of the series.

I would say that people who have legitimately been watching Pokemon since the beginning make up less than .05% of the viewers. They may as well not exist.

 

[Lavenderpaw]

I watch the new episodes every so often and they're really not bad. Ash has a deeper voice, a good grasp of his Pokemon skills and isn't as nerdy and impulsive anymore. I'm guessing he's actually aged to at least fifteen by now.

But everyone's right, it won't end until no one buys or watches it anymore. But quite frankly I don't want it to end. If they're still making decent episodes - which they do - I'll keep watching it with no bad feelings. The only thing that really hits my nerves is the Boy-Olson twins from Suite Life that keep advertising games.

I promise you, seeing two gangly boys in the mid-teens (who have obviously and completely outgrown the cute factor) does not make me want to buy things.

 

[Light Lucario]

I watch the new episodes every so often and they're really not bad. Ash has a deeper voice, a good grasp of his Pokemon skills and isn't as nerdy and impulsive anymore. I'm guessing he's actually aged to at least fifteen by now.

I don't think that they've mentioned characters' ages officially outside of the new trainers being ten years old at the start of their journey. We also don't really know how much time has passed in their world at this point. The line about how it was a whole year since they first got to Virdian City in the first season was added in the dub. I'm not sure what the party at the end of that Pikachu and Pichu mini movie was in the Japanese version though.

But everyone's right, it won't end until no one buys or watches it anymore. But quite frankly I don't want it to end. If they're still making decent episodes - which they do - I'll keep watching it with no bad feelings. The only thing that really hits my nerves is the Boy-Olson twins from Suite Life that keep advertising games.

I promise you, seeing two gangly boys in the mid-teens (who have obviously and completely outgrown the cute factor) does not make me want to buy things.

Yeah, seeing those two boys promote HeartGold and SoulSilver was kind of werid. I didn't think that they were that popular since they only do those Danamals commercials besides the Suite Life on Deck as far as I know. Still, it promoted those fun games one more time before Black and White come out in Japan and eventually in the U.S., so that worked for me. I do agree with you that the series will keep on going until the franchise isn't profitable anymore.

 

[Kiddington]

I do believe Ash's character will likely be wrapped up someday, as eventually the VA will retire or the show will change format entirely, but until then, you have to wonder, how much longer can the endless loop last?

That really doesn't mean anything.

Ash's VA (Veronica Taylor) quit working on Pokemon back in 2006. Meowth's VA (Maddie Blaustein) died two years ago. There are several VA's that have come and gone over the years. The act of them leaving has had no impact at all; they've just been replaced.

Now, if you were talking about the Japanese VA's leaving (which may or may not have already happened; I'm not familier with what goes on over there), that could be a different story... but I ultimately doubt that it would make any difference. Pokemon is way too popular to cancel based on a technicality like that. They'll just find someone else.

 

[CyberCubed]

Ash's Japanese VA has been playing the character since 1997, for nearly 14 years.

 

[Daxdiv]

Ash's Japanese VA has been playing the character since 1997, for nearly 14 years.

She's basically Ash for life, just like Masako Nozawa is Goku/Gohan/Goten until her death, same goes for Ikue Ohtani being Pikachu as well. I don't see Rica Matsumoto giving up the role unless she can't do it anymore, be it due to health problems or death.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Masako Nozawa has played Gokû since 1986. She's in her seventies now.

I don't think Matsumoto's going to quit any time soon.

 

[Monte]

Frankly, I'm not sure how much the VA really matters... when it comes down to it, if you look hard enough you can find people who sound enough like the original character that people will hardly notice or care. I mean they've been doing that for DECADES for the looney toon, and disney characters

But its been 13 years. The kids who liked them 13 years ago are grown up and not watching the show anymore.

The kids watching Pokemon today have likely never seen the early seasons.

