Honest Thoughts: Why Digimon Tamers Doesn't Need a Sequel.

I've been contemplating doing this for a while, and now I've just about got it worked out. With the impact this anime has left on the franchise and the mixed quality of previous follow-ups; here is one of the posts I've wanted to write for ages. Here are my honest thoughts on why Digimon Tamers doesn't need a sequel.

Courtesy: Toei/Bandai Namco/Akiyoshi Hongo

I have made no secret of Digimon Tamers being my favorite entry in the franchise- coming just at the right time; it set a standard for quality that many subsequent entries have tried to match, but few have succeeded at. Talk has swirled of a follow-up for ages, but I do not think it's necessary. Here are the key reasons explaining why.

Let's start with the first and clearest reason- the distinctive approach to the narrative. All the pieces of the story just seemed to click in the right ways for what its aim was: to deconstruct the core tenets of the Digimon franchise (and to an extent, the broader concept of monster series). The straightforward approach of the Adventure seasons was shattered completely for this season. Even the English dub took more risks than the first two seasons; and the results paid off handsomely. To this day, the series remains a fan favorite that has yet to be matched among many... which should make a good segue into my next point.

The second reason is the standard for quality set by this season on its own. On top of the rather questionable reception the direct follow-up movies; most TV entries in the franchise ended up having the bar raised considerably after this one aired in both Japan in the US. Not only did it prove to be the followup that surpassed 02 in quality; but it cast a shadow over its successor, Frontier (one of multiple reasons that season has often been contentious in the fanbase).

Third is what I alluded to at the beginning- the quality of previous followup attempts. Cloud-yelling stage play aside,  the majority of prior followups to Tamers lacked the impact of the original. I illustrated this in my revisiting of Runaway Locomon; and it turns out there's another movie based on this incarnation I might look at.

Artwork from the 20th anniversary boxset release.

Beyond all this, though, is the biggest reason I can give- the overall impact left on the franchise as a whole. For a great many people such as myself, this was the incarnation that not only took the premise to territories merely hinted at in the Adventure seasons; but set a gold standard for quality for nearly all future incarnations. Many have tried to reach that standard; but few have truly succeeded. It's one of the few instances of a season feeling truly complete in and of itself. So, as enticing as a sequel might sound to the series; I don't think it's necessary here.

Those are my honest thoughts on why Digimon Tamers doesn't need a sequel. Though I might consider looking at the movie I haven't yet later on; there's another season that has generated quite a lot of discussion since it first aired. I will need time to work that out; as it took a while to figure out how I wanted to do this post as well. The movie coming out later this year won't affect it either. That's all for now, take care.