#(TENTOMON IS SO GOOD)

[izzyizumi]

D I G I M O N Adventure ~ Koushiro{u} {"Izzy"} Izumi T.C.G Parallel C a r d + Tentomon + P U R P L E (Crest Activated) DIGIVICE {Official preview art from here!} (+Clean version!)

[koushirouizumi]

{from here!}

[ashxketchum]

New collaboration with Loft & Amnibus was announced for Digimon Adventure!

Details about exact merch will follow soon, but the tweet states that the concept was decided by keeping the idea of 25th Anniversary in focus but the art itself is flower + wedding outfit themed. The collab will start in June which is considered a good month for brides in Japan and so we see many wedding themed anime illustrations get released during this time every year.

Now it is time for another certified Ayushi breakdown 🫡

Taichi and Agumon are seen holding Edelweiss, with a pattern of the flower drawn beautifully on Taichi's shirt as well. Edelweiss in Japanese Language of Flowers (Hanakotoba) is meant to symbolise 'cherished memories/大切な思い出' and 'courage/勇気', while in Western Language of Flowers it's meant to symbolise 'noble courage' and 'daring' - both of which are apt for our best leader 🧡

Yamato and Gabumon are seen holding Alstroemeria (Lily of the Incas, Peruvian Lily), and while the flower motif is not drawn onto his clothes, Yamato's coat's breast pocket is decorated with the flower as well. In Hanakotoba, Alstroemeria is meant to symbolise 'persistence/持続' or 'longing for the future/未来への憧れ', while in Western Language of Flowers it's meant to symbolise 'friendship' and 'devotion'. All meanings are apt for him imo, but especially persistence and longing for the future are very representative of his arc from the first series till Kizuna.

Sora and Piyomon are seen with Pink Carnations, with the neckline of Sora's jumpsuit lined with a bunch of the flowers. I personally love the visual of Sora in this pink jumpsuit, it plays into her slightly tomboyish yet extremely gentle personality so well! In Hanakotoba carnations symbolise 'innocent and deep love/無垢で深い愛' and pink carnations specifically symbolise 'love of a woman/女性の' 'passionate love/熱愛' and "beautiful gesture/美しいしぐさ'. In Western Language of Flowers carnations symbolise 'fascination' and love'. All meanings are pretty accurate for Sora, but red carnations are used to symbolise Mother's love in Japan so it would've been nice if they threw in a mix of red and pink to hint at her relationship with her mother!

Koushiro and Tentomon are seen holding Violet Sage, which at first glance I thought was Lavender. The flower pattern is also visible on his waistcoat and bowtie, which ties together his outfit very nicely! In Hanakotoba, Sage seems to have many symbolisations, 'respect/尊敬', 'wisdom/知恵', 'good home/良い家庭', and 'family love/家族愛'. But Blue (Violet) Sage specifically signify respect and wisdom. In Western Language of Flowers, Sage symbolises 'esteem', 'wisdom' and 'domestic virtue'. Again, a perfect choice for Koushiro, I personally would prefer to believe that they picked this not because of his crest but because of 'good home' and 'family love' since that part of Koushiro's arc in the first series was probably the most impressionable aspect of his character.

Mimi and Palmon are seen holding baby's breath, with Mimi's dress covered in a pattern of it. Even keeping my bias towards Mimi aside, this is possibly one of the prettiest outfit of hers till date, it genuinely looks like she's about to walk down the aisle as a flower girl for a very happy couple! In Hanakotoba, Baby's Breath or Kasumisou, symbolises 'pure heart/清らかな心', 'innocence/無邪気', 'kindness/親切', and 'happiness/幸福'. In Western Language of Flowers it symbolises 'everlasting love', 'purity of heart', and 'innocence'. All meanings apply to Mimi to the T, but they're also very apt for the whole wedding theme of the merch which makes this particular outfit + flower choice my favourite from the lot.

Jou and Gomamon are seen holding Violets or Sumire. I honestly struggled to figure out the flower for a while, at first glance I thought it was Periwinkle but since that was not mentioned in the Hanakotoba reference anywhere, I searched other people's interpretations and settled with Violets. His tie also has a cute pattern of the flower, and it makes me wonder if Koushiro and Jou went shopping for their outfits together! In Hanakotoba, Sumire symbolise 'modesty/謙虚', 'sincerity/誠実', and 'small happiness/小さな幸せ'. Depending on the colour, the symbolism can change in Hanakotoba, and purple Violets specifically represent 'fidelity' along with 'love'. In Western Language of Flowers it symbolises 'modesty' and 'faithfulness'. This is as Jou as a flower can get lol.

Takeru and Patamon are seen with White Gerberas. Like Yamato, Takeru's outfit doesn't have a pattern of the flower, but the Gerberas themselves are pinned to his suspenders. In Hanakotoba, Gerbera symbolises 'hope/希望' and 'always moving forward/常に前進'. White Gerbera specifically are used to symbolise 'hope' and 'honesty/律儀'. In Western Language of Flowers it is meant to symbolise 'cheerfulness' and 'beauty'. All meanings are accurate for Takeru, no comment needed!

Hikari and Tailmon are seen with Sunflowers. I personally feel that Hikari's outfit is a little too much compared to the rest, just the sunflower belt would've been enough but they added that extra line at the hem and it's kind of an overdose. In Hanakotoba, Sunflowers symbolise 'I gaze only at you/私はあなただけを見つめる', 'adoration/愛慕', and 'worship/崇拝'. In Western Language of Flowers, it symbolises 'adoration' and 'false riches'. I understand that they wanted to go with a bright or perky flower for Hikari but something like a Pink Aster which symbolises patience or Cosmos which symbolises harmony, peace etc. might suit Hikari better given the overall theme of the illustration. The only miss in the otherwise perfectly depicted theme and art!

[seventeenlovesthree]

Character/Headcanon analysis: Koushirou Izumi and his parental tendencies

I like to call Koushirou "parental" when it comes to his 02 self - and I'm aware that may also be a very self-indulgent headcanon of him taking after Kae, even though she is more into soft parenting, whereas he himself is pretty occupied to make sure that his children are not blowing themselves up...

But of course you can also just call that him being a naturally supportive and caring person - always has been, ever since Adventure, even if certain events had to trigger him to not only be theoretically but physically helpful (such as whenever it comes to saving Mimi, Sora and Hikari - or telling Taichi to take it easy for once). The same attitude can also be found in Tentomon - though in his case, it's being protective on one hand and quite literally parental on the other (particularly in Tri).

Koushirou being thoroughly protective is the reason why I like to parallel him to Sora (and Hikari and basically Taichi too and thus Team Light validates me again), because them having self-sacrificial tendencies towards the others has ALWAYS been a thing - to various degrees. Again, Koushirou was ALWAYS taking on responsibility to make sure that others are safe (which is literally 90% of how his interactions with Hikari go, heck, Atlurkabuterimon trying to protect Angewomon is the biggest metaphor for that!). Unfortunately, my art did not become canon, but yes, I still maintain he was cut out of The Beginning (even as support) to give the spotlight to others for once. They still couldn't fully ignore him, hence why the "If Koushirou-san can't figure this out, how are we supposed to?" quote exists - the 02 kids have always relied on him and looked up to him, so it makes perfect sense. And Takeru acknowledged his support in his fanfiction as well! But they naturally didn't want him to get the spotlight, because it was about the 02 kids. 100% valid.

But then you also have the show vs. tell problem. Mimi says Koushirou is ignorant - and a lot of people take that at 100% face value. Taichi even defends him since he is pretty much aware of his quirks - and the scene above pretty much implies that Mimi herself knows how Koushirou is (= getting into hyperfocus mode and becoming ignorant towards everything he doesn't deem important in the process, hence being ignorant in urgent situations, but NOT in general). Stageplay!Kou is in a league of his own anyway, because he was allowed to voice his frustrations with "not being allowed to help by Taichi" again - and because he made everyone question how they really felt (like a good parent would always encourage their children). There are tons of examples, but to sum it all up: He is a connector, he is basically second in command, he is protective. His way of phrasing that may be awkward and not always understandable by others (hence why Yamato needs to explain it to Kae and Taichi to Meiko, IT'S A PATTERN), but...

Again, I just feel like 02 made him incredibly paternal in how he watches over the 02 kids, every time he talks to Iori, Miyako or Ken, he's kind and reassuring - yes, he does scold them and his potential suitors, ahem for being reckless, but also knows when to give praises.

(It also makes sense that he also mainly gets angry whenever he is being left out of things - especially if he knows he could have done something to support.)

We also all know that he has a very loving mother himself and, as mentioned, even if their parenting style might be rather different, he knows what is important, so... How can I not think it's because their relationship got better and he takes after her? Yes, Tri onwards didn't maintain the mom/dadness in him the same way, but he still feels responsible for everybody's safety, he gives advice and guidance all the time and that doesn't change.

[ecreau]

I’ve been teasing these drawings for the last few months, and finally, I can share them with you! I feel like I have been spamming you guys lately; hopefully, you are still enjoying my Digimon posts.

Here’s Palmon and Tanemon~! Another favorite line of mine, next to Tentomon and Biyomon. I like the simplicity of the designs, yet they are memorable. Palmon has always been one of my team members in Digimon World 2. I love it when it uses its move, Poison Ivy. I also use Palmon in Digimon Racing; Togemon is so good there! I miss these games so much. I wish Digimon would release a game similar to Digimon World.

