Main article Following the release of the first Digimon movie in Japan in 1999, the first Digimon television series, Digimon Adventure began airing on Fuji TV in March of the same year; three other series followed in consecutive years: Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers and Digimon Frontier. Adventure 02 is a continuation of Adventure. Tamers' only connection to the Adventure series is the character Ryou (whose story was explained through the Digimon games for Bandai's WonderSwan video game system). Frontier has no connections to the other three series. Frontier was also the final series of Digimon, ending with its 50th episode (205th in the overall series), End of the Line. However, with the recent dubbing of the previously Japanese-exclusive movies, the eighth Digimon movie airing on Japanese TV, and other assorted merchandise, it is quite safe to say that Digimon has not died out.
Characters
Digimon Adventure
- Taichi Kamiya (Digimon Partner: Agumon)
- Matt Ishida (Digimon Partner: Gabumon)
- Sora Takenouchi (Digimon Partner: Biyomon)
- Izzy Izumi (Digimon Partner: Tentomon)
- Mimi Tachikawa (Digimon Partner: Palmon)
- Joe Kido (Digimon Partner: Gomamon)
- T.K. Takaishi (Digimon Partner: Patamon)
- Kari Kamiya (Digimon Partner: Gatomon)
Digimon Adventure 02
- Davis Motomiya (Digimon Partner: Veemon)
- Yolei Inoue (Digimon Partner: Hawkmon)
- Cody Hida (Digimon Partner: Armadillomon)
- T.K. Takaishi (Digimon Partner: Patamon)
- Kari Kamiya (Digimon Partner: Gatomon)
- Ken Ichijouji (Digimon Partner: Wormmon)
Digimon Tamers
- Takato Matsuki (Digimon Partner: Guilmon)
- Rika Nonaka (Digimon Partner: Renamon)
- Henry Wong (Digimon Partner: Terriermon)
- Jeri Katou (Digimon Partner: Leomon)
- Ryo Akiyama (Digimon Partner: Cyberdramon)
- Kazu Shioda (Digimon Partner: Guardromon)
- Kenta Kitagawa (Digimon Partner: MarineAngemon)
- Suzie Wong (Digimon Partner: Lopmon)
- Ai and Mako (Digimon Partner: Impmon)
Digimon Frontier
- Takuya Kanbara (Digimon Form: Agunimon)
- Koji Minamoto (Digimon Form: Lobomon)
- Zoe Orimoto (Digimon Form: Kazemon)
- J.P. Shibayama (Digimon Form: Beetlemon)
- Tommy Himi (Digimon Form: Kumamon)
- Koichi Kimura (Digimon Form: Loewemon)
Songs
OP Themes
- Digimon Adventure: "Butter-Fly" by Wada Kouji
- Digimon Adventure 02: "Target~Akai Shougeki~" by Wada Kouji
- Digimon Tamers: "The Biggest Dreamer" by Wada Kouji
- Digimon Frontier: "FIRE!!" by Wada Kouji
ED Themes
- Digimon Adventure ED1: "I wish" by Maeda Ai
- Digimon Adventure ED2: "keep on" by Maeda Ai
- Digimon Adventure 02 ED1: "Ashita wa Atashi no Kaze ga Fuku" by AiM
- Digimon Adventure 02 ED2: "Itsumo Itsudemo" by AiM
- Digimon Tamers ED1: "My Tomorrow" by AiM
- Digimon Tamers ED2: "Days-Aijou to Nichijou-" by AiM
- Digimon Frontier ED1: "Innocent~Mujaki na Mama de~" by Wada Kouji
- Digimon Frontier ED2: "an Endless tale" by Wada Kouji and AiM
The movies
There have been eight individual Digimon films released in Japan with all but the eighth spinning out of the assorted TV series.
