#digimon last evolution kizuna spoiler

[seventeenlovesthree]

So... Through the course of the movie, we see how the different characters are trying to reason with the task at hand.

Should they defeat the enemy and cause the bonds of humans and Digimon to break?

When I had first watched this scene, my heart was torn into two different sides. On one hand, I was proud to see Takeru be the one to bring up the idea that fighting may not be the right choice. This is Takeru we are talking about - the Takeru who had witnessed his own partner die after defeating Devimon, who had to part ways with him several times afterwards, once after the events of Adventure, then again between 02 and Tri... And also when Patamon got infected and lost all his memories. Last but not least... And this is where I was torn, because I wished, oh HOW I had wished, that he had brought up Yamato at this point. His brother, who had lost his partner merely one and a half years ago... And who had been just as hesitant to fight as him...

Not only that... But the way Hikari is responding, prioritizing the needs of others - a huge number of people to be exact - over her own, is not only very in-character for her... It also mirrors her brother's reaction from one and a half years ago. The only difference being that we're talking about much bigger scales now. The Yagami siblings always understood the need to fight, even if they personally didn't like it...

It's a bittersweet parallel between the siblings and yet... If you know me, you also know how hurt I was by the fact that neither Yamato nor Taichi nor any other of the older Chosen Children had been brought up in this context. Sure, Takeru and Hikari had been drinking over talking about how they had not been available before, but it's just all so heartbreaking. Especially because Hikari and Daisuke in particular make it all sound so easy. "If we choose our bond, our friendship, if we believe in it, it will not vanish" just invalidates a lot of the pain that Taichi and Yamato went through in the last movie. And while I am all for a positive outlook, it still hurts not to know what the heck is going on with the others and how they experienced all of this. It makes sense for someone like Hikari, who has witnessed the loss her brother had to endure, wanting to move on, not intending to let the same happen to herself and the others, but it just feels grim without the contextualization of Kizuna's events. I believe it would not have been as bad if Taichi and Yamato had been mentioned at least once - I understand that this was probably to avoid the idea that people would have needed to watch Kizuna before watching this movie, but still.

[starspatter]

If you wear goggles… do you become strong? I… want to be stronger. I want to become stronger and protect my sister, my Mom, and my Dad! I want to beat the bad guys! They rounded everyone up, and threatened us. Then they made us go to sleep… I wasn’t enough to stop them myself. But… I saw him. A person wearing goggles and riding something that looked like a huge dinosaur! I saw him beat the bad guys!! If I have that kind of power, I can protect everyone. With power, I wouldn’t have allowed us to be captured in the first place. I would have stopped the tears!

-Digimon "Spring 2003" CD Drama

[digitalgate02]

Like I said, it's Advverse ONLY. Also please don't hijack this to add Takato into the discussion. I love Takato and Guilmon, but it's no good hijacking Adv/02 conversation like that. (i'm talking about people hijacking this same discussion in the past. Don't do that.)

Edit: In case people are wondering if i meant "done better" as "executed the task perfectly" or "made the most dA-like monster on MS paint", the answer is interpret it as you want to!! Because it's funnier this way.

[izzyizumi]

Digimon Adventure Last Evolution: Kizuna ~ ~ Meiko Mochizuki’s (Canon) Appearance (as Younger Meiko, same design used in Tri) + Meiko & Meicoomon

“Mochizuki...” - Yamato Ishida (Taichi also watching), Voice wavering, in growing shock

Bonus:

{Young Meiko, in Tottori} {Kyousei; Film #5 Flashback} (wearing the exact same outfit) {With the same Japanese-style home} Gifs by @izzyizumi / @koushirouizumi​ {Do Not Repost or Reproduce without my Permission} {Do Not Remove Caption} (Please Ask to Use)

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[reliablejoukido]

You are so valid for being upset and emotional about Kizuna! I am a huge digimon fan (i like to read wikimon for fun kinda fan), but Kizuna was just depressing. And as a Taichi Yagami fanboy first, human being second, watching the movie just hurt. From start to finish. No matter how lore accurate it was or wasnt.

