#(And I'm Having All Koushiros Feelings)

[koushirouizumi]

M E, Koushiro Fan: Good morning to 2020!Koushiro and 2020!Koushiro oNLY

[ashxketchum]

They uploaded the video where Agumon, Gabumon, Veemon and Wormon will call out names of fans and look! We get a glimpse at Taichi, Yamato, Daisuke and Ken's rooms!

You know what this means? It's time for a certified Ayushi breakdown 🫡

There is so much blue in Taichi's room hahaha (taiyama win!), the soccer magazines + jump manga reference is so on point. And he has so many bags! Taichi why do you need so many backpacks, one for every outfit? 😆 THE DUMBBELLS THO my boy is working out to maintain that body we got a glimpse of in Tri 😌 The whistle hanging on the wall is also a nice touch, is it Hikari's whistle from when they were kids? 🥹 Or even if it's not, I'd like to imagine a scenario where Taichi helps Hikari with her kindergarten schoolwork occasionally by coaching football to the little kids in his free time! Can you imagine him running around with little kids who are about as tall as the football itself 🤣 I tried to zoom in to figure out what the magazine on his desk is for, and I could make out the word Nakano, so maybe it's just something he picked up on his way home (maybe he lives around Nakano?) since it looks slightly crumpled too, like it was shoved in his bag in a rush. His phone (and is that a wallet?) feel pretty standard. He is the only one who doesn't have a lamp on his desk + has some kind of reminder post-its stuck to his desktop, maybe he's not so good with passwords? Koushiro probably always lectures him about this every time he visits.

Now let's talk about Yamato, FIRST OF ALL I WILL SCREAM ABOUT THE KOD TSHIRT! HE STILL WEARS IT! I'M CRYING RIGHT NOW!!! And then his guitars because I swear I did a one hour deep dive trying to figure out the brand and model and I think they're both Fender (an expensive brand I would say) which once again makes me wonder how much money does the TakaIshi family has for their sons to have expensive, bikes, cars and guitars. TO TOP IT OFF Yamato is definitely an Apple bitch too like look at that monitor and keyboard, that's Mac and his phone is very clearly Iphone. Now his room follows a very warm, muted tones of black and brown. We can spot some music related magazines on his shelf and a big, plain tote bag on the ground (see Taichi one big bag should be enough 🤣) which looks like something he uses for grocery shopping. Yamato is the only one who doesn't have a wheelie computer chair, but rather a wooden one. Now whether he did this to follow the aesthetic of the room (highly likely) or because he doesn't actually spend a lot of time in this space is something we can all think about. He has a framed portrait or photo(?) up on the wall and I did consider him more of a framed art guy over a poster guy always so this is good to see too. Also nice to note that on his desk, he has THE HARMONICA 😭 And the same Jump issue that Taichi has on his shelf! His room is honestly a lot like how I imagined it to be in terms of the furniture and colours so I'm very happy with this sneak peek!

I am not qualified to comment on Daisuke and Ken's rooms, so will leave that to 02 fans!

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x49 - Farewell, Numemon / The Crest of Light

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Needing to fund their war campaign with ad revenue, Taichi went on a mission to acquire Brand Name Pharmaceuticals while Koushiro learned a valuable lesson about Brand Name VPN services. Furious that they were doing this in the middle of his sub-arc, Mugendramon shot them many times with bullets and ad-blockers, plunging them into a dark abyss.

Fun language note: The Japanese language has a number of ways to say goodbye to someone. The "farewell" in the title is さらば saraba, which is an archaic way of saying a solemn, final goodbye to someone that you expect to never see again.

So. Y'know. That's pretty tone-setting, right there.

Now, the remaining children in the war party have been separated into two groups and plunged into "an abyss where darkness rules".

With only the sound of water droplets echoing through a vast sewage chamber, Hikari slowly comes to. Takeru and Tailmon are with her, watching over her. No sign of Patamon, Sora, or Piyomon, however.

Hikari's been laid out on a makeshift bed of leaves, using Takeru's backpack for a pillow. She wakes up slowly, starting to sit up.

Hikari: I.... Takeru: You're awake! Tailmon: Hikari! Hikari: (fully sits up) Takeru-kun... Tailmon.... I.... Tailmon: How do you feel?

Hikari raises her hand to her forehead, checking her own temperature.

Hikari: My fever has gone down. I'm feeling a lot better, too. Tailmon: You were asleep for a long time. I suppose that must have helped you recover. Hikari: Where are the others?

Takeru and Tailmon suddenly look sad, neither answering the question.

In the dub, Gatomon and T.K. quip over the establishing shots of Kari and the sewers. They also use soft, gentle background music to soothe the ominous and unsettling vibe of the original.

The original does have gentle background music once Hikari comes around, but the dub skips the ominous silence and water droplets, and just plays the tension-relieving tunes from the get-go.

Gatomon: How long do humans usually sleep when they're sick, T.K.? T.K.: (cheerful) It's tough to say for sure, Gatomon, but I'd guess anywhere between eight hours and eight years, give or take a minute or so! Gatomon: Wow! Then considering how high her fever is, we'd better get comfortable. T.K.: I wish one of the older kids were here. I bet they'd know how to wake her up. Gatomon: You'll think of something, T.K. (Kari begins to stir) Gatomon: See! I knew you'd think of something! T.K.: I'm still not sure that woke her.

From here, Kari opens her eyes and starts to get up, and the original script begins.

(Kari opens her eyes and starts to get up) Kari: Huh!? T.K.: I could be wrong! Gatomon: Hi, Kari! Kari: (fully sits up) Hit the snooze button... one more time. Please? T.K.: You've slept enough! How do you feel? (Kari takes her own temperature) Kari: I think my fever's gone. So, how long was I asleep for? Gatomon: Let's just say that when you fell asleep, I had nine lives and now I'm down to only three. Kari: Where is everybody?

The dub's going a gag a minute, with even Kari quipping the second she wakes up.

Takeru and Tailmon don't answer Hikari's question, but the flapping of wings soon heralds a return.

Takeru: They're back! Tailmon: Maybe they found someone!

Sora, Piyomon, and Patamon slowly emerge out of the darkness of the sewer.

Hikari: Sora-san! Sora: (surprised) Hikari-chan! What a relief that you're awake! Takeru: What about Taichi-san's group? Sora: (shakes head) They weren't anywhere around here.

Hikari flashes back on the fall, when they all plunged into the abyss.

Hikari: ONII-CHAAAAAAAAAN!!! Taichi: HIKARIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!

Then we return to the present.

Sora: Taichi and Koushiro-kun must have landed somewhere else. Hikari: Onii-chan....

The abyss where darkness rules must have taken them somewhere else. Yes, I'm still stuck on that. We are in a sewer. I am a little baffled.

In the dub:

T.K.: Hey! I hear Patamon! Gatomon: I wonder if he's found anyone? (Sora, Patamon, and Biyomon return) T.K.: Who's that with Patamon? Gatomon: It's Biyomon! Kari: And Sora! Sora: Kari! You're awake! You look so much better! Kari: Have you seen Tai and the others? Sora: (shakes head) Mm-mm. I looked everywhere but couldn't find them. (Flashback) Kari: HELP ME TAIIIIIIII!!! Tai: KARIIIIIIIII!!! (End Flashback) Sora: My guess is that when we all fell, Tai and Izzy landed somewhere else. Kari: I hope they're alright. T.K.: Don't worry, Kari.

In the original, only Hikari is surprised to see Sora return. This is because she was unconscious for a lot of the previous episode and doesn't really know how the teams divvied up.

The dub seems to imply that Sora and Biyomon came down separately from Takeru, Hikari, and their Digimon. Patamon successfully found Sora and Biyomon, instead of Patamon, Sora, and Piyomon failing to find anyone.

While Hikari frets over the fate of her brother, Sora suddenly remembers something.

Sora: Oh, that's right! Look, Piyomon found this.

Sora holds up the medicine bottle that Taichi and Koushiro recovered from the hospital. She places it in Hikari's hands.

Sora: This must be the medicine that Taichi went and found for you, Hikari-chan. Piyomon: This place is like a maze. But if we all search together, we're sure to find the others! Takeru: Hey, cheer up! Hikari: (smiles) Yeah... I will ganbaru and search for him. (affectionately) After all, I am Onii-chan's little sister.

As a reminder, ganbaru is the Japanese cultural value of persevering and overcoming intense hardship through hard work and dutiful rigor.

I have questions about how the medicine bottle, which was in Taichi's left hand while they were falling, somehow landed near Sora's crew instead of Taichi's.

Also, good thing it wasn't made of glass.

But the important thing is that it's in Hikari's possession. She may now begin wildly guessing the correct dosage of a prescription medication. One for which we only have Koushiro's best estimation on whether it's even right for her, based on a spreadsheet he found on Mugendramon's network.

...good luck, Hikari!

In the dub:

Sora: Oh, I almost forgot! Look what Biyomon found! (Sora holds up the medicine bottle) Sora: I'm sure it's the medicine that Tai went to find for you. (Sora gives the bottle to Kari) Sora: Why don't you keep it in case your fever comes back. You can use it as a reminder of how much Tai loves you. Biyomon: This place has a lot of twists and turns to it. I'm sure if we all look together, we'll have no problem finding the others. T.K.: Right! We'll work as a team! Kari: (smiles) Yeah! I'll try to be strong enough to help too. (affectionately) After all, Tai would do the same for me.

Dub Sora advises Kari to use the medicine bottle as an emotional security blanket, and also to hang onto it in case the fever returns - Telling her anything but to take the medication right now, which is probably well advised if we're being honest.

A best guess dosage of a best guess medicine is the kind of thing you should only do as a last resort. The last thing we want is for this to become Taichi's anecdote of "The other time my enthusiasm accidentally almost-killed my sister."

T.K. also has something a bit more useful to say than, "Hey, cheer up!"

From here, Sora's team begins exploring the catacombs.

Hikari: This place contains the underground areas of every city in the world? Patamon: That's what Sora-san said. Sora: That's my best explanation.

Okay, so there is more to the abyss where darkness rules than a sewer system. Mugendramon's domain is all of the cities and urban structures in the world, and so it makes sense that all subterranean areas such as sewers and subways would fall into his jurisdiction as well.

Suddenly, Sora faintly hears a rumbling sound from nearby wheels being turned.

Sora: Stop! Group: Huh? Sora: Quiet. Do you hear something?

The group falls silent. The sound becomes audible; A low, nearby rumbling.

Sora: Listen. What is that? Takeru: It's coming from over there. Sora: Let's take a look.

In the dub, Sora presents her assessment herself so they can keep quipping about it.

Sora: This place is like a museum of the famous sewer systems of the world! Gatomon: I'll pass on the odor exhibits. Patamon: Haha! Too late for that! (rumbling sound) Sora: Stop! Group: Huh? Sora: Listen. Do you guys hear something? (rumbling sound becomes audible) T.K.: Yeah! I can hear it now too! Kari: What do you think it could be? Sora: I don't know, but... it sounds like it's coming from over there! Let's take a look!

Dub Sora refers to the place as a "museum of sewer systems", but we're clearly in a subway terminal judging by all the destination everywhere, so there's more going on there.

The phrase used here is 世界中の街の地下 sekaijuu no machi no chika. It's using 世界中 sekaijuu, meaning "around the world", as an adjective to modify 街 machi, city, which is itself an adjective to modify 地下 underground.

The subs, I should note, also err here and translate it as "all the world's subway systems". Like "museum of the sewer systems of the world", this too is too limited. It's close, but subway is 地下鉄 chikatetsu, adding on the word 鉄 tetsu which means iron. A subway is "underground iron".

(But most people just call it the メトロ metro).

There is no 鉄 tetsu in this line, nor does 下水道 gesuido for "sewer" make an appearance. Sora's theory is not so specific, and contains both. This place they're in is a composite of all of the subterranean urban spaces from around the globe, just like how the city above was a composite of all the above-ground cities.

Uh. Before Plan Z turned it into a parking lot.

Following the rumbling sound, Sora and the others make their way into a deep chamber where Numemon slaves are being whipped and forced to work.

Those collars seem like they would slide right off, but I guess it's hard to put a shackle on a ball of sludge.

A cruel, black version of Monzaemon cracks his whip, yelling at the Numemon to work harder.

Black Teddy: WORK!!! (crack) WORK!!! (crack) WORK, ALL OF YOU!!! Numemon may be weak to sunlight, but down here you serve as the power source for all of Spiral Mountain's urban areas, which Mugendramon controls! Work and work until you DIE!!! (crack)

That's not a very nice teddy bear. Surprisingly eager to share flat exposition with his slaves, though.

Y'know, working slaves to death in a world where the reincarnation village has been destroyed and no new Digimon may ever be born again is incredibly shortsighted. The self-destructive practice of unsustainable consumption is alive and well in the Metal Empire, it seems.

Up on the scaffolding above, Hikari watches with shock and horror; Her eyes glistening with unshed tears. We close in on her for a moment, then cut to a wider shot of the group.

Takeru: Isn't that... Monzaemon? Patamon: That is not Monzaemon! It's WaruMonzaemon! Sora: WaruMonzaemon?

WaruMonzaemon is a Perfect-stage Virus-type Puppet Digimon. His name comes from the addition of 惡 waru meaning evil, wicked, bad, etc. onto Monzaemon.

Like Gigadramon, WaruMonzaemon is another recolor created for the Digimon World video game to shore up its enemy roster. They would later join the Metal Empire lineup of V-Pets as the other Virus Perfect, next to Megadramon.

(There's also a WaruSeadramon recolor of MegaSeadramon for the same reason, though that one's pretty obscure outside Digimon World.)

WaruMonzaemon is also the teddy bear stuffy that MetalEtemon has on his person. Fun fact, according to V-Pet lore, both Monzaemon and WaruMonzaemon are actually disguises for a mysterious Digimon lurking within. They're both basically the Pokemon Mimikyu. In fact, you can see the true inhabitant's eye peeking out of WaruMonzaemon's belly.

Narrator: WaruMonzaemon. A Puppet Digimon with a fiendish face, it looks similar to Monzaemon but is completely different! His personality is pure evil! His special attack is Heartbreak Attack! Piyomon: So he's working for Mugendramon now.... Sora: He must be part of the Metal Empire Army.

I have no idea where Sora could possibly have learned the name Metal Empire Army. After all that script-reading the Dub Kids did back in the Etemon arc to learn the Crest names, I guess it's Original Sora's turn now.

The way Patamon and Piyomon recognize WaruMonzaemon seems to imply that he's originally from File Island, which is an interesting detail.

Come to think of it, the Numemon from Cockatrimon's ship didn't seem to have a problem with sunlight. That detail only applied to the File Island ones. I... I guess these are those Numemon specifically.

In the dub:

Black Teddy: WORK!!! (crack) WORK!!! (crack) KEEP WORKING OR ELSE!!!

The dub uses the shadow of WaruMonzaemon whipping the slaves as a good time to take its first commercial break. When we return, it replays that scene, so I guess WaruMonzaemon continued whipping them throughout the Arby's ads and toy commercials.

