Digimon thread (Top 11 favorite Adventure episodes)

[Antonio the Sixth]

I love Digimon Adventure. It's by far the show that had the biggest impact on my childhood, and I would have a hard time not ranking it as my personal favorite (on entirely subjective grounds, tbf). I could go on for hours about it. In short, it's definitely a kid's show and has lots of silly stuff (it can be pretty hard to get into it if you didn't watch it as a kid), but it has surprisingly fleshed-out characters and powerful drama, especially after the first dozen of episodes. The plot is pretty basic, but it still creates an atmosphere that works. It's really much more than what it looks on the surface. To be honest, it saddens me a lot to see that this show had so little success in the West, especially since it got overshadowed by that soulless, worthless merchandise vehicle that is Pokemon. It at least deserves to be known.

So, yeah... as I said, I could go on for hours. I could write a full review of it if anyone's interested. However, I'd rather encourage you to check out Jesu Otaku's. I recently came across this and it woke up a lot of childhood memories, and that's what led me to make this thread. I'd like to know if there's anyone on the forum who enjoyed this show as well or had thoughts to share about it. I know Gabu was a fan (I'm probably one of the few who know where his username comes from!). Hopefully he's not the only one! I'd really love to discuss this with other people.

For those who would want to give it a try, a word of advice: don't watch the English version. If you're fortunate enough to be fluent in another language like Italian, German or Spanish, watch these versions, or otherwise watch the subbed Japanese version. You will enjoy better dialogues and a truly beautiful soundtrack, whereas the English version butchered both (I know firsthand, because those lazy French based their own version off the English one, whereas Italians used the Japanese source material).

Sorry if I'm wasting my time. All the "grown ups" may feel free to mock and sneer.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Good to know I'm not alone! The funny thing is that, despite being as close as it gets to a fanboy, I know relatively little about the Digimon universe as a whole. I've only ever watched Adventure and 02. Until my wanderings on TV Tropes brought me there, I had no idea there were such things as Digimon manga and videogames, and didn't even know that series after 02 had been translated in the West. I really want to see Tamers now, since I hear some consider it even superior to Adventure.

Unlike everyone else I know who bemoan Digimon as a Pokemon wannabee, I actually think Adventure and Adventure 02 are both great series. That being said, looking back I'm a lot less sold on the egg evolutions. 3 and after, on the other hand....

Ugh, these dumbasses make me mad...

I liked both Adventure and 02, though the former more than the latter. 02's plot is a bit of a mess (kinda reminds me of seasons 5-6 of Doctor Who, if you will ), and its protagonist characters are pretty dull compared to Adventure's. On the other hand, it did a good job at stepping up the angst and creating tragic anti-villains (Oikawa's story was really a punch in the gut for me), something Adventure was largely devoid of. Overall, I'd say Adventure was great and 02 was pretty good.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, but the franchise suffers from Indiana Jones/ inverted Star Trek movie curse in that the even seasons always suck.

Haha, that seems true. I've read that the two most beloved are Adventure and Tamers, while 02 and Frontier are a lot more criticized. I don't know how the most recent series have fared though. So I'm pretty glad to see you like Savers. That means I'll have even more things to watch if I find the time some day! I'll probably skip Frontier, since from what I've read it's universally despised.

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Why? I got so overjoyed when I heard they were going to make a sequel! Sure, it's very easy to screw up a sequel, but if it's done right, it could be fantastic. Seeing the spirit of Adventure be translated into a style more appropriate to a 20something audience sounds like a dream coming true to me. I think it's worth giving it a try.

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Oh no, I'm not a troper. I read TV Tropes a lot, but I've never made an account or contributed. I've been very tempted at some point, but I already waste too much of my time this way. I would lose myself if I ever joined.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Oh and BTW, who knew Breitbart could actually make sense?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Well, I think I'll have to watch them by myself to tell which one I prefer. But what you say about Savers makes it sound really promising!

Yes, Adventure's story arcs are patched up together in a rather unsophisticated way. All we get to know is that there are evil digimon and that the children must destroy them to save the world. It's somewhat frustrating that there was no effort to tie them in an overarching plot (well, they tried to do that with Apokarimon being the source of all evil, but it was so quick and forced that it basically came out of nowhere). That said, I think it still works because villains never matter much in Adventure - they are mostly obstacles that provide the children with opportunities to discover something about themselves or confront their fears (and who are given a few, silly, creepy or frightening traits in order to make them interesting). I think that the writers decided to focus all their creativity on the protagonists, a choice which paid off considering how complex and interesting they made them. Still, it can be annoying.

In some way, Adventure 02 tried (but only partly succeeded) doing the opposite, by sidelining the heroes and crafting an elaborate plot featuring complex, morally ambiguous characters. Of course, the problem is that their plot turned out to be a convoluted mess that went everywhere and nowhere at the same time, abruptly switching its focus from one thing to another without any reason. And also, it's padded with fillers to a point it's nauseating. Probably about 2/3 of the episodes do absolutely nothing to advance the story (it might have been 1/3 in Adventure). From what I've heard, the series was rushed in, so that might explain why the writers didn't have time to polish their work. Still, what 02 did right, it did it right. Ken's character arc managed to top any character exploration done in Adventure, delving deeper than I ever would have expected into a child's psychology - "Genesis of Evil" is definitely one of the best episodes in the entire franchise. Also, despite all their flaws, I love the 4 final episodes for one simple reason: Yukio Oikawa. As I said, this guy's story - and its end - saddened me at a deeply personal level. No matter everything else, I can't dislike a series that had such an emotional grip on me.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Digimon was the sh!t. I was very much in love with it for several years, and it was by far the superior television show. I have to say, though: Pokemon was the better card game. I mainly collected Digimon cards (both the ones for the game and the generic trading cards) just for kicks and to try to find rare ones to resell. I also had several digivices, a D-terminal, plenty of action figures, and even this original bad boy which I still wish I knew where it was (and which I managed to get Monzaemon with!).

