Digimon Adventure S01E28

Pursuit! Hurry to Japan (JP)

It’s All in the Cards (EN)


Written by:

JP: Hiro MASAKI
EN: Mark Ryan and John Ludin

First aired:

JP: September 19, 1999
EN: November 27, 1999

Section: Summary

Distraught by their failed attempt at revolution, Jennai invites the DigiDestined over to his house to sign their unemployment paperwork. He immediately regrets this decision when they show up on his lawn screaming, as children are wont to do, so he tries to stifle their energy with boring slideshows and by showing them the old card game he used to play. Tai immediately suggests breaking the rules of the game, to which Jennai takes exception and warns that the Card Game Police will send them to Card Game Jail, not realizing that that is a different show. After a good night’s rest, the children depart to Myotismon’s castle to access his sweet, limited-edition card game mat. There, they discover that the mat is also an elaborate key to the Real World, the door to which opens before them. They decide to screw the card game and its rules, and they go home instead.

Dialogue Deviation

As usual, the narrator’s recap is paraphrased by one of the DigiDestined:

Sora: “Jennai really threw us for a loop when he told us there was an eighth child, and it was up to us to find him. We were just about to pass through the gate that would take us into the human world when we were rudely interrupted by a trouble-making Digimon called Gatomon. Talk about your bad luck! The door closed right in our faces! Now that pestering feline is off to find the missing child, and we’re stuck here not knowing what to do! Somehow we have to find a way to open that gate, but how?”

DemiDevimon just can’t get any credit, can he?

Side Note

The Devidramon still sound baby raptor-like for now, and they make noises when they were originally quiet, and it’s starting to get a little weird.

Dialogue Deviation

[The Children had just finished telling Gennai what happened]
Gennai: “Is that so? That’s too bad.”
Yamato: “‘Too bad’ doesn’t help us! At this rate, our eighth teammate will die!”
Jennai: “Myotismon has shut the gate; you can’t follow him now.”
Matt: “Listen, pops, you’ve gotta help us get through that gate. The eighth kid is doomed if we don’t!”

Listed because: a) thanks for the bulletin, Jennai; b) why is Jennai telling them that? They were there. He said his signal doesn’t work in the castle, so how did he know? And c) Yamato’s delivery was urgent, but Matt’s delivery is downright aggressive – like he’s about to shake Jennai down for some answers, which he should! WHAT ARE YOU HIDING, OLD MAN?!


Sora follows up Matt’s near-shakedown by calling Myotismon a “rotten creep”, something Original Sora would never be so cruel to say! Sora will lay down the hard truths, like when she called Nanomon a coward for stealing the power of others to fight his battles, but she’s not one for unnecessary insults.


Taichi: “Can’t we get the Gate open again?”
Gennai: “It’s possible.”
Taichi: “Really?”
Sora: “How?”
Gennai: “I can’t simply explain it. There are some things to use as well.”
Taichi: “Don’t drag it out!”
Tai: “There just has to be some way we can open the gate up again!”
Jennai: “Well, of course there is.”
Tai: “No kidding?”
Sora: “How, then?”
Jennai: “Any door can be opened… with the right keys.”
Tai: “Oh, don’t be so mysterious, Jennai!”

Seriously – you can just say you don’t remember. We get it; you’re old!

Gennai: “I understand. Well, come over to my house.”
Koromon: “Your house?”
*Gennai points upward, then starts to cut out*
Mimi: “The signal again?”
Gennai: “Take a look around, please.”
Jennai: “Follow me to my house, and I will explain everything.”
Koromon: “Where’s that?”
Jennai: “Look above you.” *points upwards*
Mimi: “What kind of directions are those?”
Jennai: “Very good ones, if you would just listen…”

Dial it back, old man! Once again, this is your fault – you and your ambiguity!

