#koushiro crying

[seventeenlovesthree]

Alright, not only are they not going in order to promote the newly animated PV on August 1st, they also used the four OWG boys first... Very curious.

Plus, all of those are rather sad or emotional scenes, which is also quite unusual.

I assume Taichi is apologizing to Koromon after causing him to evolve to Skullgreymon. With Takeru and Patamon, I'm not entirely sure, but it could be in the Pumpmon/Gotsumon episode. Koushirou is crawling towards Motimon after being trapped in Vademon's dimension. Yamato is kneeling on the ground after getting confronted by Cherrymon...

So far, they're also paralleled in their positioning (Taichi and Takeru on the right, standing, facing away from each other; Koushirou and Yamato on the left, kneeling, facing away from each other).

[izzyizumi]

U.S. Dub 2020!Taichi, in ABSOLUTE SOUNDING AWE: "...Amazing..." Koushiro: ..Huh?-- Taichi: I mean, I'm... really *bad* at That kind of Stuff TAICHI: You're *INCREDIBLE*, *Koushiro*!!! KoushirO: KOUSHIRO: ...(relieved sound)-- uM Koushiro: y-OU CAN CALL ME "IZZY"----

[godblooded]

where’s @sorrowmarked i’m starting the 2020 digimon adventure.

[koushirouizumi]

{from here!}

INFINITY'D

[general-cyno]

apparently it's the 15th anniversary of zoro's sacrifice in thriller bark (not sure if manga or anime though) so yknow. time for more zolu of course

one of the many things about zoro and luffy is that despite how their approach to certain situations might differ at times, they're still pretty similar at their core, sometimes to a comical degree (see: their definition of what a hero is back in fish man island arc). and this understanding of how the other works is what leads to moments like jaya,

this little one in water 7/enies lobby,

and follows consistently all the way to wano arc.

and I was thinking the other day about how their childhoods too kinda mirror or parallel each other's in a way that emphasizes (to me, at least) how special zoro's particular protectiveness toward luffy is, and why luffy relying on zoro that way is just as special.

the specifics of their childhood stories are different but both luffy and zoro have a turning point of sorts that's marked with the grief and loss of sabo and kuina, respectively, which leads them to say these:

(I cropped the panels, but luffy's also crying here)

it's important to note zoro and luffy had dreams/aspirations before this, to become the greatest swordsman and luffy's secret thing that we've yet to learn about (that ace, sabo and the crew now know). however, losing kuina and sabo is what prompts them to, on top of that, strive to become stronger for other people's sake. for zoro, it's his way to honor his friend and fulfill their shared dream. for luffy, it's to avoid losing the people he loves.

throughout the story, zoro and luffy end up expressing similar frustration and sentiments due to this. there's zoro innerly chiding himself for being too weak as he trains in the aftermath of arcs like little garden, alabasta and thriller bark, where the crew get stuck in situations in which zoro isn't able to help as he wishes he could (the wax cake, the sea prism stone cell, kuma). there's luffy swearing he won't lose a single member of his crew even if it kills him (the davy back fight) and reproaching himself for not being able to save any of the straw hats in sabaody, with the worst of it right after losing ace in marineford.

(and man do I have thoughts about bon turning into zoro, out of all the straw hats, back in impel down.)

anyway. as to why all of this is meaningful - when zoro agrees to join luffy, he mentions that his goal to become the greatest swordsman is all he has. yet as the straw hats go from journey to journey, and with a certain emphasis in luffy, you can see how zoro's view slowly shifts. he's now driving himself to become strong to protect them as well, to the point he's willing to set aside his ambition and offer his own head in exchange for luffy's, if it means he can ensure luffy's life and safety. that's huge. as mihawk inwardly points out, zoro has something, someone he values even more than his ambitions and pride. and it's through his adventures with luffy and the crew that he becomes closer to achieving that initial dream of his.

whenever people wonder why zoro's as loyal as he is to luffy, aside from all the reasons why luffy as a character has earned that loyalty through his actions, I also remember that one line koushiro said to zoro in a flashback: "the pinnacle of swordsmanship is the power to protect what one wishes to protect and cut what one wishes to cut. a blade that injures all that it touches isn't really a sword." while sure, it works in the context of later power ups like haki, imo it perfectly captures zoro's character growth too and what luffy's given him. the current zoro isn't lost or directionless with only one purpose in mind or to live for, bounty hunting as a means to survive. he has a home to return to, people to cherish, to protect and keep getting stronger for, people who nurture him in turn. kuina's death is something zoro couldn't have prevented, and losing people in accidents like those is something that could happen again, but still within the limits of what's preventable - zoro can protect his friends now.

as for luffy... zoro kinda steals the spotlight when it comes to grand gestures of loyalty/devotion and being the MC of the story means luffy fights for different people (both crew and non crew), carrying their wishes and hopes as if they were his own. he gets help and learns from others as well and all members of the crew are important for luffy to achieve his dream one way or the other, but the way he relies on zoro specifically is so subtly meaningful to me. we don't get as much insight on luffy's inner thoughts, still, we do have context.

for someone like luffy, who is at his innermost genuinely terrified of being alone and losing the people he loves, the fact that he trusts zoro to protect and keep everyone safe (even luffy himself) is so good. as shown above, luffy vowed to become strong in the first place to ensure he'd never go through loss like sabo's again and this vow is all the more renewed after ace's death. luffy has to be strong for everyone but... the fact that he can trust zoro to follow his lead even when others might not understand his reasons to do x or y, that he's so unwavering in his faith that zoro will protect the others when luffy can't, entrusting the people he cares about to zoro, whom luffy also cherishes - it's all pretty special. everyone in the crew has their strengths and zoro may not be the only fighter, but all of them, including sanji, fall under his protection whenever it's needed.

it's not only about raw strength though. zoro's also there to set luffy straight and remind him of what's important when the circumstances arise, like in water 7 or punk hazard. and even when they don't necessarily agree, like wrt vivi's situation after the reverie in marijoa, luffy knows when zoro's right and acquiesces (albeit grumbling a little) because, once again, he's also aware that zoro wouldn't just risk everyone's safety. luffy listens to him. and their reunion in wano too, luffy's sheer happiness at the sight of him again, is a very clear example of how much luffy adores zoro even beyond all that.

although luffy isn't aware of what happened in thriller bark (that we know of), zoro's actions are proof of why luffy trusts, has faith in, and relies on zoro as much as he does and why it's so important for luffy to have him by his side, considering how afraid he is of being unable to keep his loved ones safe. this is more on a speculative note, but I can imagine how comforting that must be for luffy - to not shoulder that on his own.

happy anniversary!

[ashxketchum]

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

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

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

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

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

[sillypiratelife]

Kuina is probably my favorite female character of One Piece, but that's because she represents just perfectly the experience of being a little girl that's into martial arts— and some other stuff.

Kuina would never be enough because she could not be man enough to inherit the dojo, according to her dad, but she was also not lady-like enough to be considered a "woman". To the eyes of other people (and what they make her believe), Kuina's dream marked her as an eternal outcast, someone who would never reach one shore or the other.

To Kuina, her body was a cage. Even if she had everything within her, her body would make her naturally weaker. Similar to being condemned to fight with a bad sword, a blade that would break. Being a child was safe. Little boys and little girls are equals. Growing up meant losing time, losing ground. Every year must have to be a burden to her, with the constant reminder that her time as the best was running out.

The fear and hatred of puberty, the horror of the way your body changes without your permission, the experience of girls who feel uncomfortable in her bodies because they don't want breasts, they don't want to be weaker once a month because their bodies are bleeding and their hormones are ruining everything— I've seen it all.

Worst even, the way people would stare at those bodies and lust for them. The trauma of being desirable. Now they think that they're entitled to your body, that they can disrespect you. You're a toy, an object, you're a woman so you're weak and fragile, you're a woman so give up, you're not in control of the situation anymore.

When Koushiro said that a woman could never be the best swordman in the world, there are soooo many things in between the lines. Why not?

