| Digimon Adventure | |
 North American DVD box-set cover | |
| デジモンアドベンチャー (Dejimon Adobenchā) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure,[1][2]isekai[3] |
| Created by | Akiyoshi Hongo |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Hiroyuki Kakudō |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Satoru Nishizono |
| Music by | Takanori Arisawa |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Licensed by |
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| Original network | FNS (Fuji TV) |
| English network | |
| Original run | March 7, 1999 (1999-03-07) – March 26, 2000 (2000-03-26) |
| Episodes | 54(List of episodes) |
| Related articles | |
 Anime and manga portal | |
Digimon Adventure (Japanese:デジモンアドベンチャー,Hepburn:Dejimon Adobenchā), also known asDigimon: Digital Monsters Season 1[4] in English-speaking territories, is a 1999 Japaneseanime television series produced byToei Animation in cooperation with WiZ,Bandai andFuji Television. It is the first anime series in theDigimon media franchise, based on theDigital Monster virtual pet released in 1997.
Digimon Adventure began production 1.5 months after thefilm of the same name was being produced, and it began broadcast in Japan a day after the film's theatrical release on March 7, 1999, airing until its conclusion on March 26, 2000. It was then followed up with the 2000 filmDigimon Adventure: Our War Game!. Both films were adapted and released in North America asDigimon: The Movie on October 6, 2000.
With the success ofDigimon Adventure, a sequel television series,Digimon Adventure 02, was broadcast from 2000 to 2001. For the series' 15th anniversary, a six-part film series titledDigimon Adventure tri. was released between 2015 and 2018, and a final film titledDigimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna was released in 2020. In 2020, the series wasrebooted and released under the titleDigimon Adventure.
On August 1, 1999, seven children fromOdaiba, Tokyo, Japan, are transported into the Digital World byDigivices that appeared before them at summer camp, where they befriend several Digimon (Digital Monsters). The children's Digivices[a] allow their partner Digimon to Digivolve[b] into stronger forms and combat enemies. As the children explore to find a way home, they learn that they are "DigiDestined", children chosen to save the Digital World. During their adventure, the DigiDestined are hunted by Devimon, who uses black gears to corrupt various Digimon into attacking the group. After defeating Devimon, the DigiDestined are contacted by Gennai and instructed to reach the Server Continent to retrieve artifacts called Crests, allowing their Digimon partners to Digivolve into their Ultimate forms. During this time, they are targeted by Etemon.
After Etemon is defeated, the DigiDestined learn from Gennai that there is an eighth DigiDestined child, who Myotismon is entering the real world to kill.[9] The DigiDestined follow after Myotismon to the real world. After discovering that the eighth child is Tai's younger sister, Kari, and that Myotismon’s lieutenant Gatomon is her Digimon partner, the DigiDestined are able to defeat Myotismon. However, the boundaries between the real world and Digital World are intersecting, forcing them to return to the Digital World.
The DigiDestined face the Dark Masters, a quartet of mega-level Digimon who each took control of a part of the Digital World in their absence. In the midst of their battles, they learn that they were chosen to save the real and Digital Worlds from intersecting four years ago. Tension leads to infighting within the group and causes them to temporarily separate. After reflecting, the DigiDestined reunite to defeat the last Dark Master, and confront Apocalymon who attempts to destroy both worlds. Apocalymon destroys their Crests, but the DigiDestined realize the power of their Crests was inside them all along and manage to defeat him. With the Digital World restored, Tai and his friends leave their Digimon partners behind and return to their normal lives.
In 1999, a short film based on the virtual pets calledDigimon Adventure was released. However, shortly after the film's storyboard was completed in 1998, producers atToei Animation were requested to turn it into a television series.