The Beginning isnt perfect, but i liked the movie better and its message way more then Kizuna's and i would love to hear your thoughts on it! :)

Thank you for understanding me! I absolutely feel your pain with that one. I realize there were a lot of different takeaways from Kizuna, both good and bad. I personally could only watch it once because of how much it devastated me, and I doubt I'll ever watch it again. Whether or not I'm wrong lore-wise or plot-wise about what happened in Kizuna, I've finally come to terms with the fact that my feelings about it are valid and I'm allowed to have them.

So maybe you and everyone else are right. I should be okay posting my thoughts on The Beginning.

[shihalyfie]

Jou is oldest member of the Adventure group, so why in Kizuna he didn't lost Gomamon before Taichi, Yamato and Sora lost their partners? Since he is the oldest in the group, he should have lost his Digimon partner first.

Because Menoa's entire theory of partnership dissolution correlating directly with adulthood is a fallacy to begin with, and even if it weren't a fallacy, Menoa losing Morphomon at 14 means that even she knows the issue is more to do with a mental state of mind of being an "adult" (because in her mind, she became an "adult" at 14 when she was admitted into university early) than it ever had to do with physical age.

Taichi, Yamato, and Sora lost their partners because of "something" that happened with them that was absolutely not going on with Jou, and the nature of that "something" is fairly evident when you look at Menoa/Taichi/Yamato/Sora's actions and mentalities compared to where Jou is at the time.

[firedragon1321]

What a Normal Person Sees:

What I See:

[t4tklonoa]

I just watched kizuna don 't talk to me (actually do talk to me) the ending wasso sad I'm going to throw up I still can't believe itis true and that it happened like this cannot b happening tome. I was SO fucking sure that smth was gonna happen atthe end so agumon and gabumon were gonna be fine but it didn't happen they are LITERALLY gone theyare gone ??? They are gone. and itis implied everyone else's digimon are too. Gomamon, Tentomon, palmon, biyomon. they are allgone.

Ilovedthe movie yeah it wascool Iliked it but Imiss agumon already Icannot believe they acctually went and . and made them all disappear. I'm so scared, is that gonna happen to the 02 kids too? Like eventually? Ihope not I would be devastated. I hope they do the silly thing of never mentioning whathappens in previous movies andstuff I will not b able to go on if they make the02 digimon disappear . sorry abt making this abt 02 Ikindof just watched kizuna for them okay. I loved agumon and gabumon. Tentomon, gomamon, palmon and biyomon too. Iknow we will probably see them again in some shape or form but. still. now Iwill seethe, m and think. they can't comeback and gabumon never got to try their last shaved melon ice itmakes me wantto cry my eyes out even more because Gabumon did get to hear Yamato play the harmonica but Agumon didn't get to eat with Taichi in the last moments they got with him . Do you think Taichi was scared that agumon was gonna disappear when he went to buy it. do you think that after that he wnet to eat shaved ice alone and it felt so wrong to not hear agumon gobble it up beside him. do you think sometimes he makes more food than he should because he is so used to making more for agumon. do you think Yamato plays the harmonica and feels so wrong when gabumon isn't there to compliment him at the end. or that maybe when he does something that gabumon would probably call him outfor he does it himself. and it feels wrong that itis coming out of his mouth and not his friend's? do you think they miss them alotsometimes. doyou think they cannot bear some situations that remind them ofthem even in the far future. do you think they'll. ever meet again

[considermadness]

Let's talk about the professor in Digimon Survive

Spoilers for moral route

On a serious note, I absolutely love Akiharu's role and contributions to the story and to the kemonogami-digimon lore. It was fun figuring out the Renamon-Haru-Professor mystery too.

On a more important note,

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND (OR MAYBE YOU DO, LET ME KNOW LOL) HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE AN OLD PERSON HAVE A PARTNER AND FIGHT ALONGSIDE THEIR DIGIMON AND HAVE THEM EVOLVE. 😭😭😭

OLDIES REPRESENT LMAO

I'm just so happy for him. He was able to go back and reunite with his digimon partner and save his sister. I thought he was just going to die but no 😭 OLD PERSON DIGIDESTINED MADE THEIR PARTNER EVOLVE AND JOINED THE FIGHT

It's partly Kizuna's fault that I am so ecstatic over this because no way no way do our digimon disappear when we grow up 😭 If anything they grow and evolve with us.