As if it wasn't enough, the boys accused Kuina of being that much better than them because her dad was the leader of the dojo, so he must be teaching her in secret. Her merits were never hers, just the results of another man. "Ah, that girl can't be that good, she must be getting help, receiving special treatment, getting extra training, etc". It's infuriating and Kuina shows it. They disrespect her like it's nothing, like it's natural. Her own dad allows it and participates in that.

Before Zoro, Kuina had no one to tell her that her skills were only hers. Her body, her heritage, not of that mattered. She was the rightful winner of their matches, at least so far.

When Zoro cries out of frustration and Kuina asks him if he even knows why she should be the one crying for it? Life changing moment. Zoro got the praise and loyalty of the dojo boys, the admiration of the older people training there, he was even the special boy of her dad— Koushiro let Zoro clown around with multiple swords and watch Kuina beat his ass, but it'd never matter.

Zoro wouldn't be betrayed by his own body, his own family, his own dojo and his own hometown. He was an outsider accepted by the community, their pride even. He came out of nowhere and they gave him everything she wanted and both of them deserved. It's just that it wasn't a fair fight: Zoro was a boy and Kuina was a girl. She'd always have to fight harder even if she was better.

For me, I really think that only Zoro could carry Wado Ichimonji with him. He was the only one who respected Kuina as a person and a rival, not seeing what others saw in her. Zoro honored all their fights, never tried to discredit her, because even when Koushiro tried to give Zoro an excuse "you forgot that she's a little older than you", Zoro brushed it away. No, he could beat grown-ups. That was not it.

Kuina was better than him. Period.

The fact that she died in such an accident and the way Koushiro said "humans are fragile things"... It is just so amazing. What Kuina feared the most: all her potential, wasted. When she was finally ready to go after what she wanted, she fell down the stairs and died. Simple. The promise Zoro and Kuina made was wasted too. Now Zoro had all the time in the world and Kuina had no time at all. She was always against fate and Zoro rode with it.

I still think about how Zoro plans to make it all worth something: if she can rightfully fight for the title, then he won't let anyone have it but him. If Kuina was able to beat 2001 times the boy who would become the best swordman in the world, then no one could insult him ever again. And if he won that title with her sword, then he'd elevate both their names. If he could fulfill his promise to her, then that night would hold its meaning.

I love Kuina soooo freaking much and I love how much Zoro values her, even to this day.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x12 - Adventure! Patamon and I / DigiBaby Boom

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Jou conquered the Lord of Halloween by doing homework at him while Sora questioned the life choices that brought them both to this point.

Six kids are now on their way back to Infinity Mountain. That leaves only one, all on his own with no one but his Partner to help him.

We open on Takeru's bed crashing into the ocean near one of the island shards. While Patamon rescues Takeru from the crash, we cut over to Devimon.

Last episode I brought up that the dub seems to think these episodes are happening sequentially rather than simultaneously. Here we see why, as the original offers a scene that makes absolutely no sense in context: Devimon tearing into Ogremon and Leomon for their failures.

(With Ogremon, it could be assumed that this is after he rowed himself back to Infinity Mountain from the crate. But it was unquestionably Day 6 in broad daylight when Leomon attacked Mimi and Koushiro. There's no way for Devimon to now be yelling at Leomon over it on the night of Day 5.

It was the original anime that screwed up the timescale, so the dub is absolved of that. They learned it from watching you, senpai.)

Leomon and Ogremon apologize for their failures - in advance, in Leomon's case. Devimon picks up Ogremon by his throat. Ogremon pleads for forgiveness, and then Devimon drops him.

(I like how he targets Ogremon alone. He's like, "Leomon's a zombie; I only expect so much from him. You actually work here.")

In the original, just before he drops Ogremon, we get this exchange.

Ogremon: W-What are you doing sir!? Devimon: I don't want to hear your excuses! Ogremon: Forgive me, Devimon-sama! Please forgive me! Devimon: ... (cruel grin, then drops Ogremon) Ogremon: (pained) ...thank you.

The dub punches it up with an oldie but a goodie.

Ogremon: No, wait! I can explain! Devimon: Spare me your pathetic excuses! Ogremon: Yes, master! Please! Please, just put me down! Devimon: ... (cruel grin, then drops Ogremon) Ogremon: (pained) Thank you, master....

Classic. I would have gone with "let me go" but "put me down" still works.

Back on the island shard, Patamon carries Takeru safely to shore. Takeru gets dressed, but then starts to cry as he realizes the severity of his situation.

Patamon: What's wrong, Takeru!? Takeru: W-We got separated from Onii-chan and the others! (bawling)

The dub needs to fit in a commercial break here, so they play the footage of Takeru starting to cry twice - Once before and once after the commercials. For the before version, he delivers a parting quip.

T.K.: Look at all that water! Somebody must have let the bathtub overflow! I just hope it didn't wash out our way of finding the others!

He's facing away from the camera so they can disguise him breaking down. You can still see his head shaking from the sobs if you know what you're looking for, but it's easy to overlook.

Then, upon return from the commercial, the footage repeats but T.K. starts crying in earnest.

T.K.: D-D-Don't worry about me, Patamon! I'm not scared of being separated from the others! And being lost and being homesick and... (bawling)

While Takeru's crying, Patamon looks up the waterfall and thinks about what Piyomon would do if she were here. He plays through her Birdramon evolution stock footage, but with Patamon's actor reciting "Piyomon SHINKAAAAAA!!! Birdramon!" followed by an imaginary shot of Birdramon flying up and above the waterfall.

Sadly, the dub does not follow suit. They use the standard audio clip of Biyomon's Digivolution.

It's at this point that Patamon begins crying as hard as Takeru is. Hard enough to surprise Takeru and shake him out of it.

Patamon: But why... Why can't I evolve? (bawling) Takeru: ...what's wrong, Patamon? Patamon: Why!? Why!? I want to evolve and fly high in the sky too! Takeru: Evolve? What kind of Digimon do you evolve into, anyway? Patamon: What kind? I won't know until I evolve into it. Do you know, Takeru?

The dub matches this dialogue almost verbatim, adding in some quips.

Patamon: I want to fly high in the sky too but somehow I can't seem to Digivolve! (bawling) T.K.: ...hey.... Patamon: I wanna fly too! I wanna Digivolve! T.K.: To what? Patamon: Huh? T.K.: I mean what will you Digivolve into? Didn't they tell you at Digimon School or something? Patamon: Oh. Well, I won't actually know until I do Digivolve and find out what I am. T.K.: Wow! So it's a mystery!

I like the addition of "Digimon School". XD That feels like something a kid Takeru's age would say.

From there, Takeru provides rundowns of his own ideas for what Patamon's evolution might be.

This is TabunKonnamon, an Adult-stage Imaginary-type Digimon. His name, though spelled phonetically in katakana like most Digimon names, is a homophone for "Tabun Konna", meaning "Perhaps something like this". Takeru fills in for the Narrator to give us his rundown.

Takeru: TabunKonnamon. Its special attack is Buubuu Attack! Buu!

"Buubuu" being the Japanese term for oinking.

The dub calls it Porkymon.

T.K.: Porkymon! With super-strong oink attack and the power to... um... oink!

Patamon is not impressed. That's okay. Takeru has other ideas.

This is KittoKonnamon, an Adult-stage Imaginary-type Digimon. Its name is a homophone for "Kitto konna", meaning "Certainly something like this". Takeru's pretty sure he's got this figured out now.

Takeru: KittoKonnamon. Its special attack is Hippopota VACUUUUUUM!!!

As he explains this, KittoKonnamon demonstrates its Hippopota Vacuum by snorting the entire intro blurb up into its nostrils. What a powerful attack!

T.K.: Hogmon! Super hog smell and the power to snort up enemies in a single sniff like this!

T.K. doesn't give its attack a name, but he does add that it has a super hog smell. That's a powerful defensive ability that shouldn't be forgotten.

Patamon's even less impressed by this one.

Patamon: NO WAY! Takeru: Then-- Patamon: Forget it! Stop thinking about it! It doesn't matter. I just won't evolve ever!

Takeru rolled a nat 1 on that diplomacy check.

Over in the dub, they pay off the different naming theme they used for these two forms, picking up on the noticeable similarity between them.

