Digimon

Digimon Adventure (デジモンアドベンチャー Dejimon Adobenchā?), known outside of Japan as the first season of Digimon: Digital Monsters, is a Japanese anime television series created by Akiyoshi Hongo and produced by Toei Animation in cooperation with Bandai and Fuji Television. It is the first anime installment in the Digimon media franchise, based on the virtual pet of the same name. The series aired in Japan between March 7, 1999 and March 26, 2000. An English-language version produced by Saban Entertainment aired in North America between August 1999 and June 2000. A video game adaptation of the series by Prope was released for PlayStation Portable on January 17, 2013. The series was followed by Digimon Adventure 02, which takes place four years (three years in original Japanese because the different regions wanted to match the characters aid to their respective educational-system) after the events of Adventure. It was confirmed by a promo on Nicktoons that Digimon would begin to air on Nicktoons on June 10, 2013 and was later confirmed on there Facebook page.

Plot
On August 1, 1999, seven children from Japan are suddenly thrust into a strange dimension called the "Digital World" while they are at summer camp. During their adventure, children Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, and T.K., discover that they are in a land where digital creatures called "Digimon" dwell. Befriending seven of the Digimon, the children learn that they have the ability to help their partners digitally evolve (digivolve) into stronger, powerful forms that can combat enemies for a short amount of time. Setting off on their journey, the children start searching for a way home. Arc 1 (episodes 1-13) The children later learn that they are the "DigiDestined", chosen children with compatibilities with Digimon, and they are the only hope in destroying the evil that is slowly consuming the Digital World. The culprit eventually reveals himself to be Devimon, who sent Black Gears to brainwash other Digimon into attacking the children to take control of File Island, and breaks up the island scattering the Digidestined across the fragments. As the Digidestined make their way back to the centre of File Island, Devimon has his only loyal servant Ogremon, and the enslaved Leomon target T.K. and Patamon, as the two are the ones prophesised to destroy him. Fortunately, as the Digidestined reunite with the freed Leomon, Patamon, digivolves to Angemon for the first time, destroying Devimon at the cost of his own life and is reborn as a Digimon Egg. However, Devimon is only the begining as a mysterious being contacts them. Arc 2 (episodes 14-21) The mysterious being identifies himself as Gennai, asking the DigiDestined to travel to the continent Server to defeat his enemies. The Digidestined also learn from Gennai that they have the ability to help their Digimon digivolve further with the power of Crests and Tags. They discover the Tags with the help of Whamon, who then transports them to Server. However, on their second day on the continent, a powerful new enemy reveals himself. Etemon, who runs his Dark Network across the continent, wishes to destroy the Digidestined, and attempts to prevent them from obtaining the the Crests. After several conflicts with Etemon's forces, all the Crests apart from Sora's are found. The Digidestined are then contacted by Datamon, who is being forced to run the Dark Network from inside Etemon's headquarters, an upside down pyramid. The Digidestined infiltrate the pyramid and manage to free Datamon, but he immediately betrays them, kidnapping Sora and Biyomon and evading Etemon. After Izzy manages to determine that Datamon is hiding in a secret room underneath the main pyramid, the Digidestined break in again, rescuing Sora. Datamon planned to copy Sora and use her Crest, which he discovered, to have Biymon destroy Etemon. However, with that plan foiled, Datamon infects the Dark Network with viruses, to have it absorb Etemon. The attack destroys Datamon, Etemon's remaining forces and