Digimon Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Digimon (Japanese: デジモン, romaji dejimon) was originally a dueling digital pet ("digi pet") created by Bandai.It was later turned into a Japanese anime which spawned a movie and a manga series, as well as representants in other media segments, like a series of video games for various platforms and a trading card game.
"Digimon" is also the shortened title for "Digital Monsters", which are, according to the stories, creatures who inhabit the "Digital World" (also known as DigiWorld), a parallel universe that is partly a manifestation the Internet's cyberspace. The stories tell of a group of pre-teens (known as the "Chosen Children" or Digi-destined in the dub) who accompany special Digimon born to defend their world (and ours) from various evil forces, both Digimon and human. To help them overcome the most various obstacles found within the both realms, the Digimon have a special ability called digivolution. Such ability consists of an instantaneous evolution, transforming the appearance and the powers of the Digimon. The group of children who come in contact with the Digital World changes from season to season.
Contrasting rumors claim that there will be between four to seven seasons of the Digimon television series, but nothing has been officially confirmed. As of 2004, there are four seasons: the former two make one storyline, while the latter two (Tamers and Frontier, respectively) have unrelated plots. The third season makes reference to the television and commercial enterprises of the first two. In addition, there are several movies based on the Digimon universe. A new movie initially named Digital Monster X-Evolution is in production by Bandai, and its released is scheduled for the beginning of 2005 in Japan. This new segment in the Digimon saga will be entirely done in CG animation.
Digimon is produced by Toei and Bandai. Originally, the series were first exhibited on Japan's Fuji Television. In the United States, they started to be broadcasted through Fox Network's Fox Kids and Fox Family, but after Disney's acquisition of Fox Family (renamed ABC Family) during the third season, the first three seasons stayed on ABC Family and the fourth premiered on UPN. In Canada, the show was broadcast on YTV.
One of the manga is published in English by TokyoPop, and it retains its right to left format. Dark Horse Comics has also published American-style Digimon comic books.
Despite being geared towards young children, Digimon had a small but vocal cult following among young American teenagers becoming familar with anime. At its peak, the fandom of the series was somewhat infamous around internet otaku (both American and Japanese) for its affection for shipping, which also entailed themes yuri, yaoi, and even furry fandom. It was at times touchy subject considering the relative young age of the characters, even for anime.
The series was also dubbed with surprising quickness at times. Japanese and American fandoms were largely aware of each other and were somewhat surprised at their likemindedness.
The premise of Digimon Adventure is a group of young pre-teens (who for reason of apparent 'propriety' are usually a little older in the English dub) while at summer camp, become the Chosen Children and are unwillingly forced to save the digital world from evil. Each child was given a "Digivice" which selected them to be "transported" to the Digital World. The digivices help their digimon allies to digivolve into stronger creatures in times of need. The digimon usually reach higher forms after they see they human partners in a dangerous situation.
The children have no idea of what's really going on after they meet their Digimon partners, yet they still have to fight to protect themselves. However, as time passes and the series start to evolve, new subjects and concepts are presented. It covered such difficulties the children face when growing up, such as making friends, being courageous and standing up to bad people, lending a supportive hand to others even though they may be different, saying goodbye to the ones you love, and much more. This has best been displayed by the collection of "crests" the children collect in the first season to make their the Digimon friends evolve into stronger digimon and help them stop the evil forces. They embody virtues such as Courage, Friendship, Love, Sincerity, Knowledge and Reliability (Jou's Crest in the Japanese version is Sincerity and Mimi's Crest in the Japanese Version is Purity). The crests won't work unless their bearers exhibit the quality each crest represents. This has lead the children to express the traits they didn't know they had, which sometimes comes with interesting emotional and dramatic results.
