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Digimon

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Digimon (Japanese: デジモン, Romaji dejimon) was originally a dueling digital pet ("digi pet") created by Bandai, circa 1996.

At the same time, a manga titled "C'mon Digimon" was released, but quickly folded. Its concept, however, gave birth to the much more successful "V-Tamer," a serialised manga in the page of V-Jump magazine, beginning in 1998 and running to 2004. In 1999, the franchise was turend into an animated series, with assorted tie-in movies, as well as representants in other media segments, like a series of video games for various platforms and a trading card game. The animated series is easily the best-known fragment of the Digimon universe, and responsible for the majority of it's popularity worldwide.

"Digimon" are "Digital Monsters". According to the stories, they are creatures who inhabit the "Digital World", a parallel universe that is in part a manifestation of Earth's communication network. The stories tell of a group of pre-teens (known as the "Chosen Children" or DigiDestined in the dub) who accompany special Digimon born to defend their world (and ours) from various evil forces. To help them overcome the most difficult obstacles found within both realms, the Digimon have the ability to evolve (Digivolve in the dub). In this process, the digimon may change appearance and personality, and become much stronger. The group of children who come in contact with the Digital World changes from season to season.

As of 2004, there are four seasons: the first two make one storyline, while the latter two (Tamers and Frontier, respectively) have unrelated plots. The third season makes reference to the television and commercial enterprises of the first two. In addition, there are several movies based in the Digimon universe. A new movie, initially named Digital Monster Xevolution is in production by Bandai, and its released is scheduled for the beginning of 2005 in Japan. This new segment in the Digimon saga will be entirely done in CG animation.

Digimon is produced by Toei Animation and Bandai. Originally, the series were exhibited on Japan's Fuji Television. In the United States, the series was dubbed by Saban, and was initially broadcasted through Fox Network's Fox Kids and Fox Family, but after Disney's acquisition of Saban during the third season, the first three seasons stayed on ABC Family and the fourth premiered on UPN, farmed out as part of a deal between Disney and UPN, which concluded with Frontier's end, leading to the season being re-run on ABC Family. In Canada, the show was broadcast on YTV.

The animated series have also spawned a manga adaptation, Chinese in origin, written and drawn by Yuen Wong Yu. It has been published in English in North America by TokyoPop, and it retains its right to left format. Digimon is published in Singapore in English by Chuang Yi. Dark Horse Comics has also published American-style Digimon comic books, adapting the first dubbed 13 episodes of the first animated season. In the United Kingdom, Panini Comics reprinted these Dark Horse titles, then some translated German adaptations of second-season episodes, and finally began to print their own unique stories, which danced in and around the continuity of the second animated season, before shifting to the third season, where the stories were more carefully thought out to fit between the tight storytelling of the animated series. These original stories appeared in both the UK's Official Digimon Magazine, and the official Fox Kids companion magazine, Wickid, both of which have since been cancelled.

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Digimon Adventure (First Season)

Digimon Adventure
Digimon Adventure

The premise of Digimon Adventure is a group of young pre-teens (who for reason of apparent 'propriety' are usually a little older in the English dub) while at summer camp, become the Chosen Children and are unwillingly forced to save both the Digital and real worlds from evil. Each child was given a "Digivice" which selected them to be "transported" to the Digital World. The digivices help their digimon allies to evolve (digivolve in the dub) into stronger creatures in times of need. The digimon usually reach higher forms after they see their human partners in a dangerous situation.

The children have no idea of what's really going on after they meet their Digimon partners, yet they still have to fight to protect themselves. However, as time passes and the series starts to evolve, new subjects and concepts are presented. It covered such difficulties the children face when growing up, such as making friends, being courageous and taking a stand against evil, lending a supportive hand to others even though they may be different, saying goodbye to the ones you love, and much more. This has been displayed best by the collection of "crests" the children collect in the first season to make their the Digimon partners evolve into stronger digimon and help them stop the evil forces. They embody virtues such as Courage, Friendship, Love, Purity (Sincerity), Knowledge, and Faith (Reliability). The crests won't work unless their bearers exhibit the quality their crest represents. This has lead the children to express the traits they didn't know they had, which sometimes comes with interesting emotional and dramatic results.