his fortress, but Etemon survives, grafted onto the heart of the Network and more powerful than ever. Tai, who has managed to activate his Crest through bravery, helps Agumon digivolve to MetalGreymon, who destroys Etemon and his Dark Network for good. Unfortunately, Etemon's destruction opens a rift that pulls Tai and Metalgreymon into the Real World, where they encouter several mysteries. Firstly, barely minutes have passed since the Digidestined disappeared, and when Tai goes to his house, his little sister Kari recognises Koromon. Although they receive a transmission from Izzy pleading with them not to return to Digital World, Tai realises he must go back to stop evil Digimon crossing a dimensional gate from the Digital World to enter Earth. Kari's part in the tale is not over however, as a new Digivice has appeared in the Kamiya household. Arc 3 (episodes 22-39) Tai returns to the Digital World to round up the DigiDestined, where he learns of another threat, Myotismon, who, through his minion Demidevimon, has scattered the Digidestined and caused some to become disillusioned, preventing them from working together and activating their Crests. Tai's return sparks reunion of the Digidestined, with Matt, Sora and Izzy managing to have their partners digivolve to higher levels. Myotismon then decides to enter the Real World to capture a pre-destined eighth DigiDestined child. The DigiDestined follow Myotismon to their hometown, where they discover that all seven of them saw a fight between a Greymon and a bird-like Digimon at Highton View Terrace 4 years ago, the event that caused them to become Digidestined. They also deduce that the eighth child must have also been present, and start searching. However, Myotismon's henchmen are also searching, leading to several battles between the two sides. On the second day of the search, Gatomon, one of Myotismon most loyal servants, encounters Kari and is seemingly unable to attack the child. With the help of her old friend Wizardmon, she then realises that Kari is the eighth child, and she is her partner. The two Digimon find Kari's Digivice, which Wizardmon gives to Tai to protect Kari. They then attempt to retrieve her Crest, which Myotismon has in his possession. Myotismon then attacks the two, leaving Wizardmon for dead, and kidnapping Gatomon. Myotsimon then isolates the district using a fog barrier, and begins rounding up the citzens in a Convention Centre to have Gatomon identify the child. While Tai, Kari, Izzy and Matt and their all manage to evade capture, Joe and T.K. are trapped outside of the town when the fog hits, and Mimi, Palmon and Sora are captured. Tai entrusts Kari to Matt, and sets off to rescue the people from the Convention centre. Although Sora and Mimi lead an escape attempt which sees Palmon digivolve to Lilymon for the first time, Myotismon foils the plan, forcing Sora to escape with her savior Biyomon, along with the defeated Lilymon. While Izzy decides to try and destroy the TV station from which the fog barrier is being projected, Joe and T.K. are attacked while crossing the river, causing Gomamon to digivolve to Zudomon to save them. They then find Wizardmon, who now has Kari's Crest. Sora finds Matt and Kari, but an attack by Myotismon's forces causes Kari to hand herself over to end the fighting. As Tai rescues Mimi, Matt, Sora, Joe, T.K. and Wizardmon arrive at the TV station, where Myotismon has also appeared with Gatomon to kill Kari. A ferocious battle ensues, which only ends when Tai arrives with Kari's Digivice, and Wizardmon sacrifces himself to Gatomon and Kari from a death blow from Myotismon. This causes Gatomon to digivolve to Angewomon who then destroys Myotismon. However, a prophecy comes true, with Myotismon transforming into the collosal Vemonmyotismon. The Digivolution of Agumon and Gabumon into their Mega forms allows the Digidestined to destroy Vemonmyotismon. When the fog barrier finally lifts, the DigiDestined realize that the Digital World has grown worse since their departure, when it appears in the