Digimon is one of the better franchises out there and they have always come out with some pretty solid shows in the past. The first two Digimon Adventures both cracked a solid 8/10 which is pretty impressive. Digimon Tamera takes a few steps away from the previous two series as it uses a completely different approach in how the plot progresses. Would this be a welcome change or did they fix something that was not broken?

The story takes place 10 years since the end of Digimon Adventure 02. The human world doesn’t really know about the Digital World aside from a government agency that tries to stop them from materializing. It’s their life’s work, but they are unable to stop just about anyone from actually appearing. Rookie level Digimon are more than a match for them which can make things a little dicey. To clarify the earlier statement, people do know about Digimon, but they believe that they are fake and from the TV show. They play with the cards and just have a lot of fun.

Takato decides to make his own Digimon and he uses his creative art skills along with his powerful imagination to create Guilmon and they quickly become pals. Unfortunately, the Digimon Queen (Rika) wants to destroy Guilmon and a third tamer steps in to stop this while claiming that his name is Henry. Whether or not he is telling the truth doesn’t matter as much as the fact that he seems to be one of the good guys. The three tamers must now team up to fend off the evils of the Digital World.

There are two main story arcs to Digimon Tamers. The first 10 or so episodes as the heroes leveling up and building their bonds of friendship. Once that is taken care of, then it’s time to take down the Devas. They work for the Digimon Sovereign and it would appear that he may be able to crush the whole world in an instant. At least, that’s how the Devas act as they oppose the legendary Tamers. There are several Devas and each one possesses abilities that are beyond Guilmon and friends. To stop them, it is time to Digivolve and unlock their true powers!

After the Tamers challenge the Digimon Sovereign and learn of the untold truths of the Digital World, they are attacked by the D Reaper. Right away, The heroes know that they are outmatched and the D Reaper begins to erase the universe. They must use all of the past experience that they have gained so far and unleash their ultimate power. Nothing seems to work against the D Reaper, but there’s got to be a way!

That’s the jist of the plot so let’s start talking about the Digimon Tamers. Takato is the main character and he’s a lot different than his predecessors. Tai was a bold leader who took charge and recognized the value of friendship along with the ability to protect his friends. Davis was always ready to act and he possessed courage that was basically unheard of along with his limitless self confidence. Takato doesn’t really possess any of those things or not in such large portions. He’s not exactly the bravest fighter and he’s not as bold or daring as the others. He lacks confidence and he’s definitely not a leader. He does tend to panic and he didn’t stand a chance against Rika when they fought the first time since he forgot to use his D Cards.

Arguably Takato gets better as the series goes on and arguably he gets worse. He’s pretty sad for the second half of the series because of what happens to Jeri and he never becomes the main character that you would have expected. This guy is definitely no Kaz Gordan, but he does have his “hardcore” moments. Unfortunately, they can’t be taken seriously because he just isn’t that guy. It may help that his voice just doesn’t have the same level of coolness as the other main characters. His main Digimon is Guilmon who is a fire type. Guilmon is a decent character, but he can also get a little annoying. He’s at his best when he’s in his Champion or Ultimate mode.

Rika is another one of the three Tamers and she’s a step up from Takato. She was at her best during her Digimon Queen days as she could quickly defeat opponents with Renamon. They were a dangerous combo and it’s not really known how many Digimon she deleted back in the day, but it was likely a lot. As the series went on, she started to bond with the other Tamers and showed them that it’s never too late to turn good. Unfortunately, she lost her edge and Renamon also seemed to lose power. Renamon’s ultimate form was easily the worst one from the three heroes and her champion form wasn’t really impressive either. Her mega form is pretty solid and that’s likely what counts in the end. Guilmon stole the best forms for each of the levels aside from Rookie anyway. Renamon is still superior in her rookie form and she seems like a pretty capable fighter. She has a good level of speed and she can fight in hand to hand combat.

Henry is the third tamer and he’s definitely a mixed bag. On one hand, he doesn’t really like to fight all the time and he’ll have his moments where he yells at Suzie and shows why he lacks the strength of heart that the other two have. By the end of the series he has gotten better at this, but he got fooled to the very end. At least now he will know better than to hand out his Digivice no matter what the reason may be. He’s pretty experienced, but he doesn’t have a lot of battle experience since he usually skips that part. I didn’t really care for Henry and he just wasn’t as likable as the other heroes of the past. Terriermon was pretty cool and he was the best from the three Digimon. He always knew when it was time to win and he could definitely hold his own in a fight. He was pretty cool and never backed down from a fight. That’s something that I won’t forget! Terriermon may have thought he was tougher than he actually was, but the idea that he could win is the important part.

Ryo is a tamer who came into the show during the final episodes. This guy was more experienced than the original three tamers combined and he was also the most skilled. Not even Rika could defeat him in the card game as he became the Digimon King. Ryo uses Cyberdramon and together they make a pretty deadly combination. He’s the best character in the show and it’s easy to see why. He basically takes the whole thing in stride and acts like how Tai probably would have if he were here. He also gets a pretty intense Mega form as well. He was a solid addition to the team and it makes me wish that he had come around a little sooner. This guy could have definitely used some more screen time. His Digimon partner is also pretty cool and he’s always ready for a fight. He reminds me of Black War Greymon and that’s definitely a good thing.

