Digimon Adventure 02
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 "The story begins again at the edge."
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Digimon Adventure 02 is a Japanese anime that first started airing in 2000, it is the follow-up sequel to Digimon Adventure 01 and is the second season of the Digimon series.
Summary
Three years after the events of Digimon Adventure, the Digital World is invaded by the Digimon Emperor, who is enslaving Digimon with the Dark Rings while building Control Spires that negate Digivolution. To fight him, three new DigiDestined are recruited, each gaining an ancient Digimon for a partner. The three, along with T.K. and Kari, each possess a D-3, a new type of Digivice that allows them to open a gate to be transported to the Digital World through any computer. They are also given D-Terminals that hold Crest-themed Digi-Eggs that allow their Digimon partners to undergo Armor Digivolution to counter the presence of Control Spires. The Digimon Emperor, revealed to be boy genius Ken Ichijoji, flees to the Digital World. Assisted by Ken's partner, Wormmon, the DigiDestined defeat Ken.
While the DigiDestined rebuild the Digital World, Davis, Yolei, and Cody unlock normal Digivolution. At the same, they ally themselves with a reformed Ken, who joins the team to fight Arukenimon, a Digimon who revives the Control Spires as other Digimon. When the Control Spire Digimon prove to be stronger than them, the DigiDestined learn DNA Digivolution, which enable two champion-level Digimon to merge into a stronger ultimate-level one. When Arukenimon creates BlackWarGreymon, he begins to destroy each Destiny Stones, hoping to fight Azulongmon, who appears when each Stone is destroyed. After BlackWarGreymon flees, Azulongmon warns the DigiDestined about an impending threat behind Arukenimon and Mummymon.
During Christmas, Control Spires appear across the human world, bringing Digimon with them. While the DigiDestined set off with Imperialdramon to destroy them with the help of the international DigiDestined, Arukenimon and Mummymon begin kidnapping several children for Yukio Oikawa, a friend of Cody's father who dreams of entering the Digital World. Once the DigiDestined return to Japan, they fight the Daemon Corps, and their leader, Daemon, while Oikawa uses the Dark Spore inside Ken to implant them into the children. After Daemon is imprisoned in the Dark Ocean, BlackWarGreymon sacrifices himself to seal the portal to the Digital World at Highton View Terrace, before Oikawa and the kids can transport there.
The DigiDestined are transported to a Dream World with Oikawa and the kids and learn he was controlled by Myotismon. Myotismon splits from Oikawa and uses the energy from the Dark Spores to be reborn as MaloMyotismon. With help from the DigiDestined all over the world, the DigiDestined defeat MaloMyotismon, and Oikawa sacrifices himself to rebuild the Digital World. Twenty five years later, humans and Digimon live together.
Bad Qualities
- The characters of this season are semi poorly made copies of the previous ones:
- Davis is a very crazy version of Tai.
- Yolei is an energetic copy of Sora and Mimi. Since the writers did not know who she should be, her character contently changes with no likable traits and often never shuts up.
- Cody is a no-nonsense version of Izzy.
- Although he is not a bad character, Ken is a edgy Matt clone. In fact he kept brooding and bringing up his past too much.
- In fact Cody and Yolei were acting like cowards because they don't want to kill any Digimon, despite them being made out of data. For example when the hospital was under attack with Cody being there, he does not want Shakkoumon to kill MarineDevimon when the people in hospital are in danger. Meanwhile LadyDevimon was about to kill Yolei, Silphymon ended up killing LadyDevimon to save Yolei. Yolei got upset instead of thanking Silphymon for saving her. This make her a jerk.
- During the dream sequence close to the end of the of the series, we see Yolei, T.K., Kari, Cody, and Ken get their dream sequence but not Davis who has no flaws or desires, Althougt this makes a character development, also this makes him Gary Stu.
- For some reason Yolei used the power of light instead of Kairi.
- This season has more plot holes and inconsistencies:
- Like how Davis, Yolei, and Cody did get their clothes changed when they entered the Digital World, but not the older cast.