Patamon: I am not a pig, T.K.! T.K.: It's okay to be a pig. Patamon: I'm sure it is, especially for pigs, but that's not me!

Nobody tell Patamon but I'm pretty sure he's a guinea pig. T.K. was right. Justice for T.K.

Alone on this shard of File Island, Takeru and Patamon come across a train crossing, which forces them to stop and wait.

For a solid fifteen seconds, the only sounds are the ringing of the crossing's bell and the wind rustling through the grass. No train ever goes by, and eventually the crossing stops ringing and raises its gates.

(A chilling metaphor for the menacing isolation these boys are experiencing. A vast, empty crossroads stretches out before them.)

In a somber moment, devoid of music or sound beyond their tiny voices, the boys quietly discuss where to go from here.

Takeru: Where should we go? Patamon: Anywhere. I'll follow you wherever you choose, Takeru. Takeru: Then... This way. Patamon: Okay.

Bit of a tonal whiplash there right after the whole ProbablyThismon bit. "Hahaha, we like to have fun here. Anyways, doom." But again, that fits the scenario of a child this young being stranded like this. Takeru is 8.

Over in the dub, they add the sound of a train rumbling through to this scene and use those fifteen seconds to let T.K. talk over it.

T.K.: Hey! I hear a train coming! I bet you we can jump on and ride the caboose all the way back to summer camp!

They also play sad music to break up the silence. Then, as the train (that is somehow making train noises) fails to materialize, the boys discuss.

Patamon: I think I felt something! T.K.: Um, maybe it's an invisible train. Patamon: Did a train go by? T.K.: If it did, it's the most silent-est, most invisible-est train ever! Now come on, let's go. Patamon: Go where? T.K.: Not sure. But I guess we'll know when we get there.

I wouldn't call it that silent, T.K. We clearly heard both its horn blowing and the sound of it rustling on the tracks.

This scene is a major victim of that common trend in anime localization of its day: Localizers were reluctant to let a quiet scene sit for fear that the kids watching will get bored and change the channel. Nonetheless, though the original is far superior, I do appreciate that they still try to capture the somber tone of the scene's intent at the end there.

Then they find the happiest place on File Island.

Takeru: It's so pretty. Patamon: Yeah. Let's go look inside! Takeru: Okay!

Seizing on a perfect opportunity to insert some gags, the dub spices this exchange up.

T.K.: WOW! Let's find a snack bar and get some cotton candy! Places like this always have cotton candy. Patamon: They make candy from cotton!? T.K.: Ooh, I bet there's popcorn and snow cones and soft pretzels and ice cream and candy! Patamon: Oh boy! Let's go see! T.K.: Last one there is a rotten egg!

At a certain point this devolves into just listing American cultural stuff 'cause we're American now, but I love Patamon's confused response to cotton candy. That's exactly the kind of culture shock gag that even the original's been peppering throughout the File Island arc. It fits in perfectly with bits like "Is a snowball fight edible?"

It takes no time at all for them to discover that the ground is bouncy and soft, good for both playtime and naptime. They bounce and they play and then they stop and rest, enjoying the calmness and joy of this place.

Exploring further, they come across a whole field of baby cradles. Inside are Baby-stage Digimon. Takeru immediately starts poking infants.

Of note: These aren't Baby-stage like Koromon or Mochimon or Tanemon. Baby-stage, oddly, comes in two stages? Baby I and Baby II. Those were Baby II, while this Botamon here is Baby I. It will need to evolve once before it can become a Koromon, or possibly something else because Digimon have branching evolution paths.

Speaking of eggs, the boys explore further and discover a field of Digitama. It's a conjunction of the English "Digital" and a phonetic homophone for the first two syllables of "tamago", which means "egg". Tamago often gets shortened to "tama".

The dub calls it a Digi-Egg, which is an accurate literal translation. Speaking of accurate translations:

Takeru: Digitama? Patamon: A Digimon egg. Takeru: Oh, so Digimon are born from eggs? Like chickens? Patamon: Yep, that's right. Takeru: Even Devimon? Patamon: Yeah...

This exchange comes through completely faithfully in the dub, with the only change being T.K. mentioning, "I like the pretty paint," referring to the Digi-Egg's color scheme.

Patamon finds an envelope on the ground with a note inside, which simply reads "Rub me".

Hilariously, in the Unimon episode, Jou left a note for the others before climbing Infinity Mountain telling them to wait for him. The note's written in the sand in Japanese lettering, of course, but the localizers edited it to be English instead.

With the "Rub me" note, they didn't even bother. The note in its original katakana is displayed in the dub, but Patamon explains that it's "written in Digi-code". Oh boy, the Americans are pretending that real languages are fantasy things they made up again!

(Maybe that's a little harsh but Disney scarred me by subtitling Xhosa words as "speaking Wakandan" and now I'm sensitive about it.)

Takeru decides the note must be referring to the Digitama themselves, and so rubs the one in his hands.

Sure enough, rubbing it makes it hatch into a newborn Poyomon, the Baby I stage of Patamon. They need a crib for Poyomon, so Patamon prepares to go look. Suddenly, the unbroken parts of the Digitama transform into the crib, solving that problem.

Patamon: Oh, so that's how it works. Takeru: You didn't know about this? But you're a Digimon. Patamon: I don't remember being a baby. Do you, Takeru?

Takeru stops to think about that question, and we flash back on his earliest memory.

We see a much younger Takeru playing with blocks, punctuated only by the sound of Yamato's harmonica. Suddenly, he accidentally falls and knocks over the little houses and stuff he's built.

The harmonica cuts out, with Yamato realizing what's happened a moment before Takeru starts to cry. Yamato makes his way over, picking up and embracing his brother with a smile. He says something, but we don't hear his words; We only see the love on his face.

As with the train scene, the dub talks over this with dialogue to avoid letting a quiet moment stand.

T.K.: Well, these pretty shapes and colors do remind me of something from a long time ago. It was real sunny; I was playing with blocks but I fell over or something! And I remember I was crying. But there was someone there with me. Someone... I don't know exactly who. Maybe my brother Matt! Anyway, somebody picked me up and I stopped crying. Matt: Attaboy!

...attaboy? Of all the possible things he could have been saying there, you picked attaboy? Okay.

T.K.'s dialogue drowns out Matt's harmonica, and music keeps playing even after Matt stops. As a result, the effect of Yamato's music swiftly cutting to silence is lost.

Back in the present, Takeru admits that Patamon's right; He doesn't remember infancy either. With that settled, the boys race off to go rub some more Digitama.

Meanwhile, we're introduced attack-first to a new Digimon: Elecmon, using his Sparkling Thunder to catch fish from a stream.

Elecmon is a Child-stage Data-type Mammal Digimon.

(The subs I'm watching misidentify him as Adult-stage, incidentally.

It says "Adult" up there in the English translation. However, the kanji onscreen in his data block clearly spell out 成長期 which is Child-stage, as opposed to 成熟期 which is Adult-stage. Everyone makes mistakes; Can't always trust the subs.)

Narrator: Elecmon. A very inquisitive mammal Digimon who enjoys pulling pranks. He threatens his enemies by spreading his tail like a peacock.

Over in the dub, they call his attack Super Thunderstrike. He's forced to handle his own diegetic rundown, for lack of other characters nearby to do it.

Elecmon: I am Elecmon, caretaker of baby Digimon. Don't cross wires with me!

Elecmon zaps the stream with his Sparkling Thunder, frying countless fish. Then he picks out a spot and lets the water carry his catch right to him, plucking them out as they come. Pleased with himself, he announces that this will be plenty to feed all those little baby mouths.

Back at the nursery, Takeru and Patamon are running themselves ragged trying to take care of these babies. Many of the babies have started crying and they can't figure out why. Patamon's doing everything he can to cheer them up, while Takeru notices that one of them defecated.

Meanwhile, caretaker Elecmon is on his way back to the nursery with a net full of fish when he happens to hear the babies crying. Leaving his catch behind, he races to the nursery to find two things: A bunch of crying babies and two newcomers he's never seen before.

Naturally, he makes some assumptions.

Before Takeru and Patamon even know what's happening, Elecmon races in and lets off a Sparkling Thunder.

