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seventeenlovesthree · 18 days ago

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Koushirou Izumi's clothing style - a meta analysis

When it comes to Digimon and fashion, you can tell that certain characters have - mostly consistent - preferences. Most obviously, every character has colours they are usually (but not exclusively) wearing, certain motives and symbols keep returning... And for some characters, their choice of clothes is - more or less - arc-defining.

While looking for references for some art pieces on Pinterest, I stumbled over one of my favourite Digimon Adventure 02 concept artworks:

We never see Taichi, Sora and Yamato wear their Summer uniform in the series and Koushirou literally only wears it in one episode - but looking at the ensemble here, there was something that caught my eye specifically. And this observation took me down a little rabbit hole in terms of what exactly Koushirou's style is, how it changes through the series - and what it may mean for his character as a whole in my humble opinion.

It simply felt like the perfect opportunity to post all these ideas as a contribution to @izumikoushiroweek 2024 and the prompt "Dressing Koushirou".

Adventure (+ Our War Game), age 10-11:

Analyzing Adventure won't take too long, because we don't have a lot of variety at this point - however, it still gives us the baseline for what we will have to expect for the entirety of the series.

Koushirou wears very "boyish" clothes that can be, more or less, considered to be common for a "computer nerd" in the 90s and early 2000s; wide, if not oversized button-down shirt (big emphasis here!), t-shirt, wide shorts, (colourful) sneakers. It's all "comfort over function" at this point, because, as pointed out, he seems to prefer wide clothes. While his signature (crest) colour is purple, his favourite colour appears to be orange, and there are usually lots of earth/nature tones too.

Honorable mention goes to his trademark Japanese school boy undercut hair with a middle parting, barely able to tame the spikyness.

So let's see what elements he will keep and what will change:

02 (+ Diablomon Strikes Back), age 13-14:

As mentioned, the concept art above was what inspired to make this post in the first place - because I couldn't help but notice his pants there. If you compare the way he wears the Summer school uniform to the way Taichi and Yamato wear it, three things come to mind:

The older boys wear the shirt very casually, whereas Koushirou has tugged it in - which is definitely a change to how loosely he wore his button-downs before.

Taichi and Yamato also don't wear ties in comparison to Koushirou. So far so good, these are the most obvious aspects...

And then there are the pants - which are particularly less "form fitting" than it is the case for Taichi and Yamato. Considering how he used to wear wide shorts in Adventure before, one may think that this is related to "comfort over form" again, but it collides a little with how "correctly" he wears the rest of the uniform. So my assumption here is: In one of the dramas he mentions "one of the female 5th graders in computer club who is taller than me" and we can definitely assume that he was referring to Miyako there. He says that he is "working very hard" to catch up... Which leads me to believe that he wears wide pants in anticipation of getting a growth spurt. Which is not only practical in general - but would also spare him/his mom the stress of constantly buying new uniforms.

In sum, we learned that he is the only male character in the entire season who wears his uniform correctly - with the spunky shoes being the only glimpse of "individualism" there. This is an interesting contrast - and will actually turn out to be quite a pattern for him: When it comes to important duties and business, he will make sure to wear his clothes appropriately and neatly (which, at this point, is important if you consider him taking so much responsibility for the 02 kids as their team mom dad). Outside of that, we still see the habit of wearing more comfortable clothes:

Koushirou definitely likes to wear layers (similarly to but not in the same way as Taichi btw), the good old button-downs or hoodies over shirts in particular, it's all very cozy and simple - and while he hasn't completely abandoned his associated colour orange, he seems to have adopted a second favourite colour to his wardrobe as an addition to the earth tones: Green. We later learn that his mother used to buy the clothes for him, so based on her excited expression in the first shot, watching him put on his green school uniform blazer for the first time, they may have realized how well the colour complements his red hair. The wide shorts and pants are also still there and he also seems to prefer basic long-sleeves (and stripes) at this point (which may or may not have been inspired by his own Digimon partner's colour schemes, very sneaky).

Last but not least we have the hairstyle - he's been growing out the undercut to even everything out and starts the season off with a VERY short cut and a side-parting. Very neat and, at first glance, very easy to tame, since the spikes are a lot shorter at this point. The side parting did not last for long though, so the middle-parting returns through the course of the season and he also grows it out a little.

Overall, the dichotomy of "business serious-casual" and "comfy-cozy" is already coming through, but we haven't come to the heavy lifting yet:

Tri (+ the Stageplay), age 16:

As I have briefly pointed out in the intro, for some characters, fashion is an arc-defining factor. For teenage!Koushirou, his interest in fashion is basically a B- or C-plot that - in my opinion - could have been handled in better ways, but I will get to that.