The children realized that the world they were in was not a game, and that the creatures there had feelings and could feel pain. Digimon express every quality that humans do, only they aren't human. They decided without much thought that they had to defend the noble creatures in the Digital World because they didn't want them to suffer, and they were the only ones that could help. The Chosen Children(DigiDestined) made efforts on not having to destroy any Digimon, unless they were perverse (usually of the "virus" kind) and gave them no other choice.

Later in the season, Taichi's little sister Hikari joins the crew. Her involvement expanded the scope of the show as a new dark world was introduced, and a description on how the Digital World was besieged by the "Dark Masters" was added. There was even a reference to the first movie, showing the events that preceded the happenings of the story and the way every Chosen Child entered in contact with Digimon for the first time. In the next season there was more information provided on the dark universe, but there was still a visible gap in detail, suggesting that what we have witnessed in the series is just a small story out of a much larger one.

Characters

The English dub of Digimon was somewhat unique at the time, since most human characters kept their proper Japanese name, but were still usually referred to by an 'Americanized' nickname. Some Digimon names were modified to English equivalents, and (rarely) into Japanese equivalents

The eight children, along with their Digimon partners are (names used in Japan are listed first. That is followed by the English manga/anime name, if any):

Digimon Zero Two (Second Season)

 
Digimon 02

Digimon 02 involves the main enemy the Chosen Children (Digi-destined) thought they had destroyed in the previous season, but has been putting in practice his evil schemes even after his defeat. In this season, the original Digi-destined grew up into jr. high school students (except for Hikari and Takeru) and could no longer watch over the Digital World and be with their Digimon friends. All of a sudden, a young kid who called himself "The Digimon Kaiser" (or Digimon Emperor, in the dub) rampaged through the Digital World attacking Digimon, putting them under mind control, and making them fight, with the help of the "Evil Rings," "Dark Towers,"{Control Spires} and later "Evil Spirals".

A new generation of Digi-Destined, composed of three new children, as well as Hikari and Takeru, are given a new kind of digivice known as D3, which allows them to be transported to the Digital World through computers. Another adventage was Armor Evolution, using the Digimentals so their Digimon can evolve in the presence of Dark Towers. They eventually stop the Digimon Kaizer, Ken Ichijouji, thanks to the sacrifice of Wormmon, Ken's partner.

After his defeat, Ken repented his evil deeds and joined the Chosen Children as they fought two evil digimon named Archnemon and Mummymon. Archnemon had a unique power to turn the Dark Towers into super-strong, artifical Digimon in her control. To fight this new threat, the gang learn of Jogress Evolution (DNA Digivolution in the dub), enabling their Digimon to fuse with eachother for more power. Eventallly, when the battle was brought to the real world, the true mastermind, Yuiko Oikawa, makes himself known. This man extracts the Dark Spore inside Ken and implants it into other children who wished for the greatness Ken once had. Those spores develop into flowers that harvest the infected childrens' energy. Eventually, the Digi-Destined confront Oikawa, only to learn he's an extreme loner whose only friend in the world was Hiroki Hida, Iori's father. Hiroki and Oikawa always used to play old video games when they were young, eventually becoming obsessed with the Digital World and always dreaming of going there. In the end, an entity springs from this man's body, none other than the 'real' mastermind, Myotismon, now reborn as MaloMyotismon.

This season ended with the help of the other Digi-Destined from all over the world, using the light that existed inside each one of them and their wishes to transform the Digital World into a nice place again. Oikawa, who is too weak to enter the digital world, becomes its guardian as he passes away. After peace is restored, the boundary between the Digital and the Real World is broken down, giving every human a chance of having their very own Digimon companion.

New Characters

The Japanese names are listed first, followed by the names used in the English language version, if different.

Digimon Tamers (Third Season)

 
Digimon Tamers

This season changed the very nature of the series. Set in the year 200X (between 2000-2009), it takes place in the REAL real world, where Digimon was just a franchise, composed of video games, a collectible card game, and a cartoon series. However, a group of 10-year-olds (12-year-olds in the dub) Takato, Henry and Rika (fans of the Digimon card game) meet their own digimon friends and start to duel "realizing" ("bio-emerging") digimon who cross the barrier between the information network, synthesizing proteins and becoming real. Most of it set in the modern Japan and only changes scenario to the Digital World for a short time.