Patamon shoves Takeru out of the way of the bolt, then furiously whirls on Elecmon.

Patamon: WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!? THAT'S DANGEROUS!!! Elecmon: Of course it is! I was aiming at you! Patamon: WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!? Elecmon: Because you were kawaigaru (adoring) my babies! Takeru: Well, we did kawaigaru them, but what's wrong with that? Elecmon: Tsk tsk tsk. Your ignorance is troublesome. Listen, the word "kawaigaru" not only means to "be affectionate to" someone, but it can also mean to "abuse" them as well! Patamon: But those both mean completely different things! That's weird! Besides, we weren't abusing them; Just looking after them. Elecmon: Well, nobody asked you to look after the babies in the first place! Patamon: You tell us off but what are you to these babies anyway!? Elecmon: What am I? I'm their guardian, their housekeeper, their food provider-- Wait, who cares about that, you brat! Patamon: YOU'RE A BRAT TOO!!! Elecmon: Oh, NOW I'M MAD!!!

Poor Takeru. This is his first encounter with words that ironically mean the opposite of their definition when used in common parlance. I guess you could say he's literally been taken to school!

The subtitle up there tries to make this work with "coddle", but there simply is no English equivalent for the precise linguistic usages of kawaigaru driving this exchange.

Elecmon is accusing Patamon and Takeru of being the reason the babies were crying. That's the point here. He thinks they were doing something to hurt the babies.

Obviously, the dub didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of accurately translating the kawaigaru discourse. So they had to go their own way with it.

T.K.: Hey, watch where you're aiming that thing! You could hurt somebody! Elecmon: Of course I could have. That's what I was trying to do! Patamon: But why would you want to do anything to hurt us? Elecmon: Because I saw you playing with my babies, you interlopers! T.K.: Sure, we played with them. But what's that got to do with you? Elecmon: Ah ah ah ah. You barbarians. Always making the same mistake! I'm not some ordinary Digimon who just happened to come along and catch you. This is the Primary Village Hatchling Ground and Nursery. A very special place where all Digimon start their lives! And I am a very special Digimon entrusted with caring for each and every one of them! Patamon: Well, you don't have to play Mr. Bigshot and fry us! Elecmon: I was only trying to protect my babies. Now, I think this conversation has lasted long enough. I am in charge and you two are trespassing. You must leave! Patamon: Now, now. Don't get all puffy! Elecmon: DON'T CALL ME PUFFY!!!

To fill the space where the impossible-to-adapt kawaigaru discussion would go, Elecmon instead monologues about the importance of the nursery, which the dub names Primary Village.

A consequence of taking this long walk around the untranslatable discourse is that Dub Elecmon, despite being less aggressive in tone, is more unreasonable in accusation. The original altercation was a misunderstanding because he thought the boys were harassing the babies; Here, he thinks they were playing. He's being territorial by attacking.

However, he will start acting territorial shortly, so that's a valid way to play him here.

Patamon and Elecmon lunge for each other, both giving as good as they get. Elecmon reveals that he can electrocute anything that touches him, but then only does it the once so Patamon can keep fighting back.

While they brawl, Takeru screams at them to stop, getting increasingly agitated. We keep cutting back to his Digivice; The meter steadily filling up.

He doesn't know what that means but we do. Something about this angry fistfight is pushing Patamon towards the brink of evolution.

In the dub, T.K. does notice this. He remarks "This is very bad! He's Digivolving!" He also observes, "They're fighting worse than Matt and me, and they aren't even brothers...."

Finally, Takeru lets out one last, furious scream at them to stop. Everything seems to freeze just for the moment. And the meter on his Digivice slowly drains.

Takeru reads them both the riot act for the way they're behaving. They're scaring the babies.

This gets to them both, and they separate. Patamon picks up a nearby Poyomon to console them.

Patamon: Sorry for scaring you. Elecmon: Hey, don't start acting familiar with my babies, you brat! Patamon: Hey, did you guys know that the ones who think they're grown-ups are actually the biggest brats of all. Isn't that dumb? Elecmon: What!? If you've got a problem, say it to my face! You're the type to put on a nice face but then talk about people behind their backs, aren't you!? Patamon: Takeru, let me at him! I want to settle things with this guy! Elecmon: So do I! Bring it!

Even after separating, Patamon and Elecmon are chomping at the bit to resume fighting each other. Over what, at this point, is basically nothing anymore. A bad first impression has their blood boiling.

If they must fight, then Takeru insists on doing it the right way.

A tug-of-war hilariously styled as if it were a sumo match. Right down to the sounds of the hyoshigi clacking for those iconic high-pitched tones, and with Takeru playing the role of yobidashi and introducing the wrestlers by song.

(Fun fact, there is presently a popular yobidashi named Takeru. It's not a reference, though; He hadn't even been born yet when this aired.)

Takeru: ~From the East / Elec of the Vast Sea / Elec of the Vast Sea! / From the West / Pata of the Large Mountain / Pata of the Large Mountain!

Naturally, the dub plays this like a pro wrestling announcer.

T.K.: AND NOW!!! In that corner: The defending champion ELECMON!!! AND NOW!!! Over in the other corner: The challenger and most excellent Digimon, PATAMON!!!

Nice cultural transition.

In a moment of supreme humiliation, Patamon wins.

Not only outmuscling Elecmon but flinging him across the nursery. Pata of the Mountain wins!

Conceding defeat, Elecmon formally accepts Patamon and welcomes him to the nursery. He also gives us its Japanese name: Hajimari no Machi, which means "Village of Beginnings".

Explaining his behavior, Elecmon says:

Elecmon: I'm sorry about all that. Weird things have been happening around here. On top of that, the island breaking apart... It made me paranoid of outsiders. Well! Guess this all goes to show I'm still too much of a brat! Takeru: Fighting between friends is okay because you'll make up soon. ...but when adults fight.... Elecmon: You're stronger than you look! Patamon: Than I look? I don't like being judged by the size of my appearance. Elecmon: Heh, my bad. But it's like they say... Uh, how's it go? 'Sansho wa kotsubu de (Sansho pepper is tiny) but it's sharp on the tongue.' Or something like that. Patamon: 'Sanshikisumire (Pansies) are sharp on the tongue'? Have you eaten pansies before!? Elecmon: ...huh? Did I screw that up?

Takeru suddenly went into PTSD flashbacks about his parents' divorce and we're over here doing more wordplay. Welcome to kindergarten.

Over in the dub, we have:

Elecmon: I'm really sorry, Patamon. There's no good excuse for the mean way I acted when I first saw you, but I've been so upset about things around here. Ever since the island broke apart, I've been expected a fight. I guess I just took it out on you. I apologize. T.K.: At least kids make up pretty fast. My parents are still mad at me for the time I painted our kitty cat. Elecmon: You know, you're a lot stronger than you look, kid! I'm impressed! Patamon: You know, they say you can't tell a cover by the size of its book or something like that. Elecmon: Sure. Well, forget about the sayings; You're great at tug-of-war! Hey, take a look around. Some day all of this will be yours, Patamon my boy. You'll raise up some fine young Digimon here, just like your old man-- Patamon: Elecmon, I am not here to raise babies! Elecmon: You're not? Oh, I mean, of course you're not! I was just... Well, I guess I was just daydreaming!

Props for at least trying to do a linguistic joke here. It's a lot shorter, though, so they have to add in this Lion King bit for the runtime.

Biggest change is, of course, T.K.'s line. Instead of a somber reference to his parents' divorce, it's replaced with a laugh line about his parents being mad at him. I don't remember if parental divorce was on the list of Cartoon No-Nos but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. They did earlier change Matt and T.K. being brothers split by divorce to being half-brothers, so this change feels consistent with that.

With that settled, Takeru has a question for Elecmon: How do we get to Infinity Mountain?

Elecmon: You want to climb that mountain!? I really suggest you don't! Devimon is over there! Takeru: I know! I have to go ask him where my brother and the others are. Elecmon: He's not just gonna tell you. After all, he's an evil Digimon. If you really want to know, you'll have no choice but to defeat him. Takeru: I don't want to fight! Elecmon: Even if you don't.... Patamon: Maybe there's another way. Some way we can settle things without fighting. Elecmon: If there was-- Takeru: Think back to what you felt a moment ago. We were all laughing together, remember? I think something will happen when our hearts come together.