[Beams of light lead the way]
Patamon: “There!”
Gennai: “Keep going in the direction of that light to reach my house.”
Taichi: “Got it!”
Gennai: “Well then, I’ll be waiting.”
Jennai: “Keep looking and you shall see it.”
Matt: “There! A search light!”
Patamon: “audible gasp for no reason*
Jennai: “Sorry; I ran out of maps. Damn print shop said they canceled my order instead of another customer’s by mistake. Follow the light. You can’t miss it.”
Tai: “Excellent!”
Jennai: “It’s not excellent; they sent me a box full of retirement brochures! Anyway, snack time for me!” *ends transmission*

Taichi: “All right, let’s go!”
Tai: “Let’s JET!”

He’ll eat all the snacks before you get there, Tai. He always does.

Side Note

The background music when Gennai activates the beacon is all peaceful and mystical in the original. It is very boring in the dub. The muffin-baking song would have done better.

Dialogue Deviation

[The Children arrive at a lake to find the beacon shining up from under the surface]
Mimi: *pulling at her hat* “Wait a second! What’s going on here?!”
Joe: “Look’s like we’re going to be doing a little swimming.”
Mimi: *pulling at her hat* “My hat! My beautiful hat!”

Not the beautiful hat!!

Yamato: “Is his house underwater?”
Matt: “Either we got these directions wrong, or Jennai’s house is in the middle of a lake.”

Could be both.

Jou: “Anyway, how do we get there?”
Joe: “Must be really tough to get pizza delivered.”

The pizza holds up surprisingly well. The breadsticks, however…

Gomamon: “I’ll go take a look!” *the water lights up and starts bubbling under him* “Eh, what’s this? T-this isn’t me, heheh!” (as though he farted, which he did)
Gomamon: “Hey, come on in, the water’s fine.” *light and bubbles* “Oh no… THIS ISN’T WATER!

And his friends just stand and watch, despite his vocalized concern, as we all would.

[The water splits from the source of the beacon to reveal stairs that are in excellent condition considering they’ve been underwater]
We’re all amazed by the stairs.
Tai: “Steps?! All right, gang, we’re in business!”

Not that amazed.

Section: Cut or moved footage

(1 sec) For some reason, after Palmon ponders the stairs, the dub replaces the shot of Yamato replying to her with the shot of Gomamon sitting on the steps in front of them. Matt’s reply, “They must lead to Jennai’s house,” plays over the shot of Gomamon.

Everyone shares a stare at the stairs
Dialogue Deviation

[Inside what is apparently The Lake of Saying Stupid Shit in the dub]
Gomamon: “Everyone, wait up!”
Takeru: “It’s slippery.”
Patamon: “Be careful!” *sees Gennai’s house up ahead* “There!”
Sora: “Over there?”
Jou: “I think so.”

Joe: “I was kind of hoping he’d send a boat, but I guess not.”
Gomamon: “Hmm…Hey! Wait for me!”
Mimi: “If anyone wants any sushi, now’s your chance.”
T.K.: “I wish I had my boots.” [… why?]
Patamon: “Me, too!” [… why??] “Look!”
Sora: “Quite a place if you don’t mind living in pink fog.”
Joe: “No lawn to mow!”

Pictured: a lawn to mow.

[The Children enter the garden gate]
All: “Excuse us!”
Taichi: “We’re coming in!”
*in the garden*
Piyomon: “This is kind of cool!”

Tai: “I don’t see a doorbell!”
*in the garden*
Everyone over each other: “HEY, JENNAI. JENNAIII. WE’RE HERE! HELLO!”
Jennai: “… Who needs a doorbell with such noisy visitors?!”

XD Jennai’s actor, Mike Reynolds, delivers that line with flawless old-man-petulance.

[Gennai’s standing on a bridge in his fancy garden]
Koushirou: “Mister… Gennai?”
Gennai: “Welcome, children.”
Izzy: “Wow, It’s the real Jennai!”
Jennai: “Who did you expect? Santa Claus?”

NO.

