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tobiasdrake · 3 months

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Digimon Adventure 01x19 - Nanomon of the Labyrinth / The Prisoner of the Pyramid

Previously on Digimon Adventure: The enigmatic Piccolomon sent Taichi on a mystical quest to remember how to ride a bike. He made everyone clean his house in payment.

Now we're back on the trail with only two Crests left to find!

We open on our kids messing around with Etemon's Dark Network. An idea they now have to deliberate while Koushiro is already doing it.

Taichi: This? Koushiro: Yes. This is undoubtedly the network Etemon uses to track our location. Jou: Then he probably knows we're here! Mimi: EHHH!?!? Let's make a run for it! Palmon: Let's run! Let's run! Sora: Now, now. Calm down. Yamato: Even if we run from here, he'll sniff us out again sooner or later.

Valid arguments being made on both sides. :P On the one hand, this is an opportunity. On the other hand WTF GTFO. You can tell from context that the offscreen events leading up to this moment were basically just Koushiro going "Oh, hey, check that out!" and running over to it without telling anyone what he's doing.

Jou and Mimi are instantly not about it the second Koushiro explains what this is, while Sora and Yamato want to see where he's going with this.

In the dub:

Tai: What is it, Izzy? Some kind of power generator? Izzy: Even better. Etemon has hard-wired the entire desert, creating an extensive computer network. My guess: This is one of his remote data-access terminals. Tai: Great! Let's crash it! Sora: It could be a booby trap. Matt: If it is Etemon's, I say we cross the wires and mess it up good!

Something that's been interesting to take note of through the Etemon arc is the way the show anticipates kids coming in and out of it, or not remembering what's going on.

The original expects you to have followed along enough that Koushiro can just say "This is the network he tracks us with" right at the start. Over here, Izzy takes the time to explain what the Dark Network is, in case the kids watching don't remember or haven't seen previous episodes.

This means cutting into Mimi and Jou's lines, which have been cut - And, in turn, cutting those lines is another small influence on the show's tone. It gives the kids a unified front as a heroic team instead of squabbling like frightened survivors. The only voices heard are of support for Izzy messing with their nemesis - with one note of caution from Sora.

Koushiro unplugs a cable from Etemon's device, plugging it into his laptop.

Tentomon: What are you doing? Koushiro: Like I thought. (An array of data representing the cables and their hubs appears on Koushiro's screen.) Koushiro: This is Etemon's network information. I might be able to find something in here! Takeru: What's that mark?

A notification has appeared in the upper left corner of Koushiro's screen, indicating that he's received email. That wasn't there when he first looked at the network, which means it came in seconds ago.

(For a kid who lamented back in the File Island sewers that he misses sending emails with his friends, Koushiro doesn't seem to get a lot of emails. He's been here for over two weeks and this is the first he's had?)

Koushiro: Email? But from who? Jou: Could it be from the enemy!? Taichi: Open it, Koushiro. Koushiro: ...oh, okay!

Koushiro pops open the email, which opens with "HELP ME!" in oversized font.

Sora: "Help Me"!? Koushiro: "If you help me, I can tell you where the Crests are hidden." Yamato: The Crests!? Taichi: Who is this guy!?

Just like that, we have a new angle of investigation to pursue. As a clever bit of subtle foreshadowing, the email is from the address, "[email protected]". Nanomon @ NanomonNetworkInternetAccess.Master.com, huh?

In the dub, the appearance of the network isn't acknowledged directly, with Izzy simply talking in roundabout terms about how he's trying to access Etemon's data.

Tentomon: What are you going to do with that? Izzy: I wonder... (An array of data representing the cables and their hubs appears on Koushiro's screen.) Izzy: It's entirely possible that our computers have compatible systems. And if they do, I can tap into Etemon's network. T.K.: Hey, you have mail. Izzy: Oh? That was quick. Who even knows I've logged on? Joe: Oh no, it's Etemon. Tai: Open it! It's probably just spam. Izzy: Right.

It's a little janky that Izzy keeps talking about how he might be able to tap into Etemon's systems while a clear visual representation of Etemon's accessed systems is shown to us. If you know what you're looking at, you can take it as him back-explaining his logic for how he already got to this point. But it could just as easily look like Random Computer Junk.

From here, the dub had to do some finagling. As part of the localization process, they've been trying to write around the fact that things are written in Japanese. They earlier redrew a message from Joe to be in English and had Patamon dismiss a Japanese note as "written in Digi-code".

For the mystery email, they replace the letter entirely with scripting language. Instead, opening the email inexplicably causes an audio file to play and exposit the message for the kids instead.

Computerized Voice: Help me! SOS! Mayday! I'm being held prisoner! Help me escape and I'll guide you to the Crests you seek! Group: Whoa! Sora: Do you think he's for real? I mean, who could it be?

They also changed the email address to www.as#4dfja9z$.com, which isn't even an email address. That's just a URL made up of random letters, numbers, and symbols. You had one job.

Meanwhile, in his trailer, Etemon is furious over having technical difficulties yet again.

(Felt. The Network just came back online last episode and now he's lost the kids again. I'd be mad too.)

Etemon: What the hell is going on here!? Where are the Chosen Children!? Gazimon 1: It's no use, Etemon-sama! I don't see any malfunction on our end! Gazimon 2: But there is an abnormality occurring in the pyramid's host computer. Etemon: Nanomon.... Let's go pay him a visit. Both Gazimon: Yes, sir!

Etemon's trailer takes off towards Nanomon. We cut back to our kids searching the desert, following instructions from their mysterious email contact.

Though Jou's still against this plan, Mimi's come around on it.

Jou: What are we supposed to do if this turns out to be a trap? Mimi: But he might turn out to be on our side, like Gennai-san. Tai: We can't ignore him if he needs help! Koushiro: (walking while carrying his laptop open in one hand and typing with the other) It should be somewhere around here....

As a small thing, I appreciate that Mimi calls him "Gennai-san", the most generic and neutral honorific in Japanese language. Gennai might see himself as a wise old sage shepherding these kids but you fucking earn that -sama and then we'll talk. Right now, we are equals.

In the dub, Jou's reluctance is played up into a full-blown panic attack and Mimi's response is completely different.

Joe: Ohhhh I don't like this. I don't like it one little bit. I don't like the look of it, I don't like the smell of it, I don't like the-- Mimi: Don't have a brain cramp, Joe! You're turning green around the edges. Tai: Yeah! Somebody asked for our help; We gotta at least check it out, right? Izzy: (walking while carrying his laptop open in one hand and typing with the other) According to my laptop, we should be getting close....