I'll shut up now.

[hikaritakaishi]

Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning [My Movie Review]

♡ ! SPOILER ALERT! ♡

This review will contain spoilers of the movie, continue reading if you already saw the movie, or just don’t mind the spoiler! Enjoy & comment something if you want to share an opinion! ♡

After what seemed ages of waiting, Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning finally aired in Portugal, on May 16, 2024, several months after it’s national premiere in Japan, on October 27, 2023. I was worried that it wouldn't come to my country, but perhaps due to the huge acceptance of Digimon Adventure: LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA, the distributor made the hearts of the DigiDestined from the most hidden corner of Europe warm again and brought us the sequel. Thank you remembering us once again! ♡

I really tried to keep my expectations as neutral as possible until the day I went to see the movie, which was pretty difficult, due to the fact that I was constantly being bombarded with online information about it, whether on Tumblr or Twitter, or through video recommendations on Youtube. I was so excited for the movie, that I had to control myself immensely not to go see the spoilers.

Initial considerations? I like it. In general. But let's go in parts!

This will be an analysis of what I consider to be the most important points of the movie and what caught my attention the most. A personal analysis, so don't take it too seriously if I don't talk about a certain point or a certain specific topic, I probably just missed that.

Firstly, I would like to comment on the initial dynamics of the movie.

Everything seems to happen much faster here than it did in Kizuna. Despite being two movies with practically the same time span, this one seemed to go by much faster. But it might just be me. [LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA have 94 minutes, and The Beginning have 87 minutes total].

 We're introduced to the key plot problem pretty quickly too.

People's digital devices are glitching, and the same message is repeating itself on all of them, not just on the phones and televisions, but on computers and large digital screens in cities all around the world. And this all around the world is very important, because it not only brings us closer to what will be the future of humanity and it’s increasing contact with the Digimon and the Digital World, but it opens the path we take since 2012 [time of the movie] until to the epilogue of 02 (which the production team and Toei animation seem to insist on wanting to keep canon, despite all the script inconsistencies it can cause, or how different from the initial profile of each character it may be).

“May everyone have friends, may everyone have a partner Digimon”

It's the message. Meanwhile, we are told that a suspicious and unknown Digitama appeared in the sky of Tokyo, right above the Tokyo Tower, and it’s been there for a while. Taichi and Koushiro are showned to be trying to help resolve this issue as professionals in the field of diplomacy and technology respectively, but without major progress.

I think it's important to highlight that they are the only two characters from the first season of Adventure who appear in this movie, and even so, without any direct speech or great relevance, beyond contextualization, and later Taichi as well again for the context of “space- time”, in that frame we see in the trailer of the movie with Hikari, which we later discover is located in Hikarigaoka, where Rui also lived when he had his first contact with Ukkomon.

The focus is on the characters from 02, or at least, it should have been. But as in Digimon Adventure Tri, this focus is overshadowed by the introduction of another new character in the story: Rui Owhada [or Lui, in Japanese pronunciation].

Rui [or Lui] is a much more charismatic character than Meiko was in Digimon Adventure Tri. There is no doubt about that.

Meiko was a somewhat empty character. A static character without great charisma. The only pleasant scenes she had were driven by the other characters around her (namely Mimi).

Rui doesn't. Rui is a character on his own. With a much more aggressive personality and a much more interesting past. The only issue here is the length of the movie: This movie is too short; too short for us to get attached to this character and actually be able feel empathy for everything we are shown about him. So short, that it's difficult to develop both this new character and the others around him, which, by the way, is a shame.

I mostly went to see the movie in hopes to see more from the 02 cast, and not because, again, of a random character they created for this new script. Just like what happened in Tri.

And this is important because notice that one of the most complex and best-built characters in the Adventure universe is literally the character with the most screen time: Takeru.

Analyzing Takeru's character as a whole is extremely time-consuming, because he was in every season, and practically involved in all the main events of the plot, either by himself or through the relationships he establishes throughout the plot, which feed the character's emotional charge. Which makes him a very complex character.