… maybe…

Taichi: “Is that really him?”
Koushirou: “Yes.”
Tai: “We’ve just never seen the real you.”
Izzy: “Yeah.”

What do you mean, you’ve “never seen the real” him?!?! What, did you think he was reverse-catfishing you, and he was actually a hot catfish using an old man photo on his profile?!

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me fourteen times…

Taichi: “Hey, Gramps! There’s something I wanna ask you!”
Gennai: “What is it?”
Taichi: “Why didn’t you come meet us directly until now?”
Gennai: “It was inconvenient.”
Tai: “So tell us: how come you’re always hiding?”
Jennai: “I’m not!”
Tai: “Well, you could’ve come in person, but you always used projections, right?”
Jennai: “It’s just a show to impress you. Also, no, I couldn’t have come in person, because I’m old af, and I live underwater, and the inside control for the stairs takes batteries instead of being wired to the house, which I didn’t know about before I had it installed, and nobody bothered to mention it! Cod-damn HDiGTV.”

[Is Gennai a human or a Digimon (and would he be Oldmon or Oldmamon)?]
Gennai: “Neither.”
Jennai: “That is not important.”

Eeehhhh… that “neither” answer is kind of important…

Mimi: “What does being a Chosen Child mean?”
Gennai: “It means that you are children who were chosen to save this world and your own world.”
Mimi: “HOW COME YOU CALL US THE DIGIDESTINED?”
Jennai: “Mm! Easy! I’m old, but I’m not deaf! You were chosen to save this world and your own.”

As much as I like Mimi screaming in Jennai’s ear: what is going on with the writers regarding Mimi and Jennai? Are they compounding on that dirty look he gave her back in episode 14? If that’s a running gag or something, I love it. If not, it’s kind of weird.

[Who chose the Chosen Children?]
Sora: “Was it you, Gennai?”
Gennai: “That’s enough already. What you need to focus on right now is how to save the eighth child. Now, come inside.”
Sora: “Yeah. We only signed up for summer camp.”
Jennai: “That is all you need to know for now. Come inside. The most important thing is to return to your world and find the eighth child. That and maybe have a nice bowl of soup and a tuna sandwich.”

1) that is NOT all they need to know for now, and 2) that’s old people food! They can’t eat that! Give it here; I’ll take care of it.

[Inside Gennai’s abode]
Mimi and Takeru (checking out the fishies outside the window): “Pretty!”
Jou: “Snapper and flounder? In this water?” [Snappers and flounders are saltwater fish, and Gennai lives in a lake]
Joe: “But those are halibut! They’re saltwater fish…”

Trivia: all halibut are flounders, but not all flounders are halibut!

Gennai: “Those are mecha I made. It’s lonely living by yourself…”
Jennai: “You are right, so I have to feed them popcorn, and salty pretzels, and tons of salted nuts.”
Joe: “You think he’s pulling our legs?”
Tai: “I have no idea.”

Please don’t murder your fish by feeding them pretzels, popcorn, and/or salted nuts.

[Gennai reveals a map, and Jennai is embarrassed because he said he was out of maps]
Gennai: “Take a look at this.”
*zoomin’ in*
Koushirou: “Japan?”
*again*
Mimi: “Tokyo, right?
*one more*
Taichi: “The Nerima district!”
Jennai: “Now, a look at the weather.” *zoom* “State.” *again* “County.” *last one* “City.” Does anyone recognize this area?”
Tai: “Our hometown?”

What kind of fucked-up map of AMERICA, the only country in the world, is that?!

Side Note

Japan, like many countries, is not divided into states or provinces. What we’re zooming in on is Tokyo Metropolis, the special ward Nerima within Tokyo, then the Hikarigaoka district in Nerima. Prefectures, special wards, and districts are not equivalent to American states, counties, or cities.


Hilariously, unless by “hometown”, he means “the place where we used to live several years ago and barely remember,” Tai meets everyone’s expectations by not being able to read a map, because his hometown is Odaiba, not Hikarigaoka.