WaruMonzaemon: (crack) I SAID WORK (crack) YOU LAZY NUMEMON!!! (crack) You slimy Numemon make me sick! If you didn't have such a weakness to sunlight, we wouldn't have to keep you working underground to power Machinedramon's city on Spiral Mountain! You deserve to live in the sewers! Now get back to work before I really get mad! (crack) T.K.: Isn't that Monzaemon? What happened to him!? He used to be so cuddly! Patamon: That's not Monzaemon, T.K.; That's WaruMonzaemon! Biyomon: (rundown) Monzaemon was sweet and cute, but WaruMonzaemon is about as cuddly as a porcupine. His Bear Paw will give you heartburn, along with his Heartbreak Attack. Kari: Big meanie! Biyomon: He's torturing those poor Numemon down there! Sora: How can one kind of puppet Digimon be so nice while another can be so evil?

Dub WaruMonzaemon's awkward exposition is slightly less flat than the original's, but both are pretty glaring.

Unsurprisingly, they also tone down "Keep working until you die" to "Get back to work before I get mad".

I like the way they play up T.K.'s surprise and confusion over "Monzaemon" being a cruel slavedriver now.

From the scaffolding, Hikari watches with tears in her eyes.

WaruMonzaemon: (to the Numemon) What's wrong? Don't slack off now! Hikari: The Numemon... are so scared....

True to her name, Hikari closes her eyes and begins to glow. She passes out, with Sora catching her as her body goes slack.

Tailmon: Hikari! Sora/Takeru: Hikari-chan! / Are you okay!?

Unconscious though she is, Hikari glows brighter and brighter. Her light becoming impossible to miss, the Numemon below look up from their work stations and take notice. They leave their workstations, drawn in by the light.

In the dub:

WaruMonzaemon: I've been too hard on you guys. You need a break. OKAY BREAK'S OVER!!! Kari: If we had... more power.... (Kari passes out and starts glowing) Sora: KARI!!! Biyomon/Takeru: What happened!? / Did she get sick again!?

Small tonal shift: Following the tradition of the dub kids being more aggressive, seeing what's being done here makes Hikari break down with empathy for the suffering Numemon and makes Kari immediately want to throw hands at their slavedriver.

Of course, all this attention from the Numemon is going to draw attention from one other person as well.

WaruMonzaemon: What the hell? WHY AREN'T YOU WORKING!?!? (crack crack)

Despite WaruMonzaemon's whipcracks, the Numemon remain transfixed on the great light emanating from the corner of the room. It takes WaruMonzaemon a moment to realize what's happening, but then he sees it too.

WaruMonzaemon: Huh? (casually) Oh, you did this. Team: (collective gasp) Sora: We have to run! (The kids bolt through the doorway) WaruMonzaemon: COME BACK HERE!!!

It takes WarMonzaemon a moment to process the odd encounter, but he gets there. Waving his whip furiously in the air, he pursues the children. He leaps up onto the scaffolding and smashes through the doorway, leaving a comical bear-shaped imprint as he passes.

Once the light is gone, the Numemon all slouch in disappointment and despair. But then it returns, slowing filling the room again. On the other side of the bear hole, tucked away to the left of where everyone else went, the light begins to emerge.

Tailmon helps Hikari walk back into the room, holding one paw up to her lips to urge the Numemon to silence. Staring transfixed at Hikari's light, they all nod quietly in unison.

Hikari: Tailmon... I'll be okay. Free the Numemon... please.... Tailmon: I will.

In the dub:

WaruMonzaemon: What's going on here!? Get back to work! (crack crack) (WaruMonzaemon finally notices) WaruMonzaemon: Huh? The DigiDestined? Team: (collective gasp) Sora: He knows we're here! (The kids bolt through the doorway) WaruMonzaemon: SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED!!! Sora: RUN!!! WaruMonzaemon: AND HERE THEY ARE NOW!!! (Kari returns) Numemon: (chanting) Kari, Kari.... Kari?: Gatomon, please leave me here. I need to free the Numemon from their chains. Do you understand? Gatomon: ...I guess so...?

WaruMonzaemon makes a gag reference to Goldilocks and the Three Bears to try and lift the tone, similar to the "Time for a break BREAK'S OVER" joke from earlier. The dub is playing him as "monstrous, but still kinda silly" which is absolutely the correct take on WaruMonzaemon. He's Daffy Duck doing war crimes.

I mean, the silliness should be apparent from the fact that he made a Wile E. Coyote hole when he chased the kids through the door. He's a giant teddy bear who's cruelly whipping slaves; There's inherently going to be a dash of absurdity mixed in with the atrocity. That's unavoidable.

Once WaruMonzaemon departs, the dub deviates wildly from script.

Rather than being shushed, the Numemon are chanting Kari's name with religious zeal. This isn't really a plot shift so much as jumping the gun. The Numemon are going to start doing that, but only after a scene cut which presumably gives them time to learn her name.

More glaring is the part where suddenly Homeostasis returns!? At least, that's what seems to be happening. Kari suddenly starts talking in full sentences, ignoring her weariness and using the Deep Homeostasis Voice from the backstory episode. Meanwhile, Gatomon is utterly lost about what's happening and reacts as if Kari's not herself.

Something similar happens to Hikari later in the episode, where she begins talking in this booming echo - which is not the voice Homeostasis used but a different effect. However, the way the dub tweaks Kari's lines to make her seem possessed as well as giving her the same deep voice effect really makes it feel like Homeostasis has returned.

I don't think that's what they're going for here. But they make what's happening to Kari very confusing.

Meanwhile, in what is now clearly the distraction for a plan quickly formed.

Sora: (blows raspberries) Come and get us! WaruMonzaemon: YOU LITTLE PUNKS!!!

Yeah, the tonal whiplash hits hard right here. But that's because we've lured WaruMonzaemon into a deadly trap.

Piyomon: PIYOMON SHINKAAAAAA Piyomon: BIRDRA...mon...? Patamon: PATAMON SHINKAAAAAA Patamon: (weakly) Angemon...?

They play the evolution stock footage but then reverse the footage and dump them back out in their Child forms midway through, with a goofy "running out of fuel" effect. Well.

I guess the trap's on us now.

Sora: You might not have enough energy! Takeru: Sora-san, what do we do now? Sora: DON'T STOP RUNNING, THAT'S WHAT!!!

Unfortunately, that plan is doomed too. Sora's group soon finds themselves at a dead end. WaruMonzaemon closes in on them, cackling proudly to himself. He punches the air, showing off for funsies before the real fight begins.

In the dub:

Sora: (blows raspberries) Catch us if you can, you big throw rug! WaruMonzaemon: I'LL GET YOU!!! Biyomon: Biyomon, DIGIVOLVE TO.... Biyomon: Hey, what just happened? Patamon: Patamon, DIGIVOLVE TO.... Patamon: Wait a second, I'm still me. Sora: You guys must be low on energy! T.K.: What do we do now, Sora? Sora: RUNNING COMES TO MIND!!!

Dub WaruMonzaemon makes over-the-top martial arts kiai noises when punching the air. The kind you do when you're pretending to know kung fu, rather than real ones.

This is basically perfect. There are some differences in the aborted evolution sequence, with both having their advantages.

I like the way the original 'mons verbally try to finish the evolution as if they had successfully evolved. Piyomon takes a moment to realize it didn't work, while Patamon just sort of... weakly tries to will Angemon into happening.

That said, the original kinda gives away the gag from the start when it plays silly comedy music over the evolutions, rather than something like starting up Show Me Your Brave Heart and failing. The dub uses their standard evolution rendition of the opening credits theme, only to have it fizzle out as the evolutions fail.

Once he's warmed up, WaruMonzaemon strikes with his Bear Claw attack.

It does not go well. He is very big, and the children merely duck under his legs and then run for it.

Team: RUN AWAY!!! WaruMonzaemon: Hey!

WaruMonzaemon tries to chase them. However. There is the matter of his epic Bear Claw attack... which is now firmly embedded in the wall.

WaruMonzaemon: WAIT FOR ME!!!

Climbing up onto the wall, he uses his whole body weight to free his claw. Unfortunately, physics take over when his claw comes loose. He launches himself backwards onto his shoulders and begins tumbling head over foot - soon gaining speed and becoming an unstoppable rolling object, futilely voicing protestations for what momentum is doing to him..

WaruMonzaemon: ABUGPABUPHBAPHUG Piyomon: (eyes glittering with delight) Sora! I'm flying! I've never flown this fast before! Patamon: (eyes glittering with delight) Takeru! I am too! SUCH INCREDIBLE SPEED!!!

Cut to Sora putting those soccer skills to work, carrying Takeru in one arm and pulling Piyomon with the other.

Sora: BOTH OF YOU!!! THERE IS NO UPSIDE HERE!!!

This is all meant to be extremely silly.

The dub keeps the name Bear claw.

Sora: Watch out! Let's get out of here! WaruMonzaemon: WAIT!!! (WaruMonzaemon tries to pursue, but he's stuck) WaruMonzaemon: Lend me a hand! LITERALLY!!! (WaruMonzaemon becomes unstuck but starts rolling) WaruMonzaemon: It's time to play Bowling for DigiDestined! Biyomon: (eyes glittering with delight) Sora, something wonderful is happening to me! I've never been able to fly this fast before! Patamon: (eyes glittering with delight) Me too! Watch me go! FASTER!!! THAN!!! A JET!!! Sora: I don't care what you're faster than, as long as you're faster than a gigantic rolling teddy bear!

Weirdly, they seem to play the WaruMonzaemon boulder seriously. In the original, he makes angry flopping noises while he's rolling. He's clearly no happier about this than Sora is. The dub makes it into a purposeful attack he's throwing.

Biyomon and Patamon are still being silly, but Sora's punchline is cut down to her simply describing the ugly situation they're in.

Dub WaruMonzaemon, for his part, is still doing stand-up comedy.

Meanwhile, Tailmon has succeeded in freeing the Numemon. I imagine it wasn't hard; Those shackles look like they'd slide right off if someone had the height and dexterity to simply lift them up off and over the eye stalks.

Gathered together in what is clearly a church, the Numemon bow in supplication to their savior, chanting her name.

Numemon: Hikari-sama.... Hikari-sama.... Hikari-sama....

Hikari's glow slowly recedes while the Numemon chant her name. Tailmon looks up at her.

Tailmon: (thinking) The Numemon are... making Hikari their ruler.... Numemon: Hikari-sama... Hikari-sama... Hikari-sama....

Hikari smiles down pleasantly at Tailmon, while the confused Digimon struggles to process what is happening.

Then a door on the upper level flies open. Sora and the others spill into the room, falling from above and landing on the Numemon crowd. Even the fliers faceplant into gross Numemon bodies.

(Piyomon, I can understand. Sora dragged Piyomon down with her. But nobody was holding Patamon. He did that by himself. He wanted to be included in the team activity.)

Group/Sora: Hikari!? / Hikari-chan!?

In the dub:

Numemon: Queen Kari... Queen Kari... Queen Kari... Gatomon: (gasp) The Numemon... think you're... their queen.... Numemon: Queen Kari... Queen Kari... Queen Kari... (Sora and the others spill into the room) Sora: ...Kari? Numemon: Queen Kari, Queen Kari. Group: Huh!? Queen Kari!?

The dub uses the Queen Kari bit to set up a funny gag, leaving Sora's team as baffled as Gatomon. Well played.

Unfortunately, Sora's group is not alone. WaruMonzaemon enters the room shortly after her - albeit unsure of his bearings.

WaruMonzaemon: (finally upright) Hold on... eh? N-Numemon!? What are you dipshits doing in here!?

WaruMonzaemon refers to the Numemon as 手前達 temae-tachi. In the Japanese language, where second-person pronouns are to be used sparingly as they can be considered rude, 手前 is basically the most rude second-person pronoun. (With 達 -tachi doing its typical job as a pluralizing modifier.)

You wouldn't really use it... in any context, really, outside of anime. It's just an angry, mean, vulgar way of saying "you", when there are plenty of other pronouns you could use instead .

WaruMonzaemon: What the--!? Wait, that can't... Oh, shit! WHO TOOK OFF THE NUMEMON'S CHAINS!?!? Hikari: That... was me.... Group/Sora: Hikari! / Hikari-chan! WaruMonzaemon: You little bitch! Numemon: PROTECT HIKARI-SAMA!!!

More fun with Japanese vulgarities! WaruMonzaemon calls Hikari 野郎 yarou. Which is basically the most vulgar thing you can call someone. There is no particular nuance or context with yarou, it is just an extremely offensive and insulting thing to say to another person.

Between that, 手前 temae, and the 糞 kuso he dropped in there as well, WaruMonzaemon has a bit of a potty mouth.

The Numemon, determined to protect her, dogpile on WaruMonzaemon. He swings his claws wildly, trying to defend himself from the Numemon swarm.

WaruMonzaemon: What do you think you're doing!? Hikari: Numemon.... (faints) Tailmon: (catches Hikari) Hikari! WaruMonzaemon: (fighting the Numemon) Hey! Numemon: PROTECT HIKARI-SAMA!!! WaruMonzaemon: WaruMonzaemon-sama is not about to succumb to some pitiful Numemon!

Despite the Numemon's best efforts... they remain Numemon. WaruMonzaemon powers through their assault until every last one of the attacking Numemon has been broken and laid out before him.

In the dub:

WaruMonzaemon: I'm back! Hahahahahaha! Hey, you Numemon, what are you doing out here!? Isn't it time for your flogging? (The Numemon turn furiously on WaruMonzaemon) WaruMonzaemon: Don't just sit there staring! Get back to work! ...hey! Who cut your chains off? Kari?: (steps forward) I did. Got a problem? Sora: Kari, no! WaruMonzaemon: YOU'RE THROUGH!!! (The Numemon lunge, saying nothing) WaruMonzaeomon: Get off of me, you green blobs of sludge! I'll beat the stuffing out of you! Kari?: Numemon.... (faints) Gatomon: (catches Kari) Kari! WaruMonzaemon: (fighting the Numemon) YOU REALLY THINK YOU HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST ME!?!? Numemon: (continue attacking, saying nothing) WaruMonzaemon: Come on, give it your best shot! This is easier than swatting Digi-Flies!

I don't know, man. I've seen the size of the Digital World's bugs.

Unsurprisingly, Dub WaruMonzaemon does not cuss out an eight-year-old.

Kari is still speaking in her Homeostasis voice even after the bright glow has left her.

As with the rolly ball incident, the dub strips out some of the nuance of WaruMonzaemon's competency. In the original, he honestly seemed freaked out and taken aback when he realized the Numemon were free. As if, despite his subsequent bluster, he's sincerely afraid of a slave revolt.

A bee may be relatively harmless to most people, but a thousand bee stings is something to be feared. He wins the fight, but it's still a terrifying prospect to have to fight it.

Dub WaruMonzaemon, on the other hand, remains cool and in control of the situation all the way throughout.

Either way, with the last of the attacking Numemon down, the revolution is over.

Wait, no, it's not. What the shit is this?

WaruMonzaemon winds up to finish off the piled up Numemon. Not a special attack; He winds up his right paw, the teddy bear paw that doesn't have a huge claw attached to it.

WaruMonzaemon: Ehehe... This is the end! Hikari: (opens her eyes) ...Numemon....

Suddenly, Hikari begins to glow again, blinding WaruMonzaemon. Her light blinds WaruMonzaemon, forcing him to stumble back until he reaches the wall.

WaruMonzaemon: Ack! What is this light!? Tailmon: Hikari!

While Show Me Your Brave Heart starts up, the Numemon are all rejuvenated by Hikari's light and stand back up. They're not the only ones.

Piyomon: It's surging inside me! Patamon: The power is overflowing!