Digimon Adventure
At a length of thirty minutes, the original movie, the first Digimon animated product, occurs before the events of the first TV series. It focuses on Taichi and Hikari four years before the start of Adventure and shows their first encounter with Digimon. A Digi-Egg emerges through the children's father's computer and promptly hatches into a Botamon. It causes various problems as it grows and evolves, eventually becoming a Greymon. It battles a Parrotmon that hatches out of a Digi-Egg that appears in the sky. When the events of this movie were covered in the TV series, it was revealed that the events of this battle caused the eight children to be selected to become the new generation of Chosen Children, known as the DigiDestined in the dub.
Digimon Adventure: Our War Game
This second movie, which runs forty minutes, takes place after the end of the first TV series and features its cast. When the computer virus Digimon, Diaboromon raises havoc all over the world through the Internet during Spring Break, four of the chosen children, Taichi, Yamato, Koushirou and Takeru, must put a stop to it before it provokes the launching of nuclear warheads. Taichi and Yamato's Digimon pursue the villain through the Internet. In the final battle against Diaboromon, Wargreymon and Metalgururumon merge into Omnimon to destroy him.
Digimon Adventure 02: Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!!/Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals
This was the third Digimon movie & the first Digimon Adventure 02 movie. The short length of most of the movies meant that they were commonly screened as a double-bill with another short feature. However, the movie's length meant that it screened alone, split into two acts.
This movie features the new generation of Chosen Children as they travel from Japan to the U.S. and meet up with an American Chosen Child, Wallace, who is trying to stop the enigmatic threat of Kokomon. It is eventually revealed that Chocomon is actually one of Wallace's own twin Digimon Partners. Chocomon seeks to be reunited with Wallace and captures the original Chosen Children in this bid. The new Chosen Children go up against Chocomon in an epic clash as their foe evolves into his Ultimate form, prompting a series of new evolutions from Angemon, Angewomon, Veemon and Terriermon which win the day.
It is generally accepted that this movie is out of continuity with the events of the TV series due to the appearance of Angewomon (at a time when the Digimon have lost the ability to assume this level of form) and her and Angemon's transformations into their Mega forms, an ability never displayed in the show. Likewise, the sudden, unexplained appearance of the titular Golden Digimentals does not fit with the series.
Digimon: The Movie
As the only theatrical release of a Digimon animated feature in the west, Digimon: The Movie combined Digimon Adventure, Children's War Game and Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!!/Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals into one movie. However, as there was no specific connection between the storylines of these movies in their original Japanese form, some substantial rewriting and re-editing of the movies occurred - most notably, Wallace was written into the second feature and credited with the creation of Diablomon, while the third movie received some particularly large cuts, reducing its length to thirty minutes and, most specifically, removing the subplot about Chocomon's capture of the original Chosen Children. The Digimon Movie soundtrack is currently avaliable at Amazon.com.
This is the first Digimon movie to be created in a western country and was released in theatres by 20th Century Fox and Saban Entertainment.
Digimon Adventure 02: Diablomon Strikes Back
English: Revenge of Diaboromon
Thirty minutes in length, the fourth Digimon feature is the last movie to feature the cast of the Adventure/02 series, taking place three months after after the climactic finale of the series and before the epilogue. It sees the Chosen Children go up against Diaboromon again. As the younger kids attempt to handle the flood of Kuramon into the real world, Taichi and Yamato head back to the Internet with Omnimon to deal with Diablomon. Omegamon successfully destroys him. However, this proves to be a trap, as his destruction allows many more Kuramon to go to the real world, where they merge to create Armageddemon, powerful enough to defeat both Omnimon and Imperialdramon. In the end, Omnimon gives his energy to Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, powering him up to Paladin Mode and giving him the strength to destroy Armageddemon.
When the movie was originally screened in 2001, it was apparent that there was some degree of interest to dub it for release in some form in the west, as the script was translated into English by the series translator (known to Internet Digimon fans as Megchan). However, for whatever reason - possibly due to the Disney takeover - this production never came to light. The movie was at last dubbed and aired on ABC Family on August 6, 2005.