For once, it's Mimi having a line added or rewritten to be mean to another character. Naturally, it's Joe, the other butt of the dub's jokes.

As they walk, Sora and Takeru hold their Tags out in their hands like a radar, waiting for the telltale glowing pulse that signals a Crest nearby. Takeru suddenly gets a response.

A nearby cave wall emblazoned with Takeru's Crest calls out to his Tag. The kids approach it and, as usual, the wall vanishes and forms into a Crest that slots into Takeru's Tag. Leaving behind the entrance to a cave.

Takeru: I have my Crest! Tokomon: That's great, Takeru! Yamato: I guess this wasn't a trap after all. Koushiro: He said he'll tell us where the last Crest is after we help him. Taichi: Awesome! Then let's go do that right away!

Their mystery contact is using the old "Half up front, half upon completion" standby. You know this is a good idea when you're getting paid using organized crime methods.

Since Joe hasn't suggested (twice) that this is a trap, Matt doesn't have that setup to retort to. He quips instead.

T.K.: Awesome! My own Crest! Tokomon: Congratulations! Matt: Now, T.K., don't think this means you get to stay up any later. Izzy: Sora's Crest is the only one left to find. Maybe if we rescue this guy, he can lead us to it. Tai: Well, what are we waiting for? To the rescue!

Matt is rigorously enforcing bedtime under Lord of the Flies conditions? XD I mean, honestly, that fits. I can absolutely believe that of him. Must've gotten really good at measuring time by the sun in these last two weeks, though.

While everyone's celebrating, Mimi notices the cave behind them. Its walls are inscribed with more of that Digimon World source code.

Koushiro confirms that this is the programming language he's been learning.

Koushiro: There's no mistake! These are the same characters I've seen before in Andromon's city and Kentarumon's ruins! The only difference is this symbol....

Koushiro brushes out a character from the code with his hand, causing the cave to suddenly be illuminated with no clear light source.

(I love how this directly follows up on his experiment in Andromon's factory, turning the power on and off.)

Koushiro: Just as I thought. In here, energy is produced based on a program. Mimi: What do you mean? Koushiro: For instance, by rewriting the program written on this wall here, I can turn the light on or off. I think if I do this....

Koushiro messes with the coding a little more, causing a visible map to suddenly appear suspended in the air as if it were a projected hologram.

Koushiro: That is a map of our surrounding area. Jou: That can't be.... How can you do stuff like that just by using a program written on a wall? It's not like we're in a computer. Koushiro: (gravely serious) You don't know that. Group: Eh!? Koushiro: I've been thinking that this place, this entire world could be a place where data and programs take physical form. Yamato: I remember you talking about that earlier. Sora: If this is a data world, does that mean us too? Koushiro: Yes. We exist as data, without any real substance. Taichi: No real substance? Like, we don't have flesh and blood? Mimi: Something like yurei (ghosts)? Koushiro: S-Something like that. Yamato: Where are our real selves? Koushiro: Maybe... Back at the campgrounds. The Digimon are "Digital Monsters" in the truest sense. They're lifeforms shaped out of data. Takeru: Then are we inside something like a video game? Koushiro: It's not that simple. Yamato: Could the person who sent the email be made of data too? Koushiro: I don't know....

This is a massive revelation that Koushiro's laying out for everyone. They all missed out on his factory experiment and only Mimi was with him at the ruins, but now he's able to lay out everything he's learned and theorized since he started playing around with the Digimon World's source code.

I've chosen to leave yurei up there because this is our third encounter with spookers and our third word choice, and I wanted that distinction clear. Bakemono, obake, and yurei are all translatable to "ghost" but have different meanings and usages. I called out the previous uses of bakemono and obake; Here, Mimi says yurei which is actually the common idea of a spirit lingering beyond the grave.

The dub makes it seem like Izzy's just figuring this all out for the first time, which is an odd choice.

Izzy: See these hieroglyphs? Look familiar? This is definitely the same writing we've come across before. ...wait a second, this is a new one. (Izzy rubs out the symbol, making the light turn on) Izzy: Prodigious! This is amazing! Do you know what I'm thinking...? Mimi: I've got a feeling you're going to tell us. Izzy: Well, you see, it's quite possible that these hieroglyphs are not a form of writing at all! But rather a code; Computer code! If you change a piece of the code, then you change the program. (Izzy brings up the map) Izzy: Like that, for example! Joe: Wait. Back up. Are you telling us that this whole place is some kind of giant computer game and that none of it is really real!? Izzy: Ohhh, it's real alright! Joe: Huh!? Izzy: Y'know, I'm thinking that everything we see and everybody we meet in this place are actually pieces of data or programming given physical form. Matt: Now, wait a second. If you're right and this whole thing is one big computer, then how did we get here? Did we squeeze in through the floppy drive? Izzy: (chuckle) No, we're just kilobytes of data too. I mean, the versions of us that are in here. Tai: If I'm just data, why do I still feel like I'm flesh and blood? Mimi: And I still have to go to the little girls' room. Izzy: You don't really. You just think you have to. Mimi: Oh. Well, I hope you're right 'cause-- Matt: Where's the real us? Our flesh and blood bodies? Izzy: I dunno. I suppose we're back at the campgrounds still. Yeah, we're alive back there! We exist simultaneously with our other selves. We're in a parallel digital universe like the Digimon. T.K.: Does that mean I don't have to worry about brushing my teeth anymore? Izzy: We've got bigger things to worry about now, T.K. Matt: Although do us all a favor and don't stop brushing. Izzy: Yeah, please!

The line "Oh, it's real, alright!" doesn't go half as hard as Koushiro's stone-faced "Wakari masen yo." This makes me sad but doesn't really hurt the scene.

They took out Mimi's question about ghosts and Izzy's noncommital and kinda spooked answer, replacing it with Izzy telling everyone to stop pooping. A choice, to be sure.

Instead of explaining that the Digimon are living beings made of code, Izzy suggests that the kids' physical bodies are actually consciously living separate lives independently from our version of them. As existentially terrifying as it is wildly off-base. In his defense, it's only a theory, and it's a reasonable assumption based on the theorizing he's done.

I desperately want to know what T.K.'s using to brush his teeth, though. Matt. Matt, I have questions. I have serious questions, Matt.

Suddenly, Koushiro notices something significant.

Koushiro: EH!? Taichi: What's wrong? Koushiro: P-Please wait a minute! I'll make this easier for you guys to understand.