Hikari's light not only super-evolves Tailmon into Angewomon, it also restores all of the Numemon's strength and evolves Patamon and Piyomon into Angemon and Birdramon for good measure.

With Show Me Your Brave Heart, which is typically cued up by an evolution, instead beginning when Hikari starts to glow. Just to drive home that this is that energy. The same sacred light that typically emanates from the Digivices, pouring directly out of Hikari's body.

In the dub, WaruMonzaemon calls his soft teddy-paw punch as Heartbreak Attack despite it just being a normal punch.

WaruMonzaemon: DAAAAAAAAUGH!!! WHERE'S THAT LIGHT COMING FROM!?!? Gatomon: KARI!?!? WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!? I'M SURGING WITH ENERGY!!! QUICK, GET ME A SCRATCHING POST!!!

Only Gatomon reacts to Kari's surging light, which causes us to lose the context that it's Kari prompting Patamon and Piyomon's evolutions here.

(Which is probably why those two only go to Adult. Hikari's unfiltered sacred light can stand in for the Digivices, those are universal, but she can't stand in for their individual Crests.)

Similarly, without the musical cue of Show Me Your Brave Heart starting up as the Numemon begin rising back up again, it might not be as readily apparent that they aren't just getting a second wind; She's flooding them with sacred energy too.

This all feeds back into what Homeostasis was saying; That the power comes from the children. WaruMonzaemon demands to know "What is this hikari?" and the question is the answer. It's Hikari.

Her light, her hikari, the light channeled by the Sacred Devices and the Crests, is filling every Digimon in the room with power.

WaruMonzaemon blinks for a moment; His back against the wall. But then he resolves himself to fight them all anyway.

It does not go well.

WaruMonzaemon: N-No big deal. I'll put you all to work!

WaruMonzaemon's bravado lasts right up until they start shooting. Once Meteor Wing, Heaven's Knuckle, and Holy Arrow are all coming his way, he panics and flees the room. He shuts the door behind him, trying to bar it, but the three converging shots blow the door off its hinges and send him flying.

As WaruMonzaemon soars, he lets out an agonized scream like a death cry, though we do not see him pixelate; He's merely blasted offscreen.

Once WaruMonzaemon is gone, Hikari picks up one of the injured Numemon. Sora does the same. This time, when Hikari speaks, her voice does have a vocal effect. It's not the voice of Homeostasis but something different; A sort of booming echo reverberating her words.

Hikari: Are you okay, Numemon? Sora's Numemon: (perks up and starts squiggling) Nume! Nume Nume Nume! Sora: Ehehehe! This one's so full of energy! Hikari's Numemon: Thank you, Hikari-sama. Hikari: I'm glad you're okay.

Out of nowhere, Hikari begins to glow even more brightly.

Takeru: Ah! Hikari-chan's light!

Yes, that line does sound as redundant as you probably expect. XD It's ヒカリちゃんのひかりが Hikari-chan no hikari ga!

(If you're wondering why you can't find two instances of the same letter set in that sentence, it's because Japan has three separate written languages. Hikari's name is spelled in katakana since it's a proper noun but the word hikari is in hiragana. They're ヒカリ and ひかり respectively. There is also the kanji 光 for hikari.)

The light shines out through the doorway behind where Birdramon was standing a moment ago.

Hikari: The light will guide us. Takeru: Maybe if we follow the light, we'll find Taichi-san's group! Sora: Yeah. Hikari-chan, we'll trust your light to guide our way.

From there, the Chosen Children set out, following the course that the light has provided them.

In the dub:

WaruMonzaemon: Uh-oh. (blink blink) Oh, ganging up, huh!? I'll put you to work too! What do you think of that!? (The Partners shoot; WaruMonzaemon flees behind the door.) WaruMonzaemon: That should keep them out! (explosion) WAAAAAUGH!!! (Hikari and Sora pick up Numemon.) Kari?: No more chains, Numemon. Sora's Numemon: (dances and makes non-specific happy noises) Sora: Ehehe! They're cute when they're not so slimy. Kari's Numemon: I love you, Queen Kari! Kari?: You're sweet. (Kari sets down the Numemon and glows brighter) T.K.: That light again! Look at it! Kari?: My light will guide us towards the others. T.K.: Don't look at me but I think it's like this night light I used to have that guided me towards the bathroom. Sora: Oh. Well, Kari, I hope your light doesn't run out of batteries.

Here is where I'm pretty sure that what the dub's been going for with Kari is the same as the original. She's not supposed to be doing Homeostasis voice, but Hikari Booming With Light voice. They just... had her start doing it a lot sooner, weirding out Gatomon and making her seem possessed. And also the two voices are really similar.

The original keeps Hikari's normal speaking voice up until this scene, building up to it so it's more evident that this is just Hikari's power manifesting. This is basically her Crest Episode, since she didn't really get one due to being a late-comer.

(As a kid, I really did think this was Homeostasis coming back.)

While the children take their leave, the still-breathing WaruMonzaemon reports back to Mugendramon.

WaruMonzaemon: (whining and crying) Mugendramon-sama! Mugendramon-samaaaaaaa! Mugendramon: WaruMonzaemon. What is it? WaruMonzaemon: The Chosen Children and their Digimon are here! Mugendramon: They're in your area? WaruMonzaemon: (still whining) I bravely stood up to them because I wanted to make Mugendramon-sama happy but then they beat me up. Mugendramon: YOU IDIOT!!! Why didn't you report in to me first and tell me that you'd found the Chosen Children!?

WaruMonzaemon has no good answer for that, so he instead tries to deflect the conversation by turning around and milking his injuries.

WaruMonzaemon: Um, um... Augh, the wounds that the Chosen Children gave me hurt so much.... Mugendramon-sama! Help me! Mugendramon: Now that I know where the Chosen Children are... I have no further use for you.

WaruMonzaemon has only a second to process what that means, eyes filling with terror, before the communications room he's in explodes. The last we see of him is his severed left paw, which slowly disintegrates into pixel dust.

(Man, Cockatrimon was a way better minion than WaruMonzaemon. He went straight to the comms room to tell Etemon he had the kids. He only took his own initiative once Nanomon disrupted their connection and blocked Etemon from coming to them.)

In the dub, Machinedramon dominates the conversation, peppering it with constant threats.

WaruMonzaemon: Well, you see, Lord Machinedramon, it's actually a pretty funny story-- Machinedramon: Stop stalling and tell me what happened, WaruMonzaemon! That is, while you're still able to talk. WaruMonzaemon: Uh, yes, your Metalness. You see, I found the DigiDestined! Machinedramon: They were in your area!? WaruMonzaemon: (slowly breaks down and starts crying) Yes, uh, I was gonna capture them for you but this one little girl was really strong T_T and then the Numemon were fighting me and it hurt really bad and-- Machinedramon: ENOUGH!!! If you thought that puny little girl was tough, wait 'til I get through with you! Why didn't you alert me, you two-bit carnival prize!? WaruMonzaemon: I wanted to tell you sooner but they wounded me. Look at my owies and boo-boos! Machinedramon: I'm sorry. I should be more sympathetic after your grueling battle. Let me reward you for helping me locate the DigiDestined. WaruMonzaemon: (realizing) !!!

WaruMonzaemon has one more line after the explosion, uh, was supposed to kill him. As his arm pixelates, he quips:

WaruMonzaemon: HE SHOT MY PAW!!!

This may be a reference to the classic Western movie cliche, "He shot my pa!" You don't hear it so much these days but I remember growing up and making all kinds of jokes about, "Oh, you don't like reading? Did a book shoot your pa?"

It could also be meant to deflect WaruMonzaemon's death, implying that the explosion only ripped off his arm and did no further harm to him.

So, did the dub spare WaruMonzaemon, or is he just getting one last quip in for the road? You decide.

From here, we go to commercial in both versions, then come back to see what's up with Taichi's crew. Taichi, Koushiro, and their Partners are exploring a different area of the undercity.

Taichi: HIKARI!!! HIKARIIIIIIIIIII!!!

Agumon stumbles and falls. He picks himself up, breathing hard. Taichi, who also sounds out of breath and at his limit, scolds Agumon for tripping.

Taichi: Agumon! What are you doing!? I'll leave you behind! Agumon: Ack... I'm sorry, Taichi.... Koushiro: Taichi-san, Agumon and Tentomon are tired. Let's take a small break.

Taichi is silent a moment while Koushiro speaks. He offers no response. Instead, he starts walking again, forming a circle in front of his mouth with his hands to project his voice.

Taichi: HIKARI!!! Koushiro: Truth is, I'm tired as well. Taichi: HIKARI!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!? Koushiro: (more assertively) Taichi-san, please compose yourself. Even you must be exhausted. Tentomon: (worried) Koushiro-han....

Despite his best efforts Koushiro's words fall on deaf ears.

In the dub:

Tai: KARI!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!? (Agumon collapses) Tai: Agumon, what are you doing, laying down at a time like this!? Agumon: Sorry, Tai. I'll try to keep up. Izzy: You know, Tai, that's the fifth time he's collapsed. Call me crazy but I think maybe we should rest for a while. Tai: Hmm... hmm... KARI!!! Izzy: (sarcastic) That's right, just let our Digimon die! Agumon & Tentomon: Huh!? Izzy: Oh, sorry, guys. It's just a figure of speech. Tai: ... Izzy: I'm pretty tired too, Tai. Why don't we rest. Then we can commence our search again. Tentomon: Please don't provoke him, Izzy!

Differently phrased but still captures the spirit of the original.

The only change of any significance is that Tai makes contemplation noises when Izzy first appeals for a rest, like he's weighing Izzy's words in his head before making a decision. Taichi is cold and silent, and goes back to what he's doing right after.

Unfortunately, Koushiro's words do not fall on deaf ears this time. Worse: Taichi listens.

Taichi: Hikari is sick! Koushiro: Yes, I understand that! Taichi: If you understand, then don't get in the way! Agumon: T-Taichi.... Koushiro: (shocked) I haven't gotten in the way at all! Taichi: SHUT UP!!!

Taichi roars that last line suddenly, sprinting back towards the group and tackling Koushiro to the ground.

Koushiro: You've lost your mind! Taichi: What was that!? Agumon: Don't do this! Tentomon: Both of you, calm down! Taichi: YOU BASTARD!!!

This time, it's Taichi's turn to throw down a 野郎 yarou. He is livid.

In the dub, as before, Tai engages more with what Izzy's saying - In contrast to Taichi, who's shutting out every word from his mouth.

Tai: Don't you understand? Kari's sick! We have to find her.... Izzy: I know that, Tai! But she's not here right now! Tai: THAT'S MY POINT!!! We have to find her now! Agumon: Calm down, Tai! Izzy: I'm warning you, Tai! You'd better stop giving us orders OR ELSE!!! Tai: OR ELSE WHAT!?!? (Tai tackles Izzy and shoves him to the ground) Izzy: I didn't plan anything after "or else"; I just thought it sounded tough! Tai: You want to see tough!? HERE'S TOUGH!!!

Izzy provokes Tai into attacking him in this version, continuing the trend of him being much more aggressive and rude than Koushiro. In the original, Taichi basically just snaps, hurling unfounded accusations and then jumping Koushiro while the poor kid's utterly lost.

Izzy's provocation does lead into an admittedly funny punchline, albeit one inappropriately placed given the tone of this scene. There's really nothing funny about watching the Chosen Children violently self-destruct even further.

Lifting Koushiro up by his shirt, screaming obscenities in his face, Taichi furiously throws a punch. Unlike all the times he's fought Yamato, we cut away before impact, and hear what sounds like him punching the ground.

Taichi: (whispers) Koushiro. Someone's following us. Koushiro: (whispers) What!? Taichi: Listen.

That's right, it was all a fucking ruse! Taichi snapped suddenly and unexpectedly, hurling out wild accusations and attacking Koushiro, to deceive their pursuer - who appears briefly in silhouette after Taichi tells Koushiro to listen. Their heavy footsteps faintly noticeable in the distance.

Tentomon & Agumon: Taichi-han! / Taichi! Taichi: I know. Koushiro? Koushiro: Yes? Taichi: Pretend to keep fighting while we hide behind that door. Koushiro: Understood.

Taichi stands up, pulling Koushiro to his feet by his collar and turning him so his back is to the door. While they yell at each other, Taichi forces Koushiro back through the doorway while Tentomon and Agumon plead for them to stop.

Koushiro: You've really done it now! Taichi: And what are you gonna do about it!? Agumon: STOP IT!!! Tentomon: Stop this, both of you! Koushiro-han, this is no time for fighting!

Nice fake-victim-blaming, Tentomon.

In the dub, when Tai throws his punch, Koushiro lets out a pained grunt. Tai actually hit him in this version.

Tai: Izzy! Did you hear that? Izzy: Huh? Tai: Just listen. Getting closer. Footsteps! izzy: All I hear is my head pounding.... Tai: Someone's here! (Silhouette approaches, heavy footsteps faintly audible) Agumon: Do you think he's been following us? Tai: Maybe. Let's pretend to keep fighting and we'll hide behind that gate. Izzy: Okay, but just make sure your next punch is pretend too. (Tai pulls Izzy to his feet) Tai: BETTER STOP CALLING ME NAMES!!! Izzy: I WILL NOT!!! YOU'RE A BULLY AND... A RUFFIAN!!! Tai: That's the best you can come up with? Izzy: Yes, on such short notice!

Oh, I hate that Tai actually hit him. The dub seems to be playing this like Tai and Izzy really are having a serious fight, only to be interrupted and brought back to reality by the approaching footsteps.

In the original, this is a clever fakeout. We know from his more sincere altercation with Mimi that Tai's trauma response is aggressive and violent. Taichi lashes out to avoid feeling helpless. His fear and his pain make him want to get up and take action, to push back against the thing that's hurting him. Which isn't always a good thing.

Just one episode ago, we saw that violence turned on Koushiro when his anxiety (and some childhood PTSD) over Hikari's wellbeing got the better of him. It's so easy to believe that he's doing that again. But he's not. Instead, he's using his own well-established flaws as a cover to pull Koushiro out of what may be an enemy line of fire.

This doesn't come through in the dub, where Izzy starts the fight and Tai genuinely hits him. There, it seems like they started fighting sincerely, then Tai heard something and realized they shouldn't be doing this.

The "bully and a ruffian" bit is great, though. Being comically terrible at smack-talk would fit perfectly for Koushiro too.

Once they're out of sight, Taichi and Koushiro lie in wait for their stalker.

Koushiro: Are they with Mugendramon? Taichi: Probably. Agumon: Taichi? Tentomon: Koushiro-han? Taichi: Do it. Koushiro: If you would, please.

Agumon and Tentomon kick off their evolutions. It goes as well as Piyomon and Patamon's first attempts.

Tentomon: Tentomon SHINKAAAAAA Tentomon: Kabuteri... mon.... Agumon: Agumon SHINKAAAAAA Agumon: GREYMON!!! Grey... mon.....

Unwilling to accept what just happened, Agumon starts flailing about and trying to make himself look big.

Agumon: GREYMON!!! GREYMON!!! GREY-- Taichi: (forces Agumon's mouth shut) Agumon! You guys must be too tired. Agumon: ... Taichi: I'm sorry, Koushiro. Koushiro: That's okay. I know you're just worried about Hikari-san.

Though the fight was fake, Taichi running them ragged looking for Hikari was not. Now the boys are left with few options against the Metal Empire soldier headed their way.

