#Yuuko Yagami

[lavendorii]

this happened in digimon adventure

[robowilofficial]

So apparently if the calendar in the first screencap, and the receipt in the second are to go by, Digimon Adventure: Our War Game takes place on March 4, 2000.

This not only lines up with the film's initial release date, but it also means that it takes place exactly two years before I was born (which was 2002).

In other words, a major Digimon event happened on a day that's also my birthday.

[jichanxo]

sunday six (i have been writing i pinkie promise)

tags: @four-white-trees @passthroughtime @phantasy14 @overdevelopedglasses @skysquid22

all my wips are spiralling out of control. anyway here's kuwagami again

“Slow down.” Kuwana spoke over him. “And breathe. You’re panicking again.”

Yagami went quiet and did as he was told, but only because it sounded like a good idea. Breathed in, out. Kuwana listened as he did.

“It’s just me.” Kuwana told him. “Talking to me isn’t a big deal, alright? You don’t have to be like this, like you’re... scared, or something. It’s not like you.”

Yagami laughed, ringing hollow even in his own ears. “Scared?”

“Then what is it?” Kuwana prompted. “That you feel about me?”

His heart supplied the word immediately, but it caught in his throat awkwardly. He choked around it, unable to get it out. Yagami’s mouth was open, but he didn’t say it, didn’t know if he could, if he wanted to.

[taichi-x-koushiro]

@taikouvember

Digimon Adventure/02/tri. ~ Japanese Version + Families (+Favorite Families) + Headcanons + Canon Adopted Characters {Koushiro Izumi} featuring DUO/SHIP: Taichi Yagami [Taichi “Tai” Kamiya in U.S.] x Koushiro(u) Izumi [Koushiro “Izzy” Izumi in U.S.] [Taishiro(u)] + IZUMI FAMILY: (Kae* Izumi + Masami Izumi) [*Note: Mrs Izumis name can also be read in Japanese as “Yoshie”] + YAGAMI FAMILY (Yuuko Yagami + Susumu Yagami)

{+We don’t know exactly WHO, EITHER Taichi or Koushiro marry…}

BONUS:

Bonus gifs and image usage rules under the ‘read more’! {Contains light spoilers for 02 ending + Our War Game}

{Do Not Repost} {Do Not Remove Caption} (Please ASK to Use)

Keep reading

[seventeenlovesthree]

@digimonadventureweek Day 6, March 6th - Favourite episode: #31 - "Raremon! Surprise Attack on Tokyo Bay"

I have once made a list of my "Top 16 favourite Digimon Adventure episodes" and no matter what I do, I always come back to this one. Not only is this one of the episodes my dad had recorded for me when I was a kid because I couldn't watch it when it first aired on TV, but it also basically contains everything that I love about Digimon Adventure as a whole. It also justifies a lot of my biases and headcanons in the process, but that's just a side note.

This is the closest we've ever gotten to a "slice of life" anime that includes the original cast, as it contains several of its typical elements while focusing on and mirroring primarily Taichi's and Koushirou's experiences on their first evening back home in the real world. I could have taken approximately 100 screenshots of it, because the storytelling and pacing are just so marvelous to me:

Even though it definitely IS a slice-of-life-ish episode, it doesn't lose the main plot at all, but intertwines it perfectly into the story: The kids are looking for the eighth child and Taichi, rightfully, suspects Hikari, since she had been with him during the Hikarigaoka incident. Thus he and Koromon ask her if she owns a Digivice already, which she denies. The viewer can tell that she does own one, it was just stolen and played with by their housecat Meeko/Miko - and she is the reason we're gonna get an action-packed chase scene later down the line of the episode...

Then there's the secondary plot - I refuse to call it B plot, because it is so in the forefront of everything that happens. As mentioned, it's all about Taichi and Koushirou reuniting with their families and trying their best to hide their Digimon from them. They're both having rather warm, heartfelt and happy moments that feel light-hearted (and even a bit comedic) on surface level. The difference here is that Koushirou's personal backstory is also given more space to bloom; while both Taichi's mother, Yuuko, and Koushirou's mother, Kae, sense that something about their sons is off, the latter seems to be ridden by melancholy and guilt about it. Koushirou has been acting nothing but polite and grateful towards her, but she feels like this is not how he should be like, that he is hiding something - which, as her husband, Masami, puts it, "is nothing we can blame him for, since we're hiding something from him as well".

It's the first time the viewer actually hears that Koushirou was adopted - we have seen him having flashbacks and getting somewhat distraught and sad about something, but we didn't know what it was. One can tell that he means it when he tells his mother that he's grateful - we see it when he keeps smiling happily to Tentomon about everything -, but there is that barrier. He IS hiding something from them - and we know it's not just Tentomon, even if that is perfectly mirrored with Taichi hiding Koromon as well -, but she cannot grasp what it is. And he is burdening himself with it, everything: Caring for and hiding his partner, sneaking out of his room to deal with a rampaging Digimon in the middle of the night while (potentially) chasing the eighth child around town - on his own, because the others are already fast asleep -, having a one-on-one fight with an evil Digimon and almost gets impaled, while also trying to reassure his parents that everything is alright. A lot to bear for a 10-year-old, huh...

And why was he prompted to act in the first place? Not only because he was notified of Raremon being a threat, but also because the Yagami cat went on a stroll with the eighth child's Digivice and lost it several times over.

This episode simply has it all: It has a sense of happiness and peacefulness, it has comedic elements, it has a suspenseful fight and chase scene; the main plot and character development are perfectly intertwined and even though there is so much going on, it doesn't feel rushed, bloated or like anything shouldn't be there. The characters are pretty unreliable narrators while the viewer can see everything that happens - nothing gets resolved in this episode, it consists of a repeated "Almost!", but that is fine, because it contextualizes everything that will happen from now on.

It also tells us so much about the Yagami and Izumi family dynamics, including the fact that the mothers are very familiar with the fact that their sons are close friends who call each other at very odd times...

The adoption topic is rather heavy, not downplayed and presented in a light that makes you hope that all of this will eventually resolve.

It's just very dear to my heart and I would absolutely love a whole anime that deals with all of the kids and their backstories similarly, giving them all temporary main-character status.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game, Part 2 of 2

Previously on Digimon Adventure: After recovering her hat from the Digital World in a wild spinoff adventure that lasted at least 45 episodes, Mimi went on vacation to Hawaii and is living her best life. All of her friends miss her terribly to the point that Jou ended up vandalizing her family nameplate out of grief, which goes to show what a vital and important cornerstone of this team she is.

Meanwhile Tokyo's phone system is glitching out 'cause too many people are prank calling each other or something. IDK the B-plot didn't seem that important.

While Taichi is contemplating how unbelievably difficult the task of getting a hold of Mimi has become, Koushiro returns.

Yuuko: Oh, welcome back. Koushiro: Thank you. What's wrong, Taichi-san?

His answer is to once again flop helplessly over the couch.

Cut to the interior of Susumu's office, where Koushiro's once again at work with the computer while Taichi lies helplessly on the floor. I choose to believe Koushiro dragged him in here by his ankles.

Koushiro: Hawaii, huh? Taichi: We're completely screwed! Koushiro: We won't be able to assemble everyone, will we?

Unless we have a way of reaching Mimi in Hawaii, no. For the first time, the team's going to have to make do with whoever they have on-hand, rather than the whole crew coming together for the big fight.

Well, I say 'first time' but two out of four Dark Masters and MetalEtemon were fought that way.

Taichi: By the way, where'd you run off to?

Koushiro holds up an unusual looking black phone.

Koushiro: This is a satellite phone. Taichi: Satellite? Koushiro: With this, we'll be able to directly connect with foreign access points without having to go through NTT's switchboard. Taichi: So then we can call Yamato and the others-- Koushiro: That won't be possible. Local calls still go through the switchboard. Taichi: Oh, what the hell!

Sat phone is going to bring us back from the brink of Complete Annihilation, but isn't going to solve all of our problems.

In the dub:

Yuuko: Hi, Izzy! Welcome back! Izzy: Thank you. So, uh... When's everybody coming over? Tai: NYAAAAGH!!! (flop) (Cut to office) Izzy: Cheer up already! Tai: What happened to the good ol' days when we were a team? Izzy: We are a team, Tai. But we're just kinda spread out right now. Tai: By the way, where did you disappear to? (Izzy shows him the sat phone) Izzy: Well, I went to pick this up. Tai: What is it!? Izzy: A satellite uplink. We can get onto the internet by tapping into the military satellite system! Tai: Izzy, you're a genius! How does it work!? Izzy: Well, do you know what a semiconductor is? Tai: ...a guy who works part-time on a train? Izzy: Never mind.

The dub misses the kind of important detail that we can't call the others on the sat phone. The put the semiconductor quip where that should go.

Which is a pretty good quip. XD A funny joke that also plays off the relative difference in Tai and Izzy's knowledge bases, so there's some neat characterization embedded in it.

The dub adds that we'll be accessing "the military satellite system" specifically.

Well, if we can't use the sat phone to contact the others, there's one other option.

Koushiro: Why don't you call 171 and see if we have any messages? Taichi: Oh, right, I forgot about that!

Taichi calls the number, and he and Koushiro listen in.

Recording: Playing message. Yamato: (beep) Moshi moshi? This is Yamato. What was so urgent? Koushiro: We did it! Taichi: I knew we could count on him!

The boys record a message for Yamato, and we cut to grandma's villa.

Koushiro: (beep) You both have your Digivices, right? Yamato: Koushiro...? (Back to Yagami residence) Takeru: (beep) We have them. Yamato: Hey, what's going on here? (Back to Grandma's) Koushiro: (beep) Please find a computer to use. A new kind of Digimon appeared inside the internet. Taichi: We need you to help us fight! Takeru: ...this is really bad. (Back to Yagami residence) Takeru: (beep) We have our Digivices, but there's no computer here at Grandma's house. Yamato: There may not be any at all. We're in Shimane, after all.

The Shimane prefecture is one of the least populated regions in all of Japan. They are deeply rural right now. This realization causes Taichi to flop right back over onto the ground.

Taichi: (overdramatic) WE'RE COMPLETELY SCREEEEEEEWED!!! Koushiro: (beep) Please, try to find a computer! There has to be a computer somewhere in Shimane!

Matt and Takeru sprint out of the house, descending a long staircase from their grandmother's home.

Yamato: Hurry, Takeru!

Fingers crossed 'cause it's a ten-hour train ride back to Tokyo. We're not gonna be able to ford the Tokyo Bay on Zudomon's back with this one.

In the dub:

Tai: Is it hooked up yet? Izzy: Almost. In the meantime, check the messages to see if anyone called back. Tai: Oh! I forgot! (Tai checks messages) Matt: Hey Tai, it's Matt. So what's the big emergency? Call me back? T.K.: WAUGH!!! Matt: Oh, I gotta go. Grandma fell asleep on T.K. again. Izzy: Good ol' Matt! Tai: I knew that somebody on the team would come through! (Cut to Grandma's) Tai: (beep) Hey Matt, did you and T.K. bring your Digivices with you? Matt: Did you pack them? (Back to Kamiya residence) T.K.: (beep) This is T.K. Of course we have them! What's going on? (Back to Grandma's) Izzy: (beep) An evil Digimon has taken over the internet. Agumon and Tentomon are fighting it now but they need help! Get your Digivices to a computer as fast as you can! T.K.: ...what do we do now? Matt: (beep) Guys, the closest thing our grandmother has to a computer is an egg timer! We're going into town to find one.

The dub snips a round of phone tag, including Taichi comically flopping back over and wailing about how screwed we are. But to avoid losing the vital exposition that computers are hard to come by in Shimane, they play Matt's final message over the footage of the boys racing down the stairs.

Izzy lies to Matt and T.K. here. Agumon and Tentomon are resting, not fighting Infermon right now.

With Yamato and Takeru now on-mission, Koushiro finishes reconnecting.

On the screen, the images of Kabuterimon and Greymon ready to fight appear. Uh, having somehow re-evolved to Adult-stage without Taichi and Koushiro connected to them. But Infermon's icon is missing.

Koushiro: Alright, we're connected! Taichi: The satellite phone worked! Koushiro: Hang on, it isn't there! Did it leave NTT? Taichi: Hey....

A new email comes in from Infermon. It has a new message, all in Katakana like the others. It reads "イナイイナイバ Inai inai ba!" Pretty sure the last letter is the creature making sounds, while いない inai in Hiragana means "Not here".

The message seems to be, "Not here not here BLEH!" Infermon is taunting them. More importantly, the email address it's using is "@@@@@@djm.dot.gov.ny.us".

Koushiro: Found it! This thing... It's in America! Taichi: America?

While that's going on, Yamato and Takeru roam the long stretches of land in Shimane searching for a functioning computer they can connect to the internet with. The first house they stop at is no good, as a man out on the porch explains to them.

Man: Computer? I have one, but it's broken right now.

At the next house, the now out-of-breath brothers are again turned aside by a middle-aged woman at the door.

Woman: A computer? I don't have anything like that.

At the third house, as the brothers now gasp for air, they're met with further failure from an elderly couple.

Old Man: A com... what? Com....

Leaving there, the boys wander the street looking for new options.

Yamato: Like I thought, there's no computers anywhere in Shimane!

Well, the good news is that when Infermon collapses society, Yamato and Takeru will be well-insulated where they are.

In the dub:

Izzy: The uplink's working! We're back online! Tai: Now let's exterminate that bug! Izzy: ...he left the phone company!? Now where is he? Tai: Look! He sent another email!

As with Infermon's previous messages, the dub rewrites the email in English. This one reads "I'm close to him." Presumably referring to Willis.

Tai: "I'm close to him"!? Close to who!? Izzy: He's in America! Tai: He doesn't even have a green card!?

By pure serendipity, this time we are in fact talking about the United States. The dub didn't have to change this one. Infermon is in America.

The following scene featuring the boys' search for a computer was cut.

Yamato and Takeru's search continues until, suddenly, they strike gold.

The boys discover a small storefront called タクシタでんきTakushita Denki, or Takushita Electric. Writing on the shop window generically advertises "あなたの街のでんきやさん Anata no machi no denkiya-san" or "Your town's electric appliance shop!" Probably don't need much of a pitch in Shimane.

It's not exactly Radio Shack but it's in the right ballpark so we should be able to--

Woman: I'm sorry, but I don't have an internet connection for this computer.

At this point Takeru is straight-up crying. The boys are so fucked that it provokes an argument between the man and woman running the shop.

Man: Oh come on, just let them use it. Woman: (pointed) Sho-chan, don't you have deliveries to make? Sho: I feel bad for them! Woman: (getting heated) But it doesn't connect to the internet! Man: (pounds fist on the table) Then hook it up! Woman: SHO-CHAN-- Yamato: Hey, hey, both of you....

Yamato puts a stop to this before it gets ugly, and we cut to the boys on Sho's delivery motorcycle.

Yamato: Where are we going!? Sho: Leave this to me!

Three cheers for the random deliveryman who wouldn't hang these boys out to dry.

As with the rest of the boys' search, the dub cuts the electric shop too. All we get is the boys on Sho's motorcycle, which is quickly recontextualized to explain who he is.

Matt: UNCLE AL!!! I SAID SLOW DOWN!!! Al: STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!

As with "Sora's cousin Duane", the dub's invented a new relative to transport the Chosen Children. I wonder if the kids accepting rides from strangers made the censors uncomfortable?

Meanwhile, in the United States, Infermon rampages unchecked across American systems.

Devouring everything in its path, we see multiple effects of the havoc it's unleashing.

Bus destination signs flickering into gibberish. Cab drivers' navigation systems replaced by static images superimposed by Infermon's face. The same happening to the giant screens in New York City, as well as airplane and flight control instruments at airports.

There's also one really cool metaphorical shot, gradually zooming out on an American flag while Infermon crawls up one of its stripes like an infectious parasite. Gives me the heeby-jeebies.

Finally, we end Infermon's rampage on a shot of NYC at night, as lights flicker in every building and police sirens scream through the night.

Taichi: Bastard! It's having fun! Koushiro: Despite being Perfect-stage, it's still a newborn child. There's no way to know what it's going to do. Taichi: Can't someone do something about this? Koushiro: I'm sure there's adults out there who've figured out that they aren't dealing with an ordinary computer glitch. But they have no way of realizing that it's a Digimon causing all this. Taichi: Then... What can we do!? Koushiro: All we can do is have Agumon and the others fight it. Taichi: But even then....

Taichi is pissed. He whips out この野郎 konoyarou, one of anime's favorite vulgar Fuck Off And Die insults.

The dub plays Infermon's American rampage for fun times. They set it to the song "All My Best Friends are Metalheads" by Less Than Jake.

Izzy: Well, the Digimon's in New York. He's eaten all the data at Kennedy Airport and he's headed for the subway system. Tai: Good! That will definitely slow him down, for sure! Izzy: I'd better email Willis and let him know that Infermon is heading in his direction. I do have one question, though. What do you think that Digimon would have been like if the virus never attacked him? Tai: I have a question too: WHY ARE YOU STILL DRINKING THAT JUNK!?!? Izzy: Look, just because you don't like to eat healthy, doesn't mean that I don't. Tai: Don't say I didn't warn you....

This isn't even a different take; They flat-out replaced this scene with a brand new one. Referencing Infermon's new goal of finding Willis and making jokes (and foreshadowing) about Yuuko's recipes.

Also, Izzy ponders what Infermon would be like if it wasn't infected by the virus, which is a funny question to ask when the dub added that detail in the first place. Speaking from the Japanese side? The same, Izzy. It's the same. Without a virus, Infermon is the same.

Well. Less talkative, so the virus did change some things, but not as much as you might think.

Suddenly, the boys receive a videocall. Man, it's a good thing Infermon left NTT 'cause good luck finding a satellite phone in Shimane.

Taichi: Yamato! Yamato: Sorry to keep you waiting! Takeru: We have our Digivices! Koushiro: I see. That's good. You found a computer? Yamato: Uh, well....

Cutting to their perspective, we see that the brothers are at a computer in a barber shop. The barber does not seem very thrilled about letting them use his computer.

Barber: Are you sure it's okay to let these kids touch it? Sho: (jolts upright) Stop whining and let them use it!

While I doubt it was intentionally tactical, Takeru's waterworks worked. Sho is invested in getting the boys online. They are, however, not exactly in a private space.

Elderly Man: Those are Kinu-san's grandchildren. Elderly Woman: Life in Tokyo sure is different. Taichi: Hey! What's wrong, Yamato! Hey! Yamato: N... No... It's nothing.

Returning to Odaiba, Koushiro chugs his glass of oolong tea from the tray they brought.

Taichi: Whew. You know, I was worried there for a moment. Koushiro: Taichi-san, can I have your oolong tea? Taichi: Haven't you drank too much already?

Koushiro doesn't wait for Taichi's answer. He chugs Taichi's glass too.

In the dub:

Tai: Matt! Matt: We've got the Digivices! T.K.: Now what? Tai: Awesome! We'll tell Gennai to upload Gabumon and Patamon onto the net! Matt: You can do that? Barber: That sounds like fun! Usually I just play Solitaire on that thing, but I-- Al: (jolts upright) Careful, Floyd! You almost cut my ear off! Elderly Man: Kids today are so smart, aren't they? Elderly Woman: I still can't set the time on my VCR. Tai: Hey Matt, who are all those weird people? Matt: (loudly) They're not weird! They're my best friends! (bitterly mutters) Considering this is the only computer in town! (Meanwhile, Izzy chugs his glass) Tai: Gennai's transfer of the Digimon is almost completed. Izzy: Hey, can I have yours? Tai: (despondent) Izzy, you're the bravest kid I've ever known....

The dub adds the detail of Tai "having Gennai move Gabumon and Patamon onto the net", which is a pretty detail to add. The barber is also a lot more friendly about letting random children use his computer.

It's ironic that Random Stranger Sho is a lot more gung-ho and aggressive about helping these kids than Uncle Al. Al got them to a computer too, but he's not throwing hands with everyone in Shimane over it. XD

Inside the internet, Agumon and Tentomon fly through cyberspace, ready for another round.

Tentomon: Aren't the others connected yet? Agumon: If not, we'll just have to fight it again by ourselves. Tentomon: Yeah, but-- Gabumon: Agumon! Tentomon! Both: Hm?

Gabumon and Patamon enter the circuit they're flying through from another tunnel.

Tentomon: Ah! Gabumon and Patamon! Patamon: We're coming too! Gabumon: Sorry we're late! Yamato: We're counting on you, Gabumon! Takeru: Ganbatte, Patamon! Koushiro: I'll guide all of you. Digimon: Okay! Agumon: This time, we'll definitely defeat this thing!

Reminder: Ganbaru is the Japanese cultural value of perseverance through tremendous adversity via hard work and dedication.

Arrows appear along the path, marking the route and guiding the Digimon to a new virtual space. This one is full of floating construction beams everywhere.

Perched atop one of those beams is Infermon, along with a video game compass marker helpfully pointing it out and a sign. A sight that has only gotten funnier in this modern age of gaming.

