Why Digimon Ghost Game Worked Where the Adventure reboot Didn't.

Happy Halloween everyone- seeing as how the spooky season is upon us; I thought I would take the opportunity to not only cover an anime I've been wanting to for a while, but also explore how it succeeded where another recent one did not. Here's why Digimon Ghost Game worked where the Adventure reboot didn't.

1. A More Consistent Tone.

One of the major issues myself and others had with the 2020 reboot was the inconsistent tone. The story structure made it tough to know what attitude to adopt, and the events less believable than its senior. One episode can show the Digimon almost causing a naval flotilla to crash into each other because of their fight messing with the navigation systems; another has Izzy having to rescue Tai from an obsessive fan by solving puzzles like he's in a game of Myst. By contrast, that doesn't really happen in Ghost Game. Sure, it's not without silly moments or cute monsters; but when a serious situation is on screen, it's treated as such. Essentially, this anime is a Digimon horror story; and I will touch on this more in the other points made in this post.

2. How it parallels our world.

Another big missed opportunity of the Adventure reboot was how it could have addressed the change in the landscape since the original saw release in 1999. However, beyond a few cursory acknowledgements (a character on their mobile here, a skeptical online thread there); it just felt like window dressing. Fortunately, Ghost Game manages to fill that void by directly addressing both digital and natural events in current year. The decade is still relatively new and it's already been incredibly turbulent. I'm not saying this anime gets to the level of Black Mirror or Jordan Peele's films; but that is one distinction that sets it apart from the P-word (never made sense to me to compare them, still doesn't)- if the pocket monsters are the escapist fantasy; then the digital monsters are a more grounded breed of science fiction. It's far from the first incarnation of the franchise to hold a reflection of present day society; but it's among the most effective (way more than a glorified fanfic/cloud-yelling manifesto being passed off as a play). One key comparison that incorporates the story so far is that it resembles the previous Digimon Universe: AppliMonsters if its premise was played for horror rather than comedy. Not a tightly serialized story; but definitely one that builds over time. Though both anime have leads different from the series' usual archetypes and partners that can easily pass themselves off as costumed; candy-guzzling children on Halloween night, it's how the stories play out that sets them apart. I won't spoil why; but if you've seen both like I have; you'll know what I'm talking about.

3. Digital Horror Stories

One of my favorite things to do, especially this time of year is to consume and analyze horror stories; especially for younger demographics. As making the stuff of nightmares as well as the stuff of dreams has been a fixture of the franchise for ages; it was something of a letdown the Adventure reboot couldn't really pull that off. Fortunately, this anime managed to pick up the ball Adventure 2020 dropped; and pass it between monsters. I'm not saying this anime reaches the level of the 2018 Gegege no Kitaro; but it does a good job of basing its horror in both modern society, franchise lore and even offering its own take on classical monsters; both in Japanese legends and vintage horror (the picture of Mummymon I used was a far better mummy than Alex Kurtzman did). While horror for my age range tends to be the most effective for me when it's rooted in a real concern (no matter how fantastic it can be); horror for my younger self tended to work best when it's something clearly rooted in fantasy, but placed against a backdrop that resonates with the audience.

4. Terrors breed visual invention

While some of the designs in the reboot did do a solid job of capturing the letter of the franchise; on top of the other issues I mentioned, it lacked its creative spirit. Thankfully, by its very concept; Ghost Game has joined the list of the most visually-distinctive entries in the series. Not just with the new monsters (such as Angoramon and Jellimon in this picture); but with the setting and the human characters as well. Kiyoshiro, for example; has all sorts of charms to ward off spirits like an onmyoji (even wrapping his hand in bandages); and the setting actually makes the unique decision of having the digital world take less emphasis than the real world. Both traditional shrines and gardens and modern cityscapes of neon and OLED displays help make the setting integral to the story; a vital component of the franchise and any good piece of fiction.

5. Shaking up the character status quo

In series of this nature, it's good to have characters that the audience can identify with; even if said characters can be boiled down to archetypes as simple as the redheaded short-tank, the goggle-head or the one with the Brooklyn accent. I was very much not entertained by the caricatures in the reboot; especially as there was a genuine opportunity to expand on the characters in the original. Fortunately, this anime found a way to truly bring this franchise into the new 20s while still respecting its legacy for unique and compelling characters. I brought up Kiyoshiro in the last heading; but another great example is Ruli; whose role in the story is vital as she joins the cast. Even our protagonist, Hiro is motivated by finding out what led to his father's disappearance; and each encounter brings him closer to finding the truth. Yet, his absence still drives him to solve problems in ways that don’t always involve a massive fight. It's incredible how something as simple as giving a digital monster a chocolate bar left a bigger long-term story impact than yet another trip to the Adventure well.

6. Helping move the series in new directions

The last reason I stated for my disappointment with the Adventure reboot was how I genuinely believed it had potential to bring Digimon to a new generation; but it was never realized. So, making this a horror story was going to be a welcome change of pace on its own. That being said, the exact way Ghost Game sold and executed its premise is what Adventure 2020 should have been in terms of quality. Though not every experiment the franchise has tried has worked (I have nothing to add to a potential Frontier follow-up announcement); this is one that does. Though I honestly don’t know what to expect from the 02 movie (deliberately keeping expectations low as someone who wasn't a fan of the last one or the biggest fan of 02), I can say that this anime definitely helped add to the 20-year-plus legacy of the franchise the right way. The Vital Bracelets are even officially coming stateside after their release in Japan being successful (making it a smart toy is a natural progression from its roots in virtual pets), and the video games have been making their way back to NA (a new Digimon World game is coming to PC and console soon). Though not every experiment works, I'm not opposed to them when they do; especially since Ghost Game is exactly the kind of left turn that was needed after the Adventure reboot fizzled.

Anyway, I am prepping for Scarlet and Violet's launch in November; and no matter what happens with Masters Eight; I will have content in mind even if I don't plan on addressing the World Coronation Series at this time. That's all for now, take care.