In the dub:

Izzy: Do you think it could be one of Machindramon's guys? Tai: It's possible. Agumon: Should we... Tentomon: ...Digivolve? Tai: Yes. Izzy: Not a bad idea. (Digivolutions begin) Tentomon: Tentomon, DIGIVOLVE TO.... Tentomon: Kabu... never mind.... Agumon: Agumon, DIGIVOLVE TO.... Agumon: Greymon. Greymon! Agumon: (out of evolution sequence) GREYMON, YEAH, I'M GREYMON, I'M BIG AND I'M BAD-- Tai: (forces Agumon's mouth shut) Agumon! Your Digivolve was a Digi-Dud. Izzy: Your energy levels are too low! Tai: Izzy... I'm sorry. Izzy: It's okay, Tai. I know your original intention wasn't to punch me. You were worried about Kari, that's all.

In the original, he's apologizing for exhausting their Digimon and leaving them defenseless. That Taichi pushed Agumon and Tentomon to the brink of exhaustion is kind of a big deal right now, what with the Metal Empire goon bearing down on them.

The dub uses Izzy's response to change the apology, making it about the fight they had a moment ago. A fight which, I repeat, was just a ruse in the original.

With nowhere to run and no better options, it's time to face the music. The team resolves themselves to face this new adversary.

It may not go exactly the way they expect.

Taichi: This is my fault. I'll go fight them. Koushiro: Please don't be so reckless. If we work together, we may be able to prevail. Agumon: He's right, Taichi. Tentomon: You should have more faith in us. Taichi: Guys... Understood. (Footsteps get louder) Koushiro: Here they come....

Taichi was legit about to go out there by himself to try and fistfight the forces of the Metal Empire. To be fair, he did successfully jump a Bakemon once. Kid's vicious.

Finally, their pursuer reveals himself... to be Andromon! From File Island!

It's been a long time since we've seen him, so he gets another rundown. Andromon is a Perfect-stage Vaccine-type Cyborg Digimon. That made him utterly invincible way back when but compared to the Dark Masters, he's practically quaint.

Andromon's putting in a thematically appropriate appearance here. Andromon was included in the Metal Empire lineup as one of its two Vaccine Perfects, alongside the Vaccine form of MetalGreymon that the anime debuted.

So he's returning for this arc because he's Metal Empire, even though he's not... in the Metal Empire.

Team: ANDROMON!?!? Narrator: Andromon. A Cyborg Digimon last seen on File Island. Kabuterimon was able to free him from the effects of Devimon's Black Gear.

Yeah, the spare rundown is just a recap of where we saw him last. Funny that Ogremon, Whamon, etc. didn't get one of those. Metal Privilege, more like.

In the dub, they're still talking about the earlier (real) fight with Izzy.

Tai: What's fair is fair. I want you to hit me right now. Izzy: That's ridiculous! I won't resort to that! Nothing can be settled with violence. I'm not going to hit you, Tai. Agumon: Can I hit you, then? Tentomon: I wouldn't mind a swipe myself. Tai: Okay, I get it! (Footsteps get louder) Izzy: Here he comes!

"Nothing can be settled with violence," Izzy says, in the middle of a warzone we have entered in order to kill the Forces of Darkness with supreme violence.

Agumon and Tentomon wanting to take Tai up on his offer got me, though. XD

Team: ANDROMON!?!? Tentomon: (rundown) I remember now! We met Andromon on File Island! He was the Android Digimon who had a Black Gear stuck in his mechanism, but we removed it and freed him of its evil spell!

Technically, he's a cyborg, not an android. But also he's literally called Andromon so I can see where the confusion came from.

Dragon Ball fans are probably nodding along right now like, "Mm. Yes. Jinzoningen." That word, a catch-all for "Artificial Human", has caused much argument among the Dragon Ball fandom.

But no. The Digimon Analyzer uses English words spelled in Katakana for its classifications. Andromon's classification is サイボーグ saibougu or "Cyborg". And his name is アンドロモン Andoromon. The original Japanese version did this to themselves.

Andromon, it turns out, is as surprised to see the kids as they are to see him.

Andromon: I didn't expect to see you here. Taichi: YOU didn't!? That's how WE feel! Right? Koushiro: Yes. Andromon, what are you doing here? Andromon: I'm here to liberate the cities under Mugendramon's control. I came underground to act as the lone operative of a resistance movement.

We zoom in on water droplets striking a puddle, and in the puddle we see visions from Andromon's memories. Images of destruction ravaging the urban areas of the Digital World.

Andromon: That is why I thought you were Mugendramon's subordinates. Agumon: No way! Tentomon: How awful of you. Andromon: (apologetic) I didn't know.

Come on, guys, let's not beat up the poor cyber-droid too bad. We thought he was with Mugendramon too. Taichi put on a whole song and dance for it and everything.

In the dub:

Andromon: I wasn't sure if it was you or not. Tai: Well, it's nice to see a friendly face! Izzy: Even if it is made of metal. What are you doing down here anyway, Andromon? Tai: And why are you sneaking up on people?

Izzy, was that remark necessary? Why are you so rude?

Andromon: I'm trying to put together a resistance army against Machinedramon. I've heard rumors that Digimon are hiding in the sewers. (Water drip flashbacks begin) Andromon: They fled here when Machinedramon burned the cities. I've come to the sewers to organize them and, while I'm here, I'm going to fix that drip! (End flashbacks) Andromon: I thought you were spies sent here by Machinedramon to destroy my plans. Agumon: HM!?!? Tentomon: How insulting. Andromon: I'm sorry.

We are most certainly in a transit tunnel area of the hybrid undercity. You don't generally find chain link fenced walkways and street art covering the walls in a sewer; Those are rarely considered to be social spaces. However, the dub's committed to all of this being sewers.

Moving right along, there are more pressing questions for Andromon.

Taichi: We're looking for someone named Hikari. Koushiro: She should be with Sora-san and Takeru-kun. Andromon: Is that right? Please wait one moment.

I love how Taichi's like "Have you seen Hikari?" and then Koushiro jumps in with, "Have you seen Sora and Takeru? We're looking for that assortment of people." Like.

Yeah. Ask Andromon about the parts of that group that he knows. That's going to be the best way to find her.

Andromon holds up his arms, and cables shoot up from them. Connecting to the... uh... ceiling?.... he scans for the missing children.

Koushiro: Please, if you could. Hikari-san is Taichi-san's little sister. Andromon: Incoming! Taichi: Hikari is!? Koushiro: She's on her way!?

Definitely Not Hikari suddenly smashes through the wall a short distance ahead.

Mugendramon: Here you are, Chosen Children. Team: MUGENDRAMON!!!

No, although he had intended to scan for the other Chosen Children, Andromon got a little sidetracked by the signal of Mugendramon thirty feet away and closing in fast. That took precedence.

In the dub:

Tai: We're looking for my little sister named Kari. She's sick! Have you seen her? Izzy: Sora, Biyomon, T.K., and Patamon are probably with her too. Andromon: You mean Queen Kari is your sister!? Izzy: QUEEN!?!? Andromon: Wait just a moment! (Andromon begins scanning) Andromon: THEY'RE COMING!!! Izzy: Kari and the others are coming here!? When!? Andromon: NOW!!! Tai: Really!? Izzy: Prodigious, Andromon! (Machinedramon breaks through the wall) Machinedramon: Oh, good. Just what I was looking for: Victims. Team: MACHINEDRAMON!!!

Man, remember when we needed to make a raft to leave File Island and everyone just showed up like, "Oh yeah, word travels fast." They weren't kidding; Those File Island Digimon really do love to gossip. Dub Andromon has not only heard of the Queen Kari incident but readily joined her cult.

The "incoming" confusion in the dub is janky.

In the original, all Andromon says is, "くる Kuru!" That is a verb that means something is inbound, on its way, on approach, etc. He offers no further specification, and Taichi and Koushiro only have room for two quick lines before Mugendramon arrives.

So Taichi and Koushiro draw the wrong conclusions because they don't realize the context has switched.

In the dub, he explicitly says "They're coming." That's a plural term. I mean, it can also be a singular pronoun for non-binary individuals but the dub uses he/him for Machinedramon.

This isn't necessarily incorrect. They are, in fact, coming. Hikari's group is following her light to Taichi and the others, and we will see them shortly. They are closing in, so if he'd left it at that, then it would still work.

But then he says "NOW!!!" right before Machinedramon breaks through the wall. Meaning he was unambiguously referring to Machinedramon when he said they're coming. Um?

Machinedramon's opening line is pretty sick, though.

Standing there now, side by side with Not Hikari, Taichi and Koushiro face down the wrath of Also Not Hikari.

Mugendramon: Andromon is with you? I'll dispose of you all together then.

Mugendramon puts into action his new plan: Being very large. Rearing up to his full height, he smashes through the roof above him. Then he walks forward, collapsing the tunnel in his wake.

Andromon: Find some place to hide. Team: Andromon!?

Andromon moves forward and grabs hold of Mugendramon's ankle, attempting to hold him back.

Team: ANDROMON!!!

He fails miserably, as Mugendramon uses the wheels under his feet to simply roll forward and drive Andromon back. But it buys the children a moment to tuck back into that side door they tried to ambush Andromon from.

Once Mugendramon's passed, Taichi's crew emerges and sprints off in pursuit.

Team: ANDROMOOOOOON!!!

We suddenly cut to another part of the undercity. Hikari, still glowing, lets out a sharp gasp.

Sora: Hikari-chan? What is it? Hikari: Close by.... Takeru: You mean Taichi-san's group? Hikari: INCOMING!!!

Suddenly Mugendramon's face and shoulders smash through the tunnel ahead, continuing right on out the other side.

Sora & Takeru: MUGENDRAMON!?!?

Yeah, that's right, Hikari fucking did it to her team too! XD

In the dub, Machinedramon is inexplicably more interested in Andromon than in the DigiDestined.

Machinedramon: Hello, Andromon. Babysitting? I'll destroy you first while the others watch! (Machinedramon breaks through the ceiling and walks forward, collapsing the tunnel) Andromon: I'll hold him off. You hide. Izzy: Careful! (Andromon tries to hold back Machinedramon) Team: Andromon! (The kids take cover while Machinedramon passes) Tai: Andromon, hang on! We're coming to help! (Cut to the upper floor) Kari: (sharp gasp) Sora: What is it, Kari? Kari: They're coming! T.K.: You mean Tai? When? Kari: Now. (Machinedramon smashes through) Sora & T.K.: MACHINEDRAMON!?!?

As with Andromon, the fact that Kari says "Now" right before Machinedramon arrives seems to explicitly confirm that she's somehow misidentified Machinedramon as Tai, rather than simply communicating the context badly.

Though in this case, at least Tai is fairly close, so the two events could be taken as unrelated.

It's still janky, but at least they got the part where this is an ironic repetition of the earlier bit right.

Unfortunately for Sora's group, being on the upper floor of the ceiling Mugendramon's caving in means they're standing on floors he's caving in. The floor beneath them collapses underfoot, plunging them into the lower tunnel.

Angemon, Angewomon, and Birdramon work together to slow the children's descent, giving Hikari the most messianic symbolism she's had yet. Her light is even shining in the shape of a crucifix.

Taichi's group watches them descend.

Hikari: Onii-chan! Taichi: Hikari! Koushiro: Sora-san! Takeru-kun! Sora: Koushiro-kun!

Tai's group climbs over the debris and hurries over to where the others landed. Now that they're finally reunited, Hikari stops glowing. Taichi runs up to her, picking her up and spinning her around.

Taichi: Hikari! Hikari: Onii-chan! Koushiro: What a relief. Sora: Hey, what's happening with Mugendramon? Koushiro: Andromon is fighting him to defend us. Sora: EH!? Koushiro: He's been down here putting on a solo resistance.

In the dub:

Kari: Tai, it's you! Tai: KARI!!! Izzy: Sora! T.K.! (The two teams reunite) Tai: (picking up Kari and spinning her) KARI!!! Kari: TAI!!! Izzy: She made it! Sora: Was that Andromon I saw fighting with Machinedramon? Izzy: That's him, alright. He's sacrificing himself to protect us. Sora: (wails) Izzy: He's raising an army against Machinedramon.

I mean. Sacrificing himself probably isn't the A plan. I'm sure Andromon would very much like to win this fight if that's an option. We should probably try to make that an option.

Andromon and Mugendramon continue to fight while they have this chat. Suddenly, Mugendramon raises his claw and slams it down on Andromon; An attack the dub names "Dragon Fire" despite just being an open-handed smash.

Birdramon intervenes, shoving back against Mugendramon's bulk while the angels help Andromon get away.

Angewomon: You're okay. Andromon: (weakly) Thank you.... Angemon: We're with you now. Birdramon: Let's fight him together. Andromon: Agreed.

The four Digimon take take up positions in front of Mugendramon and fire their attacks. Meteor Wing, Holy Arrow, Heaven's Knuckle, and Spiral Sword converge on Mugendramon, resulting in a destructive blast that tears up through the ceiling and into the hybrid city above.

Caught in the middle of the blast but entirely undeterred, Mugendramon roars.

Taichi & Sora: (startled gasps) Koushiro: Mugendramon is Ultimate level, isn't he?

Mugendramon returns fire with his Mugen Cannon. Rather than firing two charged-up twin beams of destruction, however, this time he rapid-fires single shots, alternating cannons.

His aim is terrible. We see him spraying fire up into the city above, and one dramatically into the camera. So this is clearly a spray-and-pray firing mode. But he hits his marks, taking out all four Digimon before him.

In the dub:

Angewomon: Are you alright, Andromon? Andromon: Yes, thank you. Angemon: We'll take you to safety. Birdramon: NO!!! Let's fight Machinedramon together! (Everyone attacks to no effect) Tai & Sora: (startled gasps) Izzy: Machinedramon's a Mega Digimon! They can't win!

The initial plan in the dub is to retreat. However, Birdramon - the weakest of the four, mind you - has an attack of machismo and convinces the others to throw hands instead. They all lose and it's her fault.

Once the Digimon are down, Mugendramon turns towards the children.

Mugendramon: Ahahahaha.... These whelps can't even touch me. I suppose the rest of you are next.

Taichi closes his eyes and braces for the end. In the process, he takes his attention momentarily off Hikari, who marches right out there to give this colossal metal asshole a piece of her mind.

Taichi: (realizing) Hikari! Sora: Hikari-chan!

As she walks, sunlight streams down into the ruined undercity from the destruction above.

As Hikari stands before Mugendramon, a swarm of green floods over him from behind. The Numemon swarm him, covering every inch of his metal body.

Mugendramon: Hmph. These pipsqueaks shouldn't play around. Hikari: Numemon...? Mugendramon: (laughing while talking) You're really trying to fight me? Hikari: Numemon...!

We don't see the attack, but Mugendramon slams his right claw down into the ground and a sort of energy blast sound effect plays. But whatever it is, it kills them all. Crying out in unison, all of the Numemon disintegrate into pixel dust together.

Hikari: NUMEMON!!!

In the dub:

Machinedramon: They weren't even worth my time. You're all next!

We go to commercial here, with Machinedramon bearing down on the children.

Machinedramon: Now I've got you, DigiDestined! Who wants to be the first victim? (Hikari walks out in front) Tai: Kari! Team: (gasp) Machinedramon: How brave you are to volunteer. I'll try to make this as painful as I can. (Numemon swarm) Machinedramon: What do you think you are doing, Numemon? Kari: Numemon? Machinedramon: Do you slimy Digimon call this fighting!? Kari: Numemon!

