#and also the original Digimon movie

[cerealforkart]

The only people who truly understand me are my sister and my best friend because they are the only people who have watched the Digimon stage play with me.

No one else understands.

This is my Roman Empire

[zachdefense]

wild that movies still bother having pop soundtracks when Digimon: The Movie had the best one that will ever be made back in 2000.

like, it had Barenaked Ladies. it had Rockafeller Skank. it had All Star the year before Shrek did it. It had the mother fucking Mighty Mighty Bosstones. you can't compete with that. don't even try

[adrianicsea]

achievement: did NOT impulse buy the digimon adventure subbed bluray for $60 this morning 👍🏻

[unsuspectable-weirdo]

Due to an incredible wave of nostalgia (also very on point since tomorrow is August 1st) I need to find a way to watch the entire first Digimon serie.

But here's the catch. I want it in italian. I want the dub and sound design I grew up with.

Now we just have to see how desperate i am (a lot, so so much)- not just bc i'm down to using even the crunchiest, scummiest sites, but I might also find the courage to ask around... italian forums...

[mewbimin7]

I think it’ll have subs too

Exciting news Digidestined!

The original first 3 Digimon Adventure movies are being re-released in the Digimon Movie Collection by Discotek. They will have all new dubs PLUS we still get Digimon the Movie released with the collection! So we will get to watch the dub that shaped our childhoods in HD glory

[chase-omega]

THE FIRST 3 DIGIMON MOVIES ARE BEING RE-RELEASED.

NOT ONLY JUST AS 1 FILM LIKE THE ORIGIN AL DUB, BUT NOW AS 3 UNCUT ENGLISH DUBS AND ALSO 3 SEPARATE JAPANESE LANGUAGE WITH ENGLISH SUBS RELEASED.

WE WON!

[fostersffff]

Absolutely positively need to shill this upcoming release from Discotek: "Digimon: The Movies", a collection of the first three Digimon movies, which not only includes the Saban Entertainment "Digimon: The Movie" that cuts all three together to try to form one cohesive whole, but the original Japanese version of those three separate movies, and a new dub for those three separate movies with the original dub cast from "Digimon: The Movie"!

Even if you're not big into Digimon, I'd probably recommend checking this out solely for the second movie, Our War Game, directed by Mamoru Hosoda (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, Belle).

It's also tremendously affordable!

[wishingstarinajar]

For people who never really watched alot of Transformers: what would you recommend watching for beginners to the fandom/series?

It really depends on what flavor people are in the mood for. Each series has its own spin on the original Transformers formula and its (huge) main cast. Some series are geared toward either very young kids, teens and/or young adults. Then there is 2D and 3D animation.

I can't just name one series as the ultimate "see as a newbie", it just doesn't work that way. So, here is a short list with accompanying gifs of shows/movies I'd recommend for anyone wishing to wander into Transformers.

There is G1 (Generation 1), the 80s cartoon that started it all, but it's dated with its writing and animation quality. It can be cheesy and boring/slow, or downright silly, but oh so charming in that 80s cartoon sense xD But it is what aaaallll the other stuff is based on so if one wants to start at the roots of the transforming robo madness, I'd suggest giving G1 and its sequel movie (the 80s one) a watch.

The recent Transformers One movie is a great watch for a beginner as well! It has a different introduction to the main characters and world-building than previous Transformers retellings but it is still Transformers at its very core with jaw-dropping animation and a strong story. Don't be fooled by its "haha see how funny and dumb this "kids" movie is??" trailers and terrible marketing; plenty of fans are still angry about that xD

If you want something a bit more modern and similar in style to the Michael Bay blockbuster movies from the 2000s, I'd suggest Transformers Prime. It's a bit more mature in tone compared to other shows, the writing is stellar, and the 3D animation is great.

Other series that can also function as a good starting point are Transformers Animated and Earthspark. Animated's style might turn one away but it has some good writing and is easy to follow. Earthspark is the latest animated series out there and though season 2 and 3 aren't that great, season 1 is peak, as is its animation and cast.

If you enjoy(ed) the good old Digimon series and that particular style of anime, Transformers Robots in Disguise (2001) and Armada might be more to your taste, so be ready for some silly 90s anime shenanigans.

And if you want to go super kid-friendly, Rescue Bots is there for you to start out with!

There are so many more shows to watch but I'd say these are the ones one can watch without needing much backstory to understand what is happening.

[kazarinn]

(Link leads to download links, script file, and translation notes)

Here’s some context for why we did this: the official English subtitles for this movie are dubtitles, or in other words, the English dub script with names and terms swapped out and pasted on as subtitles. There are a few lines changed here and there, but almost all of the lines are a dub transcript in practice. Dubs are a very different form of adaptation that have their own unique requirements, so doing something like this is really bad translation praxis, and to be honest, it’s disappointing to see yet another major piece of Digimon media be stuck with subpar translation standards, again.

Since I figured that it would be helpful to have a more precisely done translation out there, if at least for reference, I went ahead and retranslated the entire thing from scratch.

As far as casual viewing goes, I’ll fully admit that there are a lot of places where the official version is punchier and has better flow than mine, since they had license to adapt things more freely than a fan translator like me would. But once you go beyond that, the official subs have the following issues:

Since they’re actually dubtitles, there is a substantial mismatch between what’s written in the subtitles and what’s actually being said in Japanese to an extent far beyond what should be acceptable for subtitling. As I said earlier, I personally believe they’re still decent enough for casual viewing purposes, but there are enough differences in details and nuance that would matter for people who want to analyze the movie more thoroughly.

The official translation has a number of issues that affect consistency with Adventure series themes, timeline, and lore in places where there were no such issues in the original Japanese dialogue. (This is a problem that also affected LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna‘s official translation.) This is something that can be a huge deal for a lot of Digimon fans, so while it’s not something that would have led to this decision by itself, it was a huge factor.

Originally, I was only planning to release a script file to be used with Blu-ray footage, but it seems that all of the official English subbed/dubbed releases have animation errors that were corrected only in the Japanese Blu-ray, so I went ahead and put together my own encode based on the latter. I’ll take the encode down if they somehow decide to put out an updated release that fixes all of these problems, but…seriously? In 2024? And after the disaster that was LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna‘s official release, too? Come on.

[alpaca-clouds]

The Thing About The Age of the Characters in Digimon

Okay, let me talk about one thing in the western Digimon Fandom, that has always bothered me. And it has to do with something very weird: The age of the characters in the first four seasons.

See, in a lot of western fandom discourse there is this idea that the main characters in Tamers are 1 year younger than the characters in Adventure, 02, and Frontier. This mostly originates with one thing: The Japanese dub of the other three seasons do not give any age for the characters, as they introduce themselves saying just their grade in primary school. Tamers meanwhile gives official ages for the characters (with pretty much everyone but Shaochung and Ryou being 10). While the western versions of the other seasons gave an age for the main characters, making the Goggle Boys 11 years in their respective seasons.

However... This does not make them a year older.

See, most of the main characters in the first four seasons of Digimon are 5th graders. This maintains to Taichi, Sora and Yamato in Adventure, to Daisuke, Hikari, Takeru and Ken in 02, the entire main cast in Tamers, and Takuya, Izumi, Kouichi and Kouji in Frontier.

What does this mean for age? Well, basically it means that these characters should have been 10 by the 1st of April of the year that they entered 5th grade. To be exact, it means the birthdays should be like this:

Taichi, Yamato, Sora: Between April 1st 1988, and March 31st 1989 (through Sora's birthday being recent in movie 2, which takes place during spring vacation, we can assume her birthday is in March 1989)

Koushirou, Mimi: Between April 1st 1989, and March 31st 1990

Jyou: Between April 1st 1987 and March 31st 1988

Takeru, Hikari, Daisuke, Ken: Between April 1st 1991 and March 31st 1992

Iori: Between April 1st 1993 and March 31st 1994

Miyako: May 21st to about June 21st 1990 (we know her star sign is Gemini)

Takato, Jianliang, Ruki, Hirokazu, Kenta, Iori: Between April 1st 1990 and March 31st 1991 (this should also be true for Junpei in Frontier)

Shaochung: Between April 1st 1993 and March 31st 1994

Ryou (Tamers Version): Between April 1st 1986 and March 31st 1987

Takuya, Izumi, Kouichi, Kouji: Between April 1st 1991 and March 31st 1992

Tomoki: Between April 1st 1994 and March 31st 1995

And yes, if you have autistic knowledge of this franchise, you will know that there is in some cases stuff that does not make sense.

Notably the fact that within the old Artbook with the character reference pictures 02 Sora is referenced to be 14 years old. However, that book has been released years later, and the information came from Seki Hiromi, so I am fairly certain this is just her not quite realizing that Sora's birthday is somewhat confirmed to be in March through movie 2. (The same is also true for Ruki, who also has her birthday in movie 6, which also takes place during the spring vacation. However, other than with movie 2, which is confirmed as canon for the series through 02, the canonicity of movie 6 is a lot more doubtful, as there are several ways in which it contradicts the canon of the show.)

The other thing is one very specific for Tamers.

See, Tamers is unique in giving the ages of the characters. And in fact with every screenplay of the series (which have been digitally distributed and are most available and actually super interesting for some background information) in the list of characters showing up in that episode most ages are given. This is why we know the ages of the parents in Tamers. However: Tamers takes place over the time between April 2001 and late February or early March 2002, so over the course of a roughly year. And even in the last episodes the ages for all characters are still the same as by episode 1. However, I assume this is just simply an oversight, that nobody has thought about. At least this is a lot more likely than none of the main characters (including the adults) having had their birthday before March. lol

So yeah. Generally speaking: All four goggle boys are 10 or 11 in their respective season. 5th graders at the very least.

[ashxketchum]

Some consolidated thoughts on the new Digimon announcement:

Since it's set to Brave Heart, which is originally 4:13 long, assuming that they add an intro scene and round it off to 5 mins, I think that it's best to not have high expectations of the amount of content they will cover.

Having every Digidestined (including 02 kids) get substantial screen time is the highest bar I will set. If this requirement is fulfilled I will personally consider the video a success.

I can't seem to land on one solid reason for why we are getting a PV instead of a third movie to truly tie off the series (giving space for the Reboot version to take off into their journey so we're all like 68 and still watching & arguing about Digimon lol). I've seen a few comments about 02TB not performing well enough to warrant a third part, which I don't feel is the case because that move was even released in India, a rare occurrence, so the global popularity was definitely felt considering Kizuna was hit by the pandemic in this department.

I'm leaning more towards creative differences, because Kakudo has made it quite obvious that his vision does not align fully with the narrative that Kizuna, then 02TB have built. It's entirely possible that Seki and Kakudo just couldn't sign off on the actual plot presented to make a third movie, and decided to do their own thing hence the shorter format.

One staff at NYCC was introduced as being responsible for heading the new Digimon team, which does give me the hope that another anime series (REBOOT SEASON 2!!!) is in the works and they were just waiting for the 25th Anniversary projects to tide over before announcing it.

Onto the actual content of the video, I think for the fans that enjoyed Kizuna, especially the open ending (I'm Fans) a half-assed explanation of how Taichi and Yamato get back together with Agumon and Gabumon will be disappointing. That said, I don't think we'll really get an explanation for it but I do think the video can start off with Taichi and Yamato reuniting with their partners.

However, the tone set by 02TB implies that these guys are also well settled in their lives even without their partner Digimon, so for them to rush back into battle something HUGE would need to disrupt that flow, but can they even explain & sustain a huge occurrence like that in 4-5 mins? I don't want to answer this question lol.

Personally, I wouldn't mind a more laidback take, which leaves a lot of space for fans to interpret what happened, rather than just shoving sequence after sequence of important moments in high speed. Showing Taichi and Yamato and other older kids just going about their lives as adults and then there is that moment when they're hit by a nostalgic memory of their partners which starts off their path to reunion. I understand the need for having a villain for Taichi and Yamato to join forces and battle, but I'm totally okay with a more nuanced, slice-of-life version which hits home for all older Digimon fans currently struggling with adulting.

And finally, the controversial (still traumatized by it) Epilogue. I would prefer it if the point of this video is to show the reunion of the Digidestined and their partners, with the implication that this will lead to the epilogue shown in 02. But I also fear that in order to fit in the societal standard of "adulting", and with Seki being a part of this team most likely, they'll definitely add the married couples with kids tropes.

Keeping shipping aside, I think that showing Sora, Mimi, Miyako and Hikari in their exploration phase during Kizuna/02TB did wonders for their characterisations. Rather than shoehorning all of them into wives/mothers/tradfem roles, we actually got a glimpse of how they will always continue to break barriers and moulds, which is at the core of how every Digigirl was written originally. Still, as life goes on people do change so even if we see Mimi with a typical cooking show or Miyako the Mom, I wouldn't be as upset because Kizuna/02TB already gave us a good glimpse of how the girls are capable of forging their own paths, regardless of any male presence in their lives.

But jk we all know this is going to be a TaiYama fest so Idk why I'm even worrying over my girls, I will be grateful if we get Mimi on screen for more than 10 seconds 😂

So that's my thoughts, open for discussion, not condescending arguments 🫶🏻

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game, Part 1 of 2

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Eight children were kidnapped by an isekai and made to fight the embodiment of sore losers. Well, seven, but they swung by Earth to kidnap a spare while they were at it. After stopping a supernova from obliterating the universe through the power of self-esteem, they all said tearful goodbyes to their Digimon and returned home.

