I think I’m stating the obvious here when I say that I’m a huge fan of Digimon, Digimon has always been such a very nostalgic thing in my life with me rewatching the first 3 episodes on VHS. Now let me get this out of the way first, yes we had to wait for like almost 1 year and a half for this movie to come out because of some delays and then there was the news it would only be 6 movies long instead of a new series, and then there was more news that some of the original voice actors would not come back and reprise their roles and we also had them be replace by Goki Yellow and Goki Silver. But with all that said let’s see if the delay was worth it now shale we?
The movie begins with a Digi Egg getting corrupted, we then cut to Tai waking up with a small reference to Digimon Tamers with this paper saying “1 version” which was a name of a song in Digimon Tamers. During this we also see the zero 2 cast (with no TK and Kari with them) getting defeated and well that is all we really know about them, are they K.O. or dead (but given that the next movie have Imperialdramon on the cover I think it is a safe bet that they are alive at the very lease) and then a shadow figure appears (more on him later). Then after that we then greeted with Tri’s Ver. of Butterfly and wow just... WOW... My GOD... honestly just MY GOD... I just absolutely love this remix of Butterfly and I just love this Ver. of Butterfly so much that I really think about making this my favorite Anime opening of all time just because I love this song so much, really this song is just so beautiful and just love it so much.
Now for the rest of this first part there is really nothing much to talk about since not a lot happens, I mean sure we get some things about the characters like Tai thinking about his life and what he needs to do, Matt has a new Band called the Knife of day (OUCH SO EDGY), Sora acts more like having feelings for both Matt and Tai make things like a love triangle (HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE). Mimi is well a tease I mean she’s just a tease when latter Matt and Tai arguing she is just laughing and taking pictures, Joe is still Joe being older and doing nothing but his school work but he’s failing so I guess that is something different then the norm so in that regard I’m glad to see that as a different thing (and he has a girlfriend now, I know even I was like what). Izzy, T.K. and Kari are still mostly the same and not to different, Izzy is still Tai’s friend and both T.K. and Sora are more there for their brothers. We also introduce to a few new charters like Tai's teacher Daigo Nishijima who we will get into in just a few and this girl named Meiko Mochidzuki well get to them soon enough. and how this first episode ends with the re appearance of Kuwagamon, yes I said episode, you see how this is all set up is that while they are movies they are structured are like episodes, so 6 movies constructed into 4 episodes do the math and Digimon Tri is basically like a brand new Digimon season.
Episodes 2 begins with Kuwagamon attacking Tai before being saved by DEUSEXMACHINA I mean Agumon, yes we have Agumon with Tai at his side again and this is very pleasant to see this even more so that their first battle is with Kuwagamon which was their first Digimon they fought in the series. Agumon tells Tai that this is a corrupted Digimon which make him more powerful, which brings us to the first battle of Tri and also an updated Digivloution sequence and it is amazing I mean it is still oblivious CGI but for the animation style this CGI just fits so well with what they were going for and looking at the new Digivloution sequence it a bit like tames as well, my only complaint I have is that none of these Digivloution sequences are color coded and all the same color for all of them (but that is more of a nitpick then anything). The others come too help (except for Mimi and Joe because Joe s still working hard as ever to work on his exams and Mimi still in America) and the rest of this episode is just a fight between the Digimon and the Kuwagamons (Kinda of funny seeing both Kabutarmon and Kuwagamon fighting each other because both are beetles and in Japanese culture there is a thing about the Rhino Beetle and the Stag Beetle being rivals or allies). The fight ends with a big hand coming through and taking the Kuwagamon back and episode 2 ends with complete destruction at this airport where the battle they had.