sky above their world. Arc 4 (episodes 40-54) Upon returning, the Dark Masters, four elite evil Digimon, reveal themselves to be the true culprits behind every enemy the DigiDestined had faced thus far, and have used their absence to transform the Digital World into four territories that make up Spiral Mountain. The Dark Masters almost destroy the Digidestined in their first fight, and it is only with the sacfirices of Chuumon and Piximon that they are saved. The Digidestined then fight the master of the oceans Metalseadramon, who kills their old ally Whamon, only to be destroyed seconds later by Wargreymon. The Digidestined begin to fight amongst themselves as they enter the forest, the domain of Puppetmon, causing Matt to leave the group. Puppetmon's ally Cherrymon, manages to talk Matt into fighting Tai, but the fight stops when an unidentified creature contacts the children through Kari. The being shows them that they were chosen by higher powers that balence the Digital World to become Digidestined, when the battle at Highton View Terrace took place. Digimon, Digivices and Crests were created, and although the Dark Masters managed to steal and scatter the Crests, Gennai managed to save the Digimon, only losing Gatomon on the journey to File Island. Following these revealtions, Matt decides to leave the group again to work out his place in it, and Mimi also chooses to part company, as she is sick of the fighting which has claimed many of their friends. With Joe resolving to protect Mimi, the rest of the group launch an attack on Puppetmon's mansion. Joe and Mimi do not find the peace they seek, as Etemon, having finally manged to reconstitute himself as Metaletemon, finds and attacks them. They evade him with the help of an injured Ogremon and Leomon, who has gained the ability to digivolve to Sabreleomon. Tai's group manges to defeat Puppetmon, and although he brings his mansion to life, he is destroyed when Matt and Metalgarurumon reappear briefly. Metaletemon attacks Joe and Mimi again, and Sabreleomon is forced to sacrifce himself to help Zudomon destroy him. The two children then set to gather allies for the final battle, while Tai's group enter the city of Machinedramon. Tai confronts personal demons when Kari becomes ill on his watch, and the group are spilt apart when Machinedramon attacks them, sending them falling into the sewer. While, Sora, Kari and T.K rescue enslaved Numemon, Tai and Izzy find an old friend in the form of Andromon. Although the partner Digimon are exhausted, the Numemon's sacfrifices allows Kari to release a powerful light enabling Wargreymon to destroy Machinedramon in a single attack. The group then set off to the summit of Spiral Mountain to battle Piedmon, only for Tai to tell Sora and T.K. to reunite the rest of the group. Joe leaves Mimi to find Matt, and only discovers him after Matt has escaped from a cave created from his own inner darkness. The two then help T.K. rescue Sora from a similar cave, and arrive back at the top of Spiral Mountain, just in time to save Tai and Wargreymon. Although Metalgarurumon evens the odds, Piedmon converts them and most of the Digimon and children into key-chains. When only T.K., Kari and Patamon are left, T.K.'s Crest of hope activates, and the newly digivolved Magnaangemon uses his power to destroy Piedmon, just as Mimi arrives with her own army to counter Piedmon's Vilemon. With the last Dark Master defeated, Spiral Mountain disintegrates and the true evil, Apocalymon reveals himself to be their final enemy. Although he destroys the Crests, and turns the Digidestined to data, the Digidestined use their inner power to help their Digimon digivolve to their highest levels. Apocalymon is defeated, with his final attack being contained by the Digivices, and the Digital World begins to rebuild, starting with File Island. The children return to the Real World, supposedly never to return, leaving their Digimon partners behind, although Tai asserts that he is sure the portal between the two worlds won't be shut forever.