It's not Koushiro doing that part, though. The sign's origin is clear from the fact that it's simplistically written in strictly Katakana, like Infermon's earlier messages. It reads コッチダヨーン Kotchidayoun, which translates to こっちだよーん Kotchida youn which translates to "Over here".

Yamato: Is it playing with us!? Taichi: Yamato, let's go all out! Yamato: Straight to Ultimate level!

Yes. Yes, it is playing with us. Its age can be measured in hours. This is all a game to it.

In the dub:

Agumon: We're going back in! Tentomon: I assume Izzy and Tai were unsuccessful in finding anyone else. Agumon: Then you and I will just have to beat that thing by ourselves! Gabumon: Sorry we're late! Patamon: I was surfing the net and I wiped out! Agumon & Tentomon: Huh!? Tentomon: Gabumon and Patamon! Patamon: Is T.K. on this ride? Gabumon: He's not tall enough. Yamato: Hey, Gabumon! T.K.: Patamon! Izzy: Say hello later! We have work to do! Tentomon: Keep your legs and wings inside this ride at all times! Izzy: Just a little further, guys. Just remember: He's dangerous so stay focused! (The Digimon spill into the new area of the internet) Infermon: I'm looking for the programmer; Don't interfere! Matt: He's teasing us! Tai: Oh, yeah!? Then let's get him! Matt: It's time to Digivolve!

Patamon "surfing the net and wiping out" is a nice bit of wordplay for his punny quip, though I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean in a literal sense.

Izzy does not offer to guide the Digimon to their destination, the message remains untranslated in Katakana, and Infermon explicitly wants them to stay away from him rather than goading them. So. I sincerely have no idea who put the pointing arrow over Infermon in this version. It just kinda happens.

As Taichi and Yamato agreed, it's time to evolve straight to Ultimate.

While Agumon and Gabumon Warp-Evolve, we jump around the globe once again to people watching their evolution sequences. This fight, too, will be broadcast worldwide.

I'm really fond of how this is presented. Show Me Your Brave Heart begins like usual when the Digimon evolve, but we jump to a different country and different group of people with each note of the song.

The dub uses their typical Warp Digivolve reprise of their opening theme, but they aren't able to time the shots to the notes for obvious reasons. It still flows pretty well.

Also, for Digimon: The Movie synergy, there's a blond boy watching in one of the shots that you could totally assume is Willis. Maybe he is! Or he could be Michael from 02. Who knows.

WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon take turns boxing Infermon around, making hit and run swipes at it.

Taichi: Nice! Takeru: Patamon, you evolve too. Patamon: Uh-huh!

A neat detail of Patamon's attempted evolution is that the stock animation footage appears diegetically on a screen directly behind him. We see him with the screen at an angle while the startup "Digivice meter rises and overtakes the Digivice" bit plays.

(This might be why Infermon can interfere with evolution sequences. Others have fucked with evolution before but not this directly. It's never been implied that a Partner Digimon in-universe stands there frozen in place for upwards of 40 seconds when evolving.

But we're not in the Digital World right now. We're inside the internet itself, so maybe the data stream is something that can be seen and interacted with. Or something.)

Whatever the case, Infermon's not letting them get away with this one. It lunges, undergoing its own evolution into Diablomon.

Yamato: It evolved!? Taichi: How is it so fast!?

I'm not sure if Taichi means it's moving fast, it evolved fast without a fancy sequence like the Partners have, or that it evolved quickly in the sense that it's gone from Digitama to Ultimate in the span of like a few hours. Honestly, all of these are valid questions.

In its new form, Diablomon has stretchy rubber-band limbs, which it demonstrates by punching Patamon out of his evolution sequence and pinning him against a girder.

Takeru: Patamon! Tentomon: Patamon--DAUGH!!!

Also, it has two arms, so Tentomon can have one too.

In the dub:

T.K.: Patamon, you'd better Digivolve! Patamon: Right! Patamon, Digivolve To.... Infermon: Infermon, Digivolve to: Diaboromon!

"Diaboro" is an obvious r/l mistranslation of "Diablo", the Spanish word for devil. What's less obvious is whether they did that by accident or on purpose. Might be an error, might be they fudged the name on purpose to remove the Satanic reference. Both are plausible.

Matt: What's going on!? Tai: He Digivolved.... Diaboromon: CABLE CRUSHER!!! (Diaboromon punches Patamon out of his evolution) T.K.: Look out, Patamon! Tentomon: I'll save him! (gets punched)

The stretchy arm punches are called Cable Crusher in the dub.

Gotta love T.K. yelling "Look out!" like a second after Patamon already got hit. XD THANKS. HELPFUL.

Takeru and Koushiro check on their pinned down Partners.

Takeru: PATAMON!!! ARE YOU OKAY!?!? Koushiro: Tentomon! Tentomon: I'm fine... Patamon.... Takeru: (crying) Patamon, I'm coming to you! Patamon! Patamon! Patamon!

Meanwhile, at the barber shop, everyone's dropped what they're doing to stare at these strange boys getting very emotional about whatever they're doing on the internet. Even Sho and the barber have stopped midway through Sho's shave.

Yamato: How dare you... HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO PATAMON!!! Taichi: YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!!

Resuming the fight, MetalGarurumon goes for Diablomon first. MetalGarurumon unloads his freezing missiles, Diablomon gets pummeled by MetalGarurumon's shots. At speed, it's hard to tell if the blasts are hitting it or if it's dodging, but the freeze-frame clearly shows Diablomon getting tossed around.

Recovering, Diablomon returns fire with a fireball from its chest which hits MetalGarurumon dead on.

WarGreymon pushes through the smoke and closes distance. Diablomon tries to deflect WarGreymon's attack at range, using its own stretchy claw to break WarGreymon's right Dramon Killer off. WarGreymon adapts, turning a stab into a punch and breaking Diablomon's goddamn face.

Taichi: Tentomon! Look after Patamon. WarGreymon, stay on the attack!

Koushiro, next to Taichi, begins sweating and seems to be having, let's say, trouble with something....

As WarGreymon closes distance, the process repeats. Diablomon snaps off WarGreymon's other Dramon Killer, and WarGreymon connects an unguarded left hook into Diablomon's face.

In the dub:

T.K.: Ahh! Patamon, are you alright!? Izzy: Tentomon! Tentomon: I'm fine! What about Patamon? T.K.: Patamon! Speak to me! Come on, get up! Say something! I'm coming! I'll come get you! Matt: T.K.... You can't. (to MetalGarurumon) BUT YOU CAN!!! Tai: WIPE HIM OUT!!!

The dub names MetalGarurumon's missiles Ice Wolf Spikes, despite usually calling it (and most of his other moves) Ice Wolf Claw. Diablomon's fireball is Web Wrecker. WarGreymon's punch is just a punch, though to be honest I was expecting it to be Terra Force or, like, Nova Punch or something. XD

Tai: Tentomon, circle around! WarGreymon, attack!

For some reason, the dub has Tai tell Tentomon to "circle around" Diablomon, as if he's supposed to be moving in for a flanking strike. Um. No. His job is to go make sure Patamon didn't die a moment ago.

Unfortunately, while this is happening, Koushiro continues to have his crisis.

Koushiro: T-Taichi-san.... Taichi: Go! Keep it up! Koushiro: (straining) Taichi-san! Taichi: Right there! Get it! Koushiro: TAICHI-SAN!!! Taichi: The hell!?

Startled, Taichi finally turns his attention to Koushiro, who is visibly in a lot of pain.

As Taichi turns his attention to Koushiro, the line "Show me your brave heart" from their triumphant battle theme gets stuck. The soundtrack begins stuttering, playing that same line over and over and over like a broken record. Our first warning that things are now suddenly going awry.

Koushiro: I can't hold it anymore.... Taichi: What!? Koushiro: I have to use the bathroom, please....

Without another word, Koushiro stands up and staggers out of the office.

Taichi: (dismayed) Hey... Why now of all times...? Hey!

Meanwhile, in the fight, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon both power up their attacks to throw at Diablomon.

Yamato: That's it! Finish it off! Taichi: Huh!?

The pair fire off attacks together that... Sort of look like Cocytus Breath and Gaia Force reimagined by a new art direction.

Taichi: Please! This has to hit!

It does not. Diablomon leaps straight up and hurdles their shots at the last second.

Taichi: FUCK!!!

Frustrated, Taichi smacks the computer monitor and causes it to Blue Screen. He freezes in horror when he realizes what he's done.

Yamato: What's happening, Taichi!? WarGreymon stopped moving!

This is karma for the Andromon episode of the Devimon arc, where Taichi kept smacking computers.

Taichi tries shaking the monitor a couple of times to try and get the connection back, but it's hopeless. Thankfully, Koushiro returns from the bathroom here to discover what Taichi's done.

Koushiro: Sorry about that. Taichi: (desperate, teary) It isn't working! Koushiro: Eh!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!?

Our polite little Koushiro shoves Taichi away from the computer so that he can get this fixed.

Taichi: I didn't do anything! It's your fault for using the bathroom at a time like this! Koushiro: It's useless.

Koushiro gives up on trying to get the system back on and hard reboots the computer instead.

In the dub:

Izzy: It's... no... use.... Tai: What are you talking about!? We're winning! Izzy: Owaaaaaaugh... goh... This could be it.... Tai: Yeah! Great, huh? Izzy: Not that! Tai: What's going on!? Izzy: There's something... wrong with me.... Tai: What is it!? Izzy: I think it's your mother's recipes.... (Izzy runs off for the bathroom) Tai: See!? I hate to tell you I told you so but... I told you so!

In the original, he just needs to pee. He drank too much oolong tea and now his body needs to drain the excess fluid. He leaves Taichi unsupervised with the computer for less than a minute.

Here, he's got some kind of indigestion or food poisoning going on, which will be similarly quick to handle.

Matt: Tai! Look! Something's wrong! Tai: Huh!? (The Digimon attack) Tai: Oh no! They're slowing down! (Diaboromon dodges) Tai: Huh!? COME ON!!! (Tai smacks the computer and it blue screens) Matt: Tai, where'd you go!? WarGreymon has practically stopped moving! (Tai shakes the computer a couple of times) Tai: Oh no! Oh no! Izzy: (returns) Ah, I feel a lot better. Tai: I didn't touch anything, I swear! Izzy: AH!!! (shove) TAI, WHAT DID YOU DO!?!? Tai: It wasn't my fault! Besides, who told you to go to the bathroom at such an important time!? Izzy: Like I had a choice!

In the original, Taichi and Yamato are gung-ho about landing these shots and finishing off Diablomon. The dub asserts that they're moving slower, which is a later plot point that the dub's incorporating early.

They may have brought this in early to explain why WarGreymon suddenly shuts down when Tai's connection breaks. It's never been a thing before that a Digimon suddenly goes into stasis if their Partner isn't nearby. That's a weird thing for the original to have happen, so the implied whatever-the-fuck could be an attempted story patch.

While the computer's rebooting, Koushiro vents at Taichi.

Koushiro: Why did you freeze the system!? Taichi: I didn't think that would happen! Koushiro: This is why you're bickering with Sora! Taichi: (wounded) I did nothing...!

Jesus. I don't think we've ever seen Koushiro this upset, and he once fought a guy that wanted to eat his parents. Taichi is silent for a moment, nursing the critical hit that remark struck.

Taichi: I just... (mutters) ...got her a present. Koushiro: A present?

We cut to Sora, sitting in her windowsill and watching a jet go by in the sky as Taichi finally opens up about what happened.

Taichi: Her birthday was coming up, so I got her a hairclip. But then she starts saying things like, "(sneering) Oh, you think this hat doesn't suit me!?" So we started fighting....

As Taichi finishes his story, we return to Taichi and Koushiro, with that same jet visible out the window. They're far apart, physically and emotionally, yet under the same sky all the same.

Koushiro: So that's it... Taichi: Yeah, but... I'm supposed to apologize, right?

Taichi's impression of Sora, literally the tone he uses when quoting her, is mean and uncharitable. But that's not unexpected for someone who's in the midst of a quarrel and doesn't understand what he could possibly have done wrong. So far as Taichi figures it, Sora snapped all of a sudden over the hairclip and started yelling at him for no reason.

Okay. We need to take a moment and talk about the hairclip. What did Taichi do wrong? Well. They don't give us a lot of information to go on. We never hear Sora's side of the story. This is all we get.

But from what we know of Sora, we can surmise some things. The explicit point of contention is Sora's hat. Taichi gave her a pretty hairclip and her kneejerk reaction was that he was telling her not to wear her hat.

This is what she's reacting so negatively to; The implicit statement Taichi hadn't realized he was making that Sora's hat is bad. Or, specifically, that it is 似合わない niawanai, unsuitable for her. That she is the kind of person who wears pretty hairclips and not the kind of person who wears hats like this.

Let's take a moment to think about the context Sora exists in. The longstanding personal drama of her life is her conflict with her mother's expectations. Her mother is iemoto, the grandmaster for a school of ikebana, a traditional art of flower arranging. Sora was born to step into the shoes of a very traditional and feminine discipline, which she did not take well to.

Rather than following eagerly in her mother's footsteps, Sora became more invested in sports, a traditionally masculine activity. She presents herself with long pants, short hair, and that big helmet over most of her head, which she's now swapped for a floofy winter cap. She has conversations with Mimi about how assertive and strong she is compared to the more feminine Mimi.

Sora has, for years, felt like her self-expression is under siege by expectations of traditional femininity. And then Taichi comes to her and implicitly says to her, "Hey, you should change your self-expression to be more feminine." Of course she blew up. Of course she did.

Taichi, of course, had no idea the hairclip would be taken that way. He's... just... terrible at understanding other people's feelings. This was stupidity, not malice. But even though Sora and Toshiko have reconciled, that doesn't mean all the sore spots have disappeared. Taichi stepped on an emotional landmine buried in the Demilitarized Zone that Sora and Toshiko's arguments left behind.

Not to be too charitable to Taichi since he was there when she explained all this. He's an idiot who doesn't think things through and isn't good at understanding people. But he didn't mean any harm by it and now has no idea why it created so much tension.

In the dub:

Izzy: Oh, why did you crash the computer!? Now I have to reboot! Tai: Well, it's not like I did it on purpose or anything! Izzy: Yeah, right! Just like it wasn't your fault with Sora! Tai: That wasn't... my fault... Oh, okay, maybe it was my fault. Izzy: What happened? (Cut to Sora) Tai (V.O.): It was stupid. I gave her this really great hairpin for her birthday and then she got all mad and said, "(sneer) Oh, you don't like my hairstyle!?" and I said "Who could tell? You're always wearing a hat!" and then she said "So! Now you don't like my hat, huh!?" It's very confusing. (Cut back to Tai and Izzy) Izzy: That's what you fought about? Tai: I tried to apologize to her but she won't return my phone calls!

Tai and Sora's argument in the dub is a bit longer. A subtle but critical difference here is that Sora in the original is getting mad over whether her hat is suitable to her while Sora in the dub is getting mad over whether Tai personally likes her aesthetic.

Suddenly, the computer finishes reconnecting with an audible chime.

Koushiro: Ah! We're back to normal. Taichi: WarGreymon-- Ah!

The boys reconnect to find the battlefield they left behind has become a debris field. WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon lay motionless, lifeless amid the debris.

Yamato: TAICHI!!! KOUSHIRO!!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU GUYS DOING!?!? YOU GODDAMN MORONS!!!

Koushiro's only crime was having to pee, and his Digimon was barely even a participant anyway. He probably doesn't deserve to be called 馬鹿野郎 bakayarou, which is the anime classic 馬鹿 baka or "stupid" but in a really mean and vulgar way. It's for when you wanna call someone baka but spit it like a curse word, no playing.

For Taichi, however, the obscenity is well-warranted.

Taichi: (teary-eyed) WarGreymon! WarGreymon! WARGREYMON!!! WARGREYMOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!

While Taichi's screaming for his Partner, we take another cuts around the globe. To all the people silently watching in stunned horror as he all but begs his Partner to be alive.

WarGreymon: T... Taichi....

Finally, Taichi's voice reaches WarGreymon and he opens his eyes again.

The dub catches that an audio cue is supposed to alert the boys, and uses that old 90's dial-up tone.

Izzy: Ah! We're back online! Tai: WarGreymon! (Debris field, half-dead Digimon) Matt: Hey guys, where were you!? You two sure picked a lousy time to take a lunch break! Tai: (teary-eyed) What happened to him!? WarGreymon! (Silence as we jump around the globe, then back to WarGreymon) Tai: WarGreymon.... WarGreymon: ...ugggggh... Tai, I can't move!

The emotions are dialed back quite a bit here. Matt gives them a snarky scolding instead of yelling obscenities in Tai's face while Tai's fear and grief doesn't quite match the bloodcurdling screaming that Taichi's doing.

Good news is that WarGreymon isn't dead. But this is still pretty bad.

Taichi: If I.... If I'd been here, this wouldn't have happened. Koushiro: You lost again? Taichi: WHAT!?!?

Taichi whips around like them's fightin' words to see Koushiro reading emails from the laptop.

Koushiro: And now from Canberra: "You were so close to winning. What were you doing!?" This one's from Berlin--

Out of nowhere, Taichi shoves Koushiro. Then he grabs him by the scruff of his shirt.

Taichi: The hell!? ASSHOLE!!! Koushiro: I was just reading the emails we received! Taichi: Koushiro, you piece of-- Yamato: Cut it out! This isn't the time to fight each other! (beat) Taichi: Keh!

Taichi pushes Koushiro back to the ground and returns his attention to the computer.

Taichi: What's with these emails anyway!?

What gets me about this bit is that it's not a misunderstanding. His この野郎 konoyarou comes before he clarifies, but even after, Taichi still gives him a 手前 temae. That's the second-person pronoun you use when you want to say "you" in a way that expresses contempt.

Taichi isn't confused here; He is legit trying to punch the messenger.

In the dub:

Tai: I let him down! I should have been there! Izzy: Your Digimon's a loser. Tai: What did you say!? Izzy: How could two Mega-level Digimon get beat by one lousy bug!? WarGreymon quit like a coward--OW!!! (Tai shoves Izzy and grabs him) Tai: YOU TAKE THAT BACK OR I'LL-- Izzy: I WAS READING AN EMAIL FROM ANOTHER KID!!! Tai: You didn't have to read it so well! Matt: Hey, you two! This isn't the time to be fighting! (beat) (Tai shoves Izzy down and goes back to the computer) Tai: Stupid emails....

The dub does play this more for misunderstanding. They take out the parts where Koushiro says "This one's from Canberra" and "This one's from Berlin", so it sounds to Tai like Izzy's being mean and cruel out of nowhere.

Tai doesn't apologize after Izzy clarifies, but he also doesn't double down like Taichi does.

Additionally, the kids emailing seem to be a lot better informed than in the original. It's not too big a deal that they can namedrop WarGreymon since Tai/chi says his name multiple times while begging him to be alive. But they also name-drop Mega Digimon and seem to understand what that means.

From here, we go to Diablomon in the depths of the internet.

It's holding a cute pink clock, revealed to be the true source of its weird cackling back in the first Infermon fight.

Clock: Yahahahahahaha! Yahahahahahaha! Yahahahahahaha!

Diablomon waves its hand over the cackling clock and makes it disappear. Cut to an ominous shot of the jet flying in the sky, and then back to the boys.

Diablomon appears on the computer screens in front of Yamato, Takeru, and Taichi. It doesn't send an email this time; It simply composes one in real-time for them to see, typing out letter by letter.

Diablomon types トケイヲモッテイルノハ ダーレダ Tokei wo motteiru noha daareda. Which translates to 時計を持っているのは誰だ Tokei wo motteiru noha daareda. Which translates to "Who has the clock?"

Incidentally, this message is sent from the FactoryMark server so it looks like Diablomon's back in Japan. It did what it needed to do in the U.S.

Takeru: Clock?

This message is then replaced by two entirely different things to freak out about. The first is a red timer counting down from ten minutes. The second is Diablomon's image in the background dividing into two, and then those two dividing into four. Then those four into eight.

Yamato: It's copying itself.... Taichi: These numbers-- Koushiro: What do we do!? Taichi: Huh!?

Koushiro isn't looking at the screen. He's still at his laptop reading emails.

Koushiro: A middle school student from Taiwan hacked into the Pentagon, and they say that a nuclear missile was launched from an American military base thirty minutes ago. Taichi: HUH!?!? Koushiro: It was fired by a computer error. (freaking out) Of course, it was actually that thing that did it! Taichi: Then this number is.... Koushiro: The estimated time until the missile reaches its target.

OH. OKAY.

THAT IS PROBABLY BAD.

In the dub, Diaboromon talks over the ticking of the clock, which is not itself cackling.

Diaboromon: Wahahahahahaha! Go back to the beginning....

His email is rewritten in English once again. This time he types out, letter by letter, "Who can count backwards from ten?"

Tai: Another email!? "Who can count backwards from ten?" Huh!? Is he giving us a math test!? (Cut to T.K. and Yamato) T.K.: What's that? (Timer appears and Diaboromon begins dividing) Matt: Hey, what's with the timer? Tai: He's making copies of himself! (Cut back to Tai and Izzy) Tai: He's multiplying! Izzy: It gets worse! The U.S.A. just launched two nuclear missiles! Tai: Huh!?