After those characters, there were other kids who tried to help in the ultimate fight against the villains. Jeri was a classmate of Takato and she used to be a pretty chipper character. After a traumatic event happens, she becomes sad and shuts herself off from the world for essentially the rest of the series. It can get a little tiring as she makes things a lot tougher for the heroes and was not strong enough to give the D Reaper a good fight. She definitely has the most traumatic history from the main characters, but I’m pretty sure that Tai or Davis would have tried to do something about it. There may not be anything that can be done, but they would still find a way. If Takato can turn a piece of paper into a Digimon, there is always hope.

We also have Kenta and Kazu who are basically around…to be around. They don’t really add anything to the show and there isn’t much of a point to really have them around. They provide the playful banter and try to keep the atmosphere light, but it’s not a very significant job. Kenta is the guy that Kazu messes around with a lot, but they’re still good friends deep down. Kenta gets his own Digimon by the end of the series, but he doesn’t really try to fight the D Reaper anyway. The Digimon is usually there for support and epicness. Kazu is more of a leader and aside from the fact that he was scared along with Kenta when Takato got a Digimon, he’s more of a decent character. I can’t really say that I care for him overall, but he’s a decent fighter. He tries his best and that’s what counts in the end I suppose. He ends up with a pretty weak Digimon which limits his fighting capabilities.

Suzie also gets a decent role as she helps to remind the other kids that they’re not the only ones who can put up a good fight. That being said, she is far too young to be a Digidestined and I don’t think that she should have been chosen. More often than not, she’s just a hindrance in battle and she really has no idea on how to fight. She’s not quite as motivated as the others and she doesn’t really realize the gravity of the situation. I think that she would make a wonderful Tamer if they had just let her train for a few more years.

Alice is a mysterious figure who appears during the final episodes of the series. She comes in with Dobermon to save the heroes and let them unlock their full potential. After saving them, she left and vanished back to where she had come from. She is shrouded in mystery and it would be interesting to get an OVA about her adventures and what happened along the way. Could it be that she’s stronger than she lets on? She seemed to be pretty experienced as she fought alongside Dobermon against D Reaper agents.

Yamaki is the leader of the Government squad that is dedicated to defeating Digimon once and for all. He starts out as one of the big villains who wants to defeat Digimon no matter what and he uses very extreme methods to get the job done. He was essentially another Light Yagami who thought that what he was doing was right. Luckily he turned over a new leaf and realized that Digimon can actually be pretty cool. Unfortunately his character development is arguably crushed in the final episode and makes him do a complete 360 which changes his character a lot. He’s a pretty fun character to watch and he tends to get the better of whoever he is talking too, but he also loses a lot. It’s a win/lose situation and you’ll either like him or you won’t.

One of the worst characters in the show is definitely Janyu. Janyu tries to get away from the whole Digimon business, but he’s quickly drawn back in and forced to make the “tough” calls. He chooses to make the call that banishes some people to another world from which they have no hope of returning. It’s supposed to be Heroic, but I couldn’t agree with the move at all and it just made him look like the next big villain. I had to take a few steps back myself as I realized the dire consequences of it all. Janyu is definitely not a character to look forward too and I didn’t like him even before the big decision.

Shibumi is another character that you can write off as an unlikable fellow. He talks a really good game and he is able to travel between worlds with ease which makes him look pretty cool. Unfortunately, those stunts don’t tend to impress me and I have to say that he could have looked better. He was purposely vague for a lot of the show and he knew a lot more about Digimon than he should have. It just wasn’t right!

Impmon is one of the bigger characters in the series and he has a lot of hardcore moments. He is another character who starts off as a villain and then sees the light. He wasn’t completely evil at first, but power quickly consumed him and brought him over to the dark side. While he was evil, Impmon had a pretty big fight with Gallantmon and he showed that he was one of the strongest Digimon in the Digital World. Once he turned good, Impmon continued to gain new abilities and he could defeat just about anyone. He was a pretty fun character to have around and he was one of the best members of the supporting cast.

Calumon is around for the majority of the series and he’s not someone to be trifled with. He is pretty oblivious to everything around him and he just liked to have fun. He is able to outsmart Mega Level Digimon which is a pretty good feat, but he’s not really any good in a fight. I don’t really mind the character, but he doesn’t really add anything to the show either. He’s just around.

Leomon is around, but he never really got the chance to be likable in this show. He put up a pretty good fight as per usual, but it was still hard to take him seriously. He’s only a Champion level, but he’s always hyped to such incredible levels that it’s a little scary. He really shouldn’t stand a chance against such powerful competition. He’s not an awful character, but not a really likable one either.

The D Reaper is the final boss of the series and he’s a being of unimaginable power. Some have said that he may even be a Universe Buster depending on how deeply you look at the episodes. While I’m not sure about that, he’s definitely a force to be reckoned with. The D Reaper is essentially a giant blob of goop that consumes everything that it touches. That doesn’t really sound impressive at first because you can just keep on blasting it while avoiding the goop. The Chunk could probably outrun the goop and that’s saying something! Well, the D Reaper is far more than just a giant blob of goop. The D Reaper has many forms and it can assimilate Digimon and use their abilities.