Digimon Tamers: The Adventurers' Battle
English: Battle of the Adventurers
The fifth Digimon movie is the first to feature the new universe of the third TV series, Digimon Tamers, and sends Takato on vacation to Okinawa to visit his cousin, Kai. Encountering Minami Uehara, Takato learns of an evil plan formulated by Mephistomon to use V-Pets to disrupt Earth's electronics network and spell the end of the human race. Together with Kai, his fellow Tamers and the mysterious Seasarmon, Takato goes up against Mephismon to save the world.
Early mistranslated promo information cemented the idea that this fifty-minute movie was out of continuity with the series, but in the finished movie, there is very little to suggest that this could be true. The fact that Kai goes on to appear later in the series itself suggests that the movie is in continuity. Like Diablomon Strikes Back, this movie was translated into English around the time of its original screening, but was not dubbed until 2005.
Digimon Tamers: Runaway Digimon Express
English: Runaway Locomon
This thirty-minute movie takes place after the Digimon Tamers series finale and features the Tamers trying to stop a train Digimon named Locomon, who is being controlled by Parasimon. The movie also serves to turn the spotlight on Ruki, as we see her memories of her estranged father, who receives no attention in the series.
Originally screened in Japan in March 2002, it reached American TV screens in October 2005.
Digimon Frontier: Revival of the Ancient Digimon
English: Island of Lost Digimon
The last of the Digimon movies to spin out of one of the TV series, this forty-minute Digimon Frontier movie sends Takuya and company to the legendary "Wandering Island," where they find themselves caught in the middle of a civil war between human and beast Digimon, instingated by an evil Digimon named Murmuxmon. Murmuxmon, posing as the leader of each side in the war, plans to free an ancient evil that the two of the Ancient Warriors, AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon, had defeated in the distant past.
This movie is also out of continuity with the series, and it is easy to explain why through the observation of three facts:
- Takuya and Kouji are shown to be in possession of their Beast Spirits.
- Izumi has her Human Spirit.
- Bokomon is not carrying Seraphimon's egg.
These three events are not reconcilable with the TV series - Bokomon was always carrying the egg once Izumi reclaimed her spirit, but Takuya and Kouji obtained their Beast Spirits after she lost it.
The dub aired in October 2005.
Digital Monster X-Evolution: The Thirteenth Royal Knight
This is the longest-running Digimon movie (and also the only one to premiere on Japanese TV), clocking in at seventy-five minutes. The movie is entirely rendered with computer-generated imagery and is the first to exist in a universe of its own, not spinning out of any of the TV series. The story is, however, loosely based on Digimon Chronicle (the accompanying fiction of the product line at the time). The main character is Dorumon, a mysterious Digimon who travels around the Digital World attempting to discover the reason for his existence. But with his past surrounded in mystery, Dorumon's future also soon becomes uncertain as he finds himself caught between the warring forces of the X-Antibody Digimon, and the Royal Knights, the servants of the Digital World's host computer, Yggdrasil.
Comics
C'mon Digimon
In summer 1997, a one-shot manga involving battles between more-or-less holographic Digimon was planned, but apparently never got off the ground. However, this manga was published as a special in volume two of V-Tamer, and there it was revealed the hero of this manga, Kentarou, was the source and inspiration for the design and character of Taichi, the hero of V-Tamer and the leader of the Chosen Children in Digimon Adventure.
Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01
V-Tamer was the first and longest-running Digimon manga, printed in the pages of V-Jump magazine. Starting on November 21 1998, it ran to fifty-eight chapters and ended on August 21 2003. This manga introduces the character of Taichi - although it must be noted that he is not the same Taichi that features in the Digimon Adventure TV series. V-Tamer takes place in an alternate universe.
In this universe, Taichi is involved in a V-Pet tournament, where he is told he cannot play because the Digimon in his V-Pet isn't recognized as being a real Digimon. However, after the tournament is over, Taichi plays the winner of the tournament, a boy named Neo Saiba, and their battle ends in a tie - something that is supposed to be impossible. Later, Taichi is summoned to the Digital World by a HolyAngemon called Lord HolyAngemon, and there he meets the mysterious Digimon in his V-Pet, Zeromaru the V-dramon. Taichi and Zeromaru travel to Lord HolyAngemon's castle with the aid of Gabo the Gabumon, and there Lord HolyAngemon begs Taichi to find the five Tamer Tags and defeat the evil Demon, who has disrupted the peace of the Digital World.