Oh, the trading cards! I was pretty good at collecting them back in the days, and they looked really nice (I never got into the gaming cards though, because I found their drawing style ugly). I had a few figures too: the ones who could "digivolve" transformers-style were pretty awesome. But yeah, on the whole merchandising side Pokemon was clearly the most skilled franchise.

WRONG!

Season 2 was absolute crap, have you all SERIOUSLY forgotten  how many threads were dropped? Have you forgotten how lazily each remotely interesting villain was shoddily "working for someone else" and who was that some else at the end? MYOTISMON. And how was he ACTUALLY defeated? By "hopes and dreams"

Also it's pretty lame when a major plot point is that of destroying "things with souls", when every other Digi Destined didn't need that question, they far well when villains were too far gone.

And then all the very stupid snarls regarding the crests, the Dark Ocean....ugh.

Haha, yeah I agree with all that. 02's plot was really all over the map. Still, maybe I tend to focus too much on the positive side, but as I said I was really swept by its more emotional/psychological moments. Again, especially those that revolve around Ken or Oikawa. Not sure if it's enough to make the series good as a whole, but it's enough for me personally to say I didn't regret watching it.


And yeah Griff, you're the first I see who doesn't like Tamers! I have to say I also found some elements of the premise bizarre (I heard about the whole "digimon is both a game and real" thing, and also the fact that the protagonist's digimon is basically a drawing that comes alive), but then again, Digimon's premise itself is silly, so I don't want to judge it based on that.

[Antonio the Sixth]

@Antonio: No worries, that's better than me, who gets way to focused on the negative.

That said, I could've forgiven it if it weren't for the ENDING, between Myotismon being the reveal after a perfectly good send-off (okay okay not entirely perfect, a crotch shot is a little bit crazy..nonetheless), the very defeat being really lame, some of the "dreams" used as an illusion did not paint the characters in a good light, and finally giving EVERYONE A DIGIMON?...Kinda takes away a lot. And the epilogue... good heavens the epilogue.

To be honest, I don't understand why people get so worked up about the ending. OK, it was far from the ending that the Adventure continuity deserved, but when I saw it it didn't strike me as the spit in the face that fans seemed to see. I kinda liked the idea of bringing back Myotismon - he was by far the best Adventure villain (granted, that's not saying much ) and had a pretty credible way of coming back (it's established that when a digimon is killed in the real world, their data/soul can's be reconfigured and just wanders around). I'm not necessarily sure it was carried out in the best possible way: MaloMyotismon comes across as a psychopathic brute, far from the sophisticated chessmaster Myotismon was in his glory days. Still, why not him? "Possession" of some kind was the only way to make of Oikawa the tragic figure he was (and which, to repeat myself, I think was the best thing in the series).

I agree that some of the characters' illusions were lame (poor Yolei... though she was a flat character anyway), but Cody, TK and Ken had pretty moving ones - it wasn't a total trainwreck. The way Myotismon was defeated was pretty cheesy, but I think it worked relatively well within Adventure's general spirit. It's not the first time an enemy is defeated through the Power of Love/Friendship/Hope/whatever. The ending of Adventure involved the kids literally reforming themselves after being decomposed into data through sheer willpower. And that was awesome (IMO). 02's ending wasn't that well-executed, but I still kinda liked it. It (pretty heavily) hammered out the idea that negative thinking can reinforce evil, whereas hope and dreams can defeat it. Sure, it should have felt a little less easy (but Digimon was never known for its long-winded and complex battles ).

As for the epilogue... yeah, that's a bit harder to defend. It seems the writers wanted to wrap up this continuity for good, in order to move on to something else. So they created this awkward "happy ever after" future where everyone gets a digimon. That was rushed and a bit silly, and the whole part with the digidestined as adults - with their ridiculous occupations and clone-like children - was really bad. I don't really care about the shipping controversies though. Yeah, Sora and Taichi shared more chemistry in Adventure, and yeah, her marrying Yamato comes completely out of the blue. But that doesn't make it implausible. How many people ended up marrying their childhood friend? I'm much angrier about what they did to Sora herself. Her dropping their tomboyish hobbies and style in favor of more "feminine" ones says a lot about the sexism of some writers (or possibly about the backwardness of Japanese societal norms, though I don't know enough to say). It was really frustrating, because Sora was actually my favorite character. But anyway, enough rambling.

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Yeah, I read that Tamers explored some pretty creepy and disturbing issues. Apparently it was done by the same guy who wrote Serial Experiments Laim... and Jesus, I read SEL's pages on TV Tropes and that was pretty traumatizing (those HOLES...). So I hope it's not that creepy. I could use some cosmic horror, but not too much. But I'm gettin really interested in it, I hope I'll be able to see it soon.

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Yeah, I guess I'll get to Savers after I'm done with Tamers. I just hope the leader is not a complete moron, that the thing I fear the most about future Digimon series. Taichi was a fantastic leader in Adventure: he could be impulsive, cocky and somewhat insensitive, but he was actually smart and competent when it mattered. He grew from his mistakes and became a real tactician by the show's end. Then... we got Davis/Daisuke. Oh God I hated this f**king moron. He almost ruined the series for me - thanks God there was more to it than the protagonists...