The D Reaper has a bunch of puppet creatures that it can shoot out to overwhelm weaker Digimon and it even has Sentries that can deal with Mega level Digimon. Justimon had a tough time and he was only fighting one of them! The D Reaper assimilated Jerry and created an evil clone of her that should not be underestimated by any means. Finally, the D Reaper also showed off its master form and it’s huge! That’s not necessarily a good thing, but it looked pretty cool and that’s what counts. It was a solid way to show off its power. The D Reaper may not really have much of a personality as it just wants to delete and find out the meaning of emotion, but it was a decent final boss. Beelzemon may have been a better final boss, but this was a way for Humans and Digimon to team up!

The Animation in this series was a large step up from the previous seasons. I’m not sure why, but the animation was just big improvement and also looks better than season 4’s animation. This one felt a lot more modern and like it could be a 2000’s anime while the others were more dated. The animation boost also meant that we could finally have some hand to hand fights like Gallantmon vs Beelzemon. That was definitely a big bonus and helped the season big time.

The Soundtrack is also top notch. I didn’t think that it would be possible to top season one’s themes, but this season managed to pull it off. The Digivolution theme is really intense and one of the best themes out there. The Biomerge theme isn’t that good, but it can be overlooked since the other forms were all pretty intense. The show used a lot of the same music as the 90’s Avengers show which was pretty interesting and very nostalgic. That’s how you win the fans over!

Continuity wise, you can make a lot of cases for the show. Personally, I would say that it takes place during or after Season 2. Basically, the fact that everyone could basically have a Digimon was a threat to the status quo so the Government decided to get rid of them. It’s pretty dark, but they must have tried to eradicate the Digidestined as well. I doubt that they would succeed so I like to think that Tai and friends are duking it out in another part of the Digital World. At least we know that Omnimon is okay so that’s a start. I would have liked some cameos from the first two seasons, but maybe next time.

Digimon Adventure has been my favorite season for a long time, but it has finally been surpassed. Digimon Tamers is just That good. It’s pretty different from the first season as its a lot darker and there’s more drama. The characters don’t take things in stride as much as the original main characters, but they’re decent in their own right. The show didn’t suffer from any bad insert songs like Season 2 and we got more high speed action. The animation also gave it a bit of an edge.

If I had to name a negative for the show, it would be the amount of drama. During the D Reaper arc, they definitely add a lot of it and it can be a little overdone. The series was actually similar to the first two seasons in tone during the earlier part of the series with the first few Devas. Things got more emotional once they went into the Digital World and during the D Reaper part. The Tamers also don’t look good since they actually give up at certain points and seem to lose their drive to win. The show could have used a little of the light atmosphere from the first two seasons during the climax with the D Reaper. The Tamers lacked the strength of heart and the determination that the older generations had and it would have helped a lot in the climax. Still, aside from some of the characters and the drama, there really isn’t much to negatives to mention in this show. There is a rushed romance between Rika and Takato that doesn’t really go anywhere and is just there for the lolz, but you can ignore it. You may not even count it since it’s only a few lines on it.

Overall this was a pretty solid show and actually one of the all time greats. In the end, it actually managed to surpass the original two seasons. That was pretty impressive and this show is well rounded. It is pretty good to great in all areas and there aren’t really many negatives about the show. I recommend it to people who like to see some good action, watch a 90’s feeling anime, or just like Digimon and Pokemon. You won’t regret it and the soundtrack/animation also make it worth your while. I wonder if Season 4 can match up to this one.

Overall 8/10

Tsubasa is a pretty well known anime/manga. It’s created by Clamp which is an instant plus for many people. To think that Clamp would make a shounen series that featured a lot of intense action was a little out there right? Angelic Layer had some amazing fights as well, but this time the stakes were real. This anime doesn’t play out like an average shounen, so can it stand the test of time?

Well, the main plot stays for the entire series, but the subplots change according to each world. I’m getting a little ahead here so let’s go back. The series starts out with Cardcaptor Sakura and Li Syaoran as they’re in a desert world. Sakura seems to get possessed and ancient symbols of magic appear. Sakura floats into the air and then loses her wings as Syaoran saves her. Out of portals that seem to lead to another dimension, mecha guards with claws attack them. Good thing that we have a magician and a swordsman to back them up. The magician tells Syaoran to leave the planet and help Sakura. They do the only natural thing that could be done in this situation and escape the entire dimension.

One thing that I’ve got to mention is the fact that episode 1 was extremely good. It’s still one of the best episodes in the series and was a great way to start off the series. Not only was the episode fast paced, but a lot of things happened. The villains appeared (With an Awesome theme!) and acted pretty tough. They’ve got a nice plan that they won’t actually reveal for the entire series, but everyone likes a little mystery right? We also get to see glimpses of two other dimensions as Fai and Kurogane also leave their dimensions. Kurogane was forced out while Fai went willingly.

Again, I must stress that this is only the first episode! While things do slow down from this point, that was the perfect way to start off the series and must be one of the best series premieres out there. I really can’t think of many that could top this one. (Yugioh Zexal II (If you count it) could stack up against this one) Syaoran, Sakura, Kurogane, and Fai are the main characters of the series so let’s go into some detail about them.

The four of them meet the Space Witch who agrees to let them travel the dimensions, but at a cost. Syaoran wants to find all of Sakura’s memories that have turned into feathers and scattered across the dimensions. His price is the fact that Sakura can never remember the good ole times they had in the past, so Syaoran will be permanently cut out of her memories. Syaoran pays the price so he’s all set on that end.