Typing at his computer, Koushiro writes some code of his own to alter the shape of the displayed map. It slowly morphs into a levitating projection of a globe, still displaying the Digimon World.

Koushiro: I've adjusted it so that you can see the entire globe. This includes the program I saw in Andromon's city. If I combine that with the map Gennai-san sent me.... Yamato: It's a big world. It looks about the size of Earth. Koushiro: Actually, it's exactly the same. Yamato: Huh? Koushiro: (pulls up the email) Look at this email address. The computer that sent this email is located.... (A blinking dot appears on the globe map) Koushiro: Right there. It's the same place as an internet homepage I used to visit often! Taichi: What does that mean? Sora: Are you saying that the email came from our world? Koushiro: Not only that.

Koushiro pulls up a second projection, showing the Earth. Both globes are then covered in lines.

Koushiro: Over on the right is the Earth that we know. If you put our computer network system on top of this world.... (The two globes merge into each other and fade away, leaving only the network lines perfectly matched to each other) Sora: The shape of the networks is exactly the same! Mimi: Ehh? What does this all mean? Koushiro: This is a world made only of data. The same as you'd find in a video game or computer. But that doesn't mean we're in a place far away from Earth. We're inside the computer network itself! In other words, Digimon World is the same place as our world! You could even call it the Earth's shadow! Jou: This... This was Earth!?!?

Even more massive revelations laid out by Koushiro. We didn't Isekai to a far off fantasy world, but to the internet itself. A reflection of the world born of the data flowing through every system on Earth.

In the dub:

Izzy: Hey! Wait a second, I've got an idea. Let me see, if I can just crack this program.... Mimi: Uh-oh. He's in computer dork mode. This could take a while. (Izzy forms the map into a globe) Izzy: I've called up a holographic map of the Digi-World. You can see how physically similar it is to the planet Earth. In fact, there are a lot of parallels with our world Matt: (sarcastic) That's terrific, Izzy. Great time for a geography lesson. Izzy: Pay attention and you might learn something. Matt: Yeah? Izzy: (pulls up the email) If I enter the email address of the person who contacted us, I can find his location in the Digi-World here. (A blinking dot appears on the globe map) Izzy: Now look: That email address is from a web domain in our world. I've logged onto it a thousand times. Tai: Is there a point to this somewhere!? Sora: Is the person who sent the message in our world or the Digi-World? Izzy: That's just the thing: He's in both. (Izzy pulls up the two globe projections) Izzy: Look. The Digi-World's on the left. The world we know is on the right. And if I overlay them like so.... (The two globes merge into each other and fade away, leaving only the unexplained lattice lines perfectly matched to each other) Sora: The white lines match up perfectly! What does it mean? Mimi: (crying) Reminds me of the balls of yarn my kitty used to play with! Izzy: That's the world's digital network. Through those lines, every computer on Earth is connected to every other computer. The Digi-World is the physical embodiment of the data passing through them! Guys, we're seeing something nobody else has ever seen, that nobody even knows about: The digital shadow world that exists alongside our own. And they're not just parallel, they're physically linked so that anything we do here will have effects on the other. Joe: For real? Intense.

Everyone's weirdly hostile to Izzy's exposition in the dub. He's laying down intense revelations about the nature of the world they've been trapped in, and they're like, "Ugh, here he goes ranting about nothing again, CAN WE MOVE ON YET!?"

Also, I think Mimi's cat is dead. Absolutely nobody is interested in engaging that out-of-the-blue conversation topic.

That aside, this section of exposition goes really well. We lose Koushiro signaling to continuity by referencing Gennai's map and Andromon, but we gain Mimi signaling to continuity by referencing Kentarumon's ruins so there's that. However, Izzy's infodump itself, his explanation of what Digi-World is and what it means to be here, is solid.

So now we know the true nature of the world we're in. Question is, where do we go from here?

Takeru: So, can we go home soon, then? Yamato: No. It isn't like that. We're close, but we're not on Earth itself. Jou: (distraught) Now I'm more confused than ever on what to do. Gomamon: What do you mean by that? You've got me! Piyomon: Sora, I didn't understand most of that but does this mean you're leaving? Sora: No, it looks like we still have stuff to do so we can't leave until that's done. Taichi: Yeah! Anyways, we should save the guy who sent that email first. Where do we go from here, Koushiro? Koushiro: Well, if I run this program that was attached to the email.... Agumon: The wall! Gabumon: I can see outside!

The projection of the world vanishes. The wall behind it vanishes with it, creating an opening to the outside.

In the dub:

Izzy: And here's the coolest part: Wherever this person is in the Digi-World, I think I can take us there just by entering his email address and clicking on it. Like accessing a web page! T.K.: Hey! All this techno-talk is making my head spinny! Matt: Computer guys can never just do something, T.K. They gotta spend all day telling you how they'll do it! Joe: This is depressing. Even when I'm computer data, I have allergies! Gomamon: Look on the bright side, Joe! If you weren't here, you never would have met me! Biyomon: Sora! Does this mean that we don't exist? That we're really not friends? Sora: Of course not! This may be a make-believe world but that doesn't mean our friendship isn't real. Truthfully, I don't get it, but it sounds right! Tai: Oh well. Wherever we are, we're here, so let's figure out what we're gonna do next. Come on, Brainiac, what are you waiting for!? Izzy: Okay, okay! All I have to do is click on the guy's email address and then bingo. Mimi: I hate bingo! It's so confusing with all those different letters and numbers and--Hey, look! A door!

Entirely different. The main plot shift here is that Izzy devises a plan to use the Digital World's nature to shortcut the team to their destination, rather than using a program their contact sent them.

Both versions have their advantages; The former plays into Izzy's brilliance and allows him to turn all this information he's uncovered into tangible results, while the latter reveals that our mystery contact is as knowledgeable about all this as Koushiro, capable of manipulating the environment through code. The dub version is a good hype moment for Izzy, while the original is a stepping stone in developing the plot.

But the rest of the dialogue is just more dunking on The Nerd and one-off gags from Mimi and Joe. This riffing lets them talk over the part where the kids express the anxieties of being alone and lost in this hostile world and its expectations of them.

Taichi: What just happened!? Koushiro: The sender should be outside here. Sora: Eh!? He was that close to us!? Koushiro: No. Apparently, that program serves to warp and connect airspace.

The kids emerge in another part of the desert, bearing no resemblance to the craggy valley they came from. Per Koushiro, they've effectively created a shortcut between two spaces in the Digimon World.