Yep, there's two missiles in this version. Also, they were recently fired, as opposed to having been fired half an hour ago.

The dub edits the footage again to remove Koushiro's Taiwanese pal and replace him with Willis.

Izzy: Willis says the government has no explanation for it, but he found out that Diaboromon's in the Pentagon's computers. I hope I didn't lead him there with my satellite uplink! (gasp) One of the missiles is headed for Colorado! THEY'RE GONNA LAND IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES!!! Tai: That explains the timer. But what's in Colorado!? Izzy: I have no idea! In the meantime, Diaboromon keeps multiplying!

Willis, of course. One missile for the original target and a second missile for Willis.

We cut again briefly to the "jet" leaving its trail in the air. Now with an unsettling new context.

Taichi: Y-You're messing with me.... Koushiro: The nuclear missile is called One-Shot Peacekeeper. Range of 20,000 km, which is nearly the entire Earth. Top speed is 15,000 mph. Taichi: ...what's that in kmph? Koushiro: In parentheses, "Mach 23". Taichi: T... Twenty-three...?

The Earth is a little over 40,000 km in circumference so Koushiro's math checks out. Depending on which direction you shoot in, you can cover almost everything on the planet with that kind of range.

Additionally, the speed required to achieve orbital velocity is about 17,500 mph. So this missile can't reach orbit, but it's close.

As Koushiro says that, we cut to Mimi in Hawaii watching the "jet" suddenly streak by overhead. Seems to be heading westward from the continental U.S.

Mimi: Oooooo!

She has no idea what she's looking at. It's probably just a cool plane going super fast in the air.

Koushiro: But we don't know what its target is or where it is in the air right now. Only that it's going to detonate somewhere in the world... in nine minutes.

Meanwhile, in Shimane, the people in the barbershop have no idea. The elderly couple discuss dark clouds moving in over the region.

Elderly Man: It's getting cloudy. Elderly Woman: So quiet, though. I should probably go bring in the laundry right away. Elderly Man: Right away!

The old woman offers Yamato a grocery bag.

Elderly Woman: Would you bring these things to Kinu-san? Tell her they're from Yasuko. Yamato: ... Yasuko: Huh? Are you even listening?

They are not. Yamato and Takeru stare at the computer screen, paralyzed with terror by the reality in front of them.

An interesting note is that it's only one missile. Diablomon isn't going Full Skynet and trying to annihilate humankind. It only has one target it intends to utterly destroy.

In the dub:

Tai: But the military has the power to stop it, right? Izzy: Every country is trying to intercept them, including Japan. But Diaboromon has infiltrated all the computers and is rerouting them to fall harmlessly in the ocean near Hawaii! Mimi: (Hawaii) Ooooo, fireworks! Izzy: I've got the trajectory for the other missile. Let me calculate. ...carry the two, times three... TAI, IT'S AIMED RIGHT FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD!!! Tai: (frustrated) Ugh....

SPOILERS, IZZY. FUCK. I mean, I think most people already guessed that, but still.

Following Tai's incredibly understated groan, the Shimane scene is cut.

When Izzy says Diaboromon is "rerouting them to fall harmlessly in the ocean", the wording here is a little confusing. I think he means that Diaboromon's sending every country's counter-missiles to Hawaii? But the way he words it makes it sound like he's sending the two nukes to Hawaii.

It's a bit of a word salad to try and justify why Mimi's seeing a missile streak by in Hawaii. Which... is kind of a fair question, because Hawaii isn't between the continental U.S. and Japan. It's pretty far south, between Mexico and the Philippines. So I have no idea why the missile passed directly over Mimi's head.

(It heard how cool she was and wanted to swing by to see for itself. It has more than enough range for a detour.

Back at Taichi's home, more emails come in.

Koushiro: This email's from Indonesia: "You must defeat the enemy somehow." Over here, from Armenia: "You're the only ones who can defeat that monster." From Qatar: "Please ganbatte." Taichi: We should ganbaru...

Watching the screen, they're now up to 64 Diablomon and still dividing.

Taichi: But we can't defeat all of them! Koushiro: A nuclear missile can't detonate unless the fuse is activated. If this is supposed to be a game, then which one of those things has the clock? Defeat that one and the fuse won't activate. Taichi: But how do we find that one? Koushiro: That is... We'll have to defeat them one by one. Taichi: But that will take too long!

Koushiro slowly turns around to face Taichi, so Taichi can see how serious he is.

Koushiro: But that's the only choice we have. Taichi: (stunned) ....

Taichi is left speechless by how dire their predicament is.

In the dub... the hack and slash job continues. The scene continues, but they don't use the footage for it. Instead, remember that bit they cut out where Taichi cries "WE'RE SCREWED!" and falls over? Yeah, they past that part in for the footage of this section.

Izzy: Tai, look! Emails from all over the world! "Get that evil Digimon! You're our only hope!" Here's another one: "Be home by six o'clock!" ...oh, wait, that's from my mom. Tai: I'M TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD AND YOU'RE READING FANMAIL!!! Izzy: WE JUST LOST OUR CONNECTION!!! Tai: (falls over comically) Greeeeeeeeat. Izzy: Don't worry, I'll get it back! Listen, I think if we defeat the original Diaboromon, the rest will disappear. Tai: (gets back up, excited) WHAT!?!? Izzy: All we have to do is destroy each one until we've found the original.

They then use a shot of the "jet" flying in the sky to reset the positions of the characters and join back up with the original footage at "But that will take too long!"

Tai: Sounds great! How many are there so far? Izzy: Oh no.... (Izzy slowly turns around) Tai: Spit it out, Izzy! How many are there! Izzy: ...there are over 75,000 and counting. Tai: (stunned) ...

In addition to the hack and slash job, we are now wildly off-script.

They keep the basic idea that there is one specific Diablomon we must defeat. But the relationship between that Diablomon, the detonation of the nuke, and the little clock Diablomon showed the camera earlier? Completely wiped off the board.

Along with it goes the characterization that Diablomon is still, even in this form, playing games.

In its place, we get the connection going out for like half a second, which adds nothing to this scene. That's clearly there because they cut out this comical footage of Taichi falling over earlier and wanted to use it somewhere.

And the dub also claims that there are now 75,000 Diaboromon. We're at like 64 or so. The Americans inflated the hell out of these numbers.

While Taichi struggles to process this situation, WarGreymon suddenly reaches out.

WarGreymon: Taichi.... Taichi: .... WarGreymon: Taichi...! Taichi: .... WarGreymon: Taichi! Taichi: (gasp)

That shakes him out of it, and he returns his attention to the screen. The Ultimate Digimon begin to move, ready to go once again despite their injuries and damaged armor.

WarGreymon: Taichi... Pull yourself together, Taichi, and let us handle this. Taichi: WarGreymon.... MetalGarurumon: Do we know where it is? Yamato: MetalGarurumon.... Koushiro: Guys.... (steeling himself) I'm sending the address now! MetalGarurumon: Please.

An exit from their current server appears, and the pair of Ultimates exit into the internet once more.

Taichi: (quietly) You're right. It's the only way. I'm sorry. Koushiro: (quietly) Yeah....

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Yuuko checks on her cake.

Yuuko: Seven minutes left!

Across Tokyo, Jou scrambles to finish his entrance exam.

Announcement: Seven minutes left! Jou: (writes frantically) OH NO!!!

Seven minutes left!

Yuuko's cake provides a curious timeframe. It's been twenty-three minutes since she put it into the microwave, and the nuke was fired thirty-three minutes ago. This means the nuke was launched ten minutes before Yuuko put the cake in the oven. Ten minutes before the fight with Infermon, ending in Infermon using the NTT system to shut Taichi and Koushiro out of the internet.

The timeframe is honestly fascinating, as it implies that the nuke was one of the numerous errors that emerged during Kuramon's hatching. Like when Jou missed his train because the doors wouldn't open. The nuke was fired then, during the opening credit sequence, and has been in the air this entire time.

In the dub:

WarGreymon: Tai.... Izzy: What's that? It didn't sound like my stomach. WarGreymon: Tai! Tai: Ah! (Tai returns his attention to the computer) WarGreymon: Have faith! I'll find... the original! Tai: WarGreymon.... MetalGarurumon: Mrrrgh... I'll help you.... Matt: MetalGarurumon! Izzy: They're so slow.... It's because of all the emails! They're slowing down our Digimon's processing speed! I've gotta write to everybody and tell them to stop emailing us until the Digimon are back to full strength! Tai: Are you crazy, Izzy!? Do you know how long that will take!? There's no time! Now we're-- (Cut to Yuuko) Yuuko: --just about-- (Cut to Joe) Announcer: --FINISHED!!! Joe: (writes frantically) IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS!!!

Love what the dub does with those Yuuko and Jou cuts. Beautiful.

So here we get the explanation for all the "WarGreymon is slowing down for some reason!" stuff. The emails coming in are screwing with his and MetalGarurumon's processing speed.

This is actually a plot point from the original. The dub went ahead and introduced it way earlier so they could build up to it. And use it to explain that weird moment when WarGreymon suddenly froze up after Taichi disconnected. Good call. A+

Seven minutes left!

As WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon fly through the internet, more and more emails come in... including a couple of fairly significant cameos.

One is a certain little girl with purple hair that we'll be getting to know better next season.

Another is a boy named Ryo Akiyama. Ryo is the main playable character for a series of Adventure-adjacent video games that take place in the margins around the anime's continuity. We'll be seeing him cross over more and more into the anime proper with not only the next season of Adventure, but also Digimon Tamers.

Despite Tamers being in a separate continuity. It's weird.

Koushiro: There's so much email flowing in.... "Ganbare WarGreymon" from Costa Rica. "Don't lose this, MetalGarurumon," from the Philippines. Takeru: (gripping Yamato's shirt) Onii-chan... Don't give in.... Yamato: I won't give up... not to the very end. Taichi: I will never give up....

As the boys steel their resolve, the clock ticks down.

The dub plays a snippet of Here We Go by Jason Gochin here for a rock interlude. They snip out Koushiro's dialogue about the email, though they still use the footage so we see his lips move silently.

T.K.: Tell me... Will they make it...? Matt: I'm not sure, T.K. But they're gonna try. Tai: Don't give up, guys. No matter what happens, don't give up!

An interesting note is that the dub treats Tai and Matt as passive observers here while the original treats them as active participants. This is because they may not be the ones throwing the punches but it's their power that WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon are wielding.

Six and a half minutes left!

WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon arrive in an area that has been completely overrun with the growing Diablomon swarm.

Yamato: They're... How many of them are there? Koushiro: 4,000... 8,000... It copied itself again! 16,000! They keep making more!

In the dub, the Diablomon are uttering a chorus of "Don't interfere!" over and over and over again. Presumably referring to his plan to drop a nuke on Willis.

Matt: How many copies of Diaboromon are there now!? Izzy: To be honest, I don't know. I stopped keeping track a while ago. It's gotta be well over a million!

It is not. No reason not to use the original numbers; Dub team's scrawling in some extra zeros for American machismo.

No time to get our bearings. At once, thousands of Diablomon open fire on our boys.

WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon are forced to try and weave through the barrage of incoming shots. They don't last long. MetalGarurumon is the first to start taking hits.

Yamato: Ah! Taichi: MetalGarurumon!

While Taichi's eyes are on MetalGarurumon, several shots catch up to WarGreymon, pummeling him as well.

Taichi: Ah! Takeru: They're moving really weird! Koushiro: It's because of all these emails flooding in from around the world! Having so many emails come in is slowing down our processing speed! Takeru: If this keeps up, we'll lose! Koushiro: (typing frantically) To everyone around the world: WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon's responsiveness is dropping! I'm begging you to stop sending emails!

Anyone who's seen a thousand-strong office "Please stop Replying All" chain knows that ain't gonna cut it.

In the dub:

(MetalGarurumon is hit) Matt: Ah! Tai: METALGARURUMON!!! (WarGreymon is hit) Tai: Ah! T.K.: WarGreymon has started to slow down again! Izzy: It's the emails! They're coming in faster than ever! They're slowing down the processing speed even more! Tai: They're sitting ducks out there! Izzy: (typing frantically) Please, guys, stop writing! I know your intentions are good but you're really hurting our cause! Your emails are putting our Digimon in danger!

The dub seems to think the emails are only affecting WarGreymon. They may have gotten confused over the -tachi suffix. WarGreymon-tachi is being affected.

The -tachi suffix is how you pluralize a group of people in Japanese. When stuck to a name, it basically means, "and others in their group" using only two syllables. In this case, MetalGarurumon is the -tachi.

Despite Koushiro's best efforts, the damage is done. WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon float unmoving in the void once the barrage of enemy fire lets up.

Taichi: WARGREYMON!!!

Letting out slow, hollow breathes, Taichi slowly reaches for the screen. Reaches for his partner. Drawing closer and closer and--

Yuuko: (opens door) Koushiro-kun, will you be eating lunch with us? Koushiro: (doesn't notice; mutters) It's useless. I can't stop these emails. There's only five minutes left... What do we do? Yuuko: (smiling) I'm sorry for disturbing you.

Yuuko quietly closes the door. Then, suddenly, she opens it again.

Yuuko: Huh? Where did Taichi go?

A shot of the room reveals that, indeed, Taichi is gone. Koushiro is alone in Susumu's office.

In the dub:

Tai: (gasp) WarGreymon...!

In the original, the music is silent here. The only sound we hear is the echoing of Taichi's hollow, ragged breaths. The dub adds this incredibly loud, eerie background music that drowns out both Tai's breathing and also the new dialogue they gave him.

Tai: WarGreymon... I've got to help... There must be a way... Somehow.... (Yuuko enters) Yuuko: More juice, Izzy? I just squeezed some onions! Izzy: No thanks! I'm rerouting incoming data from the remote server into local memory. Yuuko: (clearly did not understand that) Oh. Whoops. I'll just leave you two alone. (Yuuko departs, then comes back in) Yuuko: Wait a minute! Where did Tai go?

Koushiro is both freaking out and hyperfocused to the point that he notices neither Yuuko entering the room nor Taichi's mysterious exit from it. It's an established character trait that he sometimes doesn't notice other people when he's hyperfocused.

(It got him thrown off a cliff once. By me.)

But Izzy has the presence of mind to briefly chat with Yuuko.

So, where did Taichi go? Into the computer, of course.

That big square window that the children appear in during all these fights? Taichi passes through his to enter the internet and reach WarGreymon.

He slowly descends until he reaches WarGreymon.

Taichi: WarGreymon! WarGreymon: ...

Some distance away, Yamato does the same. He passes through his light window and enters, floating down to MetalGarurumon.

Yamato: Metal... MetalGarurumon! It's me, Yamato. Can you hear me? Open your eyes! Taichi: Yamato....

Taichi watches Yamato for a moment, then does the same thing.

Taichi: I'm here! I'm here too! I came so we can fight together! WarGreymon: ... Taichi: You... You don't have to fight alone anymore.... WarGreymon: ... Taichi: I'm right here! I'm here with you, WarGreymon!

I love how the screens are angled to create the imagery of the children descending upon the near-dead Digimon like angels from heaven. I see what you did there.

In the dub, Kari's voice-over pops back up to try and explain this.

Kari (V.O.): None of us are sure how, but Tai's bond with WarGreymon was so strong that Tai himself became digital!

"None of us are sure how." Kari, go have some more birthday cake. You weren't even here for this.

This is neither the first nor the last time a Chosen Child's holy light will open a gateway between realities.

Tai: WarGreymon... I'm here.... (Matt descends from the other screen) Matt: MetalGarurumon! Wake up! Don't quit now! Why won't he answer me, Tai? Tai: Keep trying, Matt! (Tai looks down at WarGreymon) Tai: Listen. I don't have a whistle to wake you, but I want you to know you're not alone, okay? WarGreymon: ... Tai: And the mail keeps coming! It won't stop! WarGreymon: ... Tai: Kids from all over the world are writing to you. They need your help. You're the only one who can do it! Feel their hope! Feel their strength!

"I don't have a whistle to wake you" is a reference to Kari's whistle being used to wake Greymon in the first OVA's battle with Parrotmon. Since the OVA formed the first portion of Digimon: The Movie, they reference its events here.

Taichi's speech to WarGreymon is personal and focused on their bond with one another. Tai's speech is about how much the entire world loves WarGreymon, which does segue pretty well into this next bit.

WarGreymon: ...u...urgh....

In the dub:

WarGreymon: ...I feel them!

WarGreymon's body shakes slightly. He doesn't open his eyes; Instead, the holy light glows from within the eyeholes of his helmet.

All around them, a wall of emails appears, forming a barrier between them and the Diablomon swarm. WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon don't come to, but instead seem to vibrate and jitter.

Then WarGreymon disintegrates into data, which collects and pours inside his helmet. The same happens to MetalGarurumon.

Through those email boxes, holy light from all of the kids watching gathers, entering the data space in the glowing silhouette of each child. They collect, pooling into energy between the twin helmets of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon.

Meanwhile, at the barber shop:

Barber: (suspiciously) Hang on, where did your brother go!?

The barber looks around for Yamato. Poor Yasuko, on the other hand, just watched a preteen boy phase inside of a computer screen and looks like she's about to have a heart attack.

Takeru: He's here.....

The energy forms the shape of an egg made of pixels, which then slowly peels back to reveal a new Digimon inside.

Koushiro: WarGreymon and... Takeru: ...MetalGarurumon... Koushiro: ...combined!

The technical term is Jogress Evolution. Jogress is a mechanic from the V-Pet that hasn't yet appeared in the anime, in which two Digimon fuse together to form a Perfect or Ultimate Digimon. Many of the Digimon we've seen throughout the anime could only be achieved through Jogress in the original V-Pets, such as Piemon or WereGarurumon.

The arrival of Omegamon, or Omnimon in the dub, marks the first time this mechanic has been brought into the show. We'll be seeing more of it in Adventure 02.

(The only reason Takeru and Hikari don't have a Jogress with each other is because EnbyAngemon would be so game-wreckingly badass that no villain could ever match them.

Or, more realistically, because predominately heteronormative writers often struggle with the idea of two characters from opposite sexes doing a Fusion. Their eyes bug out and they bluescreen while muttering, "But how would that even....")

The dub crops the barbershop to cut the barber out, though his reflection remains visible in the mirror, but leave Yasuko's stunned face. This is despite the fact that they cut the setup scene for this gag, with Yasuko saying goodbye to Yamato and Takeru.

Barber: Where'd you brother go!? Hjbyhjbyhjby....

They play the barber as freaked out and melting down. In the original, like Yuuko, he didn't see the disappearance happen (but Yasuko did). He just... doesn't trust these random kids to be unsupervised in his shop, and really doesn't like the fact that one stray child is now unaccounted for.

T.K.: They combined! (Omnimon is revealed) Izzy: Part WarGreymon.... T.K.: Part MetalGarurumon.... Izzy: They Digivolved together to become-- Omnimon: OMNIMON!!!

It's nice of Omnimon to introduce himself since we don't have rundowns to tell us about him. For the record, his signature weapons on his arms made from the helmets of his component Digimon are called the Garuru Cannon and Grey Sword. "Cannon" and "Sword" being the English words themselves, as usual.

With Taichi and Yamato perched on his shoulders, Omegamon is born.

The swarm opens fire immediately. Drawing his Grey Sword, Omegamon deflects all of their shots into a line of Diablomon, annihilating a huge chunk.

Koushiro: Amazing!

Koushiro hasn't seen anything yet. With his Garuru Cannon, unloads shot after shot into the enemy ranks. Each blast wipes out a huge chunk of the Diablomon swarm.

The dub uses this as an opportunity for another musical interlude, playing Let's Kick It Up by Paul Christian Gordon over the carnage. They also have Omnimon call these attacks, naming them Transcendent Sword and Supreme Cannon.

Only one Diablomon remains standing when Omegamon's done.

Koushiro: Right there! That's the last one! That one has the clock!

Awfully inconvenient that the one with the clock just so happens to be the only one who survived Omegamon's bombardment.

Diablomon starts moving quickly around the room, making evasive maneuvers to try and run down the clock. Every time Omegamon turns around and aims at it, it darts away again.

Taichi: It's not here! Koushiro: WE HAVE LESS THAN A MINUTE!!!

Cut to Jou desperately trying to finish his exam.

Jou: ONE MINUTE LEFT!!!

And Yuuko watching her cake cook.

Yuuko: (cheerful) One minute left!

Finally, we cut up to the "jet" in the sky... which turns out to actually just be a jet, as another much faster object enters the airspace, criss-crossing its contrail with the jet's. Closer inspection of the new object reveals it to, in fact, be the One-Shot Peacekeeper missile approaching Odaiba.

This, I should note, is the first we learn of its destination in the original. No one knew where it was in the air or where it was going to land.

In the dub:

Izzy: Tai, there's the original! Get him! We're running out of time! Tai: Omnimon, quick! Attack!

Awfully inconvenient that the original just so happens to be the only one who survived Omnimon's bombardment.

Like, they changed the plot mechanics behind this fight but this is still a glaring contrivance. XD You could have left it at "We have to destroy every last one" if you wanted to patch this.

