It is currently November 18th where I’m sitting, a day which I until five minutes ago was mentally categorizing as “the day before Thanksgiving.” As it turns out, and you may already know, Thanksgiving does not fall on November 19th this year – in fact, it would be temporally impossible for Thanksgiving to ever fall on a November 19th, so I’m not really sure what I was thinking.
Anyway, the long and short of this is that I’ve been stressing about an event that I have no good reason to stress about for at least seven more days, and I’d very much like to calm down a bit. And considering there’s no better show for relaxing than Sun and Moon, it seems to me like the clear, obvious choice is to head off to Alola, and once more enjoy a lighthearted adventure in the sun with our delightful pokemon companions. That sound okay to all of you? I mean, presumably you’ll just close the tab and wait for my next article if it’s not okay, but I like to preserve the illusion of choice here. Let’s assume you agree, then, and ship off for a fresh episode of Sun and Moon!
Episode 31
Once again we open without a Pokeproblem, with Ash rushing to the pokeschool on the day they announce extracurriculars. I wonder if they’ve abandoned the format altogether for the show’s “second season”
Apparently they’ll be visiting Akala Island. Given what a convenient narrative resource an island chain is, particularly in the context of a franchise whose fundamental conceit is “let’s go out into the woods and discover some strange creatures,” Sun and Moon has actually been quite conservative in terms of exploring its wider world. So far, we’ve only left the main island for the visit to Kaki’s farm, and that one episode where Ash and Pikachu go on a solo adventure. And in fact, Pokemon normally does involve a lot more wandering around – but Sun and Moon’s slice of life style means it’s naturally invested in establishing a clear, tangible sense of space, which it’s accomplished magnificently through repeated exploration of the main island
A Tauros is rampaging as usual, until a dashing new Lycanroc takes charge
I’m amused by how Lycanrocs seem to have been designated the default “cool” pokemon of the islands. Gallio had that goth one, Rockruff learned how to fight from another one, and now this one is arriving just in time to act like a big damn hero
And now Olivia herself arrives, announced with great fanfare. Her lilting, full-toned voice immediately impressed me, so I looked up who played her and goddamnit it’s Miyuki Sawashiro. Sawashiro is one of the all-time greats at this point, with a deep and flexible voice that’s equally comfortable conveying the sultry menace of someone like Fujiko Mine, or the husky tomboyishness of Kanbaru Suruga. Heck, she even plays Ginko in Mushishi – she’s an icon of voice acting, and any show is stronger for her presence. So that’s nice to see
“Enter Olivia! Cry and Laugh, Island Queen!” No matter who Sawashiro plays, she always qualifies as some kind of queen. Some people just have one of those voices
Apparently she’s specifically the Queen of Akala, the island they’ll be visiting
She greets the class with a bunch of really nice jewelry
It’s absurd how much Sawashiro brings to every one of her performances. There’s so much energy and flair in her delivery that it’s hard to feel bored listening to her – even before I could really identify most anime creators, I was already well acquainted with the “Kanbaru voice,” and would notice her immediately when she popped up in other shows. Particularly with female characters, anime has a tendency to encourage squeaky, artificially childlike voices that don’t allow for a great deal of emotional range in their delivery. In contrast, Sawashiro embraces lower tones and a full-bodied delivery with a bit of a snarling edge to it, which not only allows for a wider range of emotional inflection, but also makes the distinction that much more impactful when she actually stretches for climactic moments
“Wow! Wow-wow, sugoi!” Oh come on, now they’re just including scenes so she gets to make fun noises in them
Olivia is a top notch pokemon whisperer. Even Litten falls for her charms immediately
“There’s gotta be something about Olivia that makes pokemon warm up to her.” Even pokemon have excellent taste in voice actors
Excellent expressions as Olivia hears Litten’s tragic tale
“What an intense woman. She goes from laughing to crying to blowing her nose.” I don’t even know how this episode would parse without the metatextual context of Sawashiro’s fame. It feels like they’ve just designed the plot so she can make a variety of funny noises
Akala Island is actually quite well-populated – I could see at least three urban centers from this aerial shot. I know I mentioned how Sun and Moon’s constancy of location is actually one of its strengths, but I’m getting pretty excited to check out some new shores at this point!
Ooh, beautiful color work for this portrait of the island guardian
This one’s name is Kapu-Tetefu. It can scatter healing scales, as it did back when Ash and Pikachu went on their solo adventure
Olivia’s speech, which reflects on the nature of life, as well as the tangible power of a personal bond, is probably a bit too philosophical for Ash and the gang
Olivia falls down and laughs at herself again, which prompts another of Lana’s “what an intense woman” gags. But Mallow actually finds her cool, which makes sense – Mallow is the most mature member of this crew, and is impressed by confident self-expression moreso than a stereotypically cool affectation. Mallow herself never feels embarrassed about her passions, and she’s encouraged by seeing that same unabashed passion in Olivia
Sophocles responding “in what way” also fits with him, as one of the youngest and most insecure members of the group
Kaki’s family actually features in the Akala brochure. I thought I recognized the island from that trip – his farm is nestled in the fields right below the volcano
Lana just standing in place admiring Popplio, as you do
“If something’s caught your interest, we gotta go over there, don’t you think?” Ash and Olivia clearly share a similar life philosophy, even if Olivia’s way of articulating it is beyond Ash’s comprehension
Oh wow. On occasion, this show gets to revel in sequences of pure discovery, where the thrill of exploring a new place and a new creature is its own reward. These sequences generally require the unveiling of a whole new environment, as well as a splash of fluid animation, so the show can’t lean on them continuously – but they ultimately offer the purest possible distillation of one of the pokemon games’ most enduring strengths. This ride here, as they take a detour into a flock of Dratinis breaking the surf, absolutely qualifies
Aaand Olivia’s overboard
Olivia and Ash discover a Wailmer trapped in the rocky surf. I assume I don’t have to tell you this, but please do not go snorkeling through coral reefs with heavy waves or uneven water flow, and especially do not attempt to rescue any local whales in the process. Olivia is rapidly shifting from “she’s such a free-spirited instructor” to “why do they let this woman anywhere near children”
Apparently a Bruxish is psychically compelling this Wailmer to crush itself against the rocks, which counts as another solid stroke in the “I refuse to consider the implications of this worldbuilding detail” column. Not thinking about ghost pokemon and the afterlife, not thinking about killer sandcastles, and absolutely not thinking about pokemon who psychically compel you into self-harm
Lycanroc breaks the Wailmer free, but this Bruxish is such a murder-happy asshole that he turns on the trainers as well
Lycanroc used Rock Slide on the Bruxish! It’s not very effective…
If even their teachers are oblivious to type advantages, what hope do any of these kids have
This team would be fucking done without Popplio. His bubbles are clearly their most indispensable utility power. Cherish Popplio more!
And yes, obviously I chose Popplio as my Sun and Moon starter. You think if I had the opportunity to battle alongside an elegant ballerina-seal, I’d somehow turn it down!?
And Done
Oh goddamnit, only now do they actually arrive at Akala Island!? Well, I would be annoyed about that, but the promise of the next episode preview somewhat mollified me – as it turns out we’re truly in Continuity Country now, and the next episode will be featuring more Akala, more Olivia, and more Miyuki Sawashiro. Sun and Moon is clearly pandering to me pretty hard at the moment, as “a training arc with Sawashiro as their new drill sergeant” is a more perfect gift than I could imagine or deserve. We’ve got some special episodes ahead of us!
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