Now the gate between worlds is closed. But the thing about gates is that once shut, they can always open again....

Or you can just hop the fence. Y'know. It's a gate, not a door. The critical weakness gates have is that there's a sky above them.

Incidentally, the dub of this film is... complicated. Dub team cut the original OVA meant to start the series, Our War Game, and the first 02 movie together into "Digimon: The Movie". So for the dub portion, we're going to be looking at the middle chunk of a larger movie that actually isn't a movie because they just hot-glued three unrelated specials together back-to-back.

We open on Odaiba, late at night. Specifically, Taichi's apartment building. A giant swirling sphere made of smoke appears in the sky, with black tendrils writhing in and out of it. Y'know, the sort of thing you generally want to see in the sky. That seems fine.

Then it cracks open like a fucking egg and we move right along to next day.

While Sora passes by the building and stops to look at it, Taichi kicks us off with some of the most stilted letter-by-letter dialogue I've ever heard.

Taichi: To So Ra. Sob Ry For The O Ther Day. Cheer Up. Ya Ga Mi Ta I Chi--huh?

Moving into a sort of office room we haven't seen before, we see that he's trying to type at his computer and doing a poor job of it. In his defense, Japanese keyboards are hard.

But in his offense, he's visibly hunt-and-peck finger-typing, where you just stare at the keyboard and poke buttons with your index finger when you find them. Taichi is clearly not used to using a computer.

Also his spelling is bad. To be fair, this is an easy mistake. He tries to write わるかった warukatta, which is one of many words you can use to apologize. However, based on his narration of his finger-typing, he types わるかつた warukatsuta. Which. Is. Not a word.

This is because of the agonizingly small difference between the letter つ tsu and the letter っ which extends the consonant of the following letter. Whoever came up with these two letters should be punched.

Once he's finished, Taichi notices another error. Squinting at the computer, he sees that his name came out 鯛血 tai chi, which means "porgy blood". That's wrong, computer.

He tries again and gets 対置 taichi, which means to contrast a thing against another.

His third try gives him 大知 Taichi which is actually the name Taichi but it's not his name Taichi. It's like having autocorrect give you "Jerry" when your name is "Jeri". Yes, but no.

Then, on the fourth try, he finally lands on his name 太一 Taichi.

I told y'all Japanese keyboards are hard. Kanji makes trying to write Japanese by typing letters insanely frustrating.

But the important thing is that it's done. Taichi's finished with his email and can--

Hikari: Writing an email? Taichi: WAUGH!!!

Taichi spins around in a panic, smacking his hand on the keyboard and inadvertently adding a little heart to the end of his name. Taichi notices the heart, then panics and throws his hands over the screen to hide it from Hikari.

Taichi: D-Don't read it without permission!

Then he realizes Hikari is nicely dressed.

Taichi: Huh? Where are you going? Hikari: A friend's birthday party. And here is a gift!

Hikari holds out a small gift-wrapped box she'll be taking with her. Taichi suddenly grabs playfully for the box, doing grabby fingers, while Hikari jerks it out of his grasp each time.

Taichi: (grabs) Gimme! Hikari: Stop it. Taichi: (grabs) Gimme! Hikari: Stop it. Taichi: (grabs) Gimme! Hikari: Stop it. Taichi: Geh....

Taichi gives up, overdramatically sighing and reclining into his chair. This leaves him vulnerable to counterattack!

Hikari: To send an email, CLICK!!!

Hikari grabs the mouse and hits the Send button, delivering Taichi's bad email - with heart icon still attached - to Sora. Then she scampers off to the next room before he can realize what she's done.

Taichi: H-Hey! Don't send it yourself! Hikari: (peeks out through doorway) Who did we send it to? Taichi: None of your business! Hikari: (pouts) That's mean... And after all that trouble teaching you how to send it, too.

Siblings, amirite? XD

The dub rearranges this scene and Koushiro's first scene, so we'll talk about their take on all this in a moment. From here, Hikari prepares to go out.

Yuuko comes home to find Hikari putting on her shoes.

Yuuko: You're going out? Hikari: Mhm. Yuuko: Be careful out there. Hikari: Yes, mom.

Hikari responds with exactly the bored tone of a child being told by their parent exactly what her parent told her. Then Hikari goes out and Yuuko comes in.

Meanwhile, Taichi's email returns undeliverable.

Taichi: Huh? Email rejected?

Taichi blames Sora for this as if she, personally, prohibited him from contacting her. Which makes sense today where blocking people online is commonplace, but was kind of a wild assumption for him to make back in the day before social media.

Taichi grabs onto his desk and angrily shakes his chair while ranting.

Taichi: What is with that jerk Sora!? Oh, you don't want to receive my emails, huh!?

He furiously shakes his chair so much it falls over and topples him to the ground in a bit of instant karma.

I have no idea what he said or did the other day but I'm with Sora.

From here, we cut to what the dub uses as the first scene of this portion of their spliced together movie.

Koushiro's tooling around on his desktop when he suddenly notices a code string appearing on his screen and going haywire.

Koushiro: What the....

It's not just him, either, as we see various other people kids around the globe at their computers seeing the same bizarre code pattern happening on their screens too.

Koushiro: D... Digimon...?

Slowly, like apicture being pulled up slowly back in the day, the resolution on the image at the center of the pattern increases line by line until what is clearly a Digitama becomes visible.

Oh shit? No. We're not at "Oh shit" yet. Oh shit is when the shell suddenly cracks, revealing a single yellow eye, and popping up a text box reading "HELLO" in English.

For the dub, Kari has the unfortunate job of trying to string this together with the original OVA and Hurricane Touchdown by providing voice-over narration. Once the OVA wraps up, Kari picks this scene to start us out on.

Kari (V.O.): It was another DigiDestined, Izzy, who first noticed there was trouble. Izzy: Huh!? (Izzy notices the borked code) Izzy: Prodigious! A computer virus on the internet! Wait a minute... Wow, it's attacking something! Huh, let me see if I can get an image of its target.... (Izzy pulls up the weird grid effect and we see other kids seeing the same thing) Kari (V.O.): Izzy wasn't the only one tracking the virus. The whole world was watching! But no one was prepared for what was about to happen. Izzy: Looks like... A Digi-Egg! Where'd that come from!? Wow! The virus is causing the egg to develop abnormally fast! I think it's gonna hatch! (The egg hatches and pops up its email screen) Digitized Voice: Hello!

A lot of extra dialogue here. Barely anything is spoken in the original version of this scene, but Izzy introduces a separate, unrelated virus occurring simultaneously alongside the generation of the Digi-Egg. This virus then... fuses with the Egg or something to make it hatch into what it's about to become.

This seems like a random detail they suddenly invented, but it... kind of fits in with what's really happening here? It's not correct. The Digitama is not being attacked by a virus. But I see where they were coming from, and we'll get into that in a bit when Koushiro gives us more detail on what he found.

From there, we go to the first scene with Tai.

Kari (V.O.): Across town, Tai and another DigiDestined, Sora, were facing their own problem. Tai: (narrating his typing) Dear Sora. I'm sorry about what happened. I haven't felt this bad since the time I accidentally threw up in your hat and didn't tell you about it before you put it on. I know our relationship has been a little stormy lately. You say you love thunder showers so what's a few raindrops between friends? Love, Tai. Tai: Love!? I mean 'From'! I mean... ugh.... Kari: Who are you writing to, Tai?

Tai's email is way more verbose and competently written than Taichi's. While also having him confess to something a lot worse than yelling rudely about her.

The dub cuts the bit with Taichi repeatedly having to correct the spelling of his name. Makes sense; That moment requires the audience to be able to read Kanji, which is a tall order for American 10-year-olds.

When he suddenly whips around, they add an edited shot of an English email where his finger accidentally changes the "From" back to "Love". I guess he accidentally hit Ctrl-Z.

Tai: (frantically covers his screen) I-It's just an email joke! What are you doing in here anyway, Kari? Kari: I wanted to show you my new dress! I'm going to a birthday party! (shows Tai the present) I got my friend a pink Power Ranger! Tai: Gimme! Kari (V.O.): My brother and I had a give and take relationship. I would give and he would take. Tai: (gives up after three tries) Eh, who cares? Kari: If you want to send an email, you have to click this! CLICK! (Kari clicks the Send button and runs for it) Tai: AUGH!!! I WASN'T GONNA SEND THAT LETTER!!! Kari: (teasing) Then what did you write it for? Tai: Oh, go to your party! Kari: (pout) Okay.

Not sure why Tai was writing an email he had no intention of sending, but this bit is pretty close to the original.

From here, the dub cuts out the scene if Hikari saying goodbye to Yuuko and we go straight to Tai angrily vibrating himself to the floor.

Tai: (Message being sent) I can't believe Sora's gonna read my letter! (Message returns undeliverable) Tai: Wait a minute. Unable to deliver? (furious) I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S NOT GONNA READ MY LETTER!!! YOU TRY AND TELL A GIRL YOU'RE SORRY AND YOUR COMPUTER SHUTS YOU DOWN--WAUGH!!!

Here, the dub changes the angle of Tai's frustration. Taichi inexplicably blames Sora and yells at her for the message bouncing back, while Tai more accurately blames the computer for his troubles.

This would make Tai come off looking a lot better than Taichi but... he did throw up in her hat without telling her. So.

I can't do a "Sora will remember this" bit about Taichi yelling at her because she is not present for it. But she most definitely will remember the puke hat incident.

Now the two versions are synched up and it's time for ONE LAST "BUTTERFLY" before 02 changes out the opening credits!

This movie inexplicably has two titles on its title card. The Japanese text here is ぼくらのウォーゲーム Bokura no Uou Geemu!" Those last two words are "War Game"; That's, uh, that's just what happens when an English word gets localized into Katakana and then literally translated back into English.

The first word, in Hirogana, is ぼくら Bokura which is a pluralization of ぼく Boku, a first-person pronoun. So the title is literally "Our War Game". But for some reason the title card also contains the English title "Children's War Game". No idea why.

While the credits play, we get our first hint of what all the Chosen Children are up to these days. Sora's still out for her walk. She passes a row of TV screens showing a flowery meadow and stops to check her hair in the mirror next to them. Then she continues on her way, oblivious to the newly hatched Digimon which has now taken over the screens.

Jou's waiting on a train platform for his ride. It pulls into the station and he gets ready to board, but the doors never open. He exchanges a momentary look of WTF with an adult man onboard, as eager to get off as Jou is to get on, before the train takes off once more.

Mimi's apartment is abandoned, and has been for quite some time. The mail slot is overstuffed with mail and the family's heart-shaped nameplate falls off the wall.

Someone on the dub team takes this opportunity to insert their ship into the movie. The big heart-shaped pink thing on the wall is the family nameplate. It has the name Tachikawa in big bold print, then each of the family member's individual names in smaller print underneath.

The dub drew their own version of the nameplate, but theirs reads: To: Mimi From: Joe

The sound you hear is the sound of me throwing things. IT'S THE FAMILY FUCKING NAMEPLATE. IT IS NOT A LOVE LETTER.

Koushiro puts those soccer legs to work and sprints full-tilt to Taichi's apartment, laptop under his arm.

Yamato and Takeru are away together, presumably at their grandmother's. Takeru's traded out his green helmet cap thing for the white hat that will form part of his new look next series.

Lastly, Hikari shows up to her friend's party with present in hand.

The dub's in kind of a sticky spot here because this is an opening credits sequence and very much shot like one but we are 20 minutes into a "feature-length movie" so it would be weird for an opening credit sequence to suddenly happen now.

Their solution? FLASH MOB MOTHERFUCKERS. The plot is being put on hold so that we can spontaneously throw a music video. Specifically, One Week by the Barenaked Ladies, presumably as a reflection of Tai's emotional state..

That's fun. At the end of the day, OPs are just precisely contextual music videos anyway. The song is very 90's and, far more importantly, is not Hey Digimon. I'll take it.

Once the OP's over, we rejoin Taichi in the kitchen. He opens the fridge to see various containers and then, like the child he literally is, complains to his mother who is actively unpacking groceries that it's empty.

Taichi: Hey... There's nothing to eat.... Yuuko: Hm? Taichi: (sighs, whines) Hikari~ is going to a birthday party where she gets to eat cake.... Yuuko: I can bake you a cake. Taichi: Yeah? Yuuko: Yes, really. Take out some eggs.

Both "That jerk Sora" earlier and this "Hikari~" are translations of adding の奴 no yatsu to the end of someone's name. Yatsu is a third-person pronoun that basically means they/them but in a condescending or disrespectful tone.

"That guy", but not like "Who is that guy?" but rather "What's with that guy?"

So, like, a literal translation would be "What is with that Sora person!?" and "That Hikari person gets to have cake". Calling Sora a jerk and adding a jealous little sneer to Hikari's name is the best translation equivalent I can come up with.

Taichi takes a single egg out of the fridge, but then the doorbell rings. Distracted, he leaves the kitchen, taking the single egg with him.

Yuuko: Let's see, I bought some wheat flour....

