Digimon: Digital Monsters
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| Digimon: Digital Monsters | |
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| デジモン (Dejimon) |
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| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction, Shonen |
| TV anime : Digimon Adventure | |
| Directed by | Hiroyuki Kakudo |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Original run | March 7, 1999 – March 26, 2000 |
| No. of episodes | 54 |
| TV anime : Digimon Adventure 02 | |
| Directed by | Hiroyuki Kakudo |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Original run | April 2, 2000 – March 25, 2001 |
| No. of episodes | 50 |
| TV anime : Digimon Tamers | |
| Directed by | Yukio Kaizawa |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Original run | April 1, 2001 – March 21, 2002 |
| No. of episodes | 51 |
| TV anime : Digimon Frontier | |
| Directed by | Yukio Kaizawa |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Original run | September 9, 2002 – March 3, 2003 |
| No. of episodes | 50 |
| TV anime : Digimon Savers | |
| Directed by | Itou Naoyuki |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Original run | April 2, 2006 – |
| No. of episodes | |
| Movie: Digital Monster X-Evolution | |
| Directed by | Hiroyuki Kakudou |
| Studio | |
| Released | January 3, 2005 |
| Runtime | 80 minutes |
Digimon: Digital Monsters is a fictional anime saga from Japan, created in 1999 by Toei Animation and based on the characters from the Digimon franchise.
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[edit] Overview
In the ever expanding universe, there exists a digital world. This world closely matches our planet and sometimes overlaps, causing rifts from our world into this parallel one.
On March 6, 1999, the franchise was given animated form as the first of the Digimon movies aired in theaters in Japan. On March 7, they began airing a television counterpart titled Digimon Adventure. Three further series would follow, each with their own tie-in movies, and the series was dubbed for release in western markets in the fall of the same year. The show spawned card games, with Hyper Colosseum in Japan and later Digi-Battle in America, and more video games. The animated series is easily the best-known segment of the Digimon universe and responsible for the majority of its popularity worldwide.
"Digimon" are "Digital Monsters". According to the stories, they are creatures who inhabit the "Digital World", a parallel universe that is in part a manifestation of Earth's communication network. The stories tell of a group of mostly pre-teens, the "Chosen Children" (DigiDestined in the English version), who accompany special Digimon born to defend their world (and ours) from various evil forces. To help them overcome the most difficult obstacles found within both realms, the Digimon have the ability to evolve (Digivolve). In this process, the Digimon change appearance and become much stronger, often changing in personality as well. The group of children who come in contact with the Digital World changes from season to season.
As of 2006, there have been five series — Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers, Digimon Frontier, and Digimon Savers. As is obvious from their titles, the first two seasons take place in the same fictional universe, but the third, fourth, and fifth each occupy their own unique world (in the case of Digimon Tamers, the Adventure universe is referred to as a television and commercial enterprise). In addition, each series has spawned assorted feature films. Digimon still shows popularity, as new card series, video games, and movies are still being produced and released. New card series include Eternal Courage, Hybrid Warriors, Generations, and Operation X; a video game: Digimon Rumble Arena 2; and the previously unreleased movies Revenge of Diaboromon, Runaway Locomon, Battle of Adventurers, and Island of Lost Digimon. In Japan, Digital Monster X-Evolution, the eighth TV movie, was recently released, and on December 23, 2005 at Jump Festa 2006, the fifth series, Digimon Savers was announced for Japan to begin airing after a three year hiatus of the show.
Digimon is produced by Toei Animation and Bandai of Japan. The series are broadcast in Japan by Fuji Television.
[edit] International versions
In the United States, the series premiered in August 1999 on the Fox Television Network. It was dubbed by Saban (now called Sensation Animation), and was initially broadcasted through Fox Network's Fox Kids and Fox Family. The first four seasons were retitled Digimon: Digital Monsters.