- The older cast could not go to the Digital World because their Digivice was weak and has to be with the new cast to go there, but by the end of the series, they were able to go there with their Digivice.
- The biggest plot hole is that at the end of Digimon Adventure 01, the Digital World was supposed to close up and de-link from the real world forever, but in this season it was somehow re-opened without any explanation, with the old cast still having their Digital device.
- Some things often makes no sense or never explained or has missed opportunities.
- Oikawa became pale as he did not eat or sleep, yet he only been that way, at the same time, his friend Hiroki died when it should take weeks of eating and sleeping less and staying at the dark room to look like that. In fact would it make more sense for Oikawa to look normal before Hiroki died and look bad after Myotismon possessed him? And it was never explained why he even looked that way, nor was it explained how his chin got enlarged and why it did not get enlarged in 1999 or why he even lacked eyebrows. After Myotismon left him, it created a plot hole when Oikawa is normal looking, yet he already looked ghastly before being possessed.
- When Ken's father showed the DigiDestined the picture from 1999 of Oikawa looking bad in the group photoshoot, there is a missed opportunity when Ken's father did not say anything like "He did not look like that before 1999, but one day he came in looking like that".
- Since Oikawa was normal looking in 1995 when he met Matt and T.K's mother, she immediately recognized Oikawa in 2002 despite being completely different and never questioned his ghastly appearance.
- Since Oikawa became normal after Myotismon left him without any explanation at the series end, he died by turning into bunch of butterflies to fix the Digital World Myotismon had damaged in order to redeem himself. He even admitted he failed to open himself to other people and lacked the optimism. However we never get to explore his character or know what is in his mind due to bad writing, he was seen as a horrible person as a result.
- Since Hiroki and Oikawa made a promise to go to the Digital World together one day, Hiroki chooses to become a bodyguard of an political figure where he took an bullet meant for the political figure and died. This makes Hiroki a bit of a jerk because this shows he did not realize how important he was to Oikawa and his death would shatter him badly. It's like Hiroki did not care about him.
- Why can't Gabumon, Biyomon, Gomamon, Tentomon, Palmon and Agumon get armor evolution like the others?
- To think that we heard in the CD-Drama, Armor Evolution to the Unknown, those of 01, can digivolve in their forms, these are just a very ridiculously forced parody, the worst, they did not let him make Agumon armor digivolve, more than this bites the Digi-egg of Courage and leaves the teeth badly injured.
- BlackWarGreymon sacrifice to seal the Digital Gate was actually pointless, since Myotismon has no intention to have Oikawa and the kids go to the Digital World. In fact BlackWarGreymon has no real reason to exist.
- Why Joe Kido, a doctor in traning, did not bother to check Oikawa's pulse when Cody was dragging Oikawa to the end of the dream world gate? This is a case of missed opportunity.
- Since Oikawa knew Cody was Hiroki's son, would it make sense to hold him hostage while he was trying to open the Digital gate in order to fulfill the promise fully?
- Why exactly did Oikawa wants to go to the Digital World besides fulfilling his dream, like what was his plan there or did he realize how dangerous it is or should he be fully prepared to go there? Since Oikawa wants to leave the Earth because he hates and sees it as a hellhole, but the Digital World is no better and will not satisfy his depression. This makes him ignorant and oblivious.
- Gatomon losing her ring was pointless. There is also episode where she hypnotize an enemy to sleep, but never used it again.
- How did Genni become young? It was also never explained what was that black ball Piedmon inserted at the back of his head back in 01.
- The backstory of Hiroki and Oikawa were rushed without exploring their personalities before the 1999 incident.
- During episode 33, we see a group of shadows following BlackWarGreymon, but only one shadow (Apemon) showed itself, but never saw the rest, missing out an opportunity.
- The story was basically the same thing as the previous season. The new cast finds an armor egg with any older cast presented, they find a tower afterwards and destroy it. Then when the new cast gets a second set of the armored eggs, with an old cast visiting them and again being with them to obtain them and destroy the dark towers. Then it was about destroying the towers until Arukenimon created Blackwargarymon and has to spend time chasing him around to stop him from destroying the Destiny stones.