Taichi reaches the door just before Koushiro loses patience and yanks the door open himself. Which really goes to show how freaked out he is because this is Izumi "Infinite Decorum" Koushiro just ripping someone else's door open.

Taichi: Hey, Koushiro. Come on in. Koushiro: T-The egg! Taichi: Huh? Koushiro: THE EGG HATCHED!!!

Confusion printed on his face, Taichi's eyes ever so slowly wander down to the egg in his hand.

Koushiro: NO!!! THE DIGITAMA!!!

Finally, one more credit slide saves them from having to animate Koushiro entering the apartment, and we merely get to hear Yuuko notice him.

Yuuko: Oh, welcome, Koushiro-kun. Koushiro: Thank you.

It's left unclear whether Taichi ever finished taking the eggs out of the fridge like his mother told him to, but we'll give him the benefit of doubt. He wanted that cake.

In the dub:

Tai: Ugh... Mom? Yuuko: Hmm? Tai: Can I make a complaint? Yuuko: Hm? Tai: Well, Kari's eating birthday cake right now and all we have is leftover tofu. Yuuko: I can make you a cake, Tai. Hand me an egg, please. Tai: (distraught) NO!!! Yuuko: I needed to use up the rest of the wheat germ anyway. Tai: (disturbed) Ngggh.... (dingdong; Tai retrieves an egg) Yuuko: You get the door and I'll start on that cake! (Tai goes to the door; Izzy yanks it open) Tai: Izzy, you're all sweaty. What's wrong? Izzy: (breathing heavily) Well it's... about the egg.... Tai: Huh? Izzy: The egg has already hatched! (Tai slowly looks at the egg in his hand) Izzy: NO, NOT THAT EGG!!! A DIGI-EGG!!!

Because it happens over a credits slide, Yuuko's greeting to Koushiro gets cut.

Izzy does a good job with the egg gag. I admit, I was kinda hoping the much more rude Izzy would call Tai an idiot here. But I still like what we got.

Tai's reaction to Yuuko baking a cake is part of a running gag in the dub film, where Yuuko's culinary practices... leave something to be desired, let's say. Yuuko is planning to bake a cake using only one egg and "the rest of the wheat germ", however much that is.

Which is funny because in the original series, it's the Tachikawa family that has a running gag of culinary horror. Mimi's mother Satoe routinely inflicts whatever random kitchen experiments strike her brain on Keisuke and Mimi, both of whom adore her concoctions and devour them regardless of what comes out. The result is that Mimi herself has let's say esoteric opinions about how to properly prepare tasty food.

Taichi and Koushiro move into Taichi and Hikari's bedroom to check out the newborn Digimon.

Koushiro uses Netscape as his web browser. Oh my god, do you remember Netscape!? God, I'm old. In any case, Taichi and Koushiro discuss the new Digimon while munching on popsicles.

Taichi: Ha! What's that thing? It looks like a jellyfish. Koushiro: It's a new kind of Digimon that we've never seen before. Taichi: It's pretty cute! So, what about it? Koushiro: It looks like computer bugs from everywhere have gathered together in one place and formed the Digitama.

This, I think, is where the dub got "A virus is attacking the Digitama and it's causing it to develop abnormally fast." A shitton of computer bugs (bugs, not viruses) happened at once all across the internet and merged together to form this... eerie computer bug Digitama, which has now hatched into our jellyfish 'mon.

Taichi: How do you know that? Koushiro: One of my email nakama who lives in Russia analyzed the data structure from the eggshell. They're still in elementary school, but they already have a seat reserved for them at university. Taichi: (grumpy) I'm in elementary school too, but I only go to elementary school.

Yeah, and that's probably not changing any time soon, my guy.

We're not getting any rundowns on this creature, so now would be a good time to talk shop. Officially, this creature is called Kuramon. The name comes from the word 海月 kurage which means jellyfish. Taichi basically named it a moment ago.

Like Apocalymon, it's not really a Digimon in the typical sense. It has no attribute or classification. It's not a vaccine, a virus, or data, but a secret fourth thing. As Koushiro said, it's made of bugs.

In Pokemon terms, this is MissingNo. And yes, you should be very concerned about that.

In what was most certainly a promotional decision, this creature's debut is split between the card game and the film. Some of its forms were released in a booster from February 2000, then the film came out in March 2000, and then the rest of its forms were released in another booster in April 2000.

The dub explains it like this:

Izzy: My Digimon Analyzer doesn't even recognize it. Tai: It looks like a cross between a jellyfish and a contact lens. Izzy: I think it's part-Digimon, part-virus. Tai: A Digimon with a virus. So? Izzy: Are you kidding!? If it stays on the internet, it could wipe out all technology as we know it! Tai: If it just hatched, how do you know about all this stuff? Izzy: This kid I met on the internet emailed me. His name is Willis and he lives in Colorado. I don't know where he gets his information. He's smart, though. He's only in elementary school but he's already taking classes at Colorado State! Tai: (bitterly) ...so what? I'm in junior high school and I take classes at junior high school!

Koushiro's email colleague in Russia's been rewritten to be an American named Willis. This is to better fit it into the feature-length film mold that they glued these three OVAs into. "Willis" is a character from Hurricane Touchdown, and so they're name-dropping him here in order to set up his appearance further in the "film".

As for Kuramon? In the dub's continuity it is... (heavy sigh) ...half-Digimon, half-virus.

VIRUSES ARE A TYPE OF DIGIMON OH MY GOD (sound of throwing things) This is like introducing a new evolution for Dratini and calling it "half-Pokemon and half-dragon". What are we doing here.

I do, however, appreciate Izzy calling out that the Digimon Analyzer has no idea what this is. All Koushiro says is "we haven't seen this before". But. Like. That's hardly conclusive. It's not like they saw every Digimon in the entire Digital World during their Chosen Children drafting, right?

Izzy cuts the ambiguity and says "I checked the Wiki and it just had a shrug emoji, so there's that."

Suddenly, Kuramon's screen beeps and it changes form.

Taichi: It evolved!

Now in its Baby II form, the creature is Tsumemon. Named for the word 爪 tsume, which means claw or talon.

Tsumemon sends Koushiro an email. The subject line reads オナカスイタ onakasuita which means absolutely nothing because it's in Katakana, and Katakana letters are just context-free sounds. However, in Hirogana and Kanji, お腹すいた Onaka suita means "I'm hungry."

(Hahahaha it's become Koushiro's involuntary Virtual Pet! Hahahahahahaha! Have fun with your new Tamagotchi, my guy!)

Koushiro: This... It's an email from the jellyfish! (reading) Onaka suita.... Taichi: Huh!? It's hungry!? Koushiro: It grows by eating data! And it has a huge appetite... It's only at Baby stage, but if it keeps evolving like this, it could devour all the data on the network! Taichi: ...what happens after the data gets corrupted? Koushiro: All of the computers will go haywire!

While the boys talk, Tsumemon chews its way through a visual representation of the internet. We cut to the convenience store FactoryMark to show a young woman ringing up a purchase.

Checker: (bored tone) Welcome. That will be 125 yen--Ah!

She does a double take at the register screen, then reads off the "correct" amount.

Checker: (counting zeroes) One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand. (to customer) That will be 1,000,125 yen.

The man, very reasonably, freezes in place and drops his money out of shock. For conversion's sake, an $0.80 purchase just jacked up to about $6,400. So either Martin Shkreli just hit Japan or something is way the fuck wrong.

It's okay. You don't have to get it. Sometimes you write jokes for you.

Other supermarkets encounter similar errors, with all their products suddenly being priced at a million yen. We see checkout lines held up by furious customers.

Customer: Why should I have to pay so much!?

Back in the Yagami home, the unbelievably fast news reports on the event.

News: Systems are malfunctioning in supermarkets and convenience stores all across the country.

In the dub:

Izzy: Look! The jellyfish Digivolved! Tai: He's sending an email! It says "I'm hungry!" What, am I supposed to call for a pizza?

The dub rewrites the email to read "I'm Hungry!" in English.

Izzy: Oh, no! He's eating computer data! And when he's done in this buffet line, he's gonna look for a database with more food! Tai: More food!? What does he expect to find, a grocery store!? (Cut to FactoryMark convenience store) Checker: Okay, that's one box of chocolate. Your total comes to one million, one hundred--HUH!? Yeah, that's what it says. That must be really good chocolate. Paper or plastic? Customer: What, it was supposed to, whuh... (drops money in shock)

They snip out the shots of other stores from here and go straight home to the Kamiya residence.

News: In supermarkets all over the city, computer systems are failing causing congestion at the registers. And now for the weather.

As usual, Izzy's not great with the exposition. "Tsumemon will go looking for a larger database" is cut from the same cloth, but doesn't quite capture the same sense of urgency as "Tsumemon will evolve and grow and devour more and more until it's eaten the entire network."

Though I do love the checker shrugging off the upcharge like, "Hm, seems legit." XD

Yuuko, carrying a tray with two glasses of indeterminate brown liquid on it, pays the report a little bit of mind before returning her attention to the door in front of her.

Yuuko: Taichi, I'm coming in.

She steps inside just in time for Taichi to nearly bowl her over on his way out the door.

Yuuko: AH!!! Taichi: Excuse me! Yuuko: What's this all of a sudden? Taichi: We're using Dad's PC!

Koushiro bolts past her next.

Yuuko: (holding out the tray) Well, at least take these with you.

Koushiro stops, doubles back, and snatches a glass from the tray. He chugs it right there on the spot, then returns the empty glass to the tray.

(That's not what she asked you to do, Koushiro.)

Yuuko: Oh my, you were thirsty! Koushiro: Thank you!

When Koushiro enters the office, he finds Taichi inspecting the computer's monitor and trying to figure out how to turn it on.

Taichi: Let's see... How does.... Koushiro: I'll handle it. Taichi: Please. I have no idea....

Koushiro lifts the monitor off Susumu's desk and sets it on the floor, then does the same with the tower.

Koushiro: This is connected to the phone line, right? Taichi: Oh, yeah. With ISDN or something like that.

That's all Koushiro needs to hear. He switches on the tower, and both it and the modem come to life.

In the dub, we start with more of Yuuko's culinary experiments.

Yuuko: Tai! I made beef jerky shakes! (Yuuko enters; Tai exits) Tai: No thanks, mom! Yuuko: Where are you going? Tai: We need to use Dad's computer! (Izzy goes past her) Yuuko: Don't you want your shake!? Izzy: Ooh! (Izzy doubles back and chugs a glass) Yuuko: I'm glad someone appreciates my recipes. Izzy: Thanks, Mrs. Kamiya! (Izzy enters the office to find Tai trying to turn the computer on) Tai: We gotta be careful with my dad's stuff. Izzy: (bluntly) Get out of my way! (Izzy lifts the computer stuff off the desk) Izzy: A Digimon is eating the internet and you're worried about a few books!? Tai: But my dad likes his mess where it is. Izzy: (ignoring him) We'll have more capabilities if we network our computers together.

But at least Izzy appreciates her jerky shakes. And then immediately gets to show off how rude and thoughtless he is in this version when him tearing the computer stuff off the desk gets recontextualized.

Once Koushiro's done setting up the desktop, he takes out his laptop. Taichi has questions.

Taichi: Could we just delete that jellyfish thing off the internet? Koushiro: Delete it? How? Taichi: We tell the phone company or some computer experts about the jellyfish and-- Koushiro: That's pointless. My email colleague in Russia told a lot of people about it, but they wouldn't listen.

I dunno, Koushiro. I feel like people might be more inclined to listen in goddamn Odaiba, which was laid to waste by a colossal Dracula kaiju last summer. Might just be me, though.

As the boys reconnect to the internet, they find their jellyfish has evolved once again. This next stage is called Keramon, named for the onomatopoeia for wicked cackling, kerakera. This is fine.

They also, side note, find Keramon at what appears to be the official website for FactoryMark, having devoured everything and left the page blank but for Keramon's own rotating visage. This poor company.

Taichi: It's already evolved again! Koushiro: This must be its Child-stage. Taichi: That's bad... This is bad, Koushiro! Koushiro: Unless we defeat it now.... Taichi: How!? Koushiro: Well... Uh.... Taichi: Are we just going to sit here and watch while this thing keeps evolving!?

Koushiro has no answer. The boys sit in silence, thinking.

In the dub:

Tai: Hey, Izzy! Why don't we just call up the Digimon on the screen and then hit delete? Izzy: Don't you think I tried that!? Tai: If this thing is so dangerous, maybe we should call someone important like the principal or Bill Gates or someone-- Izzy: They won't listen! That kid Willis warned his internet carrier about the new Digimon. They said, "Great! Let's sign him up and give him fifty free hours!" (Izzy connects and brings up Keramon) Izzy: Alright! We're online! Tai: He's Digivolved again! Keramon: My name is Keramon. Izzy: I think he's at the Rookie level. Tai: This soon!? He's Digivolving too quickly! Izzy: He's probably at a fast food website.

Convenience store but I'm sure he's still finding great consumable products all the same. Oh shit, I bet that's why the cheddarwurst is always gone already whenever I walk down there. Fucking Keramon.

Tai: Now what!? Izzy: Nothing now. Tai: You mean we have to sit here and watch that thing eat the world out of house and home page!?

They say a lot of the same things in this bit, but jokier. I desperately want to know what Tai expects the school principal to do about Keramon.

