Before I get started, I want to make clear that this isn't the worst thing I've ever seen; let alone the worst Digimon adaptation I've seen. Over the past 10 years especially, I've tried my best not to pass judgment on something until I actually get to experience it myself. Most importantly of all, I don't think every single reboot of an existing IP has to be exactly like its predecessors; especially in terms of anime. There have been numerous ones; including ones I've talked about that vary significantly from their source material while still providing a unique take on it.
That said, I've also seen ones that don't live up to their potential; and this subject occupies the latter camp. Having watched the entirety of the new series and rewatched the original again to write this; I can honestly say the reboot's problems run far wider than merely letting down nostalgic fans and failing to appeal to new ones. I do my best to conduct myself from an objective point of view; so with that in hand, I intend to examine in earnest why the 2020 reboot of Digimon Adventure not only didn't measure up to its senior; but also why it fundamentally doesn't work as an adaptation of Digimon on its own merit. Here are my honest thoughts on why the 2020 reboot Digimon Adventure failed where the 1999 original worked.
1. Oversimplified characterization
One of the biggest strengths of the franchise is its characterization; something that could be felt in the original even in its early stages. Whether or not it was part of the main cast or a supporting character, each individual felt like a fully-realized character. They all had arcs of their own that felt like complete stories in and of themselves. That is very much not the case in this reboot at all. Riddle me this- if you're going to reboot something people around the world loved, why in the name of this green earth would you remove a reason why so many of those people loved it?
A common complaint I've seen is the need to force Tai into every single episode; which contrasts the original in how there were multiple stories where he wasn't present or at least, wasn't the main focus. While I agree this is a problem (I can suggest this actually does more damage to the reboot than Pokémon has with Ash), it's merely a symptom of that issue, not the cause. Everyone in the main cast is impacted in their own way. Let's start with my favorite character from the original, Joe. The main arc of his character was to discover his inner confidence; going from someone doubtful of his capabilities as leader to being right there with his friends, talking the main villain to death in the finale. Sure, there were a lot of jokes about his studious nature (a trend which is a regrettable facet of most subsequent versions of his character); but there was a clear sense of progression. This version hints at the idea, but doesn't do much with it. There's also way too much time with him spent in the hot springs for my taste; and the reboot as a whole makes him the butt of way too many jokes for my liking. In fact, there's one memetic screenshot that sums up my feelings toward this version's approach to him.
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| Every fan of Joe watching this reboot. |
People have also pointed out that Izzy has been downgraded as a character from the original; where his tech obsession partially was a result of finding out he was adopted, something the reboot mostly glosses over. Heck, even with the mixed reception towards Tri; I did like the aspect of him meeting his birth parents and not harboring any ill will towards them. In fact, the familial connections between a lot of characters seem downplayed in this version. We'll touch more on this in later points, but it's one of the more glaring missteps this reboot made.
2. Action taking precedence over storytelling
Though the series is no stranger to spectacle, this version in particular seemed to really favor the action aspects. That's all well and good if you give people enough story and character to latch onto; which this anime's predecessors and contemporaries did quite well. That's not really the case here- the story takes a backseat to the action in many instances; both in terms of individual episodes and the overall narrative as a whole. This wouldn't be a problem if the action itself made up for the story; but as I will continue to explain in later points, we don't really get that either.
3. Inconsistent animation quality
This is one of the more noticeable drawbacks of this incarnation. While the animation on the original incarnation was never perfect by any means, it did still have an ample amount of moments that were quite impressive for its time and budget. Even though there are plenty of impressive moments in the new anime as well; it's clear the quality became quite inconsistent once production felt the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; and you can really tell. Though these circumstances are admittedly out of their hands, it's not impossible to have a work made and released in these conditions and still have it be good quality. In addition to the later Ghost Game; My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer and Toei's own work on the Wano arc of One Piece provide key examples of this. Still, even if the animation quality was more consistent; it still wouldn't be enough to makeup for the other shortcomings I'm about to address.
4. Plot changes mismanaging the stakes
Having watched both versions of Digimon Adventure to write this, I can honestly say this is one of the aspects where the reboot paled compared to the original. There was a clear sense of escalation of threat; and how the time and actions in the digital world were connected. What was days for the characters in the digital world was only minutes in the real world. Sadly, in more ways than one; the connection is far more muddled in the reboot. We get brief glimpses at how the digital world is impacting the real world; but it just feels like a glorified exposition dump each time it happens. This mismanagement of the plot and stakes is especially clear when we compare the antagonists in each version; and how the story uses them. Though Devimon was an imposing figure in the first course of episodes; I still stand by the fact that the threats and the anime itself really got heated when Myotismon took his place.