Machinedramon calls Giga Cannon when he kills the Numemon, even though they are way too close for Giga Cannon.

Kari: OH, NUMEMON!!!

The main distinction between versions is that Machinedramon asks one of them to come out to him and Kari acquiesces, rather than Hikari simply doing that of her own volition.

Hikari's light consumes her once more and she passes out on the spot.

Taichi: HIKARI!!!

Taichi runs to his sister. Agumon tries to follow, but the Hikari's light takes him as well, overwhelming him with energy.

Agumon: So much fury and power!

Agumon Warp-Evolves into WarGreymon. Not to the sound of Show Me Your Brave Heart, but to a somber orchestral tune. There is nothing triumphant or heroic here. This is just revenge.

Roaring, screaming, WarGreymon charges forward while Taichi cradles the unconscious Hikari.

WarGreymon: RAAAAAAAAGH!!! Taichi: Wake up! Hikari! WarGreymon: HRRAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

In the dub:

Tai: KARI!!! Agumon: AUGH!!! I feel the power!

The dub plays the standard Digimon Theme over Agumon's Warp-Digivolution.

WarGreymon: HRUGH!!! Tai: Wake up! WarGreymon: RRRRRRGH!!!

Dub WarGreymon lets out angry grunts and growls as he runs, but isn't screaming blood fury like his original counterpart.

As WarGreymon charges forward, the camera briefly closes up on his Dramon Killers, which let out both a visible and audible shimmer. A momentary reminder that. Y'know. Digimon with "dramon" at the end of their name are super vulnerable to his claws.

WarGreymon and Mugendramon strike each other at once, posing dramatically in the classic quick-draw samurai "Which one will fall?" pose.

The answer is WarGreymon.

The energy Hikari gave him now exhausted, WarGreymon degenerates back into Koromon, with a carved line visible across his face.

Taichi: (gasp) Hikari: (weakly) Koromon.... Mugendramon: This is the end. Koromon: And a good one. I have Taichi, Hikari, and everyone else with me!

We briefly pan around the area to see them all smiling at him. Angemon and Angewomon. Sora, Takeru, Koushiro, and Tentomon. Andromon and Birdramon. Taichi and Hikari. Then, as if willed into existence by Koromon's friendships, WarGreymon's attacks suddenly take effect.

Bit by bit, carved-off parts of Mugendramon slide off and disintegrate into pixels.

(Dude was able to turn his head and hold a brief chat; That is a hell of a delayed reaction. Two of the slices were through his head, cutting it into thirds!)

This is too sappy for the dub, which focuses instead on the violence.

Tai: Koromon! Kari: Mm... Huh? Machinedramon: Now I will finish you once and for all! Koromon: I don't think so! You missed what I did as WarGreymon! I sliced you like an onion!

It's another example of the dub being more comfortable with the violent aspects of the show than the emotional bits. But, in their defense, it does segue better into Machinedramon's death. Mugendramon abruptly falls apart once everyone's finished validating Koromon, out of absolutely nowhere.

With Mugendramon's death... there is suddenly a new concern.

The world around them begins to shake furiously.

Andromon: Now that Mugendramon, ruler of the cities, has been defeated, this whole area is going to collapse. Takeru: (worried gasp) Sora: Don't worry. We'll face this together. Takeru: (affirmative) Mm! Koushiro: It's dangerous to stay here. We should escape as quickly as we can! Taichi: Yeah. Let's go!

Real sense of urgency going around with everyone standing there smiling and talking about how urgent things are. XD Come on, guys, I know the Hug It Out Energy got us through Mugendramon but we need to snap out of it and be worried again. At least until we're out of the undercity.

In the dub:

Andromon: Without Machinedramon, this area has become unstable! It's beginning to fall apart! T.K.: (terrified wail) Sora: Nothing can happen to us that we can't handle together! T.K.: Right! Izzy: I think it's becoming a little too dangerous. We better get out of here! Tai: You're right! Let's go!

As the city collapses and the city stripe recedes from Spiral Mountain, the children escape to the airspace surrounding the mountain.

Angemon carries Takeru and Koushiro. Angewomon has Taichi and Hikari. Birdramon has Sora. Where is Andromon? Well.... It's complicated.

It's not complicated. He's clinging to Birdramon's other leg. You can briefly make out his leg through the gap in Angewomon's wings if you look really close in exactly the right shot. But that brief glimpse in which you have to be looking at just the right time is all we see of him. Meanwhile, his voice has the internal monologue or voice-over effect played on it, like the group is remembering words he spoke to them before they left.

Andromon (V.O.?): Now that the cities are gone, my fight is over. Hikari: Onii-chan... When we get down, can I make a grave for the Numemon? Taichi: Yeah. Sora: We'll all do it. Team: Mm-hm!

While everyone has their minds made up on this next course of action, we close on a final shot of the floating island at the peak of Spiral Mountain.

Taichi: You're next, Piemon!

So. Andromon is still with us. He will continue to be with us next episode. But the dub (quite reasonably in my opinion) takes his absence from this scene and the voice-over effect of his line to mean we've parted ways.

Andromon: Machinedramon City is dissolving. My work here is finished. Angemon: Farewell, Andromon! Thank you! Kari: When we get down, can I build one of those memorials to my friends, the Numemon? Tai: Sure. Sora: We'll all help build it. Right, guys? Team: Uh-huh! (Final shot of the peak) Tai: You're next, Piedmon!

To make this a cliffhanger, the dub splices in a closeup of Piedmon's face, laughing maniacally.

Piedmon: WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Narrator: Will the DigiDestined be able to defeat the most powerful Dark Master of all? Find out their fate on the next Digimon: Digital Monsters.

So, I can't really blame the dub for thinking Andromon had left given the weirdness.

...but also I can because. Like.

We've long since determined that they didn't watch episodes in advance and this is just more evidence. He is right there next episode.

Assessment: I said earlier that this is basically Hikari's Crest episode and I stand by that. We were promised an abyss where darkness rules, and the answer to that abyss was Hikari showering it in her light and purging the darkness from every corner.

There is a lot of poetry and symbolism in the way this episode uses Hikari's light. It connects directly to the idea that the sacred energy, the power to influence Digimon evolution, comes from within the children.

It's no coincidence that it's Hikari, the girl from the OVA, who empowers Agumon (formerly her Digimon) to defeat Mugendramon. They even play a bit of the OVA's music when she marches out to face Mugendramon alone.

In a poetic and spiritual sense, this is a very powerful episode.

But in the literal sense... there is a lot of "I guess this is happening now" going around. Hikari's suddenly throwing around new powers, evolving other kids' Partner Digimon and psychic-sensing Taichi and Mugendramon. Abilities that have not been previously established and are not well explained.

Similarly, all that build-up with the Numemon amounts to is them running in, accomplishing nothing, and dying swiftly so that Hikari can go Super Saiyan.

There's a lot of ideas I liked in here, but the Mugendramon sub-arc maybe needed another episode so this stuff would have more space to breathe.

[sloanerisette]

Fic For Odaiba Day 2024: You Need A Promotion, I Want A Shake Up, So Let's Get Married!

Hello everyone! Happy Odaiba Day! 25 years of Digimon! It's incredible to think about! I'm so happy I've gotten back into this show and this fandom because it's been so wonderful!

I know it's not Odaiba Day in America but it IS Odaiba Day in Japan so I'm going to post the FIRST of my two fics I'm osting for Odaiba Day!

Title: You Need A Promotion, I Want A Shake Up, So Let's Get Married! Summary: A newly 30 Mimi Tachikawa has it all: great friends, her dream career, and tons of fans, but she's missing one thing: a relationship she isn't allowed to have because of an overbearing manager.

Jou Kido is living a simple life: he goes to work at his father's hospital, he comes home, he goes to sleep and does it again. However, pressure from his father has him needing to live up to his lofty expectations to one day secure a promotion that will make all of the work he's done in his life worth it.

When the two of them get in touch after so many years and learn of each other's struggles, they decide on the obvious solution: pretend they're married. Big thanks to Camp Digimonth and zuz-senpai for all the support and excitement for this fic! I'm so happy to have this first chapter out and I hope you all enjoy! I'll post a blurb here under the read more, but you can view the fic on AO3 HERE!

Bright lights shined in her face, which a make up artist was currently patting foundation on. Mimi Tachikawa sat in a chair, curlers in her hair, phone held gingerly in her nicely manicured hands, and she tapped through it and looked through her contacts..

In three days it would be her thirtieth birthday, and she couldn’t be more excited. She was excited to reach a new milestone in her life— not that turning thirty was a particularly big one, anyways— and more than that, she was getting the finishing touches set up for her big birthday party. She rented out a fancy Italian restaurant at one of the nicest hotels in the area, one that had a beautiful view of the bay, and a bunch of her friends would be there to celebrate with her. Though the invites she sent out already were for fellow models who she worked with and became friends with since her late teens and early twenties, an old photo popping up on her phone reminded her of another group of friends she needed to invite. She tried to keep it small at first, but, well, she was Mimi! How could she keep an event like this small when she had so many friends? Especially friends.

And though she hadn’t had a chance to spend as much time with them as she wanted to for years, they were old friends and classmates who meant the world to her: Yagami Taichi, Ishida Yamato, Takenouchi Sora, Izumi Koushiro, Kido Jou, Takaishi Takeru, Yagami Hikari, Motomiya Daisuke, Inoue Miyako, Hida Iori, and Ichijouji Ken.

Twelve extra people was going to be a big ask considering she already had, what, twenty some other people going? But she couldn’t leave them out. It had been a long time since she sat down with most of them, but they were still all friends to some degree.

“Tachikawa-san? I need to apply your lipstick real quick,” the young woman who was doing her makeup told her. Mimi’s eyes flicked up to her and she smiled.

“Of course! What color?” she asked.

“It’s this,” the girl said, holding up a lipstick tube that was colored a beautiful, deep, rich burgundy.

“Oooh, that looks great! Go ahead!”

Mimi puckered her lips, and as the make-up artist started to apply the first coat, she glanced back down at her phone, adding each of them to a group chat. Once the makeup artist finished the first coat of lipstick, Mimi started rapidly firing off messages.

[Tachikawa Mimi]: Hey everyone! It’s Mimi!

[Tachikawa Mimi]: I’m having my 30th bday in a few days! And you’re all invited!

[Tachikawa Mimi]: Sorry for it being so late notice! I’ll send you all the time and location!

She sent the RSVP from her calendar, unable to stop from feeling giddy, practically bouncing in her seat. Her phone immediately buzzed like wild, and she couldn’t wait to check on it after the shoot.

The girl finished the second coat of lipstick, and Mimi looked at herself in the mirror as she then removed the curlers, letting her hair fall down in loose curls and waves.

“Is hair and makeup done?” a man’s voice called from the other end of the room.

“Yup!” the make up artist chirped back. Mimi popped up from the chair. She gave herself a once over, turning to one side, then the other, to appreciate the midnight blue evening gown she had on. Combined with the lipstick and her honey brown hair, she looked like a real stunner, if she said so herself.

“This looks great! You did an incredible job! Thank you so much,” she beamed, before heading over to the set.

[genork-the-fandork]

Sharing

Word Count: 525 Prompt: & Sora A/N: I honestly think I'm a little bad at writing interactions between Taichi and Sora. Maybe it has something to do with my personal attachment to him, or maybe it has to do with the fact that I (admittedly) don't think of them often. I'm always worrying about his interactions with Yamato, Hikari, Koushiro... but not Sora. I hope to rectify that here, even if it rehashes some of the same pain I touched on in the Yamato drabble. Here's to you, Sora! @taichiyagamiweek

There had been a time when being in the same room as Sora had been as easy as breathing. Another part of himself, someone he could rely on, always. Of course, he could still rely on her, and he always would be able to, but something had changed over the years. He was well aware that part of it was his fault, the way he let his feelings dictate his every move, but he also knew that Sora would tell him they were both at fault. Even on the days when he wasn't sure if he knew her, he understood her all too well.

"You, too, huh?" he murmured, noting the distinct lack of a certain pink-feathered bird. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Sora bowed her head, some strands of her hair falling over her face. "It hurt too much."

"Yeah. I get that." He tapped his fingers awkwardly on the table, trying to find something to say. It had been a while since they'd last seen each other, long before either of them had faced a greater loss than they were willing to go through. Taichi thought perhaps it would bring them closer together, as it had for him and Yamato, but maybe it was bound to drive them further apart.

"Taichi," Sora said quietly. When he looked up, she was giving him that look of sheer compassion she'd always been a pro at directing his way "I'm so sorry."

He blinked, and suddenly they were both in tears. Across the table, their hands sought each other, curling into each other as they had back when they'd played soccer together. Instead of congratulating each other on a job well done, however, they were sharing in a pain neither of them had imagined they would feel. For so long, the Digimon had simply been a part of them. Why did they have to be taken away so soon?

Bent over themselves, they cried out all the pain they'd been bottling inside for the sake of the others. Taichi had thought that perhaps their bond could never truly return to what it had been, once upon a time. He wasn't so sure of that anymore. Funny how the Digital World was still bringing them together, even as it tore their hearts out.

It took a while, but Taichi eventually straightened and squeezed her hand. "We should go get some water. I feel a headache coming on."

She smiled as she got up and followed him out of the room. "And here I thought I was the group mom."

He laughed guiltily. "You look after us, but you gotta let us look after you, too, sometimes." Meeting her brown eyes with his own, he added, "Besides, the three of us only have each other now."

Sora just stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "That's not true. We still have five other friends."

"There she is," he said to himself as she entered the kitchen ahead of him. It would always hurt—that was the thing with losing your literal other half. But maybe, just maybe, some of the old Sora would still be around.

[that-green-haired-swordsman]

Found this on Pinterest and it's not meant to be taken too seriously, but yeah, I get where this comes from. Usually you see Zoro being pictured as either a sex machine or as aromantic/ace, and literally never anything in between, and I personally believe that either of these takes is true. It's a manga of the shonen genre and follows the respective, genre-based rules. My interpretation of the character is that he undoubtedly puts his goal(s) on top of everything else. Luffy gets to become the pirate king. Zoro himself is going to be the world's strongest swordsman. Period. BUT. These ambitions go hand in hand with a sacrifice, at least to Zoro. This is going to be a long read and I have to digress a bit so please be patient lol.

Zoro has lost the person most important to him and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He couldn't protect Kuina. Now, we don't know his own knowledge of his parents, but I always assumed that his desire to become stronger and stronger is a direct result of the loss of his parents, something he witnessed, but couldn't do anything about it either. So he chose to follow his father's footsteps and became a swordsman, trained in Koushiro's dojo, driven by anxiety. He made friends with Kuina who died too. And then he swore to himself that never again he would anyone ever become close to him. He traveled alone and at first and kept his distance to Luffy, Nami and the others.

But there's no way to fight human nature. Slowly, he allowed himself and them to get closer and he found it comfortable to be around them, but accepting that they're his friends also multiplies his anxiety and ultimate weakness: losing someone again. He not only wants to become stronger to be the WGS, he also thinks it's the only way to protect his loved ones. When he struggles with an opponent, he can be seen training even harder afterwards. He takes the night's watch. He guards the ship. He only sleeps when someone else is awake. He tells the others to escape when it's dangerous. He tries to take incoming damage alone. He refuses that anyone sacrifices themselves and knocks them out should they try (Sanji @ Thriller Bark). He keeps things a secret. He holds back emotions to remain collected and supportive. The further along they travel, the more of his humanity he has to lose in order to keep them all safe.

