The later years of the 1990's were a strong time for children's programming, as was the first half of the 2000's. Many of the more prominent networks provided a diverse and accessible array of television shows, notably bolstered by comic book adaptations and Japanese imports, both of which have seen continuous momentum. Amongst this trend of commercial powerhouses, "Digimon Adventure" was an unusual competitor, a superficial "Pokemon" imitation that managed to set itself apart. Though the franchise that followed has arguably passed its day, this humble commencement, in spite of its imperfections, remains a fond experience.
The story (owing something of a debt to C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia) is simple, but not sophisticated. The whole idea of a bunch of kids being given the responsibility of saving a parallel world from evil, travelling around and facing one villain at a time is rather standard stuff and lacks the innovation seen in the greatest of animated programs. Most of the story arcs follow the same basic premise: the kids are lost in a strange land, are divided and eventually have to face a new enemy that chases them simply because the plot requires it. Thus, the objective usually is little more than to defeat the bad guy, which is all the more of a problem because the villains have no apparent connection, not even after the series ends. You never hear Etemon talk about Devimon, or Myotismon ever even hint at the existence of the Dark Masters, preventing the different acts from naturally building upon each other. Because of these characteristics, there is a sense of predictability that pervades much of the narrative. The only true surprises are the first appearances of Genai, Kari and Venommyotismon, though I suppose I cannot be too critical of this because suspense is not a primary aim here.
In spite of the video-game likeness, what really works is the sense of discovery and wonderment that Adventure captures that is not entirely seen in the other seasons. This was the first time the audience was introduced to this unique world and for about half of the running length there was always some interesting new element or principle to be discovered: the enigmatic black gears, the tags and crests, a sphinx with programming code and a colorful village that might as well be the world's greatest nursery. Even the partner digimon find inspiration in their appearances and abilities.
I know it sounds a little harsh, this verdict on the plot, but even all those years ago the story of this series did not impress me that much, but the characters did. Originally, I claimed that the first season group was the best and most memorable, and today
I still believe that. What makes this particular group so endearing is that they are diverse and relatable, all brought life by some very impressive voice work that never receives enough acknowledgement. Any one of them could be imagined as the kid that sat next to you in middle school. I like how they gradually open up to the audience, and to a lesser extent each other, and we learn troubling parts of their histories that present a personal struggle that they work to overcome, which makes it easy to root for them and elevates this beyond a simple survival story; for a series that obviously had limited planning the writers did a good job of building upon what we only glimpse in the first story segment. Truly, this all infuses the kids with a complexity that remains uncommon in this genre, an asset that the franchise sadly lost sight of down the road. If these guys actually did exist, they are the ones you would want to spend time with; how many of the casts of future seasons can make that same claim? However, one notable issue is that half of the kids are not really given sufficient focus. Tai, Izzy, Matt and Sora are particularly prominent at various points, but the rest are not really capitalized on as far as character progression is concerned, despite their appealing personalities.
This appeal does not carry over to the villains, unfortunately. On one hand, these are some of the most memorable villains of the franchise, based on several horror archetypes that in turn provide for a fair number of entertaining moments. Similar to the heroes, they are diverse and possess a varied array of interesting abilities that help maintain the sense of challenge. On the other hand, it is undeniable that they are a triumph of style over substance; it is difficult to regard them beyond the superficial level of action figures. Unlike their season 2 counterparts, most of these guys are not terribly distinct individuals, the only exceptions being Puppetmon , Etemon and Apocalymon.
The writing and animation are probably the focal points for detractors. The themes of self-discovery and personal growth are thoroughly enjoyable, and there are some well-written sequences, like the campfire dinner in the 7th episode. Unfortunately, much of the script is riddled with misfire attempts at humor, much of which is the result of micromanagement for the dub. However, I believe the animation is more lamentable. Though the art style works, many of the action sequences are not as kinetic as they should be. A negative correlation exists between the production values and the progression of the series, which hampers the final act.
Though time has not been entirely kind to it, this is a show that remains better than a lot of the kids programming that were supposed to replace it and I think it is a great introductory anime. Most importantly, it still deserves its place in its own line. The majority of future seasons owe something to it, and I think Daniel of youtube put it best: "it may not be the most complex or deep, but it set the groundwork for the rest". Simply put, not the best entry, but the most classic.
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