Running gags in the anime that went on for far too long

[CyberCubed]

I'll ignore the obvious ones like Brock's flirting or TR's motto, but I'd say some of the others that went on too long:

- James always having a grass pokemon that attacks him. I thought it was kinda cute when Cacnea did it too but by the time Carnivine arrived I was done with it.

- Jigglypuff was heavily overused in the early seasons, to the point where it appeared almost every 2-3 episodes until Johto started.

- Sukizo's "Remarkable" during the Pokemon Contests.

- Pikachu getting sick when it stores up too much electricity, they seriously repeated this in like 5 different episodes, even with Pachirisu.

[AgentPierce]

Nearly everything Team Rocket did in AG and DP. Special mention has to go to Meowth's "Boss Fantasies". It was funny at first, then annoying, and finally just creepy.

[CyberCubed]

Nearly everything Team Rocket did in AG and DP. Special mention has to go to Meowth's "Boss Fantasies". It was funny at first, then annoying, and finally just creepy.

Admittedly I was disappointed that James trademark rose disappeared as the anime progressed. I think we still see it in maybe a few AG or DP episodes, but it was nowhere as common as back in Kanto.

[Pokemaniac24]

Nearly everything Team Rocket did in AG and DP. Special mention has to go to Meowth's "Boss Fantasies". It was funny at first, then annoying, and finally just creepy.

Agreed completely.

[YourPermanentRecord631]

Nearly everything Team Rocket did in AG and DP. Special mention has to go to Meowth's "Boss Fantasies". It was funny at first, then annoying, and finally just creepy.

I thought they were annoying too, but I guess some were a bit creepy as well lol

[pokemonsquared]

Draco meteor

You're such a kid!

It's evaluation time!

Ash getting knocked over by a hyperactive rival.

Misty's mallet

[AgentPierce]

You're such a kid!

It's evaluation time!

First off, those have only been going on for about two years now, hardly too long compared to others.

And secondly, don't you mean "It's TASTING Time!", Cilan's phrase? Evaluation Time is Burgundy's pharse, I think, and she doesn't appear often enough for the gag to be that tired.

[WhyHelloThere]

First off, those have only been going on for about two years now, hardly too long compared to others.

And secondly, don't you mean "It's TASTING Time!", Cilan's phrase? Evaluation Time is Burgundy's pharse, I think, and she doesn't appear often enough for the gag to be that tired.

First off, many people find Iris' phrase irritating.

And secondly, Tasting Time is Dent's phrase in the raw, and Evaluation Time is Cilan's phrase in the dub.

Burgundy's phrases are "New Tasting Time" and "Re-Evaluation time".

Yeah, the 'pronouncing Stephan's name wrong' thing is extremely annoying.

Oh god this. Actually, it was annoying with Namba and Butch as well. The only time is was somewhat funny was with Hippopotas.

[Bulba the Great!]

A character getting his name mispronounced every time he's mentioned. Botch was pushing it already by late Johto, and then there was Professor Samba and now there's Stephan. It's only funny MAYBE twice an episode. Some of those Don tournaments...yeesh.

[CyberCubed]

A character getting his name mispronounced every time he's mentioned. Botch was pushing it already by late Johto, and then there was Professor Samba and now there's Stephan. It's only funny MAYBE twice an episode. Some of those Don tournaments...yeesh.

Another thing I disliked, but I am sure it was a product of 4kids, is the, "pet names" the main characters called each other.

Ash calling Misty, "Mist," calling Brock, "Brocko," and one episode Misty calls Tracey by, "Trace."

Seriously, it felt like something out of some 10 year olds fanfiction where Ash and Misty would declare their love for one another. Yeesh.

[PokeRhymeBeat]

Another thing I disliked, but I am sure it was a product of 4kids, is the, "pet names" the main characters called each other.

Ash calling Misty, "Mist," calling Brock, "Brocko," and one episode Misty calls Tracey by, "Trace."

Seriously, it felt like something out of some 10 year olds fanfiction where Ash and Misty would declare their love for one another. Yeesh.

Well they are 10..... honeslty no gag ever got to me

[Dwail8023]

Another thing I disliked, but I am sure it was a product of 4kids, is the, "pet names" the main characters called each other.

Ash calling Misty, "Mist," calling Brock, "Brocko," and one episode Misty calls Tracey by, "Trace."

Seriously, it felt like something out of some 10 year olds fanfiction where Ash and Misty would declare their love for one another. Yeesh.

I remember TPCi reusing those names quite a lot, particularly 'Brocko.' One of the few things I disliked the 4Kids dub for, other than Pokeshipping constantly (although it's more than likely the case anyway). I am not above saying the 4Kids dub definitely had some weak points, but TPCi's are far more widespread and obvious than the ones from 4Kids are/were IMO.

The thing about running gags is by their very nature, they're all considered funny to some and overused to others. But consider this; isn't a joke more amusing when accompanied by an illustration? When it comes down to it, gags involving actions in addition to words seem to hold more water. "Team Rocket's blasting off again" wasn't merely a phrase, it was the trio physically flying off in a comical fashion. When Brock went crazy over a girl, the witty and corny dialogue was always followed by physical intervention. Even Butch and Stephan's name joke boils down to Butch blowing a fuse vs Stephan awkwardly complaining. It all comes down to that old saying "actions speak louder than words". It holds true in tv shows just as much in real life.

Well said. I couldn't agree more.

If they died, why are they still on the show? I like all aspects and everything of Pokemon, like a true Pokemon fan.

