Do you remember the days of the Tamagotchi virtual pet? Well, a bit later, in 1997 or so, Bandai introduced a new spin-off virtual pet called Digimon. When I heard that an anime series featuring the virtual pet creatures was coming out, I was excited. Sadly, though, that excitement quickly wore off.
First, Pokemon DID come before Digimon, despite what most people will tell you. Pokemon was first released in late 1995, and Digimon came a little later. But even so, Pokemon and Digimon have just about, well, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in common, except for the fact that they both have some form of "monster" in their names. The two have entirely different concepts behind them. So I don't EVER think of them as rivals. Understand? Good. Let's continue.
Had this show been put in the hands of a respected company like Pioneer, I could rest easier, and I would hold the show in higher regard. Unfortunately, it seems to be a law that just about every kids' show from Toei has to be plopped right into the hands of Saban. (Read: the #@$&%er.) We've seen them turn the Sentai series, Kamen Rider, B-Fighter, and especially Dragon Ball Z to slop in the U.S. By "slop," I mean they have cheesy writing, plot alterations, pop-culture references, and stupid theme songs. I prayed Digimon Adventure (its Japanese title) would not go that same route, but unfortunately, it did. The theme song is my biggest gripe. Gee, we're about two and a half years after its debut in the U.S., and we're STILL hearing this "Digimon are the champions!" stuff? It's really ironic that the Japanese version has gone through about two or three opening themes, while the American version is still on the same tune, with little variation. Please, spare yourself the agony of watching this very mistreated dub. If Japanese, subtitled in English, episode compilations are ever released, I feel that's the best way to watch Digimon Adventure. The dub is an absolute disgrace.
First, Pokemon DID come before Digimon, despite what most people will tell you. Pokemon was first released in late 1995, and Digimon came a little later. But even so, Pokemon and Digimon have just about, well, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in common, except for the fact that they both have some form of "monster" in their names. The two have entirely different concepts behind them. So I don't EVER think of them as rivals. Understand? Good. Let's continue.
Had this show been put in the hands of a respected company like Pioneer, I could rest easier, and I would hold the show in higher regard. Unfortunately, it seems to be a law that just about every kids' show from Toei has to be plopped right into the hands of Saban. (Read: the #@$&%er.) We've seen them turn the Sentai series, Kamen Rider, B-Fighter, and especially Dragon Ball Z to slop in the U.S. By "slop," I mean they have cheesy writing, plot alterations, pop-culture references, and stupid theme songs. I prayed Digimon Adventure (its Japanese title) would not go that same route, but unfortunately, it did. The theme song is my biggest gripe. Gee, we're about two and a half years after its debut in the U.S., and we're STILL hearing this "Digimon are the champions!" stuff? It's really ironic that the Japanese version has gone through about two or three opening themes, while the American version is still on the same tune, with little variation. Please, spare yourself the agony of watching this very mistreated dub. If Japanese, subtitled in English, episode compilations are ever released, I feel that's the best way to watch Digimon Adventure. The dub is an absolute disgrace.