Fai’s price is the seal on his back because it means a lot to him. Without the seal, Fai has decided not to use magic anymore. Kurogane is forced to give up his legendary sword and with that, all three prices have been paid. Sakura is unconscious, so she doesn’t have to actually pay a toll. The four of them head off with Mokona (A being who can travel across dimensions, sense emotions, and has around 107 techniques) to other dimensions. Mokona can sense if a feather (memory) is nearby and once they have found all of the feathers in the dimension, then they will head off to another dimension.

All right, now we’ve got our formula for the series! At first, Kurogane is really just tagging along because he can’t really do anything about it, but he comes around eventually. Fai is always extra cheerful, but it seems to be an act part of the time. Syaoran is really all business and he’ll do anything to get the feathers back. Sakura starts the series as a pretty weak character for a while, but whenever she gets a feather, more of her strength returns to her.

I can’t get into every dimension that they travel to, but I’ll mention some of the big ones. In one dimension, they head to a world where people can use the powers of Kudan! It’s essentially a way to summon animals and use elemental powers. Syaoran meets a guy named Shogo and they have some battles. This is the first dimension that they travel too, so they’re still a little rusty. Syaoran is definitely the best character at this point and he definitely intends to get all of the feathers back.

One scene that may be notable is the fact that Syaoran says that he’ll get the feather back no matter what. The feather is stuck inside one of the monsters, but Syaoran rips it out. He didn’t seem to care if the guy died, since the feather was the only thing that mattered. Perhaps, he cared a little bit, but not enough that he would pause in his quest. This was a pretty good dimension and a nice place to start things off.

Next up, they go to a dimension where evil dictators have harnessed the powers of the feather. (Did I mention that Sakura’s feathers are immensely powerful objects that have nearly unlimited power?) Syaoran and his friends go to stop these fiends and the battles commence. This arc possibly had even more action than the Kudan part and I’d say that it was more interesting. While Syaoran takes on the dictator and his son, Fai and Kurogane battle Kiishimu. Kiishimu is a witch whose abilities have never been seen in their entirety. Needless to say, she’s a pretty powerful opponent. Fai could possibly have defeated her with ease, but he has vowed never to use magic.

Oto Country is one of the next dimensions that they travel too and it’s pretty exciting for several reasons. One of these reasons is the fact that the plot seems to finally advance. This dimension has demons and the stakes enter their highest at the time. Kurogane teaches Syaoran how to fight with a sword and they take on many demons. Syaoran wields a fire sword while Kurogane wields a blue sword. A mysterious figure shows up and the plot really starts to thicken.

The man seems to know Syaoran and he’s also after the feathers. He manages to grab one and we find out that he can cross dimensions at will. This makes it virtually impossible to trap him and finding him could definitely be tough. He fights with Fai, Syaoran, and Kurogane in three separate battles. Let’s just say that one character may not have completely made it through that part. This guy definitely makes for a compelling villain and he was a pretty solid character. His sword has a very cool design and he’s possibly the strongest character at this point in the series.

Season one ends with a decent episode that wasn’t great, but it did have a nice battle at the end. For those who don’t read the manga, it may seem like a really important episode since Fei Wang sends his army in to take Syaoran and friends down. Fai and Kurogane stay back to stop the minions while Syaoran and Sakura make it to the top floor of the temple. Can Syaoran defeat the leader of the assassins? It definitely makes for a pretty epic fight and the episode was a nice way to end the season.

One of the dimensions that they visit in season two is a place where there’s a huge library. We finally see Kurogane’s origin and learn more about his reason for fighting. He has a debt to settle and he intends to settle it soon. This planet is pretty important since Fai also makes a crucial decision. Syaoran also starts to feel the influence of the other Syaoran a little more.

Quickly, I should talk about that part. Part of Fei Wang’s ultimate plan seems to involve Syaoran as he has a (Clone?) Syaoran locked away in a water tube. This Syaoran is able to take control of the other Syaoran from time to time and he seems to be a little…meaner! Beyond that, Fei Wang and his partner never reveal what their true plan is so I hope you like mysteries. We never learn why they want the feathers or why they just want to wreck Syaoran’s life.

Finally, the series ends with a dimension that involves royalty. Chaos is the King and he believes that Sakura should travel with him instead of Syaoran and friends. He has dozens of feathers and he can travel across dimensions. Obviously, he’s more qualified to help her on the quest right? Syaoran and friends don’t think so, but he is able to defeat all three of them. They put up a decent fight, but this is the final boss of the series! He’s immensely powerful and he seems to outrank them all in everything. With everything on the line, can Syaoran defeat this guy!?

Those are just some of the dimensions that Syaoran and friends visit during their travels so I recommend watching the series to see the rest. The animation is very good for the series and it holds up well. The soundtrack is dynamite and it has some really good themes in there. There are 3-4 different opera type music that I like a lot and we even get a battle theme. The villain theme is certainly the best in the series and you’ll find yourself looking to Youtube so that you can continue to listen to it.

Syaoran is a solid character and definitely someone that you can root for. He has several plot twists (As with everyone else) but none of them take away from the fact that he’s a good character. His fighting skills are pretty good and they keep on improving as the series goes on. The fact that there is another Syaoran is definitely an interesting plot point that may have been left hanging, but it was still epic.