Episode 3 is again more like episode 1 with more dialog heavy in the story but here we learn that Tai's teacher is actually not a teacher but a part of this origination that are basically like this world's ver. of Hypnos from Digimon Tamers and also we see on a screen that the zero 2 kids are MIA. Tai after seeing all of the destruction he now starting to question what to do no in chase any more corrupted Digimon come through. In the morning everyone is there and guess what Tai and Matt start arguing with each other (WHOPTY FREAKIN DO), but to be frank there is a good explanation for why. On Tai’s said they should stop with fighting in the first place so no one can get hurt, and on Matt’s said they should fight so to prevent anyone from getting hurt (which is more of a role reversal to their charters to think about it since Tai was always more the head strong person while mat was more laying it safe, but it feels like the charters have grown). Episode 3 ends with Izzy now creating a his thing so Digimon can now come through in and out of the internet at will (now if you look at Agumon cloths he is wearing it looks a lot like his disguise he wore in the Myotismon arc).
In episode 4 Izzy has made Tai a new pair of goggles and these goggles are special because allow Tai to see any digital active disturbances (so he has the digital glasses from Mega Man Star Force I swear if NetNavi’s began out as Digimon I will fucking flip a table). While the Digidestined’s are trying out Tai’s new Goggles they meet up with a new girl from their school Miho Arakawa a new character introduce earlier way back in episode 1 but has been nothing of relent till now and I’ll explain in a few why. She need their help looking for a “CAT” and on that cat hunt they meet up with Matt so then both him and Tai make up and kiss and then suddenly something appears.
That thing that appears is Alphamon, yes we have Alphamon finally in a cannon Digimon series which is just a very awesome thing with Alphamon being a fan favorite since his movie “Digimon X-Evolution” (which I should review, and the other Digimon movies, and Savers). Alphamon is chasseing this Digimon named called Meicoomon (a very brand new Digimon that was created for this movie and at the time no Evolution chart) and also on his tail is Huckmon (a Digimon what was helped promoted with the anniversary Digivice, so shameless self-promotion, and he does like nothing but hay he will probably be impotent in the other movies). The Digidestind’s go to try and fight Alphamon but they all get Wrecked which also made a bunch of funny Gif’s and Memes. Matt keep telling Tai to go ahead and try to fight and Tai sees more destruction around him which then motivates Tai to fight again and then both Augmon and Gabumon Digivolve from there champion’s, mega’s, and Ultimate’s and then finally DNA Digivolve into.
OMNIMON! Yes this battle just got so real with a battle of the ages a fight between Alphamon and Omnimon, the Alpha V. the Omega, the original OG Royal Knight V. the leader of the Royal Knight’s, and the battle itself glorious and speechless just from the epic and splendid animation that this battle was quite possibly the highlight of the entire movie. The fight with Alphamon and Omnimon is comes to an end with Alphamon retreating with Omnimon just shooting a leaving a giant mark in the ground and dedigivlovs back into Koromon and Tsumon.
Then the movie ends with Mako happy to see Meicoomon is alive and say’s she and Meicoomon are partners and yes she is the 9th Digidestend.
Overall this was just really, really great and well that is all I have to say.
I admit I don't let nostalgia judge my thoughts in reviewing (because if that did happen Gundam wing would get the Prodigus award) but this did feel nostalgic and did Nostalgia right without doing nostalgic overboard like so many other shows/ movies do. I love how the characters were development feel natural growth to them, which I think is a super critical thing for me since the characters are like my favorite characters in all of fiction. The music is just excited so excellent, sure it is the same music but I still love and it’s amazing to hear the remix of Butterfly Brave Heart, and also I wish. And finally the icing on the cake, the animation, I mean the animation looks just so amazing and shows that there so much time and effort put into this animation and only a few times did the animation dropped, but compare this to Toei’s other animation's like Sailor Moon Crystal or Dragon Ball Super which is a big surprise and great because usually with Toei and banking on nostalgia you usually say “That's Toei, what do you expect?”. I’m excited for when the next movie is out which shale be in March and that is great to hear that’s its getting release so soon and said the next movie will get release in the Anime season like spring summer fall and winter, and so glad that is happening unlike the Eva movies. I would loved to see this get a dub in the U.S. but now we can't from he evil that is modern Nickelodeon and the cheep ness of modern Saban productions we can now but maybe that is a good thing in the end (and well I could tell a lot of the original voices would not come back).
Come back next week and that is the start of a bunch of December reviews all relating to 1 particular Kamen Rider season.