Characters
The English version of Digimon Adventure was somewhat unique at the time it was dubbed. Most anime dubbed in the 1990s changed the names of characters and locales for the sake of localization. In Digimon, however, most names of the DigiDestined remained unchanged or were shortened to Americanized nicknames, and almost all name references to the locations in Japan visited during the series were retained. Some Digimon names were modified into English equivalents, and in rare cases to Japanese equivalents. The eight DigiDestined children are listed first, followed by their Digimon partners.

Other Digital World characters

 * Gennai (13-54): An old man created from data who acts as a guide to the DigiDestined.


 * Andromon (5, 48-52, 54): An android-like Digimon that was freed in Episode 5 by Sora, Tai, and Joe, but attacked due to the presence of one of Devimon's Black Gears. Defeated and freed by Kabuterimon, he reappeared in Episodes 48 and 49 to hunt down and destroy Machinedramon, and stayed with them until the final battle with Piedmon, going so far as to hold him off while they attempted to escape all being turned into keychains and defeated. Once revived by MagnaAngemon, he participated in the final battle against Piedmon and the Vilemon swarm, and returned with their other allies to congratulate the Chosen Children on defeating Apocalymon.


 * Centarumon (Kentarumon) (10-14, 52-54): Guardian of an ancient temple on File Island, the place in the Digital World the children were first transported to. Returned to help the kids build a raft, and met Gennai at the Wall of Fire. He congratulated them on defeating Apocalymon, and went on to point out the eclipse and informs the children that it was time to say good-bye.


 * Leomon (8-14, 46-47): Protector of File Island. Constantly enslaved, freed and reenslaved by the Black Gears, until right before the final battle with Devimon. He surprised the partner Digimon when he attacked them with Ogremon, as his reputation was that of a just Digimon and was well-known to be Ogremon's mortal enemy. Presumably, it was he who organized the party of Digimon who built the Chosen Children a raft to travel to Server Continent. Was given the ability to Digivolve#Warp Digivolve / Ultimate Evolution|Warp Digivolve into Saber Leomon after intense exposure to Tai, Matt, Mimi and Izzy's Digivices. He is killed by MetalEtemon, taking an attack intended to kill Mimi.


 * Ogremon (8-13, 46-54): Leomon's rival. Was the only Digimon willing to help Devimon not under the influence of the Black Gears, as he wished to finally defeat Leomon. After Devimon was destroyed, Leomon scared him off. He reappears in episode 46, wounded badly after a fight with Woodmon and the earthquake caused by MetalEtemon. Mimi and Joe tend his wounds, and he is incredibly touched that they would help him after he tried to kill them. He allies himself with Mimi and Joe after Leomon's death, realizing he was more than just a rival, and agrees to help the Chosen Children fight the Dark Masters. He is present for the final battle with Piedmon, and appears after the final battle with Apocalymon to thank and congratulate the children, but leaves after they take a commemorative photograph in Primary Village


 * Whamon [14-15, 41-42 (42-43 in the English Dub): The second to last Digimon with a Black Gear, encountered en route to Server Continent. Once the Gear is destroyed, he apologizes for destroying their raft and offers to ferry the Chosen Children to Server himself. Reappeared in episode 41 (42 in the dub version) to save and protect the children from MetalSeadramon, but is killed in the ensuing battle.


 * Piximon (Piccolomon) [18, 40 (and 41 in the English Dub)]: Well known in the Digital World as a trainer, Piximon takes on the Chosen Children, particularly Tai and Agumon. Returns in episode 40, sacrificing himself to the Dark Masters to ensure the escape and safety of the Chosen Children.


 * Wizardmon (Wizarmon) (30-37): Gatomon's old friend. She saved him from death, and told him she was looking for someone. Out of gratitude and affection, Wizardmon allied himself with Myotismon to keep an eye on Gatomon, and ultimately repaid her by solving the mystery of who she was waiting for and why. He briefly united her with Chosen Child partner, before they took on Myotismon together, in an effort to retrieve the Crest of Light. Ultimately, he died to protect Gatomon and Kari. He returns briefly on Earth during 02 as a ghost to warn Gatomon of danger ahead.

Episodes
List of Digimon Episodes Each Episode Air at 5:00pm on Nicktoon only on Week days....

Development
In 1999, a short film based on the virtual pets called Digimon Adventure was released. However, shortly after the film's storyboard was completed in 1998, producers at Toei Animation were requested to turn it into a television show as well. The DigiDestined's character designs were created by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. The staff had decided to name the characters based on kanji that related to luck. For the original Japanese version of Digimon Adventure, all music was composed by Arisawa Takanori who was best known for his compositions for the Sailor Moon franchise and Galaxy Fraulein Yuna. When Saban acquired the US rights to the show, Wendee Lee, Michael Sorich, and David Walsh became the voice directors. The original soundtrack of the show was replaced by music composed by Udi Harpaz and Shuki Levy. For the Saban dub, Shuki Levy recycled several music soundtracks from Starcom: The U.S. Space Force an 1980s cartoon produced by DIC Entertainment in addition to recycling some of the music from the Masked Rider TV series based on 1980s Tokusatsu Kamen Rider Black RX.