I would normally say beware of spoilers if you haven't watched or heard about what happened in this, but frankly I am so annoyed about it that I don't even care.
But seriously though, I guess beware of spoilers here.
There's a lot to not like about this series, but this is the part that hit me the most. I felt the need to write this because I feel alone in my misery.
I can't believe I want to cry over an anime. That is so not me. But hey, it's "Digimon".
"Digimon Adventure" was an anime that eventually came out as an English dub in America in 1999, so this was my thing during my late childhood, early preteen years. I was about 10 years old, let's say. I talked about this a bit when detailing my childhood friendships.
This show has gone through many incarnations, but my favorite will always be the absolute first season (aka the only season that really matters) with the original eight DigiDestined, Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, T.K., and Kari. Given that I was their age when the show came out, it's like I grew up with them. As I age, they age, so that's pretty cool. This is unique to "Digimon" because it's very rare to watch animated characters age through time. I had a lot of "Digimon" merchandise regarding these characters growing up and the show influenced a lot of my creativity that I still have today. For example, I too tend to create large ensembles of characters with my own writing. :P
I'm actually surprised that I haven't blogged about this show more. I plan on sharing some more "Digimon" material on here in the future. :)
The plot is as follows: One summer seven Japanese kids between the ages of like 8 and 12 are sucked from their summer camp into the Digital World, where they each meet a personal Digimon assigned to them to form a partnership. Their goal from that point on is to navigate this strange land and save the Digital World and the human world from evil Digimon. The 8th kid was discovered later on. There's more to it but that's basically the plot.
The second season with the new kids Davis, Yolei, Cody, and Ken and everyone else aging three years was okay, but it wasn't the same anymore because it shoved the original kids into the background like they didn't matter anymore and the news kids were in a way insufferable. It was like a next generation type thing because the two youngest kids from the first round T.K. and Kari were now in the foreground and the new kids were considered the updated versions of the original kids...but by this point I was kind of growing out of the show anyway.
So now, to celebrate the show's 15th anniversary, a third installment to this was produced with a focus on the original eight DigiDestined, as it should be. The six-part series, which have four episodes each, began airing in 2015 and the final one actually comes out May 5 in Japan and the dubbed version in September in America. I might actually go see it in theaters. The kids have now aged another three years and are in high school.
I was excited that they were revisiting this series, particularly the original characters. This series was marketed to people like me, adults who watched this show as a kid and feel nostalgic. However, I was also a little indifferent because I wasn't sure how I would see it and it was coming out in Japanese, so I haven't really been following it.
When I recently found out that there is now an English dub of it and MOST of the original voice actors have returned upon hearing Joshua Seth's voice come out of a teenage Tai's mouth, I wanted to cry happy tears!!! :D
I'm not an expert on this series, but here's what I know from YouTube clips and what I've read:
The whole gist of this storyline is growing up and experiencing transitions into adulthood. Tai Kamiya, the main character and leader of the group, is now a sophomore in high school and is especially feeling the heat from this. He struggles to get his friends together. As for the Digimon plot, the new threat is that there is an infection running rampant. I think Izzy, the computer whiz kid of the group, discovers that to delete this infection, the system needs rebooting and as a result the kids' Digimon partners could lose their memories forever...
AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS.
NOW I AM GOING TO RANT THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THIS BLOG POST. STRAP YOURSELVES IN.
Originally I had no idea why they decided to do this. Evidently it's supposed to be symbolic of the kids moving on in life, which I guess is actually a clever way to do it, but they could've made this point in a different way!!!
So what they're trying to say is that in order to succeed as an adult your best friend, a role each of these Digimon play for these kids, forgets everything about you??? Sure friendships maybe grow apart but that doesn't mean you forget literally everything!
The Digimon actually seem to know that this could possibly happen before the kids do, so they go through great lengths to spend as much time with them as possible and learn more about them, which is all depressing in itself. We see Palmon distracted when Mimi is talking to her and we hear Gomamon sadly whimper to himself when Joe tells him he wants him to meet his girlfriend because they're both his life "partners." All of a sudden Biyomon wants to have a deep conversations with Sora about her hopes and dreams for HER FUTURE and Gatomon wants to get ice cream and take photobooth pictures with Kari. Agumon just wants to play with Tai like he's a puppy and Gabumon visits Matt at band practice or something and ASKS HIM TO PLAY HIS HARMONICA, BRINGING US BACK TO SEASON 1.
THE FEEEEELS!!!
Ugh, it's all so sad and awful. I can't.
So anyway the kids have to start FROM SCRATCH to form bonds with their Digimon ALL OVER AGAIN. Some of the kids and Digimon find it easy to reconnect, but other relationships just aren't the same. For example, Gabumon now calls Matt "Mr. Matt" in order to show him respect (I guess translated from the honorifics in the Japanese version). Like they aren't EQUAL partners! Like Gabumon hadn't spent 54+ episodes helping the kid through his inner conflicts and supporting his music! And at first Biyomon is so distrusting, standoffish, and harsh towards Sora! Yeah. BIYOMON. Arguably one of the sweetest Digimon from the franchise. The same Biyomon who taught Sora that she was capable of love and improved her relationship with her mother! Sora and Biyomon, who are now friends again I think, were my favorite DigiDestined and Digimon and favorite partnership in general back when I was a kid so this in particular really stings me.
