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| Best Season! |
I won’t lie, I have waited for this one.
You could say the entire reason I started these Digimon
Spotlights was because I wanted to talk about this season.
Digimon Tamers!
Best. Digimon. Season. Ever.
Objectively.
Subjectively too.
It’s that good.
I say it; so it must be true.
The Setting
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| Raise you D-Arc! |
Unlike 02, Tamers is not a direct sequel to the previous
season. Digimon Tamers is not set in the Digimon Adventure universe.
It’s, however, totally set in the greater Digimon multiverse and
quadrants and stuff, but that’s not the discussion we’ll get into right now.
Unlike the previous two seasons, Digimon Tamers sets most of
its action in the Real World. The main characters will not set a foot in the
Digital World until the latter half of the season and even then they will
return to the Real World for the final arc.
This trait is something Digimon Tamers will share with
Digimon Savers and (ugh) Time Hunters.
Even then, the Digital World in Tamers is different from
that of Digimon Adventure. The inherent weirdness that characterizes the
Digital World is still present but it is far wilder this time. The Digital
World is a dog eats dog world and there is no Primary Village around.
In case you have not noticed it yet, Tamers has a darker
setting. There is no denying that. However, one should not mistake this for a
dark series. It has dark moments. However, the overall tone of the story is
quite positive.
The Story
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| The Full Team! |
Welcome to Shinjuku!
Takato is young kid with a tendency to daydream about his
favorite franchise, Digimon. He plays the card game, has the goggles, and even
draws his own fan-made Digimon.
If I had to describe him in one word, it would be normal.
However, Takato’s life changes when he finds a mysterious
Blue Card. The game comes to life as his drawing becomes a real Digimon. Takato
has stepped into a brand new world and it is not all fun and games. He is not the only guy with a Digimon around and not every
Digimon is friendly.
Wild Digimon break into the real world to cause chaos and
grow stronger.
Then there are those mysterious government guys.
Get ready for Digimon as you had never seen it before!
How it Manages
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| How do you think it manages? |
Beautifully.
Tamers succeeds in several levels.
Seriously, the Card Slash dynamic could have been something really lame, but instead it is used to add another layer to the battles and make the role of the human partner more vital this time around. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
The theme of a Digimon’s desire to evolve is touched upon
near the end of Adventure with Apocalymon, but Tamers goes further into this.
Digimon want to evolve. They fight each other to evolve.
They absorb each other’s data to evolve.
They go to the Human World to look for Tamers which will help
them evolve. Evolve to become stronger. Evolve to protect themselves. Evolve
because that’s just the natural way of things.
It creates an interesting dynamic, because these Digimon are
not really evil (save a few exceptions). They are wild.
Digimon Tamers like stressing the relativity of good and
evil and how those things can vary depending on perspective. From the Tamers’
perspective, the Deva (first important bad guy group) are Digimon that cause
mayhem in the real world.
From the Deva’s perspective, they are warriors on a
mission to save the world and the Tamers and their Digimon are not only an
obstacle, they are an aberration who have abandoned the natural ways by
partnering with a humans.
All that said, Tamers’ biggest strength lies in the
character development. Takato Matsuki. Rika Nonaka. Henry Wong. Those are our
three main characters. There are more Tamers but these three (plus Jeri) get
the lion’s share of the development along with their partners.
Yeah, I made a lion pun in a Tamers’ review. I am a horrible
person.
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| The Biggest Dreamer |
Takato is the goggle head of the season and technically the
leader of the team. His leadership position is a less defined when compared
to Tai or Davis though. He is not hot blooded. He is in many ways an everyman
and perhaps because of that he is able to strike a balance between Henry’s
logical approach and Rika’s “chew bubblegum and kick ass” persona.
Takato at the beginning of the show is not the guy who will
jump into battle with a smile on his face. He dreams about adventure like every
other kid, but he finds the reality is not quite like he imagined. His fist meeting with a Digimon involves his initial
wonderment fading into fear as he realizes he can get killed.
_b.jpg) |
| Justice! |
Takato’s
development involves growing into his role as Guimon’s partner and taking
responsibility for the fact kind of holds the leash of a guy that can wreck an
army. He love Guilmon, yet at the same time he is wary of the power he possesses and the change that can bring. Through many trials he becomes more courageous and acknowledges being a Tamer is not all fun and games.
All while remaining a guy that can spout totally corny lines and be utterly serious
about them.
Takato goes from regular guy from a literal knight in
shining armor and it is glorious.
Also, Gallantmon is best Digimon.
If you think I am talking a lot about Takato it is because
he is my favorite character. As an aside, though his official song may be
Across the Tears, his real song is totally the Biggest Dreamer.
Seriously, listen to it. Read the lyrics. It’s in the name. Biggest. Dreamer.
Henry’s development is a bit less dramatic but it is there.
Henry is a pacifist, an event which has its roots in an incident when he was
young (er) in which he beat up a kid and ended up hurting him. Then later when
he ended up hurting Terriermon by recklessly powering him up and making him
fight.
Henry is a guy that is trying really hard to be the
responsible, mature one because he is afraid of letting go. He has seen what
happens when he becomes reckless. He is the super responsible type. Naturally,
he learns to not take on everything by himself thanks for Terriermon's calming influence. He becomes a person that can
use force to make his point but can do so with the appropriate control.
He also become a giant, bunny/dog robot that shoot smiley
face missiles and beat down a giant turkey with Kung Fu!
Damn, I love Digimon.
Finally there is Rika. Tough as nails exterior. Really
wounded interior as a result of her dad leaving her family. Add in the really
famous, young model mom that is really busy and you have got yourself a recipe
for a rebellious teenager.
Rika is young and already bored with her life. Being a Tamer
gives her something to do and she does it well. Together with Renamon she
strives to proof she is the best around, something usually accompanied with
lots of ass-kicking.
Through the course of the anime, she changes into someone
that can actually accept she has feelings. She acknowledges Renamon is her
friend and manages to become friends with the other Tamers. She goes from a
girl who pushes everyone away to someone that is willing to protect all of
them.
It is no coincidence Sakuyamon specializes in barriers.
Though I have not mentioned their partners all that much,
that does not mean they did not have any development. On the contrary, the
partners and Digimon develop side by side.
Which is one of the reasons I like the concept of Biomerging
so much (okay so it’s still called Matrix Evolution in the original, but
Biomerging sounds so cool).
I could talk about
Jeri and Impmon now, but that would be spoilers.
… more spoilers than what I have given so far that is.
Digimon Tamers remains the best entry in the Digimon
franchise. Go on, give it a watch.
You won’t regret it.
Slash- Card Slash Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOiZTt0BW1s
EVO - Evolution Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysWLoNT2rPo
One Vision - Matrix Evolution/Biomerging Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2LvE15Kk0o
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