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I hope you enjoyed my post today. See you tomorrow for more Digi content fun!

I also use a Digimon digital background. Credits to the source.

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Please do not repost my artwork/design. Ask me first.

Thank you!⁠

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“Beautiful Things Blossom”

[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.

[holly-natnicole]

Explanations for why I did the Cinnamon Roll Meme this way:

Looks like a cinnamon roll, is actually a cinnamon roll — Agumon, coz he's an adorable little dinosaur more likely to try the diplomatic approach than to jump immediately into fighting; Piyomon, coz she's an adorable pink bird who gives emotional support to her friends; Tachikawa Mimi, coz (especially after her growth as a person) she's a compassionate person; Kamiya "Kari" Hikari, coz she puts others first to the point of getting ill and/or injured solely coz she wants to not be a burden to them; Wallace "Willis" Williams, coz they cares 'bout the safety of random strangers & tries to solve difficult situations alone to avoid putting others in danger; Motomiya Daisuke, coz he refuses to harm his friends and he'll befriend you even if you've done something bad since he knows you genuinely regret what you did; Hida Iori, coz she's a semi-pacifist who despises killing & lying.

Looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you — Kamiya "Tai" Taichi, coz he's an adorable goofball who (usually) doesn't hesitate to jump into danger to save his friends & has no problem killing anyone threatening them (especially if Kari is the friend whose life is under threat since she's his biological fullsister); Takenouchi Sora, coz when she was age 11-12 it was damned clear in canon that she could easily assassinate people if she wanted to & everyone are lucky that she's genuinely nice; Gomamon, coz he's an adorable goofball who nevertheless can (with his friends' help) kill a Champion Level Digimon as a Rookie; Patamon, coz he's 1 of the most adorable Rookie Level Digimon ever yet also a major powerhouse upon digivolving; Ichijouji Ken, coz he literally tried to murder a fellow human when he was the Digimon Kaiser/Digimon Emperor and even after becoming a good person he had no problem with sending a majorly evil Digimon (who was being basically a terrorist) into the Dark Ocean yet he's still a genuinely nice kid; Inoue Miyako, coz she's a nerdy & genuinely nice kid yet doesn't hesitate to smack an Ultimate Level Digimon with a skateboard and (despite initially hesitating) is willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of enemies who've proven they're willing to slaughter innocent people.

Looks like they could kill you, is a cinnamon roll — Gabumon, coz his teeth and horn make him seem the scariest of the 8 original Digimon partners yet he's also the gentlest of them all; Izumi "Izzy" Kōshirō, coz anyone aware of Izzy's badass computer skills would be scared of him (I certainly was as a kid & still am as an adult despite my immense respect for his skills in both childhood & adulthood), but Izzy actually is a good kid; Kido Joe, coz he's the oldest DigiDestined and literally throws himself on Digimon in attempts to protect his friends, so you'd think he's some badass combatant yet actually Joe is the team's medic & a very responsible person; Takaishi "Keru" Takeru, coz he doesn't hesitate to punch the face of anyone intentionally messing with Darkness & sometimes is abrasive when he talks to people (even when they're his loved ones), so (similarly to Joe) it's easy to assume he's a violent person 'til you get to see his soft side; Wormmon, coz he's an insect Digimon that looks far more scary than cute yet he's as gentle as Gabumon; Hawkmon, coz he looks like a typical bird of prey yet in personality is more of a polite & caring older brother instead of a carnivore; Armadimon/Armadillomon, coz he is an armadillo dinosaur who looks scary yet in personality is simply a goofball.

Looks like they could kill you, could actually kill you — Ishida "Mat" Yamato, coz this DigiDestined by far scares me the most (except Ken was scarier during his time as the Digimon Kaiser/Digimon Emperor) due to his explicit willingness to kill his enemies & ('til he grew as a person) attack his friends making his aloofness feel more threatening than make him seem unapproachable; Tentomon, coz he's a giant bug whose digivolved forms are even bigger & scarier bugs and he once destroyed an entire pocket dimension as AtlerKabuterimon/MegaKabuterimon; Palmon, coz she's a plant lizard with poison attacks; Tailmon/Gatomon, coz she's introduced punching the snot out of 6 fellow Champion Digimon much bigger than her & the 2 being each other's fated adventuring platonic partners is the only reason she didn't murder Kari; Lopmon & Terriermon, coz the twins' horns mitigate their adorable appearance into seeming less approachable plus Lopmon spends most of his screentime as Wendimon plus Terriermon gains gun arms whenever she digivolves into her Champion form; Veemon, coz. he's a junvenile wingless dragon who'll headbutt the snot out of you before digivolving into 1 of his bigger forms which have very sharp claws & teeth.

[izumikoushiroweek]

Koushiro Week Giveaway Post

The giveaway post is here at last! Please read the post carefully if you intend to enter, as the rules have changed slightly.

To enter the giveaway for the items above (Koushiro and Tentomon’s 02 Best Partner CD, a trading card featuring Koushiro and Tentomon, and a Tri microfiber cloth), you must do the following:

-Submit an entry that meets the rules of the Izumi Koushiro 2024 event on this blog. Reblog day entries count, so long as they adhere to the event rules!

-Like this post. Please only interact with this post if you are entering the giveaway. Only likes count as entry.

You must do both of the above actions to enter.

I will pull the winner on Sunday, November 10. If you are working on a late Koushiro week entry and hoping to enter, you have until then to post your entry. Please @ this blog so I am sure to see it, and don't forget the event tag #izumikoushiroweek2024

Additional Rules:

-Only one entry per person. Do not enter via multiple accounts.

-After a winner is selected via random number generator, I will check that the account submitted an entry to Koushiro week and do my best to verify that the applicant only entered with one account before contacting the winner.

-I cannot get the prize to a winner without an address. Anyone who enters this giveaway is agreeing to provide me with a shipping address. It’s totally fine to be uncomfortable with giving an internet stranger your address! If that bothers you, do not enter the giveaway. You can absolutely join the event without joining the giveaway (simply don’t interact with this giveaway post).

-If a selected winner gives me a hard time about their address, I will immediately end the discussion and select a new random winner.

-The selected winner has three days from initial contact to respond. If I receive no contact after three days, I will select a new winner.

-If you are located outside of the states, it may take me a while to ship your item, as the post office is open exclusively during my working hours, and I will need to fill out a customs form. I will use the most affordable shipping option available. I am not available to field questions about when the items will ship or where the items are in the post. Any rudeness here will result in selection of a new winner.

-I am not responsible for any items lost in shipping. That is unlikely to happen, but if it does, I unfortunately cannot replace the lost items.

Thanks for your interest! Good luck! <3 Take care and be well!

[froggie-bolt]

Day 4: Trauma and Healing

Tell me Taichi wasn’t having a difficult time after Kizuna. TRY.

I bet you can’t.

I was preparing a comic! But I couldn’t get it done soon enough and I’m already late. SO! Either tomorrow or at the end of the week, I’ll post the finished comic!! But please take this thing from my drafts!!

Taichi’s grip on his shoulders grew tighter as Koushiro felt his back press into the offices couch.

After the week they just had, Taichi’s weight was just so comforting. Grounding him.

But the conversation that was to come was far from such.

And the way Taichi was going about starting it…

Because when the brunette leaned in and pressed his lips to Koushiro’s, he knew what this was about.

It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. Well, maybe it did. Koushiro did fit that description.

But this?

This took someone who knew Taichi.

Luckily he knew him like the back of his hand.

“Taichi—“

Taichi kissed him again, Koushiro engaging this time.

His hands went to hold the others hips, pulling him closer, hoping to maybe bring Taichi the same comfort he was bringing him.

It seemed to work. Sort of.

His shoulders were released at least.

Honestly, they really shouldn’t be making out in his office after hours.

However, when Taichi insisted on grabbing them some food and hanging out, Koushiro couldn’t bring himself to say no.

But he couldn’t afford to become distracted. They needed to have this conversation. He needed Taichi to be direct about his feelings; to tell him what was on his mind.

“Taichi-san you need to…T-Taichi, hold on, we need to—“

He expected Taichi to interrupt him again.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he rested his head on the crook of Koushiro's neck, and fisted the boys shirt.

“Do you know” his voice shook “How fucking worried I was?”

“I..can only imagine..”

“What if we didn’t beat that thing, Kou.”

Koushiro bowed his head.

“That wouldn’t have happened—“

“It almost did!”

“But it didn’t.”

Taichi let out a sharp sob.

He wasn’t going to cry. Of course not. He wasn’t going to, he told himself.

But now here he was, sobbing into his boyfriends shoulder about something that didn’t even happen.

Koushiro rubbed his hand up and down his lovers back. He couldn’t know how Taichi was feeling.

He could only guess. His guesses are usually spot on though, and this time was no different.

“Koushiro, if things didn’t work out..! I-I would have lost my sister, everyone’s digimon... I would have lost you—! A-And Yamato, I would never be able to look him in the eye again I— it was too much. J-Just too much, Koushiro and now that it’s over I—! I don’t know if I’m supposed to be relieved, or angry, or sad! I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel and it’s fucking me up.”

It was fucking both of them up.