What makes matters worse is that they introduce a new character, a new DigiDestined. Meiko Mochizuki is this crippling shy new girl who moves in next door to Tai and befriends the eight after she reveals herself a DigiDestined as well. Her Digimon partner is Meicoomon, this orange catlike thing with green plus signs for eyes, who is evidently THE CAUSE OF THE INFECTION. And get this - after the reboot happens, MEICOOMON ACTUALLY REMEMBERS MEIKO TO AN EXTENT.
What...the actual...WHAT?!
I don't think I'm alone in this, but seriously, WHO CARES about Meiko and Meicoomon??? They bring an infection into the environment, ruin everything for our heroes, and somehow come out unscathed?! Are you kidding me???
According to fans, the series dedicates too much development to them anyway. So basically Meicoomon was infected by an evil Digimon, so I guess maybe not to blame, but still! They are brand new unneeded characters!!
For those of you who don't understand why I feel so strongly about this, let me explain the original series to you briefly. These eight kids have dedicated their whole lives to Digimon. Sure there are other kids in other "Digimon" series who do the same, but because the original eight are the first DigiDestined we ever meet and continue to watch mature in second and third installments, it hurts that much more. Plus, the Digital World and Digimon in general are more established in the other series. But in the very first season, the kids wander around having no sense of direction or idea where they are until that old fart Gennai decides to conveniently show up late to explain things to them and must fight off homesickness and evil Digimon who want to kill them simultaneously. And they are just KIDS!
Because of their young ages from the start, at the point of "Digimon Adventure tri." more of their lives has been involved with Digimon than not and have endured high stakes situations. It's not like Pokemon where the kids chose to capture and train Pokemon and had a say in what role they played in the story. Plus it's treated as either a recreational activity or career path. The DigiDestined, on the other hand, literally had the fate of two worlds in their hands and gave up having a normal childhood because they were CHOSEN and therefore FORCED to fulfill this quest. And because they are "Digital Monsters," the kids had to deal with technology and we all known how important technology is in this day and age.
Through it all, they formed strong bonds with each other and with their Digimon. I actually believe that these kids wouldn't be friends with each other otherwise, that's how different they all are. The only thing they really have in common is Digimon and I guess that is another idea they are trying to prove. Because the kids are gradually becoming removed from Digimon, they are drawing apart from each other as well.
In regards to their Digimon story arcs, some of the kids almost died. Even their families almost died. Some of these kids even suffered from DEPRESSION and their Digimon helped them through it.
These are actually my arguments as to why I feel that "Digimon" is better than "Pokemon". There are plenty of deeper messages and complex stories.
So now, you mean to tell me, that these Digimon partners have literally forgotten EVERYTHING they have been through with these kids like none of it ever happened??? ALL of the work and years these KIDS (remember, they are CHILDREN yet) put into these creatures now means NOTHING???
It's like a loved one getting Alzheimer's or suddenly your lifetime pet turns on you. Why even write this in?? How does this plot device serve this story?
You know, plenty of fans hated the happy ending the "Digimon Adventure 02" epilogue delivered, hoping that it would be retconned through "Tri." But now I say that the 02 epilogue is a heckuva lot better than what we're getting now! >__<
As far as I'm concerned, "Tri." isn't canon. I'm actually kinda glad now that some of the voice actors didn't return because that makes it less real for me. Seasons 01 and 02 are the only true "Digimon Adventure" storylines in my mind now. "Tri." is just an alternate timeline. I don't mind seeing the original kids growing up and in high school and using "tri." as an opportunity to answers questions the original two seasons didn't, but if they were going to totally ruin the franchise by creating "tri.", I wish they never even made new episodes at all with them.
I could be wrong about a lot of this considering I don't know the full context and maybe things have developed since this all occurred in the series, but these are my feelings based on my observations right now, so my apologies if my ranting source isn't fully accurate.
If they really wanted to make a dark DARK "Digimon" series, they should have created a brand new one and left the original characters alone. They've already gone through plenty of additional casts anyway! "Digimon Tamers" is known as the darkest "Digimon" season and it's like they're trying to surpass even that one with "tri."
But the thing is, "Digimon" just isn't "dark" to me in general. Sure it's darker and deeper than "Pokemon" but it isn't dark when compared to most animes are concerned.
So like I said, they marketed this new series as a love note to adults who watched this as kids and want a piece of nostalgia. In other words, people like me.
At this point in our lives we are struggling in various ways because, hey, millennials. And so they go ahead and do this and totally destroy something with which we associate happy memories sacred to our childhoods??????
Basically put, like most millennials like saying, they RUINED MY CHILDHOOD!! :P
(Crazy epiphany thoughts on April 11, 2018 at 4:51 AM:) We're just getting used to "adulting." I mean, here we are aimlessly trying to survive in this crazy world while trying to dodge "monsters" (take that as you will) who are out to get us...
HEY. WAIT A MINUTE. THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR!!!
No wonder why I'm taking this whole thing so hard.
Thankfully I can always go back and watch the original good episodes. They're getting me through this. lol
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