(It's basically the same thing as what happened in the cave Taichi got his Crest from, when they escaped Etemon by slipping through a back wall to a new geographical region far away from the Koromon Village he was attacking.)

In the dub:

Tai: Alright! Last one through's a rotten egg! Izzy: Our electronic pen pal is right out there! Sora: Or it could be a trap! Izzy: No way! We're just bits of data so I uploaded us as file attachments a-- Sora: (annoyed) Okay, I believe you!

Apparently this can't be a trap anymore because we're all file attachments. I have no idea what that's even supposed to mean.

We also don't get the explanation that the two caves are now linked in space, tying back to the Crest cave, because that's not what happened in the dub. Izzy just Fast Travelled us.

Outside the cave, the kids get a glimpse of their destination.

This is where their mystery contact sent the email from. Oh, and look! We've seen that thing in the distance before, haven't we? Taichi whips out his mini telescope to confirm: It's Etemon's trailer. He's here too.

Etemon emerges from the trailer and furiously marches into the pyramid, uttering:

Etemon: I'm here to punish you, Nanomon.

Looks like we know who our contact is. (If that brief scene of Etemon earlier didn't already make it apparent.)

In the dub:

Etemon: That's it! It's the dumpster for you, Datamon, you old pile of junk! Joe: Uhh, I think I left the water running back in the Sphinx.

In the dub, Nanomon is called Datamon. Not quite sure why they changed it; Probably assumed American kids wouldn't understand what nanotech is to get the reference.

With both their mystery contact and Etemon here, the kids do the only responsible thing!

They fucking leave, of course. Giving Etemon a wide berth for whatever the hell he's doing and making camp back in the valley side of their space wormhole. Plan is to infiltrate the pyramid tomorrow morning, bright and early.

We join Taichi that night as his shift ends and Sora comes to relieve him. It's not clear when exactly they stopped being chauvinistic about the nightwatch shifts but it's a solid improvement.

Sora: Taichi.... Piyomon: It's time to change shifts. Agumon: Thank goodness! I was starting to get tired. Good night! (Agumon heads inside) Taichi: Me too. I should get some sleep to prepare for tomorrow. Sora: I'm sorry, Taichi. Taichi: Huh? Sora: Ultimately, you're going to all this trouble just for my Crest and to help the sender of that email, right? Taichi: That's how it turned out. Anyway, I'm not the sort of guy who turns his back on someone in trouble! Sora: ... Taichi: You're not acting like yourself, Sora. Sora: Eh? Taichi: If it was your Crest we found first, would you be as bothered by this as you are now? Sora: ...I doubt I even would have thought about it. Taichi: See? Besides, we're just data now. No point in thinking too seriously about all this! Sora: If we return to our world, do you think we'll remember our experiences and the Digimon we met in this world? Taichi: Who knows?

Sora's having "Am I a burden?" anxieties right now. By her own admission, she would storm that pyramid without a second's thought if it was for someone else's Crest, but the fact that it's hers gives her pause.

Taichi, meanwhile, expresses an alarming takeaway from Koushiro's infodump.

In the dub:

Sora: Okay, Tai. You're relieved. Biyomon: It's our turn to stand watch! Agumon: Finally! It's not much fun watching a bunch of rocks. (yawn) Good night! (Agumon heads inside) Taichi: I thought being in a computer cartoon adventure would be more fun than this! Sora: A-About tomorrow.... Tai: What? Sora: I'm worried. That Etemon is bad news. Is it really worth it just to find my crest? Tai: Sure! Don't worry, Sora! Piece of cake! I'm looking forward to spinning that ugly monkey around by his tail! Sora: ... Tai: Hey, come on! Snap out of it! Sora: Huh? Tai: Look, if it was my Crest or T.K.'s or anyone else's we were going after, you know you wouldn't hesitate for a second. Sora: Oh... Maybe you're right. It's just, after what Izzy said-- Tai: What? You mean all that stuff about us being nothing but little kilobytes in the great computer program of life? Sora: It just makes us seem so small and insignificant. Like nothing we do really matters. Tai: Of course it matters. We can't take the chance that it doesn't.

Sora's anxieties here are presented straight, but everything else around it is changed. The aside about Taichi wanting to save the email sender is changed to Tai wanting to kick Etemon's ass and show how cool he is. This is probably meant to convey Tai's overconfidence, since they also cut Taichi's alarming "Why take it seriously if we're just data" bit.

That part and Sora worrying about losing memory of the Digimon are removed. In their place, we get an out-of-place existentialist debate about purpose and destiny in a nihilistic universe, that seems entirely unrelated to anything Izzy said back there.

The next morning, we find Sora clarifying details with Koushiro hours after Taichi's gone to bed.

Koushiro: Even though I said we're digitized, our data is bulky and elaborate. Considering the large amount of data that's been shifted into this world, it would probably cause feedback when we return to our own world. Sora: So, in other words, we should still treat ourselves as if we have real bodies, right? Koushiro: It's best to think that way. Sora: Right. Just as I thought, we shouldn't act irresponsibly just because we're data now. Taichi: (from the passage) HEY!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER THERE!?!? HURRY UP!!! Sora: Coming!

This is a critical contrast of the idea Taichi expressed earlier. He suggested we're just data so nothing matters, and now Koushiro is saying NO NO NO EVERYTHING MATTERS. Unfortunately, Taichi isn't the one hearing it.

In the dub:

Izzy: Remember, there's one thing that's important to keep in mind: This is more than a parallel universe. It's a shadow world physically linked to our own. Anything that happens here in the Digi-World can have a direct effect on things in the other. Sora: Then... the same thing goes for us, right? We're shadow versions of our other selves! Izzy: Right! Exact computer copies. Sora: So whatever happens, we have to be just as careful as if we were still our physical selves. Tai: HEY!!! Sometime this year! Man, you guys talk more than my mom's book club! CAN WE GO!?!? Sora: Alright!

The important context gets across: Do not behave recklessly because what happens to us here in Digi-World has real consequences. Both versions, however, are vastly different in how they lay it out.

Honestly, I think the dub's explanation is a lot more digestible. "Physically linked; What happens to one happens to the other" is a pretty common concept in virtual-world storytelling. If you cut off my arm in the simulation then my arm somehow falls off in the real world. Got it.

But in the original it's like. Okay. So. My arm isn't here, it's in the real world. I just have the idea of having an arm transformed into data and then made physical here. So if you cut off my arm... like, my real arm isn't here, so it should be fine. What happens then when it feeds back into my brain? My physical arm is still there. Do I lose the ability to move my arm or something because the data of Having Arms had the data of Severance coded into it?