[Antonio the Sixth]

So, to keep this thread alive, would anyone be interested in a list of my favorite Adventure episodes?

[Antonio the Sixth]

So, to keep this thread alive, would anyone be interested in a list of my favorite Adventure episodes?

...guess not

[Antonio the Sixth]

If it doesn't include that episode where Izzy falls into a warp pit and looses all knowledge...then sure.

You don't like it? I thought it was generally considered an above average episode. Very creepy, yes, but that's what makes it work. It's only #9 on my list though.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The worst, really? What about the 10 out of the 12 first episodes that were just boring filler and whose only point was getting a new digivolution (OK, there was some character development here and there, but not enough to make it interesting)?

Sure, some moments of it felt forced, but in a 20-minute anime episode that's bound to happen. And yeah, Vademon is an absurdly silly villain, but come on, he's far from the only one in Adventure (the preceding episode featured a giant egg with legs as the main antagonist, for God's sake!). As for the pocket dimension, yes, it was a mere plot device, and personally I see nothing wrong with that as long as the plot works. And I think it does work, at least to the extent that it carries a powerful message and some genuine drama. To be honest, even as an adult, I was pretty disturbed to see a brilliant boy like Izzy trun into a soulless zombie. And the message that comes out of it, that we shouldn't abandon our thirst to understand the world for the sake of comfort or simplicity - that, if we do that, we become less than human - really appeals to me.

[Antonio the Sixth]

So anyway, is anyone else interested? I plan to put some effort into it, so I'd rather know if I should bother.

[Antonio the Sixth]

OK, two people who care is enough for me, let's do it!

So, these are my top 11 favorite Digimon Adventure episodes. Why top 11? Because I like to steal other people's catchphrases!


#11 - Forget About It!

Quite ironically, this is an episode that most people probably have forgotten about. It's right after Tai comes back from his brief escape in the real world, only to find the team in complete disarray. He first comes across TK and Tokomon, who explain to him what has been going on when he wasn't there (the team splitting up etc.). We are introduced to DemiDevimon, who has already begun playing his dirty tricks and succeeded in pulling TK away from Tokomon and convincing him that his brother Matt, who had left a few days before and never come back, doesn't love him.

This episode has no new digivolution, no high-stakes battle (the best we get is Patamon vs. DemiDevimon ), and doesn't really advance the plot apart from providing some exposition and introducing DemiDevimon. So what the hell is this doing in my top 11 list? There's one simple reason: this episode contains some of the most powerfully emotional scenes that I've seen in the entire series. This might sound really weird considering how the second half of the series is filled with profoundly moving moments, but still, there is something special that this episode does for me.

The setup isn't even that terrible, it's just TK missing his brother - nothing compared to the mourning for the loss of a Digimon friend that we'll see so often later in the show. But TK is a 6-year-old kid who has recently seen all his friends leave him, and now even his brother, and what would have been an inconvenience for someone else can become a genuine tragedy. It just feels real. The scene where Tokomon is narrating TK's waiting for his older brother - where we see his usual carefree attitude slowly turn into impatience, his impatience into concern, his concern into anxiety, and his anxiety into despair - was frigging heartbreaking even when I saw it as an adult.

Beyond that one scene, the psychology of the drama is really well-crafted. For one thing, even though DemiDevimon becomes a pain in the ass once we get used to his routine, he makes for a pretty interesting antagonist in his introductory episode. Again, the way he manipulates TK (though slightly forced out) still makes a lot of sense. He takes advantage of TK's traumatic emotional state to undermine his faith in his brother (which really is the pillar of his psychology), and, once he's gained a sway in him, he uses it to pull TK away from his only remaining friend, his Digimon partner. Sure, it might not look as impressive as when a villain tries to kill the heroes, but it's actually a pretty diabolical plan if you ask me. And it would have worked weren't it for Tai (who is probably the only one aside from Matt who could have snapped TK out of this confusion).

After Tai arrives, what happens next is rather predictable. DemiDevimon is unmasked, Patamon fights him and eventually defeats him, forcing him to retreat. So OK, this isn't a fantastic episode, but I really have a soft spot for the kind of psychological drama that it offers - especially since it allows us to see TK in a different light, and to realize that, as good as he might be at adapting to hostile conditions, he's still a little kid who needs the presence of his loved ones for his emotional stability. That's not really the typical Digimon awesomeness, but still something that's worth checking out.


#10 - The Piximon Cometh

Now, that's an episode everybody keeps in mind - so I will spare you the summary. What do I like about this episode? Well, there's the fact that Piximon is a lot of fun. He's a good-guy but can be rather mean-spirited, likes to teach hard lessons in even harder ways, looks cute but is also pretty clever, and provides for some good comedy when needed. But obviously this alone doesn't make an episode worthwhile.

The big thing about this episode is that it introduces what might be the single most important concept of the series (a few hints were dropped in the previous episodes, but this is when it gets real): in order to make their Digimon stronger and defeat the bad guys, the children need to improve themselves, to develop their qualities and become better persons. This point is really hammered in by this episode, in a way that's neither too subtle nor too anvilicious. It's obviously the cornerstone of Tai's experience in the cave (was it an hallucination or a sort of holodeck-like virtual reality? we'll never know), where he meets his younger self and understands the importance of not giving up and learning from mistakes. But it's also explicitly stated by Matt when he goes out with Izzy to search for their crests, in a rather poignant way (this is also a big defining moment for Matt's character, hinting to his low self-esteem that's going to play a big role later).