Fai has a very high degree of magical ability, but since he decided not to use it anymore so we don’t really get to see his abilities in action. Even without them, Fai has shown that he’s very proficient at hand to hand combat. He tends to give Kurogane a hard time, but he’s pretty nice to everyone. He jokes around the most and Mokona always helps him. He seems to have a dicey past, since he has sealed someone away and had to hide by escaping the dimension. Unfortunately, the plot doesn’t return, but it’s a good concept.

Kurogane is the tough guy who has a lot of battle experience. He’s been wielding a blade for a while and he really just wants to go back home. The Princess of the land banished him from the dimension since he was hurting too many people and also cursed him. Whenever Kurogane destroys someone, he loses a bit of his power, which can definitely be distressing. Kurogane is definitely a solid character and he gets more friendly with the others as the series goes on.

There are several other characters who are pretty solid, but they’re scattered through the dimensions. Chaos and the other guy who could cross dimensions definitely made for some solid villains. The mysterious figure vanished and we never saw him again, so that plot should be interesting.

So, the only negative to the series would probably be the fact that most of the plots don’t end. The series ends with nothing being resolved and feels like it was cancelled. There is a sequel in the form of an OVA, and you can see the rest by checking out the manga, but it’s sad for those who were stuck with the anime. Even so, the anime is definitely solid and having an open ending could be a nice change of pace.

I wouldn’t really say that there are any other negatives. The soundtrack is great, the animation is superb, the characters are fun, and the series is over 50 episodes. Some of the characters may have some mild romance, but it’s really mild so you can ignore it for the most part. I highly recommend checking the series out. Since I own the series, I’ll likely be watching it again in the future. It’s the perfect anime for those who want fights, but a deep plot to go along with it.

Overall 8/10

After recently reviewing the Megaman NT Warrior manga it seemed like a good time to review the anime. While not quite as spectacular, it’s still a very solid anime and one that you won’t want to miss.

Lan is having a pretty bad day when the series starts, since he loses to the bully known as Dex. Dex isn’t quite as cruel as most bullies and he just has his fun messing with Lan. The whole school knows about his constant victories over Lan’s generic navi. Lan must have one of the weakest navies in all of existence, but that’s about to change. Lan gets a mysterious package from his father (Not directly since he’s rarely home) and installs the program. His navi is turned into the super powerful…Megaman!

Lan’s luck quickly changes for the better and Megaman crushes and humiliates Gutsman. The two heroes also go on to foil threats by World Three and they save lives. Things get serious when they announce that the N1 Grand Prix is coming up. Any battler who wants to boost his rep will be there and Lan definitely wants to win it all. We meet up with expert duelists like Chaud and….World Three? There are also fighters that you may have not expected, like the local fortune teller and a guy with a fish shaped helmet. Unbeknownst to all, the three (Sal is the third member) fighters are actually part of a superhero organization that is out to stop World Three. Their leader, Commander Beef, is actually a strong fighter and he shatters Protoman’s record for fastest victory in the tournament. Can Megaman possibly defeat these guys!? There are also two mysterious figures who operate the navies known as Blasterman and Stoneman…something seems odd about them! The tournament was definitely my favorite part of the series, but things stay epic as the tournament concludes.

An ultimately powerful navi by the name of Ba-Pharohman has been awakened and his power knows no limits. After terminating one of the main characters, (A pretty emotional scene) he proceeds to conquer the entire cyber network in a matter of seconds. Only a few characters are left to form the resistance against his tyranny, but can they possibly defeat his awesome power!? This was a very short arc, but it was definitely epic.

Things get a little lighter for Megaman and friends as they enjoy Net City. Unfortunately an evil organization by the name of Grave is out to wreck the place. They unleash their operatives around the city (Though Airman aims small and only seeks to defeat one civilian) and they unleash terror across the nation. Freezeman is a very high ranking officer and easily the best member of the group. He had an intense fight with Megaman and his battle against Torchman still ranks as one of the most epic battles of the series. The fight wasn’t long, but the stakes were a lot higher than usual. His battle with Megaman was also intense because he was the first seriously tough opponent to challenge the Blue Bomber in a long time. Things look dire for the heroes until…BASS shows up! Naturally, things get extremely dicey for Freezeman when that happens, but you’ll want to see the scene for yourself.

Grave also unleashes the Grave Virus Beast, whose defense is very formidable. The combined efforts of Megaman and Protoman don’t seem to put a dent in the monster. The heroes are very outmatched from the start and the Virus Beast would likely have ended everything in their first battle if not for the mighty…Bass! He’s always arriving at the nick of time isn’t he? The villains had prepared for this and the Virus Beast is ready…can Bass really defeat this opponent!?

That was the final big arc of the series, but there are still fun one-shot episodes that will keep you entertained. The final episode of the series leads into the sequel (Which will be reviewed very soon) and there’s also an episode that features a climatic battle between Megaman and Protoman. Snakeman’s episode was also pretty good and featured some good battles.

Lan is a much better character in this version than in the manga. He’s a character that you can root for and he never loses sight of his ideals. He’s more confident and he likes to defeat his opponents as quickly as possible. Megaman is not even close to as cool as his manga counterpart, but he’s still a decent hero. He’s just not as tough and his resolve can be shaken. He’s very dependent upon Lan’s help in a battle which also isn’t a plus. He’s still a good main character, but he definitely could have been better. His worst appearance was definitely in the Empress Roll episodes.