Along the way, more humans are brought to the Digital World by Demon, including Neo Saiba, Rei Saiba, Sigma, Mari, and Hideto. Neo is chosen to raise the Digimon that will hatch from the Super Ultimate egg Demon is raising. Rei Saiba, Neo's sister, has a Digimental that will allow the Demon's experimental Digimon to evolve to a level beyond Ultimate. The others, called the Alias III, are to help Neo and Demon with their Digimon. Hideto's Partner is Omegamon, formed by the Jogress of Org and Meluuga, a WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon respectively. Mari's Partner is a Rosemon and Sigma's is a Piemon. They are all villains that eventually reform except Rei, who has no Digimon Partner or evil intentions.
Dark Horse
Dark Horse Comics published American-style Digimon comic books, adapting the first dubbed 13 episodes of the first animated season. The conclusion to the story arc, however, was never released.
Panini
The European publishing company, Panini, approached Digimon in different ways in different countries. While Germany created their own adaptations of episodes, the United Kingdom reprinted the Dark Horse titles, then translated some of the German adaptations of second-season episodes, and finally began to print their own original stories, which appeared in both the UK's Official Digimon Magazine, and the official Fox Kids companion magazine, Wickid. These original tales 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 and would sometimes focusing on subject matter not covered by the show (such as Yamaki's past) or in the west (such as Ryo's story or the undubbed movies). Eventually, in a money saving venture, the original stories were removed from Digimon Magazine, which returned to printing translated German adaptations, this time of Tamers episodes. Eventaully, both magazines were cancelled.
TOKYOPOP manga
The TOKYOPOP Digimon manga is a Chinese manhua written and drawn by Yuen Wong Yu, based on the television series and brought to North America, translated by Lianne Sentar. Covering Digimon Adventure in five volumes, Digimon Adventure 02 in two and Digimon Tamers in four, it is heavily abridged, though in rare occasions plays through events differently to the anime. This is the main attraction of the series. Three additional volumes exist, covering Digimon Frontier, but these have not been released in English by TOKYOPOP.
Digimon Chronicle
Digimon Chronicle was the storyline accompanying the 2004 Digimon product line. Originally rumoured to be a new, full-blown manga to replace V-Tamer 01, it eventually transpired to be mostly prose text, printed in the booklets which accompanied the "Pendulum" digital pets. These booklets also contained short, non-sequiter six-page mangas. There are four "chapters", one sold with the Pendulum X 1.0, another with the Pendulum X 1.5, another with the Pendulum X 2.0, and the final chapter with the Pendulum X 3.0.
This fiction tells the story of a Digital World controlled by a sentient computer named Yggdrasil. Because Digimon had multiplied so much in the past, Yggdrasil, the host computer, was unable to handle the load and the Digital Hazard occurred. Yggdrasil then created the "New Digital World", consisting of three layers for the past, present, and future - Urd, Versandi, and Skuld, respectively, and then let loose with Project Ark and the X Program to eliminate any Digimon Yggdrasil no longer wanted. However, the Digimon adapted by obtaining a program called the X Antibody, which strengthened them, changed their form, and made them immune to the X Program. Yggdrasil sent in the Royal Knights, thirteen Digimon devoted to keeping order in the Digital World, and at this point Kouta, Yuuji, and Shinji, three humans, somehow found their way into the Digital World and met their partner Digimon, Dorumon for Kouta and Ryuudamon for Yuuji. Kouta and Yuuji resisted Yggdrasil and the Royal Knights, but Shinji apparently sided with Yggdrasil.