As a stake, "There would be feedback because of the size of our data packets" is a lot harder to wrap my head around than "What happens in the video game HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE."

But either way, the point is made: The stakes are real so do not be stupid and reckless. Now let's go watch Taichi be stupid and reckless.

Bright and early in the mouth of the sphinx, the kids plan their rescue mission.

Koushiro: There's a hidden passageway in the pyramid that's normally not visible. Jou: Our first and foremost priority is to save the sender and get Sora-kun's Crest. DO NOT get caught up in any unnecessary fighting! Taichi: Yeah, yeah, I know.... Takeru: I wanted to go too.... Yamato: Don't be selfish, Takeru. Mimi: Be careful, everyone. Palmon: Keep steady. Gomamon: I'll be fine, no worries! Taichi: Yeah! Back soon! (leaps from the sphinx's mouth)

The team splits up from here. Taichi, Sora, Jou, and Koushiro leave on the field mission while Yamato hangs back with Mimi and Takeru.

(This is a well-reasoned division of duties. Jou-senpai and the two athletes are going into the intensely perilous infiltration, while Big Brother Yamato hangs back to watch over the younger kids.

With exception of Koushiro, who's on the field team because his laptop is critical to this operation and we don't have a means of communicating long-range. Though Koushiro is also an athlete, which is easy to forget. This is literally Senpai and the Soccer Team infiltrating the pyramid. Either way, it shows the kids are starting to think tactically.)

In the dub:

Izzy: I got into the program and found the most direct route to the center of the pyramid. Joe: Okay now, let's get this straight: We're only going in there to find this guy and get Sora her Crest, right? Tai: (dismissive) Right, right.... Joe: That means no fights or adventures or dangerous stuff! Tai: You whimper more than my puppy! Matt, Mimi, T.K., stay here and stand guard. Let's go in! Mimi: If you really don't think you need me.... Palmon: I miss you guys already! Gomamon: We'll be back in time to eat! Tai: Or get eaten!

The dub reframes the whole conversation to put Tai in the leadership role instead of Joe. This is tragic for Joe, since stepping up and taking charge of the op here is a great moment for Jou-senpai.

It also seems that they did not plan this in advance, as Dub Leader Tai makes the decision to separate Matt, T.K., and Mimi out from the group right here in the spur of the moment.

It does, however, do a great job of conveying Tai's problematic cockiness. He is appropriately insufferable in this scene.

The forward team makes their way to the pyramid, following Koushiro's instructions. Once they arrive, however, he needs a moment to locate their secret entrance.

Koushiro: The hidden passage should be up ahead on this side of the pyramid.

Taichi scouts around the corner and spots Etemon emerging from the main entrance. Etemon yawns and stretches, having seemingly just woken up.

Taichi: (near-silent gasp, hides around corner) Agumon: (whisper) What's wrong, Taichi? Taichi: (whisper) It's Etemon! Jou: GEH!!!

Jou claps his hands over his mouth but it's too late. Etemon heard that. He turns, approaching the corner.

Etemon: Who's there?

The kids stand flat against the side of the pyramid, maximizing how long they have until he spots them. But it's only a matter of time.

Piyomon: What do we do, Sora!? Sora: Don't talk!

Finally, Etemon rounds the corner to... absolutely nothing.

Etemon: Am I hearing things?

Taichi then makes mocking gestures at Etemon through the secret entrance Koushiro found. Because he once again thinks he's invincible right now. It's SkullGreymon all over again.

Etemon: Huh? I don't know why, but I feel like someone was mocking me. That's so irritating! I'll go sing a song or something to amuse myself.

Etemon storms off to go jam out his feelings while Taichi has a good chuckle to himself.

In the dub, as they make their way to the team, Tai's given a fairly basic command line to reinforce his leadership in this version.

Tai: Okay! Keep together!

Then the group approaches the pyramid.

Izzy: There's a hidden backdoor to the program you can use to get in. (The kids approach the pyramid) Izzy: That's funny. It should be right here. Etemon: Where's my friend banana sandwich!? (Taichi scouts around the corner) Etemon: You know I like to eat after my nap! Tai: WAUGH!!! (hides around corner) Joe: (whispers) Tai, what is it? Tai: (whispers) It's Etemon! Joe: WAUGH!!! Etemon: (noticing) Eh? Who's there? Biyomon: What do we do now? Sora: Quiet, Biyomon.

Here, the dub uses Etemon's line to alert Tai to check around the corner, rather than him just scouting out to watch the team's back. That's a lateral change, I think. Both versions work.

(Also, I love Izzy describing the hidden entrance as "a backdoor to the program". That's clever.)

Joe's still the one who reflexively shrieks and gives the game away, but I don't know how Etemon didn't hear Tai's equally loud yelp a moment before.

Then, during Tai's teasing, he calls out to Etemon too.

Etemon: (rounds corner) BOO!!! (nobody's there) Great, now I'm hearing things. Tai: YOO-HOO!!! Etemon: Huh? (no one's there) Y'know, I'm gonna have to have this place completely exterminated! Because something's startin' to bug me!

Not the best quip they've written. Etemon's forced to set up a non-sequitur just so he can then make a pun out of it. But the line it replaces wasn't exactly super critical or comedy gold either so, again, lateral change.

As soon as Taichi's back inside the passage, Sora lays into him for that.

Taichi: He's gone. We're fine now. Sora: Don't act stupid! What if he caught us!? Taichi: It's fine, we're fine!

Meanwhile, Senpai has his eye on the ball and is ready to move ahead.

Jou: So this is the hidden passageway. Koushiro: It looks like data from the outside, but really there's nothing in it. Agumon: Let me see! (slaps the wall, hurting his hand) Koushiro: Everything besides the passage is comprised of data, so please be careful.

Agumon fundamentally misunderstood what Izzy was saying.

In the dub:

Joe: Well, now that we're in, what do we do? Izzy: I guess next we try to find a way through these walls. The trick is finding the weak points! Agumon: Hey, I found one! (slaps the wall, hurting his hand) Izzy: As I was saying, Agumon, the trick is finding the weak points. Let's use heads, not hands.

That's not even remotely what Koushiro said but it does connect to what they're doing. As they explore the passage, they find other fake walls leading to other parts of the pyramid. Those are the "weak points" that Izzy's referring to.

Taichi: We can see outside from here. Koushiro: Yes. But no one can see us from the other side. Agumon: Ah! Gazimon!