Back to the original intention of this post. Zoro has kind of a soft spot for women who need help with something. They just trigger his protective instinct. But he also tries to keep away from any woman because they'd weaken him. And he can't afford to be weak. A woman by his side would mean he'd have to look after her, provide for her, protect her, make sure she's alright, take better care of himself in order to be there for her, all things he simply can't afford and which distract him from his goal (he would think that way, being a bit traditional). Maybe he doesn't trust himself to remain as determined as he was once he's in a relationship. Maybe he's afraid that his partner would try to talk him out of his goal and stand in his way. Which leads me to think how a woman has to be in order to be a good match for him?

We've covered that a woman often triggers his protective sense, I'm not sure though if that is what he finds an important trait. I like to imagine that a woman he'd be interested in has to be similar to himself - independent, strong, able to defend herself, not afraid to put him in his place, self-confident and courageous and most importantly be supportive and understand how he rolls. He wouldn't have to worry about her as much then (he'd still be worried though of course lol). So yeah, ZoTash all the way!

However, even if they'd fall in love during the series, he'd not give in to his feelings before he would have reached his goals, due to the above mentioned reasons. He'd ask her to wait or he wouldn't open up to her until he's the WGS, and then reunite with her and be like "Hey sorry you had to wait" and you know how loyal he is, he'd stay with her until the end of his days. And I think that's another reason why he's not dating a woman - he wants to make sure that she's THE ONE. He's not interested in an affair or something not serious. He's there for the long run. He doesn't give away his heart so easy. He could even play hard to get, to check if his love interest really means it. He wants to protect himself from heartbreak and loss, afraid to experience it ever again.

He wouldn't be a perfect lover, but try hard to be the best version of himself.

[kideternity]

Okay now i've finished Adventure let me write up my full thoughts about the season. This will be less structured than the Tamers review and I apologise for that, I just kind of had a different watching experience with Adventure and thus sort of format my feelings about it in a different way idk. Whatever the case, here’s my full review of Adventure under the cut, and if you don’t care about that, then here’s the TLDR;

I liked adventure! I had a lot of fun watching it. It’s not a perfect season, but nothing is, and whilst I am going to take a break for now, I'm excited to start Digimon Adventure 02 in the foreseeable future.

-First, I do want to highlight things I really enjoyed. I really loved the animation and art style- I know its seen as very cheesy and dated and not the best animated (Most notable example that comes to mind is reusing the animation for special moves) but IDC, I love the cartoony style and I've always been very endeared to older styles of animation and how they make use of the medium.

-I liked the kids! I liked the kids a lot! They’re good kids! The cast of adventure is absolutely a highlight, and I can see why Bandai always goes back to them for use in future projects, whether or not that’s ultimately a good thing.

-Whilst I personally prefer the more Urban Sci-fi / Fantasy settings of Tamers and Savers, The Isekai approach lends itself to be a good way to immediately show off the digital world and the creatures within it, and to start exploring the worldbuilding within. I like the worldbuilding of Adventure! It felt kind of more purposely vague then Tamers and Savers, but it’s an interesting world they set up, and I'd like to see more of it explored

-I missed the global aspect of Tamers and even Savers. Though I can’t really fault Adventure, being as it was literally THE first season ever, for staying strictly in Japan. I just personally enjoyed how large and expansive things got in Tamers, and how people from all over the world were involved. I will say, I did appreciate Adventure also having more unorthodox or complicated family dynamics- such as Yamato and Takeru being the kids of divorce who aren’t able to 24/7 be around each other, or how Koushiro is adopted. It’s always a breath of fresh air to see media, especially for kids, tackle these sorts of things with nuance and grace.

-The soundtrack was absolutely gorgeous. Probably my favourite out of all of the soundtracks so far- there was just so much passion and emotion packed into each musical piece.

-Tone and themes were fairly consistent throughout, mostly due to the fact that Adventure doesn’t really have any sort of grand overarching messaging like Tamers or Savers did. I would assume, due to being again, the first season of anime, it cared more about plot and characters than trying to Say anything too radical. Hence, the themes follow pretty standard “good versus evil” tropes, as well as the power of compassion and community and optimism and hope that digimon usually utilises in each of its different stories across mediums, instead of anything more complex, like Tamers attempts at dissecting morality and violence, and Savers discussing the inherent value of lives that aren’t humans and trying to understand those not like you. Adventure plays it safe, and doesn’t get burned because of it, which I can’t fault.

-The villains are. Eh. They’re entertaining but none of them are necessarily very well written. The most well written villain was Pinochimon, and ignoring that i'm a biased party, most people seem to agree with me on this. Vamdemon was definitely the most intimidating and well built up antagonist. Apocalymon has a really cool and sympathetic concept, and I wish he had been focused on more. Generally, due to the nature of Adventure's “good versus evil” tropes, a lot of the villains aren’t really allowed any sort of nuance or are portrayed in a “They're Inherently Damnable Let's Kill Em” sort of way, which is unfortunate. Only Ogremon top of my head really gets any sort of minor redemption at the end without dying for it, ala Wizarmon, Gottsumon and Pumpkinmon.

-Like Tamers, Adventure is much more open to the idea of making horny jokes and talking about romance, which I do not enjoy, and it was by far the worst one when it came to that in my opinion. Why were there so many jokes about masc digimon hitting on Mimi. Stop that right this instant.

-Generally, I would say plot and character writing is a mixed bag. None of it is necessarily godawful, but you can tell that Adventure was very haphazardly and sloppily written. There’s a lot of inconsistencies in the writing- a lot of new characters or story elements are sort of abruptly added out of nowhere with no real build up and which sometimes ultimately don’t really matter all that much. It has definitely the worst pacing out of the seasons I've seen so far- Again, Building up momentum to then just suddenly stop and spill exposition on you. Savers and Tamers had issues too, but their handling of the plot was usually much tighter and the writing much more concise. Whilst I love the kids, and they do definitely get their own character arcs, none of them are written equally in that regard and often times it leads to situations where some characters get their arcs finished early and then stay stagnant for the rest of the season (Sora and Koushiro) whilst others only get major character writing near the very end (Yamato). It also definitely played favourites with some of them lol. Random things will interject in pivotal moments and the arcs for each different villain all have entirely different vibes to one another. Truthfully, it does come across as a much of mini stories hazily slapped together in an attempt to create a Larger Grander Narrative. Which, again, it was their first attempt ever creating an anime for Digimon, so I suppose I can’t blame them too much for this. It’s a miracle this took off so well in the first place.

Again, there’s definitely stuff I'm missing that i'd have wanted to say, but as a whole, again, I like Adventure! It’s not my favourite season of the digimon anime, and I can definitely understand the frustration for Bandai constantly milking it as a cash cow for the nostalgia points. But, I do think as a whole it holds up for the most part, at least for a kids anime from the late 90s, and Again, I don’t regret having watched it.

[reliablejoukido]

my feelings on The Beginning. I welcome discourse and dissenting opinions, but I do NOT welcome hate. Also I'm going to bed literally right after publishing this, so I will talk to y'all tomorrow.

I loved Fullmetal Alchemist: Digimon The Beginning a lot. Seeing the English dub was a wonderful experience and it brought me back to the reason why 02 was my favorite season in the first place. I also appreciated seeing the subbed version tonight, as it helped solidify the plot in my head.

I adored Daisuke especially. I loved Daisuke's emotions and his dialogue and his ability to strike friendship into the heart of anyone. I loved his adorable interactions with Ken, his chaotic interactions with Miyako, and his extremely ship-worthy interactions with Lui. And that scene where Ken pointed out how calm he was? Extremely powerful. Also Daisuke's queer energy was off the charts in this film, just saying. That alone means so much to me.

Also Takeru was SO in character when he was like "I know there is the possibility of Digimon partner-induced nuclear war, but hello??? Patamon might die????" I realize that's an oversimplification of his point, but it felt so right for him.

So like... I don't want to get into arguments about this, because I always feel like I'm wrong about lore and people yell at me just for thinking things they think are "wrong". So these are just my personal opinions which are obviously in no way accurate.

But in my opinion, Lui wasn't the first person to partner with a Digimon. I felt that Ukkomon was unreliable and untrustworthy and unstable, so I don't trust anything he claimed was true. I don't trust Ukkomon's concept of being the reason for Digimon and human partnerships to be accurate. I mean, I could bring Hiroki Hida and Oikawa into the mix. Or Maki and Daigo (if you try to tell me tri isn't canon just because of some interview, I'm going to block you just fyi).

I also don't entirely buy Ukkomon to be the reason the Chosen Children were even Chosen. Wouldn't Lui have been part of their adventure if that was the case? There are so many reasons the Digital World needed the Chosen Children that had absolutely nothing to do with Lui and Ukkomon. The whole Digital World's existence wasn't even mentioned regarding Ukkomon.

I really just don't trust anything Ukkomon did or said. He litterally brainwashed, manipulated, and eventually killed Lui's parents, so forgive me if I find what he says hard to believe. But I seriously loved that Ukkomon was chaotic and untrustworthy. It made for a fascinating "villain". I loved that we were lead to believe some new lore that may or may not be true, depending on how much you believe Ukkomon and Lui.

I also want to believe that now that the digivices are gone (which already happened to Sora, Taichi, Yamato, and implied Mimi, Jou, and Koushiro), that they will receive Digi-eggs soon, perhaps after they go through more important situations in their adult lives. If you know me, then you know I'm not the biggest fan of the ending of Kizuna, because I felt like it was a personal attack on my adulthood. I want more than anything for there to be a reason for Taichi and the others to see their Digimon again. I believe the ending of The Beginning gave us hope that Taichi's bond with Agumon transcends his own broken digivice.

So that's it, mostly. You can all stay tuned for when the movie is available on streaming/blu-ray, because you KNOW I'll be photoshopping ponytails onto Ken again. Also I'm planning a Daisuke/Lui fic at some point.

[beginningobserver]

You might know that i tend to complete the evolution lines for my favorite characters (and i'm still struggling with Iori's Armadimon) and this means i should do the same with Rui's Ukkomon, right?

Especially when i made posts asking about "which Digimental would suit Rui and Ukkomon" before...

But, honestly?

I don't think Rui would want to get involved in the digimon battles and such. Especially when the main reason he snapped at Ukkomon at age 11 (in March 2003) is because of the digimon fighting and dying for their human partners.

Even if Daisuke and co explain that there's bad digimon so the fights are needed in order to protect more lives... I feel he wouldn't be comfortable with that kind of thing.

He's non-confrontational. This might be one of his biggest flaws at some point, but i think this also means he’s cool-headed and able to find different approaches to solve conflict without fighting. And this means he’s not the kind to be in the front lines like the rest of the 02 kids, or Taichi & Yamato. Rui suits more the type of support unit character, a role more like Koushiro’s, Jou’s, Mimi’s and Sora’s (yes, all of those had proven that you can take part of digimon business/battles without fighting directly with enemies: Koushiro helps supervisioning the battles and investigating stuff – especially in 02 & Kizuna; Sora and Mimi are more likely to be the emotional support. Mimi even recruited digimon to help them in the final arc from Adv’99, and Jou is like our medical/healer unit.)

Even if Ukkomon evolves someday in any extra material… I don’t expect it to be an offensive-type digimon, because of those same reasons above. Maybe he could turn into a support-type critter, one with abilities that could assist the 02 kids in a case.

tldr; Rui is not the type to be involved directly in digimon fights. The canon also showed that you can still be part of them WITHOUT having to directly go and attack the bad guys, you can be helping the crew emotionally, or gathering information/investigating stuff, or helping them to keep in a good shape and heal their wounds.

[dutchforstrangers]

Rouge - Taikoura one-shot for Shades of Red

For @taioraweek 2023 Day 8

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

A/N: Shades of Red is a very precious little story I wrote for digiweek 2021 about Taichi falling for not only Sora, but for Koushiro as well. A story about the wonders of polyamorous relationships and that it takes self-knowledge to take that one courageous step towards a life full of love. So have a new shade of red <3

Based on a little Taiora-scenario I wrote in early 2021 which @seventeenlovesthree made sure to provide with beautiful art which I'm still so in love with :3 You can find it here: [x].

Day 8: Rogue or Blush | Characters: Koushiro Izumi (POV) x Sora Takenouchi x Taichi Yagami | Genre: Romance, some sort of hurt/comfort | Rating: T | Wordcount: 1.293

A yawn escaped him as he stretched his slender frame, the office chair rolling slightly to the back. Koushiro was still up, the different monitors on his desk lined up and on. After much complaining from Sora, who was according to him unnecessarily way too worried about his health, he had installed a filter on the screens. That way he could protect his eyes, but still work during night time.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t work in the day time, no, he had grown fond of working with both Taichi and Sora around. However, they had the tendency to distract them and so, being the night owl of the three, he decided to catch up on work during the night. Koushiro liked the quiet, the only sound interfering his endless thoughts the sound of keys clicking.

Time had already gone way past midnight when the sound of his fingers flying over the keyboard was interrupted with bare feet entering their shared office. Koushiro peeked over his computer screens, his eyes picking up on red-colored messy sleep hair, his nose smelling Taichi’s perfume she was bringing with her into the room.  

“Sora-san, shouldn’t you be asleep?”

His fingers left the keys as he decided to check up on her. He watched her closely and concluded she looked stress. It wasn’t a surprise with the big deadline that was luring from behind a bush called Friday. Koushiro remembered all of her speedy talking which wasn’t very Sora-like, her calm demeanor sliding off.

“I couldn’t,” Sora answered sounding sleepy yet stressed. “Tomorrow’s the first draft for the collection and it feels like I missed a few details. I have to check it.”

Not for one second did she look at him. As if pulled to her drawing table, she walked towards it, her right hand frantically searching for the right pencil underneath the pile of designs. To Koushiro they were all equally wonderful and knowing Sora, he knew she didn’t miss any details. He also knew she was stubborn, perhaps even more so than Taichi, and so he didn’t ask further. Instead he kept a close eye on her while he kept working, thinking it would only be a few minutes before she would return to bed.

But a few minutes turned into over half an hour and Koushiro grew worried. Without saying anything, he stood up to grab the both of them some tea.

“Thanks.” Was all Sora said as he carefully placed the cup on the only empty spot on her drawing table. Her eyes were wide, completely focused on her work. Koushiro looked over all the colors and lines dancing on the papers forming beautiful designs for modernized kimonos.

“I truly admire your skills and ambition, Sora-san. The designs look unquestionably stunning, I’m convinced that they’re enough for a first draft. I’d like to escort you to bed so you can sleep some more.”

“Tell that to yourself, you always stay up late,” Sora snapped back, but immediately realized how mean that was. She finally looked at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I’m aware. You must be tired, hence why I wanted to bring you back to bed,” Koushiro explained calmly.

Sora smiled in return, her tiredness didn’t allow her to keep her lips curled up for too long. “And I appreciate your worry over me. But I just can’t sleep yet.”

Koushiro nodded in response. She gave off a tired look, the determination however made her glow all the same.

A little bit defeated, Koushiro headed back to his seat behind his desk. He sighed before his fingers went back to the keyboard, then started typing once more, the room filled with the tapping sound again. Per usual, it made him loose track of time.