There's no time for that here. There is no time to establish a relationship between Rui and the other characters, nor to establish a relationship between Rui… and the audience.

Rui's childhood is very shocking and once again, Digimon brings a very strong narrative based on a complex and deep family plot.

We had already had examples in Adventure of family issues with Takeru and Yamato, Koushiro, and in 02 with Iori and also Ken. To a certain extent, even with Miyako. But here we reach a higher level of complexity... and violence (remember that the age to see the movie is over 12 years old. I can totally understand why).

Rui is physically abused and neglected by his mother, who leaves him out in the cold, starving when he makes a childish mistake or does something she doesn't like... when he is only four years old. His father has a very serious illness and depends on his wife to survive. Rui is then shown as a sorrowful child, lonely and without any support network. We've never had anything in the Digimon Adventure series so… raw. The aura of the movie is deeply heavy and dark.

The evolutions and battles in this movie are far from being the focus, which probably frustrated many people who went to see the movie for this more dynamic side of the anime.

It is a film with a moral content and even touches on the philosophical, about the bonds we create with others and their nature, about how we should relate to others and learn about them every day we have them in our lives.

It's about healthy communication, and how it's okay to correct the people around us, as long as it's made based with pure intentions. Because love is not omissive. Love corrects, love draws the other's attention for what really matters, in the form of love. In the form of companionship. Nothing physical or superficial is worth the price of a real bond.

The movie really grew with it’s audience. It is not, at all, a movie targeted for new fans of the franchise, or for those who know little about the Adventure series universe. It's for those who know the characters, for those who grew up with them. If you don't know the characters, you will miss details and conversations that are important to really understand the plot as a whole.

Daisuke and Ken look on Rui’s past with him. They see the arrival of Ukkomon in his life, who should’ve bring peace and comfort, but it is only the beginning of all his problems.

Let's take a break from the movie's plot to talk about the characters of 02.

I'm going to divide them into groups, because it seems like they individually… don't have much progress or very memorable scenes, honestly. It doesn't even make sense to separate them, in my opinion, and you'll understand why.

♡ Daisuke & Iori

There is not much to talk about them here. Daisuke and Iori are the flattest characters in the movie. Iori much more than Daisuke, let's be honest. Iori barely speaks, and has very few relevant scenes.

Daisuke works at a ramen restaurant, as he always wanted, where he gathers his friends to talk about the problems they are facing right at the beginning of the movie.

His personality is practically the same, Daisuke from 02 is the same Daisuke from The Beginning, and even the same character as in Kizuna, he is just taller here and wears different clothes. He still aspires to have his own ramen business and is extremely focused on his career goals. Which was predictable, given the way he talks about his dream in 02.

Daisuke's only two relevant scenes are seconds long: the first when he convinces Rui that the bond of friendship he and his Digimon partner share is much more than something superficial; it's something that comes from the heart, and that no object makes a difference between them, namely the Digivice, (something we also expected to hear from Daisuke in 02, which justifies my opinion that in the meantime... he remains the same).

The other is a scene that had enormous potential, but is cut short by a comical moment in which Miyako pops up.

Daisuke is talking to Ken seriously about Rui, and how he and his Digimon could understand each other better if they just communicate more effectively and directly, and Ken comments that Daisuke's more serious side is very pleasant and rarely appears. However, Miyako speaks up and dismisses the subject. Sadly.

We could have had a conversation here that could tell us more about Daisuke’s presente self and way he sees life now.

*sigh* Anyway.

Iori, again, doesn't speak much. Seems to only have intermediary interventions, and serves as a “pair” for Daisuke and Rui in the snowball fight that we see at the end of the movie. A very beautiful scene, don't get me wrong, but only if we see it from the perspective of Ken and Miyako, and Hikari and Takeru. I'll talk about that now.

♡ Ken & Miyako

Ken and Miyako are two characters who seem to grow more together than apart within the movie's plot. Which is natural, given that we know at the end of 02 that they become in fact a couple, and that they build a family together in the future. Here we see the first steps towards their future as a couple.

As expected, nothing explicit or direct is given to us about the nature of their relationship, but we can understand that there is progress, especially by the end of the movie, before the snowball fight, when Miyako tells Ken something that seems extremely vague, but actually means something.