So what is there apart from that? Probably not that much. We see more of Etemon's antics, which are very much a love-it-or-hate-it affair (personally, I found him hilarious as a kid and still like it OK as an adult). We have a little fight scene at the end, which is fine. And we see the kids being essentially enslaved and toyed with by Piximon, which is funny initially but grows boring pretty fast. Still, the self-improvement aspect of it plays a critical role in my opinion, and really makes this episode stand out.


#9 - No Questions, Please

I'm really sorry MormDem, but that's where I'd rank that weird alien / pocket dimension / zombie / MegaKabuterimon episode. I honestly think this is a great idea, and while it's not always executed very well, it still gives us some memorable scenes and moments. I might be biased by the fact that I really like and agree with the "moral" of the story: it's an important message that I feel isn't often found in kid's shows. But that's exactly the sort of things we need to tell our kids! We need to tell them that it's great to be curious, that you shouldn't always opt for the comfort of your certainties but rather try to question the word around you. That's the sort of excellent (yet not Captain Obvious-y) morals that fit very well with the animation media.

So yeah, some moments are forced ("BOOM! Here's a giant dark pit! Wanna get out of it? Give up your curiosity!"). That's a shame, and they could easily have done it better if they cut the useless scatological interactions between Vademon and DemiDevimon. But the scenes that follow, when we see what Izzy looks like without his curiosity, do work really well. It really creeped me out as a child and still partly does. I especially like the bullsh*t lecture Vademon gives to Izzy about "finding your inner peace" and stuff like that. It almost sounds like a veiled critique of religious indoctrination. I have no idea if that's what the authors wanted to mean, but I really sensed some undertones about the dangers of getting caught up in a belief system that prohibits any sort of questioning. And finally, I love the scene where Pabumon blows bubbles with memories of Izzy in them. It might be pretty cheesy, but it worked on me.

Everything that happens after is also pretty forced and oddly paced, and the final digivolution/fight scene is largely forgettable. Maybe the writers tried to put too much emphasis on the morals that they forgot to tell an engaging story: I guess that's a fair criticism. Still, again, the fact that I'm completely on board with the morals made me enjoy this episode a lot.

[Antonio the Sixth]

As you can see I have a lot to say about each episode, so I'll probably take a couple days to finish it. Any comment or disagreement is very welcome. And you can also make your own lists, that would be cool!

[Antonio the Sixth]

You mean episode 22... 12 is the one when TK and Patamon bounce around and cuddle baby Digimon in the Primary Village.

Anyway, I'm very interested in knowing your rating of each episode. Confronting opinions is always a fascinating experience.

[Antonio the Sixth]

You mean episode 22... 12 is the one when TK and Patamon bounce around and cuddle baby Digimon in the Primary Village.

Anyway, I'm very interested in knowing your rating of each episode. Confronting opinions is always a fascinating experience.

I did say it's been a long time.

As for Episode 24 and WHY I don't like it in better detail, that can summed up  here: http://digimon.firstagent.net/2011/08/adventure-episode-24-no-questions.html

He was slightly less bothered than I as he gave it a D, I gave it an F.

Excellent summaries and analyses of all the Digimon episodes up to Fusion

Yeah, these are all good points. As I said I think there's something about this episode that makes me overlook these problems, but it's definitely very subjective.

This site seems very interesting btw, I'll check it out!

[Antonio the Sixth]

#8 - The Ultimate Clash

This is another pick I expect most people to disagree with. Perhaps like many other episodes, this is one where most of what happens isn't that interesting, but one little element stands out and turns it into something special. Neither the fight between WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon (which gives this episode its title), nor the big infodump flashback scene are really top-11 material. I do like the latter quite a bit - I wish they had found a way to distill that information into something more gradual, but it does add a welcome layer to the overarching plot (which was badly, badly needed), trying to hint to something far more grand and epic than what we had seen so far. Still, it's probably not one of the highlights of the show - especially since it doesn't really deliver on its promise after that.

What I love about this episode is the way we see the group both literally and figuratively break up under the weight of their stress, frustration, anxiety, and conflicting philosophies. If you ask me what is the darkest hour, the lowest point hit by the Digidestined, my immediate answer would probably be the time when Tai is away and the group splits, but after some reflection I'd have to go with this episode. The reason I think this works much better in my view is because, in the former case, the group is in disarray because they lack a leader. They go their separate way only in order to find Tai. That's a fairly interesting and believable situation, but it's not nearly as complex as what we see with the Ultimate Clash.

Here, we see the group split up because, quite simply, they begin lashing out at each other (and this is actually built up really well throughout the previous two episodes), find themselves in a position where they can't agree on the right course to follow, and are unable to overcome their divergences. Not only is that a believable situation (hell, try to put a group of adults with clashing personalities through the same stress and see how long they last!), but it also really heightens the drama. It's just a great plot point to add complexity to the setup. We have just spent 45 episodes being used to the DigiDestined being an unbreakable team, capable of surmounting any difficulty through their combined abilities and mutual support. And suddenly, all this falls apart, and we actually see the children having to deal with a totally new situation.

