Sneak Preview 7 - The Pokémon 20th anniversary special BIG act of Cultural Vandalism

Here's another sneak preview of the upcoming Pokémon 20th Anniversary special

The Worst Season Ever?

It is well noted that many fans see the Diamond and Pearl arc as the worst "season" in the anime's history. Combined with the complaints people had with the games and the designs, Gen 4 in general gained a lot of haters. Its very easy to find such haters. So easy I'm not going to bother finding one for you. However, this "unfair" ruling by many on the anime can be easily explained by two things - 

1. The cast change back in 2006.
2. Many of these critics are older fans who remember the first Kanto era (through one of the most dangerous things that can affect memories of past events - the nostalgia "rose-tint" lens filter).

Yes, if you take the time to look up these haters you'll find that most of them were in their late-teens or 20s during the years Diamond and Pearl aired. People who got into Pokémon during Gen 1 or 2. So what. you ask? Simple really. They are judging it by comparing it to an "ideal" that is created by half-forgotten memories of the original series. Unless they took the time to re-watch the original series (which very few have, including me) their memories of seeing it years ago may be flawed by rosy retrospection. Neuroscientists have noted that negative memories tend to fade faster than positive memories. Overtime this leads to people having flawed memories that make them believe that the past is "better than the present" (Yes, this is all backed by science). In other words, these critics are bias in thinking that "the original series is best" and cannot be trusted fool-heartedly with their criticism. I know this is true because I don't see Diamond and Pearl as that terrible. Hell no. Even though I could have easily fallen for the nostalgia trap that caught those critics I didn't get caught because I never fully rely on my memory when I write these posts. I take the time to watch or read the synopsis of every episode, providing me with a clear non-bias picture of the series as a whole. And from what I see is that those critics are too quick to judge.

I could write a large paragraph explaining why these critics are wrong, but I found someone who agrees with me. Here's a video by YouTuber Riyogaa that explains a very convincing case for Diamond and Pearl, with particular emphasis on Dawn been Ash's companion.

Why Dawn was the Best Thing to Happen to Pokémon 

[And Why Diamond & Pearl was the Best Season]

by Riyogaa (2012)

To save you from looking up what episode 9 is, its "The School of Hard Knocks."

(Yelp, that one, people who remember it.)