Welcome to the Anime Walk of Fame, a series of retrospectives on the many characters of the anime world. You'll see all your favorites along with a few that deserve more than their reputations give.

So sit back relax and enjoy the show.

I Really Don't Like Bakugo

So the big foreshadowing from a couple of days ago is that I'm finally watching My Hero Academia, my review is arriving on the final day of Advent, in the meantime let's talk Bakugo.

Katsuki Bakugo is a hero really full of himself being intelligent and powerful but has a stick up his ass about Deku, utterly paranoid about losing to him and has the worst temper in anime history, Basically he's the poorest imitation of the edgy anti hero.
I knew he was bad going into this series but my god! He's such an entitled little shit, he's supposed to be in the same group of people as Hiei and Vegeta but doesn't deserve to even be in the same room as them, they had actual character development, the whole point of their arcs especially Vegeta, whose personality is more similar to Bakugo is accepting that he's been surpassed and setting aside pride for the greater good.
While Bakugo does eventually stop being a prick, it took way too long when it should've been resolved by the 8th episode of season 1 when he actually realizes he's not the best hero in class and Deku had defeated him with a quirk he couldn't control yet.
So were stuck instead with seasons of Bakugo being the most insufferable ass hat ever put to paper.
Someone explain why he's so popular?

Team Star Were Never Villains

How did this month end up being a Pokemon season?

Team Star aren't exactly villains but are actually the hardest of the three quests, while Gyms and Titan battles have been done in the past no one has ever done what Team Star did, the only close comparison would be Pokewood Studios as it's the only game where you fight non Pokemon, this is made obvious with the Revavroom cars.
Also instead of waves of grunts you do the new quick battle mechanic which cuts so much time.
Now onto the five themselves; the story goes that all of them were bullied for different reasons, alot of which will feel close to home for many especially if they've been to a school where this sort of thing is overlooked, this will be in order of power.
Giacomo was bullied for being the straight laced rule obsessed student president and was driven out of his role.
Mela was bullied for her appearance which she retaliated with a shift in personality that is aggressive, in reality she's shy although you wouldn't know from the enormous boots.
Atticus was bullied for being too feminine, his interests isolating him from other people, all too familiar for anyone with even remotely different interests to the norm.
Ortega was bullied for his snobbish attitude and looking down on others, out of the team he gets the least sympathy from me.
Eri was bullied as a result of a popularity clash with another girl yet she's the nicest most pleasant girl around, I can believe her to be very beautiful behind the wrestling face paint and wouldn't allow her followers to get hurt.
Team Star under Cassiopeia were made to stop bullying but ended up driving their bullies out of the Academy, Cassiopeia took the fall and left for Galar while the leaders formed their bases and played the villains of the Academy until the player steps in with the returning Cassiopeia to begin Operation Starfall.
Truly the best story of the game.

Ash Leaving is Actually Quite Sad

I didn't want to finish today with just an update.

For a long time, I've always found Ash frustrating to like although rarely do I find the main protagonist to be the best character anyway, but it's not like I hate them, maybe it's their try hard tenacity or their wide eyed outlook on life or they just look like they are actually enjoying life and for Ash and Pikachu they are living their best life.
I think Helluva Boss said it best
"I'm hard on you, because I know what you're capable of"
I can think of many famous protagonists who I would apply this to, Ash is no exception, for every dumb decision he made there is a triumph that follows whether it be a Gym battle or a league battle, it's that kind of storytelling that also makes us like Goku, Naruto, Monkey D Luffy and even Sailor Moon.
Our favourites may not be the lead characters but they are the ones who make us stay.
Liko and Roy will take the baton from Ash in April, the shoes they're filling are massive, it's the single biggest risk in the entire franchise and it's off the back of a game that has a fantastic narrative but piss poor performance.
I wish them luck.

Ash's Journey Has Ended

Spoiler warning is in effect. You have been warned.

On the 1st April 1997, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town set off on a Pokemon Journey to become a Pokemon Master.
On the 15th September 2019, after six attempts, he finally won the Pokemon League earning the Champion rank in the Alola region.
On the 16th September 2022, Ash defeated Champion Cynthia, argubly the best trainer in the whole franchise making his way to the finals to battle Leon.
On the 11th November 2022, Ash defeats Leon becoming the Pokemon World Champion validating his status as a Pokemon Master, to be the best that no one ever was.
It was announced today that Ash will complete a farewell mini series of 11 episodes ending in time for the show's 26th Anniversary April 2023
The anime will continue with new protagonists, whether it's part of the same universe as Ash Ketchum's remains to be seen.
It's the only logical decision that could be made but it's sad nonetheless to see such a huge name in Anime be retired.

I Feel Bad For Arven

The last of the trio, minor spoilers in effect.

When we first meet Arven, he was kind of jerkish, he bemoaned seeing the Motorcycle dragon and ends up giving the legendaries to you, he would later recruit you to take down Titan Pokemon to obtain Herba Mystica, special herbs that can create Titan Pokemon on such a big diet but it can also help restore your Dragon's powers and heal what the Pokemon Center couldn't.
Turns out Arven has a Pokemon injured to the point of near death, his Mabostiff regaining his strength again through the herbs.
As the son of the professors, yes professors plural, I regard Turo and Sada as a couple despite the different titles, they worked tirelessly in Area Zero researching the past and future, the zone a great natural crater inhabited by strong Pokemon, think Cerulean Cave, poor Arven's attempt at reaching his parents failed and his Pokemon almost paid the price for it, his resentment against your dragon stems from it first appearing in the world and the professors abandoning Arven to keep it a secret, until the events of the game kickstart the story.
You can't blame him for his unsocial behaviour, parental neglect is very messed up and it doesn't get much better for Arven either, you'll see what I mean.