[35] The Legend of Miniryu
May. 13th, 2025 09:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marchionessofmustacheHeyyyyy it's been a while! It's time to pick up some more Pocket Monsters! I think this episode was banned in the USA, and probably other places, for its gratuitous use of guns, especially being pointed at children, and children using them, and at one point even being shot at children... yeah.
So let's get right to it! Satoshi and co. finally end up at the Safari Zone, where the warden is a gun nut who keeps threatening to shoot them.
And I mean like a LOT.
Anyway, after several gunpoint death threats, the group notices a photo of the warden when he was younger with the Pokemon Miniryu. Strangely, they keep referring to Miniryu as a "legendary" Pokemon. But yeah, apparently there was this legendary Pokemon Miniryu that the warden met, and when news got out about it, tourist trainers flocked to the Safari Zone to try to catch it, but all they did was catch all the other Pokemon and completely trash the place in the process.
That's why now, trainers given a limited number of Safari Balls and only allowed to use those and then they must exit the Safari Zone. Kinda cool how they gave a little backstory of why the mechanic is like that, when in the game it's not really explained why it's like that. I think in the game, it's just supposed to be more like a fun little challenge? Or maybe a way to make money, as it costs money to get in...
Of course the Rockets are there and hear about Miniryu, and they decide to go after it. They do their little intro on top of the Safari Zone entrance gate sign thing, and the warden just starts shooting at them. It's kinda funny as they continue saying their intro while dodging bullets.
Then there's a little gag where Kojiro grabs the other two and jumps off the sign, releasing a parachute. But of course, it's a short way to the ground, and the parachute doesn't have time to catch them, and they smash face first into the dirt, parachute gently landing after them.
The Rockets challenge Satoshi to a duel of sorts -- whoever catches the most Pokemon in the Safari Zone wins. If Satoshi wins, they'll stop following him for good. But if the Rockets win, Satoshi has to forfeit all his Pokemon to them. Being Satoshi, he just agrees without hesitation. His friends are like "ummm wtf that's risky?" and he's like "it's fine because I'll win!"
In his confidence, he makes a statement and there's like shiny lights behind him, then the camera zooms out to show the special effects are actually Pikachu shooting bolts of electricity behind him lol. Lots of little gags in this episode. I really don't remember it being so silly. Or maybe just because it's been a while since I watched Pokemon, I forgot just how silly it is regularly.
Satoshi and friends go out into the Safari Zone to catch some Pokemon. The first thing they come across is a herd of Kentauros. Takeshi and Satoshi catch one, yay! Then they find a Sihorn. Satoshi throws a ball, but a stampede of Kentauros run by just as he does, and his ball ends up hitting one of them, and he catches another Kentauros instead. Sihorn walks off very slowly... you think he could have just chased after it and thrown another ball, but... nope.
Meanwhile, the Rockets capture the warden and somehow seize his guns. They hold him at gunpoint and try to force him to reveal the hiding spot of Miniryu.
They try a variety of gag methods to get him to talk, from wrapping him up with Arbok, to having Musashi flirt with him (yeah), and more. Here's a mustached detective Nyarth.
Eventually, their tickle torture machine does the trick, and he reveals that Miniryu is hidden in the legendary valley (or something like that, I forget exactly what he called it).
Meanwhile, the GGG are fishing, and Kasumi has a bunch of special lures that she shows off. One of them even looks like her! She uses this Kasumi Special to fish, which snags a Gyarados, but it gets away. Then the warden arrives, still attached to the ticket torture machine. I'm not sure how he managed to MOVE with that massive machine locked on him, but he did! Pikachu shocks it off of him, shocking the warden in the process. So many gags.
The warden reveals that the Rockets have gone after Miniryu in the legendary valley. They have an oxygen macine hooked up to Nyarth and Kojiro who are walking around on the lake floor. Meanwhile, Miniryu just appears in front of Musashi at the surface of the lake. She gets so into luring it closer to her that she doesn't realize she's stepped on the pipes delivering oxygen to her cohorts. Just as she's about to win over Miniryu, they other two come bursting out of the water, scaring it away.
Everyone else catches up, and the Rockets reveal their next plan -- to bomb the lake defeating all the Pokemon within so they can catch them all! Nyarth throws the bomb in the lake, and the warden dives in after it.
After a bit of arguing with Kasumi, Satoshi dives in after him. Kasumi sends out Hitodeman who helps Satoshi swim to the warden, then swaps over and carries the warden back to the surface. Satoshi finds the bomb at the bottom of the lake, which apparently is a time bomb with a very long timer. He tries swimming back to the surface, but he can't make it and breathes in a bunch of water and sinks to the bottom of the lake.
Suddenly, a Hakuryu appears and creates a massive whirlpool, then like... teleports out of the lake in a beam of light...?
Somehow, Satoshi is safe as if he never inhaled water, and happy as ever. He tosses the bomb back to the Rockets, who explode and go flying. They were standing relatively near everyone, and if the bomb was strong enough to destroy an entire lake, you'd think it would have done more destruction, but... oh well.
Hakuryu approaches everyone, and the warden realizes it's his old buddy Miniryu now evolved from the little chip in its horn. They hug and cry, having not seen each other since the warden was a young man. Then a Miniryu appears, and it seems to be Hakuryu's child. So the legacy of Miniryu lives on. Yayyy.
To be honest, all the guns at the beginning was a bit wild... and then there were SO many gags. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it is revealed that Satoshi caught nothing but like 30 Kentauros in their trip to the Safari Zone. Teehee.
Overall, I liked this episode. The warden was cute. But at the same time, I don't think it was particularly amazing. I feel like the relationship between the warden and Miniryu and what happened between then and now was underdeveloped.