The character dynamic between Tai and Matt is just pitch-perfect. Although I think the way Cherrymon manipulated him in the previous episode is a bit forced out, Matt really manages to convey the full extent of his internal conflict and emotional torment (and I say that as someone who has never liked Matt's character one bit). Tai really proves himself a genuine friend and a competent leader - all he's been trying to do is getting the group going, trying to focus their energy on something productive - but he can only take so much of Matt's bullsh*t and eventually tries his best to snap him out of this confusion with a good punch. But in the end, despite his best efforts, he doesn't succeed, because Matt still needs to figure things out on his own. I think it's a really clever way of showing that sometimes, even if you do everything as best as you can, things can go wrong. And even if your friend is well-meaning and you do your best to try and avoid conflict, sometimes conflict is bound to happen nonetheless.

I also like that they tried to give Mimi some depth beyond being a whiny little brat. I don't necessarily like the outcome (I hate pacifism in shows where fighting is obviously the only solution) but it makes things a bit more interesting, and it makes the clash within the group multidimensional instead of binary. The scene where they each go their separate way in the end is one of my favorite in the whole show, it's really poignant. So, in short, it's a great episode for character dynamics and drama, less so for advancing the plot - overall, it still deserves the 8th position in my view.


#7 - Flower Power

No, I'm not exactly blow away by Togemon digivolving to Lillymon. As most things involving Mimi, it's unfortunately pretty lame and rushed in. Actually, it's almost funny to realize how her character-revealing moment that triggers the crest's activation basically consists in her whining again! I mean come on guys, do you really have nothing else for her to do? Yeah, I get that it's supposed to know she's a sweet innocent kid who can't stand the sight of violence and suffering (and that comes across a bit better in the Dark Masters Arc), but it still does nothing for me. Lillymon is alright, I guess (certainly a huge improvement over her champion form!). The way she prevails without having to fight is pretty clever, if also pretty cheesy. Still, that's far from the highlight of this episode.

No, what I really love and enjoy in this episode is the atmosphere and setup. You have Myotismon finally coming out of the shadows, surrounding Odaiba into an impenetrable fog, and mobilizing the full strength of his monster army in the city to find the 8th child. This episode feels big - it feels grand, epic. It feels like what's going on is much more serious than everything we've seen so far. The Digimon invasion plays out like a real invasion, it has a decidedly militaryish feel to it. The part when the Bakemon go around each house in the neighborhood and kidnap parents and children alike is just breathtaking. I guess one of the nice things about these events is that it breaks the routine of "monsters are everywhere but nobody seems to notice them" which had been so overused in the previous episodes. Now, monsters are there and they can't be ignored.

I like how the Digimon aren't just the children's problem anymore, but that everybody has to deal with them in some way. Especially since it turns out the adults can be surprisingly competent in adapting to this new mind-boggling reality. Matt's father is pretty damn cool, and Sora's mother proves surprisingly badass too. I also like how (with a few exceptions) each kid is in a different location and has to deal with the situation in different ways. Most of them hold their own pretty well, they are able to think fast and react to unforeseen situations with basic but still clever ideas. Sora using the recorded Sutra against the Bakemon is a nice continuity nod and works well, the scene where Tai finds Matt is really good, and even Mimi does fine, everything considered.

To be frank, this seventh spot should belong almost as much to the following one, "City Under Siege", which has the exact same feel and continues most of the storylines. Episodes 34 to 37 should really count as a single, four-part episode, considering how well they flow together. While I don't agree with JesuOtaku's claim that the Myotismon Arc is far superior to anything that precedes or follows, I have to admit that these episodes are unquestionably the show's peak in terms of storytelling. They just make you hold your breath waiting for the continuation, never giving you a rest. If I was ranking the story arcs, then this one would win the first spot comfortably. Thus, as an individual episode "Flower Power" is still awesome, though it obviously lacks a real climax.


#6 - Out on the Town

To remain in the Myotismon arc (just two episodes before, actually), here is another obvious one. I have to say, for me, Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon's death is the friggin' saddest moment of the entire show. Yeah, I know most people feel that Wizardmon's fate is even more heartbreaking. But Wizardmon (as well as Whamon, Leomon and most of those who are offed in the Dark Masters arc) at least died for a purpose: he sacrificed himself to save Kari and allow Gatomon to fulfill her destiny. There is nothing more tragic (or, in the true sense of the word, pathetic) than dying for nothing, and that's exactly what happened to these two guys.

What's especially stunning is that we're not even made to particularly care for Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon before their death. We just see them spreading chaos and doing all sorts of goofy stuff that are more annoying than actually funny. You do begin to wonder "what the heck are these two doing in Myotismon's army?", but that doesn't make them particularly sympathetic. The shock really comes from the contrast between their benign and carefree attitude and Myotismon's cold-blooded cruelty. The scene where he confronts them and eventually kills them is so damn dark (both visually and emotionally) that it gets pretty daring for a kid's show. They're just punished for the crime of wanting to have fun. Christ, that's f**ked up.

That one moment is what really sticks out, but - contrary to what I've said about a few of the previous one - the entire episode is consistently good in all its aspects. The first part of the episode develops the relationship between Matt and TK in a really well-crafted way, it's really one of those moments that makes the characters come to life. And the fight scene that occupies most of the final segment is actually one of the best fight scenes in the entire show (though obviously that's not saying much). What finally nails it for me is one of the last scenes, when we see Matt and TK looking at the store where Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon use to play and they imagine them being there. That scene is really heartbreaking, and really captures the meaning of death in a simple yet clever way.

