Like its closest modern Pokémon, Digimon started as a digital pet recreation earlier than evolving right into a multimedia empire spanning anime, films, video games, and extra. However whereas Pokémon maintained a lighthearted tone aimed toward kids, Digimon typically ventured into deeper, darker territory, exploring themes of identification, know-how, and emotion that resonated with older audiences as effectively.
Because the debut of Digimon Journey in 1999, the franchise has reinvented itself again and again, introducing new worlds, characters, and interpretations of the “Digital World” mythos. Every collection has provided a definite tackle how people and Digimon coexist, from authorities conspiracies and ethical dilemmas to heartfelt coming-of-age tales. Over 20 years later, Digimon stays certainly one of anime’s most enduring and experimental franchises, and its newest entry is its boldest but.
Digimon Journey
The primary Digimon anime to be launched was 1999’s Digimon Journey. Digimon Journey follows seven kids, later eight, often called the DigiDestined, or “Chosen Kids,” in Japan, who had been known as to the Digital World to guard it from evil with assist from their Digimon companions, and issues naturally escalate right into a battle that places each of their worlds in peril.
As the primary Digimon anime, Digimon Journey is essentially the most iconic of all of the Digimon anime each out and in of Japan. Not solely has it been expanded on greater than every other collection by sequels, reboots, and common merchandising out and in of Japan, however its primary plot has additionally been the idea for a lot of Digimon anime to observe. That degree of fame has drawn a little bit of competition from followers, however Journey‘s impression on the franchise can’t be denied.
Digimon Journey 02
Following Digimon Journey was Digimon Journey 02 which, because the identify implied, was a direct sequel to Digimon Journey. Launched in 2000, 02 befell three years after Journey and adopted a brand new solid of youngsters, along with two of the youthful characters from Journey, being tasked with defending each Earth and the Digital World from the Digimon Kaiser and different threats.
Digimon Journey 02 made adjustments to the unique formulation that different Digimon anime would additionally make the most of corresponding to splitting time between the 2 worlds and giving characters aside from the primary characters Digimon companions. The collection can be a continuation of the story began in a line of video video games unique to the WonderSwan; these video games had been by no means launched outdoors of Japan, however the story can nonetheless be understood with out taking part in them.
Digimon Tamers
Digimon Tamers was launched in 2001 and was the primary anime to exist outdoors the Journey continuity. In a serious distinction to its predecessors, Tamers befell in a world much like the actual world the place Digimon exists as a multimedia franchise, collection protagonist Takato even creating his personal Digimon, and far of the battle is centered across the children coping with Digimon being actual.
Digimon Tamers is famous for being a lot darker than different Digimon anime collection by its use of Lovecraftian horror themes and the way it deconstructs the collection in numerous methods, corresponding to the federal government getting concerned within the story and demise being everlasting for Digimon. Tamers additionally additional continues the story of the WonderSwan video games with the looks of Ryo Akiyama, however similar to with 02, the video games aren’t needed for understanding the story.
Digimon Frontier
After Digimon Tamers deconstructed the collection, 2002’s Digimon Frontier went again to fundamentals by being one other present about kids being delivered to the Digital World to guard it from evil. In a serious departure from the norm, nevertheless, the youngsters didn’t have Digimon companions, as an alternative drawing on the ability of historic Digimon to rework into Digimon, themselves.
Digimon Frontier‘s premise attracts similarities to the Energy Rangers franchise and the Tremendous Sentai style, typically, and that, amongst different causes, has made it a reasonably divisive entry into the franchise. Different notable parts of the collection are the way it introduced again the idea of Digimon reincarnating after they die after Digimon Tamers did away with it and the way it was the primary correct introduction of the enduring group of Mega degree Digimon often called the Royal Knights.
Digimon Knowledge Squad
Following Digimon Frontier, there wouldn’t be one other Digimon anime till 2006’s Digimon Knowledge Squad. Much like Digimon Tamers, Knowledge Squad contains a authorities group tasked with retaining Digimon at bay, however reasonably than be at odds with them, the primary characters in Knowledge Squad are a part of mentioned group.