A pair of Gazimon pass by in front of the "wall", noticing nothing and continuing about their business.

Sora: Keep quiet....

Taichi does not keep quiet. Emerging from the fake wall, he kicks a Gazimon in the back and then ducks back inside.

Gazimon 1: HEY!!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?!? Gazimon 2: What? Gazimon 1: DON'T PLAY DUMB!!! YOU JUST KICKED ME!!! Gazimon 2: No, I didn't. Gazimon 1: LIAR!!!

This erupts into a fistfight, as the kicked Gazimon lunges for the other in retaliation. All while Taichi laughs quietly behind the hidden door.

In the dub, for reasons that can only imply some sort of problem with actor availability and redubbing or something, Wendee Lee (Takeru) suddenly voices Tai for exactly one line. It's incredibly noticeable.

Takeru: (possessing Taichi's body and speaking through his lips) Hey, check it out! You can see right through this wall! Izzy: Yeah, here it is. It's another breach in the system's security. Agumon: LOOK!!! GAZIMON!!! (Gazimon pass by) Sora: Be still.... (Tai runs out and kicks one) Gazimon 1: HEY!!! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!?!? Gazimon 2: What do you mean? Gazimon 1: Don't give me that! Just 'cause the boss likes ME! Gazimon 2: Have you gone nuts!? Gazimon 1: NUTS TO YOU!!!

For the good, I'm still enjoying the hidden passage being a "breach in system security". Also, the fight Tai provokes inadvertently revealing bad blood and workplace drama between the Gazimon got me. XD Fantastic addition.

For the bad... whatever the hell is going on with Tai's voice, of course. Did they forget to dub a line and need to make due? What's happening here? But also, Sora's line change from "Be quiet" to "Be still" doesn't make sense. They can't see us. We're not hiding from a Jurassic Park T-Rex, we're trying not to be overheard.

Sora, of course, is livid after that stunt.

(Reasonably so. By now, Taichi would definitely have been vote-kicked out of the party if that was an option. He is going to get us killed.)

Sora: WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?!? WHAT IF THEY FOUND OUT THAT WAS YOU!?!? Jou: Sora-kun, keep your voice down. Taichi: You worry too much, Sora. We're just data, y'know. Sora: TAICHI, YOU-- Jou: Sora-kun! Shhhh! Shhhhhh!!!

I really feel for Sora here. I get where Jou's coming from. See above, re: we're invisible, not inaudible. Screams echoing down the halls can easily give us away.

But so can these stunts Taichi keeps pulling. It's unfair for Jou to only be criticizing her and not Taichi. Rolled a 4 on his Senpai Check here.

In the dub:

Sora: You could have gotten us all captured back there, Tai! YOU'RE SO IMMATURE!!! Joe: Could you yell a little quieter, huh? Tai: Geeze, Sora. Relax, kid. Get a grip. Who elected you the Queen of the Fun Police? Sora: Yes, this is tons of fun. And getting caught will be a blast! Joe: Couldn't you just pass notes? It's much quieter.

As before, Joe comes off weaker in this scene because he's not team leader, and can only whine helplessly instead of shutting Sora down. His second line of whining, however, is hilarious. XD

The biggest shift here is Tai's line, which makes him look even more immature. They also cut his rationale for his behavior, but only to move it to the next scene. It's still here and still motivating him.

The kids next come upon a deadly electric fence barring the path forward.

Tentomon: Is there electricity running through this, or is it juts me? Koushiro: The section that acts as a hidden entryway should only have harmless data in it. Jou: So that means everything else really is electrified? Gomamon: (teasing) You look scared, Jou. Jou: Of course I am! Taichi: You're too timid, Jou. So, where's the entrance? Koushiro: It's... There. (points) Taichi: Okay.

Without an ounce of hesitation, Taichi walks straight through the spot Koushiro pointed out on the deadly barrier, passing through harmlessly while everyone gasps in surprise. After a moment, he peeks back out and urges the rest to hurry up. One by one, they follow after while Sora visibly remains steaming.

Sora says nothing in this entire scene. She is biting her tongue because Senpai reprimanded her. But her fury is plain on her face every time she's in the shot.

In the dub:

Tentomon: This looks nasty! We don't have to go through here, do we? Izzy: This firewall is the system's last line of defense, but htere appears to be only one safe way through it. Joe: And if we pick the wrong way, they'll scoop us up with a spatula! Gomamon: (teasing) You're not scared, are you, Joe? Joe: Maybe I am, a little! Tai: Relax, it's not like we're human or anything. We're just bunches of kilobytes, remember? Izzy: The waypoint should be... Here. (points) Tai: Cool!

Here's where Tai's "No consequences because we're data" rationale comes in for the dub. We also have Izzy referring to the barrier as a firewall. Which is the implication in the original but I still like hearing him refer to everything here by computer terminology.

No indication is made in the dub for why Sora is suddenly silent but fuming. She just. Is.

The kids emerge at their destination: A chamber deep inside the pyramid with a glass cage containing their target.

Koushiro: Here's our destination. Taichi: Here? Tentomon: That's... I'm pretty sure that's Nanomon. He's a very smart Digimon.

The dub takes this as an opportunity for some quipping.

Izzy: This is the host computer. Tai: Yowza. Do you think it comes with a CD-ROM drive or is that optional? Sora: And what do you suppose that thing is? Tentomon: I've heard of him. His name's Datamon.

They also add Sora's voice to this scene, but that's fine. She hadn't come out of the wall yet last we saw but she'll be there after the rundown, and talking again now that we're here. It's just Taichi's shittiness that she's being silent about.

From here, the narrator delivers his rundown. Nanomon is a Perfect-stage Virus-type Machine Digimon, so we'd better be sure we know what we're doing before we let him out.

Narrator: Nanomon. No matter what kind of computer system he's up against, he can rebuild it. A Perfect-Stage Machine Digimon.

Apparently he can't rebuild his way out of this cage, though.

In the dub, Tentomon does the honors.

Tentomon: A super-intelligent robotic Digimon. He disappeared without a trace some time ago. Nobody ever knew what happened to him.

It's weird that Tentomon would know that when he's never left File Island, but it was also weird in the original when he recognized Nanomon to begin with. Tentomon knows about Nanomon/Datamon somehow. It is what it is.

I think we've pretty much obsoleted "I don't know anything outside File Island" as a plot point.

From here, Nanomon makes contact.

Sora: Could that Digimon be the one who sent the email? Nanomon: (appears on Koushiro's computer screen) That's exactly right, Chosen Children!