So? do you think kids care? I mean do you really think knowing Ash from the previous seasons are actually needed for kids to like him? Really it isn't, he has always been a pretty generic character. The pokemon series, though having continuity and chronology to them, are pretty episodic in nature and as such does not really rely heavily on plot development... you pretty much learn all there is about ash in any given season. For kids, the previous seasons will not shed any kind of brilliant must see insight that is required to like his character... honestly it seems like the only reason they might want to see the first series is just to see how ash got started, and how he met certain re-accruing characters... but that's more or less it.

Really that's all there is too it... It's unlike other animes where knowing the characters background and the previous story is a MUST for truly enjoying the series.

 

[garfield15]

Now, I need a picture of BW Ash with Miyamoto standing next to him screaming "IT PRINTS MONEY!!"

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Why is it that westerners always assume an anime has to have an ending? Haven't you guys been watching cartoons produced by Americans? Do those shows end? Does Batman have a "real" ending? The numerous X-Men shows? Spider-Man? Does the Simpsons have an "ending"?

Anime is more than just shows about long story arcs that end with some super-melodramatic ending to cap off the entire series. There are shows, just like those in the U.S., that just keep going on and on until the ratings say they should stop.

I don't get why, say, some of Rumiko Takahashi's shows, which are clearly set up to be long running sitcoms half the time, are held to the "will she ever end it" scrutiny yet Justice League, Batman and all those superhero shows are accepted to just go on forever.

 

[Jave]

Now, I need a picture of BW Ash with Miyamoto standing next to him screaming "IT PRINTS MONEY!!"

This will do for now.

 

[Light Lucario]

That really doesn't mean anything.

Ash's VA (Veronica Taylor) quit working on Pokemon back in 2006. Meowth's VA (Maddie Blaustein) died two years ago. There are several VA's that have come and gone over the years. The act of them leaving has had no impact at all; they've just been replaced.

Actually, I don't think that Veronica Taylor quit working on Pokemon. She, like the rest of the cast at the time, were replaced when TPCI, then being PUSA, took charge of the anime series and cut ties off from 4Kids. She didn't leave the role by choice from what I understood. I believe that Maddie Blaustein confirmed at Serebii that they weren't aware that they were going to be replaced until it happened and that they were even getting ready to record the tenth anniversary special. Eric Stuart also said that they were replaced without any warning in various emails and I believe in an interview he did a few months ago.

If she was offered to continued along with the rest of the cast, they most likely would have been able to continue their respective roles. I'm not sure why the replacing cast took place, although money was probably a huge factor, but I'm confident that none of the original main cast left their roles by choice based on what they've had to say on the matter. Still, I do see your point about how the voice actors aren't a huge factor in the English version at least. That has happened with a lot of other famous characters like in Disney and Looney Tunes. If they need a new voice actor/actress, they probably wouldn't hesitate if the franchise is still successful.

Masako Nozawa has played Gokû since 1986. She's in her seventies now.

I don't think Matsumoto's going to quit any time soon.

Wow. Really? That's pretty impressive and cool. I knew that Goku has had the same voice actress since the start, but I didn't know that she was in her seventies. I doubt that Rica Matsumoto will want to quit anytime soon myself. I would imagine that after doing the same character for years, she would probably be attached to Ash and enjoy the work. I probably would if I was in her position.

Now, I need a picture of BW Ash with Miyamoto standing next to him screaming "IT PRINTS MONEY!!"

I would like to see that myself. If only because of how true and how funny the image would be.

Why is it that westerners always assume an anime has to have an ending? Haven't you guys been watching cartoons produced by Americans? Do those shows end? Does Batman have a "real" ending? The numerous X-Men shows? Spider-Man? Does the Simpsons have an "ending"?

Anime is more than just shows about long story arcs that end with some super-melodramatic ending to cap off the entire series. There are shows, just like those in the U.S., that just keep going on and on until the ratings say they should stop.

