When I was younger, I never took part in the Pokemon vs. Digimon debate. I loved both. I played the Pokemon games, watched the Pokemon series, and even had Chimchar and Pikachu plush dolls that said their name when you squeezed the paw. I also had the Digimon movie on VHS and watched the shows any chance I got, silently resenting the fact that no one carried a Patamon plush doll like the Pokemon.
But now I sit writing this as a college student, on my laptop with seven Digimon-themed stickers, scrolling through the enormous amount of Pokemon GO Facebook posts on my phone with a Digimon-themed background screen, and planning my Crest of Hope tattoo, I think I know where my loyalty lies.
Since the launch of Pokemon GO, my Facebook feed has been full of screenshots of the different Pokemon people have caught. Besides boosting likes and comments, the new game also has bonus health features. People are now getting up and walking around their towns, which promotes physical and mental health. I can’t deny that this game has taken the country by storm.
But I’m not hopping on the bandwagon any time soon.
Since venturing back into the world of Digimon six years ago, I’ve come to a lot of conclusions in the Pokemon vs. Digimon debate that I never would have addressed as a child:
1) I like Digimon way more than I like Pokemon.
2) I would so much rather have one Digimon partner than try to catch all 700+ Pokemon.
3) While Pokemon is a better franchise as a whole, it doesn’t compete with Digimon as an animated show.
Say what you may, but I think the first two seasons of Digimon Adventure trump all of the Pokemon series. The plot structure of Pokemon falls flat and is repetitive to the point where even five-year-old me could guess what’s coming. When I watch Digimon now, I still pick up on things that I didn’t notice the last time. The plot is much more complex and intertwined, something that made it a good crossover show between little kids and adolescents.
While there are many different generations of DigiDestined, the Digimon that most millennials know about are from Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02. I’ll even admit that those are the only seasons I really care about. When the 104 episodes of the seasons came to an end, it left a lot of fans confused and frustrated. The epilogue caused a lot of backlash and confusion over the twisted fates of their favorite characters.
So when Digimon Adventure Tri was announced fifteen years after the original anime aired, fans were quick to speculate how it could fix what the end of season 02 broke.
Digimon Adventure Tri is a six-part theatrical feature that picks up three years after the end of Digimon Adventure 02. The original DigiDestined are now high-schoolers, except the two youngest ones, and are trying to keep the group intact when the threat of new infected Digimon enters the human world. Each movie will focus on two of the DigiDestined as the story progresses.
Between the time that the original announcement of Digimon Adventure Tri by Toei Animation and writing this article, two of the two-hour long movies have premiered in Japan, with the subtitled versions appearing on Crunchyroll and Hulu. An English dub will be released on September 15th, 2016 in 300 major US cities, followed by a multi-city national theatrical release.
Since I’m an impatient person, I’ve already seen the first two movies, Reunion and Determination, and I have not been able to stop talking about it. While I’ve seen some complaints about it not having the edge of the original Digimon Adventure, I’m honestly very happy with the slice-of-life style Digimon Adventure Tri is going for between the Digital World plotline.
I’m anxiously awaiting the third movie, Confession, as my favorite character, Takeru/TK, is one of the two focus characters for the movie. Voice actors have stated that Tri will began to get darker with the ending of Determination. The trailer for the third movie gives a taste of what the voice actors were talking about.
Digimon Adventure Tri is a series that has been a long time coming. Fans of the original Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02 have waited over a decade to catch up with their favorite characters. Even with certain questions still unanswered (mainly “Where are the season 02 kids that aren’t Takeru/TK and Hikari/Kari?”), Digimon Adventure Tri has proven that fan loyalty lasts for quality entertainment.
So I’m sorry, Pokemon GO, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to take a backseat on this one. I’ll get around to you eventually (as long as I can find a Growlithe in my area), but I’ve waited too long for my favorite Digimon characters to be together again.
Besides, I've got to see what other questionable hat choices Takeru/TK makes.