So yeah, that episode was carefully crafted to convey emotion and establish Myotismon as a sadistic monster - and boy, did it work! It didn't do much to advance the plot (apart from getting Angemon back, which is nice) but it creates an atmosphere of darkness that wasn't really there in the beginning of the Myotismon arc, and that, from then on, would endure until the diabolical vampire is finally defeated.

[Antonio the Sixth]

It's true that the Puppetmon arc feels like it lasts forever. Each Dark Master generally takes up 2 episodes, yet Puppetmon has 5! It's especially annoying because he's by far the least threatening of the four. Maybe that's actually the reason it lasts so long, the writers wrote him as more of a nuisance than a menace so that they could fit a bunch of stuff into his arc. Still, that doesn't bother me much because I choose to just ignore him and focus on that other stuff, which is pretty damn good.

And yeah, disguising Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon's death was the dub's most horrendous crime. But anyway, I despise the dub so much that I prefer to not even acknowledge its existence. Thank God the Italian dubbers were actually faithful to the source material, down to the soundtrack.

I'm not giving away my top 5, but you'll find out soon enough.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I watched episodes 48-49 both in Italian and in Japanese, and I don't really see what's in need of improvement. The battle against Machinedramon was pretty cool (OK, I guess the soundtrack did feel a bit out of place this time around). I know the children's English voices and I must say I didn't like them at all - though they're still slightly better than the French ones. But actually, I don't like the Japanese ones either and I admit I'm probably biased toward the Italian ones (which give childish voices to all the children except Joe - Matt's English and Japanese voice sounds much too adult for a 10-year-old). Etemon/Myotismon's voice was fine, but so were the Italian ones (though for Myotismon I have to admit I actually did enjoy the more suave tone that the French gave him).

As for the Tai/Sora ship, considering how it ended up, I'd rather it never happened. I like both of these characters, so it feels better to assume they always were nothing but genuine friends.

[Antonio the Sixth]

And seriously, would you rather hear this every time you get a digivolution, or this? Come on. That alone should disqualify the dub.

[Antonio the Sixth]

#5 - The Earthquake of MetalGreymon

The more I think about it, the more I get the feeling that this episode represents the perfect Digimon arc climax ("Piedmon's Last Jest" comes close, but not very close). All of it, from beginning to end, is pure, concentrated awesomeness. Let's start with the most obvious thing: the eventual digivolution and subsequent battle between MetalGreymon and Etemon. Yes, it's just as basic and minimalist as most Digimon battles: Etemon attacks him and fails miserably, then MetalGreymon sends his Giga Destroyers and immediately blows up the damn monkey. It's bland, yet it still works perfectly. Why? For several reasons, in my view.

First of all, it's built up perfectly. Think about it, we first hear of a level beyond Champion on episode 14, right after Devimon has been defeated. This is episode 20. That means we spend six goddamn episodes waiting for it! Six episodes in a kid's show is an eternity. I've come to think that the buildup is key to any good digivolution sequence. For example, let's contrast with the introduction of the two Mega-level of the team: you've got a cool concept (the whole prophecy thingy), absolutely freaking awesome animations, and super-badass characters. The only problem? It comes out of nowhere in just one episode! To me, that's one reason why these digivolutions fell flat (the other one being the lack of related character development). But here with Metalgreymon, we've been forced to wait for it - especially after Tai's own recklessness leads to the failed digivolution to SkullGreymon. Reaching the ultimate level has been a key focus throughout the arc, and though it was a bit frustrating as a child to have to wait so much to get it, it really paid off in the end.

And that's this episode's main strength, it gives us exactly what we wanted to see at last. But though the digivolution is the big thing when you're a kid, Tai's character is really the key of this. Throughout the Etemon arc we've seen him screw up countless times as he struggles to become stronger and figure out the true meaning of courage. We see him repeatedly swing back and forth between recklessness and fear-induced paralysis. Some people are annoyed by this, but I've actually grown to like it more and more every time I watch it. Because, despite or perhaps thanks to the back-and-forth, we really see the character grow up - his mistakes are an integral part of this process, and it's good that they're explored in-depth over four episodes rather than quickly addressed in a single ones.

But when he gets it right, boy does he get it right. When we see him finally find the strength to go through the electric fence, we know he will never be the same again. And when he finally takes on Etemon and charges with Greymon at his side awesomeness reaches a whole new level. More than the digivolution that ensues (and even a little kid knows that a digivolution is going to follow after that scene), this represents the climax for me. You see that the sheer confidence Tai emanates is enough to blow everything away. He know it's going to work out, he knows that's his one great moment. As a side note, I have to give it to the English dub that their titles are generally better than the others'. But this time, it's the Italians who really nailed it, by naming this episode "The Right Moment". It perfectly summarizes the entire episode. That's exactly what it is, the one perfect moment for Tai and MetalGreymon to start kicking ass.

But there's actually more to this episode than the climactic battle. The sequence that precedes it, with the children devising and executing a plan to rescue Sora, can't be overlooked. Indeed, as much as Tai is the episode's star, the DigiDestined as a team really shine as well. After spending the previous episodes running away or hiding from Etemon and generally being helpless, they finally get their act together - and how! For the first time in the series, we see them planning a strategy and executing it brilliantly, outmaneuvering Etemon and his giant monster army, sneaking into the Pyramid, liberating Sora, and letting the two villains fight off each other. It's truly an impressive leap in competence compared to what we had seen thus far. To me, this episode represents a turning point in the series: it's the moment when we see what was a bunch of confused children lost in a strange land turn into a team of world-saving badasses. I know it's a bit ironic to say considering they will spend the very next episodes being more helpless than ever, but that's because they were split up and lacked their leader. As soon as they get back together, they start kicking ass again.