Chaud’s definitely epic for most of the series and likewise with Protoman. Chaud can be pretty rude and he likes putting others down, but that’s basically what rivals do in these situations. Lan tries to teach Chaud a lesson and they have a big fight in a public intersection. Protoman is also highly skilled and for the most part he defeats just about anyone he meets. (Though his battle with Stoneman got pretty unbelievable)

Lan’s friends get a much larger role in the anime, but they never develop into really good characters. Dex has realized the error of his ways and he’s no longer a bully. Unfortunately, he’s still really weak, but he doesn’t know it. Yai has a lot of good chips, but she’s not much of a fighter. Maylu can battle if she’s in a pinch, but she usually doesn’t fight unless she has too. She did enter the tournament though, so maybe she likes fighting more than I thought. Roll, Iceman, and Gutsman also aren’t that great, but I suppose that they are bearable.

Commander Beef has some pretty intense scenes, but aside from his light tower fight, he was mostly filler. Sharkman is labeled as one of the best fighters in the series, but he never impressed me. He doesn’t have any really good attacks and his speed isn’t that great. Sal and Woodman weren’t that much better, but Miyu and Skullman were a huge improvement. Miyu actually took on the legendary Lan and Megaman with her Skullman. Skullman’s speed is pretty good and he was able to keep up (And out speed) Megaman. The ending to the fight was a bit disappointing, but it was definitely one of the better battles.

World Three’s members were all pretty bad. Luckily their netnavies were a lot better. Torchman was a pretty decent threat in his first battle and he gets some solid character development. He’s definitely the best navi out of the group and he’s the only one to do some damage against the Grave operatives. Elecman was good in his very first appearance, but his personality did a 180 and he stopped being cool. Magicman is a cool concept, but his voice and personality wreck his character. Wackoman…I can’t even get started with that guy.

Blasterman was a pretty solid opponent and this is easily the best adaption of his character. He’s actually a pretty solid threat and he can go up against Megaman in a decently even fight. (With circumstances) Stoneman was also cool, but he got less chances to show his stuff. He was a decently good villain nonetheless.

Pharohman is also a really cool villain and his attacks are deadly. He succeeds in destroying one of the heroes and he doesn’t go down without a fight. The Virus Beast is also decently cool, but not quite as epic as his manga counterpart. He’s still an epic beast to keep your eye out for.

Bass is not quite as epic as his manga version, but that would be next to impossible! He’s definitely an imposing figure, but he didn’t get enough screen time. That was a pretty big oversight for the anime, but he still got some decently cool scenes. (It only gets better once Stream comes around!) His fight against Freezeman was epic!

Freezeman is definitely one of the best characters in the series. He’s a no nonsense character and he froze the entire city. His abilities are considerable since he was able to take on three ultimately powerful navies in a short span of time. (Heatman, Megaman, and Bass) I’m glad that he got a good amount of screen time, but his extremely cool ending was cut out of the english version.

This is definitely an anime that you guys will want to check out. Their are some obscure, but epic villains like Planetman awaiting you in the series! The fight scenes can get pretty good and the soundtrack is also decent. There are a couple of good songs that you’ll enjoy. I’ve seen this series a lot of times and I consider it an anime classic. It never gets old to hear Lan yell “Jack In Megaman! Power Up!”

Overall 8/10

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After the amazing Digimon Adventure, the expectations for Digimon Adventure 02 were considerably high. It was a direct sequel to the first show, but a new main cast would be taking over. Only TK and Kari got to stay as main characters while the rest of the DigiDestined were kept out of the (active) loop. They stuck around to help the new guys through a pinch, but for the most part, it wasn’t their show anymore.

It’s been 4 years since the events of the first series. Things are deadlier than ever and Tai and Agumon are basically the last heroes left to stop the evil forces. There doesn’t seem to be a problem at first, (After all, with Agumon’s Warp Digivolution there shouldn’t be a problem right?) but Agumon is unable to digivolve and it stuck at his rookie level. The Digimon Emperor has put up black towers known as Control Spires and they prevent all digimon from evolving. With Tai and Agumon defenseless, they are forced to retreat. Meanwhile in the human world, we are introduced to three new characters. Davis, (The new main character) Cody, and Yolei. They all obtain a new digivice known as a D3. It is able to open links between the two worlds and Davis quickly uses to enter the digital world. (Alongside Kari and TK)

Davis takes the whole thing in stride and uses a mysterious piece of armor to…Armor Digivolve. It is a loophole that allows his digimon to power up even with a Control Spire around. Later on, the other members all go to the digital world and receive their armor digivolutions as well. The first part of the series is mainly about defeating the Digimon Emperor. He seems to be about their age and he uses dark rings to enslave the digimon. He is able to create Control Spires in an instant, so the DigiDestined have their work cut out for them. The DigiDestined from the previous series appear as backup support for several of the episodes and they usually perform decently well. It’s always good to see Tai back in action and he continues to be the most impressive character. Matt has definitely mellowed out a little too much I’d say. He’s really cautious now and acts a little like Joe.