D-Cyber
The D-Cyber manga is another Chinese Digimon manhua based on the adventures of Hikaru, Masuken, and Teru. It introduces the concept of X Digimon, but their origin is different from that in the Japanese Digimon Chronicle. In short, an evil MetalPhantomon seeks to steal the Dragon Spirit from Hikaru's Digimon and use it to revive a powerful evil Digimon. In the end, it takes the power of the three Holy Knights (Omegamon, Dukemon, and Magnamon) and the power of the three Tamers to put a stop to MetalPhantomon and what he's done.
Fan Influence
As Digimon continues to grow in popularity internationally, the fanbase around the show and manga continues to grow with it in a manner akin to other fandoms. As with most anime, this includes extensive shipping. Digmon fanshippers popularized the jargon of their specific brand of shipping by combining the first and last syllables of the relevant characters names, rather than the standard American "/" or "X".
Due to the relative quickness and more accurate translation of the dubbing of the third season, American and Japanese fandoms were somewhat aware of each other and contributed to each others fandoms.
Many fandoms sprouted from Digimon, including a popular fandom called "FDD" (Fictional Digimon and Digidestined) that had a large fandom for Digimon from 1998 on and is still alive today. Their purpose was to create fictional Digimon and Digidestined teams (or now Tamers) and exchange stories, ideas and drawn images. The fandom is still active in select websites, such as Injenn.net and Sagari-Cross.com. They would create their own Digimon and Digidestined and write stories about their adventures. Customs included starting new stories, drawing pictures for fellow FDDs, and making websites about their characters.
Notable people
- Akiyoshi Hongo - Creator of the original Digimon concept
- Hiroyuki Kakudo - Director of Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02
- Yukio Kaizawa - Director of Digimon Tamers and Digimon Frontier
- Chiaki J. Konaka - Head writer of Digimon Tamers
- Takatori Arisawa - Composer of the Japanese versions of Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers and Digimon Frontier
- Jeff Nimoy - US Director of Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02
- Mary Elizabeth McGlynn - US Director of Digimon Tamers and Digimon Frontier
Movie Cast
- Richard Epcar - Mephistomon (Movie 5)
- Doug Erholtz - Dinohyumon (Movie 7)
- Bridgette Hoffman - Patamon (Movie 4)
- Neil Kaplan - Hawkmon (Movie 4), Gabumon (Movie 4), Omnimon (Movie 4)
- Lex Lang - Omnimon (Movies 2, 4-5) Rapidmon (Movie 3), Locomon (Movie 6)
- Wendee Lee - Bearmon (Movie 7)
- David Lodge - Wataru Urazoe(Movie 5), Parasimon (Movie 6)
- Yuri Lowenthal - Kai Urazoe (Movie 5)
- Mary Elizabeth McGlynn - Lopmon (Movie 6)
- Dave Mallow - Seraphimon (Movie 3)
- Mona Marshall - MarineAngemon (Movie 6)
- Bob Papenbrook - Murmuxmon (Movie 7)
- Paul St. Peter - Diablomon (Movie 2), Wendigomon (Movie 3), Armageddemon (Movie 4)
- Tara Platt - D'Arcmon (Movie 7)
- Derek Stephen Prince - Mr. Uhera (Movie 5), Labramon (Movie 5)
- Philece Sampler - Jeri (Movie 6)
- Stephanie Sheh - Minami Uhera (Movie 5)
- Peter Spellos - Grizzlymon (Movie 7)
- Jason Spisak - Taichi (Movie 4)
- Kirk Thornton - Omnimon (2, 5)
- Dave Wittenberg - Takuya (Movie 7)
- Wally Wingert - HippoGryphomon (Movie 7)