 “Let's do it together! "  What? I don't think they are aware yet. Ken also seemed very confused about it.

“ Keep thinking Ken, we have to find another solution. “ We also see Miyako trying to support Ken at that moment when they have to make a decision about the future of Ukkomon and the world.

Here comes what I said above: Love cannot be omissive. We cannot expect the least from those we love. If we know the potential of the person we have by our side, we have to support them. If we see that they are trying to go further, we must support their journey and be a source of advice and rest. Alone we can go faster, but with the right company we can certainly go further.

And I think this is where the movie touches on something really important.

It is in these small moments that we see that they really want to tell the audience something beyond, but we need to have a fine power of perception.

No conversation or comment is random, everything contributes to the story. Digimon Adventure has always been made up of metaphors and subjectivities, it is necessary to know how to interpret and be attentive.

In the midst of that dilemma of whether or not to defeat Ukkomon that we talked about a moment ago in relation to Ken and Miyako, we have another moment that I consider important between Takeru and Hikari, which for those who don't know the characters, can take it as a normal conversation of two people who know each other well. Too well, even.

♡ Takeru & Hikari

Keeping in mind their journey, and everything they went through together, is the key to understand the nature of the relationship they share now. But before that:

Much like Ken and Miyako, Takeru and Hikari do not exist separately in the plot. It's ridiculously difficult to separate them. If you talk about one, you have to talk about the other.

At the beginning we see them together in the city when the electronic devices break down, and this dynamic continues throughout the entire movie.

They practically always walk side by side, Hikari takes the front seat in Takeru's car, and even when they are talking to Rui and trying to understand what happened to him in his past, they were a nucleus apart from the others. Nothing new, really. More of the same. But it's in that conversation I spoke about earlier that we understand something that is even part of the main moral of the movie: the way they now communicate with each other now, is different.

Anyone who has followed Takeru and Hikari throughout the series knows that the main “problem” in their relationship has always been direct communication.

Exposing things to others as they are is scary. And none of them were good at doing that.

Deliberating about feelings, exposing what disturbs us, what distresses us, what we think of a certain attitude of the other person. That was always Takeru and Hikari's problem and what hindered the possible evolution of their friendship, into a real love relationship.

In Tri we discover that Hikari starts to look at Takeru differently. And we know that Takeru has concrete feelings for Hikari (Said by the actor who plays Takeru's voice) And then? It's done? Things… are much more complicated than that.

They first need to accept the situation in question (And I tell you this as someone who also developed a romantic relationship with a childhood friend. It's not easy. Trust me. It's far from easy!)

And far from being quick.

It requires a lot of deliberation mostly. Just accepting the fact that we see that person we grew up with differently, someone who has always been part of our life, and we can lose them. Just because we developed feelings. Is scary. There's a lot to lose. It's all or nothing. Especially when one side has trauma associated with romantic relationships. (remembering that Takeru's parents are divorced) it's even worse.

What seems to exist between them in The Beginning was the result of a long process. But effective, it seems to me. Whatever decision they made, it went… pretty well.

Takeru is completely against defeating Ukkomon, from the moment he realizes that this could also imply the disappearance of his Digimon partner.

He probably saw the suffering Taichi and Yamato went through when Agumon and Gabumon disappeared and the suffering he would go through if he lose Patamon... again. And he is extremely vocal and firm in what he says and what he thinks about all of that. Impulsive really.

Until Hikari intervenes. Which cuts through his catastrophic reasoning. She asks him to think, opening up a new perspective on the situation.

Here we have a conversation between them that is quite lengthy (compared to the fast action standard of the rest of the movie) in which Hikari tries her best to make Takeru use reason and not emotion in his deliberation on the situation.

Takeru who, remember, whenever “darkness” or “sacrifice” is mentioned, leaves his rationality aside, becomes blind with pain because of his past traumas.

Hikari's role here is almost the same as Miyako’s in Ken's case: calling to earth and calming Takeru, always in an understanding way, because you can see that she knows where that feeling comes from and that position initially adopted by him (and it is something which she can almost predict would happen, by the speed with which she responds) but she knows that he is better than those triggers that make him impulsively speak based on emotion and neglect reason.

