Digimon Adventure 02 In Retrospect (Part 1)

Jun 24, 2010 23:38



The transcript...more or less:

I started this review the wake of fansubber PositronCannon’s recent completion of a fully-subbed version of the entire original dub of Digimon Adventure 02.  I've now had the opportunity to watched Digimon Adventure 02 in its English dub and in its Japanese dub.  Both function very differently within those contexts, but my opinion of the show, overall, hasn't changed since when I first saw it when I was a child.

Yes, this review is a response to Adventure 02--a response of disdain.  Specifically, it is my own disdain towards the finale and the epilogue to Adventure 02, although there are other subjects about which I will address as well.

I realize that when people write and/or voice critical reviews, those review are usually aimed at directors, writers, producers etc.  However, as I am in the position of not knowing who exactly is to blame for the mess that Adventure 02 turned out to be, I cannot point my finger with any specificity.  And even if I did know who to blame, so much time has passed since Adventure 02 first aired on television that even if within the one in a million chance those responsible for the failures of Adventure 02 actually came around to witnessing this review, I very much doubt it would make much difference to them anyway.  My hope, therefore, is that with this review that I may turn some heads and make people, fans and passersby alike, realize just how far Adventure 02 fell from its original roots of one of the greatest anime televisions shows out there.

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where Adventure 02 went wrong.  At first, I thought I’d simply be addressing just the finale and epilogue to this. That would have been easy--there aren't many people who would disagree that Adventure 02 ended very, very badly. Sadly, I am afraid there is much more plaguing 02 than a bad ending.  On that note, I will also admit that Adventure 02 put many good ideas on the drawing board, which played a major reason as to why I continued watching it.  I had high hopes that it would garner the same appeal as its predecessor had before.  However, with so many plots and ideas introduced to Adventure 02 and with little leeway needed to properly address and execute each and every one of them, the show just became a disaster.

Let's widen the scope a bit and look at how the story arcs were laid out.  The original Digimon Adventure introduced its plots and subplots in a step-by-step nature, never putting more on its plate than it could handle at any given time.  First, we had the the Devimon Arc, wherein the children are introduced to the Digital World and put into a situation in which they must survive its dangers.  Next, we had the Etemon Arc, wherein the children actually get some valuable information about their situation and are given a purpose within the Digital World.  Nest, we had he Vamdemon Arc which finally put that purpose into action.  The strength and will of the children were tested in a battle that would not only be fought within the Digital World, but would eventually lead them to their own home front.  The only "iffy" detail in the entire mix of Digimon Adventure was the Dark Masters Arc.  Now, I'm not saying that I thought it was a bad story arc, by any means.  On the contrary, it was probably the best one of the four.  It's problem was that it was way too good.  The fact of the matter is, something that good should never have been slated for just 10 episodes.  But that's a topic for another commentary.

Now, let's look at Adventure 02's overarching story.  This show stays on its first story arc--the Digimon Kaiser Arc--for about half the entire season (approximately 22 Episodes).  Need I remark that is long, especially when one considers how much more the writers introduce to the show in the latter 28 episodes.  So, after the Digimon Kaiser has been defeated, there are about seven new ideas are introduced in space of the latter portion of the season.  So, they took care of one story arc, and now they just have about seven more to go?!  Well, I came up with list for all the new concepts the latter half of 02 has to deal with (that I can think of off the top of my head, anyway)

Here they are:

1. The conversion Ken Ichijoji
2. BlackWarGreymon
3. Oikawa, Archnemon, and Mummymon
4. The Dark Spores
5. The Demon Corps.
6. The Dark Ocean
7. The Sovereign Digimon and the Holy Stones.

(There are more that would have come to me in time, but you should the general idea.)

Combine all those concepts with all the extra the subplots occurring among the main characters (things like shipping), and the entire show just becomes a house of cards just waiting to come crashing down.  Ironically, I believe only about two of those plotlines that I listed come to any sort of completion.  It's ironic because...well, it gives an entirely new meaning to the title “Zero-two.”

So, what should we determine, then?  Maybe that all the problems with 02 started occurring a the mid-way point of the season?  Actually, no.  Signs of degradation cropped up as early as episode one.I will explain...

When Adventure 02 came into being, an immediate shift of character status was made.  Fans of the original Digimon Adventure and newcomers alike were introduced to three new children whose responsibility would be to carry the load that the original eight had carried throughout the entirety of the previous season.  Granted there is the exception of Hikari and Takeru, as they return to the action.  However, allowing just two of the original cast to come back as main characters does not neglect from the utter audacity the creators had to relegate the other six to the status of secondary characters!