Also they gave Keramon a line for some reason.

There is one odd translation choice. In the original, Koushiro stammers and stutters when Taichi asks what they can actually do about this. He doesn't know, and he struggles to find an answer.

Izzy confidently asserts that they should do nothing. Uh. That. Seems like a bad idea, Izzy. Why are we even scoping Keramon out if the plan is inaction? Academic interest?

While the boys sit in silence, an air raid siren blares in the background. They don't seem to notice. Eventually, Taichi speaks up.

Taichi: If only Agumon were here right now.... Agumon: Taichi. Taichi: (whine) Aaaaaagumoooooon! Agumon: Taichi! Taichi: If only you were here! Agumon: TAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICHI!!!

Taichi finally hears him on the third try. He jumps to his feet, frantically looking around the office.

Taichi: Agumon!? Is that you!? Hey! Where are you!? Koushiro: Taichi-san, here!

Koushiro calls Taichi's attention to the laptop.

Taichi: AGUMON!!!

A window pops up with the cute title "デジモンさんのかくれが Digimon-san no kakure ka" or Digimon-san's Hideout. We see Gennai's bonsai garden from his secret estate beneath the lake, where a cute little chibi Agumon is standing with Gennai.

Agumon: (jumps for joy) TAICHIIIIIIIIIIII!!! (Taichi and Koushiro breathe sighs of relief) Taichi: Agumon! Koushiro: Gennai-san.... Gennai: It's been a long time, hasn't it? Tentomon: (appears in a puff of pink smoke) Koushiro-han, have you been well? Koushiro: Tentomon!

The door opens and the remaining six Partner Digimon all spill out into the bonsai garden. Taichi tries to count them off as they enter but gives up partway.

Taichi: Piyomon! Gabumon! Palmon! ...everyone's here!

In a cute little visual reference, five of the remaining six Partners enter the garden in single file. However, there's about a second's delay before Tailmon, separate from the others, finally enters as well.

In the dub, there's no long silence or air raid siren. Tai cuts straight from his previous rambling to:

Tai: I wish Agumon was here to help us! Agumon: Tai! Tai: I can almost hear him now. Agumon: You can hear me now! Tai: It's like he was here. Agumon: I am here. Tai: Huh!? (Tai jumps up and looks around) Agumon! I can barely hear you! Take me off speaker phone! Izzy: It's a transmission! Tai: Huh!? Izzy: From the Digital World. (Izzy pulls up the Digimon's Hideout screen) Agumon: (jumping for joy) Tai! Tai! (Taichi and Izzy breathe sighs of relief) Tai: Agumon! Izzy: And he's with Gennai! Gennai: It's been a long time! Tentomon: (appears in a puff of pink smoke) Don't forget me! Izzy: Tentomon! Tai: Who else is there? (The other Digimon enter) Biyomon: Biyomon! Gabumon: Gabumon! Palmon: Palmon! Patamon: Patamon! Gomamon: Gomamon! Gatomon: Gatomon!

Solid. No notes.

Now that the Digi-gang's all here, let's talk shop.

Gennai: So, do you know about this guy? Koushiro: Yes. It's a new kind of Digimon on the net, right? Gennai: Ohohohoho! Just as I expected. Agumon: Listen, Taichi. That is a tremendously evil Digimon. Tentomon: We can't just leave it alone! Koushiro: Yeah, but how do we defeat this thing? Agumon: Taichi. We'll fight. Taichi: Agumon? But.... Gabumon: We'll go inside the internet.... Patamon: ...just like how you guys saved the Digital World.... Tentomon: ...now it's our turn to help you! Koushiro: Tentomon....

Taichi and Koushiro are both silent for a moment while they mull over the Digimon's suggestion. Then Taichi snaps into leadership mode.

Taichi: Got it. We're counting on you guys. You're the only ones who can do this! Koushiro, your Digivice? Koushiro: (holds up Digivice) I brought it, of course.

Ready to go to work, Taichi dramatically pulls up his Goggles of Leadership from around his neck and snaps them onto his forehead.

Taichi: Great! We'll evolve you with our Digivices! Digimon: Okay! Gennai: Great! I'll start sending our friends into the network now, so hold off for a moment.

Gennai conjures up columns of light that the Digimon can enter, transporting them into the internet.

Taichi: Yes! This is great. I'll go let everyone else know.

While the Digimon get into position, Taichi heads off to the phone to start making some calls.

In the dub:

Gennai: We need to talk! Something's threatening the internet! Izzy: We know! The Digimon's already caused some major problems in our world. Gennai: I'm not sure it is a Digimon. Agumon: But it is dangerous. The evil Dark Masters were cupcakes compared to this guy! Tai: That's it, then! Let's do it! Gabumon: We found a way to enter the internet. Patamon: We'll help you guys because you were the best friends we ever had! Tentomon: What better way to express friendship than to save your world? Izzy: Tentomon.... Tentomon: (tearing up) Please don't get so emotional! Tai: Thanks a lot, guys. You won't be alone! We'll be right here on the computer. Izzy, Digivice! Izzy: (holds up his Digivice) I'm one step ahead of you, Tai! Tai: (dramatically puts on goggles) Our Digivices will help you Digivolve and together we'll squash that bug! Digimon: (miscellaneous cheering) Gennai: It will take a minute for Agumon and Tentomon to get on the net. My modem's older than I am! Tai: I'll call the other DigiDestined so their Digimon can help too!

A subtle switch, but in the original, the Digimon were going to help to repay the favor from the children saving their world. In the dub, it's to repay their friendship.

Also, Dub Agumon brings up the Dark Masters in order to use them as a yardstick for how much more ultra-mega-terrible Keramon is than they were. In the original, there is no escalatory threat-measuring contest here. Agumon simply calls Keramon 巨悪 kyoaku, a great evil.

Lastly, Gennai suggests that Keramon may not even be a Digimon. This is probably because Dub Keramon is "half-virus, half-Digimon" so its nature is weird. Its nature is weird in the original too, but that's because it's made of bugs instead of vaccine, virus, or data.

Time for Taichi to start making calls, beginning with Jou-senpai.

Taichi: (on the phone) Ah, moshi moshi! This is Yagami. Is Jou there? ...eh? Entrance exams? Entrance exams for... middle school...? Yes, I understand. (hangs up)

Moshi moshi is a Japanese phone greeting. We've talked about it before, but it's just a thing you say when talking to someone on the phone, specifically. It start out basically meaning something like "Sound check, 1, 2, 3," to make sure you were clearly audible and then evolved into a context-free social tradition.

Yeah. All that studying for entrance exams that was so important to Jou? Today is the fucking day. This is where Jou was going when Tsumemon made him miss his train. These tests will play a pivotal role in deciding the entire course of his future.

We see Jou sprinting for dear life, barely making it into the school when all other students are already seated and taking their tests. He races for dear life to his seat, frantically whipping out his pencil case so he can try his best.

In the dub:

Tai: Hi, this is Tai Kamiya! Can I speak to Joe, please? Other Person: (unintelligible gibberish) Tai: A test!? He's the only kid I know who volunteers for summer school! (hangs up)

The shots of Jou frantically sprinting into the school and trying to get to his seat are cut out, but the part where he opens his pencil case and accidentally sprays pencils everywhere is kept. They also add an anguished wail from Joe.

So, in this version, Joe's out-of-reach because he likes to do extra schooling for funsies. He's not panicking because the train made him late for a life-changing event he cannot afford to miss; He just spilled his pencils 'cause he's a clumsy goober.

This meshes with how the original anime portrayed his studying for the entrance exams, but drastically undercuts how important these tests are for him.

With Jou out of reach, Taichi tries Yamato next.

Taichi: Eh? Yamato is out? He's with Takeru? Where? ...eh!? SHIMANE!?!?

Yeah, they're way the fuck across Japan. Shimane is out on the west side of the island nation. It would take them about ten hours to get back to Odaiba by train.

Koushiro: Shimane.... Taichi: I'm sorry, do you have a phone number I can reach them at? Yuuko: Koushiro-kun, would you like some Oolong tea? Koushiro: Ah, yes, please.

Taichi gets the number and punches it in.

Taichi: (muttering) Pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up Yuuko: (background) Here you go. Koushiro: (background) Thank you. (The line picks up) Taichi: AH!!! MOSHI MOSHI!!!

Unfortunately for Taichi, it's the old woman - presumably the boys' grandma - who picked up.

Grandma: (slowly) Who is calling? Taichi: It's Yagami from Tokyo! Sorry to bother you-- Grandma: (slowly) Could you please repeat that? Taichi: Um, could you please put Yamato and Takeru on? Grandma: Ah! Those are my grandsons. They're such good boys. Yamato: (noticing) Who is it? Taichi: Excuse me, but there's something very important I need to tell them! Grandma: I see.

Finally getting the message, Grandma hangs the phone back up on the receiver and turns to the boys.

Grandma: Yamato!

Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Taichi is frozen in appalled silence for five straight seconds.

Taichi: (hissing furiously) ...she hung up....

This is not going well. XD

In the dub:

Tai: Hi! Is Matt or T.K. there? Other Person: (unintelligible gibberish) Tai: They're visiting their grandmother in the country? Other Person: (unintelligible gibberish) Izzy: HEY TAI!!! Any luck yet? Yuuko: Would you like a glass of potato juice, Izzy? Izzy: Great! I'd love some!

I don't know which home Tai thought he was calling where he could ask for "Matt or T.K.".

Also, Izzy suddenly yelling "HEY TAI" while Tai's on a phone call. Rude. I love how Tai just ignores him and then Yuuko makes him drink potatoes. The Yuuko gag is quickly turning into well-deserved karma for Izzy's rudeness.

Tai: (muttering) Be there be there be there be there be there be there be there be there be there be there (gasp) Ooh! Hello there! This is Tai! Grandmother: You're selling ties? Tai: No, my name is Tai. I'm looking for Matt or T.K. Grandmother: That's a coincidence! Those are my grandkids' names. Tai: That's great! Are they there? Grandmother: Mhm. Tai: Right now!? Grandmother: Mhm. Tai: Can I talk to them!? Grandmother: Oh, I'd love to talk to them too. They're here visiting me. Tai: Please, I need to speak to them right away! Grandmother: Okay, I'll tell them. (Grandma hangs up) Grandmother: KIIIIIDS!!! ... Tai: (hissing furiously) ...I can't take this....

Dub Grandma has an even harder time grasping this conversation than the original.

Moving on down the list.

Yuuko: Koushiro-kun, aren't you going anywhere for spring break? Koushiro: No, nowhere in particular. Yuuko: There isn't anywhere you want to go?

A familiar conversation for anyone who's ever been an introverted kid.

This brief exchange sets our timeframe, in case Jou's entrance exams didn't already give it away; In Japan, the ending of one school year and beginning of the next is framed around spring break, rather than summer vacation as it is in the U.S.

We've moved forward about eight or nine months from the original series.

Taichi places his next call. However, as we've already seen, nobody's at the Tachikawa residence to collect the mail or pick up the phone, nor have they been in days.

Taichi: Alright, next up! (dials) Ah, moshi moshi! Mimi: (recording) This is Mimi! I can't take your call right now! (beep) Taichi: Mimi-chan! It's Taichi! Call me back as soon as you can! (hangs up) Man, every one of them....

An interesting note is that Mimi's iconic pink cowboy hat is hanging up in her bedroom. Not only did she not take it with her, but... Like... She has it. Last we saw that hat, the wind whipped it off her head and sent it tumbling across File Island. It never left the Digital World.

So I guess she must have got a new one.

In the dub:

Yuuko: You know, Izzy, I can never get Tai to try any of my recipes. Izzy: I think they taste great. Yuuko: (excited) Wanna try my spinach cookies? Tai: (excited) I GOT MIMI'S MACHINE!!! Mimi: (recording) Hi, it's Mimi! I'm so glad you called. Let's get together for lunch! Leave a very short message after the beep! (beep) Tai: MIMI I-- (beep) (Tai hangs up) Tai: (growl) Rrrrrgh. That girl loves to talk!

"Leave a very short message after the beep" might be the funniest joke in dub history thus far. XD What the fuck, Mimi. Why. Who does that. Why. Hahahahahahahahahahaha

Little confused by Tai's punchline, though. The intent is clearly "Teen girls be yappin' on their phones" boomer-humor, which was all over the place in the 80's and 90's. But I don't see how that connects to the setup of Mimi's absurdly short answering machine window.

Taichi's running out of options at this point. With one obvious and glaring omission he hasn't yet tried, and still won't. Time to keep going down the list. Meanwhile, over in the kitchen, Koushiro's sifting flour while Yuuko works on whipping her cake batter.

Yuuko: (cheerfully) Sorry you had to pitch in! Taichi: Hey! Do you know the phone number to the house Hikari went to for the birthday party? Koushiro: (sifting) Like this? Yuuko: That's right. Don't let it get lumpy. Taichi: COME ON, MOM!!! Yuuko: Right, yes... There should be a note over there. Uri-san's house. Taichi: (rifles through phone desk, grumbling) What is wrong with everyone....

At the birthday girl's house, everyone's gathered around a giant cake, clapping and celebrating.

Girls: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The birthday girl takes a deep breath, then stops when she realizes one of them is missing. Hikari is over on the phone.