It's about getting to know each other. Knowing how to talk to our person about the most difficult topics. Because it is necessary to strengthen your union. Predict reactions, and be there to calm them down, because you may even know that the person is not to blame for the feelings and traumas they carry, but believe that they are bigger than them. And expect the same from the other side.

The way Miyako knew that Ken could find a solution, he just needed to think a little more. Hikari understood perfectly where Takeru's impulsive reaction came from, but she knew that if she appeal to his racional side he would be able to think of a better alternative to the problem, which he thought would be the end of the world.

That's why I separated this analysis into groups (although the first one isn't... substantial) and decided to analyze the characters together, because that's what this movie is about.

It's about who you are with your people, and the bond you share with them. In a world so individualized, so selfish and so distant (largely because of technology, which distances us from each other), I found it a very necessary message.

And the role of adults? With children and more painful lives?

It is to understand that children are also humans. Who also think, and feel, and understand things. Just like them. Adults tend to forget that they were once children themselves.

We already saw this topic being developed in Adventure 02, but seeing Rui as an adult, reaching to his mother in the past, and drawing her attention to the fact that she neglects her son, is something very touching. Sometimes, we just need a wake-up call, and we can change the future. Ours, and our future with others.

 The DigiDestined of 02 encouraged Rui not to give up on someone he loved, Ukkomon, because after all, he only acted the way he acted because he thought it would make Rui happier, even though he failed. Several times.

Ukkomon basically gave Rui everything he thought he needed, everything he wanted. But this is not always ideal.

He acted with his partner's happiness in mind, and this blinded him to the risks he was putting him into. He idealized their entire relationship, and everyone's relationship with him. Instead of being, real. And real things are never perfect.

Rui wanted friends? He gave him friends. He even reprogrammed his parents. They became manufactured humans. And the movie is about reality and accepting it as imperfect as it is.

Do you know what that reminded me of? That whole fantasy created by Ukkomon of “perfect world where Rui is never sad and everything is wonderful?” The fantasies in which the characters from 02 cast were trapped in at the end of the series. That world created with the characters’ deepest desires.

Takeru wanted his family united. Iori wanted his father back and to be able to show him the Digital Word. Miyako wanted attention. Ken… wanted to redeem himself. Hikari wanted peace. It's exactly the same thing.

Think about it with me: For example, Takeru's parents could’ve stay together, they could never have divorced, but they would still have problems. They would argue, and there would be conflicts. Which doesn't mean that this wouldn't traumatize their children even more. Maybe the divorce was in fact the best option for all four of them.

Ken felt he deserved the same suffering he inflicted on others. Would that really be the answer to appease his soul?

But none of it was real.

Not even Hikari's utopia of a world constantly at peace is real. Not even the absence of siblings in Miyako's life would solve anything. Things are not black and white and really, what we want is not always what we need.

Rui just needed to talk to Ukkomon and be sincere.

Where is Mimi tho?!

I will end with a few quick notes that I think are worth highlighting: First, the music and animation in general. As expected, they are excellent.

Very well done visually, appealing scenes, and the last snowball fight scene is so simple… but so delightful.

Life is made up of beautiful moments as well as tragic moments, light and darkness.

Did you notice that part of the movie takes place in a much dark environment, and when the main action is resolved, the movie gains light? I believe that is not just because!

Visually it can be very strong because there is blood, there is violence, there are physical wounds, it conveys the affliction in a very literal way.

Another thing that was expected to happen, but that probably wasn't even thought of properly when the Epilogue of 02 was made, was the problematic of whether or not everyone deserves, has enough morals and ethics, to have a Digimon partner.

How do you maintain peace between humans when you give them free access to machines of war and mass destruction? How do we build the world we see bz the end of 02 where everyone lives in peace even under these circumstances? Which is the the role of the government?

We'll probably need one more movie to find out.

Honestly, I hope you enjoyed this short (not... that short in fact) and sincere review. If I were to give stars, I would give the film 4/5 stars.

It could’ve been better, sure, if there was at least another half hour of animation.