First of all, let's start with the "easy stuff": Hair and uniforms.

His way of wearing his uniform hasn't changed much from 02; he is still wearing blazer, shirt and tie "correctly" - but his pants are not as wide as they used to anymore, as can be seen on the promo art I have used above. (Since he has surpassed Mimi in height and is basically as tall as Sora, he may not expect to grow much further, so he probably chose more fitted pants at this point.)

The hair, especially the spikes and middle parting, are still pretty much the same and thus - probably - still very difficult to tame. It's notable that he has grown it out more in comparison to 02 though.

Now onto his private wardrobe: We see him confiding in Takeru, telling him that now that he goes to high school, he intends to pick clothes for himself, but... Shopping has proven to be quite difficult for... Various reasons. So instead, he created a software to generate outfits for him, with... Varying degrees of success. So through the course of the first few movies, it's heavily implied that he's making use of that software and also Takeru's advice - who appears to be a little bit of a mix between a "k-pop-fanboy / hobby-novelist with a Starbucks order in hand" and "an absolute fashion disaster" himself, but he seems to enjoy being Koushirou's wingman and assumes that his sudden interest in fashion stems from him wanting to impress Mimi.

And this is where things get a little more complicated. I will not go into too much detail about why I think that this was the wrong approach for his arc, because I have already talked about it in full length here. To summarize it very shortly: Koushirou's arc had ALWAYS been about him learning to be himself. That him being the way he is is perfectly fine and that he doesn't have to hide his true self - being adopted, smart, into computers, with all his flaws and quirks, whatever it may be. Him trying to bend over backwards to impress somebody else contradicts his arc and the only reason to include it at this point is for him to come to the same conclusion again. Of course there are underlying insecurities all over the place - especially since he actively seeks Mimi's approval. The school festival should have culminated in a scene in which he and Mimi - dressed up in a costume that was heavily criticized before, thus criticizing Mimi's way of being as well - should have had a talk that went along the lines of: "You know what? It doesn't matter what you wear, as long as you are comfortable." (Which... In itself leaves room for a lot of subtext as well, but I will get to that by the end of the post.)

So long story short, what we see through the course of the first three movies is him being quite experimental: Overalls, wild patterns like koi karps, lots of layers and a peculiar interest in bowties... He also adds several new colours to his arsenal, reds, blues, even his signature colour purple makes a prominent appearance. All for the sake of appearing "less plain", and to have more variation in his style.

While he has abandoned shorts from his wardrobe at this point, he - just like Taichi - likes to wear 3/4 length pants. One style of clothing he hasn't abandoned is his button-down shirts and (open) collared shirts in general. This has been a constant so far and I doubt that we will ever see it change, since they basically feel like "comfort clothes" for him. The interesting part here is, like we discovered before, the consistent contrast between "private" and "important occasions/business settings":

Once he's out with his parents for their anniversary, once he shows up at the school festival in a whole suit, once he wears his school uniform: He WILL wear the (bow-)tie correctly, the collar will be tight, the shirt will be tugged in, no funky shoes either.

Once he's in a private, less "urgent" setting, the collar will be more loose (!), the shirt will (most likely) be pulled out of his pants, the style will be more comfy, the shoes will be more "funky."

We've seen that since 02 already and it's nicely represented in Tri as well - the stageplay even dared to merge two of his outfits from the first Tri movie, a casual and a serious one, to create the perfectly "nerdy" mix for him: (Shortened) Shirt and vest from the anniversary (with an open collar and without the bowtie), 3/4 pants and yellow sneakers from the "let's look for distortions" scene. So we can tell - he DOES have preferences and may not even need a software to tell him what he naturally gravitates towards!

So let's fast forward a few years to see how it'll all develop...

Kizuna (+ The Beginning), age 21-23:

Unfortunately, we don't really get a glimpse of his private wardrobe as a young adult - but we can still be pretty sure that the patterns we spotted before are still going strong:

First of all, it can be assumed that he stopped experimenting for the most part: The hairstyle went back to the roots, for whatever reason he returned to his elementary school undercut, the middle parting and spikes are still there, but less wild. The associated colour orange also returns - and even makes its way into his business wardrobe, as he is back to wearing neckties instead of bowties.

That aside, we mainly see him in his work attire as the boss of his own tech company: White shirt with the orange tie and a closed collar (short-sleeved in Summer, long-sleeved in Autumn), black pants + brown belt, black business shoes.