One of the Girls: (hissing) Hikari-chan! Hikari: (to phone) I can't come home yet. We haven't even blown out the candles on the birthday cake yet. Taichi: I see. Then come home right after the candles are blown out!

But her social life!

How about you learn how to do the white glowy trick where you can evolve everyone's Digimon and not just your own?

In the dub:

Yuuko: (to Izzy) You're a real natural in the kitchen. Just like me. Ha! Tai: Mom, I need to get a hold of Kari right away! Did she take your cellphone with her? Izzy: So, do I have enough of this stuff? Yuuko: Beats me. It's the first time I've used flour to bake a cake! Tai: MOM!!! Yuuko: Of course she's got it in case of emergency. Tai: (rifles through phone desk, grumbling) Emergency...? What does she think this is!? (Tai makes the call) Girls: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! (clapclapclap) Make a wish! Blow 'em out!

The dub adds the sound of a phone interrupting the candle-blowing. In the original, it's the birthday girl's landline so there's an implication that someone came and told her that there was a call for her. She probably didn't answer the phone herself.

But since they rewrote the phone Kari's on to be Yuuko's personal cell phone, they can have Kari rudely answer it during the candle-blowing for comedic effect.

Girl: (hissing) Call them back! Kari: I can't come home! You don't understand. The magician's coming over later and I've already volunteered to be sawed in half. Tai: Whatever! Just tell the half with feet to run home soon!

This flows pretty well. The shot of Kari on the phone only shows the receiver, so the animation doesn't contradict the rewritten context. And the "half with feet" bit is another pretty good joke.

Dub team is also having a lot of fun with the "Izzy and Yuuko in the kitchen" shots.

Well, that's it. There's only one last call to make. The one Taichi can't make. This is the big one.

Taichi: KOUSHIRO!!! Koushiro: Eh? Taichi: Uh, you see... Could you please call Sora's home? Koushiro: Sora-san? Shouldn't you do that? Taichi: Just do it! Here!

Taichi flings the phone directly at Koushiro's face. Koushiro yelps, catches it, and slowly exhales. Then, very confused, he starts punching in the number.

Taichi lumbers over and grumpily takes a seat at the table.

Yuuko: Oh? Are you inviting any more friends? Taichi: I want an Oolong tea too! Yuuko: You won't even answer me?

Oh boy, I do not like the way this boy talks to his mother in this special. So far, we've seen him push past her in the doorway, ignore her questions, and yell at her for not answering him. Now he slumps down in his chair, doesn't even look at her, blows off her question, and demands tea.

All while she's trying to bake a cake because Taichi was complaining that Hikari got to go have one today.

Taichi is a child, so I won't fault him too much for behaving childishly. But this all raises uncomfortable questions about what he's learning from Susumu, since children emulate their role models and all that.

Koushiro makes the call, which Sora's mother Toshiko answers.

Toshiko: Okay, I just have to let her know to call the Yagami residence, right? (Sora comes in the front door) Toshiko: Oh, one moment. She just got back.

Cutting back to Koushiro, he can clearly hear Sora on the other end of the line.

Sora: Who is it? Toshiko: It's from the Yagami residence. Sora: Hm.... (beat) Sora: Tell them I'm not home. Toshiko: But-- Sora: Just do it!

Sora storms into her room and slams the door.

Toshiko: (returning to phone) Uh... She asked me to tell you that she isn't home.

Back in the Yagami apartment, Koushiro ends the call and tries to get Taichi to explain what's going on, while Yuuko continues mixing her cake batter in the kitchen.

Koushiro: Did something happen? Taichi: Not really.... Koushiro: Something must have happened. Taichi: Nothing happened. Koushiro: At a time like this, could you please stop bickering.

Taichi blushes hard and snaps at Koushiro for that remark.

Taichi: WE'RE NOT BICKERING!!! Koushiro: (to himself) Definitely bickering. (Taichi stands up suddenly, nervously shaking) Taichi: A-Anyways, uh... Hey, isn't it about time?

The implication Koushiro's making is that Taichi and Sora are having a lovers' spat. An implication that Taichi catches, which causes him to react the way he does.

Meanwhile, in her room, Sora pops open her own little tablet computer. She fidgets nervously, twirling a hairclip in her hand, until her computer tells her that no emails have been received.

Sora: (angrily) Stupid Taichi!

Sora slams the tablet shut, clenching her fist around the hairpin.

Whatever happened between them, Sora's pretty upset about it too. I'm not sure if Taichi's misspelled and extremely brief email ending in "Cheer up" would actually help, but Kuramon eating it certainly didn't.

Deliberate sabotage. Kuramon ships Taichi/Yamato, clearly.

In the dub:

Tai: Hey! Izzy! Izzy: Huh? Tai: I can't get anybody on the phone! I want you to call Sora for me! Izzy: But you and she are really good friends. It makes more sense for you to call. Tai: JUST DO IT!!! (throws the phone) (Tai marches over and slumps into his chair) Yuuko: (excited) Are more friends coming over? I'll make three-bean salad! Tai: Nobody's coming over, Mom! Yuuko: Oh. That's alright, I only have two beans anyway.

Honestly, I was kinda WTF about this Bad Cook Yuuko bit but it keeps making me laugh. It helps that Yuuko gets to be the one delivering the punchlines most of the time. They let the absurdity of her bit stand by itself and get the laugh, rather than trying to have an over-the-top reaction be the laugh line.

(Izzy makes the call) Toshiko: I'm sorry Sora's not home, but I'll tell her to call Tai's house as soon as she gets back. (Sora returns) Toshiko: Oh, hold on! She just walked in! I'll put her right on. (Cut to Izzy listening) Toshiko: Sora, I think Tai wants to speak to you. Sora: I'M NOT HOME!!! Toshiko: But I already told him you're here. Sora: THEN MAKE SOMETHING UP!!! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU TELL HIM!!! Toshiko: But Sora, I-- (Sora goes in her room and slams the door) Toshiko: ...I'm sorry, but you have the wrong number. Goodbye! (hangs up quickly)

XD That is the worst possible way you could have ended that conversation. Dub Toshiko, you absolute madwoman. Hahahahaha.

Izzy: ...Sora said she's not home. Tai: Hmph. Izzy: Did you two have an argument? Tai: None of your business. Izzy: You must have been a real jerk if she doesn't even want to talk to ya. Tai: HUH!?!? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! Izzy: Uh, I meant that in a good way.... Tai: I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S STILL MAD AT ME!!! THIS WHOLE THING STARTED OVER A LOUSY HAIRCLIP!!! Sora: (thinking) He'd better have written me! Tablet: Greetings! You have no new mail. Okay? Sora: No, it's not okay! (affectionately) Stupid Tai....

Specifically, that hairclip she's twirling while checking her computer. The clip is subtle foreshadowing for the true nature of their argument, but the dub goes ahead and spells it out for the audience.

I like how they got over the hurdle of Japanese text by installing text-to-speech accessibility software on Sora's computer.

A note about Yuuko: Both versions are playing the disconnect between Yuuko's jovial attitude and Taichi's panic for comedy. Yuuko has no idea what's going on. So far as she knows, Koushiro came over to play with Taichi and now they're trying to get some other friends together.

This isn't intentional; They aren't deliberately misleading her. There's no reason to. She already knows about the Digimon stuff. It's just that nobody's bothered to tell her, "Hey mom, some serious Digimon shit is going down."

While all this has been happening, Keramon has been a hungry little bugbear.

We cut to Odaiba landmark the Daikanransha, one of the world's largest Ferris Wheels until it was closed down in 2022. Its name means "Big Ferris Wheel". See, this is the downside of learning languages. Everything sounds so cool until you know what they're saying.

We see from the perspective of two boys and a girl. The girl, visibly the youngest, is having the time of her life but the boys look bored as shit.

Girl: So scary! Older Boy: This is lame. Younger Boy: No kidding. Older Boy: Huh? Wait, is it going faster?

Going haywire, the ferris wheel accelerates to dangerous speeds, whipping its passengers around.

Younger Boy: THIS IS SCARY!!! Girl: ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )

Hahahaha they are going to die.

On the landing in front of the apartment, Yuuko watches the giant Ferris Wheel whip around like that.

Yuuko: Taichi? Is it spinning faster than usual today?

Taichi and Koushiro sprint into the office, with Koushiro carrying their drinks on a tray. There, Hikari's cat Meeko has been watching Keramon on the screen. She scampers off as soon as the boys enter.

Agumon and Tentomon appear on the screen, ready to roll.

Koushiro: Transfer complete. Taichi: Agumon!

Inside the internet, Agumon and Tentomon soar through the dataspace on their way to Keramon. Taichi and Koushiro appear like billboards in their path.

Agumon: Taichi! Koushiro! We're here! Taichi: We're counting on you, Agumon! Koushiro: Tentomon, this is a pre-emptive strike. It hasn't noticed us yet.

No idea where the other six got off to. Tailmon's an Adult. She could probably wreck Keramon's shit even without Hikari on-hand.

The dub cuts the ferris wheel bits and jumps straight to Meeko at the computer. She seems to be surfing the kitty web.

Computer Voice: Thank you for visiting Cat Voice: MEOW Computer Voice: .com. Tai: Meeko, get down from there! (Tai and Izzy sprint to the computer) Tai: Agumon and Tentomon should be on the internet by now! (Cut to internet interior) Tentomon: Does this information superhighway have a rest stop!? I've gotta go potty! Agumon: You should have gone before we left! Just hold it! Tai: You're gonna need a password! Izzy: You can use mine to get on the internet: Prodigious! Agumon & Tentomon: PRODIGIOUS!!! Tai: THEY'RE IN!!! Agumon: So this is what the internet looks like. They need new wallpaper. Tentomon: I hope this doesn't take too long. It's my bath night!

The bit about the password is referencing another set of screens they pass, which shows a password being entered and then suddenly reads "ENTER". The original never references or explains what that's about, so the dub filled the gap.

So, so many quips.

Izzy's password would be incredibly easy to crack if you knew him personally. Which basically means that only his friends can access his stuff without his knowledge. That feels like a personal choice more than a mistake.

Arriving in the internet, it doesn't take long to find Keramon hungrily devouring a stream of data.

Oh wow. Look at it go.

Tentomon: Shall we go!? Agumon: Huh!?

Before Agumon realizes this has started, Tentomon takes the first shot. His Petit Thunder hits Keramon dead-on, electrocing it and announcing their presence. Agumon follows up with multiple shots of Baby Flame, which all seem to hit home.

Taichi: YES!!!

Keramon, recovering, sends another enigmatic email to Koushiro. This one reads simply アソブ asobu. Again, because it's in Katakana, these are just sounds. But 遊ぶ asobu is a verb that means "to play". Keramon thinks Koushiro's playing with it.

(We know that well. It was one of Pinocchimon's favorite words. Also I'm kinda starting to feel bad for Keramon. I'm not sure that it actually knows better. I think it might just... be a kid.)

Taichi: What do you mean, 'play'!? Let's just defeat it quickly. Koushiro: Tentomon, evolve! Tentomon: Right!

While Agumon and Tentomon undergo their Magical Girl transformation sequences, we once again cut to various children around the world at computers. The other kids who witnessed the Digitama's creation, who are now watching this happen in real-time.

In the dub:

Izzy: There he is! Go get him! Tentomon: (whispering) He doesn't know we're here yet. Agumon: (whispering) Let's sneak up on him quietly. Tentomon: SUPER SHOCKER!!! Agumon: That's quietly!? PEPPER BREATH!!! (Their shots land) Tai: Huh!? That should have worked but it didn't! (Keramon recovers) Tai: Hey! Keramon's sending us an email! It says "So you like to play games, huh?" I've got a bad feeling about this, Agumon. Agumon: Mhm! Izzy: Better Digivolve, both of you, now.

Like the "I'm hungry" email, the dub rewrote this one in English too.

There's a tonal shift here. Taichi and Koushiro are going super-aggro and picking this fight. They are unambiguously the aggressors here. As Koushiro said, this is a pre-emptive strike. This isn't a thing yet; We're going hard and trying to kill Keramon before this can become a thing.

Strangling a potential future problem in its crib. It's pretty morally dubious the more you think about it. Are we the baddies?

The dub makes Keramon's response email more threatening and ominous. That way, when Tai and Izzy escalate to Adult forms, it's because they're on the backfoot and freaked out by the message.

In any case, the fight is on.

The area of the internet they're in seems to be, like, the programming for an amusement park based on all the amusement park imagery. Probably Pallet Town, the entertainment center where the Daikanransha can be found.

Since the dub skipped the ferris wheel, this just looks like random psychedelic imagery in that version. But there's ferris wheels and carousels and stuff floating in the void because Keramon's eating an amusement park.

In a goofy moment, Greymon and Kabuterimon both land on the ring of horses and carriages spinning around the exterior of the void and use it as a springboard. When they land on the ring, the flat images of horses whinny in protest.

Greymon and Kabuterimon chase down Keramon. Keramon fires off energy shots from its mouth. Kabuterimon returns fire with three shots of his Mega Blaster, which Keramon swerves around - Only to take Greymon's Mega Flame dead-on. Exploding in fire, Keramon lets out a pitiful shriek.