Elecmon takes inspiration from this talk, settling on a new plan of action.

Elecmon: I'll be away a bit in Gear Savannah! You passed through the Pyocomon Village there, right? I'm going to tell them what happened here! Maybe if we can bring our hearts together, the island will join back together again in one piece! Patamon: Then the island will be back to normal! Elecmon: It's just a feeling, but it's what I want to believe.

As Day 6 comes to a close, we return to Devimon, watching through a magic observation gear as six of seven children make their way back towards Infinity Mountain. Dub T.K. fills this space with narration.

T.K.: Maybe [Elecmon] can help us. And maybe I'll get back together with my brother. I just know Matt's out there somewhere. I can almost see him! But I've got this yucky feeling that a lot's going to happen between now and then!

That yucky feeling is called "having read the script for the next episode during the localization process". :P

Backed into a corner, Devimon plots to kill Takeru and Patamon.

Devimon: I didn't expect it to go this way. I was unable to put a stop to them before they evolved, but no matter. I only need to kill the one Digimon who has yet to evolve. As long as I kill one Chosen Child, my victory is ensured. Leomon! Leomon: Sir! Devimon: I leave this to you. Leomon: Understood. Ogremon: Whaddya-- I mean, what shall I do? Devimon: Nothing, for now. But the final battle isn't far off; It wouldn't hurt to stack the odds in our favor. Ogremon: Yes, sir! I'll strangle the life out of them this time!

As we move away from Devimon, the narrator takes over.

Narrator: As the time drew near, the destiny of File Island-- No, of the entire Digimon World was put at stake as justice and evil, light and dark, surged towards each other. Yes, it wouldn't be long before the fight between these two sides would commence.

As he says this, several white feathers suddenly float up onscreen and rushes towards the camera. Completely with an audible shing to make sure you notice them.

(Spoilers, geeze.)

Over in the dub, Devimon is chewing the scenery per usual.

Devimon: All but one of their Digimon have Digivolved. I must destroy this last one before it is too late. Urgh, I cannot believe it has come to this. Still, as long as even one of those cursed children is lost, I am pleased. Leomon! Leomon: Master. Devimon: I leave this to you. Leomon: As you wish, my lord. Ogremon: What shall I do, Master? What task do you have for me? Devimon: Nothing for the moment, my loyal servant. But soon a battle will rage and you must be prepared! Ogremon: I understand, my lord! This time, I will not fail you! Devimon: Heheheheh.... No, this time there will be no failure! This time I SHALL BE VICTORIOUS!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

It hits pretty much every point from the original beat-for-beat. I wouldn't bother bringing it up except for one thing: Devimon's last line extends beyond the end of his scene and into the narrator's, replacing the narration.

This means there's nothing to call out the foreshadowing of the white feathers. They come and go with little fanfare, though they do still have this sort of mystical wooshing sound applied as they pass by. It's not nearly as noticeable as the shing though.

Back in the Village of Beginnings, a Botamon in Takeru's lap suddenly evolves into Koromon. While everyone celebrates the new Koromon, Patamon revisits his anxieties from earlier in the episode, but now from the opposite perspective.

Patamon: I'm also going to evolve one day. I don't mind, but... Will I be able to stay friends with Takeru after I evolve? Takeru: Hm? What's wrong? Patamon: Oh! Nothing.... Takeru: Do you want to evolve too? Patamon: No! Not at all! I'm fine staying like this. I'll stay in this form forever, right by your side, Takeru. Takeru: Yeah! It's a promise. We'll be friends forever!

Dub Patamon has a much harder time putting his thoughts into words.

Patamon: Remember, I'm your Digimon, T.K. and some day I'll Digivolve too! T.K.: Huh? Why? Is that bad? Patamon: No! But.... T.K.: You wanna Digivolve? Is that what you're saying? Patamon: I'm just saying it might happen, but I don't really want it to. I wanna stay like this forever, always by your side! T.K.: Mmhmm! That's so awesome. We can be best friends forever and ever.

First he's like "Don't forget I'm gonna Digivolve!" and then suddenly it's "I don't wanna Digivolve!" Getting your wires crossed here, Patamon.

Also, "That's so awesome," is a way shittier response than "It's a promise!" If I told someone I liked being their friend and they replied, "Uh-huh, that's awesome," I'd feel super rejected.

We close on another white feather whisking by, assuring us that everything's gonna be alright.

It's all gonna be just fine.

Assessment: As the youngest youngest of this group, Takeru is defined by his innocence and his optimistic heart. This is his first spotlight episode since, as noted, he didn't get an evolution episode in the first set. Watching him navigate this situation with Elecmon makes for a solid contrast against what Yamato's been saying: That Takeru is incapable of doing things on his own.

He's young and naive, but he isn't helpless. We see that here, as he's forced to act independently for the first time in the series.

The dub of this one is a little rough in spots, especially when filling in dialogue for quiet scenes that drew their effectiveness from the reserved and careful use of audio. As with the previous episode, there's also places where the dub was screwed from the get-go, such as the two scenes that directly involve Japanese linguistics, but they did a decent job going their own way on those.

Overall, I'd call this dub an improvement over the previous episode, to be sure. Despite some jank in places, they did their best to stay on-script as much as possible and match the tone of the original, while also adding onto it in certain areas.

[asknarashikari]

Do you think Ikki would freak out if Koushiro had to pose as a groom along with another rider (Yoshino most likely) posing as a bride to catch a monster that's been hijacking weddings or would he just not be told about the whole thing because Daiji and Sakura kept it hidden from him

I think Daiji and Sakura would try to hide it but fail because someone else (cough GEORGE cough) opened their big mouth, and then Ikki completely loses his cool over it. Daiji doesn't know whether to be relieved or offended that he's the only one who Ikki didn't cry over when he got married (for real or otherwise).

[froggie-bolt]

Day 4: Trauma and Healing

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

I bet you can’t.

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

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

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

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

And the way Taichi was going about starting it…

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

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

But this?

This took someone who knew Taichi.

Luckily he knew him like the back of his hand.

“Taichi—“

Taichi kissed him again, Koushiro engaging this time.

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

It seemed to work. Sort of.

His shoulders were released at least.

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

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

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

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

He expected Taichi to interrupt him again.

But he didn’t.

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

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

“I..can only imagine..”

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

Koushiro bowed his head.

“That wouldn’t have happened—“

“It almost did!”

“But it didn’t.”

Taichi let out a sharp sob.

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

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

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

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

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

It was fucking both of them up.

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

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

So used.

He hated feeling used.

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

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

Taichi was good at giving advice on such things.

But sometimes, he couldn’t follow his own.

“Taichi, you know the answer to that.”

“No! I-I—!”

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

He kissed Taichi sweetly before wiping the others face.

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

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

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

The red head pulled the other into a gentle embrace.

“You just…feel.”

[ahiddenpath]

Digimon Fanfic Update: Puits d'Amour!

Read it on AO3 or FFN!

The gorgeous art above was created and gifted to me by the lovely @piedrpiper! I am crying over how gorgeous it is! I have been waiting for the perfect chapter to share it with all of you!

In this chapter, Toshiko gives Sora a lesson about balance. I love Sora and Toshiko in Puits d'Amour. It's such a delicate mixture of strain and care. They love one another, but they often don't understand each other... But the desire to do so is there, and that is what saves them, I think.

Afterward, Jyou talks to Yamato about problems with the medical system in Nagano. It's a tough conversation- some uncomfortable truths about the Kido hospital are coming to light. Meanwhile, Yamato mentions that Mimi wants to go on a date with Jyou... And Jyou's past love life is mentioned, much to his dismay.

It's a great chapter, and I'm so excited to share it with you on this Odaiba Day! Thank you all so much for enjoying my stories. For any new readers, the summary and couples are beneath the cut!