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So let's get right to it! Satoshi and co. finally end up at the Safari Zone, where the warden is a gun nut who keeps threatening to shoot them.
And I mean like a LOT.
Anyway, after several gunpoint death threats, the group notices a photo of the warden when he was younger with the Pokemon Miniryu. Strangely, they keep referring to Miniryu as a "legendary" Pokemon. But yeah, apparently there was this legendary Pokemon Miniryu that the warden met, and when news got out about it, tourist trainers flocked to the Safari Zone to try to catch it, but all they did was catch all the other Pokemon and completely trash the place in the process.
That's why now, trainers given a limited number of Safari Balls and only allowed to use those and then they must exit the Safari Zone. Kinda cool how they gave a little backstory of why the mechanic is like that, when in the game it's not really explained why it's like that. I think in the game, it's just supposed to be more like a fun little challenge? Or maybe a way to make money, as it costs money to get in...
Of course the Rockets are there and hear about Miniryu, and they decide to go after it. They do their little intro on top of the Safari Zone entrance gate sign thing, and the warden just starts shooting at them. It's kinda funny as they continue saying their intro while dodging bullets.
Then there's a little gag where Kojiro grabs the other two and jumps off the sign, releasing a parachute. But of course, it's a short way to the ground, and the parachute doesn't have time to catch them, and they smash face first into the dirt, parachute gently landing after them.
The Rockets challenge Satoshi to a duel of sorts -- whoever catches the most Pokemon in the Safari Zone wins. If Satoshi wins, they'll stop following him for good. But if the Rockets win, Satoshi has to forfeit all his Pokemon to them. Being Satoshi, he just agrees without hesitation. His friends are like "ummm wtf that's risky?" and he's like "it's fine because I'll win!"
In his confidence, he makes a statement and there's like shiny lights behind him, then the camera zooms out to show the special effects are actually Pikachu shooting bolts of electricity behind him lol. Lots of little gags in this episode. I really don't remember it being so silly. Or maybe just because it's been a while since I watched Pokemon, I forgot just how silly it is regularly.
Satoshi and friends go out into the Safari Zone to catch some Pokemon. The first thing they come across is a herd of Kentauros. Takeshi and Satoshi catch one, yay! Then they find a Sihorn. Satoshi throws a ball, but a stampede of Kentauros run by just as he does, and his ball ends up hitting one of them, and he catches another Kentauros instead. Sihorn walks off very slowly... you think he could have just chased after it and thrown another ball, but... nope.
Meanwhile, the Rockets capture the warden and somehow seize his guns. They hold him at gunpoint and try to force him to reveal the hiding spot of Miniryu.
They try a variety of gag methods to get him to talk, from wrapping him up with Arbok, to having Musashi flirt with him (yeah), and more. Here's a mustached detective Nyarth.
Eventually, their tickle torture machine does the trick, and he reveals that Miniryu is hidden in the legendary valley (or something like that, I forget exactly what he called it).
Meanwhile, the GGG are fishing, and Kasumi has a bunch of special lures that she shows off. One of them even looks like her! She uses this Kasumi Special to fish, which snags a Gyarados, but it gets away. Then the warden arrives, still attached to the ticket torture machine. I'm not sure how he managed to MOVE with that massive machine locked on him, but he did! Pikachu shocks it off of him, shocking the warden in the process. So many gags.
The warden reveals that the Rockets have gone after Miniryu in the legendary valley. They have an oxygen macine hooked up to Nyarth and Kojiro who are walking around on the lake floor. Meanwhile, Miniryu just appears in front of Musashi at the surface of the lake. She gets so into luring it closer to her that she doesn't realize she's stepped on the pipes delivering oxygen to her cohorts. Just as she's about to win over Miniryu, they other two come bursting out of the water, scaring it away.
Everyone else catches up, and the Rockets reveal their next plan -- to bomb the lake defeating all the Pokemon within so they can catch them all! Nyarth throws the bomb in the lake, and the warden dives in after it.
After a bit of arguing with Kasumi, Satoshi dives in after him. Kasumi sends out Hitodeman who helps Satoshi swim to the warden, then swaps over and carries the warden back to the surface. Satoshi finds the bomb at the bottom of the lake, which apparently is a time bomb with a very long timer. He tries swimming back to the surface, but he can't make it and breathes in a bunch of water and sinks to the bottom of the lake.
Suddenly, a Hakuryu appears and creates a massive whirlpool, then like... teleports out of the lake in a beam of light...?
Somehow, Satoshi is safe as if he never inhaled water, and happy as ever. He tosses the bomb back to the Rockets, who explode and go flying. They were standing relatively near everyone, and if the bomb was strong enough to destroy an entire lake, you'd think it would have done more destruction, but... oh well.
Hakuryu approaches everyone, and the warden realizes it's his old buddy Miniryu now evolved from the little chip in its horn. They hug and cry, having not seen each other since the warden was a young man. Then a Miniryu appears, and it seems to be Hakuryu's child. So the legacy of Miniryu lives on. Yayyy.
To be honest, all the guns at the beginning was a bit wild... and then there were SO many gags. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it is revealed that Satoshi caught nothing but like 30 Kentauros in their trip to the Safari Zone. Teehee.
Overall, I liked this episode. The warden was cute. But at the same time, I don't think it was particularly amazing. I feel like the relationship between the warden and Miniryu and what happened between then and now was underdeveloped.
<< PREV INDEX NEXT >>
no subject
Date: 2025-05-14 08:25 pm (UTC)The Warden is very clearly inspried by Clint Eastwood. He's got the whole angular face-squinty eye thing down.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-17 04:33 pm (UTC)