Kabuterimon: Nice! Taichi: It's so weak! Koushiro: Hang on.

On the computer screen, a data stream of 66666666666666 flows into Keramon. The image of Keramon suddenly evolves once more into a new form.

The dub keeps the bits where Greymon and Kabuterimon spring off the carousel ring. However, as usual, the sound effects get lost. No comical whinny protests. With the gag removed, it just seems like an unusually slow bit of action choreography.

They also take out Keramon's pathetic wail when hit by Nova Blast.

Keramon calls his attack Bug Blaster in the dub. It has no name in the original. In fact, nobody's calling attacks in the original; Not even the Partner Digimon. Additionally, Keramon only communicates by email in the original. It has no voiced lines.

Tai: You guys make this stuff look easy! Izzy: Um, hold that thought! Tai: Huh? Keramon: Keramon, Digivolve to: Infermon!

As the dub notes, its new form is called Infermon, named for the Inferno. Y'know. Hell. It's Hellmon.

If you've played one of the games that came out after this film and realized what's wrong here, shhhhhhh, spoilers. The boys haven't noticed yet. :P

Visibly, Infermon leaves its jellyfish shape behind and more resembles an insect, like an ant or cockroach. Y'know. Because bug.

Taichi: It evolved! Koushiro: That's okay. It's in the Adult stage now, same as ours.

Infermon's little feetsies work as suction cups to adhere it to a surface. We know that because it makes little suction cup sounds every time it steps or jumps.

Taking the offensive, it lunges and uses its bulk to try and crush Greymon and Kabuterimon. The pair dodge, floating in the internet's antigravity, and return fire with their own shots.

Though Greymon and Kabuterimon's shots hit home, there's no telltale shriek this time.

Greymon: Did we get it?

Greymon's question is answered when Infermon, unimpeded by their attacks, lunges through the smoke cloud their shots made. Pulling its limbs and head into itself, Infermon becomes a single aerodynamic bullet hurtling their direction.

Greymon and Kabuterimon fire off shot after shot into Infermon, but their attacks glance harmlessly off its impenetrable exoskeleton. They're forced to dodge aside just before its colossal size rips past them.

Kabuterimon: We can't even scratch it! What is going on here!?

Before anyone can answer, Infermon opens its mouth and fires multiple shots form a cannon inside. Greymon dodges the first volley but Kabuterimon takes a hit.

Kabuterimon: AUGH!!! Greymon: KABUTERIMON--HUAGH!!!

While Greymon's distracted, the second volley hits him, starting with a direct hit to the side of his face.

Taichi: GREYMON!!!

This is going bad.

In the dub:

Infermon: Nyegh! Tai: No way! He Digivolved again! Izzy: I've never seen this before. Now he's at the Champion level like Greymon and Kabuterimon! Infemon: Hmhmhmhmhm....

Yeah, Infermon's a chuckler now.

(Greymon and Kabuterimon take shots) Greymon: Yeah! Kabuterimon: Alright! (Infermon lunges) Greymon: What!? Infermon: Hehehehehehe.... (Infermon coasts right through their attacks) Greymon: He's stronger than a Champion! Infermon: SPIDER SHOOTER!!! (Infermon shoots Kabuterimon) Greymon: KABUTERIMO-- WHOA!!! (Infermon shoots Greymon) Tai: Greymon, no!

There's not a lot of actual words in this sequence and yet it still feels so different due to the decision to give Infermon a voice.

It's at that moment that Koushiro realizes the truth.

Koushiro: Taichi-san, I figured it out. Taichi: Huh? Koushiro: It's at Perfect-stage! Taichi: Then, a moment ago.... Koushiro: It evolved two stages. Taichi: Why...?

Yeah, that's what fans of the games that came later probably noticed. Keramon evolves into the Adult-stage Chrysalimon before going to Infermon as its Perfect form. Because of this sudden jump, Chrysalimon will not be appearing in this film.

Taichi: Then we'll evolve to Ultimate-stage too!

Good plan, but no. As Greymon and Kabuterimon begin Super-Evolving, Infermon lunges suddenly.

Taichi: (gasp) Koushiro: It's attacking while we're evolving!

Taking potshots from its mouth cannon, Infermon obliterates MetalGreymon and AtlurKabuterimon before they can even emerge from their Super-Evolutions.

After erasing its Perfect competition before they could even power up, Infermon lands. It begins vibrating and letting out this high-pitched cackle that sounds as much like a siren as a laugh.

Infermon: Yahahahahahaha! Yahahahahahaha! Yahahahahahaha!

THAT'S RIGHT THE DUB WAS CORRECT. Infermon is a chuckler.

A little button marked EXIT appears next to Infermon. It presses the button to open a passage back into the open internet. Then, blip-blopping on its suction cups, it spider-crawls its goofy ass away into the passage.

(Good thing we were just playing. I'd hate to see what would have happened if it knew we were trying to kill it! :P)

In the dub:

Izzy: I think I've got it figured out now! Tai: Huh? Izzy: He's bypassed the Champion level and Digivolved straight into the Ultimate level! He's too strong for our Digimon now! Tai: Then they're just gonna have to Digivolve again! (Digivolutions begin) Infermon: Not. So. Fast. Rrrrargh! (lunge) (as the Digimon Digivolve, Infermon comes in swiftly) Izzy: He's gotta Digivolve faster! (Infermon takes them both out) Infermon: Hehehahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!

Pretty much the same. Though the dub doesn't have Infermon's goofy blip-blop suction cup sounds. Instead, it goes for this writhing insect sound, like a million bugs crawling over something at once.

With Infermon gone, Taichi and Koushiro are left to lick their wounds.

Pay no attention to the fact that all Taichi can see from this angle is a whole lotta butthole.

Taichi: Are you okay, Agumon? Agumon: Sorry, Taichi.... Koushiro: Tentomon! Tentomon: That thing is monstrous....

Relieved that their Partners survived, Taichi and Koushiro take a moment to sit in silence and breathe. Then, quietly, Koushiro speaks up.

Koushiro: We'll need to let them rest for a while. Taichi: (punches floor) Fuck! Isn't it cheating to mess with someone's evolution!?

(Somewhere in the Digital World, the reincarnated Etemon sneezes.)

Koushiro: Taichi-san, we got an email from someone in Australia.

The message reads, "Earlier. Was that what's called a Digital Monster? This is my first time seeing one. ~Toma"

Koushiro: He said it's his first time seeing a Digital Monster. Taichi: He was watching the fight just now? Koushiro: Ah, this one is from Singapore.

Koushiro opens up another email. This one reads, "There were two bodies against one body so how did they lose? Are they just weak? -Jane"

If that sounds like it was run through Google Translate, it's because it was. The email actually comes through in English first, then Koushiro's email software converts it line-by-line into Japanese. The actual message Jane wrote was, in all-caps, "THEY ARE NOTHING, KOZ THEY LOST IN SPITE OF DOUBLE FIGURES. -JANE"

That's much more rude.

Koushiro: "How were you weak enough to lose despite it being 2-on-1?" Taichi: Shut up! Koushiro: (scrolling through a long list of emails) What else do we--Oh! It's an email from the jellyfish.

Koushiro clicks on Infermon's email, revealing a profile pic of the creature's new face and the message moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi just... repeating over and over and over again, line by line.

I don't think it knows how to use that phrase. To be fair, its age can be measured in hours.

Taichi: Moshi moshi moshi moshi... What the heck? Koushiro: This is really bad! Taichi: Huh?

Koushiro points at the email's From line. Infermon sent it from "@@@@@@djm.ntt.co.jp/sys/switchboard". That's gibberish to Taichi but it's making Koushiro piss himself.

Koushiro: Look at the email address! That thing is now inside the NTT system! Taichi: NTT? Koushiro: We need to contact everyone quickly!

Koushiro doesn't explain the urgency, but NTT or Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Company is one of the largest telecommunications companies on Earth. A closeup on the phone jack shows that NTT is, in fact, providing the Yagami home's service.

So. Uh. Yeah. That's bad.

In the dub:

Tai: Agumon, say something! Agumon: (woozy) Don't take me out, coach.... Izzy: Tentomon! Tentomon: I'm fine! Just one question... Who's Tentomon? Izzy: They'll be okay, Tai. They just need to rest for a while. Tai: (sigh) I can't believe that two Digimon at the champion level weren't enough. (punches floor) We're NEVER gonna be able to defeat this thing! Izzy: Check this out, Tai! We're getting emails from all over the world. Here's one from that kid Willis in America. It says "Izzy, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. Find a way to slow him down."

The dub once again draws new art to create Willis's email, slotting it in over Toma's. It says exactly what Izzy read off, but contains no signature.

Then they cut the footage from Jane's email and go straight to Infermon.

Izzy: Hey, Infermon is emailing us too!

Don't know why Izzy knows that name. Keramon was excused because he said "My name is Keramon" right after Digivolving, but this is the first mention of the name Infermon out-loud.

Infermon's email is also rewritten to read "Hello!Hello!Hello!Hello!Hello!Hello!" for many lines.

Tai: Why's he saying "Hello" over and over again? Izzy: Look at the address! Tai: Huh? Izzy: He's at the telephone company taking over all the phone lines! If we lose our phone connection, we're finished! That's the only way we have access to the internet!

Izzy spells out the implication since American children can't be expected to recognize the NTT by brand.

Taichi's first call is Hikari, which makes sense since she's the only one he actually reached the first time.

At the party, the girls are playing Old Maid. Birthday girl does not seem to be doing well but she's got a big smile on her face nonetheless. The girl on the far right, the one who hissed at Hikari for being on the phone, draws the Joker from the girl next to her. All the girls have a good laugh about it.

Girl 2: Did you get the Old Maid? Girl 1: Be honest, Noriko-chan!

Noriko-chan shakes her lying head like a liar, and they all giggle.

Suddenly, Birthday Girl stops laughing and glares at Hikari, who is once again on the phone. Given her vacant spot across from birthday girl and next to Noriko, it's probably Hikari's turn.

Noriko-chan: (hisses) Hikari-chan.... Hikari: (on phone, holding only one card) No, I can't just leave when I'm about to win first place. Taichi: It's fine! Just get out of the game and come home! (hangs up)

In Hikari's defense, she does have a solid shot at winning. It's her and the girl to her left that have one card left apiece. If she can match this card, she wins.

But also, Old Maid isn't exactly a game you can just drop out of easily. If she can't match the card, then she'll have two cards and be in for at least two more rounds. This is basically a more complicated version of Go Fish. If she has cards in hand and leaves... what happens with her cards? It might just ruin the game. And at a birthday party!

Devastating consequences for her social life.

(This is, of course, nowhere near as important as stopping Infermon from eating the global internet. But Taichi hasn't exactly been forthcoming with context to... basically anyone in this special. All she knows is that her domineering brother keeps calling and yelling at her to stop having fun.)

The dub cuts this whole scene. There is no second call to Kari at the birthday party.

Taichi moves along down the list.

Taichi: Next. (dials) Phone: Beep. Beep. Beep. Taichi: Busy signal!? Damn. (hangs up, dials) Phone: Beep. Beep. Beep. Taichi: Another busy signal! (hangs up, dials) Phone: Beep. Beep. Beep. Taichi: Jou's place too!? (hangs up, dials) Phone: Beep. Beep. Beep. Taichi: (distraught) Even Yamato's house!? Taichi: It's busy everywhere. Koushiro: What about Sora's place? Taichi: But we already tried there!

A subtle note: After Hikari, Taichi makes four calls. He identifies the third as Jou and the fourth as Yamato. It's unclear if he tried Sora in the first two, then tried Yamato and Takeru's grandma for the last, or if he didn't call Sora and instead called Yamato and Takeru separately despite knowing they're at their grandma's.

"We already tried Sora" could mean that she was one of the busy signals, or it could mean "We called her earlier and she told me to go fuck myself off a cliff."

But either way, one of those calls he made was to Mimi's explicitly vacant house. Where he got a busy signal. That shouldn't happen.

A subtle but early warning of what's really happening.

Suddenly, Taichi's phone rings. He answers to the most flagrantly computer-generated text-to-speech voice ever.

Taichi: Moshi moshi! Text-to-Speech: Moshi moshi/Moshi moshi/Moshi moshi/Moshi moshi Taichi: (gasps, freaked out) ...not good....

Really selling Infermon's text-to-speech, each set of moshi moshi has an audible jump, like a static break that inorganically bleeds the end of the second moshi into the beginning of the first as the audio sample loops.

In the dub:

Tai: I've gotta warn everyone! (dials) Operator: All circuits are busy. Try again later. Tai: Oh, great! It's busy! ...Mimi! (dials) Operator: All circuits are busy. Try again later. Tai: Come on! How could that be busy too!? (dials) Operator: All circuits are still busy. Tai: Don't tell me.... (dials) Operator: Did you hear me!? Tai: What? Operator: IT'S BUSY!!! Tai: I'm sorry, lady.... (hangs up) All the phones are dead! Izzy: That Digimon did it! Tai: Not a single call can get through! (phone rings, Tai answers) Tai: Hello, this is Tai. Infermon: Hello! Did you program me? Hehehahahahahaha! Tai: It's Infermon!