Tai: Where is he!? (Diaboromon dodges more) Tai: One minute to go! (Cut to Joe) Joe: ONE MINUTE TO GO!!! (Cut to Yuuko) Yuuko: (cheerful) One minute to go!

Tai calls out the time remaining here rather than Izzy, even though he can't see the clock from here.

As the missile's coming in, the dub also adds some dialogue from some military guys.

Soldier: Squad leader to command: We were unable to destroy the target. The missile will impact. Repeat, the missile will impact!

This ties in with the added detail from earlier, that every nation in the world is attempting to intercept the nuke and failing.

Inside the battlefield, the last Diablomon is still moving too fast for Omegamon to get a bead on it.

Takeru: Onii-chan! You have to find it quick! There's no time left! ONII-CHAN!!! HURRY!!!

45 seconds left on the clock. Koushiro works the problem in his head.

Koushiro: Its speed is too high. At this rate, even with tremendous power, we're going to lose due to the difference in reaction time. What can we do?

Thirty seconds left. Cutting over to the barber shop for a moment, we see that Yasuko's husband has popped over to watch the screen too. No explanation is offered.

(I guess he wants to find out what all the commotion is about? Yamato fucked off all of a sudden and Takeru is shrieking at the computer like it's the end of the world. I'd be curious too.)

Takeru: THIRTY SECONDS LEFT!!! Koushiro: (gasp) That's it....

Koushiro looks at all the incoming emails on his laptop.

Koushiro: A transfer! I can forward all of this email to that thing's address!

Koushiro quickly types in the current address that Diablomon is at, presumably the FactoryMark server we last saw it at.

Koushiro: GO!!! (click)

Koushiro dramatically presses the Enter key. Inside the battleground, Diablomon lands on the wall and prepares to make its next move, but then stalls all of a sudden. It struggles, shaking in place, but can't move. A little Windows hourglass appears over it; the loading symbol for computers from that time.

In the dub:

Tai: He keeps moving! Every time we get him in our sights, he jumps somewhere else! He's too fast for us! (45 seconds remain) Izzy: We have the power to destroy him now, but we don't have the time. Willis was right; We have to find some way to slow down Diaboromon.

...Willis said that after the first fight with Infermon. That he foresaw this exact predicament that far in advance is fucking wild.

T.K.: THIRTY SECONDS LEFT!!! Izzy: (gasp) The emails! If I forward him all the emails, it will slow him down just like it did us! Keep sending them, kids! (Izzy prepares to forward) Izzy: YOU!!! GOT!!! MAIL!!! (click)

Using "You got mail" as a battle cry here is pretty fucking sweet. For those too young to remember, an early form of internet was AOL which had a robot voice chime "You got mail" whenever you received an email.

With ten seconds remaining on the clock, Omegamon moves in for the kill.

Koushiro: Ten seconds left!

Koushiro counts down the seconds while Omegamon moves in. A brief cut of the barbershop shows that now everybody's paying attention to what's happening on the computer screen. Even the barber.

At one second, the attack lands. Omegamon drives his Grey Sword through Diablomon's skull.

At the same time, Yuuko's cake is finished! She takes it out of the microwave to find it grotesquely burnt.

Yuuko: Ah!? It's ruined! That's so weird. It should be controlled by the microcomputer....

COMPUTER YOU SAY

One last bug for the road. Diablomon ruined Yuuko's cake.

Outside, time's up. The nuclear missile crashes into the Tokyo Bay. We briefly see Sora in her room. With Diablomon dead, Taichi's email finally makes it through to her.

In the dub:

Tai: TEN SECONDS LEFT!!!

Again, despite not being able to see the clock, Tai is the one who counts down the seconds in the dub rather than Izzy.

(Omnimon stabs Diaboromon in the head) Diaboromon: Connection... Terminated....

The dub not only gives Diaboromon a line upon being stabbed, but rearranges scenes. Two upcoming shots get moved up to here. The first is of Diaboromon's face melting away to reveal the stabbed clock. The second is the timer stalling out and flickering between 00:01 and 00:02.

This serves to assure the audience that we got it, we stopped the detonation, earlier than in the original. The original keeps the tension ratcheted up as the missile lands, with it not yet clear if we killed Diablomon fast enough.

Yuuko: (ruined cake) Ugh, lousy microwave. How come every electronic appliance has to have a bug in it!? (Missile crashes into the bay) Sora: (email arrives) Huh? It's about time!

I mean. By Dub Yuuko's own admission, this was the first time she ever used flour to make a cake. It's just as likely that she's the culprit here as it is the microwave. :P

As the missile lands, Koushiro sprints out onto the balcony, distraught.

Koushiro: We didn't make it in time!

Cut to the internet battlefield. Diablomon's face melts away, revealing the clock pierced by Omegamon's blade. The timer stalls out, flickering between 00:01 and 00:02.

Meanwhile, Sora reads Taichi's message and notices the little heart he accidentally added when Hikari startled him. She's touched.

Sora: Ehehe... (affectionately) Stupid Taichi....

Success! Taichi accidentally fluked his way into forgiveness!

Out by the bay, people gather to look at the undetonated nuclear missile. It tips over due to its weight and falls flat into the water.

Up on the balcony, Koushiro breathes a sigh of relief.

Koushiro: (exhausted) We... We... We.... Taichi: (exhausted, also on balcony now) We made it in time!

Which is where the OVA ends! Abruptly! On Taichi quite reasonably looking like he's about to cry and then pass out. What did you do for your spring break, kids? Oh, I thwarted nuclear motherfucking Armageddon.

There is an epilogue of sorts in the form of ending slides in the credits. We'll address that in another post.

In the dub, this final sequence plays out with The Impression That I Get from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones playing in the background. Sora reads Tai's English email.

Sora: (reading aloud) Dear Sora, I'm sorry I threw up, hat, so what's a few raindrops between friends, love Tai. ...aww... (affectionately) Stupid Tai.... (Missile tips over into the water) Izzy: (exhausted) I'm... about... to barf.... Tai: (exhausted) Wait 'til you try the cake....

The dub closes on one last Yuuko cooking joke. To be fair, the cake legitimately did come out horribly. :P

There will be no epilogue slides for the dub, because it segues into the third part of Digimon: The Movie from here. We'll talk about that when we get to Hurricane Touchdown.

[atsoraasayoma]

Day One: First Summer:

Story: Goodbye…For Now

Perspective: Hikari Yagami

Characters: Hikari Yagami, Takeru Takaishi, Yuuko Yagami, Natsuko Yagami

Summary: What happens when a misunderstanding reunites you with one of your best buddies from a Digimon Adventure and spirals out of control to a point where both your mom and your friend’s mom are now squaring off to battle? Hikari Yagami is about to find out!

Note: I promised myself I could write a couple paragraph story for Takari Week…Sniff* All of you are so inspiring. I’ll make it one day!

***

Goodbye…For Now.

They say once something is missing from your heart, you will try to fill it with whatever you can. At least that's what one of the soap operas her Mom had watched had explained, Hikari sitting there in her pale yellow shirt and pink shorts. She held her cheeks by her hands, a sniffle of a tear from her mom to the left and a chortle from her Dad to the right sipping on a beer. She sat in-between them, their wavelengths throwing her off.

She had been trying since that fateful day she had said goodbye to her feline digimon friend Gattomon to come up with a solution to the heartache she felt. She couldn't help but be lost in thought, a slight 'meowing' catching her ear, followed shortly by a few paw swipes.

She glanced down at her cat Miko, eager for attention. Hikari felt a bit guilty having been preoccupied with her and not giving enough love to Miko.

"Sorry," she said picking her up, staring her in the eyes, but imagining her as Tailmon for an instant. She nearly dropped her when she realized it wasn't her, Hikari's eyes leaking.

"Hikari dear, whatever's the matter?" her Mom asked.

"Come on, take a seat and tell us about it," her Dad encouraged pausing the show.

"It's nothing," she sniffed wiping her eyes. She then hurried outside the house, the concerns of her parents echoing after her.

She closed the door and leaned on the railing outside her home staring up at the sky. It was still summer. The sun had slightly less fervent heat, and the trees it seemed had started to give into a hint of lower temperature, but still a nice cool breeze felt reassuring that summer would still be here a little while.

She glanced up at the sky, a deep pain in her chest concealing her sobs. She put one clenched fist over her chest and leaned forward her tears leaking down the side.

A muffled shouting sound echoed in her ear as she dared to open her blurry eyes, a greenish clothed boy yelling and shouting towards her. He seemed panicked as if trying to catch her attention.

She listened, squinting down faintly recognizing a certain boy she had not seen for awhile.

"Wait!" the boy shouted, Hikari listening. "You have so much more to live for! Don't do it!"

Hikari realized her position pushed back against the railing with her arms and hurried down the stairs to see him.

"Takerukun?" she questioned relieved, hurrying her footsteps. The closer she got to him the more she could see his kind face, but firmly embedded in concern and a little chastisement.

"Hikarichan?" he said in amazement also running over towards the railing meeting her halfway from the top of the steps. "I had no idea!"

She noticed he seemed as much out of breath as her, the excitement of seeing him again bringing her to a stand still, both of them panting about ready to keel over.

They both sat down on the stairs, the not so blazing sun warming their faces, but for a brief moment a cloud partially gave them relief.

Hikari wanted to say something to him, but, after they all separated and their brothers sort of escorted them their separate ways it seemed a bit awkward, but around him it was still far more comfortable than inside.

She noticed Takeru glanced down at her downcast face. "Is everything all right Hikarichan?" he asked.

"I'm ok," she said swallowing a bit, wanting to conceal her emotions so she wouldn't embarrass herself being seen crying.

Takeru kicked his shoes up a little bit lightly swaying them against the stair back and forth. "You know," he said, "I've seen too many movies like that. Someone gets really sad and then they jump...and that's that," he said. "It's scary. So when I saw you like that I thought no way am I going to let that happen."

Hikari felt her tears dry up and just stared at Takeru comprehending him. He heard before from the others how much the boy would get scared easily and cry, but would do his best. Now, maybe just a little bit he had...become stronger? Maybe more grown up even though he was still the same boy.

"By the way," he said, "Why were you crying?"

Hikari clammed up upon hearing his concern, but not wanting to be vulnerable.

"Come on," Takeru's voice cooed in a soft glowing voice. "You can tell me," he smiled.

Hikari stared transfixed at his calming presence and found herself relaxing a bit more. She took a deep breath and stared up at the sky, resting her palms on the stair.

"It's so...lonely without her," She said.

"Oh? Tailmon, right?"

"Mhm," she affirmed.

Takeru also leaned back resting his head on the back of his hands. "I know what you mean," he said. "I sure miss Patamon. And Yamato won't say anything, but I can tell he really misses Gabumon."

Hikari glanced at the sun still hiding behind the cloud. Maybe Takeru would be able to help her. He seemed like he was ok after everything, though she wasn't quite sure how it might be at home for him.

"How," she hesitated, "How have you made it through these last few months without him?" she asked. "Every day when I wake up I find myself looking for her, but I can never find her."

Takeru lifted himself up and stared ahead, Hikari noticing his eyes firmly focused on the future, the glint of sunlight brightening his eyes into something she couldn't even describe.

"Hikarichan, I know how you feel," he said. He tensed up a bit himself, Hikari curious about his anxiousness. "But, to be honest, I'm...kind of used to it now. It's only because of that I'm still keeping it together."

"You're used to Patamon being gone? Already?" she said, slightly irritated with him, bothered he would say something that insensiti-

"-That's not what I mean," he said frowning looking down at part of an outline of their frames on the staircase. "Sometimes I wonder why I was chosen as the Digidestined with the Crest of Hope. But, when I look back at everything so far I've realized that's all I've had to get me through this far," he said.

"You mean like Myotismon and the Dark Masters?"

He glanced at her, a cheesy grin on his face, but it seemed a bit painful to look at.

"Not exactly," he winced. "It's more like the things I care about the most end up being pulled away from me. Like...My Dad. Yamato. Or Patamon. Or even all of you I met on our adventures in the Digital World," he explained. "And now, once again...Patamon has gone away again."

Hikari listened on, feeling his words as if she herself was experiencing all she had talked about. She placed her hand over her chest again and started to weep looking at him, Takeru with a sad smile on his face, faint tears glistening in the corner of his eyes.

She couldn't help it. Hikari had always been so vulnerable to the emotions of others. Even sometimes she was more impacted by them than her very own. It weirded out some of her classmates, sometimes annoyed her brother, and her parents could only comfort her even though they didn't quite know how.

She closed her eyes embarrassed trying to dry the tears.

"But Hikarichan," Takeru said, "I've learned something very important after all we went through," he said. "All of those goodbyes I've had to say...they weren't goodbyes," he said positively. "They were just...goodbye for now."

Hikari wiped away her tears with her hands, keeping herself together.

"Goodbye for now?" she wondered aloud. "What do you mean for now? We may never...see our partners again," she said trying to keep herself from boiling over with emotion. "So how can-"

"-Hikarichan," Takeru said reaching forward with both hands on her shoulders staring her in the eye, to a point that she couldn't look away. "If we're 'Digidestined' then we are Destined to be with our partners. I just know I'll see Patamon again," he said. "I don't know when or how, but it will happen."

"You just...know?" she asked.

"Mhm," he said. "Like you, Hikarichan"

"Like me?"

"I didn't know I would see you today. But I knew one day I would. I just had that feeling. That belief. Maybe it's because we just, I don't know, it's easy to be around you. So that's why-"

"-Takeru!" a stern voice yelled out as an older woman who Hikari had only seen one maybe twice in her life said stepping forward in a black blouse, conspicuous pearls around her neck. She looked so pretty, a fresh coating of lipstick and her short blonde hair flowing down the sides.

Takeru glanced up at her a bit bewildered. "M-mom?" he said a bit on edge.

Her heels clacked as she overshadowed him in frustration. "I went to get ice cream for the two of us and when I turned back you were gone! I was worried you were kidnapped!"

"But Mom," Takeru protested, "I-"

"I don't want to hear another word young man," she said. "I dropped the ice cream as soon as I lost sight of you. I panicked. Do you know how that made me feel? Do you Takeru?"

Takeru lowered his head, his teeth grit in frustration. Hikari noticed his hand clenched trembling, Takeru being verbally shouted down. That kind boy, with his cheerful smile was now….

...Hikari didn't want to intervene, but seeing Takeru like this, the boy whom she had come to respect, she couldn't just stand by and let this happen to him. Even if it was his own mother.

"Wait!" she shouted, Takeru's mom twitching and glancing at her. "D-don't yell at him!"

"I'm sorry," Takeru's Mom said studying her reaction, "I didn't realize that you were here. You were so quiet little girl I thought you just happened to be standing there."

Hikari stared up at the woman intimidating by her, wondering how she could coldly view other people like that-especially people she didn't know.

She swallowed heavily, remembering how brave her brother was and how brave Takeru had been for her too. In that moment, as if Gattomon was there supporting her, nodding her head, ready to go into battle she felt she could be brave too. She had to!

"I'm," she said, a bit afraid, but not wanting Takeru's mom to get her way. "I-I'm not a stranger!" she shouted. "I-I'm T-Takeru's...friend!" she shouted, her voice echoing out the whole apartment complex, even Takeru's a bit taken by surprise.

"You had a friend all the way out here Takeru?" She asked incredulously. "We moved from here awhile ago. Unless- was this one of the other children that was part of saving the world?"

Takeru seemed like he could breathe again, his voice coming back, daring to speak. "Yes, mom," he said. "That's….Hikarichan." he said, Hikari noticing a bright glint in his eye and a smile returning back to his face.

Takeru's mom seemed to study her even more bending down, her hand on her chin till she was almost level with her.

"My apologies for my rudeness," she said, even though her eyes did not appear sorry at all. "I didn't know my son knew where you lived," he said. "He never said anything before about it so it just kind of threw me off."

"But I didn't know," Takeru said speaking back. "I just saw her and-"

"-You ran away?" she snapped back. "You could have been kind enough to wait and introduce ME," she emphasized. "What would our family think if they found out you ran away just because you saw someone you knew, even though you clearly knew to wait for me. It would give the impression you are disobedient," she said. "And I never raised you to be that way. I-"

Hikari felt scared for a moment, Takeru being cornered again. She had just seen in his smile again, she couldn't let that go away! She had to summon her courage once more! Just one more time!"

She gripped her fists lowered her head and shouted. "He thought I was going to jump off the balcony!" she shouted, her voice echoing out 'jump off the balcony' louder than before, Takeru's Mom stunned by her.

Hikari breathed out heavily, her lungs giving out from all the stress of the moment. She glanced up at Takeru's Mom, Takeru concerned for her, but his Mom a bit on edge shocked by the revelation.

All of a sudden the rushing of footsteps and a shadow appeared above her head, Hikari glancing up, her mouth agape as she couldn't believe her mother had jumped off the balcony to the ground like a protagonist in an anime saving the day.

She landed in front of Hikari, her hair fashioned in a bow, an apron around her waste, Hikari at a loss for words how cool her Mom looked. She appeared headstrong, holding herself up against Takeru's mom both intimidating to look at.

It seemed like there would be a showdown, that is, until her Mom turned towards Hikari, tears leaking down her face and weeping into her shirt. "Oh Hikariiiiii!" she sobbed. "I heard your voice through the window and I thought you were so upset you were going to jump and I couldn't help myself! I'm so glad your all right!"

"M-mommy," she said touched by her emotions. It made Hikari start to get worked up a little bit more too.

"W-wow," Takeru said, Hikari noticing how impressed he was by her. "That was so cool! You're like a super hero lady!"

Hikari's mom smiled, let go of Hikari wiping her eye and walked over to Takeru patting his head. "What a nice young man!" she beamed. "I may not look it, but I was kind of a super hero back in my day. I used to be a volleyball champion!"

"Wow, really?" Takeru said enamored, but Hikari noticed his Mom seemed a bit thrown off her by her.

"And who might you just be?" she asked. "This child's mother?"

Hikari's mom seemed to respond to her just the same. "Oh, I certainly am," she said. "And, just who might you be? His Mother, right?"

"Obviously," she said, her eye judging Hikari's mom a bit, her appearance a bit ragged from being in the kitchen. She scoffed tilting her head away from her.

"Is something wrong with the way I look?" Hikari's Mom asked.

"Obviously," she said, her tone annoyed by her. "What a joke. You hear your own child is going to jump off the balcony, and, like the brutish woman you are jump off instead! This goes beyond common sense! Or any decent way to raise a child!"

"Oh?" her mom grinned with her teeth as if excited by her tone. "I think I've raised my daughter quite well," she said rolling up her shirt sleeves. "But maybe if I was seen yelling at my child in the streets like he had committed a felony, I might agree with you."

Both Hikari and Takeru glanced at their parents a bit nervously, Hikari never seeing anything like their interaction. She noticed one of her vein's pulsing as if Takeru's mom would have an aneurysm.

Her eye twitched feverishly. "You have some nerve," she said. "Do you know just who I am? Do you know what kind of influence the Takaishi family has?"

Hikari's mom grinned her eyes fervent with fighting spirit. "No idea and I don't care," she said her hands on her hips. "But I bet I could take you on."

"You what?" she growled her hand clenched like claw raised as if wanting to squeeze the life out of her.

"You heard me. If you want to go, then let's go!" she shouted, Takeru's mom immediately lashing out and smacking her brushing her cheek, her long nails having scratched her.

Both of them stared at each other, shocked, Hikari's mom grinning. "My turn," she said, her hand turning into a fist and then laying her square in the jaw, Takeru's mom glaring at her wondrously as if she had never been struck before.

"How's that?" she asked.

A bruise welled up on her cheek, Takeru and Hikari both at a loss for words their hands trying to think of ways to calm the situation, but it was useless with their mother's prideful spirit's going at it.

Takeru's mom rubbed her cheek furiously, but she still gave off an intimidating aura. They seemed ready to go at it again for round two, but Hikari with them getting ready to strike each other again if there ever was a time now would be the time to do it.

"Takerukun," Hikari said glancing at him, Takeru immediately glancing back. He looked the same way her as she did at him.

"Hikarichan," he answered back, both of them nodding their heads.

They both ran forward just as their mom's started approaching the other each of them standing in the way of their respective moms.

Hikari closed her eyes shouting stop! Takeru echoing the same words as it felt like the two opposing forces would clash, but instead she felt warmth surround her as she smelled the sweat off her mom wrap around her, her hair following over her.

"Hikari!" She shouted her body bracing for impact. She stayed there for what seemed like an eternity, but, even after all that pressure nothing happened.

Her mom placed her hands on her shoulders and stared at her so tenderly. "Are you ok, Hikari?" she asked, Hikari nodding her head. "I'm ok," she said, relieved that no one had hurt each other seriously.

She turned her head, Takeru's mom also shielding him, a look of concern and worry in her eyes as well. Takeru also seemed cheerful and smiling. The two of them glanced at each other and didn't look away. In fact, Hikari found herself forgetting about her mom for a second and walking over to Takeru both of them standing in front of each other smiling happily, their faces beaming.