After Disney acquired Saban during the third series, the first three series moved to ABC Family, while the fourth premiered on UPN and PAX in other areas. This was due to a deal between Disney and UPN, which concluded with Digimon Frontier. Frontier was syndicated on ABC Family shortly after that. Digimon continues to run in syndication on the U.S. JETIX block daily on ABC Family and Toon Disney.
The show also premiered in North America. In Canada, the show was broadcast on YTV under the Saban version. In the U.S. insular area of Puerto Rico, the show was redubbed in Spanish, and in Quebec (Where Digimon Adventure aired on TQS, and Digimon Adventure 02 on Teletoon), the show was redubbed in French. A French version of Digimon Tamers was aired in France, but not in North America.
Internationally, it premiered as well. In the United Kingdom, Digimon aired on the UK Fox Kids (now JETIX) cable/satellite channel and also on CiTV, as well as countries such as Ireland, South Africa, Malaysia, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and others. However, due to poor ratings and licensing mix-ups in the change from Fox Kids to Jetix, Digimon Frontier (the fourth season) has not been shown in any shape or form in the UK, and has been absent from the schedules of Jetix's UK incarnation since the beginning of 2005.
The Latin America version of all the seasons of Digimon are the original Japanese edition without any censorship or cuts.
Arabic dubs of all four Digimon shows were released in Arabic speaking countries under the name Arabic: أبطال الديجيتال (Abtal El Digital; "Digital Heroes") in the Middle Eastern countries. While its title was kept as "Digimon" in Lebanese TV Stations.[citation needed]
This show also aired in the Philippines in early 2000 on ABS-CBN. It would air Friday nights at 7:30PM. ABS-CBN hired Filipino voice actors to dub the show in English. The dubbing has also stuck true to the original, almost. Though they used the original Japanese show as the medium for the dub, some of the voices almost tried to sound like the US version (i.e. Taichi having a teenage voice instead of a kid's) or the dubbing crew decided to voice the characters the way they wanted it (i.e. Gabumon's deep, grumbly voice). The entire first season of Digimon Adventure was dubbed in English, along with Digimon Adventure 02. The second season aired on a new Saturday morning block at 10AM two weeks after the first season finale. This time, only 1/3 of the season was dubbed in English, then later was dubbed in Tagalog, so that it would be compatible with the other shows in the block. Though, the "tagalized" remaining 2/3's of the show we're also still dubbed in English. Later, Cartoon Network Philippines began airing Digimon Tamers around 2003, then Digimon Frontier late 2004. This time they were dubbed by Singaporeans, along with some of the other anime that aired with it. Digimon Savers is yet to be shown. [citation needed]
[edit] Anime series
[edit] Digimon Adventure (season one)
In Digimon Adventure (1999), a group of young pre-teens while at summer camp, become the "DigiDestined" and are unwillingly forced to save both the Digital and real worlds 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 their human partners in a dangerous situation. The characters are made up of Tai and Agumon; Matt and Gabumon; Sora and Biyomon; Izzy and Tentomon; Mimi and Palmon; Joe and Gomamon; TK and Patamon; and, later on, Tai's younger sister Kari pairs up with Gatomon.
[edit] Digimon Adventure 02 (season two)
Digimon Adventure 02 (2000), also commonly written as Digimon 02/Digimon Zero Two, is the sequel to the previous season. This series was a direct continuation of the original Adventure series. The original DigiDestined have grown up into junior high school students (except for Kari and T.K.). Davis, Yolei, and Cody join T.K. and Kari in attempting to protect the Digital World against a human who calls himself "The Digimon Emperor."
The series introduced many changes. The gate was opened via the D-3 (the new Digivice model) and the DigiDestined only fought on the weekends or after school. Later in the series the fighting comes over the real world. The series ends with an epligoue that is projected 25 years in the future. For this season, Kari and T.K. still have their Digimon from the last season. Davis teams up with Veemon, Yolei teams up with Hawkmon, and Cody with Armadillomon. Several other Digidestined from around the world were also seen in the later part of this season.