The tone of this season has many elements from the head writer's other works, especially Serial Experiments Lain, and is naturally more dark in nature. Persistent rumors existed among fans that because the entire Fox Kids line up -- where Digimon had primarily been syndicated -- was going to be dissolved anyway, censorship became more lax as time went on.

Takato creates his digimon partner Guilmon when he slips a mysterious blue card he found in his deck through his hand-held card reading device, changing it into a "D-Arc", the Tamers version of a digivice. The appearance and powers of this digimon come from Takato's sketches that were scanned into the device. Guilmon "realizes" from the Digital World and is found later by Takato. Henry meets his digimon Terriermon when he rises from the screen of a computer game, while Rika's digimon Renamon approached her to ask to be made stronger, since Rika was famous for her skills on the Digimon card game. Other Tamers are introduced later in the series.

Along the way, the kids learn to be responsible for those creatures as a mysterious man known as Yamaki tries to stop wild digimon from coming to the real world. From the secret government agency called Hypnos, Yamaki was in charge of monitoring all digimon activity around the globe. Later, the new Tamers are forced to fight a series of evil digimon calling themselves the Devas, who, serving the Digital Gods (Digimon Sovereign), believe that true digimon shouldn't pair up with humans (it is later revealed they were actually misguided). After traveling to the Digital World to rescue Calumon, who has fallen into the Devas' hands, the Tamers meet (and fight with) one of the four Digital Gods, but finally agree to work together in order to prevent the D-Reaper, a computer program initially designed to keep digital life and artificial intelligence programs from getting out of control, from destroying both the digital and real worlds.

Several new characteristics are introduced in this season, like the use of game cards in conjunction with the digivices to give different powers to the digimon and the presence of Culumon(Calumon), a lone digimon responsible for the digimon evolutions in the real world.

Characters

Japanese names are listed first, followed by names used for the English language version, if different:

Digimon Frontier (Fourth Season)

 
Digimon Frontier

Digimon Frontier is the final TV series. After receiving strange phone messages, five children go to the subway &take a train to the Digital World. Once there, they meet Bokomon and Neemon (who act as guides) and learn that the DigiWorld is in danger. They must fight the evil Cherubimon and his Evil Legendary Warrior servants before they destroy the world. In the typical Digimon fashion, it's up to the kids to save the world.

The biggest feature introduced in this season is "spirit evolution," where the Digi-destined themselves evolve into digimon to become Legendary Warriors. For this special kind of evolution, they use "spirits," artifacts created by the Ancient Warriors that were hidden in certain areas of the Digital World. The two types of spirits are the "human spirits" and the "beast spirits." Another interesting detail lies in the way the children travel within the regions of the DigiWorld. Unlike the previous seasons, most areas are connected by railroads, where train digimon called "Trailmon" act as a means of transport.

After defeating the four Legendary Warriors that serve Cherubimon, Kouji discovers that Duskmon, the fifth evil Legendary Warrior, is really his long-lost brother Kouichi. With Takuya's help, Kouji is able to free his brother from the spirit. Afterwards the Spirits of Darkness regain their true form, and Kouichi can now become the true Warrior of Darkness, Löwemon, and joins the group. After they defeat Cherubimon, the Digi-Destined learn that Lucemon, an ancient, evil, angel digimon whom the Anicent Warriors sealed away, was the one who was really behind it all. So now the Six Digi-Destined must defeat him and his two Royal Knights before they scan away all of the Digital World, which would allow Lucemon to be free.

Characters

The Japanese names are listed first, followed by the names used in the English language version (if different) and the names of their first digimon form.

The Movies

Digimon: The Movie, released in the US territory in October 2000, consists of the union of the first three Japanese movies. Those stories are based in the universe introduced in the first two seasons of the TV series.

The first story focuses on Taichi and Hikari at a time when the Digi-destined were mere toddlers and shows what happened to them (as well as the other children) when they participated in their first digimon battle after raising a quickly growing digimon. In the story, that digimon hatches from a Digi-egg and, after suffering several digievolutions, turns into Greymon to fight another digimon who appeared in the city. The movie shows the original Chosen Children's first exposure to Digimon.