The clacking of Takeru's mom's heels caught her attention as she looked at his mom come over in stride, but a bit off, Hikari's mom walking over to them as well.

"I got to say," her mom said, "That was a pretty good smack...for a stuck up snob," she said smiling through her wound.

"Well," Takeru's mom also responded, her lip curved slightly, "You punch quite well...for a barbarian."

The two of them still emitted a fighting spirit, but it seemed a bit more gentle the look in their eyes respectful of each others strengths.

"I don't think I've ever asked anyone this before, but what's your name?" Takeru's mom asked.

"Yuuko. And yours?"

"Natsuko."

They stared at each other some more, Hikari still glad they could prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.

"You know, I think we should apologize to our kids," Yuuko said. "I don't want my Hikari thinking violence is ok."

"A fine idea Yuuko," she said nodding her head.

The two of them exchanged apologies, the conflict finally over, but was it really? The air between them still seemed mutually intense.

"By the way," Yuuko said putting her arm on Takeru's shoulder. "Thank you for watching out for my daughter, Hikari. I'm glad she had you as a friend to watch over her in the Digital World."

Hikari glanced at Takeru's face turning a bit red, a bit frazzled.

"I would never let anything happen to Hikarichan Hikari's' mom!" he exclaimed. "Not even if she jumped!"

Both mothers laughed for a moment, even though the situation was not that funny to Hikari. She couldn't help but giggle with them.

"Oh yes, that's right," Natsuko said, glancing down at Takeru who did not seem so nervous now. "Takeru, I just wanted to say I'm quite proud of you. I know I can be a hard mother sometimes especially after the separation, but this was the first time you stood up to me like this. And you did it for the right reasons. I'm proud of you son."

Takeru looked shocked, but then elated, Hikari not knowing how much more she could smile.

"And I must say," Natsuko said glancing at Hikari, "I'm rather impressed with you too, Hikarichan. It takes courage to shout at someone else's mother like that to protect someone. I know I can be strict with him, but, I would much like it if you could...be my son's friend from now on?"

The look on Natsuko's dignified face softened, Hikari joyful she looked at her that way.

"What are you talking about Mom?" Takeru grinned. "Me and Hikari have already been friends for quite awhile!"

"Oh!" Yuuko said humming to herself.

"You seem so cheerful all of a sudden Yuukosan," Natsuko said.

"It's nothing," Yuuko giggled. "But, I think we should definitely keep in touch," she said. "As the Mothers of the kids who saved the world and all."

"Well, I wouldn't mind," Natsuko said. "Who knows...You might be able to make decent conversation?"

"Decent conversation huh?" Yuuko grinned. "You act all prudish, but I doubt you could hold your own with a bottle."

"A bottle?" she questioned. "You think I, a Takaishi would lose in a drinking brawl, to you Barbarian?" she questioned incredulously.

"Then how about you stop on by and visit for just oooone drink," she challenged.

"Out of the question," Natsuko replied. "For one we have our children present. And two, there is a restaurant I go to that has an excellent selection. Though I'm not quite sure it would be up to your boorish standards," she teased.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Yuuko smiled, both of them laughing confidently in their own strength.

Hikari had lost interest with what they were talking about, both her and Takeru relaxed as if they had just achieved victory against a truly evil Digimon.

"We did it Takerukun!" she said excitedly. "We got them to stop attacking each other!"

"I know! That was great Hikarichan!" he grinned from ear to ear. "Man, you were really something!"

"No, we were really something," Hikari said, not knowing where such confidence had come from. "We make a great team!"

"We make the best team!" Takeru replied back even more energetically. "Thanks, Hikarichan for today," he said calming down. "To be honest I was worried I would never see you again. I mean, I knew I would see you eventually, but I didn't think it would be for a really long time."

Hikari nodded her head. "Me too," she said. "But I know you don't live around here anymore."

"Yeah," Takeru sighed. "I've been moving around with my Mom's work. But, we decided to pay a visit to a relative who lives out here and it was great I could see you, but, at least now that our Mom's are talking we can talk to each other whenever we want!"

"Mhm!" Hikari echoed his sentiment. She felt the intimidating presence from their mothers facing each other behind them again Hikari smiling a bit nervously, but not so fearfully this time.

"Hey, Hikarichan," Takeru whispered into her ear, "Next time we go to the Digital World we should bring our moms. They could beat down even the Dark Masters!"

Hikarichan giggled, a blush appearing on her cheeks, realizing just how comfortable and confident she had become because of him.

The sun had nearly disappeared now, a pleasant soft wind blowing past her Hikari's hair towards him.

She looked at his eyes, dazzled by him. "You were right Takerukun," she said softly. "I know one day I'll see Tailmon again. And I'll see you too. Do you know why?" she asked.

Takeru grinned. "I bet I can say it before you can Hikarichan. On the count of three," he said.

Hikari nodded her head excitedly following his lips as they answered in unison:

"It's not goodbye. It's just goodbye...for now."

[ruinenekami]

Umineko no naku koro ni Shared VAs - Main Three

Other:

The Cousins

Adult Siblings

Spouses

Servants

'98 Squad

Heavenly Court

Golden Land

Stakes

Battler Ushiromiya - Daisuke Ono

Shizuo Heiwajima (Durarara)

Sebastian Michaelis (Black Buttler)

Shintarou Midorima (Kuroko no Basket)

Sei Handa (Barakamon)

Sinbad (Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic)

Joutarou Kuujou (JoJo's Bizzare Adventure)

Erwin Smith (Attack on Titan)

Kazuma Yagami (Kaze no Stigma)

Beatrice - Sayaka Ohara

Irisviel von Einzbern (Fate)

Sofia Valmer (Jormungand)

Alicia Florence (Aria)

Yuuko Ichihara (xxxholic)

Michiru Kaiou (Sailor Moon)

Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail)

Ouzen (Made in Abyss)

Meteora Österreich (Re:Creators)

Ange Ushiromiya - Rina Satou

Kaoru Tanamachi (Amagami SS)

Hiling (Ranking of Kings)

Shura Kirigakure (Ao no Exorcist)

Kaede Kagayama (Non non Biyori)

Makoto Niijima (Persona)

Rei Hino (Sailor Moon)

Mikoto Misaka (Toaru)

Negi Springfield (Mahou sensei Negima)

[seventeenlovesthree]

I would actually have to look deeper into this, but let's say that it's NOT exactly unusual to use names from production members. My favourite thing to dive into was how the parents of the children were named after some of the voice actors.

Yuuko Mizutani (Sora's and Yuuko's Japanese VA): Yuuko Yagami, Taichi's mother

Toshiko Fujita (Taichi's and Toshiko's Japanese VA): Toshiko Takenouchi, Sora's mother

Kae Araki (Hikari's and Kae's Japanese VA): Kae Izumi, Koushirou's mother

Masami Kikuchi (Jyou's, Jyou's brothers' and Masami's Japanese VA): Masami Izumi, Koushirou's father

I was looking up names for a Digimon/Pokemon fandom swap. Since Ash and Gary are named after real people in Japan, I wanted to incorporate that element. And while I was looking up anime staff-

"Daisuke". Hey, where have I heard that name before? Oh. Yeah.

Interestingly, Daisuke Kawakami only did planning on 02, and wasn't a producer. Not sure how much of a demotion this is in the anime industry, or if it is one at all. But he was definitely still working on the show. Not sure if Motomiya was actually named after Kawakami but it seems likely.

@seventeenlovesthree @shihalyfie Was this officially confirmed anywhere, or is this just a Game Theory?

(Also bonus- "Taichiro Fujiyama" might have funneled into the teacher character Mr. Fujiyama. I know his name wasn't the inspiration for Tai's though- that's the V-Tamer manga.)

[ashxketchum]

[bokura-no-digital-world]

Takari Week 2022 - Day 6: Shopping Date

Days: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Title: Baby Bottles, Pacifiers and Everything in Between Characters: Takeru Takaishi, Hikari Yagami, Patamon, Tailmon, Taichi Yagami, Yamato Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, Yuuko Yagami, Susumu Yagami and Natsuko Takaishi. Summary: Hikari and Takeru go buy things for their unborn baby for the first time and reveal they're expecting to their families. Note: For Takari week, I decided to do something different. All stories will be told in first person, from both Takeru and Hikari's POVs in the same story. It will be separated to make it easier, though. The cool wind breeze messed my hair as I leaned against the balcony, but I didn't mind at all. Grateful was all that I was feeling at that moment. I had my own apartment, the most amazing wife ever and a great job. I would say my life was perfect, but I'd be lying. It would be in a few months, though. "There you are." Hikari's voice echoed around me and I couldn't help but smile at the sound of it as I lowered my head a little. Then I turned around and found her standing by the door that separates our living room from our balcony. "What are you doing here?" "I was waiting for you, actually." I approached her and kissed her in the cheek, while resting my hand on her belly. "Well, I'm ready to go now." "Great." I reached for her hand and then we walked out of our apartment, with Patamon in his usual spot over my head and Tailmon right beside Hikari.

Hikari and I have been married for about two years now. We were engaged for only one year, since we didn't want to spend a long time like that. After the wedding ceremony, she decided she would grow her hair and it was already a little below her shoulders. I think she looks stunning, though I love her short hair too. She said it was the beginning of a new phase of her life and I couldn't agree more with her.

About two months ago, she told me she had something to say to me. Looking back now, I find it hard to believe she managed to stay so serious at that moment, especially because it was a moment of happiness. At first, I was alarmed because that was a side of Hikari that hardly ever comes to the surface, but then she gave me the brightest smile and I knew it was just a façade. She sat down beside me on the bed and handed me a pregnancy test. Our initial reaction was to be shocked and a little nervous and worried. Not because we didn't want to have children at some point, but it wasn't something that we were planning to so soon. But the happiness and excitement quickly replaced it and we assured each other we could do it together. And here we are now. "You seem quiet today." Her voice brought me back from my trance. "Are you sure everything is fine?" "Yes, I'm sure." I reassured her with a grin. "I was just thinking about the day you told me you were pregnant." "Oh." She looked down to her stomach, which was starting to show. "I felt so many things that day. Now I just feel… whole, complete. I don't know if it makes sense or if you feel the same, but…" "I do." I interrupted her, still smiling. "It makes total sense to me." "I'm sure you two will be great parents." Patamon spoke above me and I looked up at him. "I hope so." Hikari's tone was a little worried, so I squeezed her hand a little, in a comforting way. "I know it's scary because we don't know how to take care of a child, but we can do this." "You know what?" She smiled at me. "You're right. We will learn how to be parents together. I wouldn't want to go through this with anyone else." "Me either." I put my arm around her shoulders as we walked out of the elevator.

Keep reading it on FFN or AO3

[fraterribilis]

How dare you defame Yuuko Yagami like this!

Does this look like the face of a reckless driver to you?

Yukari from Azumanga daioh is like if Tai's mom from Digimon was a teacher

[stravanerry]

🌸 Happy Mother's Day 🌸

[seventeenlovesthree]

Digimon shipping dynamic game

Send me two names among the following 12 and I’ll write a short analysis post about them:

Taichi Yagami | Yamato Ishida | Sora Takenouchi | Koushirou Izumi | Mimi Tachikawa | Jyou Kidou | Takeru Takaishi | Hikari Yagami | Daisuke Motomiya | Miyako Inoue | Iori Hida | Ken Ichijouji

Whether canon provides input on them or not:

Taichi and Mimi, at first glance, share one of the less developed bonds in the OG Digimon Adventure canon - despite being a decently popular ship in several corners of the fandom. Similarly to other Adventure relationships, you may have to squint to spot their moments. However, once you do, it becomes understandable why their dynamic and their represented (and torn apart) tropes are so appealing to many. 

As indirectly depicted in the picture I chose for this post, they appear to be quite the “hero saving the princess trope” on surface level; Taichi is the brave main protagonist - and despite him “saving” several other characters throughout the series, Mimi seems to be the one who fits the description best, as Hikari is not part of the squad at first and Sora is usually more of his right hand jumping into action alongside him (even if, as mentioned, he saved her as well as one of his main development points). I keep saying “seems” and “appears”, because it actually doesn’t even happen that often - as mentioned, Taichi does tease her about it, following Mimi’s princess episode and they do have their moments of physical, protective closeness, but it is not made into a big deal. Taichi does in fact not treat Mimi like a girly girl and Mimi, following up to mentioned princess episode, actively fights against being treated like porcelain, even if she does have her moments sometimes. There is a rare, but gentle familiarity that seems to just exist between them naturally. Some of the more famous scenes that come to mind immediately are her clinging onto him (in her pajamas) as they ride on Greymon, them (and their partners) teaming up against Vamdemon’s army - and, one of my personal favourites, German Dub!Taichi saying “Thank you, Madame” when Mimi puts a cover over him to hide from their enemies, as they are very keen on saving Sora from Datamon. They are on good terms, she may not be a main fighter like him, but she supports where she can - and, when in a positive mindset, they share a very charismatic, encouraging, contagious outlook on things (but also both tend to drift in the exact opposite direction if things get dire, with her getting stubbornly defensive and him getting highly depressed, as seen especially in Tri).

There is also a very minor, almost forgotten scene, in which Mimi is the one who tells Taichi that mourning over his past mistakes will not undo them (talking about evolving Agumon into SkullGreymon) and instead softly encourages him to move forward and do what he can instead. If this wasn’t such throw-away comment, it could actually be seen as a huge deal for both of them - because Taichi being in distress over his actions is often confronted by others shouting at/punching him aggressively (Yamato, Yuuko, etc.). This happens during a non-threatening scene, but for someone like Taichi, it’s important that someone like Mimi tells him off softly, as she will later have to come to terms with her own decisions as well. And Mimi does sincerely look up to Taichi being her trusty senpai at this point, which is why she stresses so much over him (and Jyou) turning his back on her in the princess episode. (The reboot switched that trope around a bit by light-heartedly turning her into a “queen” and him into her “servant” instead, but the familiarity between them is easily intact in that timeline as well - to the point that Mimi straight-up confesses to Hikari how much she adores her brother’s smile, honouring her Crest of Sincerity very openly.)

Digimon Adventure 02, the novels, Tri and Kizuna do not give us as much to work with when it comes to the two of them. Mimi does display a more self-confident behaviour as she grows up, being not afraid to push and tease back when Taichi does/says something upsetting, whereas Taichi actually doesn’t always seem to know how to deal with or what is up with her (as she seems to be more in touch with the likes of Koushirou and Sora while being abroad). However - her immediately deciding to return to Japan once Koushirou tells her about Taichi’s football match may be quite an indicator for how important that bond still is to her. The stageplay also provides some subtle moments of her staying behind with him when the team splits up, still indicating her very supportive attitude towards him.

Long story short - there definitely IS a foundation even if it does feel a tiny bit one-sided on Mimi’s part here and there.

Whether I think why and how they’d work:

While their relationship is one I usually do not pay much attention to, because I always felt more drawn to their other relationships they seem to be more invested in and impacted by, looking into the analysis above, I can definitely see why people appreciate their dynamic. Design and personality wise, they are also two of the more flashy characters who would always stand out from a crowd - with “stars” being a shared symbol in both their aesthetics. They’re charismatic and can easily draw people in with their positivity, enthusiasm and leadership skills - but I could also see that turn into a very explosive combination if things are not going well. 

If they team up and are in a good mindset, they could be quite a devious duo together, making plans, driving the likes of Yamato or Koushirou completely insane; they could be up for a fun time and I do like the fanon headcanon of them being workout buddies - doesn’t mean they would get everything done they put their mind to, but it could be fun (and they could mope over someone like Sora being way fitter than them, hiding away the fact that they actually both adore and swoon over her). 

Taichi being in depressed mode could be quite a mixed bag - Mimi’s kindness and sense of sincerity are definitely things that may help him, as pointed out in their scenes during Adventure, but her patience might be tested there as well. Adult!Taichi Yagami in a negative mindset may or may not be able to deal with an Adult!Mimi Tachikawa on her way to dominate the (online) world and generally having herself figured out already. It’d kinda feel like “immovable object vs. unstoppable force” as long as he is feeling stuck, overwhelmed and unable to reach out. I do believe she could manage to pull him out of that state if he lets her - especially since, fasting forward to a happier place, diplomat!Taichi could definitely be a very encouraging force for Mimi once she has a bad day herself. Because as mentioned, they have what it takes to cheer others up and once someone is important to them, they have a rather fond, tender attitude towards them.

To sum it up, I think they could have a very loving bond - but they might need to look out for each other’s more negative moods and needs.

Whether I’d prefer them as platonic or romantic ship:

This analysis may have made me a little bit more fond of them romantically, but I generally prefer them as platonic friends who consistently make fun of and turn around each other’s stereotypes for good (if you don’t enjoy Mimi calling Taichi a “princess”, what are you doing with your life; they’d also share clothes, since they both have stars plastered all over their outfits and Mimi would totally snatch Taichi’s hoodies). I also enjoy them as OT3 together with Koushirou, turning him into a complete bi disaster on every imaginable level - and, as pointed out, they both love Sora a lot, so it’s a shame we never saw more of these interactions together, even on a purely platonic level. Same with them and Jyou, actually... So yes, if we ever got a reboot sequel that focused primarily on their adventures, I would enjoy to watch them still being close friends.

[tobiasdrake]

Episode 34 - The Bonds of Fate! Tailmon / The Eighth Child Revealed

Previously on Digimon Adventure: If Vamdemon was even half as good at murdering children as he is at murdering childhoods, he would have won this thing by now.

Now we turn our attention back to the Yagami household.

After a long day of searching outward from Shibaura, Taichi returns home late. We begin the episode looking at the outside of his complex late at night, while we hear him enter the apartment.

Taichi: I'm back! Yuuko: Welcome home! You're late. (phone rings) Taichi: Ah! I'll get it!

Taichi goes straight for the phone and we come in on him, with Agumon standing there in plain sight.

Taichi: Hi, Yagami residence. Moshi moshi? ... Oh, Jou! Did you find the Eighth Child?

This feels like a fun time to talk about another cultural peculiarity of Japanese language. Moshi moshi is another one of those phrases that has a pretty fair translation but doesn't fully translate. It's typically translated as "Hello", which is a reasonable way to take it.

Moshi moshi is an informal phone greeting stemming from the verb mousu, which means to speak. Basically, it's common practice in Japan when chatting with friends over the phone to begin the conversation by going "Talk-talk!" A bit odd when you look at it too closely, but it's one of those fun linguistic things that every culture develops and then does without thinking about it, like putting the letters O and K together to signify that things are fine.

Try not to do it in a professional environment, however. It is informal speech.

Taichi, realizing how dumb his Partner is being right now, silently points at his bedroom. Agumon opens the door and goes inside without a word.

Jou: No, I had no luck at all. No one else besides us actually left Hikarigaoka! Taichi: That's impossible! There has to be one!

Right as Taichi says that, we cut to an overhead shot of the living room where we can see Hikari reading on the sofa. Y'know. A fun angle change. No particular reason for that; It's not related to anything he said just now.

Also, Meeko's there! She came home. What a good kitty.

Jou: I've called everybody in every phone book. The only phone book we haven't touched yet is yours, Taichi. Taichi: (deer in headlights) Oh, gotcha... I wonder where I put it.... Jou: It's the only lead we have left so make sure you find it! Taichi: Right, right, got it. (hangs up)

Taichi bolts into his room to redouble the search effort that got him buried in debris this morning.

In the original, the phone suddenly ringing provides Taichi with an opportunity to escape the conversation about his tardiness. In the dub, Yuuko is already letting it ring off the hook when Tai walks in the door.

(phone ringing) Tai: Hey, mom! I'm home! Yuuko: Tai, you're late! Tai: I'll get it!

Weird. Like, I know nobody answers their phones anymore but in the 90's sometimes people called you who actually had important things to say.

Tai: Hello. Kamiya Residence. Yeah, Joe! ... So did you find the Eighth DigiDestined kid yet? (Tai sends Agumon to his room) Joe: No, I didn't have any luck. There weren't any other students who moved from Highton View Terrace. Tai: But that can't be right! There must be someone else! Joe: Well, whoever it is, they weren't in my address book! Check your own book before you start yelling at me! Tai: (deer in headlights) Oh, that's right. What did I do with my book, anyway? Uh.... Joe: You still haven't found it!? Oh, great! It's only the future of the world depending on you! Tai: (annoyed) I'll find it! (hangs up)

Emphasis on "my" theirs; He actually does put a lot of emphasis on that word to set up his follow-up statement. But it's also the point of contention in this exchange.

Like. Very minor tonal thing, it's not a big deal in this exchange: As usual, Jou has more of a Senpai Voice and speaks to Taichi from a position of authority here while Joe flounders and whines. The purpose of this call is to berate Taichi for his failure to complete the assignment they were all given and emphasize the importance of doing it.

Y'know. Senpai work.

But the more glaring problem is the plot contradiction. It comes when he says, in very specific and emphasized terms, "my address book". Did the dub forget that he spent today calling everybody's address books?

That's kind of important. Because if he's only finished one book then he still has five other books he can go through before Tai's becomes the final hope we have. Tai himself said that Sora was in his class so their books are probably the same anyway. Go through Sora's book, Joe!

