On May 10 of this year, “Pokémon Horizons” streamed the second volume of its English dub on Netflix. Though it does improve somewhat over the more glacial pacing of the first volume, the story is still adrift in many respects.
Picking up where the first volume left off, the Rising Volt Tacklers are still on the trail of two mysterious items owned by children in their watch. They are a pendant owned by a young woman named Liko (voice of Alejandra Reynoso) and an ancient Poké Ball owned by a young man named Roy (voice of Anjali Kunapeneni). As an enigmatic group of treasure hunters known as the Explorers remain in hot pursuit, the journey will be quite the rough ride.
While the first volume was not without compelling moments, it also proved the shift in creative direction from previous incarnations isn’t without its own challenges. This volume not only sees a more active role from the mysterious Dot (voice of Faye Mata), but the appearance of the gym leader/streamer Iono (voice of Erica Harlacher-Stone) and the glitzy city of Levincia from the bestselling “Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.” Her infectious energy is a welcome inclusion to the new direction to the anime.
That said, there is still room for improvement. The appearance of fan-favorite gym leader Kabu from “Pokémon Sword and Shield” is undercut by a rough vocal performance from Clyde Kusatsu (whose line reading resembles John Cleese with a chest cold). Two key episodes that conclude the current storyline are absent (despite having already been dubbed for airing in the UK), and the plot overall is still rife with pacing problems (one episode infamously ends on a mine collapse, only for the next to show the characters inside having escaped with no explanation).
Even so, the anime isn’t without its redeeming qualities. The animation is among some of the best you’ll find in the franchise, and the episode that shows how Friede met Captain Pikachu is a standout. The casting of voice actors from previous incarnations of the anime also lends to some amusing performances. In particular, casting Zeno Robinson as Roy’s Fuecoco does lead to an entertaining experience.
Though it still pales in comparison to 2019’s hit live-action “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” and the stop-motion “Pokémon Concierge,” volume two of “Pokémon Horizons” is a flawed but necessary experiment for the anime. While it remains to be seen what will happen for the long-term, the story is slowly but surely improving in the short term.
At a glance:
Available on Netflix
Starring the voices of Alejandra Reynoso, Zeno Robinson, Larry Kenny, Faye Mata, Erica Mendez, Kira Buckland, Erica Harlacher-Stone, Lisa Ortiz, Crispin Freeman, Daman Mills, Anjali Kunapaneni, Mara Junot and Major Attaway with Steve Blum and Ikue Ohtani
Rating: TV-Y7-FV
My Rating: ***1/2:5