I don't get why, say, some of Rumiko Takahashi's shows, which are clearly set up to be long running sitcoms half the time, are held to the "will she ever end it" scrutiny yet Justice League, Batman and all those superhero shows are accepted to just go on forever.

That is a good point. Though, I have noticed that quite a few people complain about the lack of endings in Western animated series, except for most of the Superhero series you've mentioned. The only superhero series that I recall having a clear ending was The Batman. I don't remember the finale for JLU. With Pokemon, it is true that the ratings, along with the sales from the games, toys and other various merchandise, speak to them a lot more than what people outside of the target audience wants from the show.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Wow. Really? That's pretty impressive and cool. I knew that Goku has had the same voice actress since the start, but I didn't know that she was in her seventies. I doubt that Rica Matsumoto will want to quit anytime soon myself. I would imagine that after doing the same character for years, she would probably be attached to Ash and enjoy the work. I probably would if I was in her position.

Yup, just about every main cast member is in their fiftiies, sixties or seventies. Many have begun to tragically pass on, however (Tenshinhan's Hirotaka Suzuoki, Mr. Satan/King Cold/Gyû-Maô's Daisuke Gôri, among others). Most of the cast were veterans of the voice acting industry before Dragon Ball even began.

Recasting Matsumoto as Satoshi is about as sacrilegious as recasting Bart Simpson's Nancy Cartwright and just won't happen until she passes.

 

[dogboyfan]

It probably will never get a conclusion, which is the reason I gave up on it years ago.

 

[garfield15]

Okay, long answer: Endless loop, until the games stop making money or the ratings drop below the top 20.

Short answer: As long as Japanese kids love it, it won't end.

Does this solve everything now?

 

[Bloody Marquis]

Although I'll agree that Pokemon isn't gonna go away soon, I have to wonder what the last episode would actually be like if it ever happpened.

 

[Rex Kamex]

It does bite (imo) that people who started watching the same trainer as early as 1997 would've had to stop watching the show rather than watching said trainer's journey actually end.

But, unfortunately for people who want to see his journey end, stopping on their own is what those people have to do.

Personally I wish, even with Ash still sticking around, they'd given each Pokemon series more closure in order for more of the current audience to leave (with the new one coming in, of course). The original series and AG didn't really do that. (The original series definitely didn't do that.) Looking at screenshots of the last D&P episode, I think they did better, but I'll have to watch the episode to see. Personally, I thought they could've started a new series (with Ash) after "Friends to the End", the last episode of the Kanto/Indigo League.

But if they didn't do that in D&P, I don't expect it to happen until Ash's journey ends. Which is at a point in time so unknown that it's not worth trying to figure out.

One could still argue that those references to past series in DP were bones thrown to the older crowd by the writers, but that's wouldn't change the fact that we're a small minority.

Or they were trying to teach kids little history lessons. I doubt this site is aimed at the older fans... (It's a site called "Pokemon Movie- Playback the History", aimed at informing about the first twelve movies.)

 

[Light Lucario]

Yup, just about every main cast member is in their fiftiies, sixties or seventies. Many have begun to tragically pass on, however (Tenshinhan's Hirotaka Suzuoki, Mr. Satan/King Cold/Gyû-Maô's Daisuke Gôri, among others). Most of the cast were veterans of the voice acting industry before Dragon Ball even began.

Recasting Matsumoto as Satoshi is about as sacrilegious as recasting Bart Simpson's Nancy Cartwright and just won't happen until she passes.

I have heard about some of the original cast members have sadly past on, but I didn't know that all of them are around their fifties to seventies. Or that they were veterans in voice acting before Dragon Ball. That's pretty cool and it's nice that they're still able to continue voicing their respective characters in Dragon Ball/Z after all these years. I know that Japan doesn't replace their voice actors too often, so Satoshi most likely won't get a new voice actress until she's just unable to do the voice or sadly passes on.

Although I'll agree that Pokemon isn't gonna go away soon, I have to wonder what the last episode would actually be like if it ever happpened.