Taichi resumes searching his room by dumping his stuff out on the floor.

Agumon: What are you doing? Taichi: I can't find my student phone book.

Out in the living room, Hikari hears the commotion and seems entertained by it.

Hikari: (to Meeko) Onii-chan is always making a mess, huh? Meeko: (happy) Mroooowr....

Over in the dub:

Agumon: What are you doing? Tai: I'm trying to find my address book! (Out in the living room) Kari: Meeko, Tai's room is messier than your litter box. Meeko: (happy) Nyah?

I've mentioned before that Japanese is a very gender-neutral language. Something you need to understand about that is that a lot of the time when you see pronouns in a subtitle, they're made the hell up. Translators often have to make an educated guess about what pronoun to put here.

This can cause major problems with characters whose pronouns are meant to be a surprise reveal later down the line. It's easy to spend several episodes not committing to a he or a she or a they for a given character in Japanese, but harder to do that in English. In fact, often the giveaway isn't what words others use to describe them, but whether they make masculine or feminine word choices in their own language. Though even that's not guaranteed.

I've gone back and forth a lot about Digimon pronouns. Their genders are aesthetic and many don't even have that much. Official translations tend to abide by either a male default or it/its, neither of which has aged well.

The reason this is important is because the lack of a pronoun caused both the dub and sub to make an error here. Taichi is not making a mess in his room. Taichi and Hikari share a bedroom.

It's an easy to mistake to make, especially if you haven't seen the OVA. We've seen Hikari come and go from their room, particularly when she was sick back in Taichi's first return trip to Odaiba. But we haven't seen her use the bunk bed in the anime proper yet, so it's easy to overlook.

Taichi, it seems, sleeps on the bottom bunk while Hikari has the top bunk. This is a reversal of the OVA, where Taichi was up top and Hikari was on the bottom. I wonder why they switched? Maybe Hikari got older and wanted to have the big kid roost?

In any case, while Hikari's playing with Meeko, we pan over to Tailmon across the street. It seems she's acquired one of those mini telescopes that Taichi has.

Narrator: Tailmon was watching Taichi and his family from the top of the building across from them. Although she suspected that Hikari was the Eighth Child, Tailmon could not attack her.

Tailmon watches Hikari pick up and play with Meeko. The affection on display here sends her into a flashback of her aborted attempt to assassinate Hikari.

Tailmon: Why? Why couldn't I do it when I had the chance? (Tailmon looks again, seeing Meeko curled up in Hikari's lap) Tailmon: Hmph. A domestic cat? She has it so easy. She's given food and sleeps all day. Sometimes she has to give her owners some affection.

Over in the dub, Gatomon handles the narration herself.

Gatomon: If Kari really is the Eighth DigiDestined Child then I have to destroy her. But every time I see her, I get this strange sensation. I still don't understand why I wasn't able to attack her when I had the chance. (Flashback) Gatomon: What happened? I could have stopped the DigiDestined once and for all but something was pulling me away. (Gatomon looks again, seeing Meeko curled up in Kari's lap) Gatomon: Look at that little pet cat over there, she's got it so easy. She gets fed gourmet food out of the can and she gets to chase a sock all day! Talk about a purr-fect life.

Gatomon's sassy performance doesn't really suit these emotional moments but she goes hard when she gets to be snide and pissy towards Meeko.

At this point, Tailmon is so upset that she lowers the telescope and starts verbally shadowboxing the night air around her.

Tailmon: Yes, I'm being unreasonable! No one ever accepted me for who I was!

Tailmon launches into a flashback from Vamdemon's Castle.

Tailmon (V.O.): When I was in my Child form Plotmon, Vamdemon pushed me around every day. And if anything went wrong, he'd....

We see Vamdemon's Bloody Stream whipping Plotmon, torturing her. He hits her once on the top of her head, and then the second strike throws her down the stairs. When she gets back to her feet, looking up at him, he speaks.

Vamdemon: I'll make you suffer the same pain every time you look at me with those eyes. Understand?

He resumes lashing her with his Bloody Stream. Plotmon covers her face with her forelegs and closes her eyes, weathering the hits.

Tailmon (V.O.): Even when I got more skilled, he'd still beat me down every day. Just because he didn't like my eyes.

Back in the present, she pulls back one of her claw gloves to reveal a cross-shaped scar on the back of her paw.

Tailmon: Vamdemon gave me this scar. But these are just the eyes I was born with!

There is a lot going through Tailmon's mind right now. The love and affection that Hikari showers on Meeko has sent Tailmon spiraling down a trauma hole.

In the dub:

Gatomon: Nobody was nice to me like that when I was growing up. Nobody was nice, period! (flashback) Gatomon (V.O.): Back when I was Salamon, I was a slave to the evil Myotismon.

The dub cuts the footage of Vamdemon's Bloody Stream whips striking Plotmon, as well as her falling down the stairs. We go straight from Myotismon raising his arm to strike to a trembling Salamon trying to stand at the bottom of the stairs.

Myotismon: Every time you look at me with those eyes, I'll have to hurt you.

They cut shots out of the second round of torture too, but still leave enough in to maintain the impression. We see his Bloody Stream whips lashing through the air but we don't see them making contact. Then we go to a scowling, brutalized Salamon.

Gatomon (V.O.): I couldn't understand. I guess he just didn't like my eyes. (Back in the present, Gatomon pulls back her claw glove to reveal her scar) Gatomon: This is one of the scars that Myotismon gave me, just because I have these eyes. It's not my fault!

Obviously they weren't going to be able to show Dracula whipping a puppy in full graphic detail on Fox Kids. But honestly, this scene is a masterpiece of pragmatic adaptation. They preserve the tone and are able to still imply the brutal violence they had to cut out. We don't see the lashes make contact but we see the marks on Salamon's skin nonetheless.

They even keep the scar, and call it a scar. They hit every narrative and tonal beat they need to hit here. It manages to be perfect despite the extensive cuts.

A quick note on their names: Plotmon is named that because she's based on the plott hound, a breed of dog. Salamon has no meaning. Terry-Lei O'Malley, one of the people working on the dub team, named Salamon after her own pet cat before seeing the character design and finding out she's actually a dog in that form.

Tailmon continues to spiral.

Tailmon: Born... Where was I even born, anyway? What was I doing before I met Vamdemon? I can't remember. Wizarmon: Reminiscing, are we?

Wizarmon levitates down from the air, hovering over the rooftop.

Tailmon: I've told you to stop reading my mind without my permission! Wizarmon: (sincerely) I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. Tailmon: Hurry up and go find the Eighth Child, Wizarmon! Wizarmon: Ah, of course....

Wizarmon humbly returns to the sky and resumes his search for the Eighth Child.

You can feel the panic in Tailmon's voice here. She has officially moved from "monitoring Hikari in case" to "actively withholding information". She practically shrieks at Wizarmon to go the fuck away because she doesn't want him reading something that might give Hikari away.

As soon as he's gone, she goes right back to her stalking ledge. The camera slowly zooms in on her wide eyes, and we hear Meeko meowing gently in the background.

In the dub:

Gatomon: I wish I could remember where I was born. I have no idea what I did before I met Myotismon. My past is a blur. Wizardmon: (descends) Thinking about the good ol' days? Gatomon: I'm not going to tell you again, Wizardmon; Don't read my thoughts without my permission! Wizardmon: (sincerely) I'm sorry, Gatomon. Please forgive me. Gatomon: And shouldn't you be out looking for the Eighth DigiDestined human!? Wizardmon: Yes, I'll get right no it! (flies away)

Pretty much the same. The only notable difference comes after the exchange, when Gatomon returns to the ledge. Instead of Meeko, we hear Gatomon cackling triumphantly. Odd choice.

Wizarmon goes down into Odaiba, testing kids with his Cosplay Crest but predictably getting nothing for it.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure he's not even trying. He shouldn't even be in Odaiba; We're supposed to be fanning out northwest from the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Tailmon got relegated to this spot by PicoDevimon out of spite, and I think Wizarmon came here to support her.

Which is what makes it all the more surprising, flying over one of Odaiba's parks, when suddenly the fake Crest begins to react.

Wizarmon: It's glowing? Why here?

Wizarmon follows the fake Crest's shimmer to a crow's nest. Easily fending off the crow, he plunders its contents.

Wizarmon: A Digivice!?

He picks up the Digivice in his hand, but then hears a voice calling out to him from above and behind.

PicoDevimon: HEEEEY!!! WIZARMON!!! (Wizarmon tightly closes his fist around the Digivice.) PicoDevimon: (approaching) What are you doing over there? Wizarmon: (tucks the Digivice in his cloak) Uh, nothing. PicoDevimon: I don't think doing nothing would led you out here. You found something, didn't you? Wizarmon: You got me, I can't hide anything from you. PicoDevimon: What!? Wizarmon: This world is so much fun! (sheepish) I got a little drunk. HIC!

He pulls a bottle of booze from his cloak, revealing his alleged misbehavior to PicoDevimon. PicoDevimon is not impressed.

PicoDevimon: Not you too. Keep that up and you'll be end up like Pumpmon and Gotsumon. Wizarmon: Oh, please don't tell Vamdemon-sama about this. Okay?

He holds out the bottle to PicoDevimon, who grumpily takes it.

PicoDevimon: Yeah, yeah. Ugh, everyone Tailmon brought with her is useless!

PicoDevimon flies away, his suspicions pacified by Wizarmon's confession to a fake lesser offense. Once he's gone, Wizarmon turns back away from where he went and inspects the Digivice once more.

Wizarmon: I can't turn this Digivice over to Vamdemon. But if the Digivice is here, then where is the Eighth Child?

Here, we see the events of last episode put into play for the ongoing plot. Pumpmon and Gotsumon's fate is a shadow over Tailmon and Wizarmon's choices. We had a chance to see how Vamdemon reacts to treachery before moving into the part of the story where more important characters are behaving treacherously.

With villains, you always kinda know that if their minions turn on them, they won't handle it well. But there's a difference between that general vibe versus seeing, with our own eyes, that Vamdemon will ruthlessly execute them if he gets a whiff of betrayal.

By the way, Wizarmon doesn't get a rundown so we'll do it here. He's an Adult-stage Data-type Digimon from the Nightmare Soldiers lineup.

Alright, let's go see how the dub handles Wizarmon's booze.

Wizardmon: It's reacting! I wonder what's causing it? (Wizardmon follows the signal to the nest) Wizardmon: The Digivice! THUNDER BALL!!!

The attack he uses to scare off the crow, a glowing yellow orb of energy, has no name in the original. But the dub goes ahead and calls it an attack. That's fair, it's a magical projectile so it probably should be named.

(Wizardmon takes the Digivice) DemiDevimon: HEY, WIZARDMON!!! (Wizardmon tightly closes his fist around the Digivice.) DemiDevimon: (approaching) Whatcha doin' over there? Wizardmon: (tucks the Digivice in his cloak) Uh, nothing. DemiDevimon: It's hard to believe you came all the way out here to do nothing. Come on, tell me what you found! Wizardmon: Alright, but if I show you, you have to promise not to tell anyone! DemiDevimon: C'mon, show me! Wizardmon: Alright, it's a bottle of green chili sauce. It's great on tacos! (Wizardmon pulls the bottle out of his cloak) DemiDevimon: What are you doing eating on the job when there's work to be done!? You should be looking for the Eighth DigiDestined Child like the others! Wizardmon: Please don't tell Lord Myotismon! Why don't you get rid of this for me? (Wizardmon hands the bottle over to DemiDevimon) DemiDevimon: Alright. Boy, you know what I hope? I hope that the all-night drive-through is still open! Wizardmon: (turns back around and takes out the Digivice) There's no way I'm handing this over to DemiDevimon! He'll take all the credit for himself. But wait, if the Digivice is here, where is the Eighth Child hiding?

Wizardmon's out here in the woods chugging chili sauce straight from the bottle. That's a plausible explanation, to be sure.

Nah, he straight-up says that he's been putting it on food; It's just funnier to think of it that way. Though DemiDevimon apparently using drive-throughs to satisfy his own munchies raises so many hilarious logistical questions.

In the original, it's ambiguous whether he's surrendering the bottle to PicoDevimon as contraband or giving it to him as a bribe. Or both. The dub comes down on the side of bribe.

The big narrative record scratch is Wizardmon's last line. Wizarmon says he can't give the Digivice to Vamdemon, hinting at an ulterior motive lurking behind his presence among Tailmon's mercenaries. Concealing the Digivice is a purposeful, calculated betrayal.

Wizardmon doesn't want to give it to DemiDevimon because the little bugger will take all the credit, indicating that he fully intends to surrender Kari to Myotismon.

We cut back to the Yagami residence, where Taichi and Hikari eat watermelon while they watch the news.

Anchor: In conclusion, Tokyo has been flooded by eyewitness accounts of these large, strange creatures with the most recent occurrence happening in Shibuya. Further, many young women with acute anemia have been found collapsed in Shibuya's streets. Investigation is ongoing as to whether these events are related. And now weather! Taichi: (shuts off the TV) ...acute anemia?

Yeah, Taichi, that's where you have no blood. So they have to put you in the hospital and pump you full of blood.

Well, now we know why Vamdemon was in the neighborhood last episode. He went to Shibuya to check out one of the major epicenters for youth culture in Tokyo, like Pumpmon and Gotsumon. But for different reasons.

He was lurking around Shibuya getting his drink on when suddenly he caught wind of their commotion. Everything escalated from there.

In the dub:

Anchor: Both horses were reported to be in stable condition. Now back to our top story: Several more strange monsters have been sighted earlier today in and around the Tokyo area. In the same community, there have been more reports of young girls being struck down by what doctors are calling "sudden anemia". Investigators say these incidents may be related. Now on to the weather! Tai: (shuts off the TV) Sudden anemia!?

Good effort, mostly works. However, the reluctance to refer to Shibuya by name confuses matters a bit. Young girls being struck down "in the same community" could easily just mean the Tokyo area. You wouldn't know that he means Myotismon was attacking girls in Shibuya specifically from that remark.

Suddenly, the phone rings.

Taichi: I'll get it! (answers) Yamato: Taichi? Taichi: Oh, Yamato! Did you see the news? Yamato: I didn't have to; I was there in Shibuya! Taichi: Wait... That was you they were talking about!?

Taichi races into the kids' room and slams the door so he can speak openly.

Yamato: Vamdemon attacked us. He even killed his own followers. Taichi: WHY!?!? Yamato: Taichi, we can't predict what he's going to do next. We have to find the Eighth Child fast! Taichi: We have to find the Eighth Child before Vamdemon does!

Yamato barely even gives Taichi a glimpse of what he and Takeru lived through tonight and, instantly, Taichi's on the same page. What the fuck, what the fuck, we need to protect the Eighth Child.

In the dub:

Tai: I'll get it! (answers) Matt: Tai? Tai: Oh, hi, Matt! Did you just see the news? Matt: I didn't have to see it 'cause I was there! We just got back from the city. Tai: You did? So that report on television about the monsters was... (goes in the room) Matt: Right! It was Myotismon! And was he on a warpath. He even got rid of two of his flunkies! Agumon: HUH!?!? Tai: What!? Matt: Tai, we don't know how much time we've got left! I'm telling you, we've got to hurry up and find the Eighth Child! Tai: Myotismon will mangle him! I mean, if he finds him before we do!

The dialogue here is a sound adaptation. However, there are two notes that don't relate to the script.

First, Tai leaves his door wide open while he has this conversation. There's no animation for him closing his door; In the original, he runs into the room and then we cut to the interior and hear a door closing effect. Because there's no animation for it, the dub overlooks it completely. His parents are free to listen in on this.

Second, Agumon reacts to what Matt is saying on the phone to Tai. In the original, when Taichi screams "WHY!?!?" into the phone, it startles Agumon who wordlessly jumps back. In the dub, Agumon reacts before Tai does.

If you're wondering how they can time that to Taichi's lip flaps, the answer is that they don't. Agumon's "HUH!?" comes out of Tai's mouth, and then Tai's mouth is closed when he delivers his own "What!?" I think the audio recordings might have been inserted backwards by mistake.

Outside, Tailmon is still watching Hikari. Wizarmon returns to her stalking rooftop.

Tailmon: Wizarmon? What's wrong? Have you found the Eighth Child? Wizarmon: No, I haven't, but.... Tailmon: But what?

Wizarmon takes the Digivice from his cloak and shows it to Tailmon.

Tailmon: THE DIGIVICE!!! Why do you have that!? Wizarmon: I found it in a crow's nest in Ariake Forest.

Alright, Map Time. As usual, the black circle is Daiba Park, Vamdemon's ironic staging ground for infiltrating the rest of the city across the Rainbow Bridge. The blue circle is Odaiba Seaside Park, where Tailmon first met Hikari. The red circle is Ariake Tennis Park, a large forested park full of tennis courts. Hikari's Digivice was in one of those trees in the tennis park.

Tailmon: Then the Eighth Child must be near there! Wizarmon: No. The Eighth Child is.... Tailmon: The Eighth Child is...? Wizarmon: Well. Tailmon. Tailmon: What? Wizarmon: I think the Eighth Child could be deep inside your heart. Tailmon: In my heart?

This is a hard conversation for Wizarmon to have. How do you, as an outside individual, even begin to explain this?

In the dub:

Gatomon: Wizardmon, what is it now!? Go away before I use you as my scratching post! Wizardmon: Sorry to disturb you again, Gatomon, but-- Gatomon: But WHAT!??! (Wizardmon reveals the Digivice) Gatomon: The Digivice! Where'd you get it!? Wizardmon: I found it in a crow's nest in the Aracky Woods! Gatomon: Then the Eighth DigiDestined must be somewhere near there! Wizardmon: No, the Eighth Child is.... Gatomon: Tell me right now! Wizardmon: Well, you see, Gatomon.... Gatomon: What!? Wizardmon: I wonder if the location of the child isn't somewhere inside your own heart. Gatomon: (quietly) ...what are you saying?

Bless his heart, Wizardmon's actor tries to say Ariake but we all know they don't do second takes around here. The kids at home won't know it's wrong anyway.

Gatomon is more aggressive and confrontational here than Tailmon, but it works well for this interpretation of the character. I said before that her sassy performance works well when she's being wicked but less so when she's being vulnerable, and here it comes together.

The sudden fracture, the collapse of all of her smarm into the quiet, reserved last line hits like a bombshell. Great work there.

Tailmon has another flashback, farther than the last. This time to being a Baby-stage Nyaromon, alone at night somewhere in the Digimon World.

Wizarmon: Your heart is kept prisoner under tight locks. I think perhaps the key to finding the Eighth Child is hidden inside that closed-off heart of yours. Tailmon: ... Wizarmon: Are you afraid of recovering the memories of your youth? Why aren't you trying to remember? Take back the memories you've lost! Remember your past without fear! Tailmon: (snaps suddenly) YOU!!! Did Vamdemon send you here!? Wizarmon: I'm fighting on your side. Vamdemon has nothing to do with this.

Here, Wizarmon reveals his ulterior motives. As he implied earlier, he doesn't give a shit about the mission. He's trying to help Tailmon. That's the only reason he signed on. He's been a traitor since they day they came to Tokyo.

Incidentally, the place Nyaromon was stranded at is pretty clearly the vast desert from the Etemon arc.

In the dub:

Wizardmon: I believe that, long ago, you buried away an important part of yourself. And somewhere deep inside your heart lies the key to the identity of the Eighth DigiDestined Child. Try to remember. Gatomon: ... Wizardmon: What's holding you back? Could it be you're afraid of what you might find? You can get your lost memories back, Gatomon; You can remember your past without fear! End your long nightmare and try to remember! Gatomon: (snaps suddenly) Just leave me alone! Who sent you here!? Myotismon!? Wizardmon: Myotismon has nothing to do with this. I fight by your side, not his. I tell you these things now because you are my friend.

Again, this is all basically perfect. The wording is a little different but it's nearly 1:1 with the original script.

Which is, itself, a bit of a contradiction; He stated earlier that he wanted the accolades from finding Kari for Myotismon, but now he's back on-script.

Wizarmon goes into a flashback of his own, filling in the background on their relationship. We see him wandering aimlessly in Server's great desert, eventually collapsing in a city street.

Wizarmon (V.O.): Before I met you, I was always alone. I traveled by myself, unable to make friends. I was starving, tired, and lonely. When I finally collapsed, no one stopped to help me. I thought death would come too soon. But then you came.

In flashback, Tailmon gives Wizarmon a bowl of water to drink from, saving his life.

Tailmon: Hey! What's wrong? HEY!!! HANG IN THERE!!!

He passes out. But he wakes up at a small camp with Tailmon.

Tailmon: You're awake. Wizarmon: Were you the one who saved me? Tailmon: I didn't do anything so noble. I just couldn't leave you lying there. (Wizarmon uses his staff to push himself up to his feet.) Wizarmon: I'll leave now.... Tailmon: Your body won't be able to withstand it yet. Wizarmon: I appreciate your help but I have nothing to give you in return. Tailmon: I get that. You've lived alone for a long time. Wizarmon: What? Tailmon: When you live in solitude for too long, your heart turns cold. It happens to everyone; Even me.