So yes, this episode has some weaknesses. It's lacking in truly emotional moments, and it's not particularly rich in moral or narrative terms. But all these things were not what this episode was about. It was about an epic, mind-blowing climax, and it gave us just that.

[Antonio the Sixth]

#4 - Wizardmon's Gift

I've got to admit, if I did a purely subjective list, this episode would probably rank lower. It's not that I didn't like it, it's definitely a great episode. However, I think I'm the victim of a hype backlash here. The thing is, I never watched this episode as a kid: due to watching the series in a disorderly and chaotic way, I ended up with a "dead zone" from episodes 34 to 40. When I regained interest in Digimon during my teenage years, I read a lot about the Eight Child Arc, Wizardmon, Angewomon, and Myotismon's end. That sounded really huge and impressive to me, especially since everybody explicitly considered it the high point of the entire series. So, when I finally got around to watching it, a couple years ago, it didn't live up to these high expectations. I liked it, but it wasn't this mind-blowing thing that I expected.

Nevertheless, on objective grounds, I can see why this episode is so beloved. It has by far the most powerful dramatic scene. Although as I said, personally, Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon make me sadder, Wizardmon's is the death everyone remember. The show did everything it had to for it to be so. It starts with heroic sacrifice to save Kari's life, perfectly fulfilling Wizardmon's desire to support Gatomon in exchange for the support he received from Gatomon in the past. And when it happens, it's the only depth where the animation really pauses to make us feel the full extent of it - the images are perfect, the soundtrack is perfect, Gatomon's tears are perfect, Wizardmon's last words are perfect, the children's reactions are perfect. I can definitely see why this scene is considered by many to be Digimon's very best.

This scene works well also because Wizardmon was a pretty awesome character, one whose loss is hard to stomach. I like him as an adult and would certainly have loved him as a kid. He introduces a much-needed element of complexity in an otherwise binary character alignment (though at the moral level, he was always a good guy, his position toward the children is still pretty ambiguous for a while). He has an interesting backstory that really shapes his behavior. And he's also a complete badass, who can hold his own against the quasi-invincible Myotismon. It's precisely because he's such a great character that his sacrifice makes such a big impact, and in this case the writers really played their cards well.

What about the rest of the episode? The buildup to the climax is very good too, you really see the tension mounting throughout the episode: when Myotismon confronts Gatomon and Kari, then in the rush for all the children to get to the TV station, and finally in the early stages of the battle. Myotismon comes out in all his demonic splendor in this episode, kicking the asses of every single one of the children's digimon in their then-most-powerful form (btw, it must really suck being WereGarurumon, the only Ultimate without wings, who is kicked down the building and takes some 5 minutes to climb his way back ). The final battle is quick, as usual, but still pretty intense. Seeing Myotismon refusing to repent and eventually (seemingly) meeting his fate is a really fitting end.

So yes, this is undoubtedly a very strong episode. But still, due to what everybody was saying about it, I was expecting more. Frankly, I didn't really see the fireworks that I saw in other climaxes (like the previous episode I've just covered). Still, what it does well, it certainly does it well, and I guess it's a fine pick to be just a hair away from the podium.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This has been an interesting list. I would make a similar list, but honestly I don't think I remember the specific episodes well enough to do so. I mean, I remember I liked the show, I remember the characters and their personalities, and I remember the general plot points, but I haven't seen the recently enough to list specific episodes I like. Also, I've only watched the English dub, so I might not be fully qualified to critically review Digimon.

Oh, don't worry about that! Most of the reviews I've read or watched were talking about the dub as well, and I understand that an anglophone would have a preference for it despite its flaws. I don't like having to read subtitles either, and if I wasn't lucky enough that the Italians treated the source material with more respect, I too would probably be in your same situation.

So anyway, should I continue this?

[Antonio the Sixth]

No, two people is fine, and since I started this thing I feel it's best to finish it.


#3 - My Sister's Keeper

All the episodes I've talked about so far earned a spot in my top 11 for one or two specific reasons, and I've mentioned how they excel in some respects while being mediocre in others. This, to me, is the one episode that does everything (or nearly everything) right, that gives you all you can expect. Everything in this episode - from the drama to the antagonist, from the action to the emotions, from the atmosphere to the overarching plot - works. I'm not sure if any single aspect of the episode alone would warrant its place on my top 11, but when all these good things are packed together, they create one of the most exciting, moving, and epic adventures in the entire show. Let's proceed in order.

First of all, you've got the drama: Kari is ill, she might die if she doesn't receive treatment soon enough, and this awakens Tai's most painful memories. That's a simple concept, but it gets explored with a lot of depth and tact. The situation Tai finds himself into is extremely believable: he made a simple mistake that almost cost Kari's life, and keeps blaming himself for it. What makes it work so well is that he didn't do anything particularly bad or stupid: he acted exactly as we would expect a child his age to. There's no bad guy in this story, it's all about the kind of "everyday tragedy" that could happen to anyone without a good reason - and about the mark it can leave on a child's mind. The scenes through which we are told this story are very powerful emotionally. Thanks in good part to the grayish color pattern and the perfect soundtrack, they create a compelling atmosphere. Just like TK's sadness in episode 22, it just feels real and genuine.