But I don't complain. Despite that, I liked it. I cried, I laughed, just like I cried and laughed when I saw Digimon in my childhood, and that's everything for me. I was surprised by the message of the movie and the way they chose to visually convey it to us. Either way, I hope there's one more movie. To finally conclude the arc of all these characters, and finally, reach the epilogue of 02 (but in a dignified way please).

♡ Thank you once again Digimon ♡

[firstagent]

Spoiler-Free Review: Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning [Sub]

In this movie, one more troubled relationship between one more kid and their partner threatens the world one more time. The Zero Two kids help… a little.

As much as Last Evolution Kizuna’s message spoke of our need to be able to let go of our childhood fancies, and as much as it would have been an appropriate final bow to the original Adventure canon, it also proved that this world is still capable of turning out some wonderful, thought-provoking stories. Especially when given the kind of budget this movie relishes in throughout. Before we tiptoe around major plot points without actually revealing them, it must be said that The Beginning looks gorgeous. The big action is animated beautifully and minor details in the art go far in supporting the story. It’s important because the movie is all about quality. Quality above distracting subplots, quality above unnecessary fights, and—perhaps more concerning—quality above cherished Digimon Adventure establishments.

The first sign of the movie’s lack of concern about bending the knee to prior Adventure canon: this is 100 percent Lui’s story. If you’re expecting the Zero Two kids to have some deep character growth the way Taichi did in Kizuna… well, it’s the Zero Two kids; half of them didn’t get that in their own season. No, this is all the Lui and Ukkomon show. After tri. and Kizuna you might be thinking “isn’t this the third time now we’ve been introduced to a new character whose partnership issues are a harbinger for chaos?” The answer to that is no: it’s the fourth time if you count Wallace in Hurricane Touchdown. But while tri.’s format allowed the established cast to have full character arcs alongside Meiko’s and Kizuna was still fundamentally about Taichi dealing with the problems Menoa creates, The Beginning is too compact and too tightly wound to give anyone but Lui room for growth.

That’s not a bad thing though! In a relatively short time, we get all the gory details of Lui’s past, where Ukkomon fits into the equation, how things go wrong, why it’s everyone’s problem, and how Lui fixes it. It’s told vividly, and viscerally at times: some of the story is straight-up disturbing and the movie understands the importance of not shying away from it. These are some horrors that would bother even the Ghost Game kids. The facts of Lui’s story aren’t particularly complicated—it’s a surprisingly simple story for a feature-length film—but they’re presented with a nuance that hits the upper echelon of what Digimon has ever been capable of.

Still, it does leave the Zero Two characters a little in the lurch. Character moments are sprinkled in whenever they can get them and everybody’s heard in group conversations (sometimes even making a good point!), but some feel like they’re only there because they have to be. Until the fade out at the end, there honestly isn’t much more of the Zero Two kids being Zero Two kids than we saw in Kizuna. Anyone longing to see these kids tackling their own problems instead of someone else’s will be left hanging. That said, the revamped evolution sequences are fire, we’re still treated to Target and Beat Hit, and there’s even a couple teases for the shippers. And the ending is absolutely a “Zero Two kids being the Zero Two kids” moment.

But yes, one of the trickier conversations will certainly regard The Beginning’s relationship with Adventure canon. On one hand, Lui’s situation suggests a conflict with Adventure and tri., and some could interpret the resolution as incompatible with particular aspects of the epilogue. On the other hand, none of the issues are in any way major, and countered both by references to events in Adventure and tri., and the fact that everybody is still barreling straight toward their epilogue fates. Weirdly, the most dubious point of contention may be with Kizuna. Any direct discrepancies are again insignificant, but the revelations of the prior movie feel like they should weigh more on some minds as they process everything going on here.

To its credit, The Beginning seems fully aware of what it’s doing. It understands how much it’s potentially shaking things up. The characters recognize it! The movie delivers on the things that really matter: the kids, the Digimon, the music, and the heart. Things like adherence to an increasingly rigid and cluttered timeline are more superfluous. It doesn’t dismiss anything for the sake of dismissing it, but it’s not going to let it get in the way of a good story. Even as the kids dutifully stay on track for the epilogue, the ending narration suggests that anything goes from here. We may find out: unlike Kizuna’s sense of finality, The Beginning builds momentum for more stories in whatever interpretation of this world grows them best. If they’re anything like this one, we’ll welcome them.