Back in the present, Tailmon's a little confused by this anecdote.

Tailmon: I don't remember that. Wizarmon: I was about to die with a heart of stone because of my loneliness. The person who freed me from that loneliness, Tailmon, was you.

Wizarmon owes Tailmon a debt that he is here, now, actively trying to repay. A debt of friendship, of empathy, and of kindness in dire times.

In the dub:

Wizardmon (V.O.): Before I met you, I was always alone. I was constantly traveling, never stopping to make any friends. Then, one day, I fell from the sky and crashed but no one stopped to help me. I thought I was a goner until you came. Gatomon: Here. Drink this. (Gatomon gives Wizardmon a bowl of water to drink from) Wizardmon: (cough) Gatomon: Looks like he passed out. (Cut to Wizardmon waking up in Gatomon's camp) Gatomon: Ahh, you're awake. Wizardmon: Huh? Did you save me? Gatomon: I didn't do that much. I just couldn't leave you lying there. Wizardmon: Well, thanks. I guess I'll be going now. Gatomon: Don't be silly. You're not strong enough to go. Wizardmon: I know you helped me but I don't have anything for you. Gatomon: I don't want anything. You must be very lonely to say that. Wizardmon: What do you mean? Gatomon: When you've been alone for a long time, your heart becomes very hard. It happens to everyone, you know. Even me. (Back to the present.) Gatomon: I don't remember any of that. Wizardmon: Well, that's how it happened. I thought you saved me because you wanted something in return; I couldn't understand the concept of compassion because loneliness had hardened my heart. But you taught me that all creatures have good inside of them.

So, a couple things here. First, Wizardmon was in dire straits because he lost control while flying along one day and crashed. Weird change to make. Were they trying to dial back the peril? An accidental injury is a lot less severe than dying of exhaustion.

Second, tonal shift at the end there. Wizarmon's anecdote is about the bond of friendship and gratitude that Tailmon cultivated in Wizarmon's heart. It's his reason for acting now. Wizardmon's anecdote is a lesson in moral virtue; Gatomon's kind gesture restored his faith that people, as a whole, have intrinsic goodness.

Wizarmon continues.

Wizarmon: This is what I remember you telling me back then. (Back into the flashback) Tailmon: Week after week, waiting and waiting, searching and searching, but I never find her! Wizarmon: Waiting? Searching? For who? Tailmon: I don't know! I can't remember anymore! But I was waiting for someone.... (Return to present) Tailmon: Waiting? Me? Wizarmon: Yes. That is what you said. Tailmon: Who was I waiting for? Who was I searching for?

Suddenly, her train of thought is broken by a distant meowing.

Meeko: Meow.... Hikari: Meeko! Where are you trying to go?

Hikari follows Meeko out onto the Yagami balcony, picking her up.

Hikari: You can't come out this late. Stay inside.

She puts Meeko back inside and closes the door. Suddenly, the sound of an ambulance streaking past grabs her attention, and she races over to the balcony to look.

In the dub:

Wizardmon: That's when you told me your secret. (flashback) Gatomon: My whole life, I just keep waiting and searching but... I never find her. Wizardmon: Find who? Who are you waiting and searching for? Gatomon: I can't remember; It was too long ago. All I know is, I'm waiting for someone. (Return to present) Gatomon: Waiting? Me? Wizardmon: That's what you told me. Gatomon: Why can't I remember who I was waiting for? Who could it possibly be? Meeko: Nyow! Gatomon: Huh!? Kari: Meeko! (Kari picks up Meeko) Kari: Where do you think you're going? You can't come out here at this hour. Go back inside. Good kitty.

As before, the sound effects don't come through. There's no ambulance in this version, so Kari suddenly sprints over to the balcony to peek over it for no particular reason. This still works, though; She's a kid; She has energy.

When Tailmon rushes to the balcony to check on Hikari, Wizarmon follows her reaction to its natural conclusion.

Wizarmon: Let's go find out. Tailmon: WAIT!!!

Pouncing on this opportunity, Wizarmon flies straight across to the Yagami apartment.

Hikari: You're.... Wizarmon: I am Wizarmon. Hikari: (scared) You're flying!

Tailmon makes the jump, bounding over onto the Yagami balcony's railing and flipping down onto the balcony itself.

Hikari: Ah! You're the one I met this afternoon. You came back! You really are one of Koromon's friends, aren't you?

The two Digimon waste no time with idle chatter. Wizarmon hands the Eighth Digivice to Tailmon, who holds it out for Hikari.

Hikari: What is that? (reaches out) What...?

When Hikari reaches for it, the holy energy inside of it begins to shine.

Tailmon: Is this girl the Eighth Child? Wizarmon: (takes back the Digivice) Yes, she is. Tailmon: Then who is her Digimon!? Wizarmon: Think back. Who were you waiting for? Tailmon: You're right. I do remember waiting for someone....

Wizarmon, why did you take the Digivice back? That belongs to Hikari.

Whatever the case, shocking truths about Tailmon about to be dropped in 5... 4... 3....

In the dub:

Wizardmon: I think perhaps your search is finally over! Gatomon: Huh!? (Wizardmon flies over to the Kamiya balcony) Kari: (gasp) Who are you!? Wizardmon: Wizardmon. Kari: How are you able to fly like that? Wizardmon: Oh! Uh... Well, I-- (Gatomon bounds over) Kari: Oh, it's you. Hello again. You're Agumon's friend, aren't you? How come you ran away last time I saw you? (Wizardmon gives Gatomon the Digivice and they perform the test) Kari: What's that thing? (reaches out) Can I see it? (The light inside the Digivice shines) Gatomon: (gasp) Wizardmon, tell me: Is this girl the Eighth DigiDestined? Wizardmon: (takes the Digivice back) Yes! Gatomon: Well, then who is her Digimon...? Wizardmon: I think you know. You were waiting for someone. Try to remember. Gatomon: Hold on, my memory is starting to come back!

Kari gives zero fucks about anything. She is the picture of "Sure, I guess this is happening right now" throughout this entire scene.

Backstory Unlocked. Tailmon remembers the full truth of where she came from.

We find Nyaromon alone in that plateau forest on File Island.

Tailmon (V.O.): Ever since I was in my Baby form, Nyaromon, I was waiting for someone. Day after day. I waited and waited but no one ever came.

Nyaromon waits through the changing of the seasons.

Tailmon (V.O.) When I became Plotmon, I went on a journey to find her instead of passively waiting.

There's an implication here that Nyaromon was in that forest back in Episode 1 with the rest of them. Waiting for a Chosen Child who missed the boat. Eventually, she evolved and somehow made the trip to Server on the other side of the ocean. We see Plotmon in the great desert, followed by the lake where we had to get the band back together, and then finally the gnarled woods around Vamdemon's castle.

Vamdemon emerges form the woods, descending ominously towards Plotmon.

Tailmon (V.O.): But the person who found me was not who I was waiting for. It was Vamdemon. (Back to the present) Tailmon: Then the days of despair began. Before I knew it, I'd forgotten. I forgot I was waiting for someone. Searching for someone. Hikari: What are you talking about? This Eighth Chosen Child you're talking about, do you mean me?

And there we have it. The true origin of Tailmon, the Partner Digimon to Chosen Child Yagami Hikari.

The dub explains it thusly:

Gatomon (V.O.): Hold on, my memory is starting to come back. Yes, I was definitely waiting for someone. Ever since I was Nyaromon, I was so lonely. Every day, I just kept waiting and waiting. The seasons changed and the years rolled by and still I kept waiting, but no one ever came. (Salamon goes to Server Continent) Gatomon (V.O.): Then, when I became Salamon, I started searching. I went on a journey, but what I finally found was not the someone I had been waiting for! (Myotismon appears in front of Salamon) Gatomon (V.O.): Instead I found evil and darkness. Myotismon. (Back in the present) Gatomon: Then those days of torture and despair began, and I started to forget. Forget that I was waiting for someone. Searching for someone. Kari: W-What are you guys talking about? What does any of this have to do with me?

Almost did a spit take when the censors let Gatomon describe Myotismon's treatment as "torture and despair". We really are pushing the needle as far as we can get away with on this particular plot point, and I appreciate that.

Unfortunately, the balcony outside Taichi and Hikari's room is not a safe place to be holding this conversation.

While Taichi's inside going through his desk, Agumon suddenly notices something.

Agumon: Someone's outside talking to Hikari! Taichi: Huh!? What!?

In full Stranger Danger alarm, Taichi throws open the glass door and sprints out onto the balcony.

Taichi: Who's there!? (Taichi sees them) Taichi: Digimon! Hikari: Onii-chan! Taichi: What do you want with Hikari!? Wizarmon: Wait! Hear us out first! Taichi: Hikari, get away from them! They're the enemy! Hikari: You're wrong, Onii-chan! Tailmon is looking for the Eighth Child and--

"They're not the enemy; They just want to find the Eighth Child!" In a fit of dramatic irony, Hikari has no idea how little that explanation will do to de-escalate this situation. Not helping is that Yamato's call earlier has Taichi and Agumon's hackles up. Further not helping is that Taichi and Agumon aren't exactly among the kids who will think first and act later.

Everything happens in an instant. Agumon fires the shot that ends the standoff, spitting out a Baby Flame while Hikari is still in the crossfire. What the actual fuck, Agumon.

Hikari instinctively raises her arms to take the hit herself, but Tailmon acts quickly and shoves Hikari out of the way - costing her the time she needs to evade it herself.

Agumon's Baby Flame slams into Tailmon, throwing her back against the balcony wall.

Hikari: TAILMOOOOOOON!!!

In the dub:

Agumon: Someone's out there talking to Kari! Tai: Huh!? (goes outside) KARI, GET AWAY!!! Kari: What's the matter, Tai? Tai: What do you Digimon want!? Wizardmon: Wait! Listen to what I have to say. Tai: Kari! You get over here! Those two are evil Digimon! Kari: No, they're not evil. Gatomon has been searching for me! For me and the Eighth DigiDestined Child!

Kari gets further in trying to explain this than Hikari does. However, she trips over her words when she tries to convey the key issue. She is also, like Hikari, suffering from dramatic irony preventing her from realizing that her words will only make this situation worse even if she does get the idea across.

The last thing Tai/chi wants to hear right now is, "The minions of Vamdemon/Myotismon are looking for the Eighth Child and they found me!"

The dub keeps the shot of Pepper Breath connecting with Gatomon's face but cuts the shot of her slamming into the balcony wall. To replace it, they splice in a copy/paste of Tai's "Those two are evil Digimon!" outburst.

Tai: Kari, are you okay!? Kari: OH NO, GATOMON!!!

ANYWAYS LET'S GO TO COMMERCIAL

HEY KIDS DO YOU WANT TO EAT AT MCDONALDS!?!?

That's not a dub thing. They both do it. Agumon blasts Tailmon against the wall, Hikari screams at the top of her lungs, and now it's time to sell you some toys. Assholes. XD

Upon our return from commercial, Hikari runs to Tailmon.

Hikari: Tailmon! Tailmon: Hikari... I'm okay. That was nothing.

That's the resolution to the suspenseful commercial cliffhanger. XD Tailmon gets up like, "Yeah, I'm Adult-stage; kiddy pool attacks like that don't mean shit to me." Checks out.

Taichi: (stunned) Tailmon... protected Hikari.... Wizarmon: Now have you recovered all of your repressed memories? Tailmon: Yes. I was waiting for the Eighth Chosen Child. Hikari, I was waiting for you! Hikari: Waiting... for me? Tailmon: Forever and ever, I searched for you!

Tailmon gives Hikari a hug.

Tailmon: Hikari.... Hikari: Tailmon.... (Hikari looks at Taichi) Onii-chan, Tailmon is my Digimon!

At long last, Hikari and Tailmon are united.

While Tailmon shrugs the attack off because it's a baby-ass flame, Gatomon wields her pathos like a shield against it.

Kari: You alright? Gatomon: I'm fine. This is nothing compared to what I've been through.

I mean. Obviously the censors disagree. They cut both.

Tai: Did you see that!? Gatomon saved Kari! Wizardmon: Now that you remember, do you understand? Gatomon: Yes. I was waiting for the DigiDestined human I belonged with. That's you, Kari. You're the Eighth DigiDestined. Kari: You were waiting just for me? Gatomon: I've been searching forever and ever for you! (Gatomon hugs Kari) Kari: You could have just called. (Kari looks at Tai) Guess what, Tai! Gatomon's my Digimon; Now I've got one too!

Who is Tai talking to in that first line? The only person he could be addressing is Agumon. Who. Like. Gatomon saved Kari from.

There's something almost comically passive-aggressive in that. "Did you see that, Agumon? Did you see how Gatomon saved Kari from your shot? You know, when you almost shot my sister? Did you see Gatomon save her from it?"

All of this is nice but Taichi still has concerns.

Taichi: Tailmon is Hikari's Digimon!? Wizarmon: That's right. Hikari is the Eighth Chosen Child. Tailmon: And I am her Digimon. I swear to protect her. Taichi: Tailmon, even if all of this is true, who is this guy? Tailmon: Wizarmon. He's my friend. He's also the one who found the Digivice. Taichi: And I'm just supposed to believe that!? Wizarmon: I don't care if you believe it or not. I'm only here with Tailmon.

Wizarmon offers Hikari's Digivice to Taichi.

Wizarmon: Here. You should hold onto the Digivice. Agumon: Why are you giving the Digivice to Taichi? Wizarmon: If Vamdemon finds out that Hikari is the Eighth Chosen Child and Tailmon is her Digimon, both of them will be in danger. As long as it's with you, the both of them should be safe. Taichi: Okay, I'll hang onto this.

Taichi has trouble understanding this, partly due to his reluctance to let it be true that came up when he first explored this possibility. Tai goes as far as to condescend to Kari about it.

Tai: Don't be silly, Kari. That doesn't make sense! Wizardmon: It makes perfect sense, considering she's the Eighth DigiDestined. Gatomon: That's right. And I'm her Digimon. No matter what happens, I'll always protect her. Tai: Well then, why are you a part of Myotismon's army!? And just who is this guy!? Gatomon: He's called Wizardmon. He put himself in great danger to bring you this Digivice. He's my friend. Tai: But how do I know if I can trust him or not!? Wizardmon: Frankly, I don't care if you trust me or not. But I'm going to follow Gatomon as long as she needs me. Here, you take the device. (Wizardmon gives the Digivice to Tai) Agumon: Why give it to Tai? It belongs to Kari. Wizardmon: She can't be seen with it. If Myotismon finds out she's the Eighth Child and Gatomon is her Digimon, then he'll destroy Gatomon and he won't rest until he finds Kari. If you have the Digivice, then their secret will be safe. Tai: Okay, I'll take it! But you better not be double-crossing us.

Wizardmon does a pretty good job of explaining why he's giving the Digivice to Tai. I appreciate that the dub points out that it's Kari's Digivice and comes at Wizardmon's explanation from the angle of why Kari shouldn't have it, rather than why Tai should.

That was the implicit topic of discussion in the original, but here it's explicit, which I think is to the scene's benefit.

Taichi: What are you going to do? Wizarmon: Hikari needs her Crest. The real one. Taichi: Real one?

Tailmon takes off her false Crest, holding it out for Taichi to see.

Tailmon: This is a copy we used to track Hikari's Digivice. Vamdemon has Hikari's real Crest. We have to get it back. Wizarmon: The rest of you can stay here. Taichi: WAIT!!! Where is Vamdemon's base? I'll go with you! Wizarmon: No. It's too dangerous.

Honestly, I'd probably refuse his help too. This calls for subterfuge and Taichi has a poor track record with stealth missions. Bit of a Leroy Jenkins, that boy.

Then again, Tailmon and Wizarmon don't know this but Vamdemon was, like an hour ago, beaten so badly in a fight with WereGarurumon and Angemon that he was forced to flee Shibuya. Now would be a great time to posse up and go jump him in his coffin while he's trying to recuperate. Call around and get the whole team in on this.

But their decision is made. Wizarmon picks up Tailmon and the two fly into the sky, the one direction that Taichi can't follow.

Hikari: TAILMON!!! Agumon: They left. Taichi: (concerned) Will they be okay on their own?

Probably not. Injured or not, Vamdemon's still a Perfect who's been gorging on blood to enhance his power. If this goes south....

In the dub:

Tai: What's next? Wizardmon: Your sister needs her Crest. The real one. Tai: The real one? Gatomon: (showing Crest) This Crest is just a copy that was created to find the Digivice. Myotismon is the only one with access to the real Crest. We've got to get it back. Wizardmon: Leave everything to us. Tai: Wait! Where's Myotismon's hideout? We'll come with you! And we can help you! Wizardmon: No! It's too dangerous! (flies away with Gatomon) Kari: Be careful, Gatomon! Agumon: Can we trust them? Tai: We have to. We have no choice.

Well, shit. They've gone where we can't follow. If only we knew someone with a radar that can detect Digimon in Japan!

Wizarmon takes Tailmon and flies back to Daiba Park, coming in from the east.

Wizarmon: Hikari's real Crest is inside Vamdemon's secret base. He should be hiding it in his room.

I don't know why Wizarmon would draw that conclusion. My assumption would be that Vamdemon keeps the Crest on his person. That's where I'd keep it if I were him.

They descend into the park, where a lone Bakemon is standing guard.

Bakemon: Wait! Vamdemon-sama is out for dinner. No one is allowed to enter until he comes back at dawn. Wizarmon: We're here to switch shifts.

Wizarmon hurls a ball of magical light at Bakemon. It doesn't hurt Bakemon physically, but instead leaves them disoriented.

Bakemon: What... What was I doing...? Wizarmon: You were going to switch with us and go home to sleep, remember? Bakemon: Oh, right. See y-- Wizarmon: Wait! Don't forget to give us the key. Bakemon: Oh. Right. The key. (tosses them a large key) Here. Wizarmon: Thank you! Bakemon: You take care of the rest! (flies away) Wizarmon & Tailmon: Good night!

This is going well. I have a good feeling about this mission. ^_^

In the dub:

Wizardmon: Myotismon has to be keeping Kari's Crest somewhere in the hideout. I think we have to search his room. (Wizardmon and Gatomon descend into Daiba Park) Bakemon: Stop! Myotismon is feeding upon the night. He said no one may enter until he returns at dawn. Wizardmon: Aw, forget about it. As a matter of fact, Thunder Ball. (Wizardmon zaps Bakemon) Bakemon: I can't remember a thing. What were we talking about? Wizardmon: We're relieving you of guard duty. Go home and get some sleep. Bakemon: Oh, yeah. That's right. See ya-- Wizardmon: Hold it! Don't forget to leave us the key. Bakemon: Huh? Oh, the key. Here. (tosses them a large key) Wizardmon: Thank you! Bakemon: What a nice guy. (flies away) Wizardmon: Let's go!

In addition to Thunder Ball still being a named attack in the dub, the main difference here is that Wizardmon doesn't start bullshitting until after he casts his MiB Neuralyzer spell. Which makes sense. No point in bullshitting before erasing the guy's memory.

Also, both sets of Bakemon's deliveries are perfect. The performances are very different. Original Bakemon is playing him for silly wooo~ spooky ghooost while the dub is more of a Jacob Marley type raspy undead specter. But both are delivering these casual-ass workplace colleague lines in their chosen undead voice, and the juxtaposition is hilarious in both cases.

Wizarmon and Tailmon descend into Vamdemon's base. Using the key, they open the door to his room. A giant empty room with only Vamdemon's coffin inside.

Tailmon: Where's the Crest! Wizarmon, we have to hurry! Wizarmon: No need to rush. There's still some time before dawn.

Shot in the dark, maybe try the coffin. The only object in the entire room.

Tailmon and Wizarmon do precisely that, popping open Vamdemon's coffin.

Wizarmon: Could it be... in here?

Reaching under Vamdemon's pillow, Wizarmon pulls out the true Crest.

Wizarmon: Got it! Tailmon: it's the real Crest!

Mission complete! Wow, that was super easy.

In the dub:

Gatomon: Hurry up, Wizardmon. Let's find the Crest and cruise on out of here. This place gives me the creeps. Wizardmon: Relax. We've got plenty of time before the sun comes up. Myotismon won't be back for hours. (They go to the coffin) Wizardmon: Maybe he keeps it in the coffin. (They open the coffin and Wizardmon grabs the Crest) Wizardmon: Got it! Gatomon: Great! Now let's just get out of here.

In a bizarre audio choice, the dub team plays a wood smashing sound effect over Wizardmon sliding the lid off. As if they were breaking open the coffin with axes.

Suddenly, the rustling of bats can be heard entering the lair. There. Uh. There was a need to rush. That's on you, Wizarmon.

Vamdemon: What are you doing in here? (Wizarmon and Tailmon close the coffin quickly, but they're already caught) Wizarmon: Nothing! Vamdemon: Can I help you find something?

Vamdemon holds out his own Crest. Wizarmon looks down at the one he pilfered from Vamdemon's coffin, then tucks it away in his cloak.

Vamdemon: What are you planning to do after stealing the real Crest? Betrayal, is it!?

Vamdemon crushes his own false Crest to punctuate his question.

