AG 190
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| Episode Comparisons | Battle Frontier
Japanese Episode AG 190: "The First Pokemon! The Final Battle!!"
American Episode 460: "Gathering The Gang Of Four!"
Japanese Air Date: August 24th, 2006
American Air Date: February 10th, 2007
Now that Jindai is on his way back to Fennel Valley, Satoshi decides to step up his training by calling on his three starter pokemon - Fushigidane, Zenigame, and Lizardon - to come to his aid. The young trainer goes into the mountains with his pokemon to strengthen his bond with them while the others wait back at the Pokemon Center. During the training, Lizardon reveals that it's able to use Steel Wing! After the training progresses for a while, Jindai appears and announces that he's ready for the next battle. After Satoshi and Jindai emerge from the mountains, everyone returns to the Pokemon Center to prepare. There, Satoshi and his friends learn that Enishida is the owner of the Battle Frontier! They also learn that if Satoshi succeeds in defeating Jindai, he will gain the opportunity to become a Frontier Brain! Once everyone's preparations are finished, they head to the Battle Pyramid for the second rematch. The four-on-four battle begins with Jindai's Samayoru fighting against Satoshi's Lizardon. At first, the combination of Mean Look and Confuse Ray has Lizardon unable to battle, but Satoshi is able to call out to his pokemon and reawaken its fighting spirit. The fire-type launches a Seismic Toss attack, but the technique has no effect on the ghost-type pokemon! Samayoru is able to defeat Lizardon, taking out one of Satoshi's most powerful pokemon in the first round! With only three pokemon left, can Satoshi defeat Jindai? To be continued!
Thoughts
I don't know why the producers of the anime assign the crappy artists to important episodes like this one. Everyone is so horribly off-model in this episode, and it's really, really distracting. I mean, how am I supposed to enjoy my horribly inaccurate flashback sequences when everything's out of proportion like that!?
The animation is even more jarring during the battle since the anime producers mix in new, crappy animation with much better-looking footage from previous episodes.
Other than the animation and the ridiculous flashbacks, this episode is pretty decent. I really liked the fact that Lizardon, the powerhouse pokemon who we all assumed would be the one to take down Jindai's Regice, is defeated by a pokemon as "normal" as Samayoru. It adds a bit of realism that this could use every now and then.
The dubbed version wasn't too special other than the vocal song they put in the episode. Which really sounds like a bootleg Dido song to me.
Music Edit
During the flashback scenes, the ballad version of Battle Frontier can be heard in the Japanese version. In the dub, this is replaced by a brand new vocal song that isn't given any sort of credit in the episode's ending credits.
The funny thing about this is that you really can't hear what the singer is saying because everyone keeps talking over her. I know that the point of replacing vocal songs is so kids can understand what's being sung, but if the new vocal song gets drowned out by the on-screen dialogue anyway, why not just leave the Japanese song as-is?
Dialogue Edit
When the Rocket-Dan appear as ramen sellers, Kojirou puts on an intentionally bad old man voice. It's actually quite funny, in a campy sort of way. James, on the other hand, just talks in his regular voice.
This one's not so much a change as it is just creepy. It happens after Bulbasaur tries to attack Team Rocket's balloon with its Razor Leaf attack:
A Hindenburg reference in Pokémon?
So we had a Titanic reference in early Kanto, and now we have a Hindenburg reference. What's next? A chernobyl reference? A Space Shuttle Columbia joke?
The last thing I'll mention is Professor Oak's poem. In the dub, Max pipes in and delivers a final line before saying that he's always wanted to try that. In the Japanese version, however, Masato simply says minna mo pokemon getto da zo! ("Everyone, catch pokemon!"), which is what Orchid-Hakase says at the end of every Orchid-Hakase Pokemon Lecture segment. But since that segment doesn't exist in the dub, Pokémon USA removed the reference and decided to just have Max finish the poem for Professor Oak instead.
Added Footage--3 seconds
Another three seconds are added to the TO BE CONTINUED... screen. Whee.