I thought TRio was better in Hoenn than Johto (though those were the high points of TRio's comedy fest to me, and I'd love that wacky comedy they had going from middle OS-late AG. The laughs only escalate from Johto, which was also hilarious IMO. Sinnoh was alright, and Unova's made TR victims of a 5 second *cues dramatic music* We're here, and we're gone *ends dramatic music.* Obviously the "badassness" TRio has is now just a ploy to get them off the anime like Brock. Personally, I would love to see TR leave. I can't stand their current dub voices anyway right now (it's glaringly obvious how terrible they are at pulling off serious TRio when watching the BW dub-- especially Mr. Cathcart/Zoppi's Meowth and James-- he was tolerable in BF/DP but now he's atrocious at the roles), so that would be awesome to me if Gen V gives them the boot.

[AceDetective]

It wouldn't be to bad if they didn't shove it down our throats. The Draco network gag made me laugh first time but they overdid it way to much. More recently during the first Club Battle the whole thing with Bianca and Zoura they shoved to much of it into those eps. Running Gags are fine as long as there spaced out more

[matt0044]

It wouldn't be to bad if they didn't shove it down our throats. The Draco network gag made me laugh first time but they overdid it way to much. More recently during the first Club Battle the whole thing with Bianca and Zoura they shoved to much of it into those eps. Running Gags are fine as long as there spaced out more

Yeah, I like Brick Jokes (where a past joke is used like it comes back to bite a character in the butt) rather than running ones

[Bisharp]

Banned/Un-aired episodes. The worst running gag of them all.

[cg19293]

The Meowth Boss fantasies, Iris' "what a kid" remark. Episodes involving Ash losing his badges,

[Blazicken]

- TR in general with ALL their running gags
- Misty pulling brock's ear (unlike croagunk's poison-jab it wasn't funny)
- piplup alltogether

[Lucario Fan]

All of them except Draco Meteor hitting Piplup and Croagunk poison jabbing Brock.

[KingMinun]

Brock's love gag got annoying in Johto, and throughout AG, but I didn't mind it too much in DP, it did get annoying, but I liked the odd occasion when it went into really good anime drawing details to freshen it up, and Croagunk stabbing Brock, sometimes in funny places on the body freshened it up a bit.
Team Rocket Blasting off, the names getting pronounced wrong, okay when it started with Butch it was a little funny, but then Prof. Namba and Stephen its not funny at all its annoying. And Iris' "such a kid" really irritates me and I don't find it funny in the slightest.

[00poke_maniac]

I loved the Draco Meteor one. X3

The name gag gets annoying, but it gets funny when people get it right. Though, I liked Stephan better with the accent remark, because now it's just like Botch. :/ I also don't think they should have gave that to Dr. Namba. Like really? It's like they do it on purpose. -.-

James and Carnivine...it was kid of funny at times. But Cacnea was the cutest.

Lol no one thinks of Iris's "mendosukai" just her kid phrase. XD

[iraqmaster]

1. Ash Destroying a girl's bike at the start of every sage ( Orange islands/Johto was a nice break)

[pokemonsquared]

1. Ash Destroying a girl's bike at the start of every sage ( Orange islands/Johto was a nice break)

only misty actually cared about it.

to the point where ash truly thought she only traveled with him for the one million pokedollars it takes to buy a new one.

[AgentPierce]

Just thought ot 3 more.....

1. Dawn's hair problems. Even in her return period in BW, it popped up! As others have actually pointed out, it made the whole reveal of what "DeeDee" meant REALLY underwhelming. We wait for well over 100 episodes past Kenny's debut to find out what it meant and it boils down to....just another hair problem!? Just the same as always but with sparkles!?

2. Wobbuffet. He was actually quite funny in Johto, but in AG and DP, he suffered along with the rest of TR, as his only point was to burst out of nowhere, usually coming close to swallowing the camera, to scream "WOBBUFFET!" (or whatever his pun-name in Japanese is) when the TRio finish talking about a plan, when they finish their motto, and/or when they finish making some lame joke while blasting off. His voice in both languages didn't help, as such overexposure to it made him really grating. I'm so glad BW finally got rid of him.

3. I don't care if this isn't technically a gag, it's so not enjoyable that it may as well count as one that's gone on too long: females of any species falling in love around Ash or WITH Ash, and him being completely oblivious about it. I mean, really, Ash didn't used to be this stupid! He knew what Butterfree wanted when it courted it's mate (unlike with Cottonee in BW). He knew that Melody was flirting with him in the second movie enough to get flustered about it. He knew well enough about love to deny any accusations anyone made that he and Misty had something going on. So why the change? It's especially stupid seeing how long he's been around BROCK, meaning he should be used to knowing about love for the opposite sex!

[Mandi.]

Just thought ot 3 more.....

1. Dawn's hair problems. Even in her return period in BW, it popped up! As others have actually pointed out, it made the whole reveal of what "DeeDee" meant REALLY underwhelming. We wait for well over 100 episodes past Kenny's debut to find out what it meant and it boils down to....just another hair problem!? Just the same as always but with sparkles!?

Yeah typical girl problems. Oh Dawn you blonde.
I have to admit I'm like that with my hair though. ):

Yeah, I wasn't a fan of the Giovanni fantasies either. Suck a weird and wasteful time slot..

Those were actually pretty enjoyable, especially Meowth fantasizing about Giovanni in his boxers.

[00poke_maniac]

1. Dawn's hair problems. Even in her return period in BW, it popped up! As others have actually pointed out, it made the whole reveal of what "DeeDee" meant REALLY underwhelming. We wait for well over 100 episodes past Kenny's debut to find out what it meant and it boils down to....just another hair problem!? Just the same as always but with sparkles!?

I think that sort of shows how important Dawn's hair is to her. xDD

So why the change? It's especially stupid seeing how long he's been around BROCK, meaning he should be used to knowing about love for the opposite sex!

He probably got sick of it. xD