This is a confusing scene because Vamdemon says, "Can I help you find something?" and shows his Crest, but then a few seconds later he breaks the Crest he's holding. So the one he's showing is a fake, and the one Wizarmon keeps is the real one.

I guess he was showing it to indicate that he knows what they took? But the natural assumption when he delivers that line is that Wizarmon snagged another fake, and it's Vamdemon's Crest that's the real one. So this scene comes off a little janky.

That jankiness carries into the dub, which falls straight into that misunderstanding.

Wizardmon: Uh-oh. Myotismon: What are you doing in here!? Wizardmon: Nothing! Myotismon: If you're looking for something, maybe I can assist you. (holds up Crest) Wizardmon: (looks down at the Crest in his hand) Another copy.... (tucks it away) Myotismon: Do you think I'd just leave the original lying around for thieves like you!?

The jankiness in this scene snowballs into the dub, where Wizardmon and Myotismon say in no uncertain terms that the one Wizardmon snagged is fake. And then Myotismon breaks what I guess is now the real Crest? That's probably bad for us. Didn't think they were so fragile.

Quiet burglary failed so now we move to violent robbery. Wizarmon lunges at Vamdemon. Vamdemon casually sidesteps the lunge, causing Wizarmon to lay himself out on the floor. Uh. Great job, buddy. Good hustle.

Tailmon hurries to Wizarmon's side.

Tailmon: Wizarmon! Wizardmon: I'm okay...

I should hope so! He hasn't even hit you yet! Tailmon turns on Vamdemon with a defiant scowl.

Vamdemon: Those eyes. It's those eyes again. They're like a sword turned in my direction. But did you really think a small thing like you can do anything to me? Did you think I would forgive betrayal!? Wizarmon: I haven't betrayed you. I was only ever on Tailmon's side from the start! Vamdemon: So stupid.... NIGHT RAID!!!

Fun fact: While the common term for "idiot" is baka, Vamdemon is too posh for that. He favors orokamono, a more formal and professional way to call someone a dumbfuck.

The dub plays a goofy-ass cartoon whiffing sound when Wizardmon makes his lunge.

Gatomon: Wizardmon! Wizardmon: I'm alright. (Gatomon glares at Myotismon) Myotismon: Those eyes! From the first time you looked at me with those eyes, I knew you'd turn against me. And that's why I had to teach you by punishing you. I would have hurt you even more but you became a good servant, but I promise you I will not be so easy on you this time! And do you think your betrayal will go unpunished, Wizardmon? Wizardmon: How could I betray you when I was never on your side to begin with!? Myotismon: YOU LITTLE FOOL!!! (long, awkward pause) Myotismon: GRISLY WING!!!

The fact that Wizarmon doesn't have lip flaps is both a blessing and a curse. Like Tentomon, they can give him lines when he's not supposed to have them, but it also makes timing his dialogue tricky.

The scene cuts from Wizarmon delivering his defiant line to Vamdemon with his cloak closed around himself, preparing to fire his Night Raid. Wizarmon's line continues into Vamdemon's shot. Then Vamdemon slowly and quietly delivers his own line before immediately launching Night Raid.

However, not only does Wizarmon not have lip flaps but Vamdemon's covering his own lip flaps here. The dub team couldn't see who's supposed to be talking and when, so the timing gets all screwed up.

Wizardmon finishes his line before the cut, then Myotismon delivers his line as soon as we change shots. Not only that, but Myotismon is louder and faster on his delivery. However, there's still more time reserved for dialogue here. Consequently, there's three straight seconds of weird silence before Myotismon gets to his Grisly Wing.

Vamdemon's Night Raid bats seize Tailmon and Wizarmon, carrying them upwards and smashing through the soil of Daiba Park into the night beyond. They raise the two high into the air, then drop them.

Despite the fact that Wizarmon can fly, Tailmon drops deftly onto her feet from like a hundred feet up while Wizarmon crashes helplessly onto his face. I mean. He couldn't even stick the landing when it was his own jump, so I don't know what I expected.

Come on, man. You were so smooth until the fighting started, but now you're embarrassing me in front of the Dracula.

Tailmon: Hang in there, Wizarmon! Wizarmon: U-Ugh.... Vamdemon: (chuckle) What a beautiful display of friendship. Tailmon: What did you say!? Vamdemon: Since you care so much for each other, I'll let you die together.

Here we go. Tailmon and Wizarmon are about to receive the Pumpmon and Gotsumon treatment.

The dub plays a funny BONK sound effect when Wizardmon lands on his helpless face. They're trying so hard to keep things lighthearted but this arc is so fucking dire.

Gatomon: We really have to stay together! Wizardmon: Ugh.... Myotismon: Uhuhuhahaha! Those who play together, lose together! Gatomon: I'm not afraid! Myotismon: You soon will be, you pathetic little traitor!

"We have to stay together" is a mistranslation of shikkari shiro. Shikkari is an adjective which means tightly, firmly, surely, etc. The addition of shiro at the end turns it into a verb. We have to do tightness, we must do firmness.

In this context, Tailmon says shikkari shiro to Wizarmon to encourage him to shape up, to keep it together, to not fall apart under Vamdemon's assault.

The dub translates it as "We must stay together", which... doesn't really fit the context of the scene. We're under no threat of splitting up. We have not divided up to this point. I don't know why Gatomon thinks this is an important point to make.

Vamdemon's bats swoop back around for another go. Then, suddenly, Wizarmon attacks again.

Firing off his Thunder Cloud, Wizarmon blasts the bats, sending them scattering. He also cracks off a shot at a startled Vamdemon, who blocks it with his cape.

Vamdemon: What!?

It does little damage to Vamdemon and seems only to buy time. However, if you'll notice, the attack is not called Lightning Blast. It's not called Super Shocker. It's called Thunder Cloud.

Vamdemon easily fends off the bolt. But the sky above Daiba Park lights up with booming, thundering clouds, illuminated by recurring flashes of spider lightning. Clouds visible from the Yagami balcony.

Taichi: What is that!? Agumon: Tailmon and Wizarmon are fighting! Hikari: Will they be okay? (huge crackle of spider lightning) Taichi: Agumon, we're joining in. Agumon: Right! (Taichi and Agumon run for the door) Hikari: WAIT!!! I'LL COME TOO!!! Taichi: It's dangerous! You have to stay here!

Much as it sucks, Taichi's right. Vamdemon will be able to deduce what it means pretty quickly if a new kid suddenly shows up looking for Tailmon. Hikari needs to stay as far away from Daiba Park as possible.

So Taichi and Agumon leave while Hikari remains behind, peeking over the balcony as the battle rages in the distance.

The dub seems to have missed the context that Wizarmon summoned the cloud. Wizardmon's attack is called "Magical Game", which... means nothing. Why is Magical Game a bolt of lightning? Did it still summon the cloud? Why did it summon a thundercloud?

Tai: Look there! Up in the sky! Agumon: Wizardmon and Gatomon are in a fight! Kari: Oh no. I hope they're not being hurt. (huge crackle of spider lightning) Tai: WHOA!!! Let's go! Agumon: Right! (Tai and Agumon run for the door) Kari: WAIT UP!!! I WANNA GO TOO!!! Tai: I can't risk you getting hurt! Wait here!

I'm not sure how they know that a big thundercloud means that Wizardmon is fighting. Then again, I'm not sure how they know that in the original either. So points off for Magical Game failing to convey that he summoned the cloud but the rest of the scene is a straight adaptation.

Back in the fight at Daiba Park, the Thunder Cloud has fully joined the fray. It shoots a bolt of lightning down into Vamdemon. He blocks that with his cape as well. Vamdemon continues barking out abuser lines in his domineering voice.

Vamdemon: You know what happens when I get angry!

Tailmon rushes forward and lunges at him. Vamdemon puts her down with a backhand. Wizarmon steps up with another Thunder Cloud, but this time Vamdemon's ready for it. He blocks with his hands, somehow deflecting the shot back into Wizarmon and taking him out with his own lightning bolt.

(Two out of three hits Wizarmon's taken so far have been self-inflicted and the third was because he forgot he could fly. Wizarmon, I love you and you have phenomenal utility powers, but you really are useless as a fighter. It's okay. Not everyone's cut out for combat. You got the signal out to the reinforcements, and that's enough.)

Vamdemon grapples Wizarmon with Bloody Stream, dragging him across the lawn of Daiba Park.

Vamdemon: I'll finish you off first, Wizarmon! Tailmon: STOP!!! If you're going to do that, then do it to me! Vamdemon: Those eyes... They aren't just showing hostility. They shine with the light of hope. The light of faith in your dreams. Tailmon: That's right! I've held on this long because I believe in something! Vamdemon: In mutual trust? Devoted friendship? Such fleeting dreams reveal what a fool you are. There is no place for such dreams in this world! Tailmon: As long as I keep believing, my hopes and dreams live on! To make my dreams a reality, I will defeat you! Vamdemon: What.

Vamdemon is so taken aback by that statement, he drops his levitation and sets himself down on the ground.

Tailmon: If I don't defeat you, then I'll never reclaim my true self! Vamdemon: Reclaim your true self? You can't be-- (realizes) The Eighth Digimon!?

Not only is the cat out of the bag but she's telling Vamdemon the secrets he's not supposed to know. Fucking cats.

Something to note: Vamdemon's speech to Tailmon is poetic but even moreso than it appears in english. More than even Vamdemon realizes. We talked about this before: I need you to remember what the Japanese word for 'light' is. What he's actually saying.

Tailmon's eyes are not merely filled with defiance, but with hikari. They shine with hikari. She draws hope from hikari, draws faith in friendship and a better life from hikari.

This is why Vamdemon could never stand her eyes. Because when he looks in Tailmon's eyes, he sees the thing he fears most. The thing he must destroy. He sees the light. He sees Hikari.

In the dub, Myotismon starts off gloating about the storm.

Myotismon: Well, I hope you realize there's no place to hide during this lightning storm!

They cut the footage of him backhanding Tailmon. When Gatomon lunges for him, they play the footage of Vamdemon blocking the sky bolt backwards to make it look like he conjured another bolt down to deflect her.

Does. Does the dub think Vamdemon conjured the storm? I guess that's fair. He has done that before. He summoned storm clouds back in the Digimon World, and he brought a fog bank with him when he moved in to Daiba Park. Vamdemon has demonstrated the ability to manipulate the weather; It's just that this one isn't his.

But to me, who knows better, it looks like Wizardmon shot Gatomon with a bolt of friendly fire. USELESS-ASS WIZARD!!!

After Myotismon starts dragging Wizardmon with his Crimson Lightning, we get:

Myotismon: I'll do away with you first, Wizardmon! Gatomon: HEY!!! Why don't you pick on somebody 1/10th your size! Myotismon: There are those eyes again. And this time, not only are they filled with rebellion, but I can also see a glimmer of hope. The hope that one day your dreams will come true! Gatomon: That's right! I believe in my dreams and that's how I've made it this far! Myotismon: And just what have you really achieved? You believe in your worthless friends. And you believe that your dreams can come true. Dreams do not exist for the stupid! Gatomon: If you believe in yourself than dreams are real! And to make my dreams come true, I only have to do one thing: DEFEAT YOU!!! Myotismon: What!? (lands) Gatomon: My dream is for me to return to my true identity! The one I had before I met you! Myotismon: What do you mean, "true identity"!? Could it be that-- (realizes) Are you the Eighth Digimon!?

Both versions of this exchange are Bad Guy/Good Guy hopes-and-dreams Disney magic type dialogue. The dub loses something with the hikari piece lost in translation, but that was inevitable.

That said, as far as Disney Magic arguments go, there's something that's fun about Myotismon's line, "Dreams do not exist for the stupid!" That got me. XD

Realizing that Tailmon is the Eighth Digimon, Vamdemon alters course. Tailmon lunges for him, but he smacks her away once more.

Vamdemon: If that's true, then it changes everything. I'll send your beloved friend to Hell first. NIGHT RAID!!!

Vamdemon's bats pick up Wizarmon and drop him into Tokyo Bay. Forgetting he can fly again, Wizarmon flounders in the water and slowly goes under.

Wizarmon: WAAAAAAUUUUGH!!! (splash) Tailmon: WIZARMOOOOON!!! Wizarmon: TAAAAAAAAILMOOOOOON!!! (drowns) Tailmon: (distraught) ...Wizarmon....

What a bizarrely tame way to execute someone.

The dub keeps Vamdemon hitting Tailmon here. So. I don't know what was wrong with the last one.

Myotismon: This changes everything! Before I crush you, I'll give you the pleasure of watching me destroy your wizard friend first! GRISLY WING!!! (Bats pick up Wizardmon) Gatomon: HANG ON!!! (Bats drop Wizardmon in the bay) Wizardmon: WAAAAAAUUUUGH!!! Gatomon: NO, NOT THAT!!! (distraught) Oh no.... Myotismon: Uhuhuhuhahahahaha! Gatomon: T_T My friend....

Though the dub keeps the backhand, they do cut the shot of Wizarmon screaming Tailmon's name and then sinking beneath the water. So I guess that was too graphic.

I don't know why falling in the Bay is supposed to be such an effective killing method for Wizardmon, but apparently Gatomon does. She reacts like Myotismon broke out Wizardmon's established Kryptonite.

This is an odd scene no matter which language it's in. Wizarmon's rolling a lot of Nat 1's tonight. Maybe he should switch dice.

Too late for Wizarmon, a figure emerges from Vamdemon's fog bank.

Taichi: We've come to help, Tailmon! Tailmon: TAICHI!!!

Taichi hopes down from Greymon's shoulder, and Greymon goes to work. He lets off a Mega Flame at Vamdemon, who deflects it as easily as Wizarmon's lightning. The redirected fireball explodes several feet in front of Taichi, who's made the wise decision to go prone so it's harder to aim shots at him.

Vamdemon: I'm honored that you'd come to me voluntarily. BLOODY STREAM!!!

Vamdemon lashes Greymon with his Bloody Stream whips over and over.

In the dub:

Tai: We've come to help you, Gatomon! Gatomon: TAI!!! Tai: (hops down) QUICK, GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!

That extra line at the end is probably fair. Agumon/Greymon already had one friendly fire incident earlier today. He can't be counted on to pick his shots well.

Myotismon: WHEN WILL YOU DIGIDESTINED EVER LEARN!?!? CRIMSON LIGHTNING!!!

While Greymon tanks Vamdemon's whips, Taichi realizes this isn't going to work out and Super-Evolves Greymon.

Taichi: GO, METALGREYMON!!!

Now that MetalGreymon's on his same level, Vamdemon's not so confident. He evades a swipe from MetalGreymon's metal claw and slowly withdraws over the Tokyo Bay, creating distance from his foe.

With limited options, MetalGreymon fires his Giga Destroyer. Anticipating this move, Vamdemon whips the missiles out of the air. Unfortunately, that is all MetalGreymon has in the tank. The Giga Destroyer takes everything he has, and he reverts to Agumon.

Vamdemon: Did you think these childish tricks would work on me? Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Taichi: He's tired from all the recent fighting!

As a reminder, Agumon had to Super-Evolve this afternoon to fight DeathMeramon. He may be strong enough now to avoid reverting to Baby afterwards but two Super-Evolutions in the span of like twelve hours is still a tall order.

In the dub:

Tai: GO GET HIM, METALGREYMON!!! (MetalGreymon tries, but Myotismon knocks his Giga Blaster out of the air) Myotismon: You impudent fool! Did you really think you could beat me with those pathetic little toys of yours!? HUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Tai: AGUMON!!!

The dub cuts out Taichi's explanation for why Agumon can't maintain his Perfect form. Dub Agumon drops out of Ultimate because evolutions are inconsistent, I guess.

Alright. This next bit is where things get a little screwy with the dub.

Taichi and Tailmon climb up the hill to Agumon.

Taichi: Hang in there, Agumon! Vamdemon: (levitates over) If a Chosen Child would come all the way out here, that can only mean that Tailmon truly is the Eighth Digimon. Tailmon: What are you talking about!? I'm not the Eighth Digimon! Vamdemon: We'll know for sure soon enough.

Vamdemon's Night Raid bats snatch up Tailmon, lifting her helplessly into the air.

Vamdemon: I will use Tailmon as bait to draw out the Eighth Child. Once I've gathered all of the children together, she'll pick out the correct one for me. Even without the Crest, I can still find the Eighth Child! Taichi: That's not fair, Vamdemon! Vamdemon: See you around.

Vamdemon turns and flies away, carrying Tailmon with him via his bats.

Taichi: WAIT!!! TAILMON!!! Tailmon: TAICHI!!! Vamdemon: Hmhmhmhm Ah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Well, this went south real fast and in a hurry. Vamdemon's taken away Tailmon to places unknown, while Hikari's Crest has plunged into Tokyo Bay with Wizarmon. Plus side, Vamdemon got so excited about his new plan to find the Eighth Child that he completely forgot to murder that defenseless Chosen Child in front of him.

The final scene of the episode is Hikari looking out over the balcony, afraid for what could be happening at Daiba Park.

Hikari: Tailmon, you're coming back, right? (anguished) Come back...!

Then we cut to a zoomed out shot of Daiba Park at night.

Hikari: TAILMOOOOOOOON!!!

And we end the episode on Hikari's distraught scream.

Okay. So, the dub goes to commercial right after Agumon reverts. Then they come back to this scene, Kari on the balcony.

Kari: Oh, I wonder what's taking them so long? Come back, Gatomon. (Cut to zoomed out shot of Daiba Park) Kari: I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you. But I'm sure Tai and Agumon will take good care of you.

Then, we return to the park for the last part of the confrontation there. With Tai bringing us back into the scene with a hilarious moment of inexplicable jubilation.

Tai: (running up the hill to Agumon) Nice try, buddy!

Really knocked 'em dead out there, Agumon! Myotismon is about to kill us but here, have some orange slices.

Again, this is a translation of shikkari shiro that could work in the right circumstance but is contextually inappropriate for this particular situation.

Myotismon: If the DigiDestined are coming to defend Gatomon, then they really must think she is the Eighth Digimon! Gatomon: Hey, what they think is no business of yours! Go blow smoke somewhere else! Myotismon: You will pay for your impudence! Tai: Just what do you mean!? (Bats grab Gatomon) Myotismon: HUHUHAHAHAHA!!! I hope you like fishing, Gatomon! Because you're going to be the perfect bait to lure out the Eighth DigiDestined Child! Now I don't need the Crest to find that cowardly, puny human. Tai: That's low, Myotismon! Myotismon: I don't play fair! (flies away) Tai: STOP!!! GATOMON!!! Gatomon: TAI!!! HELP ME!!! Myotismon: Muhuhuhahahahaha! Narrator: Will Tai rescue Gatomon before Myotismon finds Kari? Tune in to the next Digimon: Digital Monsters.

A quick note about Tai's "That's not fair!"

The word in question is hikyou. It means sneaky, cheating, underhanded, cruel, cowardly, etc. It can be a hard word to translate, as English doesn't really have a lot of angry insults for "The action you are taking is deceitful!"

We have plenty of words like devious, underhanded, sneaky, etc. but they don't come up in common parlance. You don't shout "That's underhanded of you!" at someone. Spoken English prefers to insult the person instead of their action. You're a cheat. A skinflint. A coward. A scumbag. A bottom-feeding scum-sucking lily-livered toad.

The subs, at least these subs, tend to go with "That's low." That's low, Vamdemon! Which, like translating Onii-chan or Onee-chan as Big Bro and Big Sis, is a fair translation but isn't how people talk in English. I've never heard anyone say "That's low," as a full sentence. I have heard "That's low even for you," but not "That's low," by itself.

I like the solution that the dub came up with here. They went with "unfair". "That's unfair!" is a thing people say. They then had Myotismon clap back at it. LOL, we're at war. Pragmatism is a virtue.

Assessment: A powerful episode from start to about three quarters of the way through, but things get weird once the fight at Daiba Park starts.

Vamdemon inexplicably tosses Wizarmon in the bay so that he's where he needs to be for the next episode, and doesn't even take his Crest back. Vamdemon kidnaps Tailmon but makes no effort to harm Taichi while he has the chance. Wizarmon himself is a cavalcade of fucking up who forgets what his own powers are.

Much of the third act feels like things are just happening because the script says we need to set up the next episode, and not because any of this makes organic sense for the characters.

For its part, the dub is fantastic. Easily one of the better episodes. There's a few missed plot points here and there but it's on-the-rails far more often than not and manages to convey most of what it needs to convey despite extensive cuts to its scenes.

Cuts that are meant primarily to disguise how much abuse Myotismon inflicts on Gatomon. Nonetheless, they still manage to get the idea of that abuse across, even if they can't use most of the footage showing it. I don't think there was a kid who watched this episode and didn't understand that Myotismon beat Gatomon into submission.

[koushirouizumi]

(In the calender behind Koushiro, you can very clearly see a “3″ depicting the month {March}. The number to the exact right of that is probably also a “4″, but it’s hard to tell since the number looks blurry, however, it is clearly a single digit number)

Digimon Adventures ~ “ timeline ” references “ Our War Game ” Edition [2nd Adventure movie in Japan]

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