Koushiro knew how to hide his emotions well. Always had.

But when Menoah turned out to be the perpetrator, he felt so stupid. So betrayed.

So used.

He hated feeling used.

Not only that, but the knowledge that someday, he might have to say goodbye to Tentomon…

But because of Taichi, he knew how to deal with his feelings.

Taichi was good at giving advice on such things.

But sometimes, he couldn’t follow his own.

“Taichi, you know the answer to that.”

“No! I-I—!”

Koushiro cupped the others cheeks and pulled him up until they were eye to eye.

He kissed Taichi sweetly before wiping the others face.

“Taichi-san,” he spoke gently. “You, more than anyone knows.”

“What..what do I know, koushiro…” his voice trembled, another sob waiting at the back of his throat.

“You don't have to feel a certain way. You don’t have to know how you feel.”

The red head pulled the other into a gentle embrace.

“You just…feel.”

[swisssadge]

Partners for the Digimon Frontier Digidestined

In Episode 47, the Digidestined land on the Yellow Moon, courtesy to an attack from the freed Lucemon. There they meet the Baby Digimon and Digimon Eggs they had previously encountered, which had been under Swanmon's protection. And each of the Digidestined picks up a newly hatched Digimon, holding them in their arms. One day, I had the idea of making a list. Based on the Digimon they each picked up, what would each Digidestined's partner be if they had partners instead of Spirits?

I went according to what each Digimon would evolve in according to Wikimon, which contains all kinda official evolutions throughout all the different media (be it Pendulums, games, or whatever). At the same time, I tried to stick to each kid's theme where possible, like electricity for JP and wind for Zoe. Only ones that were impossible were Takuya and Tommy, since none of the Digimon they picked up had anything with ice or fire in their evolution trees.

Also, the Digivices would be the D3 from Adventure 02, cause I like the idea that these partners would also be able to Armor Digivolve - into armor Digimon we didn't see in anime yet as well (or at least not with the 02 kid's Digimon. We got Sagittarimon appearing shortly twice, but I'd loved to see Veemon actually evolve with the Digimental of Hope in an anime).

So, have fun, and if you have any ideas, don't hesitate to let me know with a comment. ;) Enjoy the list!

Takuya

Digivice color: Dark blue

Chibomon - Demiveemon - Veemon - Veedramon - Aero-Veedramon - UlforceVeedramon

It would have been quite tempting to put the evolution line of Davis's Veemon. However, Paildramon and Imperialdramon are Jogress Evolutions, and we don't know what Exveemon would evolve into without Stingmon. Luckily, we have a very cool alternative option in the line of Tai's (probably) Veemon from the V-Tamer manga. So I went with that. Speaking of Tai - it's interesting that they gave him Chibomon and not Botamon/Koromon. The Agumon line would have kept the fire theme. But honestly... I would love to see the Veedramon line in anime one day. Or why not animate V-Tamer?

Koji

Digivice color: Light blue

Poyomon - Tokomon - Patamon - Angemon - MagnaAngemon - Goddramon

What can I say, with him getting a Tokomon...? Of course I had to pick the Angemon line. I only switched up the Mega level, picking Goddramon instead of Seraphimon. For... multiple, sometimes obvious reasons.

Koichi

Digivice color: Dark purple

Poyomon - Tokomon - Tukaimon - BlackGatomon - LadyDevimon - Mastemon

Oooff... my favourite Frontier kid, and he was the hardest to do. I wanted to keep a dark aestetic, since he does have the Spirits of Darkness. And I wanted to do like a dark counterpart to Koji. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of dark colored angel or angel-like Digimon that aren't evil. I think there are even none of those. That's why I was reluctant to pick LadyDevimon, since she usually is an antagonist when she appears in the anime. Isn't the only good LadyDevimon the one from Cyber Sleuth? But I think this is the list I feel most content with from all the option that I checked out. And Mastemon is pretty cool-looking. n.n I also could have gone with a cat aestetic, since, well, AncientSphinxmon, Löwemon and KaiserLeomon, but that worked out pretty badly as well.

Zoe

Digivice color: Pink

Poromon - Hawkmon - Aquilamon - Sylphimon - Valkyriemon

Thank god they gave her Poromon. This made her list pretty easy. I mean, as holder of the Spirit of Winds, what better for her than a bird Digimon? Unfortunately we don't have a proper Ultra Level for Aquilamon, so I had to pick the Jogress Evolution Sylphimon. But I am not sad; it visually fits quite well with Aquilamon, and is also a perfect segway into Valkyriemon.

J.P.

Digivice color: Dark yellow

Motimon - Tentomon - Kabuterimon - Alturkabuterimon Blue - Herakleskabuterimon

Another veery easy pick. Tentomon line. Elektric bug. Need I say more? I only switched Izzy's red Alturkabuterimon its blue variant to pay tribute to the blue in Beetlemon's color pallet.

Tommy

Digivice color: Light yellow

Upamon - Armadillomon - Ankylomon - Shakkoumon - SlashAngemon

No ice for Tommy-boy here. However, I think he'd be very cute with Armadillomon, especially if it were anything like Cody's Armadillmon from 02. Here, I too had to pick the Jogress Evolution Shakkoumon for Ultra Level. But with SlashAngemon as Mega, I don't mind, since Shakkoumon serves as a good segway from earth to steel (and angel).

[izzyizumi]

mE, Literally Just Woke Up To The Entire DigiAdv 2020 U.S. Dub: TOEI YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure Drama CD 3 (Character Song + Mini Drama 3)

The final part in this drama CD trilogy! There are other Digimon Adventure CDs for me to go through, but this is the end of the character song + mini drama collection. So great that these are easily accessible online. I've had a lot of fun going through them.

Download link

Translation

The Stolen First Dreams of the Year - Parts 1 & 2

The gang realizes that none of them had a New Year's dream (it's a Japanese tradition to analyze your first dream of the year). Yamato and Takeru go to investigate and Bakumon reveals he ate everyone's dreams! Dun dun dunnnn

Gotta love the totally realistic conversations of people being like "you didn't have a dream either, so weird!" I feel like I don't remember my dreams most nights lol.

I've always known that tapir were associated with dream-eating in Japan (due to anime and video games), but I've never looked up the origins of this. According to Wikipedia the nightmare eating, supernatural "baku" and the tapir are both called "baku," but they're different...but also baku look just like tapir lol. Not confusing at all!

In part 2 of this drama Yamato and Takeru are trapped in Takeru's dream. Takeru is a cat, Patamon's a kite, and Gabumon's a shishimai. I thought it was funny that Takeru had a profound reason for Patamon to be a kite, but Gabumon was a shishimai because...he just kinda looks like one lol

Takeru uses the power of lucid dreaming to defeat Bakumon and escape his dream...that's a pretty obvious weakness

Image Song 1 - Walk on the Edge (Yamato Ishida)

Translation

A very "cool" song for Yamato, very fitting. A lot of it is directed at Taichi, telling him to stop being so hot-headed and just be cool, like Yamato.

I feel like there's some conflicting vibes here because at one point in the lyrics he's like "we're the chosen children, we can do anything!" but then he's like "I'm fine on my own." Kinda jarring that both ends of his arc would be put into one song like that. Like...pick a personality.

I liked that they incorporated his harmonica in the song's intro. Smart.

Image Song 2 - Be All Right (Takeru Takaishi)

Translation

This had a similar vibe to Hikari's song, kinda abstract and hopeful about the future. (Makes sense since Hikari and Takeru become a duo).

I feel like Takeru's voice actress didn't even try to do her character's voice when singing this. It just sounds like some lady lol. In my opinion, when it comes to image songs, I prefer the song to sound more authentic to the character than to sound "good."

The Digimon’s New Year Performance

This was definitely the best gag drama yet! They threw a lot of dumb jokes in there that made me laugh/roll my eyes. Best bits were probably: Gabumon finally taking his fur off (in the AUDIO drama), Tentomon speaking without his accent (cursed), Sora and Joe praising Piyomon and Gomamon for their lame tricks and Hikari judging Tailmon for acting cutesy.

I felt bad for Agumon for being booed, glad he got his revenge at the end lol.

Image Song 3 - Shinka de Guts! (Partner digimon, minus Tailmon)

Translation

This one snuck up on me. It's so cute!! I feel like this is one of those anime songs that make you feel like you can do anything and everything's gonna be alright ;w;

Love hearing the digimon sing. This is what I was talking about in my critique of Takeru's song. I love in-character songs that aren't worried about sounding kinda goofy.

The digimon sing about their power together and their love for their human partners, very wholesome. There were also some lyrics thrown in there about taking it easy and stopping to smell the flowers. Cozy.

[ashxketchum]

Now it feels like we’re celebrating the 25th Anniversary 😍

This new art for an upcoming collaboration with Karatez is just simply stunning. The theme is (very obviously) “idol” and I personally love the futuristic pop concept they’ve added to the outfits. Although exact date and merch details haven’t been shared yet, they shared a few layouts of the key art.

The outfits are also great this time around because of their little references to the partner Digimon’s Perfect evolutions. Listing them down one by one as always.

Taichi: The blue markings on his jacket plus robotic arm markings on his right sleeve are a nice shoutout to MetalGreymon.