I still think that they would just have Ash continuing on his journey to some unknown region with just Pikachu. I don't think he would become a Pokemon Master since they've never actually explained how a trainer reaches that goal if I recall correctly.

Or they were trying to teach kids little history lessons. I doubt this site is aimed at the older fans... (It's a site called "Pokemon Movie- Playback the History", aimed at informing about the first twelve movies.)

Yeah, that does make more sense. I was just saying that person could argue that those references to older sagas could be interpreted as bones to older fans, but it they were more likely there to give kids a bit background information on some of the characters and previous events. I didn't know about that Pokemon Movie site and that does sound like a nice way to bring kids up to speed about the first twelve movies.

 

[Rex Kamex]

Yeah, that does make more sense. I was just saying that person could argue that those references to older sagas could be interpreted as bones to older fans, but it they were more likely there to give kids a bit background information on some of the characters and previous events. I didn't know about that Pokemon Movie site and that does sound like a nice way to bring kids up to speed about the first twelve movies.

I mean, to some extent they probably are throwing a bone to the older fans (in Japan at least) who are still watching, but I'm betting that's not the priority.

 

[Monte]

That is a good point. Though, I have noticed that quite a few people complain about the lack of endings in Western animated series, except for most of the Superhero series you've mentioned. The only superhero series that I recall having a clear ending was The Batman. I don't remember the finale for JLU. With Pokemon, it is true that the ratings, along with the sales from the games, toys and other various merchandise, speak to them a lot more than what people outside of the target audience wants from the show.

Spoiler

JLU ended with like half the villains dead, and both Lex Luthar and Darkside obtaining the anti-life equation and disappearing possibly forever... considering how any other major villains like Gorrilla Grog and Brainiac were also gone, i'd say it worked well enough as an ending for JLU... to keep it going they either have to introduce a new main villain, or just go on and on with just fithing the few random villains that didn't die... Also, i think JLU occurred in the same continuity as the superman cartoon, so this was technically also the end for that one; possibly batman aswell... though I also like to think that the original batman series got a psuedo ending in the form of the Batman beyond: return of the Joker movie... in that movie they also tell what was pretty much the last adventure the batman team had together before they started to fall apart

granted, finalized ending in superhero shows are kind of hard since there are almost ALWAYS villains to keep fighting... for a TRUE ending, you either need to kill off all the villains, kill off the heroes, or make the heroes quit... so the best thing you can get is have the series build up a main villain and have him be beaten once and for all. Though i do think a lot of these series do have some kind of ending... right before the show hits cancellation, they usually have some kind of event occur that makes the final episode stand high above the rest...

Though to get us back on track

Though really, whether or not a show needs an ending depends on the nature of the show... i mean shows that are PURELY episodic can't really have a finite ending. there is no over arching plot, or ultimate goals... it's generally just watching characters go through their daily lives.

With pokemon... well the ultimate goal is for Ash to become a pokemon master which is kind of an ill-defined goal... What makes a pokemon master what he is anyway? If it's by winning enough championships, then ash is kinda giving himself a handicap by constantly switching his team every season instead of powering up a one good team... and if it's determined by the number of pokemon you need to catch, then Ash needs to pick up the pace on catching them; seriously every generation only adds about a 100 new ones, so it's only getting harder =p ... When it comes down to it, the only satisfying conclusion for pokemon and Ash's adventure is him becoming a master.


off of bulbapedia, from nintendo's pokemon mailbag in regards to this question

"I'm very sorry, but the Pokémon Company does not answer questions of this nature. It is the intent of the Pokémon creators that such questions be left to the imaginations and interpretations of Pokémon fans, adding more excitement and mystery to the Pokémon universe."

I think one good indicator that nintendo NEVER plans to end the series is the fact that they apparently refuse to answer what exactly makes one a pokemon master.

granted, I can't elp but be curious as to how long ash as been on this adventure so far, and how old he is since the start of the series