In the original, as we're about to see, this call isn't unique to Tai. People all across Japan are about to receive these text-to-speech calls. So the dub changing it to Infermon directly taunting Tai is a bit more of a change than it appears at first glance and continues the trend of this Digimon being a lot more verbose in the dub.

Across Japan, phones begin ringing off the hook. Landlines, cell phones, every kind of phone.

Taichi: What is going on!? Koushiro: It's inside the phone switch server and making calls everywhere. It's trying to crash the lines. Taichi: Oh, that's bad. Without the phone lines, we can't contact the others, not to mention the internet-- Koushiro: AH!!! Taichi: Huh? Koushiro: (horrified) ...it disconnected.

Well. That's that. After winning the fistfight, Infermon has nuked our ability to even try that shit again. Its hunger will not be denied.

Out front, Yuuko's cake is baking in the microwave while she watches the news, blissfully unaware of what's happening on the internet.

News: Breaking news, the phones in the Tokyo metropolitan area are temporarily out of service. Yuuko: A lot of things happening today.... News: According to NTT, this is due to heavy phone traffic and some areas have stopped working due to the call volume.

Koushiro explodes out of Susumu's office and sprints for the front door.

Yuuko: Oh, leaving already, Koushiro-kun? Koushiro: I'll be right back!

As Koushiro hurries out the door, Taichi drags his feet to the couch and flops headfirst over it.

Taichi: (wailing) Mooooom.... Yuuko: What's wrong, Taichi? Taichi: It's hopeless! Yuuko: What are you talking about?

No idea what Koushiro's planning, but clearly he's more convinced there's still a chance than Taichi is.

In the dub, this is completely changed.

Kari (V.O.): Talk about speed-dialing! Infermon was looking for someone. He was calling every phone number in the world. Tai: His long-distance bill will be enormous! Izzy: (gasp) Tai: What? Izzy: (horrified) Connection... terminated.... Tai: (horrified) What... next.... (Cut to the cake) Yuuko: KIDS!!! Cake's almost ready!

It is not. Yuuko is lying. The cake still has 30 minutes left to go.

News: Phones have gone dead worldwide. If your telephone is dead, please call your phone company. Yuuko: Well, at least my sister can't call me three times a day. (Izzy explodes from the office and races for the door) Izzy: See ya! Yuuko: Are you leaving so soon? Izzy: Don't worry! I'll be back! Save me a piece of cake! Tai: (emerges, groaning) Yuuko: What's the matter with you? Tai: (groans louder) Yuuko: Hey, have you heard? The phones are out!

Original Infermon crashes the Tokyo metro area's phone network so the children can no longer mess with it. Dub Infermon crashes the entire globe's phone network because he's looking for someone; Presumably Willis, given his dub-exclusive email.

A lot of the dialogue here is just quipping, but Yuuko's salt-in-the-wound final line is solid gold. XD

From here, we go to Yamato and Takeru's grandma's home. Takeru is giving Grandma a back massage.

News: Currently, technicians are working to restore the downed switches and are urging consumers to refrain from using the phone or cell phone services. Grandma: Ahhh... A little more....

Takeru glances over to Yamato, who's receiving a busy signal from the phone.

Yamato: That Taichi... What could he want?

It's Taichi's turn to be 太一の奴 Taichi no yatsu. Yamato clearly isn't happy about having his vacation at grandma's interrupted for unspecified reasons.

We move back to the Yagami residence as the news continues.

News: However, if it is necessary to get in touch with someone, you may use the emergency voice mail system by dialing 171. Taichi: Huh? News: With the emergency mail system, your message will be stored even when the system is down or busy. Created in 1995.... Taichi: That's... That's it!

Taichi has a new plan! Stop that, Infermon!

...nobody tell Infermon or it might eat the emergency voice mail system.

In the dub:

News: The stock market is in chaos and people are rioting in the streets. Grandma: Ahhhh, that's nice. (Matt's getting a busy signal) Matt: Huh!? Tai says call, then he won't get off the phone! News: We interrupt this programming for a special bulletin. T.K.: Huh? Grandma: Goody! I bet it's one of those high-speed chases! (Cut back to Kamiya household) News: The phone company has set up an emergency voicemail system. Simply dial 171 for easy instructions. Tai: Huh!? Kari (V.O.): Believe me, it wasn't so easy. First you had to leave a message, then call back to pick up a message. Basically, it was just playing phone tag. Tai: Perfect! Voice mail!

The U.S. doesn't have any sort of equivalent to Japan's Disaster Emergency Message system, so the dub has to invent it as a brand new thing the phone companies are doing in this extreme global phone blackout.

With Narrator Kari stepping in to explain how such a thing even works.

I love that Matt gets snippy with Tai here, assuming the reason he can't get through is because Tai won't get off the phone. After Tai attacked Mimi for that same thing earlier, it's well-deserved. :P

Now armed with this new tool, Taichi once again tries to make calls.

Recording: This is the emergency voice mail system. To record a message, press one. Phone: (beep) Taichi: Moshimoshi, Yamato! As soon as you get this call, send a reply! It's important! Phone: (beep) Taichi: Jou! As soon as you get this call, send a reply! Phone: (beep) Taichi: Hikari! I told you to come home! Phone: (beep) Taichi: Sora! I'll apologize for the other day. So if you get this call, please respond right away!

Meanwhile, directly outside Taichi's front door, Sora hesitates with her finger over the doorbell button. After a moment's hesitation, she withdraws her finger and walks away.

Sora: Stupid Taichi.

...I don't think she's going to get this call any time soon, Taichi. Sorry.

In the dub:

Recording: To leave a message, press one. To retrieve a message, press two. (beep) Please leave your message at the tone. (beep) Tai: Matt! T.K.! This is an emergency! Call me right away! Oh, by the way, this is Tai! (beep) Tai: (angrily) Kari, if you want to see any of your toys again, get home right away! (beep) Tai: Sora! Sora, listen, I'm sorry about the hairpin but I need to talk to you right away! Call me! Or just come over! (Meanwhile, outside) Sora: ...ugh... Stupid Tai. (turns around and leaves) Hmph!

The call to Jou gets cut from the dub. Probably for time, since they're trying to trim three different OVAs down for this movie. I like that Tai remembers T.K. is with Matt, though.

With that, Taichi has one more call to make.

Taichi: Mimi-chan! As soon as you get this call, send a reply! Yuuko: Oh, I forgot! Taichi: Huh? What is it?

Leaving the kitchen, Yuuko pulls a card out of her pocket and gives it to Taichi.

Yuuko: Mimi-chan sent us this postcard. Taichi: Eh!? Mimi-chan!? W... Where is she?

Taichi snatches the postcard out of Yuuko's hand.

Taichi: HAWAIII!?!?

Cut to Mimi on a sunny beach, stretching and yawning.

Mimi: HAWAII IS SO NICE!!!

Somehow, she seems even less likely to answer Taichi's message than Sora.

In the dub:

Tai: Hi, Mimi! It's Tai. Please come over to my house as soon as you get this message! Goodbye! Yuuko: Oh, that reminds me. Tai: Huh? Yuuko: You got this postcard in the mail from Mimi. Tai: WHAT!?!? (Tai snatches the postcard) Tai: She's on vacation!? In Hawaii!? Ugh... Mimi.... (Cut to Mimi in Hawaii) Mimi: Hawaii is paradise! I don't have a care in the world! And I'm wishing you were HERE!!! Hahahahahahahahaha!

What a lovely place to leave off part 1, on this moment of pure jubilation and bliss. No, don't look at image 3, this is a happy moment. Everything is wonderful here.

[giantbatbf]

i edited a screencap from the digimon adventure 02 movie because the original design was pissing me off <3

og taken from this post:

second edit where i also changed ken's outfit and daisuke's hair to match my redesign:

[digi-lov]

Let's have a look at the Twin Digimon, Terriermon and Lopmon!

Although only referred to by their baby names, Gummymon and Chocomon, both Terriermon and Lopmon had their debut in the Movie Digimon Adventure 02: Vol.1 Hurricane Touchdown!!/Vol.2 Transcendent Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals.

[If you have only seen the English Digimon The Movie, I highly recommend watching the japanese original for each of the 3 movies cut together for it. This movie alone has about 50% of its content cut.]

Most of you will easily remember Terriermon, but Lopmon only shows up in its child form in this ending illustration done by the late Yasuo Ōtsuka.

Instead of Kenji Watanabe or other Bandai staff, Terriermon and Lopmon were designed by the movie's director, Yamauchi Shigeyasu himself, for the movie.

On the design sheet, we can see several points in which Terriermon and Lopmon were supposed to be distinct from each other in their body style. On this sheet, Terriermon is 1.7 heads tall, while Lopmon is 2 heads tall. Even if they would fall straight down, Lopmon's ears also appear to be shorter than Terriermon's. Lopmon's visible canine is a design element still used today, even though in terms of size and proportions, the twins are identical in modern media.

Due to its popularity from the Adventure 02 movie, Terriermon was chosen as partner for Jianliang Li/Henry Wong in the next anime season, Digimon Tamers, and by association, Lopmon was chosen as partner for Jian's sister Xiaochun/Suzie.

According to the Reference Book, Lopmon is the lonely crybaby type, while Terriermon is calm and robust. Both have the move Petit Twister, while Terriermon's signature move is Blazing Fire and Lopmon's is Blazing Ice. Furthermore, the Reference Book entries of their Baby I stages Zerimon and Cocomon state that they're the only Digimon that are born as twins, but the reason why is still unknown. They also aren't exclusively born as twins and can hatch alone from eggs individually as well.

On the Digimon Web Twitter, Terriermon and Lopmon appear on various occasions, including the celebration of ふたごの日 futago no hi Twins Day. (5th of February)

The Card Game also features them together on some of their cards! And there's even official card sleeves with the two.

Both of them appear to be very popular and are featured in many parts of the franchise, Lopmon in particular, being chosen as a partner Digimon for characters in a number of games.

[digitaldreams0801]

How the Production Problems of Digimon Adventure Tri Directly Parallel the Issues of Ace Attorney Dual Destinies

i lied. put your clothes back on. we're talking about why digimon adventure tri is the worst thing to happen to the digimon franchise (and how its problems directly parallel ace attorney dual destinies and spirit of justice)

this is a very long rant i typed in a discord server first but it’s something i’ve been thinking for years and i finally put it into words. everybody clap and cheer. (contains very negative opinions toward tri and lukewarm takes on adventure 2020 and ghost game, proceed at your own peril)

let’s talk about digimon tri and ace attorney dual destinies

so first and foremost, what exactly *is* digimon adventure tri?? digimon tri is the seventh-ish season of the digimon anime that released from 2015-2018. despite running for over three years, this show has twenty-six episodes that were split up into six movies and then divided into twenty-six episodes again. that alone should tell you how much of a struggle the production was, but when i tell you this anime might have had the most troubled development of any anime i have ever seen, i fucking MEAN IT. digimon tri is a disaster. 

so to start, it's time for a history lesson. digimon adventure aired for around a year in 1999-2000. it was going to be a standalone anime, but it was extended into a second season known as digimon adventure zero two (the zero two standing for 2002, the year the series takes place in). the second season follows the youngest of the first season cast forming a new team of six for adventures in the digital world. the original digimon adventure was universally beloved as one of the best anime of the 90's and early 2000's, but zero two was received a bit less well. it was a bit of a divisive season with some people really loving it and others not so much. personally i adore zero two and think people's adventure nostalgia keeps them from acknowledging how good zero two is. but that's beside the point. after zero two, the team behind digimon decided to start from scratch and make an entirely new cast of characters going forward, so the series began to follow that pattern going forward, and no season after this save for adventure follow-ups have characters shared with another season

digimon tamers was the next season and it started airing in 2001. the first thing people noticed about tamers is that it is a MASSIVE departure in tone from adventure and zero two. the first two seasons were already surprisingly dark for kids' shows, but tamers in my eyes just. flat out is not for children. this is a horror anime they put under the digimon name. it's very beloved by the fan base now and is known as one of the best seasons of digimon but at the time it was known for scaring kids and generally being terrifying. so the series is starting its decline going into 2002

so to fix this, the next season is the black sheep of the franchise: digimon frontier. i could write an entire paper about the problems in digimon frontier but to put it simply this is the digimon season i have rewritten in excruciating detail. digimon frontier tried something radically different at the time and tried to capture the child audience once again by being a lot more episodic than the last three seasons. in the end frontier struggled a lot with maintaining a consistent quality and fluctuates massively from being amazing to being really bad. frontier being so radically different by taking away partner digimon and instead having the main cast turn into digimon was a massive turn off for a lot of people, and after frontier ended, the digimon anime ended, and the so-called "golden era" of digimon came to a close with the last episode of frontier airing in 2003

after a few years' hiatus, the next digimon season, savers, aired in 2006, and it was very clearly targeting a teen audience. it was also radically different from most other seasons and was most in line with tamers, though even that isn't really a perfect comparison. it has a radically different art style, departs from series tradition by making the characters mid to late teens instead of in the 10-13 range, and is very intense in very strange ways. like the main character just punches digimon. savers was a very strange anime and definitely a second wind but not quite the one the franchise needed to keep going, so the anime went back on hiatus after savers ended in 2007

after another few years, we got digimon xros wars, the longest season of digimon. i say season?? it's one season of 79 episodes split up into three parts. xros wars was a return to form with tween main characters and an overarching story that was nowhere near as intense as tamers or savers. xros wars was radically different because it involved fusing digimon instead of straight evolution, and out of all the digimon seasons, it feels the most like the one made to sell toys. this season was picked up by nickelodeon internationally if that's any indication of how much of a success they thought it was going to be. in practice though?? the third and final part of xros wars went out on a whimper and was so bad it didn't even air internationally. digimon was just falling out of favor with people, and an anime that had once been so good that it was competing with and even *beating* pokemon in ratings and views was now having a hard time getting a season off the ground in japan, much less internationally

and that is where digimon tri comes in. digimon tri was an attempt to recapture the golden era of digimon with its most popular and universally beloved season: the original digimon adventure from 1999. tri was announced as a fifteenth anniversary project, and it would bring back the adventure cast for the first time in fifteen years. this was the first red flag though: it was bringing back the *adventure* cast, not the zero two cast. there are four new characters who join the party in zero two, and they are all very significant. there are two characters who carry over from adventure to zero two, and to be quite honest with you, they are closer with the zero two cast than the adventure cast. like takeru has a much stronger connection with the zero two cast than he did with the adventure cast. but all four characters from zero two were suspiciously absent from all promotional material, and even as fans asked where they were, their questions were never answered. they were just *gone,* and nobody knew why. this is especially bizarre since zero two is very much an extension of adventure. like you can watch adventure alone but it is much stronger with zero two and zero two is the definitive ending of the story. so why the fuck were they ignoring the ending they had set to to their own story??