Yamato: We see WereGarurumon’s pattern on his jacket and a few belts wrapped around his hands that captures the punk-grunge vibe of WereGarurumon well. It may be Yamato’s affinity to music, but he looks extremely in his element in this art, it’s not often we see him so raring to go in official merch art (he’s more of a soft smiles guy usually).

Sora: Her gloves and the red bandana on her arm coupled with the feather in her hair are clear shoutouts to Garudamon. It’s kinda funny to me that being the girl who’s crest is a heart symbol, she’s making a victory sign while Mimi and Hikari are both making different types of finger hearts 😆

Koushiro: Honestly they were really subtle with the reference for him and even twitter couldn’t exactly answer my doubts so I’m gonna have to see Koushiro stans step up and answer whether the reference in his outfit limited to the markings on his jacket resembling AtlurKabuterimon’s chest?

Mimi: I think she’s the one with the most easy to catch references, her skirt resembles Lilymon’s and her hair tie looks like Lilymon’s flower canon. I love that she’s making the big finger heart because it’s just so very Mimi. If Yamato suits the passionate side of being an idol, Mimi is definitely meant for the cutesy visual vibe that can make fans go crazy over just a wink and a smile.

Jou: He’s wearing three belt like bracelets around one wrist like Zudomon which makes his a minimal reference though not as subtle as Koushiro’s. I do feel that they could’ve done a bit more with his look, maybe add a horn to the side of his headset? I also can’t wait to see the full art for each kid individually cuz I do think him and Yamato are wearing similar bellbottom pants!

Takeru: The feather on his headset and the yellow suspended straps are a decent reference to HolyAngemon. Considering that they wanted to keep the outfits limited to one colour per kid, I think this is the best way they could slip in the reference, though I wouldn’t have minded a few rings.

Hikari: The feather on the headset, the corset-ish belt around her waist and her gloves are very nice references to Angewomon. Keeping Hikari’s innocence as a kid intact while referencing a Digimon that is undoubtedly considered one of the most sexiest mons in the franchise would have been really tough and I salute the illustrators for coming up with this design! I also like the OG Korean finger heart she’s making, such a cute look on her.

The cherry on top are each of the Digimon partners holding supportive cheering goods for their kids. Piyomon’s love for Sora goes hard with her big name banner. Meanwhile, Agumon and Palmon kept it simple with haoris, Tailmon and Patamon too decided to go the simple route with light sticks. Gabumon, Gomamon and Tentomon seem normal from afar with their hand fans but when you get a closer look on all the hearts around Koushiro’s name on Tentomon’s fan, you know the three spent time making those themselves.

All in all, a pretty amazing illustration to be able to get merch of!

But wait that’s not all, andGallery has also teased a future cafe collaboration with Digimon Adventure on their twitter, more info will be announced on 19th Feb but they did share a preview of what to expect.

[seventeenlovesthree]

Digimon Writing Challenge - Mix and Match: Taichi + Tentomon + Love

[Yamato] [Takeru] [Hikari] [Sora] [Taichi] [Koushirou] [Mimi] [Jyou]

Summary: Taichi has always struggled to put his feelings into "written" words and letters of all kinds tend to stress him out. Good thing that Tentomon is there to give him a piece of mind - and heart...

Word count: 741

„I’m… Really not made for this kind of stuff.”

Taichi groaned while leaning his head back in sheer frustration, bumping it against the wall a few times – which caught the attention of Tentomon, who had rested peacefully nearby.

“Whatcha mumbling about there, Taichi-han?”, he asked with a yawn as he lazily flew over to his current roommate. Instead of responding, Taichi still stared at the blank texting box he had opened on his smartphone. Which… Had been blank for quite a while already.

“It’s just…” He pulled a grimace. “How do people normally do this?”

Hearing that, Tentomon just tilted his head to the side.

“Well… I’m probably the last you should ask about the matters of human specifics, because… 80% of what your species does appears somewhat odd to me, but… Care to explain?”

Sighing deeply one more time, Taichi finally looked up from the phone, this time with a bashful expression.

“… I am trying to write a message. Or rather… A letter.”

“To whom?”

“… Koushirou.”

If he could have, Tentomon would have tilted his head even further. Even after having spent more than thirteen (human) years with Koushirou, Taichi and all the others, there were still things he simply couldn’t grasp. But – curiosity had killed the cat and he would be damned if he couldn’t bring it back to life.

“Huh. And why would you do that instead of talking to him directly? Like you normally do? Is this some kind of contractual custom where you did something wrong and can’t make up for it unless it is physically documented and signed off?”

Taichi hesitated for a moment – then he sank even deeper.

“… Probably. I’m not entirely sure to be honest, but… It seems that it always comes down to me writing apology letters to people I care about… So you’re not wrong. And it isn’t even an apology this time… Or maybe it is? It’s been way too long, so it feels like I should apologize for being so slow…”

Sensing the dread oozing from Taichi, Tentomon couldn’t help but to climb onto his legs now, seeking some closeness to comfort him a bit.

“Then I understand your problem even less. If you already decided that you’re not ‘made for this kind of stuff’, why are you torturing yourself like that? Seems pretty masochistic to me…”

This time, Taichi just blinked – and actually couldn’t suppress a small laugh.

“Where have you learned that word from…?”

“Koushirou-han tends to use it when it comes to… Nevermind.” The ladybug Digimon coughed, instinctively knowing that this was a boundary he shouldn’t overstep. Better have Koushirou tell Taichi in person what he had meant by that. Speaking of which… “My point is… Whatever it is you want to convey to him, you will probably be most effective if you tell it to him directly. From the heart. That’s what I always tell him too!”

“And it seems to rub off of him, I can tell.”

“Precisely so! If you speak from a place of love, there is not a lot that can go wrong!”

The smile on Taichi’s face grew a bit broader, softer.

“A place of love, huh…”

“And I know for a fact that he always adored that about you too…”, Tentomon elaborated – even if he knew he shouldn’t tell Taichi all of Koushirou’s little secrets, this one seemed to be quite appropriate to reveal right there.

“What?”

“Where do you think he got the ‘talking back’ from, huh? I really wish it was me, but I know it’s impossible not to attribute that to your youthful attitude of jumping head-first into walls back in the day…”

“Very charming. But I think I get what you mean…”

If he was being honest, Tentomon had always perceived Koushirou as being some kind of impulse control for Taichi – and in return, he felt like Taichi was the second best being to pull his human partner out of his shell. So it seemed only natural that he would now push him to come out of his own shell as well.

“Either way, go for it, Taichi-han! Send him a message, ask him for a chat and then talk straight from the heart!”

The cloudy expression had now vanished from Taichi’s eyes, replaced by a surge of something Tentomon wasn’t thoroughly able to describe. But it really felt like it had been the correct thing to do.

“I guess you’re right.”

[blackpearlblast]

sending bandai my autistic costumer feedback

Has Bandai ever considered making Digimon nanoblock sets? I've enjoyed the Pokemon sets but I think the main Adventure Digimon (Agumon, Gabumon, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon, Biyomon, and Tailmon) would all look so good in the nanoblock format! You could also make smaller sets with the Baby I and Baby II forms like Botamon and Koromon. I would be all over these and I bet other Digimon fans would be too!

[tobiasdrake]

DIgimon Adventure 01x17 - The Illusionary Ship's Captain, Cockatrimon! / The Crest of Sincerity

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Letting his arrogance as a striker get the better of him, Taichi made mistakes on the soccer field that nearly cost his team the game. But no one who matters got hurt (RIP other Greymon) so I guess 'boys will be boys' or whatever you say.

With that lesson behind us, we have two Crests in hand now. Onward to the next phase of our Scavenger Hunt of Doom.

I don't typically bring up the recaps that open each episode. Right before the title page, the narrator explains to us what happened in the previous episode, which the dub generally cuts and replaces with one of the kids narrating.

But. Wow. Dub Tai's interpretation of the previous episode is wild today.

Tai: Okay, so I may have made a slight mistake and who hasn't? But that techno-doofus Etemon nailed us big time with that other Greymon. Our Greymon used up so much energy fighting him, he Digivolved back into Koromon!

Oh, he is definitely going to do it again. Tai has zero regrets. My favorite part is that last line, which he delivers with accusatory outrage. Yep, the other Greymon is definitely the only reason Koromon's in this state now. There were no other causes.

We join our kids lost in the desert still, opening on a small scene of the Partners and kids checking in with each other while they march together.

Piyomon: Sora, are you okay? Sora: I'll manage. Tentomon: Koushiro-han, d-don't get discouraged. Koushiro: Y-Yeah. Gabumon: Yamato-- Yamato: You should worry about yourself. You must be sweltering under all that fur. Gabumon: I'll be okay. Gomamon: Jou, want to take a break? Jou: No, let's work hard and keep going. Tokomon: (singing weakly from atop Takeru's head) ~Takeru fight-o! Takeru: (weakly) ~Fight-o....

Everyone's exhausted in this miserable death march, but they're trying to keep spirits up and keep going. My favorite part is Big Brother Yamato throwing down the Uno Reverse before Gabumon can even get a word out. He just knew.

The dub tries to lighten things up by making the Digimon kind of insufferable right now? I have never wanted to punt a Digimon so hard, oh my god.

