Pack it in folks, we’re watching more friggin’ Pokemon. I’m currently stationed at the cold, wintery boundary line of 2019, watching this hell year come to a close with all the composure I can still muster, and I’m eager to watch something bright and joyous. Sun and Moon has turned out to be some incredibly tasty comfort food, bringing to mind many fond memories of my own childhood experiences with the Pokemon show and games, but also succeeding as a very well-executed children’s anime in its own right. Sun and Moon’s narrative pretensions aren’t particularly ambitious, and it’s not rife with diverse life lessons in the style of something like Ojamajo Doremi, but its aesthetic strengths, energetic pacing, alluring worldbuilding, and eminently likable characters all combine to make for a resoundingly pleasant, inviting, and relaxing experience. With my own Galar pokedex pushing towards the three hundred mark, I’m currently basking in Pokemon saturation, and couldn’t be happier about it. Let’s check out another episode of Sun and Moon!

Episode 6

Apparently this episode’s focus character will be Sophocles, who was introduced a bit too late to have much of a presence in the Sun and Moon games. The anime’s decision to have Ash actually hanging around with half the gym leaders from the very start is an unusual one, and heavily contributes to this series’ slice of life tone. It also inherently emphasizes this show’s core theme – that Pokemon battles, and competitions/interactions with others more generally, should not be seen as events with a triumphant winner and devastated loser, but rather a mutually uplifting experience to be shared. Ash becomes friends with these gym leaders long before they’re relevant as professional adversaries, and his relationship with them will not be guided in any way by his relative success in claiming the badges

Team Rocket’s whole behavior pattern also supports this theme, by presenting an uncharitable opposing case. Team Rocket are constantly staking their fortunes and self-worth on the outcome of Pokemon battles, and constantly getting owned for it, and thus perpetually living in shame and defeat. It’s a naturally funny cycle that also emphasizes you shouldn’t try to emulate their zero-sum values, or you’ll just end up disappointed

I’m not sure including the Zukan as an actual character improves the narrative, but I can certainly see the role he plays as Ash’s sounding board, straight man, and occasional source of exposition

Oh wow, this cut of Rowlett accidentally dropping this collection of books on Ash is terrific. There’s great inherent comedy in the contrast of movements between the various characters – Pikachu and Zukan panicking as Rowlett bounds out of the frame, and Ash just collapses forward. Also excellent fluidity in the motion of all characters, and a smart compromise between the sense of punchy physicality provided by their larger movements and relative blocking, versus the cartoonish exaggeration of their smear-heavy individual limb movements. Additionally, the overt planning of how each falling object prompts another collapse is very cleverly done, and I like how Pikachu, Zukan, and the falling orange juice’s spray guide your eye in a circle around the composition, echoing the hectic motion of the characters

And at last, this episode’s villain is introduced: an overstuffed washing machine

Sophocles introduced the episode, but of course, the episode title belongs to his Pokemon Togedemaru

Some unique layouts as Ash investigates the laundry situation. This shot from above his head as he looks down is unusual, but I think it nicely emphasizes how reckless his following jump is, along with simply capturing all three characters within the same frame, as well as the implied but obscured threat of the laundry room, in the context of a building that doesn’t really present convenient sight lines

All sorts of playful expression work, too. This version of Pikachu is incredibly expressive; they’re not afraid of severely distorting its facial shape, even to the point where it’s not really “cute” in any way

The Zukan suggests Ash cook a meal with its guidance. This will only end poorly

“Next, add appropriate amounts of salt and pepper.” Zukan you are useless

Oh my god these Ash faces

Was not expecting to watch Ash puke in Pikachu’s face today

Our actual episode stars arrive as Ash and company head off to get more groceries

Togedemaru cannot generate electricity well by itself, and also starts rolling and loses control of its own body when it’s excited. What a charmingly useless Pokemon

And Team Rocket introduce themselves with more great faces, having apparently taken up new careers in the service industry

Team Rocket really are the most relatable characters in this show. Ash is just enjoying a carefree Pokemon adventure and doing whatever he wants, meanwhile these three have to pick up minimum wage work in order to afford the trip they’re taking for a different job

Suddenly, Team Rocket remembers they were actually here to Conduct Villainy, and get to work. I love James’ goofy slide across the floor to this security panel

They trip an alarm, and then heavy metal doors slam down all throughout the mall complex. Alola takes mall security pretty seriously

I’m glad Sophocles is here to prevent Ash from immediately engaging in vandalism

Ah, I see – it’s not that the entire mall is divided into shutter-separated segments, it’s just that all of the shutters of the individual storefronts were triggered at once. Still pretty intense, a lot less dystopian

Apparently Sophocles dislikes dark places. I’m gonna fuckin’ nail this episode’s Pokemon quiz

I feel for this off-model Eevee hanging around in the background

The general narrative assumption that protagonists will be allowed to storm into situations and immediately take over is taken to an amusing extreme here, as the security guard just happily allows Sophocles to connect his computer to the mall’s internal security network

Meanwhile, Jessie is banging on walls and yelling at James to do something

I’m not sure if they’re actively trying to make Mimikyu seem menacing, or intentionally drawing a comic contrast between its calm demeanor and Meowth’s frantic reactions, but either way I find the creature too cute and sympathetic to really feel scared of it

Nice physical comedy sequence with Pikachu attempting to help Togedemaru. Pokemon’s character acting is strong enough that it can actually carry dramatic sequences starring only Pokemon, with no dialogue

Ash, maybe the problem is not that Sophocles keeps directing you towards shutters that are closed, but rather that you perpetually burst around corners without looking where you are going

A brief argument between Sophocles and Ash almost ends with Sophocles being bisected by a closing shutter, which really puts things in perspective

I kinda love how Team Rocket have barely been directly adversarial in any way this episode – they started out as overworked service employees, followed that by instigating a mall shutdown that hampered them more than anyone, and only end up trying to steal Pikachu when they accidentally stumble into him

I also appreciate how they incorporate however people start yelling at them into their introduction speech. “If you ask, ‘what the crap are you people doing,’ then my answer can only be…”

Sophocles “so you guys caused this inconvenience for everyone!?” feels like an unintended burn. The most nefariousness our villains can really hope for is “mild inconvenience”

Bewear appears like a goddamn sentai warrior over the rooftops. I feel like his “rescues” get more terrifying every episode

Ash spent the entire day shopping, and still hasn’t even had lunch yet. This is why I hate cooking

And Done

Another solid episode! This one was somewhat limited in terms of visual design by its predominant mall setting, but made up for that through plenty of expressive character acting, and a consistent emphasis on complex, carefully animated visual comedy. That Rowlett tumble at the beginning might have been the most impressive cut, but separating Pikachu from Ash inherently led to a lot of fun interactions between the Pokemon themselves. Additionally, any episode that prioritizes Team Rocket is a good episode, and they were basically co-protagonists this time. A fine day off in Alola!

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