Eventually from the corner of his eye Koushiro could see Taichi’s sleeping body dragging himself into the office. The brown haired man rubbed his eyes and a yawn escaped him as he placed himself next to Koushiro, looking over the computer screens in Sora’s direction. A worried expression emerged on his face and Koushiro looked up to Taichi.

“How long has she been up an working?” Taichi asked with a hoarse sleepy tone followed by another yawn.

Koushiro checked the time.

“It could easily be over an hour now.”

Taichi sighed. It was all he needed to know. He kept standing there, watching her work, worried yet the fondness in his eyes easily outdid the worry.

Even though Koushiro was well aware of Taichi’s adoration and admiration for both him and Sora, he could never get enough of Taichi staring so intensely to especially Sora. It was something he could observe day in and out, it would never grow old.

“What?” Came Sora’s voice. Clearly she had been taking notice of Taichi’s staring. It made Koushiro snap out of his thoughts, however, Taichi only intensified the eye contact he now had with her. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No.” He replied. The features in Taichi’s face changed from intensity to softness accompanied by a cheeky grin.

“Then what is it?” Sora asked, the annoyance in her voice returning.

In a way, even though Taichi meant it well, these little exchanges of words between his two partners made Koushiro feel uncomfortable. Simply because it could go two ways. They would either start bickering, or…

“I just think you’re beautiful.”

Or they would jump each other in a more sexually physical way.

Yes, Koushiro loved them both very much, but their intensity could sometimes be a tad too much. Making him blush in frustration or ecstasy. Often it was both though.

He looked from Taichi to Sora and back in anticipation. Because with Sora being stressed and tired, you could never predict how exactly she would respond.

Koushiro had not expected the cherry red blush on her cheeks radiating warmth and surprise.

“Go back to bed, Taichi,” she stumbled, failing to hide how that one compliment had gotten to her.

“Well, you’ve heard the boss,” Taichi said to Koushiro, taking Sora’s words as his cue to go. “Can you tell her I’d like to see her back in bed soon? And you too by the way.”

Taichi winked and gave Koushiro a sweet small peck on the top of his head before he turned his heel to return back to bed. Alone.

Or so Taichi thought.

Right before he would have left the office, Taichi was stopped by Sora hugging him from behind. Her graceful arms embraced his athletic body, her one hand just able to hold the wrist from her other hand. She pressed her head to Taichi’s back and rubbed her nose into the fabric of Taichi’s sleep shirt, a genuine smile happily dancing on her lips before she spoke.

“Thank you, I needed that.”

Koushiro looked at the both of them, standing in the door way exchanging love in a to him beautiful way. It was tender and fragile, grand in its simplicity.

Where Sora’s blush turned into a warm and grateful pinkish one, Taichi showed a knowing one. Accepting the love he felt for her. For them. And all Koushiro could do was take in the little loving still he was treated to.  

He recalled how their love wasn’t self-evident from the beginning, especially to Taichi. But the road he had followed together with Sora and Koushiro had led him to being his happy and cheesy self again. Where his blush first was one of confusion and shame, it now showed his pride and a genuine love.

Koushiro smiled, a shared blush like rouge now complimenting his own face. Happy he was here with them, being able to see the love unfold in front of him over and over again.

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon

Wow...somehow this one just completely fell off my radar, otherwise I would have watched it a long time ago lol. I seriously thought I was all caught up with pre-Tamers anime until I saw this on the 02 TV Tropes and was like "oop..." It was a good surprise though, I can never get enough of these Mamoru Hosoda style shorts! (Looks like he didn't actually work on this one though).

I watched this dubbed first to take screenshots and then subbed. It's hard to find a non-crunchy version of the subbed short. The OG Japanese was a lot stronger imo because, as usual, the dub ruined some stuff with it's jokey tone and music choices. Still decently faithful though. Full thoughts below.

Notes:

So this is like a midquel, I guess. I don't know if there's an exact place within 02 I was supposed to watch this, but I didn't feel like my immersion was wrecked or anything haha.

While the aesthetic of the short was great, I felt the story was pretty redundant and eye-roll worthy. "Oh Omegamon/Omnimon is back for some contrived reason and the OG chosen children's digimon can't defeat him like they did last time...for some contrived reason. This looks like a job for the 02 protagonists!" Whatever, it doesn't have to be deep to be fun.

The early 2000s CG looked pretty good actually. I thought it added a fun otherworldliness to the Kuramon.

Kuramon look a lot like Takodachi (Hololive fans know what's up). I wonder if there was some inspiration there on a subliminal level.

I wonder if Daisuke's character designer intended him to be from a southern part of Japan. His tan skin sticks out more in this art style.

I feel like Diaboromon got uglier somehow compared to Our War Game lol. Armagemon's design was deliciously creepy though. He looked like something out of an Alien movie. His entrance was epic and probably would have freaked me out a lot as a kid. Weirdly, they never actually said Armagemon's name so I just assumed it was Diaboromon until I googled it just now lol

Sora and Mimi were like two sides of the same coin in this. Mimi was useless, but in a delightful way. Sora was useless, but in a boring way lol. Seriously, she didn't need to come all the way home from her tennis club trip to just go "I'm here!" and then do nothing. I'm not saying there was much she could do anyway, but I get really pissed that they never gave her character a real point aside from "bland love interest" in any Digimon show/movie.

Loved Mimi's interactions with Koushiro. Their awkward "we're in the same friend group but have nothing in common" chemistry is so fun.

Yamato seemed extra cool with his rings and stoicism. I do kind of wish he and Taichi got a little more dialogue though.

Really didn't like the direction of the fights inside the internet. They were either animated too up close or too distant so I felt like I couldn't really follow what was going on half the time. Also, the choreography wasn't that inspired. The IRL fight at least had a cool Evangelion vibe going for it. The harbor was a really aesthetic setting for a final fight.

I've started shipping DaiKen for funsies (there's some really cute fanart) so it was nice seeing them together in the elevated art style hehe.

Daisuke has a Yamato phone strap! So cute and supportive

It's funny how the digimon sizing suddenly changes when we're in movie-mode. Angemon and Angewomon were huge in this! I was excited to see the 02 digimon, but they mostly looked the same as they looked in the show tbh.

The Shibuya vibes, complete with Hachiko statue, were fun. Was 02 set in Tokyo? I honestly don't remember...

Seeing all those children running around at night without any worries about safety...must be nice, Japan.

When Omegamon "ran out of energy," I had the thought of like "can a jogress digimon die in the real world or would they always just de-digivolve??" I guess they'd never go that far for plot reasons anyways

Imperialdramon gets a new mode! Paladin mode, according to Google. Were these names in the credits or did they just decide things later for the TCG or something...?

We got the 02 theme inserted towards the end and even the OG show's theme as a ring tone. Really cute touch. (I was a little triggered to hear Bolero again for the millionth time though).

All in all I'm glad the 02 kids got their due in this style. Was it groundbreaking? No. Was it worth 30 minutes of my time? Absolutely!

[koushirouizumi]

Digimon Adventure / 02 / tri. / Kizuna / Adventure: [2020] A.M.V {Anime Music Video} (Un-finished PRE-VIEW) ~ O V E R T I M E + Koushiro{u} Izumi & Taichi Yagami {KouTai} / Taishiro{u} (as Semi canon Compliant) {Minimal spoilers for Tri through Kokuhaku, Kizuna up to partway through Final Battle, DigiAdv 2020 36 - Koushiro specific Moments}

Notes: This is what I was working on all up until November! I wanted to finish it in time for a fan event, but, it didn't quite happen in time that way. (Maybe I can finish it later this year?!) For now, please enjoy the preview! I was also working on this together with a mutual - the track choice was mainly their idea, but I was trying to help find scenes that'd fit, and I managed to make quite a few moments work; You'll notice it's slightly different from my usual styles, but I'm also trying to relate specific moments and framing rather clearly here!!

(I'll admit theres a couple lines I thought were harder to work with; I'll figure those out later, but the track was overall fun for them regardless and I really enjoyed trying to make this!!) {As usual, a bit of manipulating scenes does happen, but its not ultra-heavy edits; all of these scenes come direct from canon formats for the most part, with some simple scenic manipulating otherwise!}

Digimon Adventure Franchise (C) Toei Animation Track (C) The Strike THIS IS A FAN MADE WORK; NO $$$ IS BEING MADE OFF THIS WORK.

{DO NOT R E P O S T} {DO NOT RE P R O D U C E My Editing UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER} (Trust Me, I WILL Know)

If the embed doesn't show at any time; Please check back to this post later on, as the site's player has been having issues at times!! (If it continues to not show, please feel free to ping me!)

[ahiddenpath]

Life Update

Chatting about life beneath the cut.

TW: medical talk/mentions of cancer/mentions of animal injury

It's been so crazy lately, I'm not even sure where to start or how to capture everything. Ig I'll go for broad strokes?

Work

It's been so busy. Bit annoyed because I took over an important project for someone for two weeks while they were on vacation, and it's been a little intense. But it's been going well, so I'm glad for that. I am a little... Hm. No one has ever done my work while I'm away, lol! But mostly I like contributing and I like my teammates, so I'm just grousing.

Creating

I'm working on the next chapter of Infinite Possibilities for Odaiba Day. In it, Koushiro tells Eimi what happened during Tri, specifically so he can explain why the Chosen/Bureau relationship is where it is now (it's not in the best place). It turns out that condensing the events of six movies into a few thousand words is really hard, especially with all the different factions! So I MADE A CHART, I think you will love it, lol! That's where I am in my fanfiction career, chart making (she says, as if she hasn't already made several).

It's been going... Fine. Not great, not bad. I haven't had as much time/mental space lately.

Life

Holy crap man. A family member has cancer, and I don't want to get into details bc... You know, it's their situation, not mine. But they removed the cancerous organ, only to find that it spread to a non-removable organ. So... Well, they will learn their options before long. We are hoping for a non-chemo option.

My first reaction is wanting to do something myself, wanting to help or make it better. You certainly can help a person with cancer in terms of practical and emotional support, but you can't... You know... Medically help. I keep googling how to help and what to say and not to say to a cancer patient. That's so human, you know? How do I help? Tell me how to help. It's sweet. Humans are sweet.

I'm feeling a lot of feelings, and I can't imagine how my family member feels.

It's jarring to talk about my own little stuff after something so much worse, but...

My energy has been just awful lately. I've been dragging my butt through life for what feels like... Idk, three months or so? I just haven't been feeling well, although I'm not, like, sick. I'm not sure what to do, if I'm honest. Very recently, we have been trying to eat better, and I did a not successful exercise today, lmao! I just hope I can physically perk up.

I had a small emergency last week. I was trying to groom a clump out of my (absurdly beloved) cat's fur, and I cut his skin. I can't even describe it- the skin just, like, unzipped in front of my eyes. I basically just froze and shut down, my husband called vets. We lost a lot of local vets over the pandemic, and the local ER was closed for renovation that day, so it was nerve wracking, but we got him seen. Meanwhile, I had a hugely busy workday- I had to keep that important project going. But we went to the ER and they said it only needed staples, not suturing. I feel so guilty. The vet said that she's done it herself to a dog, you try to help them and they wiggle, it's common. Luckily, Darcy isn't scared of me and acts the same (in fact, he's sitting with me now). It's healing nicely and we will remove the staples later this week or next week. The vet said Darcy was a good boy, and the only problem was that he purred too loud for them to hear his heartrate. I worked pretty late that day.

There's been a lot of stuff at that level (sort of like... a mild emergency) going on lately. I don't have the wherewithal to list everything, but that's how life has been lately.

That's all for now, I hope you are healthy and doing well. Love you, big hug!

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x03 - The Blue Wolf! Garurumon! / Garurumon

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Prank phone calls sure do hit different when the emergency line operator is the one doing them.

Good news is, we have like a day's worth of food. Bad news is, we're still in this awful place File Island and don't know how to go home. Or even where we can physically be that won't piss off territorial wildlife. Man, when I signed up for an Isekai, I was promised elf waifus and unearned combat supremacy; I want to speak with this place's manager!

We open on Taichi standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into emo distance. He's trying to make sense of the rules of this death world. Why did only Agumon evolve? Why did he lose his evolution and revert to Agumon again?

Agumon has no answers for him. As noted last episode, the Partner Digimon don't understand how this works either. We're all figuring this shit out together.

Dub Tai makes the wild-ass claim that they've already searched the whole island, which is a bald-faced lie given that exploring File Island will take up much of this arc. Then he just brags about how Greymon is super badass, rather than contemplating how evolution works.

Tai does also ask Agumon why he can't remain as Greymon, but he's more macho about it and kind of mean. "I like you better as Greymon," he says with actual words from his mouth. Agumon apologetically explains that "Even superheroes need a rest."

No time to keep thinking about this, nature has discovered us once again. Monochromon, an Adult-stage Digimon, smashes through some nearby rocks. Tentomon assures us that Monochromon are docile. The narrator agrees, but adds that they have a foul temper.

As a second Monochromon emerges from the other side of the group, the kids quickly decide to skedaddle out of the way. The Monochromon aren't here for us, we're just in the crossfire. Nature can be like that sometimes.

Tentomon speculates that this is a territorial dispute. Makes sense, and also not our problem so we book. Fleeing from this violence, Takeru trips and falls, but Yamato stops to help him, giving the brothers a nice moment.

Once we've run as far as we can from the territory duel, Mimi gets tired. She offhandedly complains that all this walking is going to thicken her calves, prompting Agumon to chime in that thick calves are good 'cause you can kick dirt with them. Palmon argues that leafy feat are better. Mimi is unswayed by both of these arguments.

Dub Mimi adds a bit about shopping malls; "I don't walk this much unless I'm at a mall, and as you can see, we're nowhere near one!" However, the thrust of her complaint remains that she's tired and sore from all this walking. Agumon inexplicably suggests she'd feel better if she took off her shoes and walked in bare feet. Palmon doubles down, saying she loves the feel of dirt between her toes. Mimi is not impressed.

Meanwhile, Koushiro and Sora discuss the strangely colored sunset of File Island. Even the sky in this place is weird. In any case, the sunset brings a more pressing concern: It's going to get dark soon. We're about to spend our first night on File Island.

Tentomon notices the smell of water in the air, so he takes to the sky to scout out and discovers a lake nearby. A freshwater drinking source is a huge discovery in a survival situation, so we should head that way!

It takes very little time to reach a survival consensus. Everyone is tired and hungry. We'll make camp at the lake and figure things out in the morning.

Well, consensus except for Dub Matt. Yamato likes the idea of stopping to rest for reasons that are clearly visible onscreen with him and require no elaboration. Matt, however, decides to be contrarian and barks that "We should keep walking and stop all the complaining!" Harsh, Matt.

Lake's full of telephone poles and shit but honestly we are past caring that File Island is weird. As we approach the lake, the group takes a moment to agree that this is a great spot to camp out for the night.

Mimi's nervous, though. She asks Taichi to clarify that camping means they have to sleep outdoors, which he confirms.

However, a new option suddenly presents itself courtesy of File Island being so weird. As if directly responding to their presence, a trolley sitting on a little island connected to the mainland by a manmade stone bridge suddenly turns on and calls their attention to it.

As they race for the trolley, Dub Tai inexplicably calls out, "Mimi, wait up!" as he leaps through the doors, despite being the first kid to set foot on it.

Having thoroughly failed their Don't Get In A Stranger's Car check, they take a moment investigating the trolley. Taichi and Koushiro confirm that nobody's here. Taichi's extremely bothered by this whole thing. Jou agrees, wondering aloud if the trolley's going to start moving by itself, but Taichi waves him off; There aren't any tracks for the trolley to go down.