The second part of the show changes the situation pretty drastically. The DigiDestined meet another one of them. The boy’s name is Ken and he’s a pretty formidable ally. His partner is known as Stingmon and they end up helping the heroes a lot against the new opponents. The Control Spires have been reactivates by a pair villains known as Arukenimon and Mummymon. They are both ultimate level digimon so the heroes armor Digivolutions are definitely not going to cut it anymore. (After all, those forms were only champion level) The heroes can now digivolve the normal way and when they are in their champion forms, they can utilize a new (To the show) method of Digivolution known as DNA Digivolving. In this form, two of the heroes digimon merge into an ultimate level being. There are six DigiDestined so they end up with three different forms. Defeating this new group of beings will be one of their hardest challenges, which gets even harder once they take the fight to the human world.

The new cast of characters is pretty good, but the new DigiDestined aren’t really good for the most part. Davis makes for a very solid protagonist and while he’s no Tai, he’s still a fun character to watch. Unlike the other members, Davis has no insecurities or problems. He’s perfectly content with his life and nothing that the villains say can ever sway him. He’s definitely the most courageous of the group and easily the most heroic as well. There’s not much more to say about him. He’s definitely the best new human character in the show and his main digimon is known as Veemon. Through Digivolution, Veemon can turn into a mega level digimon who’s got a great design.

Cody is another new character, but he’s only all right. He strongly dislikes evil, (Like TK) but there’s not much that he is able to do about it. His digimon partner, Armadillomon, is one of the weaker members of the bunch. He’s decently tough, but easily outshined by the other members. Cody has a lot of inner monologue and has some serious doubts about destroying digimon (Which I’ll go over later on in the review) That’s fine and all, but it ends up putting the lives of his teammates at risk during some key moments.

Yolei is the final new member from the initial new DigiDestined group. Her partner is Hawkmon and he’s all right. He’s not quite as enjoyable to watch as the other digimon. Yolei can be pretty excitable and likes doing dramatic things. She would be a pretty likable character if she didn’t always think of romance at critical times. One should always focus on the mission at hand. (Especially if it’s world threatening)

Ken joins the DigiDestined later on and he gets more character development than the previous three characters put together. He gets a whole episode to himself and he’s in a constant battle against the darkness. Ken also struggles to be accepted by the other DigiDestined (Except for Davis who accepts him immediately) and things are tense for a while. (Especially when they think they see him destroying a digimon)

TK and Kari are main characters and they definitely show their experience. They are used to the Digital World already and they take things in stride much easier than the new kids. Unfortunately a plot twist prevents them from using their full power for a while. It was needed since they would have mopped the floor with the early enemies, but still pretty frustrating.

The cast from the original show appear throughout, but they don’t fight that much. They’re mostly about average, but Tai definitely looks the best. Thanks to power that was borrowed from a legendary digimon, Agumon is able to go into his mega form. None of the other originals are able to do this (No power left over) so they aren’t able to compete as much. As I said earlier, Matt is a very cautious guy now. He has a band, so he doesn’t have as much time as the other guys and he’s just not as cool as he was in the original show.

The Digimon Emperor is a main villain for a while, but he wasn’t a very interesting one. He can’t actually fight and he relies on his enslaved digimon to do the work for him. He builds a decently powerful digimon to aid him (Kimeramon) but it didn’t really make me like him. The Digimon Emperor definitely wasn’t that impressive.

Arukenimon and Mummymon appear later and are the main fighters for a new trio. (Their boss also can’t really fight) Arukenimon starts off as a decently mysterious being, but once Mummymon shows up they instantly become comic relief characters for the rest of the series. Mummymon’s only good scene was his first ever appearance and it was pretty epic. Another character who ends up complicating things for both sides is the legendary Black War Greymon. His power is unparalleled and he’s able to defeat several ultimate level digimon in a single attack. Tai is forced to bring back his War Greymon to combat this threat. It was a very awesome scene for fans of the original series and Black War Greymon is pretty awesome. He’s definitely my favorite digimon character of all time.

As if there weren’t enough groups running around, another group of darkness led by Daemon attacks the human world. They are after the Dark Spore and they are possibly the strongest group. (Unfortunately Black War Greymon never got to fight them. Now that would have been epic!) Daemon is very powerful and not even two ultimates and a mega level digimon are able to damage him…their strongest attacks combined couldn’t even damage him. That’s some serious power folks! Unfortunately his plot point is pretty much deserted.

The best fight in the series may have been the DigiDestined’s battle against SkullSatamon. He was a minion of Darmon and his speed was incredibly deadly. It was a very monumental battle which resulted in both generations of DigiDestined teaming up to fight him. It was pretty awesome to watch and SkullSatmon is a very powerful opponent. His skills seem to be that of a very strong Mega’s.

One plot point that I should mention, is that the new DigiDestined aren’t used to destroying digimon. In the first series, they just blew up whoever they came across. Here, the main characters don’t want to destroy any digimon (Even if they’re evil) because they are living creatures and all. It’s a pretty tough moral question since there are no jails to lock up the opponents. Also, it’s hard to defeat an enemy and not destroy them, since they typically die when they are rendered unconscious. TK, Davis, Ken, and Kari are all for destroying the evil digimon, but Yolei and Cody don’t want to do such a thing. This is a pretty big plot point and you are left to decide which viewpoint you think is correct. Personally, I would try to not destroy the digimon, but I would still fight back to save the world. I’d try to knock them out with destroying them if at all possible…but it tends to not be possible.

