a review of a pokemon that you dread to make a review of?
(I honestly can't think of any Pokemon I dread to review, or even any reason why I would dread to review a Pokemon. That said, I guess I'll go ahead and do the Drowzee line for this because me actually liking it is probably a Spicy Hot Take in and of itself)
While Drowzee mostly just looks like a tapir, the line is specifically based on the baku, which is a Japanese mythological creature that eats dreams (this same basis would later be revisited for the Munna line). I honestly think that the whole idea of psychic-type 'mons that eat dreams is really neat, especially with some of the biology mentioned in the 'dex—for example, it's been implied that the line is nocturnal or crepuscular.
Drowzee's design is also good. It's based off a Malayan tapir, but instead of being black and white, it's instead a nice bright yellow with brown for contrast. Instead of a saddle, it has half-and-half coloration with a squiggly line dividing the colors, which certainly feels "dreamy", if that makes any sense. It also possesses a delightfully sleazy expression that gives it a very different vibe from most other Pokemon. It's not a complicated design or anything, but it gets its point across well.
I hear a lot of people who get confused about Hypno looking pretty different from Drowzee, but there is a reason for it. The baku was traditionally described as a mix of different animals, including an elephant's head/tusks and the hind paws of a tiger. Because that description matches a tapir, baku in modern times are often depicted as tapirs like Drowzee.
However, Hypno is based on the original baku, the mythical creature, instead of a tapir. It's more humanoid than a regular baku, but it's evident in the long nose, mane, and digitigrade hind legs*. This is neat from a conceptual standpoint, as it gives the line a sense of progression and references both aspects of a baku.
(*Gamefreak frequently changes their mind about Hypno's legs; sometimes it has digitgrade legs with a single pad on each paw, while sometimes it's plantigrade with no pads and a more elongated foot. Recently they seem to have settled on the later, which is a shame because the paws looked far better and referenced the baku more.)
Anyway, Hypno is disliked by a lot of people, but I absolutely love this goblin. It's such a Gen 1 design—nowadays Pokemon designers have stated they try to make Pokemon look friend-shaped, but Hypno is vaguely creepy (and yet extremely silly at the same time). The combo of different visual elements are also interesting, as you have a humanoid 'mon with things like cat ears, paws, and a mane. It's very distinct and nothing else quite looks like it.
Another thing I really like about Hypno is that it has tons of interesting lore surrounding it. It kidnaps people on occasion and is described as "extremely dangerous", but it's also used to help people sleep in hospitals and is used as a treatment for insomnia.
However, there are one or two things about the design that don't work as well as they could. For example, it's a shame it looses the brown accents of Drowzee, as Hypno is very low-contrast in comparison. I could easily see it with brown points on its arms to draw attention to its pendulum, or a few tiger stripes (which baku are sometimes depicted with).
Also, the pendulum itself. Making a 'mon that specializes in hypnosis and then just slapping a literal pendulum in its hand is a very Gen 1-ish way to do things, and I don't mean that in a good way. It's not the worst offender when it comes to 'mons that hold objects, as it does serve a purpose visually (otherwise the hypnosis idea wouldn't be evident in the design), and the pendulum is at least used in its hypnosis. However, at the same time, it's never explain where it gets it from or why it needs to use one when other 'mon that use hypnosis don't.
Here's an interesting redesign that just gives Hypno a tail and then has it swing the tail like a pendulum. It gets the same concept across but in a natural and organic way. If Hypno was created today, this would likely be the direction Gamefreak would've taken it.
#096 Drowzee / #097 Hypno
Drowzee is based on the baku, a Japanese folkloric being known for eating dreams. Baku is also the Japanese name o
Also, as a side note: I would love to see this line get something in the future. The designs are more than plain enough to expand upon, and Hypno itself is incredibly weak outside of Gen 1. I could see a regional working fantastically, but even an evo isn't out of the question. Plus this isn't exactly a popular line, so taking another crack at it couldn't hurt anything.
Anyway, just a neat line overall and definitely enjoyable if you like goblins or weird speculative biology.