Matt: Man, this desert is so hot even a lizard would need sunscreen! Biyomon: Sora, can you carry me? Sora: Not even. Tentomon: The crew cut would look nice on you and it's cooler! Izzy: (sigh) Gabumon: Do I look fat? Matt: No, you look hot. Especially with the fur coat. That thing really needs a zipper. Gabumon: Or maybe just removable shirt sleeves. Gomamon: Hey, how about resting our feet? Joe: There's no place to sit except on a cactus. Tokomon: (atop T.K.'s head) Great view up here! T.K.: Next time I ride.

The thing the dub Digimon need to understand right now is that we are in a desert. No one will find their bodies.

Taichi, walking next to Mimi, is dwelling on his mistakes while carrying Koromon with him.

Taichi: Koromon. I'm sorry. It's my fault you turned back into Koromon. Mimi: Taichi-san, no matter how remorseful you feel, there's nothing you can do about it now. Taichi: Mimi-chan? Mimi: You've got to keep your spirits up for Koromon's sake too. Taichi: (small smile and nod) Mm.

We begin with Mimi offering consolation and guidance to Taichi. This is a good moment for her. However you want to describe it - purity, sincerity, honesty, innocence - Mimi wears her heart on her sleeve, expresses herself and connects with others openly, and lives a life unfettered by regrets and self-doubt. Which is what Taichi needs right now.

Her guidance pulls him out of the spiral of "What did I do?" and gets him back on the path of "What do I do next?"

In the dub, Tai shows way more regret than he did in that opening blurb, but Mimi's insightful advice is... altered....

Tai: You look terrible, Koromon! If only I hadn't acted like such a bonehead, you never would have Digivolved. Mimi: Don't be so hard on yourself. Although, come to think of it, you really have made a super icky mess of things. Ahaha! Tai: ...thanks, Mimi. Mimi: Oh, don't mention it, Tai! I'm glad to help with the pep talk now and then! Tai: (small smile and nod; awkward) Mmhmm....

Do we really have to do this to her in Mimi's own episode? Okay.

While they're talking, Palmon fantasizes about a way to solve the heat problem for everyone.

Mimi: Still, it's really hot. Taichi: I'm worried about how long Koromon can take this.... Palmon: I want to become a giant Togemon and give everyone shade!

She launches into a brief imagination sequence, thinking about everyone taking shelter from the sun under her.

In the dub:

Mimi: I haven't sweated this much since cheerleader tryouts! Tai: Koromon doesn't look so good. I'm worried. Palmon: You know what we need right now is a whole bunch of shade! A big umbrella or a really big tree! Or maybe I could grow into a giant cactus and smile down onto all of you as I provide cool, refreshing comfort. Matt: It's official. The sun has just turned Palmon's brain into a french fry. Earth to Palmon! Come in!

Palmon's line gets extended significantly and Matt's given asshole banter. This is for the sake of carrying us through Palmon's imagination sequence, which lasts about 13 seconds without any dialogue or significant action taking place. You know how the dub feels about that.

Before Palmon can go any farther with this fantasy, Mimi snaps her out of it.

The group's just noticed a colossal cactus nearby.

Palmon: A giant cactus! Taichi: Awesome, everyone! Let's go relax in the shade!

Excited, they sprint around the cactus to take shelter in its shade! Palmon exclaims:

Palmon: I want to become a cactus as big as that one!

It's good to have life goals, Palmon.

In the dub, Palmon mistakenly takes credit for the colossal cactus.

Palmon: Wowee, I did that?

We cut to commercial and when we return, Tai agrees with her interpretation.

Palmon: Gee, I'm pretty amazing. Tai: Yeah, you better believe it, Palmon! Come on, everybody; Let's head for some shade!

I like how we're all in agreement that Palmon can summon external cacti. That's one of her powers now, Tai's decided. XD No reason to scrutinize this any further.

Tragically, as they reach the far side of the cactus, they find that it doesn't have any shade. It casts no shadow at all. In fact, it flickers out of existence shortly after, as if it had never been there.

Mirage? Not quite.

The cactus was a hologram concealing one of Gennai's projectors. He appears to greet the kids, but Taichi isn't in a chatty mood. His Crest is defective and he wants to speak to a manager.

Gennai: Chosen Children! Group: Gennai! Taichi: Hey, geezer! I got the Tag and Crest like you said, put them together, and fought a bad guy, but he didn't evolve at all! Worse, poor Agumon regressed into Koromon! Mimi: I don't want a Crest! Gennai: Calm yourselves, Chosen Children. You're going to have Crests whether you like it or not. The Tag and Crest naturally light each other up. Group: (widespread noises of disapproval) Mimi: That can't be.... Gennai: Let me explain why Agumon regressed into Koromon. Even with both the Tag and Crest, unless you raise your Digimon correctly-- Taichi: Raise them correctly? Gennai: Yes. Unless you give them a good upbringing, they won't evolve the right way. Taichi: How do we raise them correctly, then? Gennai: Chosen Children, to give appropriate care-- (Connection disrupts and then disconnects) Taichi: That geezer! Everything he says is confusing!

Ever unreliable, the connection cuts out just as Gennai was about to upload the walkthrough for min/maxing your V-Pet's affection ratings. Guess we'll have to wing it.

(Game plan, everyone. When you're unsure, just ask, "What would Taichi do?" and then do the opposite. Especially you, Taichi!)

In contrast to the scenes leading up to this conversation, everyone's made nicer in the dub.

Gennai: Well, well. It's about time you got here. I was just about ready to give up on you. Matt: It's Gennai! Tai: Gennai, we found the Tags and a couple of Crests like you wanted, but when we got into trouble, our Digimon couldn't Digivolve. They ended up worse off than when they started! Take a look at poor Agumon; He is just not himself! And I'm supposed to be helping him! Mimi: I think those thingies are more trouble than they're worth! Gennai: Calm down, kids. Let me explain. The Tags and Crests are extremely important. Please make sure no one else gets a hold of them. In the end, you shall see that they will work together to help you create total harmony. Group: (all gasp in surprise together) Mimi: In English? Gennai: Just trust me. After all, I'm the floating glowing guy. As for Koromon, he wouldn't be so helpless if you had known how to care for him in the proper way. Tai: But I did the best I could! Gennai: Patience is what you need to learn, my friends. And you will learn it in time. Tai: But I want to have Agumon back now! Gennai: I'm starting to lose my connection. That's something you're going to have to figure out for yourself. Good luck. (Connection disrupts.) Tai: Wait a minute! Gennai: Sorry, I'm on a tight schedule! (Connection disconnects) Tai: It never fails! Every time I need to know about something, he hangs me out to dry!

This is your second conversation with him, Tai. XD

Here, Tai doesn't sling ageist barbs at Gennai out of frustration and Gennai doesn't come in with that "You're doing this whether you want to or not" bit. Also, he's the floating glowing guy.

Dub Gennai suggests that we need to keep the Tags and Crests away from the villains, which is contextually awkward. The only thing the villains would want with them is to keep them away from us. They don't do anything except evolve a Chosen Child's Partner Digimon.

This is probably here to create tension for events later in the episode, when the villain collects Taichi and Jou's Crest-filled Tags and carries them around like trophies, but it makes little sense in context.

The most glaring change is the back half of the conversation. He briefly brings up that proper care for one's Digimon will influence how they evolve, but then gives them a vague platitude about patience and peaces out.

This is a much worse scene. It lacks the high-strung emotional intensity of the original, where the kids seem practically traumatized by the SkullGreymon incident and want to abandon course. They also use a lot more words to say less.

Dub Gennai might as well have been written by AI; He doesn't sound like he's conversing with the kids or engaging with the context of their concerns. Instead, he offers vague Good Guy Mentor sentiments that might as well have been written in a vacuum.

With Gennai gone, the DIgimon and kids begin to mull over what he told them at the end there.

Piyomon: He mentioned good upbringing? Gabumon: Are we being brought up the right way, though? Yamato: Gabumon, wait a moment! Koushiro: I'm not sure I can.... Tentomon: No no no, Koushiro-han. What are you saying!? Gomamon: What about me? Jou: I have absolutely no confidence I can do it. Zero percent confidence. Gomamon: Hey!

With the introduction of this "BTW You basically need to parent your Digimon" element, spirits around the group are at an all-time low. It was all fun and games until suddenly consequences were patched in.

(I jest. It was never fun and games. These children are being hunted for sport.)

In the dub:

Biyomon: Are we being cared for properly? Gabumon: If we were, Agumon wouldn't have Digivolved backwards. Matt: Come on! Don't freak me out! Izzy: I'm... better with computers! Tentomon: That's ridiculous. As far as I'm concerned, you're the best! Gomamon: You look bummed. Joe: How am I supposed to take care of you? Is there a handbook somewhere? I feel very inadequate. Gomamon: Me too.

The dub goes strong in this one. They flip Gabumon's question over to Biyomon so Gabumon can scorch the kids for what happened to Agumon.

Izzy and Joe's lines are well-characterized and specific to their personalities. Izzy cops to his discomfort in social situations, which has been a point of contention with him before, while Joe neurotically asks for a text he can study.

Also, Gomamon replying to "I feel very inadequate" with "Me too" is just. I don't know why I loved that so much, I just did. You're the salt of the earth, Gomamon.

Before this discussion can continue, however, something comes cutting through the sands straight for them.