And once again: Depending on his surroundings, the difference in how he presents himself is still intact to some degree: The outfit is still the same, but once he's just with his friends, shirt and pants appear to be wider again, whereas they seem to be more tailored once he is in "business mode" - this can be seen in particular in The Beginning, where he function as PR Digimon expert and gives interviews to the media.

Long story short: He kept his dichotomy alive for the majority of the series.

The epilogue, age 38:

Even the epilogue shows us that he could never give up the wide, collared shirts (wide collar, no tie, pulled out of the pants!) in nature tones after all. The most notable part here is probably the hair - not only did he grow it out to the point that the spikes vanished almost completely (aside from the long, pointy bangs), but he apparently managed to FINALLY get the side-parting going after all.

Final thoughts (and a few headcanons):

I've once conducted a whole post on how I felt like Koushirou broke a few gender stereotypes in interesting ways for a series that was created in the 1990s and early 2000s (and not only because he was the only male character who basically never had a male voice actor or because 02 basically turned him into "the mom" of the group). I feel like it's no coincidence that his arc and the way it is portrayed actually speaks to a lot of people who consider themselves as neurodivergent, non-binary or trans. It's a story of self-acceptance, about someone who used to question his whereabouts, who didn't know where he came from, who he was. He didn't consider himself to have much "worth" aside from being a human extension of his laptop and also tended to mask his insecurities (at least in front of his parents) with a polite and very correct demeanour.

The way fashion is interwoven into it all may not have been conducted perfectly, but the fact that it is tied to self-discovery still leaves room for interpretations and headcanons. While his personal clothing style has always been rather "boyish" (and not feminine in the slightest), him gravitating towards oversized clothing in private settings while conforming (!) to a very correct and neat dressing style for important occasions still is a curious contrast in this regard. Hiding behind his computer, hiding behind a software to tell him how to dress (and being uncomfortable going shopping physically), hiding his generally slender body behind (mostly) wide clothing because he may - or may not - experience something along the lines of gender-dysphoria is a headcanon that a lot of people can relate to. Especially if you take Tri overall as a metaphor for him figuring out "his preferences" (in both sexuality and gender and thus the scene in which he looks at a kimono - presumably made by Sora - will forever live rent-free in my head, especially because it is a more feminine piece this time).

In the end, it can all be just a matter of perspective - the most likely explanation is that he simply prefers comfort in private settings, but can easily adjust towards a "serious business mode" whenever the situation requires it. Through the course of the series, you may argue that the characters that had the most influence on his casual style were Taichi (layers), Mimi and Takeru (being a little more experimental). On the other hand, you may also take Tri as your average "the nerd cannot talk to women and doesn't know how to dress, so he makes disastrous choices" trope and call it a day. But personally, I feel like, since Koushirou does have obvious preferences that are mostly consistent, it really is more a period of self-exploration. And like I said before: I wish the outspoken conclusion for him had been: "As long as you feel comfortable, you can wear whatever you want."

#koushirou izumi #koushiro izumi #izumikoushiroweek2024 #izumi koushiro #izumi koushirou #izzy izumi #my two cents #meta #digimon #digimon adventure #i love overanalyzing my favourite character

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tobiasdrake · 1 month ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then we return to the present.

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...good luck, Hikari!

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

Once WaruMonzaemon departs, the dub deviates wildly from script.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I guess the trap's on us now.

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team: RUN AWAY!!! WaruMonzaemon: Hey!

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

WaruMonzaemon: WAIT FOR ME!!!

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

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

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

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

This is all meant to be extremely silly.

The dub keeps the name Bear claw.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It does not go well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Takeru: Ah! Hikari-chan's light!

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WaruMonzaemon: HE SHOT MY PAW!!!

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

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

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

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

Taichi: HIKARI!!! HIKARIIIIIIIIIII!!!

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

Differently phrased but still captures the spirit of the original.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nice fake-victim-blaming, Tentomon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

It may not go exactly the way they expect.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

The "incoming" confusion in the dub is janky.

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

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

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

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

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

Machinedramon's opening line is pretty sick, though.

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

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

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

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

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

Team: ANDROMON!!!

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

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

Team: ANDROMOOOOOON!!!

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

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

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

Sora & Takeru: MUGENDRAMON!?!?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taichi's group watches them descend.

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hikari: NUMEMON!!!

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

Kari: OH, NUMEMON!!!

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

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

Taichi: HIKARI!!!

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

Agumon: So much fury and power!

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

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The answer is WarGreymon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The world around them begins to shake furiously.

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

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

In the dub:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taichi: You're next, Piemon!

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

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

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

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

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

...but also I can because. Like.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#digimon #digimon adventure #revisiting digimon #revisiting digimon adventure

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