Koushiro glances over at Nanomon's physical body and sees that his right eye, the one that's an LED light, has a red light blinking in it.

Koushiro: I see. He's sending data directly through my IR port! Nanomon: I once fought Etemon long ago and was crushed. My broken body was sealed away here. On top of having my ability to formulate stolen, I was tasked with supervising Etemon's network system. One day, I recovered my memories and began to slowly repair my body in a way Etemon wouldn't notice. Soon I learned about everything happening outside, and I was able to meddle with that information. However, I need a considerable amount of outside help to release me from confinement. Sora: Do you really know where my Crest is? Nanomon: Of course! I know many things that Etemon himself has not even heard of. Jou: Can we really trust him? Nanomon: You and I share a common enemy in Etemon. You can trust me. Taichi: Okay then, what should we do? Nanomon: Follow my instructions.

This is Nanomon's critical importance to the story: He is the mainframe through which the Dark Network runs. In a sense, he is the Network.

Nanomon transmits directions for the kids to follow. Taichi pulls down a lever to open an access panel while Koushiro inputs the combination. All that's left to do is for Taichi to release the leaver; However, suddenly they hear a voice calling out.

Etemon: Hold it! Taichi: Etemon! Etemon: Of course we'd catch you after everything you've done. We have surveillance cameras here, y'know!

The two Gazimon enter the room, both with bandaged faces.

Gazimon 1: How dare you-- Gazimon 2: --do that to us! Taichi: Whoops, they found out! Jou: BECAUSE OF YOU, TAICHI!!!

Correction: Taichi isn't going to get us killed. Taichi has already gotten us killed. My mistake. At least Jou finally berates Taichi for the shit he's been pulling instead of staying quiet. Vindication for Sora-kun.

Etemon then turns to momentarily adress Nanomon.

Etemon: My network's been acting funny ever since the children landed on this continent. That was you, wasn't it? Nanomon: I finished my maintenance just before the arrived.

Remember that weird glitch, where Etemon's data didn't update and sent him to some beach while they disembarked on a cliffside instead? Remember how SkullGreymon trashing the Coliseum somehow brought down the entire network all across the desert? All Nanomon. He's been sabotaging Etemon from the get-go.

In the dub:

Etemon: Hold it! Tai: Etemon! Etemon: I've been watchin' you on surveillance cameras and you're an annoying little brat, y'know that? (The Gazimon enter) Gazimon 1: Punk kid! Gazimon 2: Troublemaker! Tai: Hey, it's been my pleasure! Joe: Great, why don't you just call him ugly too. Etemon: And all this time, I thought it was those snot-nosed kids that were causing my network to go on the fritz! But it was you, wasn't it, you digital dumpster!? Datamon: Well, in a word: Yes.

Again, Joe is forced to whine instead of snap at Tai because he's not in the position of authority here.

I like Etemon calling Datamon a "digital dumpster", however. Rolls off the tongue nicely, especially in his Elvis voice.

After confirming this one point with Nanomon, the moment we've all been desperately trying to stave off finally arrives. Letting out a hideous battle cry, Etemon suddenly roars across the room to tear these children in half.

We are absolutely no match for the Strongest in Konoyo. Self-proclaimed or not.

The kids keep nothing in reserve here. Greymon, Kabuterimon, Birdramon, and Ikkakumon all power up at once to hold back Etemon. They achieve nothing. Etemon lays Greymon out with a single punch. He grabs Ikkakumon by the horn, flinging him into Kabuterimon to take them both out.

Realizing they're going to die in seconds, Taichi yanks that lever up to finish opening Nanomon's prison. Nanomon goes straight to action, seizing control of the prison mechanism. The triangular panes of glass that had formed his prison now under his control, he sends them all at Etemon at once.

Nanomon: See for yourself how strong you've made this prison!!!

Two panes strike the Gazimon, crushing them against the wall. One hits Birdramon, crushing her so severely she loses her form and reverts to Piyomon. And one goes for Etemon, which breaks easily against his unstoppable fist.

(I don't think Etemon is impressed by how strong he made that prison, Nanomon. What else you got?)

Taichi whirls on Nanomon for his friendly fire incident.

Taichi: What are you doing!? Nanomon: You are of no further use! Etemon: Hehehehehe.... That's the kind of guy Nanomon is. Nanomon: Enough blabber, PLUG BOMB!!!

The dub hits the same points but it's worth noting that Datamon's attitude is different.

Tai: HEY!!! We set you free! Datamon: And I do appreciate that, you chumps! Etemon: Dumb kids. Hehehehe, you'd think by now they'd learn to trust no one! Datamon: Trust me: This will hurt!

Datamon has the attitude of a maniacal fiend who feels he has the upper hand, while Nanomon is just screaming blood fury. Nanomon hit Birdramon because he's attacking indiscriminately. She was caught in crossfire. Nanomon will kill as many people as he has to as long as Etemon is one of them. While Datamon... may have done that on purpose? Unclear.

Nanomon unloads his signature attack Plug Bomb, opening his fingers into separate guns to fire little red bullet bees. Etemon counters with Dark Spirits, a fireball made of concentrated darkness energy.

The dub doesn't give Datamon's attack a name. Etemon confusingly calls his "Dark Network!" even though that's. Not. What. That means. Okay.

Dark Spirits and Plug Bomb explode on impact, creating a blast that tears up through the desert sands outside. We cut briefly to Gabumon watching for the others' return from the sphinx's mouth.

Gabumon: YAMATO, LOOK!!! (Yamato and Mimi peek around Gabumon) Yamato: Huh? THEY'RE FIGHTING!!! Mimi: EH!?!?

It's at this point in the dub that we have the most baffling flub I have seen in the show yet. The lines are basically the same, but Mimi's reaction is cut and Matt's more sarcastic.

Gabumon: Uh-oh! Matt! Matt: Huh? Well, so much for no fighting!

However, overlaid on top of this dialogue are the voices of two random actual children, not any performer in the show. speaking at the same time as Gabumon and Matt in louder voices that drown them out.

Random Child 1: Biyomon, over here! Random Child 2: I'm coming!

What the actual fuck. At least now we have confirmation that they didn't bother doing second takes of anything. They weren't even giving the show a once-over before sending it to publication. Anybody would have caught this.

Was this localization done on a budget of $5? That's not a sarcastic question. It was an anime dub for a FOX cartoon show in the 90's. It's a very strong possibility that the project wasn't given much attention or funding. I'm not trying to be mean here. But. Wow. I had to google the Random Child Voices to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

Back inside the pyramid, we find Sora at Piyomon's side trying to rouse her. Piyomon is unconscious and unmoving on the floor.