Japanese Episode AG 190: "The First Pokemon! The Final Battle!!"
American Episode 460: "Gathering The Gang Of Four!"
Japanese Air Date: August 24th, 2006
American Air Date: February 10th, 2007
Now that Jindai is on his way back to Fennel Valley, Satoshi decides to step up his training by calling on his three starter pokemon - Fushigidane, Zenigame, and Lizardon - to come to his aid. The young trainer goes into the mountains with his pokemon to strengthen his bond with them while the others wait back at the Pokemon Center. During the training, Lizardon reveals that it's able to use Steel Wing! After the training progresses for a while, Jindai appears and announces that he's ready for the next battle. After Satoshi and Jindai emerge from the mountains, everyone returns to the Pokemon Center to prepare. There, Satoshi and his friends learn that Enishida is the owner of the Battle Frontier! They also learn that if Satoshi succeeds in defeating Jindai, he will gain the opportunity to become a Frontier Brain! Once everyone's preparations are finished, they head to the Battle Pyramid for the second rematch. The four-on-four battle begins with Jindai's Samayoru fighting against Satoshi's Lizardon. At first, the combination of Mean Look and Confuse Ray has Lizardon unable to battle, but Satoshi is able to call out to his pokemon and reawaken its fighting spirit. The fire-type launches a Seismic Toss attack, but the technique has no effect on the ghost-type pokemon! Samayoru is able to defeat Lizardon, taking out one of Satoshi's most powerful pokemon in the first round! With only three pokemon left, can Satoshi defeat Jindai? To be continued!
Thoughts
I don't know why the producers of the anime assign the crappy artists to important episodes like this one. Everyone is so horribly off-model in this episode, and it's really, really distracting. I mean, how am I supposed to enjoy my horribly inaccurate flashback sequences when everything's out of proportion like that!?
The animation is even more jarring during the battle since the anime producers mix in new, crappy animation with much better-looking footage from previous episodes.
Other than the animation and the ridiculous flashbacks, this episode is pretty decent. I really liked the fact that Lizardon, the powerhouse pokemon who we all assumed would be the one to take down Jindai's Regice, is defeated by a pokemon as "normal" as Samayoru. It adds a bit of realism that this could use every now and then.
The dubbed version wasn't too special other than the vocal song they put in the episode. Which really sounds like a bootleg Dido song to me.
Music Edit
During the flashback scenes, the ballad version of Battle Frontier can be heard in the Japanese version. In the dub, this is replaced by a brand new vocal song that isn't given any sort of credit in the episode's ending credits.
The funny thing about this is that you really can't hear what the singer is saying because everyone keeps talking over her. I know that the point of replacing vocal songs is so kids can understand what's being sung, but if the new vocal song gets drowned out by the on-screen dialogue anyway, why not just leave the Japanese song as-is?
Dialogue Edit
When the Rocket-Dan appear as ramen sellers, Kojirou puts on an intentionally bad old man voice. It's actually quite funny, in a campy sort of way. James, on the other hand, just talks in his regular voice.
This one's not so much a change as it is just creepy. It happens after Bulbasaur tries to attack Team Rocket's balloon with its Razor Leaf attack:
Meowth:
"Ha! This is one of those crazy times when flying in a lead
balloon ends up being a good thing!"
A Hindenburg reference in Pokémon?
So we had a Titanic reference in early Kanto, and now we have a Hindenburg reference. What's next? A chernobyl reference? A Space Shuttle Columbia joke?
The last thing I'll mention is Professor Oak's poem. In the dub, Max pipes in and delivers a final line before saying that he's always wanted to try that. In the Japanese version, however, Masato simply says minna mo pokemon getto da zo! ("Everyone, catch pokemon!"), which is what Orchid-Hakase says at the end of every Orchid-Hakase Pokemon Lecture segment. But since that segment doesn't exist in the dub, Pokémon USA removed the reference and decided to just have Max finish the poem for Professor Oak instead.
Added Footage--3 seconds
Another three seconds are added to the TO BE CONTINUED... screen. Whee.
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