Because this is still Digimon/Digital World, where appropriate context for real-world things is a sucker's gambit.

Taichi: A battleship! Sora: No, that's a luxury cruise ship! Jou: Why is a cruise ship sailing through the desert!? Mimi: Waugh! Takeru: Is it a mirage too? Yamato: No, it's not!

The kids quickly scatter out of the way of the passing ship.

The dub is mostly the same, except for Jou's line.

Tai: Is that a battleship!? Sora: Could be... But it looks more like a fancy cruise ship. Joe: The passengers are gonna want their money back when they see this place! Mimi: Yeah.... T.K.: It could be just a mirage! Matt: Yeah? Looks pretty real to me!

Very considerate of Joe to be worried about strangers' recreational finances at a time like this! Jou's question gets made into a quip, while Mimi's distressed throat noises become verbal support for Joe's goofiness.

Dub Sora is also slightly more willing to entertain the possibility that this is a battleship than her Japanese counterpart, but in that diplomatic tone you use when you don't want to hurt someone's feelings even though that thing they just said is very stupid.

As the kids scramble out of the ship's path, it slows to a stop. After a moment, a sailor peeks out to see what's going on, revealing the ship's occupants to the kids.

Numemon: Nume...? Group: (collective groans of disappointment) Awww! Mimi: Numemon!

I was trying to think of a funny thing I could say like "Well fuck me" following that image but honestly nothing tops the entire group of Chosen Children wordlessly booing as soon as he appeared.

Sadly, the anguished cries don't make it into the dub, which is going for more of a confused reaction.

Numemon: Ahoy ha hahaha! Group: (gasping in surprise) HUH!?!?!? Mimi: Numemon!

Nonetheless, Taichi looks down at Koromon quivering in the scorched sun and makes a judgment call.

Taichi: Numemon! Please let us rest on your ship! Numemon: (squints suspiciously and pulls away) Nume.... Mimi: (steps forward) Let me handle the Numemon. NUMEMON!!! We're all tired! Could you let us rest on your luxury ship? O-ne-ga-i (Please)?

Putting to work the acquired knowledge that she's apparently very harassable, Mimi offers a different flirty pose with each syllable of onegai.

It works like a charm. The Numemon sailor lowers the boarding ramp, allowing the kids to climb up.

In the dub:

Tai: Hey fella! Could all of us come aboard and freshen up? Numemon: (squints suspiciously and pulls away) Eugh-ew.... Mimi: If you don't mind, this needs a woman's touch. Well, hey there, big boy! Your ship looks so, so inviting! How about letting us onboard so that we can check it out? Oh-please-mm-hmm?

She calls him "big boy" and tells him his ship "looks inviting", rather than asking to rest because they're tired.

Maybe it's just me but I feel weird about shifting "Let me handle the Numemon" to "This needs a woman's touch". The former sets up what follows as a direct follow-up on Mimi's experiences with Numemon while the latter makes it strictly about her gender. Women be flirtin' I guess.

As they board the ship, Mimi exclaims:

Mimi: It looks like a first-class hotel!

Which the dub makes into:

Mimi: Ugh! What!? No linen tablecloths? Well, I guess we can rough it!

XD That one got me. I don't remember what her living situation is like when we finally get to see the kids go home next arc, but the dub's set her up as this ultra-wealthy heiress so it'll be interesting to see how that goes.

Once the kids are onboard, they break off and go enjoy themselves. The girls hit the showers in one of the cabins to take advantage of a rare opportunity to get clean. Meanwhile Koushiro joins Yamato and Takeru in inspecting the dining hall.

Yamato: This food looks incredible. Gabumon: It does.... Takeru: I want to eat it.... Koushiro: We should ask someone before we start eating. Yamato: But it looks so good! Tentomon: (stomach gurgle) I'm so hungry, I think I might die. Gabumon: (stomach gurgle) Well.... Tokomon: (stomach gurgle) Me too.... Koushiro: (huge stomach gurgle, looks embarrassed) It would be rude to the cooks if we let the food they made get cold, right? Group: Right! Koushiro: Itadakimasu! (Customary Japanese expression used to kick off the start of a meal.)

Koushiro's initially reluctant to go along with eating what may or may not be someone else's meal, but hunger makes him relent. The kids ravenously devour the food in front of them.

(Just remember the Egg Fridge. We're still starving kids in a crisis situation! It's still okay!)

In the dub:

Matt: Check out the incredible spread! Izzy: It appears to be highly edible. Tentomon: Might i propose we eat a bit and take the leftovers with us. Matt: Let's eat it all now! T.K.: Ohh, I can't believe it! Izzy: Remember when the food was just an illusion? Matt: Another alien plot!? Tentomon: (sniff sniff) It doesn't smell like an alien plot. Gabumon: (burp) Excuse me. Tokomon: Huh? Ahhh.... Izzy: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh After extensive deliberation, I've come to the conclusion that it would be rude to allow this cuisine to become cold! Group: Yeah! Izzy: LET'S GO FOR IT, GUYS!!!

XD Matt and Tentomon riffing on Izzy's dub-exclusive "BET IT'S ALIENS" thing in the early episodes. Never live it down, Izzy.

But also, they cut the starving stomach grumbles but had nothing to replace that gag with. Gabumon, Tokomon, and even Izzy briefly have to settle for just making sounds where their stomach gurgles are supposed to go. For about four seconds, Izzy opens his mouth and farts out verbal CPU Processing noises.

Taichi and Jou use this time to relax at the pool, where Jou proves he's a braver man than I am by taking his glasses out onto the water with him.

Taichi: What do you think Gennai meant when he told us to raise our Digimon correctly? Jou: Dunno. At least we're trying to take care of them properly.

The dub dialogue is basically the same, but the kids are more defensive.

Tai: I'm confused, Joe; What do you think Gennai meant when he said we weren't taking proper care of our Digimon? Joe: Ugh, I don't know. We've done everything but give them an allowance!

They'd blow it on candy and soda pop anyway. And the soda machines are Numemon dispensers so let's not open that can of worms!

Unbeknownst to the boys, there's a man up top watching them through binoculars like the biggest creep on the ship.

Captain: Chosen Children... your fates--

Before there can be any mistake about whether this is a real human man, his body suddenly tears open like a paper bag to reveal his true form.

Cockatrimon: --are in the hands of Cockatrimon!

I have absolutely no idea why he was in a human disguise. It never comes up again. I honestly wonder if there was supposed to be a scene where he, as the Captain, introduces himself to the kids and welcomes them to the ship. Something that ended up cut for time.

That's the only thing that makes sense to me. This is clearly meant to be a big reveal, but we've never seen this guy before.

From here, the narrator gives the rundown. Cockatrimon is an Adult-stage Data-type Giant Bird Digimon. His name, of course, derives from "cockatrice", a draconic chicken monster from English mythology born from eggs laid by roosters. Its gaze is believed to cause instant death, which pop culture often portrays through petrification.

Narrator: Cockatrimon. A ferocious bird Digimon. His feathers have degraded, annoying him with his inability to fly. His special attack is Petrifier.

He also speaks in a regional Nagoya accent. The subs I'm watching translate the regional "gaya" and "nyaa" words he adds to his dialogue as "BAWK" and "BACAWK". I am not going to do that because, unless I know for sure that was the actual intent of using this dialect, it feels disrespectful to turn a real-world accent into animal noises. Just know that he has the equivalent of a Californian dialect.

He does sometimes utter "koka koka koka!" in bird squawk, however. So that's fair game.

Over in the dub, Digimon names are rewritten in English during the rundown. There, his name is presented as Kokatorimon. This is a literal translation of the katakana used to spell his name: "Ko-ka-to-ri-mo-n", taken at face value with zero effort to parse it. That's okay, 90's kids probably think cockatrice is a cool enemy creature that Final Fantasy made up. It's pretty obscure as mythical beasts go.

(Jou-senpai, be sure to buy lots of Softs from the cruise ship's Item Shop while you're here! Casting Esuna sometimes doesn't cut it!)

However, when his name is said out loud, the actors pronounce it "Cockatrimon" anyway. Voice crew seems to have put more work into understanding this than the editing crew, resulting in an awkward disconnect.

The dub uses his second line, as he reveals himself, to segue straight into his diegetic rundown.

Captain: Aha! I see a couple have taken the bait. Time for me to get started! They'll never forget this cruise. Kokatorimon: (explodes out of the Captain's body) RARGH, I'm Cockatrimon! My cock-a-doodle-doo will blow out your eardrums! Mess with me and you'll be pecked into surrender!

I mean you can also turn people to stone but deafening doodling is cool too. XD

Once he's finished explaining himself to the audience, Cockatrimon moves to his command center to report in to Etemon.

Cockatrimon: Just in case, I should report this to Etemon-sama and ask what I should do with them.

While the original's seeking guidance, Kokatorimon wants to report in Mission Accomplished.

Kokatorimon: Etemon will reward me greatly when he learns I've trapped the DigiDestined on my ship!

However, after the SkullGreymon incident, Etemon's having some technical difficulties.

Not that. That's just Etemon entertaining himself. The Dark Network is still in total disarray after SkullGreymon tore up the Coliseum. Three Gazimon technicians are desperately trying to get it back up and running, but it's slow going.