Suddenly Nanomon slams into the wall overhead and crumples to the floor, tossed by Etemon.

Etemon: I win again. Nanomon: The only thing you're good at is fighting, you monkey!

Thinking quickly, Nanomon suddenly grabs Sora and Piyomon.

Nanomon: Once I use their true power, your defeat is certain!

Nanomon vanishes through an open door, dragging Sora and Piyomon with him. Etemon tries to pursue, but Greymon, Ikkakumon, and Kabuterimon form a barrier in front of him.

The kids slip through the door to chase down Nanomon while Etemon's busy ripping through their Digimon. The dub cuts a shot, just after they leave, of Greymon getting bodied again. Guess they wanted it to look more hopeful.

The kids find the firewall standing in their way.

Sora: (echoing voice) TAICHI!!! Koushiro: He escaped through the hidden passageway! Taichi: I'm sure... That spot is where her voice came from.

Taichi starts to approach where he thinks the passage is, but Koushiro calls after him.

Koushiro: Wait! I have to verify the location first! Taichi: We're just data, remember? If I make a mistake, I'll just start over. Koushiro: PLEASE STOP!!! Jou: Got him!

Jou grabs Taichi suddenly from behind, restraining him from touching the firewall.

Taichi: Hey! Let go! Sora is-- Koushiro: Taichi-san, do you think that, just because you're data, you're free to act like a video game character!? Taichi: (stops resisting) ...am I wrong? Koushiro: COMPLETELY!!! It's exactly the same as if we were living and breathing here. If you die here, you'll really die. Taichi: ...what? That... that can't be....

Taichi turns and looks at the firewall once more, and now the peril becomes real for him.

Taichi: It can't be.... I didn't think I'd really die.... Jou: (releases him) Taichi.... Koushiro: The hidden passage is one meter to the right.

Not only can Taichi die. But if Jou hadn't grabbed him, he would have died. His guess was wrong.

Now understanding the danger of the firewall, Taichi freezes up. He can't bring himself to move.

Taichi: What... What's wrong with me? Sora's in danger!

No matter how he tries to motivate himself, his body simply won't move.

The dub plays all of this drama straight. The only gag they add is Jou's line when he grabs Taichi.

Joe: Pain still hurts, Tai!

They also move Izzy's reveal of the gap's location to an earlier shot with his back turned, when Tai's realizing the lethality of the fence. This is so they can extend Tai's reluctance and make it a group activity.

Izzy: The weak point is one meter to your right. Tai: No way... Just one false move and it's over.... Joe: (releases him) Hey, Tai.... Izzy: It's safe, Tai. We came through it alright on the way in. Tai: Yeah, but then I didn't know that.... Izzy: Go on! It's okay. Joe: Come on, Tai, we're wasting time! Sora needs us. What's wrong with you? Izzy: Tai?

Joe's last line is delivered so casually, it's like they're just talking about moving Sora's couch. What do you think is wrong with him, Joe? You can get these things from context!

As Taichi remains paralyzed with terror, time runs out.

Etemon breaks down the wall using the three Partner Digimon that were fighting him in order to get inside the hidden passage.

Agumon: No good... Taichi... He's too strong for us.... Etemon: (turning towards the kids) Now that it's come to this, I'll start with you.

He doesn't get a chance. Garurumon and Togemon come through the ceiling, unloading Chiku Chiku Bang-Bang and Fox Fire before he knows what hit him. He easily shields himself from Garurumon's blue flames while Togemon's needles don't even faze him.

But it buys the kids a moment to escape, with Yamato physically grabbing the catatonic Taichi to force him to move.

Etemon: What!? This isn't enough to take me down-- Huh? Where did they go?

Etemon is left comically clueless. In the dub, he outright whines.

Etemon: No! Not again! They didn't get away again! Aww, I'm havin' an extremely bad day, bay-beh!

Poor Monkey Elvis. XD He should go sing a song to amuse himself.

It's not super clear which way they went but the camera fixes on the ceiling hole, so probably not the firewall.

The kids regroup on the far side of the shortcut passage, in the craggy valley where they made camp.

While Yamato, Mimi, and Takeru are informed of what became of Sora, we close on this shot of Taichi weeping.

Yamato: I see. Sora and Piyomon were taken.... Taichi: Damn it... Damn it....

The dub's final exchange is a lot more verbose, with Matt shifted to being accusatory.

Matt: I don't get it. When the creep grabbed Sora and Biyomon, why didn't you go through the firewall after them!? Tai: I couldn't... I couldn't move.... Joe: It's not your fault. We're all in this together, Tai. We'll find a way to get them back. Tai: It's all my fault! Sora! It's all my fault!

But credit to the dub team for ending on a downer and not undercutting it in any way. This is a pleasant surprise after Mimi's Crest episode.

Assessment: As a fallible character who makes mistakes and has to learn from them, I love Taichi. But I am starting to see why Sora fell for Yamato instead, though that's still a few years off. Even if this was a video game, Taichi's behavior would be incredibly obnoxious to the rest of his party.

In his defense, he's 11. He can be forgiven for acting childish when he's literally a child. But he does have a lot of growing up to do. Which is, of course, what this two-parter is about. This is the setup for Taichi's payoff next episode. He has to fall before he can rise.

But it's also wearing kinda thin because we just did this. This is SkullGreymon again. Taichi acting like a reckless hotshot and making awful choices out of insecure overconfidence only to be brutally and horrifically humbled is something we already did only a few episodes ago. The reasons have changed but the behavior and story trajectory are the same.

But, repetitive Taichi aside, I love the way Etemon's Dark Network ultimately proves to be the centerpiece of this story. This makes it distinct from the way Devimon's Black Gears were used, always in a subordinate capacity. The reveal that Etemon's Dark Network has been purposely working against him all along is brilliant and pays off all of the episodes leading up to it.

Don't fuck with the IT guy.

Meanwhile, the dub of this one... has... random children dubbed over the characters. Like. There is nothing I can say that would possibly lay out the flaws in this one moreso than that. I don't actually give letter grades to these episodes except as a punchline, but even so this one gets an F.

It does have parts that I like, and I especially love the way Izzy describes moving through the pyramid as a hacking effort into a system. But it also has random children dubbed over the characters. Oh my god, watch your show one time before releasing it to publication.

#digimon #digimon adventure #revisiting digimon #revisiting digimon adventure

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