sighs loudly. the director. i hate this man. i have beef with him. his name is keitaro motonaga, and in cloud's words, he should sleep with one eye open because i am coming for him. so motonaga did this super cool thing called "directing tri without ever watching the source material." ...what? yes, you read that right: the director of tri had *never seen* the original adventure nor zero two. he was going off what i can only describe as a spark notes description of everything that happened. the original adventure was very heavily focused on the subversion of common anime tropes. the ditzy popular girl is the most emotionally genuine. the oldest is the most irresponsible, and the youngest is the most put together. even the two "rivals" aren't *really* rivals when it comes down to it. digimon adventure takes a lot of anime tropes and stereotypes and flips them on their head to make very deep and compelling characters. so when you're operating on a spark notes understanding of the story, you're going to fall back on those tropes, and that is *exactly* what the director did. rather than watch the source material and become acquainted with these characters and their relationships, he operated off stereotypes the characters were made to subvert and completely butchered them in the process. taichi and yamato were always at each other's throats when they were genuinely friends in adventure. mimi became overly mean and insensitive. jyou stepped *back* from a character beat in adventure in a major way that ruined him. in trying to play to nostalgia, digimon tri completely forgot what made all of these characters so great in the first place and then spat on it

i know you're wondering: why the *fuck* did the director not watch the source material? he thought it would "dampen" and "ruin" his creative vision. he shouldn't have even been adapting a media he knew nothing about, but there he was, and it was bad. since he only got the spark notes for adventure, he ignored zero two entirely and cut the characters out of the plot. in fact, various things meant to invoke zero two nostalgia were done solely for the sake of "rule of cool" and nostalgia instead of actually meaning anything. none of it made any fucking sense. there were others on the project who had other ideas of what the story could have been--ideas that actually made sense in line with the spirit of adventure and zero two--but they were shot down in the name of the creative vision of a man who had never seen nor engaged with the source material. keitaro motonaga went on to get a massive reputation in the anime scene after tri ended for doing this with multiple adaptation projects of his: ignoring the source material for the sake of a creative vision that made no sense. it was overall fucking atrocious 

and you can tell it was bad because in japan, they generally don't let the audience know when production is going bad on the back end of something. however with tri, it was bad enough to be addressed multiple times in many ways, and i'm sure that what we know is only the tip of the iceberg. it was a disaster from start to finish. i know a lot of people joke about production disasters but sincerely this was fucking atrocious and i hate it from the bottom of my heart

while tri was airing, it was being released internationally. it actually got international support unlike the traditional season airing at the same time: appmon. out of the two, appmon is *much* better, and it's a return to form for the franchise. i would argue that appmon is much more deserving of the golden era than frontier. appmon is amazing, but because it always had to compete with tri for attention, it never truly got off the ground in japan, much less internationally where it didn't even get official subs until YEARS after the fact. appmon was much more deserving of the spotlight and was actually written well but didn't get jack shit because tri was the adventure thing and therefore drew in people for nostalgia. hindsight is 20/20 though because if they had marketed appmon, maybe toei wouldn't have to bitch all the time about digimon not going well. this is your own damn fault you dipshits

tri has been panned by both japanese and western fans for a lot of reasons. it's heartless slop meant to prey on a person's nostalgia for adventure, and it has none of the heart of its predecessors. it's clumsily written and overall a poor exploration of what an older cast for adventure would get up to. the plot doesn't make sense, and it's a train wreck from beginning to end. the director wanted it to be "mature," so the season is unnecessarily dark and edgy much to its detriment. the creative vision of "maturity" and darkness completely ignored the fact that the original adventure and zero two *were* mature anime with very deep character development. they're classics for a damn reason, but they were pushed aside for the sake of being more "mature." fans panned tri for feeling insulting to their intelligence, like toei thought they would eat up anything as long as it had the digimon name attached to it

and it backfired like all hell. because nobody wanted *anything* to do with tri after it ended. when it ended, it was without any ceremony to speak of. it was 26 episodes split into six movies and then back into 26 episodes again, and it took over three years to release. it had more than double the release time window of appmon, and it had *half* the episodes of appmon. it's not like the tri was an animated spectacle or anything either. in movie four, the budget goes off a fucking cliff and never recovers. appmon may have had shaky animation at times, but it hit it out of the park where it count. tri has a color grading problem in its last two movies, and it's impossible to make out anything that happens in the finale because of it. things happen without reason, the characters have been obliterated completely, and the story makes no fucking sense. everyone was RELIEVED when tri ended, but it was such a massive failure that the digimon anime went on hiatus for ages after it ended, and for a while, everyone thought it would never come back

and when it did?? toei was trying to recoup the losses from tri the best it could. tri was purged from almost all digimon media, relegated to background cameos in future digimon media at most. nobody wanted to talk about tri to the point that when a sequel movie set after tri (last evolution kizuna) was released in 2020, tri was completely ignored. kizuna focuses on the zero two cast to overcompensate for the fact that they were completely absent from tri. the zero two cast even got a new movie last year (the beginning) all their own to try and make it up to fans that they were gone. the adventure timeline has continued, but tri has been entirely excluded from it aside from a few brief snapshots in the background of kizuna and the beginning. nobody wants to remember this anime existed despite it being a part of the main anime's timeline between zero two and kizuna. it hasn't been outright retconned but it might as well have been

after tri, toei decided to play it safe again. they went for an adventure reboot as the next season, and thus, digimon adventure psi (or adventure: or adventure 2020, it has a million names) was born. adventure 2020 is just,,, mediocre. it's a lot more focused on the spectacle of big fight scenes now that the digimon anime has a budget to speak of, and the character growth took a backseat. adventure 2020 took a long time to get dubbed though. like over two years. and it's still very inaccessible to this day because it's not available on any streaming service but instead (reads smudged writing on hand) available on the play station store where you can buy every individual episode out of 67. adventure 2020 is the second longest season of the anime after xros wars but it's still kind of a nothing burger because it fails to capture the emotional heart of adventure 1999. it's a fine enough season but a lot of people lost interest when it turned into just a fight compilation instead of developing any of its characters in a meaningful way

adventure 2020 also saw the continuation of a big problem with tri which was favoritism. since both adventrue 2020 and tri were meant to be franchise revivals in their own ways, they play it very safe and focus on taichi and yamato almost exclusively to the point of ignoring many of the other characters. the problem is at its worst in adventure 2020 in my eyes even though it is present in every season to some extent or another save for tamers and appmon. since adventure 2020 focused on two characters and their fighting capabilities while kind of shelving the other six, it fell into the pitfalls of past seasons (especially frontier and xros wars) and kind of ended without anyone really caring about it

after adventure 2020, the final season of the digimon anime was ghost game. this one is the most episodic digimon season of the bunch to try and appeal to a casual audience, and i think it does that very well! unfortunately it doesn't really develop its overarching plot at a good pace and crams everything together into the last five episodes after having a run time of over fifty episodes before that. ghost game is fine, but it's not a character driven season because of its heavy reliance on the monster of the week structure. the characters were always the draw of digimon, and each season has its own method of going about developing its characters. ghost game,,, doesn't do that! so it's just kind of there, and it once again ended without a grand finale and no one really cared much that it was over

so in conclusion, digimon tri was meant to be the revival of the digimon anime. in practice though, it had a very troubled production and didn't give a damn at all about the suorce material it was meant to follow, and it fell flatter than any other digimon season in the process. tri soured a lot of people's opinions on digimon, which is ironic since tri was supposed to bring back the audience that was lost all the way back when zero two aired in 2000. the digimon anime has not recovered since then, and i think outright ignoring tri in favor of new projects is the best way to go

now for how this ties in with ace attorney dual destinies and spirit of justice! i feel like you can figure out where the parallels are just by reading through everything i've already said, but i'm going into it anyway. ace attorney's popularity started to fall off after the original trilogy ended, and after a few experimental entries (aa4 and the aai games), it was decided that they needed something to bring the old audience back. that wound up being bringing phoenix back into the courtroom for dual destinies. however, dual destinies tries to act as an entry point, so while it's not the same as deliberately ignoring everything that came before it, it has the same effect. dual destinies does not let itself reference anything that happened before it released, and that means it's relying on nostalgia without actually digging into what implications the story will have on the greater narrative. the no-spoiler rule ends up very similar to the tri director's refusal to watch the original digimon adventure and zero two. on top of that, dual destinies tries to tackle darker, more mature themes, completely forgetting the maturity of the storytelling that came before it. frustratingly enough, both dual destinies and tri have nuggets of gold in them, but they're squandered by bad plot points and also reusal of old plots. tri's entire premise is actually just the basis of the first movie for zero two. it's just hurricane landing again but stretched out for closer to ten hours instead of just one. similarly, dual destinies' finale follows a very similar premise to the end of the first game, but it reenacts it without understanding what made the original great. it *could* have been great though, and that is ultimately what frustrates me so much about both of them. they're so close to being amazing, but they just fall short

the difference between ace attorney and digimon though is that digimon did not double down. after tri didn't work, they yanked the wheel in the opposite direction and made kizuna, a movie that *is* narratively cohesive with adventure and zero two. i'm not a huge fan of kizuna but i do acknowledge that it is very well written. ace attorney, on the other hand, doubled the fuck down and made spirit of justice in the same vein as dual destinies. in doing so, they wrote themselves into a corner they now can't get out of. pandering to nostalgia fell short in the end, and it wasn't enough to truly bring ace attorney to a wider audience as they had hoped. apollo is out of the plot, and he was character assassinated before he was pushed out. athena has been sidelined because of nostalgia around phoenix specifically. spirit of justice is the epitome of the bad decisions made in dual destinies, and they're blowing up in capcom's faces now. there's no easy way to write a seventh ace attorney game now without retconning something, but since they doubled down in spirit of justice--a game that is much worse than dual destinies both in terms of bloat (which is also a tri problem lol) and writing--they can't just quietly escape it the way digimon did with kizuna and the beginning. ace attorney hasn't come out with a new mainline game in eight years. if you ask me, it needs to cut its losses and either a) go the appmon route of making something entirely different since dgs did that and was an amazing game just like appmon was an amazing anime or b) figure out what to retcon and what to keep because going down the same path of spirit of justice very clearly is not working. they realized it too late though, and now, they're in trouble for it

[citrus-cactus]

Bad End Takuma #2 (prompt: Darkness & Loss)

Image descriptions in the Alt ID.

I decided to revisit a concept I started during @surviveweek (and reuse a prompt!), where I illustrate the non-canonical "Bad Endings" for Takuma I see in my head. You can see the first piece in this series here.

Technically this Bad Ending is not concluded yet, but it's going to take me a while to make a part 2. So feel free to speculate on what might happen in the meantime (mwahaha) >:)

Some more rambling under the cut!

This one is also based off of in-game dialogue, but from the beginning of Chapter 8 this time, when (SPOILERS!) Miyuki rescues Takuma from the Master's domain and they end up in the Real World. The Master’s quote is also from the game, though I think from a different section (might be the beginning of Chapter 4… but alas, I don't remember).

Other inspirations include Adventure/02, namely the scene of the Older Chosen getting kidnapped in Hurricane Touchdown (because OF COURSE that movie is on my mind all the time always, yes I really AM that predictable), and episode 24 of the original Adventure, where Koushiro has a run-in with Vademon. Digimon likes doing this sort of thing a LOT, doesn’t it?!

Relevant screenshots from the game for extra-thoroughness (emphasis mine):

Miyuki: And it's not just me. You were in danger just now too, Takuma. Takuma: Do you mean that if I hadn't come to the light, away from the darkness... Miyuki: You would have been captured, just as I was. No, I think you would have gone even deeper. All of your soul, life, and existence... gone. Takuma: It really was a close call, then.

???: Power, knowledge... Existence, soul, heart... Bring them all... to me!