[edit] Digimon Tamers (season three)
The third series, Digimon Tamers (2001) changed the very nature of the series. Set in the year 200X (between 2000-2009), it takes place in the REAL real world, where Digimon is just a franchise, composed of video games, a collectible card game, and a cartoon series (which would be the first and second seasons). However, a group of 12-year-olds (10-year olds in the Japanese version), 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.
[edit] Digimon Frontier (season four)
Digimon Frontier (2002) is the fourth TV series. After receiving strange phone messages, five children go to the subway and 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 is up to the kids to save the world.
Even though it was advertised on Fox Kids in the UK, Digimon Frontier was never released there. It is said that after the season ended they were eventually reunited with their tamers.
[edit] Digimon Savers
After a pause of 3 years the fifth series, Digimon Savers, began airing in Japan on April 2 on Fuji TV. Masaru Daimon, an undefeated street fighter aged 14, meets Agumon, who has escaped from DATS (Digital Accident Tactics Squad), a secret government organization. Despite terrible first impressions, the two become best friends by "talking" with their fists. With others, Masaru and Agumon work to investigate various incidents involving the Digital World and Digimon, to try and get to the bottom of things.
[edit] Video Games (America)
In America, there are five digimon games. The earliest ones (Digimon World I, II, III) are for the SonyPlaystation console.(See Digimon World, Digimon World 2, Digimon World 3, Digimon World 4, and Digimon World DS.
[edit] Movies
Digimon: The Movie, released in the US and Canada territory by Fox Kids in October 2000, 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 previously undubbed movies (with the exception of the eighth movie) were all shown on Toon Disney in the fall of 2005 as 30-40 minute specials. It is unknown whether or not the movies will be released on video or DVD.
- Digimon Adventure Movies
- Digimon Adventure 02 Movies
- Digimon Tamers Movies
- Digimon Frontier Movies
- Digimon X-Evolution
"Digimon X-Evolution" (subtitled "The 13th Royal Knight" on much official material, but not in the movie itself) is the first Digimon movie entirely in CGI.
The movie spans 75 minutes, making it the longest Digimon movie up to date. The story takes place in the Digital World, chronicling the adventures of Dorumon. It is based, to some degree, on Digimon Chronicle, the mini-manga and storyline accompanying the Pendulum X (digital pets) in Japan.
[edit] See also
- Digimon
- Digimon: The Movie
- List of Digimon
- Tamagotchi
- List of human characters in the Digimon series
- List of Chosen Digimon
- Digimon card game
[edit] External links
[edit] English
- JETIX U.S. Digimon: Digital Monsters website
- JETIX U.K. Digimon Tamers website
- Digimon: Digital Monsters at the Internet Movie Database
- Digimon Japanese VA list
- Digimon: Digital Monsters Japanese/English Comparisons Covers Seasons 1 and 2.
- Digimon: Digital Monsters at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Patamon's World
[edit] Japanese
- Toei's Digimon Adventure website
- Toei's Digimon Adventure 02 website
- Toei's Digimon Tamers website
- Toei's Digimon Frontier website
- Toei's Digimon Savers website
- DIGIMON TAMERS RESOURCES (Notes and history of Season 3 from Chiaki J. Konaka) (Japanese/English)
- Bandai's Digimon.net
[edit] Other
| Digimon | |
|---|---|
| Anime: | Anime overview | Adventure (Season 1) | Adventure 02 (Season 2) | Tamers (Season 3) | Frontier (Season 4) | Savers (Japan only) | Digital Monster X-Evolution (movie) |
| Mangas: | V-Tamer | Digimon Next | Digimon Chronicle | D-Cyber |
| Video Games: | Digimon World (and 2, 3, 4) | Digital Card Battle | Battle Spirit (and 1.5, 2) | Digimon Racing | Rumble Arena (and 2) | Digimon RPG | Digimon World DS | Digimon Savers: Another Mission | Anode/Cathode Tamer |
| Other: | Digimon card game | Digimon virtual pet | DigiDestined | Digivice | Digivolution | Digital World | List of Digimon | Chosen Digimon | List of human characters |