This has also the advantage of adding a lot to Tai's character. While the Dark Masters arc was already probably his strongest period, it perhaps made him a bit too good. By the time the children return to Digiworld to fight the Dark Masters, he has fully become the leader the team needed him to be, overcoming his recklessness and developing both his resolve and his tactical sense. This is great, except for the fact there wasn't much left to develop about him. With this episode, we see him "weak" again, but in a different way, in a way that doesn't negate the qualities he had developed so far. He's still the Tai we know and love, and he still fares well in the face of adversity, but he has to confront his fear of failing to protect his sister once again. As a result, he can be prone to outbursts of anger or paralyzing fear, losing his usually confident resolve. That's a great way of making him a more interesting and complex character, but at the same time it's good that it only lasts one episode and he's back to being a badass right after that.

The drama around this issue could have taken up a standard Digimon episode. But instead, we concurrently get one of the most epic battles in the series. Just like "Flower Power", this is an episode that feels huge. While sneaking into the city's hospitals to search for Kari's medication, Tai and Izzy realize that Machinedramon's army is out to get them. Just seeing this enormous army mobilizing and preparing for the assault is an absolutely awesome scene. When it begins roaming the city, it really creates a sense of insecurity and stress that reflects on Tai and Izzy. This also allows for some great action sequences (again by Digimon standards) with robots, tanks and dragons blowing sh*t up and confronting the children's Digimon. But the really exciting aspect is how Izzy and Machinedramon try to outsmart each other for the control of the city's internet network. It really feels like a chess play, and produces a lot of genuine suspense.

And speaking of him, Machinedramon is a fantastic villain - easily the best Dark Master. He's cold, calculating, overly serious, speaks in a creepy guttural voice, has no regard for human life whatsoever, and goes berserk as soon as things don't go his way. Honestly, I never enjoyed the other Dark Masters that much - they always struck me as too comical to be really threatening (MetalSeadramon is a pretentious buffoon, Puppetmon a manchild, and Piedmon, while pretty badass, is still a clown). Machinedramon is the one they should have focused on, he could definitely have deserved more than two episodes. But anyway, in this one, he shows himself in all his glory, first as a military commander and eventually in his own right, with a blast of his cannon triggering the final cliffhanger.

To sum up, we've got an episode that did everything right, managing to keep focus on several aspects - from the most emotional and introspective moments to the most exciting confrontations - without ever seeming forced or rushed in. Interestingly, this episode is also one of the few that I appreciate better as an adult than as a child. As a child, I liked it OK, but it didn't really stand out from the rest. Only as an adult did I really come to appreciate this perfect alchemy of drama, character, action and conflict.

[Antonio the Sixth]

#2 - The Fate of Two Worlds

I know it may sound clichéd, but this episode strikes me as the perfect ending for a show like Digimon in all respects. I couldn't imagine it being made differently. This episode does a lot in its short 20-minutes length. It starts off with probably the most over the top yet absolutely awesome moments of heroic resolve, with the children managing to regenerate their bodies out of sheer willpower. It then gives us a surprisingly intense final battle, which, despite the still mediocre animation quality, manages to suck you into its frenetic movement. Some might feel that it was a bit too quick, considering how Apocalymon was established as nearly invincible in the previous episode - but again, curb-stomp battles are one of the hallmarks of Adventure, and I think it's fair that the show sticks to this formula until the very end. Besides, the fact that the battle is over pretty quickly allows more time for what is really the highlight of the episode.

I'm obviously talking about the long farewell between the kids and their Digimon. These scene really sum up everything that was so great about the whole adventure, by giving a nice and satisfactory conclusion to each character's arc. Since the children's personalities and development are what made Digimon Adventure so great, it's only fitting for the ending to focus on them. And it does a wonderful job at expressing the jist of each one of them through the brief interactions with their Digimon: Tai as the badass who knows he's a badass, Matt as the introvert who expresses his emotions without words, Izzy as the hopeless nerd, TK as the young child prone to outbursts of joy as well as sadness, etc. Each kid's moment fits their role throughout the series perfectly, and each feels surprisingly genuine. It would have been very easy to half-ass these scenes, but instead I get the feeling that a lot of thought and effort was put into them. It feels like the writers really love their characters, and this is their way of saying goodbye to them.

Beyond the characters, watching these scenes also gave me the sensation of a great introspective experience, as if I was having a final look at the entire show. Maybe it's my personal bias, but I perceived a distinct aura of nostalgia in these moments. It's the same feeling you have when a long holiday trip with your friends is about to end and you think back to all the good moments you've had with them - which is ironic because it's almost exactly what's going on in the plot. In some way, your thoughts mirror those of the children: "well, I really had a good time - it's a shame it's about to end, but it's ending the way I wanted it to end". The imagery obviously plays a big part in this nostalgic feel, with the presence of the tram where the children spent their first night in episode 3. When you're a kid and you might have watched the series for months (in my case, more than a year had elapsed from when I saw the beginning to when I saw the ending - though the first Digimon episode I saw wasn't the first in order) it really feels like a distant yet vivid memory. It also evokes a sort of "golden age myth", before Devimon and even the apparition of black gears, when everything was simple (though I'll be the first to say that those early episodes were largely boring).

And then of course there's the final scene. The flying tram, the music... There's no way to really describe it, it's just a simple yet powerfully heartwarming little moment. The perfect way to wrap up Digimon. Nothing else to add. How could a 20-minutes episode pack so much emotion into it? I don't know, but I'm sure glad that Digimon got everything absolutely right about endings.