The second story shows many of the Digi-destined, but only four end up saving the day when a computer virus Digimon raises havoc all over the world through the Internet. The kids must stop the evil digimon quickly before he provokes the launching of nuclear warheads aimed at Japan (where the kids are). Taichi and Yamato end up getting so worried about their Digimon (in the form of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon) badly losing to the evil digimon Diablomon and with the massive e-mails from other children slowing them down that they actually phase into the Internet and mysteriously give them the power to destroy the enemy in time. Both digimon merge, evolving into the powerful Omegamon/Omnimon. However, Diablomon is still too fast, until Koushiro comes up with the idea to redirect the e-mails to slow him down, allowing Omegamon to finish him off just before the missiles hit. In the end, the deactivated missiles land harmlessly in the water.

The last story involves the next generation of Digi-destined children after they travel from Japan to the U.S.A. and meet up with Wallace (Willis in the dub), helping him to stop the menace of a enigmatic threat. As a kid, Wallace was given two twin digimon, one of which{Kokomon} mysteriously disappeared without a trace, returning later with a different appearance and ruthless behaviour{Wendimon}. Takeru and Hikari are the first ones to encounter Wendimon in New York while they are visiting Mimi; he kidnaps Mimi (she disappears before Takeru and Hikari's eyes) along with the rest of the older Digi-Destined and begins to de-age them. Wallace eventually explains his connection to Wendimon and that Wendimon wants to see Wallace again, which was why the Digimon kidnapped the older Digi-Digidestined -- because they, like he, have Digivices.

But when Wendimon evolved to Antiramon, and then Cherubimon, he de-aged Wallace and the younger Digi-Destined as well. Wallace figures out that his Digimon's urge for things to go back to the way there were litterally meant to make Wallace a kid again. After the battle is over, Cherubimon is defeated and the older Digi-Destined reappear at the points they disappeared from. In the end, Wallace discovers that his digimon was still alive after the fight, ready to be reborn from a Digi-egg.

The American compilation of these movies claims that Wallace 'created' Diablomon in an attempt to create a continuous storyline; in reality, the third movie is not even considered canon to the show's plotline. The compilation also cuts the de-aging of the older children from the third movie in order to shorten the film.

There have also been 5 other movies that were never released in America. In movie #4, the second film based on Season two, the Digidestined go up against Diablomon again. Taichi and Yamato head back to the Internet to deal with him with Omegamon, while the younger Digidestined go to deal with the rampage of Kuramon (Diablomon's baby form). With the help of Angemon and Angewomon (with Takeru and Hikari), Omegamon is able to destroy Diablomon again. But it was a trap set up by Diablomon whereupon his destruction allows a lot more Kuramon to go to the real world. Things go out of control when the Kuramon in the real world merge to create a Mega level called Armagemon (Armageddemon), which is even more powerful than Diablomon. It is so powerful that neither Omegamon nor Imperial Dramon are able to defeat it on their own. In the end, Omegamon gives his energy to Imperial Dramon Fighter Mode, powering him up to Paladin Mode. Using his Omega Blade attack, Imperial Dramon Paladin Mode is able to strike down Armagemon, splitting him back up into the Kuramon. With the help of the energy from the Digi-Destined Digivices and the cell phones from the other kids of Japan, the Omega Blade is powered up, allowing all of the Kuramon to be destroyed for good. This is notable for being the only movie that has Ken in it.

The fifth movie and sixth movies were based on Season 3. The fifth has Takato visiting his cousin Kai in Okinawa, only to learn of a evil plan conducted by Mephismon; whether or not this movie is canon is very questionable. The sixth movie takes place after the series finale (though this is never explained in the film); in it, the Tamers try to stop a train-Digimon named Locomon, who was being controled by Parasimon. The movie served to provide insight on Ruki.

The seventh movie, which is not canon, is based on season 4. Takuya and company end up on a floating island in the middle of a civil war between human and beast Digimon, instingated by an evil Digimon named Murmuxmon. Murmuxmon was posing as the leader of each side in the war so that he could free an anicent evil that the Anicent Warriors AnicentGreymon and AnicentGarurumon had defeated.

Digimon X-Evolution (Eighth Movie)

The first Digimon movie with only digimon involved and the first one entirely in CGI. The plot seems to parallel Bandai's Pendulum-X storyline, with many old favorites returning. It is also marked as the first Digimon story without the involvement of humans. Running time is estimated around 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Characters

The Japanese names are listed first, followed by the names used in the English language version (if different) and the names of their first digimon form.

Notable people


Compare: Pokémon

See also

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