User reviews

I can't believe I'm the first to review this! Digimon Adventure was the short film that kicked off the entire Digimon franchise. Although it had humble beginnings, you wouldn't know it from the short alone as the scale is epic and the animation quality is great, especially during the action scenes. It introduces the main characters, the Digimon and the evolutions quite effectively in a short time. The original Japanese version feels a bit barebones compared to the English version which has more narration, jokes and music to make it feel more "full". Both versions are good though.

Digimon will always be a great anime production, full of great moments and unforgettable characters. This short film takes you on a journey of nostalgia and very positive emotions. It maintains the characteristic essence of the story.

A short film that premiered a day before the animated series to give it another narrative plot, the events are even mentioned in some episodes.

Mamoru Hosoda was making his directorial debut. It only took 20 minutes to have more love for the franchise. In the animation section it does have some quite noticeable details, but it improves by the second. It can be added that there is a lack of consistency between the size of our Digimon protagonist here in the short film with the animated series.

The music is quite decent and memorable. The ending song is one of those epic anime themes.

The message of reflection that this short provides is phenomenal. The protection of our younger brothers will always be vital, the care of animals and that bond of friendship. Koromon in a few seconds and with a single phrase steals the screen. The lack of attention from parents is a critical point in the growth of young people, many of them do not generate resentment, Tai and Hiraki are an example of this.

The chosen children will always have a great place in the world of anime.

It's interesting to go back and watch this after seeing Fox Kids' 2000 re-edit nightmare, 'Digimon: The movie.' The latter was a sorry mess as unwieldy, near-constant dialogue accelerated already swift pacing, poorly communicated its new story, and even distracted from the animation. In sharp contrast, for as small as the original short is at only twenty minutes long, it's unquestionably more carefully considered in and of itself, and is actually pretty cute and fun! When recycled for the full-length feature it was trimmed and reduced to a prologue; the script in Hosoda Mamoru's actual piece is very, very simple, yet writer Yoshida Reiko wove in some nice little minutiae to round it out, and engage viewers a tad more. The scene writing is surprisingly strong in a variety of kids' fare that is decidedly less sophisticated, with some delightful humor accompanying touches of drama and the climactic kaiju battle that forms the centerpiece.

And as one expects of Toei Animation, and anime generally, the artists behind the scenes turned in splendid work. The visuals here aren't the top of the line, but still there is excellent detail and texture in the backgrounds, and the creature designs are a blast. The animation is pretty smooth and fluid, especially at the climax with its action and effects; even if it doesn't utterly impress, it more than serves its purpose. Add some swell music on top for good measure, and I'm very pleased with how good 'Digimon adventure' really is. It's quite humble compared to the lofty heights that Hosoda has achieved in his subsequent career as a filmmaker, yet even with defined parameters and limitations, he churned out a tiny slice of entertainment that holds up rather well, all things considered. There's hardly any need to go out of your way for this, but given its quick length it's a neat way to fill some time on a quiet day if you come across it.