Etemon: Morons! Hurry up and fix my network! Who do you think I am!? I'm King of Digimon, Etemon-sama!!! Got a problem with that? Gazimon: None at all! (spotlights activate; Etemon begins performance) Etemon: YEAH!!! / Who is the strongest in the world? / That's me WAHOO!!!

The Gazimon join him as backup dancers, but he breaks off his song to clobber all three of them.

Etemon: Who told you to dance!? Don't just sit there holding your heads!

The Gazimon go straight back to work while Etemon resumes his song, and we cut away from there.

The dub shockingly lets 20 seconds go by without dialogue as we follow the black cable to Etemon's trailer. This scene lets Etemon have a musical number. You know they milked that for all it's worth.

Etemon: Step it up, fools! I'm gettin' very impatient here, y'know what I mean? If my network's offline then everybody crashes! Lemme tell ya why. BECAUSE I'M ETHEMON(sic)!!! You wanna make somethin' of it!? Gazimon: No way! (spotlights activate; Ethemon begins performance) Etemon: YEAH yeah! / I'm the coolest cat there is and if you don't watch out / I'm gonna getcha 'til you scream and shout! / 'Cause I'm the hippest Digimon in town! / Oh yeeeeeah-- (Etemon bashes the Gazimon) Etemon: So who gave you permission to dance!? Now y'all get back to work before I get myself upset again!

I think by this point it's clear they only did one take of any given line read when dubbing the show. We've seen a few of these obvious flubs at this point. Mistakes happen to the best of us but you can re-record stuff, y'know.

But, glaring line flub excepted, the dub of this scene is so good. Elvismon knocks it out of the park with his musical number.

Since the Dark Network is down, Cockatrimon's transmission fails to go through. He has to make a judgment call for himself.

Cockatrimon: Hmm, weird. I can't reach Etemon-sama. (Cockatrimon walks to the voicepipe, letting out a "Koka!" with every step.) Cockatrimon: No other choice. I'll just get rid of them.

He opens the pipe with his beak and calls down to the Numemon below decks, who've been refreshingly absent despite Mimi flirting our way onto the ship.

Cockatrimon: To all Numemon part-timers: I'll give a substantial pay raise to anyone who captures the Chosen Children!

...the Numemon are working here part-time? I desperately want more details on that. What does that mean, Cockatrimon? XD I wanna be a part-time cruise ship sailor. Maybe not in the desert though. Cockatrimon is running a weird ship.

In the dub:

Kokatorimon: Something's wrong! Etemon's network appears to be down. Ahh, who needs him! I'll have the pleasure of plastering their feathers all by myself! (Kokatorimon walks to the voicepipe, letting out a "Koka!" with every step.) Kokatorimon: It's amazing how my brains surpass my good looks! (Kokatorimon opens the voicepipe and calls down) Kokatorimon: Now hear this! I have an important message for ya! Listen up, this is the deal: I'll give you Numemon an extra serving of dried bread and even throw in some jelly if you capture those kids!

So I guess they're slaves in the dub.

The Numemon go to work and earn that pay raise. They capture Taichi and Jou immediately. They also try and throw a net around Gomamon, but he conjures Marching Fishes from the swimming pool to tear the net open. Don't mess with Gomamon in a body of water.

More Numemon go to the side table, where Koromon is hanging out with Taichi and Jou's Crests. Fortunately, all this relaxation provided just the recovery time he needed to get back in the game and defend those Tags. Koromon SHINKAAAAAA!!!

Leaping from the table, Agumon lets off a Baby Flame and... watches helplessly as Cockatrimon, appearing out of nowhere, effortlessly slaps away his attempt. It's okay, man. You tried.

Cockatrimon replies with a blast of Petrifier from his eyes.

I don't think we're going to be able to shinkaaaaaa our way out of that.

Of note, when using Petrifier, Cockatrimon calls the attack as "Petri... FIIIIIIIIRE!!!" which goes hard. Not only does the dub not change the name of the attack for once, but they do their best to copy the Japanese delivery too. It's just that good.

With Gomamon and Agumon turned to stone, there's nothing to stop Cockatrimon from taking Taichi and Jou's Tags and Crests. He holds them up in front of the pool and laughs at the kids in loud, obnoxious chicken squawks.

In the dub, Kokatorimon throws in some extra jeers rather than just laughing.

Kokatorimon: You're sunk without these! But I wouldn't be too upset; Now you've got yourself a couple of nice Digimon garden ornaments!

He made them into lawn gnomes. Is there any fate more terrible?

While the Numemon hold the line against the kids Digimon, Cockatrimon makes his way through the ship to sink them. He hits the dining hall next, petrifying Tentomon, Tokomon, and Gabumon the way he did Agumon and Gomamon.

Five down. Two to go.

Cockatrimon follows the Numemon to the cabin that the girls were in. They've turned the cabin upside-down, but the girls aren't there. The sound of the running shower gives away their presence, however, and he breaks down the bathroom door.

They aren't there either. They left the water running as a distraction and slipped out the window, wrapped in towels.

As an aside, as he fits his head through the window, Cockatrimon lets out the most pathetic and confused, "...koka?" It's hilarious and adorable.

For some reason, the dub has Mimi call out from the bathroom:

Mimi: I'd give anything for a good moisturizing shampoo!

Which seems to be what calls Kokatorimon's attention to the bathroom, rather than the sound of the shower running. This is a little janky; Placing them in the room right at that moment gives them about four seconds to realize they're in danger, grab towels, and then fit four people (Palmon and Biyomon are with them) through that tiny window. They must have hustled!

Also, once he notices the window, Kokatorimon declares:

Kokatorimon: You little chikadees think you're so smart! (Kokatorimon sticks his head through the window) Kokatorimon: ARGH!!! They won't get away that easily!

It's not as funny as the tiny, pitiful koka.

It doesn't take him long to cut them off in the hall, however.

Cockatrimon: There you are! Palmon & Piyomon: COCKATRIMON!!! Sora: Is he with Etemon!? Piyomon: Looks like! Cockatrimon: (cackles maliciously, holding up the Tags and Crests) Mimi: Those are Taichi-san and Jou-senpai's Crests!

In the dub, Sora and Mimi add in some scathing insults while they're at it.

Kokatorimon: (unintelligible squawk roar) Palmon & Biyomon: IT'S COCKATRIMON!!! Sora: It's not the Easter Chicken? Biyomon: He's bad news! Kokatorimon: (cackles maliciously, holding up the Tags and Crests) Mimi: That omelet-head has Tai and Joe's Tags!

Small nitpick: Biyomon's never been to this continent and although she knows what a Cockatrimon is, she probably shouldn't speak from authority as to the moral character of this one.

Opting to engage the girls in conversation, the Easter Chicken reveals what he's done to the boys.

Cockatrimon: I've captured the other five Chosen Children and put them out to dry in the sun. Pretty soon, I'll have dried and crunchy Chosen Children to eat! Mimi: That's horrible! Piyomon: And their Digimon? Cockatrimon: I've turned them to stone with my power. I'll use them to boil some nice soup. Palmon: Unbelievable! Cockatrimon: Don't worry. You're about to join them. Piyomon: UNFORGIVABLE!!!

Hahaha wow that took a turn for the horrifying, didn't it? Cockatrimon intends to cook and eat the kids.

Shockingly, Cockatrimon's intentions for these children makes it into the dub unaltered.

Kokatorimon: I ran into several of your friends over by the pool. But don't get your heads in a spin; They're just drying off! Nothing like little sun-baked faces... fried to a crisp with curly corn spuds and lots of coleslaw! Group: Eugh! Biyomon: Where are the Digimon!? Kokatorimon: Don't worry about those guys! Confidentially, I find them to be a little bit on the stiff side, but that just happens to be my personal opinion! Palmon: Your opinion stinks! Kokatorimon: Now you're going to meet the same fate! AHAHAHAHA!!! Piyomon: YOU'VE CACKLED ONCE TOO OFTEN!!!

Holy shit, are Kokatorimon's quips good or what? Really adds to the menace of the guy in this, his moment of strength. Sometimes the dub quipping takes away from the emotion of a scene but here it magnifies it. These are solid villain quips.

We lose Cockatrimon confessing that he's going to make soup from the Digimon statues, but that's okay; We still got him admitting that he's going to eat the baked children so the horror is there nonetheless.

Piyomon and Palmon cut loose with Magical Fire and Poison Ivy, but Cockatrimon fends them off easily. He fires back with Petrifier; However, they're able to scramble away from his shot before it lands.

As we briefly escape the horrifying fate awaiting us in the stomach of this awful beast, he's forced to remind us how silly he is by waddling after the girls uttering "Koka koka koka!" with each step. However, there's only so far to run.

During the kids' flight from the cabin hall, the dub adds some extra dialogue.

Kokatorimon: COME BACK, YOU CHICKENS!!! Sora: Who's he calling a chicken!?

I'd call this one borderline when it comes to tension-killing humor. If Cockatrimon were a more serious villain then this might be a problem, but he's built on a juxtaposition between horrifying menace and ridiculous silliness. So this joke fits the tone well.

Backing them into a corner at the very edge of the ship, Cockatrimon advances on his prey. He doesn't realize that all of this open space evens the playing field.

As Birdramon takes flight, Cockatrimon is momentarily stunned.