The DigiDestined's character designs were created by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. The character names are based on kanji related to luck.[10]
Digimon Adventure was produced byToei Animation and ran for 54 episodes onFuji TV between March 7, 1999, and March 26, 2000. The main opening theme for all episodes aired in Japan is "Butter-Fly" byKōji Wada, which peaked at #47 on theOricon Weekly Singles Chart.[11] "I Wish" byAiM[c] is used as the ending theme from episodes 1–26,[12] while "Keep On", AiM's fifth single, served as the ending theme from episodes 27–54.[13] The series also uses three insert songs: "Brave Heart" byAyumi Miyazaki as the Digivolution theme,[14] "Seven" by Kōji Wada,[15] and "Yūki o Tsubasa ni Shite" (勇気を翼にして) byToshiko Fujita, Tai's voice actress.[16] On August 1, 2014, during the series' 15th anniversary, aBlu-ray Disc box of the original series was announced and set for release in Japan on March 15, 2015.[17]
Saban Entertainment licensed the series in North America and produced an English-language version under the titleDigimon: Digital Monsters. It premiered onFox Kids Network on August 14, 1999.[18] The series was also broadcast in Canada onYTV.[19] The English version featured an original soundtrack and made changes to character names, as well as edits pertaining to certain aspects such as violence to make the series more suitable for younger audiences.[citation needed]Wendee Lee,Michael Sorich andDavid Walsh became the voice directors. The original soundtrack of the show was replaced by music composed by Udi Harpaz[20] andShuki Levy,[21][22] which recycled several music soundtracks fromStarcom: The U.S. Space Force,Masked Rider andSpider-Man: The Animated Series.[citation needed] The opening theme for all episodes is "Digimon Theme" byPaul Gordon.[23] "Hey Digimon" by Gordon, an insert song featured in the show, and was released on theoriginal soundtrack ofDigimon: The Movie along with "Digimon Theme".[23][24]
The English dub series was released on DVD byTwentieth Century Fox (Saban's parent company) in 2000 and byBuena Vista Home Entertainment in 2002. A complete DVD boxset of the English dub was released byNew Video Group on October 9, 2012 in the U.S[25] and was released byMadman Entertainment on June 18, 2014 in Australia.[26] On March 14, 2022,Discotek Media announced a Blu-ray collection. The English dub version,Digimon: Digital Monsters Season 1, was released on December 27, 2022, while the original Japanese version,Digimon Adventure, was released on July 25, 2023.[27][28]
Several short films based on the series were released in theaters in Japan.Digimon Adventure was originally released on March 6, 1999. The story focuses on Tai and Kari finding a Digi-egg from their computer, which hatches and quickly Digivolves, culminating in a battle. The film grossed¥650 million.[29]
Digimon Adventure: Our War Game![30] was originally released on March 4, 2000. In the film, the DigiDestined find a virus Digimon who Digivolves into who infects the Internet. The film introduces DNA Digivolution. The film grossed¥2.166 billion.[31]Our War Game! later served as the inspiration for directorMamoru Hosoda's filmSummer Wars.[32]
The two short films were combined withDigimon Adventure 02: Part 1: Digimon Hurricane Landing!! / Part 2: Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals and was released asDigimon: The Movie in North America on October 6, 2000.Digimon: The Movie was altered from the original script to remove "culturally awkward" Japanese elements and introduced jokes suitable for a North American audience.[33] Originally, scriptwriterJeff Nimoy wanted to combineDigimon Adventure andOur War Game! while releasingDigimon Hurricane Landing / Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals as a direct-to-television movie, but the idea was overruled. In order to connect the film's stories, the script was rewritten.[34]
Digimon Adventure 3D: Digimon Grand Prix! (デジモンアドベンチャー3D デジモングランプリ!,Dejimon Adobenchā: Dejimon Guran Puri), astereoscopic 3D short film, was shown at Toei Animation Festival on October 3, 2009 and was later included on a set of DVD works released on February 21, 2010.
Characters and Digimon fromAdventure appear throughout many video games based on the franchise, such asDigimon Rumble Arena.
AnRPG based on the original storyline ofAdventure developed byPrope and published byNamco Bandai Games, also titleDigimon Adventure, was released for thePlayStation Portable on January 17, 2013, part of the line-up of video games of the 15th-anniversary celebration of the franchise.[35][36] The game covers the entire series as well as the second Japanese film,Bokura no War Game, and sees the return of all the main voice actors.[37] The game also features original story elements and an unlockable dungeon mode featuring sequel protagonists in the franchise.[38]
Other media adaptions include amanhua released in 2000, drawn byYu Yuen-wong,[39] and its sequel.[citation needed] The manhua was originally published inHong Kong, byRightman [zh].[40] In total it was published in five volumes.Tokyopop published the series in English in the United States,[41] whileChuang Yi did so in Singapore.[42]
There is a second manhua, titled 數碼寶貝, written by Lu Shui-shi (呂水世), published byChing Win.[43]
A North American 12 issue adaption of the first arc of the show was published by Dark Horse Comics. A novelization was written by the Digimon Adventure screenwriter, Hiro Masaki and series directorHiroyuki Kakudō.[44] The light novels were separated into three parts. Four Drama CDs were also released between 1999 and 2003.[45][46][47][48]
On its initial release,[49] the series found a rather large success in the United States. When it was first released in North America, the series was seen as an attempt to imitate the success ofNintendo'sPokémon franchise.Entertainment Weekly magazine namedDigimon as the "WorstPokémon/Net Crossbreeding Attempt" in 2000.[50] However, praise was later directed towards the realistic interactions and development of its child characters compared to those of the contemporaryPokémon anime, as well as the improved English dubbing and complex science fiction and social themes introduced in later seasons.[51]
Despite the criticism, it placed first at the start of the May 2000Nielsen ratingssweeps, surpassingPokémon: Adventures on the Orange Islands among viewers aged 2–11 and 6–11.[52] Retailers and businesses such as snack food companyJel Sert and toy store chainToys "R" Us capitalized on the popularity of the series by licensing it for promotion with their own products.[53]Web search engineLycos listedDigimon as the number fivefad of 2000, and it ranked 35th on the list of the year's top searches.[54]
InTV Asahi's poll of the Top 100 Anime,Digimon came in 54th.[55] OnAnime News Network, Luke Carroll gave theDigimon: Digital Monsters - Collection 2 DVD an overall grade of D+.[56]
數碼寶貝/[...];呂水世作畫.一臺北市:青文[...]-Book profile
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