Brief Summary
This video explores the history and evolution of the Digimon franchise, from its origins as a virtual pet inspired by Tamagotchi to its expansion into anime, video games, manga, and trading cards. It addresses the common misconception about whether Pokémon or Digimon came first, details the development and success of the Digimon anime, and discusses the various iterations and themes explored throughout the Digimon series. The video also touches on the franchise's periods of rest and resurgence, highlighting its unique elements that distinguish it from Pokémon, such as the themes of life, death, and growing up.
- Digimon started as a virtual pet inspired by Tamagotchi.
- The Digimon franchise includes anime, video games, manga, and trading cards.
- The Digimon anime explores themes of life, death, and growing up.
The Birth of Digimon
In 1996, Bandai developer Akimata created the Tamagotchi, a virtual pet that became a global phenomenon, selling over 5 million units by May 1997 and even spawning a black market due to high demand. Building on this success, Bandai explored the idea of battling monsters, leading to the creation of Digimon, short for Digital Monsters, in June 1997, credited to Akio Shihongo, a pseudonym representing the team behind the series. Like Tamagotchi, Digimon required care, but it also introduced the element of battling with friends' Digimon.
Digimon vs. Pokémon
The video addresses the question of whether Pokémon or Digimon came first, clarifying that while the original Pokémon games were released in Japan in February 1996, Digimon virtual pets debuted in the U.S. in January 1998, before the Pokémon anime and games. Kenji Watanabe designed later Digimon monsters, drawing inspiration from American comics to create stronger and cooler designs. By the end of 1997, Digimon was poised to expand into various media.
Expanding the Digimon Universe
In 1997, the first Digimon manga, "Come On Digimon," was released, followed by the "Digimon Adventure V Tamer01" manga series in 1998, which introduced an early version of the character Tai. That same year, the first Digimon video game, "Digital Monsters Version S: Digital Tamers," was released for the Sega Saturn. In January 1999, "Digimon World" was released in Japan for PlayStation. Despite modest sales of 250,000 copies, its mechanics and character designs offered an alternative to Pokémon. Bandai launched a marketing campaign in the U.S., offering limited edition Digimon game cards.
The Anime Adaptation
Planning for the first Digimon Adventure anime series began in Japan in the summer of 1998, with Satoru Nishizono as the scriptwriter and Hiroyuki Kakudo as the director, produced by Toei Animation. A short animated film, "Digimon Adventure," was released in theaters as a prequel to the anime. The anime series followed a group of kids, the DigiDestined, who partner with Digimon to save the real and digital worlds, setting the standard for future Digimon series. Saban Entertainment licensed Digimon Adventure, releasing it as "Digimon: Digital Monsters" on Fox Kids on August 14, 1999.
Digimon's Rise and Changes
A Digimon card game was released, achieving popularity in Japan but not reaching the same cultural relevance as Pokémon in the U.S. More virtual pets were released, modeled after the Digivices from the anime. The video game series continued with titles for the PlayStation and WonderSwan. The Digimon Adventure television series led to a direct sequel, Digimon Adventure 02.
Digimon: The Movie and Shifting Directions
Fox cashed in with "Digimon: The Movie" in October 2000, which was a compilation of multiple short films, including "Digimon Adventure" and "Our War Game." The movie is remembered for its soundtrack, featuring songs like "All Star" by Smash Mouth and "The Rockafeller Skank" by Fatboy Slim. The movie grossed $16 million on a $5 million budget. For the third series, Digimon Tamers, writer Chiaki J. Konaka took a darker approach, setting it in a world where Digimon is already a popular franchise.
Digimon Tamers and Beyond
Digimon Tamers returned to the theme of battling as communication, with a darker tone and characters facing death and emotional challenges. Despite creative success, Fox Kids faced cancellation, and Disney acquired the broadcasting rights to Digimon. Digimon Frontier followed, where kids could merge with ancient spirits to become Digimon. After five years of production, the franchise took a break after the Digimon Frontier film bombed in 2003.
Digimon's Resurgence and Later Series
Digimon returned at Jump Festa 2006 with Digimon Savers (Digimon Data Squad in the U.S.). The series dealt with a government organization handling issues between the human and digital worlds. In 2010, Digimon Cross Wars (Digimon Fusion in the U.S.) introduced the concept of fusing monsters. In 2015 and 2016, the original DigiDestined returned in the Digimon Adventure Tri movies, now in high school. Digimon Universe: App Monsters featured Digimon in mobile apps.
Modern Digimon and Legacy
In 2020, Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna bid farewell to the original DigiDestined, and a reboot called Digimon Adventure was released. Digimon video games returned to international markets, with Digimon Cyber Sleuth being notable. The card game made a resurgence, and 20th-anniversary editions of the virtual pets were released.
Digimon's Unique Identity
Despite being overshadowed by Pokémon, Digimon has its own identity, exploring themes like the ethics of monster battles and sending children to solve world problems. Digimon distinguishes itself through its portrayal of life and death, with characters facing real consequences and growing up. The video encourages viewers to see the new Digimon Adventure series as a rebirth, inviting them to explore the franchise's TV series, video games, collectible cards, manga, and virtual pets.