The children realized that the world they were in was not a game, and that the creatures there had feelings and could feel pain. Digimon express every quality that humans do, only they weren't human. They decided without much thought that they had to defend the strange creatures in the Digital World because they didn't want them to suffer, and they were the only ones that could help. The Digi-destined made efforts on not having to destroy any Digimon, unless they were perverse (usually of the "virus" kind) and gave them no other choice.
Later in the season, Taichi's little sister Hikari joins the crew. Her involvement expanded the scope of the show as a new dark world was introduced, and a description on how the Digital World got besieged by the "Dark Masters" was added. There was even a reference to the first movie, showing the events that preceded the happenings of the story and the way every Chosen Child entered in contact with Digimon for the first time. In the next season there was more information provided on the dark dimension but there was still a visible gap in detail, suggesting that what we have witnessed in the series is just a small story out of a much larger one.
The english dub of Digimon was somewhat unique at the time, since most human characters kept their proper Japanese name, but were still usually refered to by an 'Americanized' nickname. Some Digimon names were modified to English equivalents, and (rarely) into Japanese equivalents
The eight children, along with their Digimon partners are (names used in Japan are listed first. That is followed by the English manga/anime name, if any):
Digimon 02 involves the main enemy the Digi-destined thought they had destroyed in the previous season, but has been putting in practice his evil schemes even after his defeat. In this season, the original Digi-destined grew up into junior high school students (high school students in the dub) - except for Kari and T.K, who are elementary school students in the original Japanese, or junior high school students in the dub - and could no longer watch over the DigiWorld and be with their Digimon friends. All of a sudden, a young kid who called himself "The Digimon Emperor" (or Digimon Kaiser, in the original) rampaged through the Digital World attacking Digimon, putting them under mind control, and making them fight, with the help of the "Dark Rings," "Control Spires," and later "Dark Spirals".
A new generation of Digi-Destined, composed of three new children (Daisuke "Davis" Motomiya, Miyako Inoue (Yolei Inoue), and Iori Hida (Cody Hida)) as well as Kari and T.K, are given a new kind of digivice known as D3, which allows them to be transported to the Digital World through regular computer machines. Once there, they stop the Digimon Emperor, Ken Ichijouji, and find out that he became the Digimon Emperor after his brother died in a car accident. As Ken was wandering throught the Digiworld, a "Dark Spore" attached itself to his neck. The dark spore gave him great abilities, but also corrupted his mind. It was also revealed to the Digi-Destined that there are other children from all over the globe, fighting evil forces from the Digital World the same way that they do.
After his defeat, Ken repented his evil deeds and joined the Digi-Destined as they fought a Digimon-possessed human named Oikawa Yukio, who was using two evil digimon (Arukenimon and Mummymon; created from his own DNA) in an attempt to make the Control Spires into a super-strong, soulless Digimon. This man also extracts the Dark Spore inside Ken and implants it into other children who wished for the power Ken once had. Those spores develop into flowers that harvest the infected childrens' energy. Eventually, the Digi-Destined confront Oikawa, an extreme loner whose olny friend in the world is Hiroki Hida, the father of Cody Hida. Hiroki and Oikawa always used to play old video games when they were young, eventually becoming obessessed with the Digital World and always dreaming of going there. In the end, an entity springs from this man's body and the Digi-Destined who happens to be Myotismon (Vamdemon in the original)'s "upgraded" Mega level: MaloMyotismon (Belial Vamdemon in the original).
This season ended with the help of the other Digi-Destined from all over the world, using the light that existed inside each one of them and their wishes to transform the Digital World into a nice place again. Oikawa, who is too weak to enter the digital world, becomes its guardian as he passes away. After peace is restored, the boundary between the Digital and the Real World is broken down, giving every human a chance of having their very own Digimon companion.
This season changed the very nature of the series. Set in the year 200X (between 2000-2009), it shows an alternate universe were Digimon was just a franchise, composed of video games, a collectible card game, and a cartoon series. However, a group of 10-year-olds (13-year-olds in the dub) Takato, Henry and Rika (fans of the Digimon card game) meet their own digimon friends and start to duel "bio-emerging" digimon who cross the barrier between the information network, synthesizing proteins and becoming real. Most of it set in the modern Japan and only changes scenario to the DigiWorld for a short time.
