Why Does Ash Look So Different in Pokémon Sun and Moon?

ByJames Dorn Last Update on

The most striking change in the Sun & Moon anime is Ash Ketchum‘s character design. After 20 years of familiarity, his new look came as a major shock! With green marks on his cheeks instead of zigzags, smaller eyes, and a leaner face, Ash is almost unrecognizable.

Exploring the Reasons Behind Ash‘s Redesign

So why the drastic change after hundreds of episodes? Ash‘s updated look stems from a few key factors:

1. New Animation Technology

Pokémon Sun & Moon makes the leap to full digital animation rather than traditional cel techniques. This shift enables more dynamic movement, lighting, and camera work. It also facilitates detailed facial expressions. The anime team leveraged these advances to craft a more emotive Ash.

His face stretches and squishes to comical extremes. His enlarged eyes dart around to accentuate reactions. The thicker line work and coloring align with digital animation trends. In short, the technology upgrade helps convey Ash‘s energetic personality.

2. Artistic Inspiration from Manga/Anime

Pokémon Sun & Moon draws heavy visual inspiration from popular Japanese manga and anime franchises. Series Director Daiki Tomiyasu is on record citing JoJo‘s Bizarre Adventure as an influence. The poses, facial features, and weirder humor align with the stylizations of contemporary anime.

So Ash‘s look brings him more in line with modern anime protagonists. Combined with wackier expressions enabled by digital animation, his design better matches the anime team’s desired tone. It’s an homage to the culture that created Pokémon itself. This inspiration impacts human characters more than the Pokémon.

3. Comedic Focus Over Technical Accuracy

As a slice-of-life sitcom season, Sun & Moon emphasizes comedy and character moments over battles. So precise proportions or consistent designs carry less importance than expressiveness and fluidity. The team prioritized capturing Ash‘s personality through dynamic reactions over maintaing consistency.

This aligns with animation trends that allow characters to constantly shift forms. As long as key identifying traits remain (Ash’s hat, zigzag cheeks, etc), other aspects can evolve. The design consistency matters less than performance quality.

4. Appealing to a New Generation

After 20 years and many viewers entering their 20s/30s, Pokémon also wants to draw in a new wave of young fans. So Ash‘s redesign helps brand Sun & Moon as a fresh start for newcomers, while maintaining enough key elements for longtime viewers. This allows the anime team more creative liberties in shaping his look.

The new rendering of Ash combined with the Alola region‘s Hawaii-inspired setting creates a vibrant reboot. By easing the transition for new viewers, the hope is they’ll stick with the anime for years to come. There’s a balance between retaining brand familiarity while projecting novelty.

Fan Response to Ash‘s Redesign

As with any major change after decades as a beloved franchise, fan reactions spanned the spectrum from praise to criticism:

  • Many welcomed a long-tenured protagonist getting re-imagined after 20 years to keep things interesting. They found the dynamic facial work a better representation of Ash’s rambunctious personality.

  • Other fans slammed the skinny body proportions as ugly or jarring. Some felt the design strayed too far from key franchise icons like Ash’s classic outfit. They want the mainstay elements like Pokémon battles back in focus.

  • Children fixated less on proportion accuracy with fun colors/patterns being more engaging. The heightened wackiness aligned better with youthful humor. So as a reboot for a new young audience, it succeeded.

  • Lifelong adult fans often prove the hardest to please with change. With nostalgia for early seasons strong, deviations get criticized. But children who grow into adults during this era will likely defend Sun & Moon‘s look.

Despite mixed reactions, Sun & Moon‘s success showed the gamble of an edgier reboot paid off. And now with new anime series Pokémon Ultimate Journeys, Ash’s design has shifted back closer to his classic rendering to please all camps. Ultimately in animation, characters will continue evolving visually across eras. But the spirit of Ash Ketchum perseveres through each iteration!

James K. Dorn, a passionate gamer deeply immersed in the world of video gaming. My journey in gaming is not just about playing; it's about exploring every facet of the games I love. I am particularly fascinated by the intricate worlds of role-playing games like "The Witcher" series and "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim," where every decision shapes the story.

As a strategy game enthusiast, I spend hours devising tactics in games like "Civilization VI" and "StarCraft II," always eager to share my strategies with fellow gamers. I'm also an ardent follower of the ever-evolving landscape of indie games, finding gems like "Hollow Knight" and "Celeste" that offer unique, compelling experiences.

My content isn't just reviews; it's about deep dives into game mechanics, storytelling, and the art of game design. I love dissecting the narratives of games like "The Last of Us" and discussing the innovative gameplay of titles like "Death Stranding."

Being at the forefront of gaming news, I eagerly anticipate and share insights on upcoming releases like the next big open-world adventure or the latest in the "Final Fantasy" series. My goal is to build a community where we not only play games but also appreciate the artistry and effort behind them. Join me in this gaming journey, where every session is an adventure, and every game is a story waiting to be told.

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