Yamato and his brother, Takeru, were born to royal parents from different countries, who wed to seal the peace between their warring nations. The brothers were sent to live in Autun, their mother's country, until coming of age- and now, Yamato is old enough to return to Hakone, his father's country, where he will one day rule. Displaced and missing his home and his brother, Yamato wanders into a café selling pastries he often ate in Autun... And meets Sora, a woman who exudes welcome and comfort. A bakery/royalty AU about finding your home and your path.

Main characters: Yamato, Sora, Jyou, Takeru, Mimi, but the entire Adventure/02 cast is included

The main couple is Yamato x Sora, but there are additional minor couples (Jyou x Mimi, Koushiro x OC, Daisuke x Ken).

[izzyizumi]

U.S. Dub 2020!Tai (relieved): Thanks a LOT... Taichi (Tai): You're *THE BEST*, Izzy!! Koushiro (IZZY), prOBABLY:

[beanghostprincess]

HiyorixKuina anon again!

I was thinking about Kuina more than average and I came up with this concuction.

So you often see that in many Modern AUs you have Perona and Zoro being Mihawk's adoptive children, and while I like this what if Kuina 2as also his adoptive daughter???

Imagine, you have Zoro being an orphan from a young age so he gets taken in by his relatives. But then something horrible happens (could be Kuina's mom dying or Koushiro kills her since everybody seems to agree he is murder coded) so Kuina and Zoro are taken away by CPS and are assigned to Mihawk, who had already adopted Perona. (I hc that Moria would be her bio dad, and he lost custidy due to his experiments on corpses and other stuff)

What we get is a sit-com like dinamic of middle aged single parent swordsman with 3 kids: one is goth, one is insane, one is bith and they are all gay.

I think that Kuina would really like Mihawk since he would teach her and not discriminate (as far as we know) and he would also reconize that Kuina is a better pupil than Zoro, which would add another layer to their rivarly and relationship.

Plus Perona and Kuina being vastly different older sister who are the two opposing extemes on the lesbian spectrum but still come togheter for each other when they need it and to annoy their dumb little brother would be so funny to me. I think Kuina would protect Perona from bullies and general pricks and they would both do wierd shit togheter like mutilate their Barbies to scare people.

I think Kuina would really get along with Zoro's friends siblings, obviously Ace and maybe also Sabo since they both reject the bigoted values that some people impose, but I think she would like Nojiko as well. The two of them both know the horrors of the real world so I think they would use some of the darkest humor ever with each other. And all of them would obviously keep talking about their siblings, that can't be avoided.

I also think Kuina might be Sanji's rival too. After all he treats women vastly different from men (even if its with benevolent intentions) and Kuina woukd interprete thus as Sanji thinking women are weak. So its Zoro and Kuina coming togheter against their shared rival: swirly eyebrowed dumb cook. But ironically Kuina would be fond of the dumb cook's boyfriend, after all Usopp is also a very underrated genious who defyes people's expectation to prove himself as strong and worthy.

Bonus headcanon: Yamace and Hiyoku double dates. Wlw and mlm solidariety at its finest.

HEY BESTIE!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAA I love all of this. It's awesome. I just know Kuina and Perona would be complete opposites but would love and protect each other a lot. Like, they're weird in their own ways. People don't like Perona because she's all dark and creepy and with a very princess-like personality and people don't like Kuina much because she doesn't fall in the standard men have for women and swordsmen. So they fit together perfectly even though they're different. And they'd take care of Zoro and also make fun of him 24/7. This is great. Also, Mihawk be adopting children every fucking where. I don't know if I should be sorry for him or not. At least his family is cool. Perona is his princess <3 Kuina is his fav pupil!! And Zoro is Zoro. He's just Zoro.

This is basically the situation:

(He does care btw, he's just shitty when it comes to feelings and Zoro isn't as cute as his girls)

And yes, Kuina would definitely not stand Sanji but love Usopp. I agree completely. Their views don't match at all but well, Sanji can live with it (he can't. He's crying).

AND YAMACE AND HIYOKU DOUBLE DATES!!!!!!!! CUTE!!!!!!!!! It'd be a bit chaotic, honestly. Both couples have such a different energy 😭😭 Ace might seem a bit more relaxed but the second Yamato goes insane about something, he probably does too if he likes it. So I can definitely imagine Kuina like "I wanted this to be an actual date,, I am sorry, I should've thought about this better-" and Hiyori would just laugh softly at Yamace's shenanigans because she's having the time of her life.

[koushirouizumi]

Me: Watching Digi-Tri. Why does Meiko crY all the time omg she's literally ALWAYS crying it's almost like she's a young adult thrust into an incredibly stressful, traumatic situation (that no one in the fan base wants to recognize was written to portray her trauma...) and clearly didn't have the same Digital World-involved experiences as the other 8~12~ Chosen that came before her and of course she's terrified but isn't it hilarious how she crIED all the time and this was (still IS, TO THIS DAY?!??!) a so-called "GENUINE" """criticism""" of her by other Stans, who will even recognize this is an AWFUL criticism of other child charas (Adv, 02 or elsewhere) but somehow it never applies to "new" girl charas like Meiko AT ALL??? And they'll point it out about every other chara in the series suddenly but never MEIKO when they said all the EXACT SAME THINGS about her for 8+ years???? WILD

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure 02 (Blind Watch) - Episode 48

Damn, this episode was kinda messed up. It also had a weird vibe because there was another art style shift. It's crazy how noticeable and frequent those are in this season. I don't really remember that in the first Adventure series...It didn't look bad but just, off. Maybe simpler line art than usual?

Digimon introduced: Belial Vamdemon

Notes:

-As much as I love Koushiro's mom, the fact that she made onigiri again annoyed me. It's like Iori's grandpa and his jelly, the repetition makes the character feel flatter, like that one food is their only personality trait. (She's still a cutie tho)

-Literally had the VamDemon twist spoiled for me this morning before watching the episode smh. At least I made it this far without knowing. It felt very Voldemort/Prof. Quirrell.

-Not sure if the digital world doesn't except ALL adults or just "bad" adults. Either way it reminded me of Peter Pan and Neverland. I can relate to Oikawa wanting to go to a magical land for kids (I've never really wanted to be an adult lol).

-Oikawa crying in a kinda goofy way and then singing to the brainwashed kids was...interesting. Definitely a side we haven't seen before. (Omg the singing was way more tone deaf in the dub lol).

-The world they end up in (???) looked really cool. Kinda Salvador Dali-esque. Is this where they sent Vamdemon when they defeated him originally?

"I'm just a sweet transvestite, from transexual Transylvania, ha HA!"

-Sooo Oikawa was kind of like Ken with a negative influence swaying his behavior this whole time? Hopefully this means we get a redemption arc for the poor guy!

-The death scenes of Archnemon and Mummymon kind of pushed the boundaries for a kid's show. I was especially cringing at the way Belial Vamdemon tortured Archnemon. (No way of cutting that out of the dub!)

-I don't particularly like Belial Vamdemon's design (too busy), but at least he doesn't have a second face on his crotch like Venom Vamdemon did!

-Some random lore stuff was thrown around but I found it hard to follow (yet again). Something about the dark towers enabling "tainted adults" to enter the Digi-world (okaaay) and the fact that the kids' flowers are food for Vamdemon (didn't he just threaten to eat kids in the other season? Like, without any flowers?)

[ashxketchum]

MIMATO WEEK 2023 DAY 1 - "DIGIVICE"

FFN / AO3

Summary: After losing their partners, the Digidestined are learning to let go, they're learning to move on with their lives. But what throws them off track is the sudden revival of their Digivices in a way that none of them expected. The word partner has more than one meaning after all. If one is lost, maybe another will be found?