Dub Tai agrees with Joe, but thinks it might actually be good if the trolley suddenly kidnaps them all. It might take them home. Dub Tai somehow manages to be worse at Stranger Danger than any of the Japanese crew. To be fair, he's not alone; Dub Mimi said that too.

Well, it's decided. We'll sleep in the trolley tonight. Just like that, the group sets to work on foraging for food and supplies. Last episode, the Digimon said they're good at foraging; Now they get to show off their skills, gathering various fruits and berries. Mimi tries to help, but Palmon stops her from accidentally picking poisonous mushrooms.

Jou and Sora gather firewood while Koushiro and Takeru catch fish to cook. Taichi and Yamato prepare the fire and just like that, we're camping.

When he sees Takeru struggling with figuring out how to eat a whole fish like this, Yamato offers to de-bone it for him. Taichi interrupts and tells Takeru to just start at the head and bite; Takeru accepts that advice and gives it a try.

In the dub, T.K. complains that his mom wouldn't like this. He's only supposed to eat fish sticks, and he's not supposed to eat with his fingers. Matt assures T.K. that he won't tattle, and Tai chimes in to tell him he's "hanging with the big boys now" which seems to settle his nerves.

From there, Taichi approaches Sora, who's filling up a bamboo shaft with water from the lake. He's noticed that Takeru refers to Yamato as "Onii-chan" and he's curious about it. Sora's as lost as he is about it.

Dub Tai already gets that Matt and T.K. are brothers, and instead complains that Matt "doesn't treat T.K. like a brother, only like he's a bother." Rude. Sora agrees, but suggests he's still learning how to be a big brother.

Jou returns from having a short walk around, stargazing. He's been trying to use the night sky to figure out where the hell File Island is, but the sky is wrong. Not just wrong for Japan; It's just wrong. Neither the North Star nor the Southern Cross can be found. So we are neither in the Northern Hemisphere nor the Southern. What does that leave?

Sora quickly corroborates, observing that she can't find any familiar constellations either.

Dub Joe is less thorough than Jou. He doesn't look for the Southern Cross, instead settling on the idea that we must be in the Southern Hemisphere if he can't find the North Star. Mystery solved.

Before long, it's officially time for bed. Time to spend our first night on File Island. Koushiro wants to establish a night watch rotation, which Taichi and Jou quickly agree to.

Taichi suggests that the girls shouldn't have to keep watch. Upon hearing this, Yamato jumps to his feet to demand that Takeru be excluded too. Takeru volunteers to take a turn anyway, but Yamato tells him no; Takeru should just sleep.

The dub cuts Tai's line about wanting Sora and Mimi excluded from the rotation, which leaves Matt issuing demands on T.K.'s behalf out of nowhere. This still works for the scene's intent.

Mimi points out that they have no bedding to sleep with. Getting an idea, Taichi goes straight for Gabumon, trying to steal his pelt away from him. He's only playing around, and he lets go as soon as Gabumon freaks out and runs.

Dub Tai somehow makes this about Mimi, playing her up like a predator in the night who's going to come for Gabumon in the night and cut off his tail.

Yamato angrily shoves Taichi away from Gabumon and the two nearly come to blows before the others tell them to quit it. Jou interrupts, calling the group's attention together so they can set up the shifts. With Sora, Mimi, and Takeru all excluded, the rotation he comes up with is:

Taichi

Yamato

Koushiro

Jou

Sora and Mimi remain excluded from the list even in the dub, so I guess Joe's the sexist one in this version. :P

As the kids prepare for bed in the trolley, they proceed to make unbelievably poor use of all that seating area. Everyone has to sleep in a sitting position but like there is so much space y'all.

Mimi's upset because she's used to sleeping in a bed. Dub Mimi instead is mad that she has to share sleeping space with other people. Rude.

Going to bed, we're made privy to each of their last thoughts as they drift off. Sora hopes they aren't attacked in the night. Mimi wants to take a bath. Koushiro expects it will be a long day for the group tomorrow. Jou wants this all to have been a dream.

In the dub, T.K. bids everyone good night with, "Don't let the Monochromon bite," giving Sora a specific monster anxiety to worry about. Mimi's feet are still sore. Izzy speculates that the aliens he's still on about put the trolley here to help them. Joe worries about getting "monster cooties", actual quote.

Yamato's staked out his own bench to rest on. He orders Gabumon to go keep Takeru warm. Gabumon teases him about loving his brother and Yamato storms off in a fit of embarrassment.

As the group drifts off to sleep, things start to go to shit almost immediately. The other shoe finally begins to drop during Taichi's shift, as he steps on a strange red leaf on his way to wash his face. Nothing comes of it, however. Not yet.

While Taichi's washing his face to stay awake during his shift, Yamato exits the trolley to get away from everyone. He apologizes to Taichi for their earlier fight, and confides that Takeru's closer to Taichi than to him because of his overprotective behavior; Calling back to the earlier incident with the cooked fish.

Dub Matt, meanwhile, continues being a total jerk. He still apologizes but, rather than opening up about his feelings, Matt aggressively blames "having to watch T.K." for his behavior. Nice, bro.

Taichi asks Yamato to explain the nature of their relationship for him. Yamato explains that they're brothers from a broken home; Their parents divorced and the brothers were split between them, which is why they have different last names.

The dub hasn't been playing coy about this the way the original did, so Tai instead has to ask, "Do you two even live in the same house!?" out of nowhere to provoke Matt's explanation. Matt answers that they're half-brothers so that's why they see each other so rarely.

Having had his fill of emotional honesty, Yamato splits with Taichi and goes to play his harmonica by the lake shore. He's shortly joined by Gabumon, doing a startlingly poor job of being Takeru's blanket.

That's when it happens.

Okay, fucko, I can handle being stepped on but that is a bridge too far. Local wildlife mad now.

I blame Taichi for this. 100%. That fin wasn't exactly hard to spot.

This is the Adult-stage Seadramon, the first of a particular kind of Digimon. The "dramon" lineage is a pun on the word "dragon". Any time you meet a -dramon, that's a dragon Digimon. Seadramon is, of course, the Sea Dragon Digimon.

Seadramon honestly wants nothing to do with this. His first reaction to his rude awakening is to try and peace out. Unfortunately, his tail is embedded in the island, so he ends up dragging it around with him.

Tentomon explains that Seadramon is normally pretty docile. He only attacks if he feels threatened. As long as we haven't threatened him, we should be fine. As Tentomon says this, he hops directly onto Seadramon's tail like an idiot.

Really playing up how much this impending fight is absolutely, 100% our fault. We screwed up. Seadramon is trying to defend himself against us.

This context doesn't make it into the dub. Instead, Tentomon assures the others that they'll be fine as long as Seadramon doesn't realize they're here; However, by stepping on Seadramon's tail like that, he reveals their presence to the dangerous predator.

Wrenching his tail free of the island, Seadramon retaliates by submerging himself and pushing the island further out into the lake until it collides with those telephone poles we saw earlier and can't budge any further.

Seeing Takeru in trouble, Yamato doesn't even hesitate to throw himself in the water and swim halfway across the dragon-occupied lake to reach his brother. Gabumon hesitates for a moment, not wanting to get his fur wet, but pursues Yamato anyway.

As Seadraman renews his assault on the island, the Child-stage Digimon try to fend him off, but their attacks are useless against an Adult-stage Digimon as usual. Taichi tries to get Agumon to evolve, but he can't; Agumon doesn't know why. As previously established, the Digimon don't understand this whole thing any better than the kids do.

Dub Agumon is lost too, but at least offers speculation. He thinks his body might still be tired from his fight with Shellmon. Valid theory.

Takeru falls in the water trying to get to Yamato, but Gomamon gives him a ride. Trusting Gomamon to take care of Takeru, Yamato and Gabumon throw themselves into the Seadramon fight.

Gabumon's signature move is Petit Fire. Like Baby Flame, this conveys the idea that it's a junior attack fitting of a Child-stage Digimon. The dub calls it Blue Blaster. Like the other Child attacks, Petit Fire is useless against Seadramon, who flicks Gabumon away with little difficulty.

Wrapping his tail around Yamato, Seadramon goes in for the kill.

The dub uses careful language to avoid explicitly saying that Seadramon is going to kill Matt, but nonetheless conveys the same idea. Tentomon calls Seadramon a "bubble brain" but explains that "once he finds his prey, he won't let go".

Takeru, Patamon, and Gabumon briefly discuss what they can do. Takeru wants Patamon to help, but Patamon is powerless so he turns to Gabumon. Gabumon's hesitation strikes again; He wants to help Yamato but he isn't strong enough to intervene.

However, as he watches Seadramon choke the life out of Yamato, Gabumon thinks about his harmonica music and how much he wants to hear it again. He dwells on that music and how badly he wants to hear Yamato play, then lets out a bloodcurdling scream and begins his Adult-stage evolution.

None of this emotional conflict makes it into the dub. English Gabumon agrees to go save Matt immediately, calling out that he's on his way and assertively saying, "What's a little stinky fur compared to a friend like him?"

Either way, Gabumon SHINKAAAAAA!!!

Gabumon's Adult-stage is Garurumon, another onomatopoeia name. He's named for the sound of a wolf growling. "Garururururu...."

While Garurumon and Seadramon fight, Tentomon explains that Garurumon's fur is as strong as the legendary metal mythril. The kids don't know what that is, so Koushiro asks for clarification. This puts Tentomon on the spot, who has to admit that he doesn't know what mythril is either. Taichi wonders aloud if they should really be trusting Tentomon's word when he's explaining the Digimon lore.

Dub Tentomon only equates Garurumon's fur to steel, and adds that he's a "growling torpedo". Izzy understands what that means and declares Garurumon to be invincible, forcing Tentomon to backpedal and say it's only local heresay, nothing concrete. Tai then accuses him of "exaggerating with another one of your wild fish tales again". Uh, another?

For once, we get some focus on the antagonist's special moves too. Seadramon is a wild animal so he doesn't talk, but Tentomon explains this to be his signature move Ice Arrow. Fitting for a sea dragon, he has frost breath.

Garurumon matches it with his Fox Fire. The dub calls this Howling Blaster.

Y'all, he just wanted to sleep.

Gomamon's Marching Fishes bring us back to land, but the sun comes up and nobody's rested. Exhausted, conversation turns to Gabumon's evolution.

Sora suggests that Gabumon was able to evolve this time because it was Yamato in danger. Taichi remembers Agumon evolving to protect him and corroborates that theory. The kids are beginning to develop an understanding of how evolution functions.

Once that's settled, the kids find spaces in the grass to snooze; Everyone's too tired to even care anymore where they rest their heads.

We close this episode on Yamato playing Takeru and Gabumon to sleep.

...I guess technically it is his turn to take watch.

[digisurvive]

For that character meme, you know who I'm going to ask: Shuuji, 10/11/16/27 (up to you which number(s) you pick)

10 Describe the character in one sentence

Most unfitting guy to have a life-changing crisis camping trip alongside with, he'll have the breakdown of the century first thing in the morning.

11 What’s the first thing you think about when thinking about the character?

Probably that it's the first time the franchise has actually had a medium and the OK to explore the topic of parental abuse in depth. Especially meaningful as an adventure offshoot—as much as we have had complicated household situations before, all the adventure (02 included) kids ultimately have families that love and care for them in an unambiguous way. Even the so-called dark Tamers didn't really delve into the topic. It feels very meaningful to me not having the depiction ameliorated, like the franchise is finally being able to tell those fans who grew up with parents that deeply harmed them that they're seen.

16 A childhood headcanon

This is an extremely evil request for this Chara. I'm not even much of a headcanon person, so this is extra hard lol Since he has some kind of idea that he can still be loved and accepted by his family, maybe he has fond memories of family outings, going to the park often with his brother or something... There must be a reason he thought a hiking camp wouldn't be too hard to handle for a guy who studies 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

27 If they could meet a character from another show/movie/etc, who would be the most fun for them to meet?

Dunno.... Well, if keeping it constrained to digimon charas, probably Koushiro? They'd likely be comfortable interacting in an intellectual~ manner with each other.

[genork-the-fandork]

Thesis

Word Count: 585 Prompt: & Takeru A/N: I stopped fighting my clear need to write about Kizuna era. Perhaps that will make the rest of these easier. In any case, I've always adored the dynamic between Taichi and Takeru, almost more than the dynamic with their biological siblings. Found siblings are always so much fun to me, I don't know why! (Maybe because I have so many.) @taichiyagamiweek

"I never would have taken Patamon for a caffeine addict," Taichi mused, watching Patamon slurp down the frappuccino Takeru had ordered for him.

"Honestly, me neither. I think he really likes the whipped cream." Takeru was typing furiously on his laptop, reminding Taichi of the days when Koushiro had been furiously typing on his in the Digital World. But unlike Koushiro, Taichi knew that Takeru was writing instead of researching. Well, he was researching, too, in his own way, he supposed.

"Thanks for meeting me," Taichi began, nodding to Patamon. "I just… I had to see for myself that you all were fine."

Takeru nodded, giving the older boy the understanding smile that he'd always had. Even when he was eight years old, he'd had a strange wisdom about him. It was nothing like Yamato, but everything like Hikari. No wonder they got along so well. "I get it. Really, it's weird that we weren't affected." He frowned. "Well, weird that I wasn't affected. I met Patamon the same time you met Agumon."

Taichi shrugged. "The rules have always been different for you, special kid that you are." Takeru rolled his eyes, and Taichi chuckled before turning serious again. "I'd wager a guess that you're not done yet."

"Why did I have a feeling you'd say that?" Takeru sighed, reaching out to scratch between Patamon's wings. "Am I the Jou of my generation of Chosen?"

"Now that's a comparison I never thought I'd hear." Taichi let out a hearty laugh, drawing the attention of other café patrons. "But I know you can handle it. You've always been more mature than you've realized."

"It's a blessing and a curse." Takeru dramatically fanned himself, and the boys grinned at each other. The blond's eyes returned to his laptop, and he smiled. "Maybe it's something about my Crest or whatever, but I'm sure we'll all see each other again. It wouldn't make sense for them to just take them away with no hope of seeing them again."

"Always filled with hope, I get it." Leaning back in his chair, Taichi folded his arms behind his head as he'd been prone to do as a kid. "You and I are on the same page, then." But then, it was rare when they had not been on the same page, even when they were younger.

"There's another reason you asked me here, I suppose?" Takeru said, eyeing the bag on the table between them.

Taichi grinned. "I was hoping you'd ask." He dug through his bag and whipped out a sheaf of paper, presenting it to his friend. "I wanted your opinion on this."

Takeru took the papers and scanned the first page, his eyes lighting up as he took in the contents. "Your thesis? Taichi, this is—" He bit his lip and kept reading. After a few minutes, he set down the draft and smiled over at Taichi. "It already sounds fantastic."

"I'm glad you think so. Would you mind terribly taking a look through it and giving me some feedback? I don't want to turn in something half-assed. I owe Agumon that much." Taichi cupped his hands around his drink, smiling down at it. "It's because of him that I could even figure out what to do."

"I'd be happy to help out, Taichi." Takeru smiled at him, and Taichi returned the expression. Patamon slurped loudly on the remains on his drink, and the two of them laughed.

With Takeru's help, Taichi knew his thesis would be perfect.