Sockit Takuya (Digimon Frontier)

"Sockit Takuya"
The episode in which Digimon Frontier have officially decide to "Jump-The-Shark" with one of the most infamous moments/scenes in all of Anime.
Series: Digimon Part of Season: 4 Episode Number: 23 (Digimon Frontier) 178 (Overall) Air Date: (Ja:) September 15, 2002 (En:) February 10, 2003 Writer: Hiro Masaki Director: Takao Yoshizawa Previous episode: Home Again, Takuya Returns Next episode: Alone But Never Alone

Sockit Takuya is an episode from Digimon Frontier. It is the twenty-third episode of the show and is the 178th episode of the Digimon series overall.

Summary

When Zoe, J.P. and Tommy get kidnap by Ranamon, Koji must track them down to stop Ranamon and save Zoe, J.P. and Tommy.

Why It Should Literary Suck It

1. Unlike most (if not all) episodes from Digimon Frontier, this episode is literally a 22-minute long filler episode with little to no plot whatsoever. This is not excusable in Digimon, as it (alongside Pokémon) is known for being more action-packed and story-driven when compared to previous anime shows beforehand.
2. Much like Shell-Shocked of Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, this episode is infamous for its super inappropriate moments that is unpleasant in an action anime show for kids, including its writing by Hiro Masaki (which will be explained why below).
3. This episode is also infamous for being a Zoe, J.P. and Tommy torturer episode, as they get tortured throughout most of the episode.
4. Ranamon is at her worst in this episode, as she kidnaps Zoe, J.P. and Tommy and torturers them to get answers about the cast's friends.
5. We have one of the most infamous moments in all of Anime Media: But of course, we cannot bring up this episode, without bringing up that one infamous moment that is considered the worst part of the entire Digimon Franchise, which is during the tickle scene, one of Ranamon's disembodied hands tickles Zoe's exposed navel with a feather, while that is normally a thing that happens in shows that involves tickling, the thing is, the camera does a ZOOM-IN on Zoe's exposed navel during that scene, and they do this not once...but THREE TIMES. They even do that to Tommy's navel as well (albeit only once), we wish we were joking, but we aren't, and this is, without question, one of the single most inappropriate moments to have ever happen in a Digimon episode, let alone an episode in an anime show as a whole, even by anime standards this scene is extremely inappropriate and out of place, and it makes this scene in particular feel more like a parody scene that would be shown on a fan-made video on YouTube or something by Adult Swim.
   1. On that subject, during that part, Zoe says a very infamous line during that scene "No, not the...belly button!", which is also very inappropriate to say in a kids show and also feels like a parody line that would be said on YouTube or something by Adult Swim.
6. This episode has a lot of pointless filler that makes it drag even more slower, such as the aforementioned tickle scene.
7. Near the end of the episode, Koji does find Zoe, J.P. and Tommy being tortured by Ranamon, but rather than battling Ranamon and saving Zoe, Tommy and J.P. (like you know, an actual hero would do), he just stands there like a complete and utter idiot, and doesn't even help Zoe, J.P. and Tommy until after Ranamon is done torturing Zoe and Tommy. What a way to help your friends by doing absolutely nothing, Koji.
   1. This is especially out of character for Koji, as he's normally the no-nonsense, very serious, always wanting to fight-type of person, so for him to just stand there and do absolutely nothing throughout the majority the time that Zoe, J.P. and Tommy been tortured by Ranamon makes this scene even more frustrating.
8. For some strange reason, while J.P. gets kidnapped by Ranamon, he serves no impact to Ranamon's plan whatsoever, he doesn't even partake in the navel tickle torturer that poor Zoe and Tommy goes through (although to be fair, J.P.'s wearing a jumpsuit, so Ranamon can't exactly tickle his navel, but still), making his inclusion of the kidnapping pointless.
   1. Therefore, you can remove him from this scene, replace him with someone else, and it will impact nothing.
9. Misleading Title: It gives off an impression where something in the episode will make Takuya "suck it", but that never happens in the episode.
   1. On that note, because of the name, you would think that the episode would focus around Takuya, when in truth, it’s mainly about Zoe, J.P. and Tommy being tortured by Ranamon.
10. Unlike some of the previous episodes, Ranamon never gets her comeuppance for her actions against Tommy, Zoe and J.P., which for the first time, makes her a Karma Houdini.
11. This episode includes a selection of terrible morals that are taught to kids, teenagers and/or adults. Four of them to be exact:
    1. The first moral states that it's OK to torturer someone to get answers, as shown by Ranamon torturing Zoe, Tommy and J.P. by tickling them with feathers.
    2. The second moral is probably the most inappropriate, in that you can tickle little kids' navels without any fear or consequences, as shown by the "Zoe's navel tickle" and "Tommy's navel tickle" scenes.
    3. The third moral states that you should never help anyone who is in danger or being tortured by someone, as shown by Koji just standing around like an idiot as Ranamon tortures Tommy, J.P. and Zoe.
    4. The fourth and absolute worst moral is that you can get away with something you do and you will not be punish, as shown my Ranamon getting off scot-free from her actions.
12. Overall, because of its filler-like plot, as well as the infamous "Zoe's navel tickle" and "Tommy's navel tickle" scenes, this Digimon episode feels more like something out of an entirely different anime show that's made for kids(I.G Pokémon, Fruit Basket and Hamtaro), or a goofy cartoon show like Ed, Edd n Eddy, Camp Lazlo or The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, not something out of an action anime show like Digimon.
    1. On the subject of the Zoe's navel tickle torturer scene, because of said "Zoe's navel tickle", this episode also feels more or less like a fanservice fetish episode, as it feels like the writers REALLY wanted to do something substation with Zoe's navel and decided to make this episode just for the fun of it.

Redeeming Qualities

1. Zoe, J.P. and Tommy are likable characters.
2. Thankfully, later Digimon episodes/shows (so far) never do that stuff again, most likely due to the negative feedback this episode got by fans the fact that later episodes of Digimon Frontier, and the rest of the Digimon series never do anything similar to said scene, hints the negative feedback.
3. At least it's nowhere near as bad as a certain Digimon Tamers episode.
4. This is a filler episode, so fans can skip it if they chose to.

Reception

Since its release, "Sockit Takuya" is known for being one of the most controversial episodes in the Digimon series, and has received mixed-to-largely negative reviews by critics and fans, while some do considered the "tickle scene" to be cute, others criticize the episode for its filler-like plot, Zoe, J.P. and Tommy getting tortured, and the infamous writing choice of having the camera do a zoom-in on both Zoe's and Tommy's navel while having their navel tickled, which is often considered super inappropriate in a kids show, as well as criticize Koji's role in the episode. And its because of this, "Sockit Takuya" is often considered as one of the worst episode in Digimon Frontier, and is overall considered one of the worst episodes in the entire Digimon series.

Trivia

1. Sockit Takuya is one of the the very few anime episodes (as well as cartoon episodes in general) were the female character with a baring midriff outfit is fully aware that her stomach is exposed, as shown by Zoe saying "No, not the...belly button!" during the tickle scene.
   1. Whats interesting to note is that in the Japanese version of the episode during the tickle scene, Zoe says something very different, instead she says "No, no, not there!", rather then say her navel.
2. Because of how much of a negative feedback the "Zoe's Navel Tickle" scene got by fans and critics alike, as of right now, later Digimon shows never do anything similar to that episode again(as in main female characters getting their navels torturer in some ways).
3. Sockit Takuya is one of the few episodes to not be adapted in its Manga version of Digimon Frontiers, this is likely due to the "Zoe's Navel Tickle" scene being deemed too inappropriate and out-of-place.

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