Digimon Frontier

Digimon Frontier
"Execute! Spirit Evolution!!!" "Digivolve To, Conceptual Anarchy!"
Genre: Adventure Fantasy Running Time: 22 Minutes Country: Japan Release Date: April 7, 2002 – March 30, 2003 Network(s): Fuji TV Network Ten (Australia) YTV (Canada) Hungama TV (India) Jetix, UPN, ABC Family M-Net (South African) Indosiar (Indonesia) Seasons: 4 Episodes: 80 Previous show: Digimon Tamers Next show: Digimon Data Squad

Digimon Frontier is a Japanese anime that was created by Toei Animation and first started airing in 2002, it serves as the fallow-up/sequel to Digimon Tamers and is the fourth (and at the time final) season of the Digimon series.

Summary

With five new kids and an exciting new mission in the Digital World, Digimon Frontier brings back all the great action and adventure of the last three seasons. Takuya, Kouji, Izumi, Junpei. and Tomoki meet each other on a train that takes them to the Digital World where a war against evil is being fought. The Angel Digimon, Cherubimon, one of The three angels sent to save the World from the power-hungry Lucemon, has turned to the dark side and the entire Digital World is in peril. To fight this great battle, the five chosen ones (or DigiDestined) must find the Densetsu no Spirit (Legendary Spirit).

Spirit Evolving Bad Qualities

1. What's probably the main reason as to why this show has been disliked is that, unlike the previous Digimon shows, the main human characters don't use their Digimon partners to battle, but instead they turn into Digimon warriors, the concept, while is great, was poorly executed.
2. The personalities of the protagonists are reused from Digimon Adventure.
   • Takuya is the DigiDestined leader, Tai but he acts before thinking.
   • Koji is Matt but edgier.
   • Tommy is T.K. but more whiny and spoiled. Unlike him, Tommy is also nothing more than another bullied kid, who is lazy.
   • Zoe is Sora an angry girl but more of a cliched kindhearted girl stereotype.
   • J.P. is Izzy and another fat supporting character, who doesn't give up on winning Zoe's heart.
   • Koichi, even though he is the most likable character, is a watered-down version of Ken.
   • Yutaka (Tommy's big brother) is also unlikable even though he wants Tommy to learn that Tommy can't be a spoiled brat.
3. Zoe/Kazemon's attack "Love Tap" is a booty bump. Not to mention, she lost in the episode "Kazemon Kicks It"! Making it very insulting and a bit rushed.
4. The English dub is bad or good depending on your point of you.
   • Also, the Mexican dubbing was not very well received, because the dubbing was in Cuernavaca just like Digimon Tamers.
5. The two Digimon partners that travel with the main human characters are basic comic relief characters that don't add anything to the show.
   • Bokomon is a know-it-all who is a dick to Neemon.
   • And speaking of Neemon, he does nothing but provide comic relief.
6. Some scenes are too inappropriate in the original Japanese version, despite the anime being made for kids, examples would be too many sex jokes, violence, and swearing, due to Japan featuring less censorship in their shows.
   • This is most appertain in episode 15 "Beastie Girl", where Zoe is about to undress herself to change into her swimsuit (which she doesn't due to believing that someone is spying on her) if you look very closely at the scene were Zoe is about to remove her tank-top, you can see part of her breast from underneath her tank-top.
7. Many writing choices are also very inappropriate, even for anime standers, one of the most noticeable (and most infamous) examples is in the episode "Sockit Takuya" when Ranamon (one of the main villains) captures Zoe, JP, and Tommy, she then pins the three on a wall and torturers them by tickling them with feathers to get answers, and at one point during this, she tickles Zoe's exposed navel! And even more infamously, the camera does a ZOOM-IN on Zoe's exposed navel not once...but THREE TIMES! No, we're not joking, that does actually happen.
   • To add even more insult, Koji manages to find the three being tortured by Ranamon, but he just stands there like a moron and doesn't even help out JP, Tommy, and Zoe until AFTER Ranamon is done torturing them in a few minutes, making this very anticlimactic.
   • In Episode 24, a tentacle-like hand gropes Zoe's butt.
8. There is too much overuse of flashbacks, which can be repetitive.
9. The whole anime forces A LOT of lessons learning morals that don't fit well in a Digimon show.
10. Somewhat weird and oddly paced final battle.
11. They didn't leave much support for Zoe, J.P., and Tommy in the second half (althoug Tommy still have a character development in the episode The Bully Pulpit), and more to that they did not give them their double spirit (including Koichi)
    • Speaking of double spirits, Tommy's Daipenmon is the most disappointing in the entire franchise (he's even worse than Shakkoumon)
12. Overall, because of the show relying on the main human characters not using their Digimon partners to battle, but instead they turn into Digimon warriors, Digimon Frontier doesn't feel like a Digimon show, and instead more feels like a basic action anime show or an Anime version of Super Sentai/Power Rangers, nothing feels like Digimon had it not been for the title, the Digimon characters, or the two Digimon partners traveling with them.

Spirit Evolving Good Qualities

1. As I said, the idea of ​​a human becoming a Digimon, although poorly executed, is brilliant.
2. The transformation scenes are at least amazing to look at.
3. Some fans of Digimon might enjoy it.
4. The character designs of both the humans and Digimon still look awesome like in previous seasons.
5. The animation is great.
6. The theme songs of both the Japanese and American versions are epic and surprisingly well-written.
   • Also, the endings, Digivolutions, and insert songs are memorable.
7. The characters are likable and some get character development as the show progresses.
   • Takuya becomes more trusting.
   • Koji is more friendly.
   • Tommy has some character development and learns to be independent, he even helps Takuya and confronting and reforming their ex-bullies Katsuharu and Teppei.
   • Zoe becomes more helpful.
   • J.P. is more mature.
   • Koichi shows the positive side of the darkness and his relationship with his brother Kouji is emotional.
   • Bokomon and Neemon are still decent characters
   • The Three Great Angels are great group characters
   • His villains (except the Royal Knights) are great, like the Evil Warriors (Mercurymon, Grumblemon, Ranamon, Arbormon and Duskmon (Kouchi evil darkness spirit)), Cherubimon Vice Mode and Lucemon
8. His final episode is great and emotive
9. The Mexican dubbing although was not very well received, is better udapte than the Mexican dubbing of Digimon Tamers.

Reception

Since its release, it has gained mixed-to-negative reviews from Digimon fans for the flaws it has, as a result, it was considered one of the weakest entries of the Digimon franchise.

Comments

Loading comments...