My Grade: A

Check Back November 10 For the Spoilers/Dub Post!

Thanks to Toei Animation for providing me with an advance screener of this movie.

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[seventeenlovesthree]

I'm sorry, this is probably the most self-destructive, most vile post I have ever done and I am still crying.

The parallel of it being a bonding moment, somewhat food related, that has them talk hopefully about what they will do tomorrow... Just for one bond to persist and one to break... Is breaking my heart in so many pieces that there are not enough words. There is such a difference in closeness and tone, just such a visual and emotional distance between Taichi and Agumon compared to Daisuke and V-mon and I just hope it wasn't done intentionally, but man... This hurts way too much.

[yitan]

Ok so Digimon 02 New Beginnings

Spoilers by the way. Overall, it is a fun movie, however, I am left with many questions.

1- Lui is 4 while Hikari/Kairi is still in diapers, yet somehow is only 8 during the battle of Apoclamon vs Imperialdramon. Which takes place after 02 adventures where Hikari/Kairi is 11-12 (wait seriously? Jeez their designs did not give me that idea) How did Hikari/Kairi get older than Lui, that makes very little sense. 2- Lui is credited as being the "first DigiDestine", however in tri, we meet a group of adults who themselves were the "first DigiDestined". So that also doesn't make sense regardless of which is more accurate. 3- This is the most important to me. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE ENDING OF THE LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA. The 01 DigiDestined all lost their Digimon in the after-credits of that movie. So does the ending of New Beginnings mean they got them back, or are they the only DigiDestined who had to lose their partners. I would love some explanation as to what is actually going on.

[digitalgate02]

Digi02 The Beginning spoilers:

So, according to the leaked (and now taken down) clip, this scene definitely (from Kizuna's credits) is at Daisuke's part-time job. And this dude next him is the restaurant's owner.

According to the Kizuna's profile:

Yeah, if they had to make a sequel it would feature this dude and this place i guess.

My boyo is working now 🥺💖😭🥰💙💛🍜

But this upcoming movie wasn't in the works until 2021, so i think they just decided to use this scenario and character for this movie then...?

[edit] The subbed version of the leaked clip points out this dude is Yamatoya (not the writer, but a character named after him) and Daisuke works at Ramen Yamatoya restaurant. The same restaurant Upamon/Armadimon gushes about in Kizuna and Drama CD.

There's a lot to unpack here.

[izzyizumi]

DAISUKE: Hikari-chan, I haven't forgotten about what happened to Taichi-san and Yamato-san. I want them to see Agumon and Gabumon again. I'll make sure that happens. mE, LYING ON THE FLOOR SOBBING AT THIS 02 LIVE DRAMA READING THAT IS OTHERWISE A BUNCH OF CRACKINESS: aaaaAAAAAAA

[heckcareoxytwit]

Yamato Ishida / Matt Ishida and his Digimon partner picspam

(Japanese and English dub names)

1st pic = 11 year old Yamato / Matt in Digimon Adventure

2nd pic = 14 year old Yamato / Matt in Digimon Adventure 02

3rd pic = 17 year old Yamato / Matt in Digimon Adventure Tri

4th pic = 22 year old Yamato / Matt from Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna movie

5th and 6th pics = adult Yamato/Matt and Gabumon the epilogue of Digimon Adventure 02 (the epilogue itself might be too controversial and debatable to many Digimon fans.)

7th pic = Tsunomon (Gabumon's pre-evolved baby form)

8th pic = Gabumon (default child/rookie form)

9th pic = Garurumon (Gabumon’s evolved adult/champion form)

10th pic = WereGarurumon (evolved perfect/ultimate form)

11th pic = MetalGarurumon (evolved ultimate/mega form)

12th pic = Omegamon/Omnimon (another ultimate/mega form except that Metalgarurumon is fused with WarGreymon)

Spoilers for Last Evolution Kizuna movie:

Gabumon (Bond of Friendship) the final evolution for Gabumon