Pokémon: Twilight Wings

Fans of the Pokémon anime will likely have gotten a pleasing treat over the past few months. That would be in the form of an online miniseries with the title of "Twilight Wings". For those used to watching the regular anime series with Ash as the protagonist, this one might seem very different, but that can be a good thing. It can and does deliver different perspectives, as with this one.

The reason this one is called "Twilight Wings" is because the miniseries has a (partial) focus on a Corviknight taxi driver, which means that the entire miniseries takes place in the Galar region. Aside from said taxi driver, however, each episode also focuses on one important character in the region, along with a few supporting ones here and there. As the miniseries has been described, it involves their aspirations and the whirling ways they make them real. Some of the moments might be intensely difficult, while others might be heartwarmingly pleasant. But they all tell the stories of the characters in question, along with that taxi driver and his majestic and trusty black flying steed, plus certainly the cab as it carries the characters. 

This miniseries contains seven episodes, most of them around six to seven minutes long. Each episode was released monthly (give or take) starting early this year, and the last episode was released earlier this month. I had thought about discussing each episode separately, but in the end, I wanted to go for overall perspectives, so I decided to wait patiently until all episodes were released. And when the finale was released, I set out on writing this post, which was finally realized today. 

I and a friend met the other day to discuss a few Pokémon things, and this miniseries came up in discussion. We talked about which episodes appeared to be the best of them, and we brought up the fourth episode (see below) that featured Nessa. I thought the storyline was neat, while my friend thought the featured Pokémon were unique. Overall, the miniseries takes a "slice of life" approach, which I have to say is not bad by any means, and certainly contributes to the different perspectives as above. They are all also richly detailed, and this makes for great impressions all around, as with me and my friend. It's definitely worth watching for any fan, whether or not they've experienced Galar through Sword and Shield.

This is an online miniseries, and that's a good thing; an even better thing is that it's completely free, as the episodes are on the official Pokémon YouTube channel - check out the entire playlist for it there. Those who have an hour to spare can watch all the episodes in a row in due time. And why not - it's a fascinating peek into what goes on in Galar through the eyes of the characters... and a flying big black taxi that inspires its name.

Now, for a miniseries such as this one, I don't have three-line summaries since the episodes are short, but I do have two-line summaries instead. Here they are, for all of them:

1: Letter

What's on paper is best and obvious, for

John and Chairman Rose on their meeting... 

2: Training

Bea encounters a few hardships and wonder

as she trains somewhere over yonder.

3: Buddy

For Hop and his Wooloo, at what point does

a bond of friendship become unbreakable?

4: Early-Evening Waves

Nessa considers her life as a Gym Leader

and a photo model, and makes her choice.

5: Assistant

Oleana's the name, and keeping things

running in Galar is the game!

6: Moonlight

What does it take for Tommy to express

his feelings... with Allister's help?

7: Sky

The paths for John and Champion Leon all

converge into a single spectacle!

One year ago: The Start of a Decked-Out Adventure

Two years ago: Solidarity Making

Three years ago: Reunions!