With Digimon being about ten years previous at that time, Digimon Knowledge Squad was meant to attraction to an older viewers by making the primary characters youngsters and adults, having extra cases of bodily violence and character-driven drama, and bringing again Agumon as a serious character for the primary time in years; total, it was the franchise’s largest try at making a typical shōnen anime. Digimon Knowledge Squad was additionally the primary main look of Yggdrasil, the god of the Digital World and a frequent antagonist in numerous Digimon tales.
Digimon Fusion
The collection would go on one other hiatus following Digimon Knowledge Squad till 2010’s Digimon Fusion. Fusion returned to the essential premise of youngsters being delivered to the Digital World to guard it from evil, however with the addition of the DigiFuse gimmick used to mix Digimon into completely different types. Digimon Fusion was one of many first Digimon anime to not draw focus to Digimon ranges and had fights revolve extra round what made sense for the narrative, however there was all the time a transparent hierarchy of energy, regardless.
After the primary two seasons of Digimon Fusion, the anime was rebranded as Digimon Fusion: The Younger Hunters Who Leapt By way of Time. The collection doubled as a celebration of the Digimon anime as a complete and even introduced characters from the earlier anime into the plot, and with 79 episodes, Digimon Fusion stands out because the longest Digimon anime, up to now.
Digimon Journey tri.
In celebration of Digimon Journey’s fifteenth anniversary, a six-part film sequel ran from 2015 to 2018 known as Digimon Journey tri. The collection befell three years after the defeat of MaloMyotismon in Digimon Journey 02 and adopted the unique solid of Journey as youngsters going by the pains of adolescence coupled with one other journey with their Digimon, this one revolving round a brand new DigiDestined Mei and her accomplice Meicoomon.
Digimon Journey tri. was notably the primary Digimon mission simulcast in territories outdoors of Japan, though most locations cut up every film into a number of elements. The collection can be controversial for a way typically it goes into melodrama and for a way a lot focus is on the brand new character Mei and Meicoomon versus the unique solid, and after the ultimate movie, the Journey collection shortly pivoted in a brand new course.
Digimon Universe: App Monsters
Whereas Digimon Journey tri. didn’t end till 2018, a brand new anime premiered in 2016 known as Digimon Universe: App Monsters. App Monsters was a serious departure from the collection for focusing not on Digimon, however Appmon, digital lifeforms from the Internet Ocean derived from telephone apps.
It is because Digimon Universe: App Monsters technically wasn’t primarily based on Digimon, however on the App Monsters spinoff franchise, which has lengthy since been defunct, however even with that, the writing and character dynamics do a terrific job of capturing the essential aesthetic of the Digimon franchise.
Digimon Journey:
The subsequent Digimon anime was 2020’s Digimon Journey:, a full reboot of the unique Digimon Journey anime. Journey: adopted the essential premise of the unique collection, with the main variations being that Journey: befell in 2020 as an alternative of 1999 and that there was a bigger give attention to a few of the lore parts of the franchise such because the Community and Holy Digimon.
Whereas it began largely following the identical story beats as the unique anime, Journey: quickly pivoted into a brand new course with new villains, some from different elements of the franchise, some created for the anime, and giving each Digimon Mega types versus simply Agumon and Gabumon. Digimon Journey: resulted in a means that would arrange a possible sequel, however as of now, it’s unknown if that can ever be adopted up on.
Digimon Ghost Recreation
The latest Digimon anime is 2021’s Digimon Ghost Recreation. Ghost Recreation is one other collection the place the primary characters need to take care of Digimon inflicting hassle of their world, however the hook in Ghost Recreation is that the Digimon are inflicting incidents labeled as supernatural phenomena.
Digimon Ghost Recreation leaned way more into the monster-of-the-week format than its predecessors and left a lot of its overarching plot unexplained till the tip of the collection, and this has triggered it to be a reasonably contentious entry amongst followers.