Shout! Studios
Released: Jun 11, 2024
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Digimon movie that’s as sad as Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning. This film continues after the last. Here, the team meets Lui (Megumi Ogata). This lad says he’s the very first person to become DigiDestined and everyone is surprised.
His story is quite the opposite to others who embrace the role; he never wanted the job, and when he rejects his little pet monster, the way it self-destructs is quite graphic! It was at that moment where I realised this franchise is finally growing up. In addition to learning about why some individuals have a digital partner, there’s also whether everyone really needs one. When there’s a mysterious voice saying everyone should have a Digi-Partner to signal the start of this drama, not everyone agrees.
Had I watched the mini featurette where director Tomohisa Taguchi explained the finer points of this film, I’d appreciate this work more. He said this work is about the ties that bind. At first, I was a bit confused. But after looking at past material, I finally understood.
The themes explored here concern the relationship each teen has with their Digimon. Quite often, the bond that’s forged is eternal, and we get to understand why these Digimon will stick with their partner till the end. But for Lui, what’s revealed suggests what can go wrong when a virtual pet decides to go rogue! The adventure is quite talkie and philosophical, which is not your average episode I saw when this franchise first started.
Here, the team (Davis Motomiya, Ken Ichijouji, Yolei Inoue, Cody Hida, T.K. Takaishi, and Kari Kamiya) have to find out what caused this shift. When they travel back in time to find out Lui had a rough life, they finally comprehend where he’s at now (in the present) is terrifying.
Overall, this release isn’t designed to welcome newcomers. I had to look at a summary about the animated television series Digimon Adventures 02 to comprehend what was going on. After that, this latest entry has its place in the ongoing narrative. As for whether I like it or not, it’s hard to say. I’m glad this world isn’t about rinsing and repeating a simple premise that its rival series, Pokémon, does.
These newer works are a departure from what I remember about the early series. I do like it, but I’m more of a casual viewer of this series than a DigiDestined trainer. As for how Toei Animation can keep going forward in keeping this franchise fresh, I’d be curious to find out!
3 Stars out of 5
Digimon Adventure 02:
The Beginning Animation Trailer