Notes: Post Kizuna, Soulmate AU

Chapters: 1/?

~~~~~ xxx~~~~~

To live every day with a gaping hole in your life was something that Yamato had now gotten used to.

His routine was simple, wake up, go to college, socialise after classes, come home and sleep, and when the sun rose the next day, rinse and repeat.

This is how things had been ever since Menoa Belluci was apprehended for her actions, ever since Gabumon stood next to him for one last time, before disappearing into a void that Yamato still hadn’t managed to break into. What he had learned from trying, however, was that life goes on despite everything else. Even if he and Taichi could not be there at the scene to resolve the issue of Digimon pouring into their world through random appearances of Digital Gate, someone else was ready to take their place.

Yamato, like many others, had finished playing a role in the grand scheme and had no choice but to accept the next act that awaited him, no matter how small and irrelevant it seemed in comparison.

So that’s what he did, lived life with the hope of making it to the end of the day, ignoring the emptiness that tugged at him from every direction, reminding him of the promise he had made, reminding him of the partner he had lost.

Somewhere along the line, it became difficult for him and Taichi to look each other in the eye after that final battle. Agumon and Gabumon had taken with them the phase of their lives where they depended on each other for everything. From catching up twice or thrice a week, their meetups happened once a month until the two became busy enough to let their get-togethers fizzle out of their schedules and turned them into an occasional message or a short phone call every few months.

Sora had lost Piyomon not soon after, deciding that that was the moment she needed to discover herself anew, moving on to immerse herself in her job and eventually losing touch with most of them. Jou had been the next one to lose Gomamon, he showed up to Yamato’s apartment at 2 AM, crying uncontrollably. Yamato sat with him all night as he sobbed, holding his hand throughout as he held his own tears back. A few months back, Koushiro informed everyone that the timer had appeared for him as well, but so far it was moving slowly so Tentomon was still around. Takeru, Hikari and the other kids were still very much actively trying to work towards solving any Digimon related problems that arose around the world. His brother was sweet enough to not let Patamon tag along when he came by to visit until Yamato told him it was okay to do so.

As crazily as they had been dropped into the Digital World and gotten used to having their partners next to them at all times, eventually, they got used to their disappearance as well. Yamato knew that if he ran into his younger self right now, the little boy would find it hard to believe that he could live every day of his life normally, smiling and laughing, knowing that there was a chance that Gabumon would never appear at his side again. That was probably the only thought that tugged at him the most, every time the idea that he could no longer face his younger self confidently would appear in his mind, Yamato would find it very difficult to look at himself in the mirror.

But, life goes on, and so did Yamato.

Today, he was out socialising after classes with his college friends, the part of his routine that he was always least interested in but could never get out of either. Most of the time the group would go to small izakayas where Yamato would sit cramped between two people he didn’t like, sipping on beer as slowly as possible to avoid getting drunk in front of his classmates. Sometimes he’d be dragged to mixer parties, as much as he tried to say no to these, he was told that the girls would not show up if he didn’t so for the sake of keeping up a good relationship with his classmates he’d allow himself to be showcased as a prize in front of girls he had no interest in. Wanting to try something fresh and new, today his college friends had decided that they would go for karaoke. As Yamato had kept his singing hobby under wraps from this group, he wasn’t looking forward to the night at all but was somewhat relieved to see that only a handful of people joined this escapade.

He was a little proud of himself for managing to avoid taking the mic up for a solo, so far he’d only joined in on choruses when everyone else was singing loudly too, and no one had noticed his bare minimum participation yet. The escape plan became very clear in Yamato’s mind, he’d stand up and join the hype for the next song, then pretend to be tired enough to be excused for the night without suspicion. He tapped his fingers against his knees impatiently, waiting for the two loudest members of the group to come back from the restroom with the hope that they’d pick some loud, rowdy song next which would get everyone in the room worked up for no reason.

Right on queue, the door to their booth opened and for a brief moment the dimly lit room was filled with white light before the two guys shut the door, their loud laughter drowning out the low notes of the ballad currently playing.

“You guys won’t believe what we just saw-”

“It’s so crazy!”

“There’s a girl in the booth next to ours-”

“A really hot girl by the way!”

“And she’s crying her eyes out, it’s insane really.”

Their loud exclamations were met with an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, Yamato was relieved that not everyone in this group thought that a girl in distress was something to laugh about. But as the two boys settled down, a few chuckles and shrugs were passed around their group, dismissing the information as irrelevant as the beginning notes of a preppy song filled the room. Yamato tried not to squirm in his seat as he forced a smile and nodded along to the music, fighting down the suffocating feeling that was trying to overwhelm him. He had planned to stay for one more song but he decided that now would be a good time to escape to the restroom and then come back after a few minutes to take his leave.

Raising his voice to be heard over the boys who were singing, Yamato informed the person sitting next to him that he’d be right back and quietly slipped out of the booth. Once in the empty hallway, he took a deep breath and made his way towards the restrooms. He dawdled around the bathroom stalls, scrolling on his phone and counting down the minutes until he’d need to go back and join the group. Although he hadn’t done much except sit around and fake nod to music he didn’t like, Yamato figured that by the time he got home, he’d be exhausted to the bone.

Deciding that a good ten minutes were more than enough time to go back and make an excuse about not feeling well, Yamato left the restroom and began to make his way back to the booth. When he passed by the booth right next to theirs, his feet automatically came to a halt. He hadn’t peeked inside, he wasn’t rude like his classmates, but something in his heart told him to take a few steps back and see if everything was okay in there. He knew that he wasn’t the best at comforting people, especially when they were crying, but if the person in there really did seem like they were in trouble, then the least he could do was inform the staff so they could come handle it. With that thought in his mind, Yamato confidently took a step back, leaning his head to glance through the large, oval-shaped window in the door.

As Yamato’s eyes landed on the occupant of the booth, his breath got caught in his throat.

His classmates hadn’t lied, the girl sitting inside was indeed crying terribly.

And it just so happened to be that that girl was Mimi Tachikawa.

A million questions raced around Yamato’s mind, should he go in, should he let her be, should he call someone else for help? Takeru would know exactly what to say and Sora would know exactly what to do, but Yamato was neither so at first all he could do was stare at the sight of a completely broken Mimi, fists balled at his side and feet frozen to the ground. He tried to reassure himself, that he didn’t know what had gone wrong, that this could be something personal like an argument with a friend or family member, or perhaps a bad breakup, in which case he really wouldn’t have anything worthwhile to say. It might be best to leave this to the experts, Yamato decided, pulling out his phone to drop a text to Sora. The two hadn’t talked in months but he was sure she would respond immediately out of her concern for Mimi’s well-being. He took a final peek into the booth, just to make sure he’d get all the details right before contacting Sora, and that’s when he noticed it.

Mimi was sitting with her hands clasped above her lap, clutching onto something loosely as she wept uncontrollably. When he moved closer to the door, it didn’t take him even a second to recognise the object in her hand.

She was holding onto her digivice, which once used to be as bright as a clear sky but now lay rusted and lifeless in her hands.

Yamato swallowed a nervous gulp, finally understanding what he was witnessing.

He slipped his phone back into his pants pocket and without hesitation stepped forward, opening the door so he could quietly enter Mimi’s booth. The sound of her crying rose above the music playing in the background. First, Yamato picked up the controller so he could turn off the music, and while setting it back down he noticed the mic that lay on the sofa across from Mimi. He clenched his jaw as an image of Palmon holding the mic and sitting in that dim karaoke booth with Mimi flickered into his mind. He shook his head in an attempt to keep his own emotions at bay before he gently sat down next to Mimi.

She was yet to notice his appearance in the room, when he looked at her face he saw that her eyes were squeezed shut as tears endlessly flowed down across her flushed cheeks, and the sight of her looking so crushed made his heart feel heavy. Her crying voice was also not easy for him to stomach, he was used to her chirpy tone even her slightly high-pitched whiny retorts, but these loud, guttural sobs were something he’d never have associated with Mimi. Being so close to her in this vulnerable state made his own pain resurface. He’d mastered the art of pushing down the numb emptiness he felt in his heart, but now suddenly he could see Gabumon sitting next to Palmon on the sofa across from them.

Yamato closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Now was not the time for him to be consumed by his own sadness, he was here to help Mimi get through this difficult moment.

With the feeble amount of courage that he could muster, he raised a hand and rested it softly on top of Mimi’s open palms. The effect was immediate, though she did not stop sobbing, Mimi did open her eyes wide as she turned to face him.

