Digimon Frontier- How to Divide a Fanbase

This has been a long time coming. I have been working out how to approach this for ages, and now I finally have it. Here is my post on Digimon Frontier: how to divide a fanbase.

Courtesy: Toei/Bandai Namco/Akiyoshi Hongo

Though some have come around to the anime, it still remains a sore spot in many circles of the fandom. In hindsight, the shift from partnering with a Digimon to becoming one should have rung some alarm bells. To put this into context, it would be like a Pokémon spinoff that involved a livestream of Iono shambling through a let's play of Live A Live. Granted, while the "biomerge" in Tamers came first; it made more sense there; censor-dodging drawings aside. It's a symptom of the issues with this anime, but not the cause.

On that note, this was intended to reinvigorate the franchise after Tamers was met with underperforming results in the target audience in Japan. As you all know, it backfired: the changes did not attract new fans and alienated existing ones. This is especially true in the West and in my own personal experiences- I loved Tamers as a kid and did not particularly enjoy Frontier as that same kid. So, let's explore why this anime played a part in the franchise going on hiatus for years afterward.

First, let's address a major issue right off: the tone. Don't worry, I will address the other problems in a moment; but this is the first major reason why I considered Frontier a big step backwards from Tamers. I'm not saying the franchise has been immune to bizarre silliness (hence why it's standard procedure for me to give it the MST3K/Rifftrax treatment as part of the writing process) but it does do its best to treat a serious situation as such. This anime fundamentally imbalanced that mixture, with the dangers faced in the digital world and personal arcs being juxtaposed with shenanigans in a hamburger stand along with very awkward scenes of Zoey Akiyama trying on swimwear. That should make a decent enough segue into the next problem I have with the series.

The second point of contention is the characters. I know the franchise is first and foremost targeted at younger audiences; but that doesn't mean that it's incapable of elevating the material even as a marketing tool. I know the previous anime cast a long shadow; but I don't think that's the only reason. Arguably, subsequent incarnations made the shortcomings of the cast standout more. I may have issues with the 02 cast as well; but at least they had ideas that were better implemented later on. Frontier, however, had characters that just felt like recycled archetypes from the previous seasons and whatever new ideas they had broke suspension of disbelief. Takuya wants to help anyone, any way he can. Koji is aloof, but ultimately good-natured with a troubled past. Tommy is younger, doubtful of himself but also kindhearted. Zoey is out to prove herself. JP is the oldest of the team, but can still be one of the kids. Even Koichi seems like a glorified remix of the Ichijoji storyline from 02; and that had its own issues as a "sixth ranger" narrative. (Sighs) Guess there's no point delaying the inevitable any longer.

My third top issue is many others' primary one- the shift in dynamic from partnering with Digimon to becoming them. Sure, I'm not the first person to walk out on this anime because of that change or to agree that it wasn't the best idea; but I'd like to try and explain why that is. Honestly, I can see where the idea came from on paper- there are numerous tokusatsu series in Japan that made the idea work. Even in the US, Power Rangers was on the first decade of its run and had made absurd amounts of money. The problem is that after three seasons of a workable anime concept (alongside a variety of manga, video games, toys and other merchandise), it's what I would call a "New Coke" rebrand. Basically, the intent is to entice new customers and excite existing ones; and the opposite happens instead.

The next issue is the story; and especially its pacing. Typically, I can tell what an individual season wants to accomplish over its run. Here, though; I legitimately don't know what the intent of the story is. It seemed all over the place, lacking the focus of entries before and after its release (which would not be seen again until the 2020 reboot of Adventure). Parts they don't breeze through feel utterly glacial. That includes the infamous ending stretch of the series where the heroes suffer a streak of defeats even the Washington Generals would take pity upon. I understand that an occasional defeat does help make a story more interesting; but too many makes it boring and adds to the previous problems I addressed.

However, beyond all these bullet points is arguably the most clearly noticeable issue that encapsulates the previous ones: the lasting effects on the franchise as a whole. After Frontier ended its run, it would be three full years before another attempt was made at a Digimon anime- Savers, later dubbed as Data Squad. Though it too is not without its detractors, I maintain that it's among the better installments and has held up much more than I thought. While a dedicated fanbase remained, the general public never saw the franchise the same way again. That perception still remains even now- no matter what Toei and Bandai Namco try; most general audiences just see it as another brand of monster collector. 

That said, much like Avis; being #2 gives the creators motivation to try harder. Though not every experiment works; they are at least willing to try. I don’t know what to expect from the reveal of a new Frontier project at Digimon Con- whether it's a sequel or a reboot; I just hope it's better than the last attempt.

Above all, my expectations are low for the next content in this anime (whether or not that will be a follow-up or reboot hasn't been made clear); but hopefully they'll be able to avoid and rectify the mistakes they made in the past. There's definitely a low bar to clear, so hopefully I won't have to do a followup whenever it comes out. Given what I've said above, they definitely have an uphill battle on their hands. That is all for now, take care.