Anime Column] Tokimeki☆Time Trip #4: "Digimon Adventure" A Story of Advancement and Healing Partnership

I still love it when I look at it now!"

Why were they so popular with the ladies?"

There is a reason for everything interesting!　A female anime writer takes a look back at some of the nostalgic works that became hits with female anime fans.

In this fourth installment, we look back at "Digimon Adventure" (broadcast in 1999), which has been on the air for 17 years and the third chapter of the new series, "Digimon Adventure tri.

August 1 is known as "Digimon Day" among fans. This is because it was on August 1 that Taichi Yagami and the other "chosen children" left for the Digital World in the movie, starting from the summer camp. Why don't you indulge in nostalgia in anticipation of this memorable anniversary?

Be drawn into the life-size children and their unpredictable "drifter's tale!

One of the reasons "Digimon Adventure" is so beloved by fans that a sequel is being produced after its 15th anniversary is that everyone can identify themselves with some of the children in the film.

The main characters are elementary school students living not in a fictional world, but in modern Japan. And they are troubled or stopped by their parents, siblings, or their own personalities.

To these children, small and cute Digimon are there as partners, empowering them and fighting with them. As you grow up one by one, the digimon evolve and become stronger, and eventually become huge and dependable. They will carry you on their backs as they run across the land, fly in the sky, and cross the sea!

And as the children clash and worry with each other due to their immaturity, they gradually accept their weaknesses, come to like themselves, and understand each other. Therein lies healing and forgiveness.

In a way, "Digimon Adventure" is a mass of "relationship" drama that girls love. Digimon Adventure" has captured the hearts of not only real child viewers but also older women who used to be children.

Another TV series adapted from a video game in which monsters appear was "Pokemon," which started in April 1997. Digimon Adventure," which was born from Bandai's "Digital Monster" cell phone training game, was supposed to be different from the preceding rival works in its pursuit of "fun. The result .......

First, it became an adventure story in which children are the main characters. The main axis of the story is a "story of drifting in another world. There is, of course, the pattern of each story in which the Digimon meet and fight ...... one after another, but by making it a story of drifting, not knowing whether or not they will return to their original world alive, it became a story with a sense of urgency.

Second, the monster and the child became one-on-one partners. This created a strong bond and drama between the monster and the child.

Then, each child was given a detailed set of worries and inflections. The "chosen children," seven at first and eight in the second half, were to grow up with various experiences, and depending on the circumstances of their journey, various combinations of dramas were to be depicted.

In the first episode, Taichi Yagami and the other seven children are suddenly transported to the Digital World of another dimension from a summer camp, holding a Digivice that fell from the sky. There, they met Colomon and seven other Digimon.

It is later revealed that this world is the Digital World. Taichi and his friends are attacked by giant Digimons in an unfamiliar world that they do not understand, and they must travel alone to return to their original world.

The story convincingly illustrates the difficulty of survival for elementary school children by describing the problems of modern children in terms of food, clothing, and shelter: "I want to take a shower," "I want to sleep in bed," "I'm tired, I don't want to do this anymore.

Digimon is the best and most understanding person who can speak up about his or her weaknesses. Digimon are ideal partners.

Digimon and children are one-to-one partners. They are irreplaceable to each other. They have been destined for each other for a long time.

However, one day they suddenly meet each other for the first time in the digital world. Most of the partner Digimon are good kids, but there was a lot of drama before they were able to develop a proper bond with each other.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of relationships between children and their partner digimon. One is when the child and the digimon are similar to each other and the other is when the child and the digimon are different types.

When they are similar, they are like brothers and sisters, and it is very funny. They are like alter egos who encourage each other at all times.

Taichi Yagami and Agumon are always positive, and Agumon is like a mischievous little brother. In contrast, Yamato Ishida and Gabumon are thoughtful and a little naïve. Mimi Tachigawa and Palmon are fashionable and optimistic girls. Takeru Takaishi and Patamon are both innocent and naive little kids.

The duo of different types has a unique flavor. Although things don't always go well at first, the way they complement each other's deficiencies and nurture their bond is very touching.

Sora Takenouchi, who is a firm person, finds himself being honest and affectionate thanks to Piomon, who is a spoiled child. Mitsuro Izumi, who is not good at getting along with others, and Tentomon, a mood-maker, are a great duo with a passion for research. The earnest and sincere Kido Takeshi changes while being teased by the outgoing Gomamon. Mysterious and young Hikari Yagami and her cool older sister Tailmon were dramatic in their reunion itself.

Revisiting the story, I was struck by the devoted partnership of the Digimon. I want them to be by my side at all times and be by my side. I want them to accept my hesitation and weakness at times. I want them to make up with me when we fight, and support me as I move forward. The ideal partner digimon is the one who can fulfill these feelings. That is what a partner Digimon is.

There are many great lines in the series, but this one from Gabumon to Yamato, who has made up his mind to fight with his partner Taichi in order to change himself, is symbolic.

I am sure there is something only Yamato can do. Let's find it together. I will fight for Yamato if that is what it takes. I'll fight for Yamato if that's what it takes. Even if I have to make enemies of everyone, I'm with Yamato.

It would be wonderful to have such a partner to support you when the situation is tough but you want to move forward while struggling!

The drama of the relationship between the eight children is very exciting!

The relationship drama between the chosen children is also a major highlight of the show. No, if you are into the characters, this may be the real deal.

Taichi Yagami, the leader, and the cool Yamato Ishida are the two-tops in the battle, but they sometimes disagree and clash with each other. One reason is that Yamato worries too much about his younger brother Takeru, but after Taichi's sister Hikari joined the group, Taichi can no longer speak for others. They are friends and good rivals.

The one who understands them and watches over them is Sora, who understands people's feelings very well. He is a good listener who knows the good and bad points of Taichi, who is also a member of the soccer club. Three years later, in "Digimon Adventure 02," Sora develops feelings for Yamato, but in "Muji," the relationship between Sora and his childhood friend Taichi is depicted more strongly.

Speaking of soccer clubs, Taichi and Mitsuro are also a senior and junior duo in the soccer club. Mitsuro, who is shy, initially talked a lot with Taichi, who he knew well. While Taichi is the leader, Mitsurou, who is inquisitive and calm, is good at analyzing and is like a chief strategist. Mitsukoro's computer played an active role in various scenes.

Yamato and Takeru are brothers with different family names. This is because their parents divorced and the brothers were taken in separately by their parents. Because of this circumstance, Yamato tends to worry excessively about his little brother Takeru. However, Takeru is surprisingly strong and overcomes perils on his own, sometimes even bringing his older brother down.

Bright, selfish, and self-paced, Mimi Tachigawa complains a lot at the beginning of the series. The serious Jou, who is weak in dealing with crises, was also unreliable, often rushing around on his own even though he is the oldest. But that is why, in the latter half of the series, we were deeply moved to see how Mimi began to worry more about the digimon than the dirt on their clothes, and how Jou became able to firmly support his friends.

In the final episode of the series, episode 54, after the final battle, what awaited the children was the parting of their partner Digimon, and each of the eight spent their last moments with their partner, parting with smiles and tears.

The fact that the epilogue took so much time is a good representation of the theme of this series. It is also no exaggeration to say that the emotional impact of this final scene has sustained the popularity of the series since then and led to the new film 16 years later.

For fans who watched "Digimon Adventure" in real time, the years 1999-2000 were a year in which I, too, drifted and traveled through the digital world with Digimon.

If "Digimon Adventure tri." makes you nostalgic for Mujirushi, you may want to revisit it and go back to those days.


(Text by YAMAYU)