Cockatrimon: SH-SHE'S FLYING!!!

He's too fixated on Birdramon in the air to even realize he's in danger at first. It's only as she lets off her Meteor Wing that it suddenly hits him, and he frantically hops away from her shots at the last second.

This is the payoff to what the narrator said in the rundown: That being flightless is a background aggravation for Cockatrimon. Sora picks up on it too.

Sora: It looks like Cockatrimon can't fly. Mimi: Palmon, it's your chance!

Incidentally, a background detail that makes Cockatrimon's jealousy of Birdramon so effective is that he's a separate evolution branch of Piyomon. He could have become a Birdramon, but instead he's stuck flightless. This is never brought up in the anime but I'm sure it made a few people with the V-Pet laugh.

Unfortunately, since the dub scrubbed this particular quirk of Cockatrimon's, we don't get to see it paid off here.

Kokatorimon: Hey, that's not fair!

He's probably still talking about Birdramon flying in the air but it's not well-explained why this stuns him into inaction. Then, after she opens fire and he barely manages to dodge, we get:

Sora: What's the matter, you big cluck!? Can't you fly? Mimi: Palmon, it's your turn!

I would love this taunt from Sora if we'd taken the time to set up Kokatorimon's sore spot. It still works; Sora is bragging about how cool Birdramon is. But it'd go hard if she was intentionally rubbing salt into his emotional wound.

Mimi seizes this opportunity to bring out Togemon as well, doubling up on Cockatrimon.

Once this turns 2v1 and he's not beating up Digi-Children, Cockatrimon's got nothing. Birdramon lays down another Meteor Wing from the air, distracting Cockatrimon and forcing him to drop Taichi and Jou's Crests. Then Togemon lets off a modified Chiku-Chiku Bang Bang.

Her needles, spraying into him and disorienting him with intense pain, are the Chiku-Chiku. He doesn't even notice her closing distance until she's in his face. Her punches are the Bang Bang, closing with an uppercut that sends him sailing up into the ship's smokestack.

An explosion from the smokestack finishes him off, and the petrified Digimon abruptly revert back to normal.

As he dies, Mimi exclaims:

Mimi: Hooray!

Which the dub turns into:

Mimi: FRIED CHICKEN!!!

XD You know what? Turnabout is fair play. He brought this on himself.

The kids regroup, but then notice the part-timers throwing down the boarding ramp and fleeing for their lives, shedding their sailor outfits in the process.

Taichi: The Numemon are fleeing in a panic. Koushiro: That must mean it's dangerous to stay on this ship. Sora: Let's hurry up and get out of here. Taichi: Yeah!

The dub kids seem a little slower on the uptake. Except Tai.

Tai: I say we do the same as they are and abandon ship! Izzy: I guess it's a little late for a mutiny. Sora: Don't worry, the Captain's already been fricasseed.

Guys, our lives are in danger. Please stop quipping and leave the ship now.

As the kids vacate, something crawls from the smokestack.

Cockatrimon: Damn it... Those Chosen Children and their Digimon... Cockatrimon has used his willpower to revive himself and is now going to get his revenge on you! KOKA-KA-KA-KA-KA-KA--

Given that his death un-petrified all of the Digimon, this might not be hyperbole. There's a real possibility that Cockatrimon resurrected himself in the fires of the ship's furnace like a phoenix. But it's ambiguous.

Ironically, Hououmon or Phoenixmon is on Birdramon's evolution path but not Cockatrimon's. Still, this feels like a phoenix allusion.

Either way, he's trying to do an Epic Boss Fight Phase 2 speech while clambering over a barrier in unrelenting agony and it's hilarious.

As he speaks, he climbs slowly over the lip of the smokestack. He slips over the side mid-cackle, falling painfully back onto the ship's deck.

In the dub:

Kokatorimon: Ugggh, my head... You may have ruffled my tail feathers but I can still- AWK AWK AWK!!! Awk... uggghh... Okay, so maybe I've lost a little bit of my noodle, but I'm not finished yet! AWK AWK AWK--Oh!

You should go back in and find that noodle, just a suggestion.

The kids return to the desert, once more marching through scorching hell. Mimi utters:

Mimi: I'm roasting....

Which the dub makes into:

Joe: Well, the weather certainly hasn't gotten any cooler.... Mimi: Do you guys hear something?

Nice quippy complaint from Joe. Well-timed and tonally appropriate.

Suddenly, they hear a sound headed their way.

The kids flee for their lives through the desert, while Cockatrimon gives chase. Though the kids are able to sprint fast enough to stay ahead, the ship steadily gains ground.

(Hey, look at that! Taichi's vindicated; It's a battleship now! Also, shame on every one of these children for neither splitting up nor going perpendicular to its approach; cruiser ships are not famous for turning on a dime.)

They come upon a massive cactus like the one before, but with one key difference.

Palmon: A giant cactus!? Mimi: Is it another mirage!? Taichi: No! It has a shadow!

This is another detail that gets confused in the dub, as they don't bring up the proof of the cactus's realness.

Mimi: (wailing) OHHHHHH-- LOOK!!! Palmon: The giant cactus is back! Mimi: Oh no, not another mirage! Tai: What were you expecting, an outlet mall!? Matt: Hurry! Get over on the other side!

Tai seems to agree with Mimi that the cactus is a mirage before Matt yells at everyone to take cover anyway? Weird choice, kids. Though a couple scenes later, we find out Mimi still didn't realize it was real, so it works.

Ship meets cactus. Cactus wins hard, destroying everything above deck on impact and flinging the rest into the sky with with a comical springy sound.

As the ship ascends, Cockatrimon finally achieves the greatest ambition of his life.

Cockatrimon: I'm at high altitude! I'm flying! I'M FLYING!!!

His vocal delivery makes clear that this is a moment of panic for him. "I'm flying!" is delivered as wishful thinking.

Over in the dub, he similarly freaks out.

Kokatorimon: WAUGH!!! I can fly, I can fly-- Oh, I can't fly! WHOA-OH-OH-OH-OH!!!

Then the black cable attached to the ship. The cable breaking causes a chain explosion, destroying the ship utterly. The explosion consumes Cockatrimon as well, blasting him to dust.

Down on the ground, the kids marvel at the giant cactus that saved their lives.

Mimi: It wasn't a mirage! Palmon: It's a real giant cactus!

Someone wasn't paying attention when Taichi pointed out the shadow.

Dub Mimi's weirdly invested in its size more than anything else.

Mimi: Wow! It's even bigger than a skyscraper! Palmon: You're right! What's a skyscraper, Mimi?

Sadly, the necessary timing to match lip flaps ruins Palmon's joke, as she needed to pause for a beat between her sentences. Good effort, though. B+

As if in response to their presence, a flower blooms on the very top of the cactus. It opens to reveal a colossal stone plate.

As with the others, the stone resonates with Mimi's Tag, forming into a Crest and sliding into its proper slot. Words cannot do justice to the overwhelming terror and dread on Mimi's face as her Crest manifests.

Sora: This is what Gennai meant when he said the Tag and Crest naturally light each other up. Mimi: (distraught) I didn't want this... Will I be able to raise Palmon properly? Palmon: Ah... Mi... Mimi....

Her question goes unanswered, and we end the episode with that uncertain and terrifying burden hanging in the air over everyone's shoulders.

The dub did not like this ending. They take an axe to the whole scene.

Sora: He was right! It's just like Gennai said! The Tags and Crests somehow work together, Mimi! Mimi: Huh? It's the Crest of Sincerity! I don't deserve it but if it'll help me take care of Palmon, I'll keep it! Palmon: Awww, thanks, Mimi!

What a happy ending with no nervousness or ambiguity whatsoever! Also, I like how "I didn't want this" became "I don't deserve this"; She would not fucking say that. You've characterized her as a self-important judgmental rich girl. Dub Mimi would absolutely think she deserves anything you can give her.

Also, before I forget: Spoilers, Mimi! We don't know about that yet!

Assessment: Cockatrimon is a delightful antagonist. Amazing punch-clock energy. He's a pitiful loser with an unbelievably game-breaking power. His job is strictly recreational but he just happened upon the kids by chance; With Etemon out-of-contact, now the local Denny's Manager is forced to try and step up and be the Warlord of Doom. And yet he's no less heinous for being pathetic.

Also, that makes two of Etemon's allies that the kids have stone-cold killed. Devimon gave them a taste for blood and now they're taking no prisoners. :P I jest, but this is the start of a recurring background plot detail regarding the 01 kids that will continue through this series and into 02.

I was really nervous because of that Mimi and Numemon scene at the start but thankfully the uncomfortable stuff ended there. Mimi managed to spend half the episode wearing a towel and didn't get harassed once!

This one's dub is complicated. They've gotten really good at figuring out the right jokes to slot in so that they add to a scene's tone rather than detracting. Etemon's musical number slays in the dub, too.

But also, there's a lot going on here and the dub doesn't convey much of it well. Both in terms of the larger plot and the smaller character beats, the dub of this episode feels much more confused, unfocused, and shallow than the original.

Also, the anti-Mimi bias is starting to show its face again; And they've been behaving themselves so much with her lately!

Episode 16 was a phenomenal dub, but while 17 is a mixed bag. It's really good when it's cracking jokes and riffing on the material, and really bad when it's trying to examine the plot and characters.