Challenge of the Samurai (004)

[Serebii]

Challenge of the Samurai!

With his newly evolved Metapod, Ash & Misty go further into the Forest where a Samurai challenges Ash to a battle...Metapod VS Metapod. However a load of Beedrill start attacking after a while...will they make it?

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[Cloud Strife]

There were not many Kanto episodes I did not like, but this one just was not that good.

[Ryuu]

I loved all the Kanto episodes, and this was no exception.

I think this was the episode where Metapod evolved, am I correct?

Hehe...good old Samurai, calling Ash a novice. XD We also have proof that the three trainers from Pallet passed through Viridian as Samurai says so.

I do wish Samurai would be featured again...he did say he would meet Ash in the Pokemon League.

[Alfonso]

Misty fanboys should enjoy this episode, seeing as how it was the first with a little bit of fanservice. Yes, I'm talking about the scene with Misty in the suprisingly *small* red bikini, which should have pleased fans.

...That said, I know what *I* would have been looking at if I were Ash. And it's certainly not his small, weak and hard friend.

[≈*Virulent Tsunami*≈]

A touching episode, and a great debut for Beedrill/Kakuna. I almost wish Ash had caught Weedle. Twineedle looked pretty cool, too. Not to mention, Butterfree evolving was great, but they recycled the scene where it was flying and sending down Sleep Powder, sadly.

Overall rating:
8.0 out of 10!!
Not bad, but not good either. Meh, better than a Johto, to say the least.

SC~ out

[Jesse GS the II]

This episode was not a favorite of mine, if I recall. The Samurai kid was pretty dull and not much of a one-shot character. But at least this episode introduced five Pokémon at once (Butterfree, Weedle, Kakuna, Beedrill, and Pinsir), a feat you rarely see in later episodes.

I remember when I was doing my Pokémon daily comic strip, I tried to avoid adapting this episode because I didn't like the Samurai character and didn't want him in my stories. So I reduced the episode down to a Sunday comic where Ash pits his Metapod against the Metapod of some random kid that challenges him ("You wanna go first?" "I'm trying."). And I moved Butterfree's evolution to the Pewter City story, so that Metapod evolves just in time to save Ash's butt when he's up against Onix.

[Psychic Venusaur]

When I first saw this episode, many years ago, I'd never heard of the word novice.

Samurai was hilarious in my opinion. I liked his voice.
I didn't like how Samurai blamed Ash for letting Weedle get away. If some guy with a sword came at me, I'm not sure if I'd pay attention to a Weedle.

I liked the Metapod face off.

Samurai was cool at the end of the episode.

I liked how Samurai said, "Pinsir! Assume battle mode!"

Those Beedrill were cool.

I'd like to see Samurai again, with a horde of cool Bug Pokemon.

7.5/10

[Puffs]

yes he should've had a "small, weak, hard friend" when he saw Misty with that bikini

[ChaosMage]

yes he should've had a "small, weak, hard friend" when he saw Misty with that bikini

Who wouldn't? Not great. But OK.

[Squeaky Yugi]

Why did Metapod forget String Shot? Bugsy, May, and Jessie all had coccoon Pokemon that could attack.

They handled the cow gag quite well. What ever happened to stuff like that?

[Sharpshooter]

They handled the cow gag quite well. What ever happened to stuff like that?

4kids allegedly toned down the Japanese chokes as they thought American kids wouldn't understand them.

I liked these Viridian forest episodes, although the battle in this episode was pretty crap but the Butterfree evolving incident was a classic. From a rookie trainer who'd only started out two weeks prior that expression on his face was priceless.

[Monster]

This was one of my favorite Kanto episodes out of all of them. Samurai was nuts, I can't believe he tried to slice Misty with his sword! Ash should have caught that Weedle, it would have been a nice addition to his team or a Beedrill at Oak's. The battle between Metapod and Metapod was boring, but funny. I felt sad when Beedrill took Metapod away, it looked so disapointed at Ash. I also felt sad when Beedrill sliced open Metapod, I thought it was dead until I saw Butterfree come out of the shell.

[Minun456]

The Metapod vs. Metapod was pathetic,but was still funny,especially when Samurai and Ash fall backwards. vs.

[JoHn_C]

Well this episode was pretty funny for me. Seeing how Ash in his younger age. And Ash's voice was different and Misty's voice wasn't. That's weird. And Yes I agree. That Metapod Vs Metapod was pathetic. Weak attacks.

[wobbanut]

Team Rocket's first "device", wow, what a laugh riot that box was. At least their devices got much better later.

The samurai is definitely one character I wish would show up again. Ash really was quite the novice in this episode, right before his ego starting inflating bigger than an ATV tire (at least he's more mature now ). It'd be interesting for Ash to run into him again and show how much he's grown over the years. Now that they're in Kanto again, more or less, at least they've got a chance of reuniting. I'd definitely love to see them battle again.

As long as it's not a metapod/metapod kind of battle. LOL

[Satoshi]

Ah, another one of those "promise to meet up again but never return" episodes.

This episode was not all bad in the original, but the dub has some flaws. Thanks to our different language, the "Ushi Ushi" joke was butchered. "Cowderpii"? They might as well just have cut that entire scene. And 4kids is really being unconsistent, they left the word "Satoshi" on "Ash's" sleeping bag. I don't know why they accidently left it in, it was pretty obvious to spot. When the dub episode first aired, I bet kids were thinking "Satoshi" was the Pokemon version of ACME.

As for the episode itself, it wasn't all half bad, it was pretty good. I loved how the writers handled Butterfree's evolution, the part I didn't like, was when Satoshi promised Samurai that he'd battle him again, but never came back. They could've recased him in     Spoiler:

Show Spoiler

 
Battle Frontier
 

, but no. Great job writers, real good job with continuality.

I give the dub 5/10 thanks to it's unconsistency.

And I give the original 7/10, it's really good, but not one of the better non-filler episodes.

[PokeTrainer7783]

My first thought was when I saw this episode isn't it odd seeing a samurai not only in Pokemon but just in the persent in general? I mean I know it's a Japanese show but still seems a little out of place. but that's just my opinion.

[Mini Apocalypse]

i no. i meen if you go to jappan now your not exactly going to see one on the streets.and you would of thought even a 10 year old would no that its pointless fighting a metapod against a metapod!

[Ultimate Mewtwo]

I like this episode, specially cuz Metapod evolves into Butterfree.

[ハルカ and ゴンベ]

After seeing this episode in Japanese...I wish that I could have started the series in Japanese..

I really didn't like the whole "Cowterpie" joke...>_> It seems to...Ick-ish
Mushi --> Ushi was better.

Anyways a classic Pocket Monster episode...brings back old memories

Dub: 6/10
Original: 8.5/10