- Debi Mae West - Kotemon (Movie 7)
- Tom Wyner - Seasarmon (Movie 5)
See also
- List of Digimon
- Tamagotchi
- List of Human characters in Digimon series
- List of Chosen Digimon
- Digimon: Digital Monsters (anime)
- Digimon families
External links
English
- Bandai of America's Digimon Site
- JETIX U.S. Digimon Tamers website
- TheDigiPort
- Megchan's Digimon Encyclopedia
- Digimon Encyclopedia
- MZ Networx
- The Digi-Zone.com
- Patamon's World
- DigiZone
Japanese
- Toei Animation's Digimon Adventure website
- Toei Animation's Digimon Digimon Adventure 02 website
- Toei Animation's Digimon Tamers website
- Toei Animation's Digimon Frontier website
- Toei Animation's Digital Monster X-Evolution website
- Bandai of Japan's Digimon website
| The Digimon Directory |
| English Anime: |
Digimon Adventure 01 | Digimon Adventure 02 | Digimon Tamers | Digimon Frontier |
| Digimon Adventure 01 |
| DigiDestined: |
Tai | Matt | Sora | Izzy | Mimi | Joe | T.K. | Kari |
| Digimon: |
Agumon | Gabumon | Biyomon | Tentomon | Palmon | Gomamon | Patamon | Gatomon |
| Villains: |
Devimon | Etemon | Myotismon | Piedmon | MetalSeadramon | Puppetmon | Machinedramon | Apocalymon |
| Other Characters: |
Gennai | Leomon | Ogremon | Wizardmon |
| Digimon Adventure 02 |
| DigiDestined: |
Davis | Cody | Yolei | T.K. | Kari | Ken |
| Digimon: |
Veemon | Armadillomon | Hawkmon | Patamon | Gatomon | Wormmon |
| Villains: |
BlackWarGreymon | Arukenimon | Mummymon | MaloMyotismon | Yukio Oikawa |
| Other Characters: |
Ryo Akiyama | June Motomiya | Sam Ichijouji | Noriko | Gennai |
| Digimon Tamers |
| DigiDestined: |
Takato | Henry | Rika | Ryo | Jeri | Kazu | Kenta | Suzie | Ai and Mako |
| Digimon: |
Guilmon | Terriermon | Renamon | Cyberdramon | Leomon | Guardromon | MarineAngemon | Lopmon | Impmon |
| Villains: |
D-Reaper | Hypnos |
| The Devas: |
Mihiramon | Sandiramon | Sinduramon | Pajiramon | Vajramon | Indramon | Kumbhiramon | Vikaralamon | Makuramon | Chatsuramon | Majiramon | Antylamon |
| Other Characters: |
Janyu Wong | Shibumi | Rob McCoy | Alice McCoy | Calumon | Mitsuo Yamaki |
| Digimon Frontier |
| DigiDestined: |
Takuya | Koji | Zoe | J.P. | Tommy | Koichi |
| Spirit Evolution: |
Agunimon | Lobomon | Kazemon | Beetlemon | Kumamon | Löwemon |
| Villains: |
Duskmon | Mercurymon | Ranamon | Arbormon | Grumblemon | Cherubimon | Dynasmon | Crusadermon | Lucemon |
| Other Characters: |
Bokomon | Neemon | Seraphimon | Ophanimon | Sorcerymon | Shinya Kanbara |
| Digimon-Related |
| Lingo: |
Ancient Warriors | Biomerge | DigiDestined | Digivice | Digivolution | Digital World | Legendary Warriors |
| Digimon Sovereigns: |
Azulongmon | Baihumon | Ebonwumon | Zhuqiaomon |
| Real Life Locations: |
Fuji Television | Kyoto | Odaiba | Shinagawa | Shinjuku | Tokyo |
| See also: |
List of Chosen Digimon | List of human characters in the Digimon series | List of Digimon | Digimon families | Tamagotchi |
| Digimon Merchandise and Movies |
| Video Games: |
Digimon World | Digimon World 2 | Digimon World 3 | Digimon World 4 | Digimon Battle Cards | Digimon Battle Spirit | Digimon Battle Spirit 2 | Digimon Racing | Digimon Rumble Arena | Digimon Rumble Arena 2 |
de:Digimon Adventure Search Term: "Digimon"
Categories: Anime | Digimon | Programs broadcast by YTV | 1990s fads | 2000s fads | 2000s TV shows in the United States
