Serena (Pokémon)
However, Serena's portrayal of romantic feelings towards Ash has also faced criticism for being seen as excessive, especially regarding the kissing scene in the final episode of Pokémon XYZ. Scott Wilson from Sora News 24 wrote that it was "strange to see a kissing scene between Serena and Ash," particularly because Ash himself seemed to be "stuck" at the age of 10 throughout the Pokémon anime, which has been running since 1997. For Pokémon, a show aimed at children, the addition of such a scene was seen as awkward. Similarly, Max Chang from Nextshark stated that the kissing scene between Serena and Ash was the first time that the Pokémon anime felt odd. This was because the producers had always tried to keep the anime pure by avoiding sensitive scenes that wouldn't be suitable for young viewers.