The tone of this season borrows certain elements from the head writer's other works (like Serial Experiments Lain and Hellsing) and is naturally more dark and even disturbing in nature. Persistent rumors existed among fans that because the entire Fox Kids line up -- where Digimon had primarily been syndicated -- was going to be dissolved anyway, censorship became more lax as time went on.
Takato creates his digimon partner Guilmon when he slips a mysterious blue card he found in his deck through his hand-held card reading device, changing it into a digivice. The appearance and powers of this digimon come from Takato's sketches that were scanned into the device. Guilmon "bio-emerges" from the DigiWorld and is found later by Takato. Henry meets his digimon Terriermon when he rises from the screen of a computer game, while Rika's digimon Renamon approached her to ask to be made stronger, since Rika was famous for her skills on the Digimon card game. Other Tamers are introduced later in the series.
Along the way, the kids learn to be responsible for those creatures as a mysterious man known as Yamaki tries to stop wild digimon from coming to the real world. From the secret government agency called Hypnos, Yamaki was in charge of monitoring all digimon activity around the globe. Later, the new Tamers are forced to fight a series of evil digimon calling themselves the Devas, who, serving the Digimon Sovereign, believe that true digimon shouldn't pair up with humans (it is later revealed they were actually misguided). After traveling to the Digital World to rescue Calumon, who has fallen into the Devas' hands, the Tamers meet (and fight with) the Digimoun Sovereign, but finally agree to work together in order to prevent the D-reaper, a malevolent computer program, from destroying both the real and the digital world.
Several new characteristics are introduced in this season, like the use of game cards in conjunction with the digivices to give different powers to the digimon and the presence of Calumon, a lone digimon responsible for the digivolutions in the real world.
Digimon Frontier is the newest season. After receiving strange phone messages, the protagonists which are five kids take a train to the Digital World. Once there, they meet Bokomon and Neemon (who act as guides) and learn that the DigiWorld is in danger. They must fight the evil Cherubimon and his Evil Legendary Warrior servants before they destroy the world. In the typical Digimon fashion, it's up to the kids to save the world.
The biggest feature introduced in this season is the "spirit digivolution," where the Digi-destined themselves evolve into digimon to become Legendary Warriors. For this special kind of digivolution, there are used "digispirits," artifacts hidden in certain areas of the Digital World. The two types of digispirits are the "human spirits" and the "beast spirits." Another interesting detail lies on the way the children travel within the regions of the DigiWorld. Unlike the previous seasons, most areas are connected by railroads, where train digimon called "Trailmon" act as a mean of transport.
After defeating the Four of the Legendary Warriors that were under Cherubimon's control, Koji in the meantime discovers that Duskmon the Fifth evil Legendary Warrior is really his long-lost brother Koichi. With Takuya's help Koji is able to free his brother from the spirit. Afterwards the Spirits of Darkness regain their true form and Koichi can now become the True Warrior of Darkness Loweemon and joins the group. After they defeat Cherubimon, the Digi-Destined learn that Lucemon, an ancient evil angel digimon whom the original Legendary Warriors sealed away, was the one who was really behind it all. So now the Six Digi-Destined must defeat him and his Royal Knights before they scan away all of the Digital World which would allow Lucemon to be free.
Digimon: The Movie, released in the US territory in 2002, consists of the union of the first three Japanese movies. Those stories are based in the universe introduced in the first two seasons of the TV series.
The first story focuses on Tai and Kari at a time when the Digi-destined were mere toddlers and shows what happened to them (as well as the other children) when they participated in their first digimon battle after raising a quickly growing digimon. In the story, that digimon hatches from a Digi-egg and, after suffering several digievolutions, turns into Greymon to fight another digimon who appeared at Tai's and Kari's city. This movie shows the way Tai meets his digimon for the first time.