I can remember watching the original trailers for Adventure 02, and thinking that these new kids were just going to become an extension to the main cast.  Then I had to witness, in abject horror, Taichi’s passing his goggles onto Daisuke.  I had to cope with the realization that this little punk was going to be taking his place as group leader.  Don't misunderstand me, however.  I’m not angry about the introduction of these new characters, I'd have been all for it (even if they were a bunch of annoying, bland, or idiotic characters).  My frustration and disappointment stems from the fact that six well-established characters from the first season were sidelined for the duration of Adventure 02, and they giving leeway to three new characters of which I knew nothing at all.

And these new children don't work within the context of the Digimon Adventure series.  Consider the setting of the original Digimon Adventure in relation to Adventure 02 in that respect.  The original Chosen Children were forced into the Digital World and placed into a situation in which they had no choice but to survive and adapt as best they could to the present dangers.  They were trapped with no means of simply shuttling back and forth between both the Digital World and the Real World.  In fact, part of the irony of finally discovering a gateway leading back home was that the Real World was being invaded and they wouldn't be returning to the same world they left behind.  The only time the original Chosen Children are given their own choice of re-entering the Digital World occurs after the defeat of VenomVamdemon.  By that time, we've already gone through about 3/4 of the show already and accept that the children are experienced enough to face the dangers of the Digital World once again without looking back.

In Adventure 02, the new children are allowed to enter and leave the Digital World whenever they please.  They don’t have to deal with the same entrapment issues that the original children had to deal with, so what's stopping them from simply dropping the entire ordeal?  By all means, they should have dropped out either out of a simple unwillingness to put up with that much responsibility or maybe the fear of dying part.  Considering how many times these new children have a brushes with death or have been put into situations that are supposed to be beyond their comprehension, it really is wonder they didn’t take the easy way out.  God knows real children would have!  There’s simply no justification for why Daisuke, Miyako, or Iroi just take up and adapt to their roles as quickly as they do.  And what's more, it cheapens the experience of the original Digimon Adventure.

So how did the writers attempt bypass those unrealistic expectations?  Very simply, actually.  They degraded the complexity and mysticism of the series.  You see, during the Etemon Arc, it had been established that it was necessary for each child to obtain this mystical tag and crest, both of which would allow his or her Digimon to achieve the ultimate evolution (or "perfect" evolution depending on the translation).  Although they knew they had to find these tags and crests, the children did not completely understanding how exactly they were supposed to work.  They only had a vague preconception.

Well, having this vague preconception, Taichi, being the first to receive his tag and crest, decided to experiment (Agumon being was his guinea pig).  Utilizing the tag and crest in conjunction with the Digivice would be as easy as focusing the rays of the sun with a magnifying glass right?

Taichi decided to “use” his courage and force Agumon to evolve.  However, his courage wasn’t true courage.  Rather, it was recklessness, an extreme form of "courage" that caused Agumon to evolve into SkullGreymon--a chaotic beast that nearly killed Taichi.  The lesson learned here was that courage wasn’t something that Taichi could simply pull out of a hat and expect fluffy bunny rabbits to appear. Courage was an attribute that he had to master and control.

In Adventure 02, however, those building blocks come crumbling down.  The mental attributes associated with the Chosen Children were no longer special or placed within a complex of mystical context.  It was almost like the writers had to turn down the difficulty level from Insanity to Easy Mode on the entire Digital World for these new children.  When Daisuke finds V-Mon, he’s just told to “use his courage."

As if using courage is as easy as waving your hands in the air and yelling, "FOR GREAT JUSTICE!"

Oh, and I guess its also necessary recite a magical phrase “Digimental Up!” in order to trigger the evolution. (Why all of a sudden is there a vocal requirement?  Vocal requirements were never a necessity in the original Digimon Adventure-so why implement them now?  Give me a break!).

So, let's get our facts straight: Daisuke doesn’t have Taichi’s experience or knowledge, and he wasn’t given any room for trial an error to work out the kinks in his…in his "courageous attitude," I guess.  However, somehow, he successfully gets V-Mon to evolve right then and there!

Because the plot dictates that it should be so, I guess...

Huh! Well, I guess courage is about as simple as taking a piss, right?  That whole riding a bike vision that Tiachi had was just a load of horse manure, right?  Well, you know this would also mean that just about anyone can become one of the Chosen Children!

Actually, I’ll come to that particular issue when I get around to writing about the finale and the epilogue.

END PART ONE

zero-two, digimon, adventure, rant, 02, review, video, retrospect, commentary

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