As surprised as she looked to find him next to her, when their eyes met it was as if everything that she had tried to hold back by herself burst out of her at once.

“She’s gone, she was right there and now she’s not, she’s gone- my best friend-”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Yamato squeezed her hands as he tried to maintain eye contact with her without shedding a tear or two of his own. Mimi darted her head around, looking at where Palmon must’ve been sitting and then back at him, caramel eyes filled with tears and grief as she attempted to make sense of the truth.

“My best friend.”

Mimi repeated those words in a hollow tone and Yamato nodded in response, even though her gaze was focused on the empty spot at the sofa across from them.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed after that, he sat there holding onto Mimi’s hands, making sure that she knew that she wasn’t alone. Even if her tears never stopped flowing across her cheeks, or her sobs never stopped echoing across the room, Yamato didn’t leave her side for even a second. It was all he could do really, he thought about saying encouraging shit like ‘it’ll get better’ or ‘you’ll get through this’ but dropped the idea as soon as it appeared in his mind because he knew the truth, it doesn’t get better so easily and nobody gets through this without feeling incomplete.

Mimi didn’t speak much and only stared ahead of herself in a daze. Once in a while, she’d squeeze his hand, maybe in an attempt to let him know that she was still here. He didn’t know if she appreciated his silence, or even his presence, since they’d never been close enough to bare their true feelings in front of the other like this. But he did know that if he’d turned around and walked away after seeing her in such a broken state, he would never have forgiven himself for it.

Which is why Yamato sat silently, almost as if he was a statue, awaiting any kind of signal from Mimi that would let him know that she was okay enough to leave. But it was the karaoke employee speaking through the intercom to inform them that the room’s usage rate was fulfilled, that brought Yamato’s feet back to the ground. With gritted teeth and a hardened jaw, he coaxed Mimi into standing up from her seat. Her footing was wobbly so he allowed her to hold onto his arms for stability. Looking around the room to check they weren’t leaving any of Mimi’s belongings behind, Yamato gently guided her out of the room even as a fresh batch of tears came rolling down her cheeks as she gave one last glance in the direction of where Palmon had stood last.

He was grateful that the employees they passed on their way out did not seem to bat an eyelid at the odd sight the two of them made, but his luck only lasted for so long. Once out on the street, the two received peculiar looks from the passers-by, with most of them directed at Yamato since he’d draped a protective arm around Mimi’s shoulders to ensure she wouldn’t walk into a busy street in her daze. He knew, however, that they wouldn’t be able to get too far like this, without some well-meaning stranger stopping them and enquiring about why Mimi looked so distressed. Spotting a brightly lit convenience store a few steps ahead, Yamato quickly led them to it, hoping to reduce any suspicion towards him if he talked with her in an easily accessible location.

“Mimi, which way is your home?” He tried to ask the question calmly, he didn’t want to burden her with more tiresome thoughts but knowing where they were supposed to go would make this whole ordeal so much more easier on him.

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore,” she mumbled to herself, her eyes fixed on the pavement as she staggered for a moment before clutching onto his chest to keep herself standing straight.

“I can’t take you home if you don’t help me out here.” Yamato pleaded with her softly, hesitantly resting a hand on the small of her back to make sure she wouldn’t stumble again.

“I don’t care where you take me, it doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing matters anymore.”

Mimi spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper before she leaned her head against his chest and let her body go limp. While Yamato understood that the whole situation had drained her of all her strength, he’d still hoped that she would be able to stay upright till they reached her house. Instead, he was left having to get her on his back all by himself in the corner of a street without looking suspicious.

With great difficulty and after a few awkward eye contacts with passing strangers, Yamato managed to get Mimi safely tucked onto his back and began to make his way towards his apartment, which thankfully wasn’t a long walk from the neighbourhood they were in. He wasn’t sure if he should inform anyone that he was taking Mimi back to his place since she was in no state to get herself home safely because he had no clue if she still lived with her parents. He thought about checking with Takeru, but the whole conversation that that one question would lead to was something Yamato didn’t have any energy for presently.

So with the occasional huff and a few rest stops, Yamato managed to carry Mimi safely back to his small apartment. Once inside, he made straight for his room, glad about his neat freak tendencies since he could just lay Mimi down on his bed without a single worry. He tried his best to settle her on the mattress comfortably, arranging pillows behind her head, taking off her shoes delicately, and covering her with as many blankets as he could find. During all this, Mimi didn’t even flinch once, which in a way was a blessing since it made things less embarrassing.

After he was done bubble-wrapping her into comfort, Yamato glanced at her face. She looked like she had passed out from exhaustion, which was probably the case anyway. Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks were tearstained and tinted pink, the tip of her nose was as red as a tomato, her lips were swollen too from being bitten at carelessly, and her hair lay dishevelled around her face, in other words, she looked like a complete mess.

Yet, the sight of her ignited something inside of Yamato.

He stood there for a few minutes, just staring at her.

He vaguely remembered the first time they’d met at school, he hadn’t paid her much attention at the time. It was only when they went to the Digital World, had he started to notice her.

He’d always liked how easily she managed to gel with Takeru, the youngest one in the group at first, and how she always spoke to him as a friend on the same level, not as somebody older who was trying to assert themselves onto him, something Yamato himself was guilty of at many occasions. He’d always liked how much she cared about everything and everyone, so much so that sometimes those feelings spilt into impulsive or brash actions, but her intentions always remained pure and he’d always noticed that.

There was no denying, that the two had drifted slightly apart as they grew older, with Mimi moving to America and only visiting them once in a while. He always found it difficult to strike up a conversation with her when she’d come back from the States, he felt that nothing about his life here would interest her much in comparison. After they graduated from high school, she did try her best to stay in touch with each of their friends individually, sometimes Yamato would receive a message at midnight asking him about how his day had gone, which always threw him off guard. Lately, he had been lacking in responding to even the shortest questions she sent in, but that hadn’t stopped her from trying.

Now that he stood in his room, watching her chest rise and fall in a slow, tired rhythm, he regretted putting off replying to her messages. Maybe if he’d kept in touch regularly, he might have known about her time with Palmon being limited. Not that knowing about this could have prepared him any better for handling the situation, but still, at least she would’ve known that she could count on him to get through this.

Instinctively, Yamato's hand reached forward and he brushed a few strands of her hair away from her forehead, leaning his face down so he could get a better look at hers.

It would be a while before he’d be able to forget the sight of her sobbing alone in that dimly lit karaoke booth, but he still hoped that tomorrow when she woke up, her face would have the budding hints of her usual brightness, because he really could do with some sunshine and happy smiles in his life.

Shaking his head at the ridiculous thought, Yamato walked out of his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He eyed his cramped couch with contempt before sighing in defeat as he didn’t have a choice. He tried to rearrange the two cushions on the couch into a headrest for himself, however before he could lie down, a flicker at the corner of his eye caught his attention. Yamato surveyed his living room carefully, trying to find the object that had disrupted his concentration but nothing stood out for a while. After a few minutes, just as he was about to give up on the idea of finding anything, he saw a flicker of light on the shelf that took over the opposite side of his living room.

Abandoning the couch, Yamato stepped closer to the shelf as the light appeared for a brief moment before disappearing again. The shelf wasn’t cluttered, there were a few photo frames with his family and friends featured on them, some books and a succulent or two. The light had appeared in the centre, so that’s the direction he leaned closer in. In the middle of the shelf was the photo of him and the other kids from their very first adventure into the Digital World, next to it was the harmonica his father had gifted him that summer along with his battered and broken digivice. Not even one of these items was capable of making the light he’d witnessed, Yamato thought, maybe it was just a trick the nightlights from outside the window had played on his eyes. But just as this thought appeared in his mind, it happened once more, and this time he was able to witness the source.

Yamato had kept his digivice out in the open like this because he knew that it was nothing but a piece of memorabilia for him now. The digivice had laid unresponsive on this shelf since the day Gabumon had departed.

And yet, tonight was different.

The minute Yamato fixed his gaze on it, the digivice lit up intensely in a shade that he knew was not meant to represent either him or Gabumon.

Yamato stood frozen in his living room, eyes wide with shock as a bright green glow surrounded his digivice.

Slowly, the light around the digivice dimmed, but to Yamato’s surprise, the digivice that had been lying rusted for days now looked as alive as ever, the only catch?

It had turned completely green.

- x -