The second story shows many of the Digi-destined, but only four end up saving the day when an artificially made Digimon, programmed by a young American boy named Willis, gets infected with a computer virus and raises havoc all over the world through the Internet. The kids must stop the evil digimon quickly before he provokes the launching of nuclear warheads aimed at Japan (where the kids are) and Colorado (where Willis lives). Tai and Matt end up getting so worried about their Digimon (in the form of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon) badly losing to the evil digimon Diaborromon and with the massive e-mails from other children slowing them down that they actually phase into the Internet and mysteriously give them the power to destroy the enemy in time. Both digimon merge, evolving into the powerful Omnimon. However Diaborromon is still too fast until Izzy comes up with the idea to redirect the e-mails to slow him down allowing Omnimon to finish off Diaborromon just before the missles hit and in the end the missles hit in the water.
The last story involves the next generation of Digi-destined children after they travel from Japan to the U.S.A. and meet up with a grown up Willis, helping him to stop the menace of a mutating virus. As a kid, Willis was given two twin digimon, one of which was infected with a virus and disappeared, returning later with a different appearance and a ruthless behaviour. TK and Kari are the first ones to encounter him in New York while they are visiting Mimi whom he kidnaps (She disappears before TK and Karis eyes) and the rest of the Older Digi-Destined and begins to deage them. After his digimon Deages Willis and the Younger Digi-Destined as well Willis figures out that his Digimon wanted to play with him as a kid again which is why he kidnapped the older Digi-Digidestined because they also have Digivices as well as Deaged him and the others. After the Battle is over the Infected Digimon is defeated and the Older Digi-Destined reappear at the points they disappered from. In the end, Willis discovers that his digimon was still alive after the fight, ready to be reborn from a Digi-egg. (The part of the Older Digidestined being captured and deaged in an alternate dimension was for some reason cut from the American version of the movie and Diaborromon (aka Diablomon in the original) from the second movie has no connection to Willis in the Japanese Version because the American Version compiles all three movies together)
There have also been 4 other movies that were never released in America. #4 for instance which is the second movie based on Season two where the Digidestined go up against Diaborromon (From the Second Movie) again while Tai and Matt head back to the Internet to deal with him with Omnimon while the Younger Digidestined go to deal with the rampage of Kuramon (Diaborromons baby form). With the help of Angemon and Angewomon (With TK and Kari) who came to help, Omnimon is able to destroy Diaborromon for good. But it was a trap set up by Diaborromon where upon his destruction it allows a lot more Kuramon to go to the real world. Things go out of control when the Kuramon in the real world merge to create a Mega form called Armageddemon which is more powerful than Diaborromon. It is so powerful neither Omnimon and Imperial Dramon are not powerful enough to defeat Armageddemon on their own. In the end Omnimon gives its energy to Imperial Dramon Fighter Mode powering it up to Paladin Mode. Using its Omega Sword attack Imperial Dramon Paladin Mode is able to strike down Armageddemon but it splits back up into the Kuramon. With the help of the energy from the Digi-Destined Digivices and the cell phones from the other kids of Japan the Omega Sword is powered up and allowing all of the Kuramon to be destroyed for good. (This is the only Movie that has Ken in it)
Movies 5 and 6 are Based on Season 3 and #7 is based on Season 4
This is an Article on Digimon. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Digimon Fandom
Digimon Adventure (First Season)
Characters
Digimon Zero Two (Second Season)
Characters
The Japanese names are listed first, followed by the names used in the English language version, if different.Digimon Tamers (Third Season)
Characters
Japanese names are listed first, followed by names used for the English language version, if different:Digimon Frontier (Fourth Season)
Characters
The Japanese names are listed first, followed by the names used in the English language version (if different) and the names of their first digimon form.The Movies
Compare: PokémonSee also
External links