My dudes, I need to talk about how fucking on point the atmosphere and symbolism was in todayās EP real quick.
Pokeani isnāt really known for handling mature themes with a lot of grace or finesse, so when I saw this episode it actually really impressed me. Stoutland dying couldāve easily flopped as a intended emotional punch to the viewer but the way it was handled was very well done. Whats especially of note is how they portray that through just visuals and not just words.
The moment Litten wakes up to find Stoutland gone, all the colors in the world are muted, lots of dull, grey tones, a muddy overcast day, probably visual shorthand for Littenās own feelings and how heās dealing with the loss. The rain starts pouring when Litten gives into his anguish. And finally my favorite shot in the episode, just showing Littenās silhouette separated from Ash and Kukuiās by a black void, really says to me itās meant to portray how alone Litten feels, and possibly how powerless Ash and Kukui feel because nothing they can say would help.
Also the tree representing something of a ācountdownā to Stoutlandās death might be a little on the nose, but once again, I appreciate Pokeani dabbling with these kinds of hidden meanings is very welcome, itās showing me how they donāt always need to treat their audience like idiots and have everything spelt out for them and it just simply makes for a more visually engaging experience, so I just have to give them mad props for how well they handled this episodeās subject matter