One key reason is that they weren't treated like something that could be dealt with in the course of a single episode. Even the infamous pizza crust monologue in the dub is something that actually has been re-evaluated by myself and others over time. Essentially, our heroes had exhausted all other options; and it was talking the monster to death that ultimately won the day. The reboot attempts to show how the digital world's actions are impacting the real world; but it reeks of the "show, don't tell" rulebook being discarded. Sure, you get a power outage here and a sibling being blockaded there; but my next example in this point is one of the biggest cases of how mismanaged this was: I never felt like they were in any danger. Even in the early stages; the original made sure we understood who the characters were and what the stakes they were in. I was hoping this show could do something similar with a new take. However, they instead decided to adapt the "Our War Game" storyline well before we even saw all the Digidestined onscreen; within the first three episodes. Didn't save much for the rest of the series, did they?
Pandemic-induced hiatus aside, that was why I waited for the entire series to finish before I began writing about it. Some figured that meant they would have to find a way to nerf Omnimon for later storylines; but no, the staff instead decided to double down on this at the end of the first third of the series. I will touch on this more in the remaining bullet points; but this makes the series seem both dragged out and overstuffed at the same time.
5. Target Audience Uncertainty
This should have been the easiest aspect to get right. Yet, out of the many questions this reboot raised, one in particular was the most surprising: who was this even for? It's a reboot that treats new viewers like it's their first Digimon story, yet it requires them to know how the franchise operates and have knowledge of its previous incarnations. At the same time, it's a completely new continuity that takes creative liberties with the original story and contains elements from other parts of the franchise that only fans would understand (up to and including monsters that didn't appear in animated form previously). So; that is one problem that ended up damaging this reboot- the uncertainty of its target audience. Though this anime often been compared to Frontier (a series which is getting new material; which I have mixed feelings about); I will at least say it's better than that. Still, there is one last point to address; and one that is easily the one that is the issue I had the most with it.
6. How it wasted the potential of the material
As I stated at the beginning, I'm not saying every reboot has to be a carbon copy of its source material. All the same, despite what they were handed; this reboot had all the potential to be the next great iteration of the franchise. Instead, they settled for a mere cash grab of nostalgic fanservice, and they couldn't even do that right. To put this into its proper context, Toei themselves wrote this adaptation off as a loss; especially compared to other brands in their portfolio.
I genuinely believe this reboot had potential; but that potential wasn't realized. Again; I've heard people compare it to Frontier, but this anime is at least better than that.Even so, I've heard a few arguments against this anime that I shall now offer counterpoints to. Some individuals (who shall remain undisclosed here) tried to blame the story's shortcomings on writer Atsuhiro Tomioka and his work on Pokémon; which I consider an oversimplification. His work on that anime has contributed to some of its best stories in years; and he's also worked on My Hero Academia along with Toei stablemates One Piece and Dragon Ball Super. He clearly understands what makes an anime for that demographic compelling, it's just that maybe he doesn't understand Digimon.
More infamously, there's that Reddit meme attempting to dismiss the disappointing reception on simply being targeted at children. However, I can cite examples in and out of the franchise, on both sides of the Pacific to dispute that claim since the original Adventure aired. My favorite season, Tamers completely shattered the mold set by the previous two seasons with how mind-bending (and thought-provoking) its approach to the digital age is. Data Squad (AKA Savers) featured a protagonist that's an aspiring MMA fighter (and former gangster) whose entire character arc is a redemption arc; and an antagonist who ends up committing genocide. Xros Wars/Fusion definitely felt like a tonal spiritual successor to Adventure (Young Hunters Leaping Through Time aside). Ghost Game, this anime's followup; is a Digimon horror story that's proven to be everything this reboot should have been in terms of quality.
With other anime, there's of course examples I cited here with Demon Slayer (again, different standards in Japan), My Hero Academia; and Toei's own work on Dragon Ball Super and One Piece. On my side of the pacific, shows such as the Avatar verse; the DC Animated Universe, The Owl House and Amphibia have been able to offer so much depth to the same audience this reboot targeted (that last one even had its three main characters get near-death experiences in each season finale).
My final and arguably most important point is, I never wanted or needed this reboot to be a carbon copy of the original. At the least, I wanted it to be good. At the most, this could have been a worthy alternate take on the story that even surpassed its senior in some respects. Yet, it accomplished neither; and its very existence completely undermines the ending of Last Evolution Kizuna. Seriously- you couldn't have waited a bit longer after the movie came out to announce this reboot, let alone release it? The closing moments of this anime already have me concerned about a potential repeat of this scenario with the 02 cast in both movie and TV anime formats.
Above all, the original Digimon Adventure had the right foundation for the reboot to succeed; but the house built by the reboot just didn't hold up that well. I honestly have mixed feelings about this reboot being dubbed (though I am OK with Zeno Robinson as Tai, I need a full cast list before I say more), I personally am among those that would have preferred a dub of Ghost Game instead. Whatever Toei decides to do next with the franchise; I honestly hope it's better than this. That will be all for now, take care.
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