What is wrong with Ash's brain

Well, he doesn't really have social skills. He throws a freaking Pokéball at Iris and I think he screwed up May's bike as well (he should've learnt). I can't remember if Dawn tried to catch Pikachu or Ash tried to catch Piplup, but she was probably the one he go on with the best at the start.

And the fact that he though Iris' purple hair was a green axew, either he is addicted to catching any Pokémon he can or he is colour blind.

I also get the feeling that along with his lack of physically growing up, he doesn't mentally age either. He still looks at everything in a new region with this blank expression on his face and he even has to check what a Pokémon that he has seen in another region is sometimes. Anyone else think Ash should get the Guinness World Record for youngest person with Dementia.

The abandonment issues thing is probably more with Pokémon though, but not past the third season. First episodes he cries when his Butterfree leaves him, but he is perfectly fine leaving every single one of his Pokémon behind when he goes to Hoenn, Sinnoh, or Unova. He doesn't break down in tears when his companions leave.

 

I really don't understand why people look so much into Ash "developing a relationship with a woman": he's 10 years old, 11 at best. Not everything can be a fanfiction love story, and not everything should be.

Quite frankly, all of this is explained by the show being meant for children with expectations of a high turnover rate in viewers, so things get repeated (like Pokédex viewings) and he stays young to be relatable to the target demographic. Call this a cop-out response if you want, but as far as I'm concerned, some things don't require in-depth character trait analysis over time because there was never much going into its creation with respect to that to begin with.

 

That's kind of everything in a nutshell isn't it?o . o Well, basically in my opinion, they didn't make Ash age because of their target audience.

 

This. I've heard theories like maybe he has AS or brain damage or whatever, but sheesh. It's a kid's show, for kids. I don't think we have any right to complain about a show that wasn't made for our age group. We grew up with it, but we can't expect it to grow up, with us.

 

Thank you... This really needed to be said.

I think we can all agree that Ash not aging is annoying, to us older fans. The people who are just getting into Pokémon, or are new the series are the ones that the anime is targeting though. The reason he stays young is to relate to them. Besides that, there are tons of characters that don't age. Peter Pan, Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and many, many more. Why do we pick on Ash for it when so many characters do the same thing? Why can't he just be one of them?

 

I completely agree with Doima. It's ridiculous people ask "Oh what's wrong with Ash blah blah blah". First of all, it's a children's show. The main character isn't going to show much sign of age, if any at all. Why? Because the kids won't notice. Of course the adults who have been there since the beginning will, but the kids won't, and that's who it's aimed at. Kids. Secondly, not every anime needs a romance story, plenty have gone on just fine without incorporating romance as a major plot detail. Lastly, nothing's wrong with Ash. Someone he was close with left him. It's happened to me, it happened to me when I was ten. I'm here without abandonment issues, I'm fine as far as I'm aware.

If anything, Ash is just really, really, REALLY dumb.

 

Tim Duncan never ages, and he is a real person, so why are we picking on Cartoon Characters

 

Perhaps this is why neither Ash nor any other character is funny anymore. I miss the humor.

 

Well, when I was 10 Ash really made me laugh and I thought his stupidity and mistakes were very amusing. I didn't pay attention to how unrealistic he was. Like what's already been said, it's directed at kids and younger children probably find Ash funny. I still think he's funny oops XD He adds humor to the show, I guess; being the main character but completely clueless

 

Ash's stupidity? Well, that's just to add some humor to the show. Nobody would like to watch Pokémon if it was dead serious all the time.

 

If you really want to see Ash growing up, both mentally and physically, getting with a girl, etc., there's plenty of fanfictions out there.
As for what's wrong with Ash's brain? Nothing. He's a static character, so the way he thinks and acts will always be identical. I don't like static characters much, but were he not static, then you'd have to watch countless episodes of Pokémon to understand him fully. He's static so that it's easier to get into the show, the one made to target children as an audience.

 

I have to agree with this, I mean it's a show meant for kids, it doesn't need to be serious.

 

Yeah. I think it's just for the younger ones. Although, some of the things he does goes a bit too far. Kinda makes me want to bang my head against a wall...

 

The only real problem I see with Ash is that he's pretty much like most other 10-year-old boys: ambitious and wanting to do certain things that they either can't or shouldn't.

 

I have to agree with one thing: Ash and Misty were warming up to one another, and that would have been a canon couple *Squeals* He hasn't shown any signs for other girls, but that isn't the point I suppose. Pokeshipping is the close you'll get to him having feelings for someone else! (All you Amourshippers, F*** off xD Seriously, he saved Dawn as well in a movie, and it is one-sided so far.)
Shippings aside, however, it is a kid show. While a smart Ash would be nice, I doubt it would happen. More and more people are getting into Pokémon by the minute, and while it may be annoying that he doesnt age to us older fans of the show, it isn't annoying to the new ones. Sooner or later though, everyone will get tired of it.

 

Is there anything wrong with him? He does make some questionable moves but that's what makes him such a relatable and interesting character. Having the super cool, perfect protagonist just isn't cool!

 

I guess the anime just wants to cater to 10-years of every generation. (Priorities)
It's good that Ash isn't all that perfect, but he could be use a little more awesomeness.
He never had a fully-evolved Water-type starter. Swampert, Samurott or Greninja would be great.
And did he really forget about Pidgeot? He did promise to come back for it.

 

Tje reason people pick on Ash which I don't call it picking but evaluate becaise nature oc the show is nomadic where as all other enties metioned our in potentially static environment. By fact Ash travels and time clearly passes in the show it is iillogical for Ash to not age. And target audience is bull pucky. You want to know whom is really wayching the show 5 year olds and 25-30 yr olds cause we are dumbly still waiting for the show to conclude and foro ur hopes to come true. Also what does target audience hwve to do with protavnist ahe didly squat. Now to answer the orgnial question nothing is wrong with Ash's brain it was made clear from start other then Pokémon relate stuff Ash and Misty are kind of dumb. Wen May was introduced she joined that nitche to pretty quickly.and reason he shows no kntrest in getting close to another girl cause he knows on some level he has Misty and they so keep in touch off screen as Ash is not one to loose conact with his good friends and Mistygot title of best best friend by Ash. Ash does value ffriendship even if they have to be apart. I sight dp buizel your way out and Misty lure you so know he snuck down after Dawn was asleep and called Misty and told her everything when he was at the Pokémon center. And something tells me Brock probably wasn't truly asleep but chose not o make fuss about Ash doing what he was doing ir say anything. That is my opinion.

 

He's 10 years old, whether you agree with that or not that's what canon states. He has bigger priorities right now than trying to get some. Hell I'm 18 and I have bigger worries than seeking a relationship.
And as for the no girl coming as close to him as Misty, that one is highly subjective but that's just me.