One thing I didn’t like that much, was that the main characters acted as if their parents didn’t know about the Digimon for a while. Most of the Earth knows about them, thanks to the first series. I didn’t agree with the whole pretending thing for this season and it would have made things much easier if they had just kept their parents in the loop. A new plot point is that there are now hundreds of DigiDestined roaming the world. They are all very weak for the most part, but the numbers add up. At least the main characters won’t be alone in their battle for justice anymore. I can’t say that I liked any of the new kids though.

The series was definitely one of the better anime out there and right from the start, you could tell that it would be great. The first episode was solid and the show has a very good soundtrack. It’s very energetic and the lyrical songs are pretty good. (For the most part) The Digivolution theme is still awesome and I never get tired of listening to it. There were several different villain groups over the course of the show and a lot of characters from the original show got to appear. The ending may be a bit sketchy, but I highly recommend checking this show out. Believe me, you won’t regret it!

Overall 8/10

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Digimon is a very popular franchise that naturally became Pokemon’s rival. Both of them deal with Trainers and their (Digi or Poke)mon as they travel across the world. While there are many similarities, there are also some pretty vast differences. Digimon has many different series (Or seasons if you prefer to break them up that way) but this review will just be talking about the original. The main characters of this series are Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, TK, Kari, Izzy, and Joe.

Digimon Adventure has several arcs including: The Devimon arc, The coming of Myotismon, and the rise of the Dark Masters. Like most shows, Digimon gets progressively better the farther the series goes. The Devimon arc was pretty good and the two arcs after that one were both great. Most of the episodes are pretty fun and intriguing to watch with very few underwhelming episodes.

Let’s go through the Devimon arc first. Since this arc is the first one to begin in the series, Devimon won’t appear to be as formidable as other villains, but was definitely a powerful way to start the series. At the time, the DigiDestined (What the heroes call themselves) only had access to their champion forms, but they were still pretty tough. Greymon will always be remembered as one of the most iconic digimon out there. I will go through each of the characters and their digimon later on in the review. One thing that held the arc back was the lack of a great soundtrack. The Devimon arc is the only one to not feature the iconic theme song during each digievolution, taking away most of the epicness from the transformations.

After the Devimon arc, the next big event was the Myotismon plot. To shake things up, not only was the digi world under attack, but even the human world fell prey to his evil schemes. Myotismon had a legion of powerful warriors under his command such as Dark Tyrannomon and Mega Seadramon. Not to mention that Myotismon was already a very powerful digimon and didn’t need any help to give the heroes a hard time. His power was that of an ultimate level and in his Venom Myotismon form he could give Mega level digimon a hard time. This arc had a much larger sense of danger and the threats became more dire as the humans got thrown into the battle.

Finally, we have the Demon Masters part of the series. Picking up immediately after the DigiDestined deal with the Myotismon threat, the heroes find themselves heading back into a far different digiworld. The Dark Masters took no time in converting the once happy digital world into a dark and miserable place. At this point in the series the heroes all had ultimate level digimon (Tai and Matt even obtaining Megas) so they weren’t that afraid of what was to come. The Dark Masters quickly humbled them and defeated the heroes 4 times in rapid succession. Realizing that they need to get stronger, the heroes head off to save the digital world once and for all, but are the Dark Masters really the villains that they should be worried about? This part of the series was easily my favorite and the stakes had never been higher.

Since Tai is the leader of the DigiDestined, we’ll look into his character first. He’s definitely got the makings of a true main character and while he doesn’t tend to give orders, he can definitely lead a team well. It would be hard to find a better main character around and he’s also got the best digimon of the DigiDestined. Agumon is the name of his rookie form and he transforms into Greymon, Skull Greymon, Metal Greymon, and War Greymon. War Greymon is easily his best form, but I’ve always liked Greymon and his Nova Blast as well. Together Tai and Greymon are almost unstoppable!

Matt is Tai’s rival and he’s also a pretty good character for the most part. I feel a little bad for him since his Gabumon is no match for Agumon in the longrun, but Matt always gives it his all. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of the rest of the DigiDestined. Sora is alright, but she never really stood out with a really great fight scene or memorable line. Izzy is the smart kid, but I would prefer if he was known as the strong whizkid so that he could get some more fights. Mimi doesn’t tend to fight enough and she’s certainly not as upbeat and commanding as Tai. Joe could learn a thing or two from Matt about toughness and strength of character. TK and Kari get a pass since they’re only kids, plus both of them get significantly better in the sequel series. Still, that’s not to say that any of them are really awful characters. They’re decently alright and they have their moments. Tai and Matt just happen to steal the show in this series.

The soundtrack for Digimon is awesome and you won’t forget the theme song once you’ve seen the show. The lyrical songs that take place during the fights are definitely not that good, but the regular digimon theme that plays during the transformations easily makes up for it. The fights in Digimon are always pretty fun and the animation for them still holds up to this day.

Digimon is a series that I strongly recommend and I would easily say that it’s one of the best anime of all time. With a solid 50+ episode count, there is plenty to watch and rewatch. In the future I know that I’ll be checking it out again myself. So, go out there and buy the complete series, after all you can never watch too much digimon!

Overall 8/10

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