- The DigiDestineds of 01, although are older, are useless during the whole series.
- The appearance of the Dark Ocean and Dragomon was never explored or explained.
- Daemon's appearance was rushed and never appeared again.
- Some designs are weird like Shurimon and Shakkoumon.
- The final battle was a disappointment and incredibly anticlimactic: None of the Digimon was able to land a blow agents the return of Myotismon's final form, MaloMyotismon and were defeated, so MaloMyotismon was instead defeated by.....a bind by the light of the DigiDestines from around the world from their Digivice, and only the dreams from the kids Oikawa kidnapped were able to ripped Myotismon bit by bit and defeated him. Even back in Digimon Adventure 01 (as in season 1), they were able to defeat Apocalymon (the final threat of Digimon Adventure 01) single handily.
- Half-Weak Ending: At the end, we see the characters getting their roles, but most of them are out-of-character. For example, Matt being an astronaut instead of an musician, Mimi being a chef instead of a fashionist and Sora being a fashionist instead of a chef. Meanwhile Davis ends up opens up a noodle cart, something he never brought up before.
- Due to the art-style and story/final battle being rushed during the final episodes, it was clear that the writers were trying to hurry up and end the season.
- Troubled Production: Head writer of Digimon Adventure 01, Satoru Nishizono, did not want a sequel when Toei announced it, believing it should end right there (hence the whole Digital World closing up at the end). Eventually, Digimon Adventure 02 was given to the head writers Genki Yoshimura and Atsushi Maekawa who often had a creativity differences and would often butt heads with each other. One writer wanted to make a lighthearted and upbeat story, while the another wanted to move to a darker aspects (which is what Digimon Tamers would be). This resulted in the story not knowing what it wants to be or to go, resulting many problems as shown above. Another head writer, Chiaki Konaka, was so frustrated that he wanted to leave, but his contact with Bandai means he can't leave yet, so he was given a chance to develop the third season, Digimon Tamers. This is the definitive reasons why many characters are badly written as the writers could not figure out what kind of a character the new casts should have.
- Ken went with Ryo to the Digital World where he got the dark spores inside Ken, Ryo however never made any farther appearances or mentioned again.
- The old cast of Digimons were flanderized into not be able to defeat any Digimon, despite being strong in Digimon Adventures 01.
- Three villains are all emos, which can be very tiring and repetitive.
- This season tries too hard to capture the spirit of the first season, but failed.
- The season can be boring depending on how you see it.
Good Qualities
- "Target" is an amazing opening theme.
- The endings, Ashita wa Atashi no Kaze ga Fuku and Itsumo Itsumedo are beautiful.
- It's inserts songs are amazing, especially the evolution songs and the last song, Bokura no Digital World.
- Like in the previous season, the animation is still pretty good.
- The voice-acting is great.
- Ken is a well-developed and interesting villain that has a satisfying redemption arc.
- Almost of the characters are likable, like:
- Ken Ichiouji
- T.K. Takaishi
- Kari Kamiya
- The rest of the Digidestined of the previous season.
- The Digimon Partners (Adventure and Adventure 02)
- Yukio Oikawa
- BlackWarGreymon
- Mr and Mrs. Ichiouji
- Despite to be a jerk of Ken, Sam is not a bad character, in fact, his spirit calms his disturbed younger brother in the world of dreams.
- Depending on your view, Davis, Yolei and Cody, despite being poorly copied of the characters of the previous season, can be likable, especially Davis with a character development, despite a Gary Stu act.
- Half-Emotive Ending: Although his ending is weak, is also emotive because of the relation of the Digidestineds and his Partners Digimon, especially with Yukio and his Digimon, with the first sacrifice by salving the Digital World.
Reception
Although Digimon Adventure 01 was critically acclaimed by fans and critics alike and was well-received, Digimon Adventure 02 received more mixed-to-average reviews, while some do like the season, many fans do considered it a step down when compared to the previous season.
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