Breathe Together - Pokémon: Paldean Winds Episode 4 Review - The End of the Video Project

Is it weird to tear up from this anime? This final episode of Paldean Winds isn’t even a sad one, yet I still shed some tears. They’re not tears of sadness though, but rather tears of joy. I felt overwhelmed because this finale was the perfect love letter to the Paldea region.

The story for this episode is the final product of the video project. It turns out to be an amazing success, as the main characters were able to accomplish everything they wanted. Ohara got the orchestra and her father to perform the music; Aliquis got his favorite streamer Iono to collaborate for the project; and Hohma managed to make it a success. On top of that, each main character managed to get their own happy ending of sorts too. Ohara realizes how much she likes playing flute and that her dad actually enjoyed conducting for the performance. Aliquis’s brother is coming over, and Aliquis is going to battle him with Meowscarada by his side. Hohma is going to write about Aliquis’s battle with Nemona, but in a way that everyone would enjoy—he requests an interview with him. I’m honestly amazed with the overall level of character development that we've had in such a short mini-series, and that each episode was able to give them the closure they needed for the finale.

The animation in this episode was also very fluid. I especially loved the Iono segment, where she pranced about and even had movement for every Gym Leader she introduced. WIT Studio went all out with this, seriously. Even for smaller segments that show the Pokémon, I can see the care they put into it. I am also plesently surprised with just how much they were able to squeeze in for a 7 minute and 40 second video. They had all the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four and Geeta, Clavell and all the teachers, Nemona, Penny, Carmine and Kieran, DJ G-Rave, and even the faceless player character make an appearance! The only downside was that Arven and Team Star didn’t make an appearance in this episode; though to be fair, Arven had his fair share of screen time in Episode 1, and Team Star had some in Episode 3. I also really loved seeing each portion of Paldea with Pokémon wandering about; I quite liked the scene of Ghimmighoul running towards a chest.

This episode was really the perfect way to end the series. Showing off everything about Paldea was definitely a smart move. The four episodes together showcased so many aspects that Paldea has to offer, and nothing feels too off. There was even some new information that the games have never given us, like how Larry has been working for the Pokémon League for 25 years—him being so exhausted and jaded makes absolute sense now. Just from this mini-series alone, I can tell that Gen 9 will be an unforgettable era.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds in store for future eras of Pokémon. This series was definitely a success, so I am absolutely sure the next generation will have its own mini series as great as this one. It gives me hope for the future. What are your thoughts about this episode and the whole miniseries as a whole?