To be fair, I couldn’t read a map for shit in elementary school. I was a really stupid kid, though, so don’t take that as a defense of Tai.


Odaiba, incidentally, is a real place! It’s built on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay and is home to loads of shopping and sightseeing. You might have heard of the scale Gundam model that’s in Japan – it’s in Odaiba! That satellite dish Ferris wheel behind Taichi’s apartment building? Totally there – it’s part of the Palette Town shopping mall complex.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odaiba

… Hikarigaoka is also a real place! The show features real locations, and I think that’s pretty cool! People who’ve been there get to see these places featured in the show, and we all get to see small parts of Japan as it looked in 1999!

Dialogue Deviation

[Vamdemon is a red circle now]
Taichi: “What’s wrong?”
Yamato: “No… It’s not important… You?”
Taichi: “No, same for me. Still, that’s Hikarigaoka, isn’t it?”
Tai and Matt: GASP
Tai: “Myotismon!”
Matt: “Wow, he’s only a mile from where we all live.”
Jennai: “I’m afraid so.”

The state, county, and city of Japan, USA. Or is anybody ever going to admit out loud that they’re all from Japan, not-USA?

All: “Hikarigaoka?”
Tai: “I’ll bet you that he goes downtown. This is not good.”

That’s where all the bars are at! He’s going to drink too much and reinforce the stereotype that tourists are all a bunch of assholes!

Side Note

When we get a glimpse at Vamdemon’s arrival in Hikarigaoka:

Original: the phones are ringing off the hook! Well, not really, but there are phone ringing sounds and modem noises abound as we show Vamdemon and his minions going over their itinerary. Technicians are baffled, because the circuits are fine.

Dub: no phones are ringing, and there is no noise at all indicating a problem with communications, and the technicians claim that the cable is fine, but the cable is NOT fine; this is ANOTHER re-run on HDiGTV, and I’M SICK OF IT.

Dialogue Deviation

[Back in Gennai’s house, he retrieves something for the kids]
Taichi: “C’mon! Tell us how to open the Gate!”
Gennai: “Let’s not be hasty. You’ll be using these.”
Gomamon: “There’s one of me!”
Koromon: “And Agumon!”
Mimi: “What are these?”
Gennai: “Cards.”
Taichi: “Well, we know that!”
Tai: “Please tell us how to open the gate back to our world!”
Jennai: “You certainly are impatient. Keep your goggles on, my young friend! … You’ll need these.”
(Talking over each other AGAIN)
Matt: “Check ’em out!”
*ooh aah*
Tai: “Digimon key cards!”
Tentomon: “It’s the spitting image! By which I mean an image one spits on! *hwwwkkk*”
Izzy: “Tentomon, NO!”

Joe: “All right! Look at Gomamon!”
Gomamon: “I’m cuter in person.”
Koromon: “There I am, too! Sadly, not cuter in person 🙁
Mimi: “But what are they for?”
Tai: “Yeah, and how do they help us open the gate?”

Oh, come on, dub! “What are these?” “Cards” was a good bit!


As we pan over the cards, Jennai keeps running his mouth, but Koushirou figured out right away that Gennai gave them one too many cards without needing to be nudged:

Gennai: “You need to place these cards into those holes.”
Koushirou: “But you gave us one card too many.”
Gennai: “There’s one card I’m not sure of that is mixed in.”
Jennai: “That’s right. However, take a closer look. It’s not quite as simple as that! Do you see the problem?”
Izzy: “You’re giving us one too many cards.”
Jennai: “That’s right. Mm-hmm. One of them is a fake!”

I like how he does not clarify that he does not know which one is the fake in the dub. The way he delivers the line, he sounds like he’s doing it on purpose, which is excellent.

[Taichi suggests trying up to 3,628,800 possible permutations randomly to find the right order]
Gennai: *assault* “You can’t do that! If you do, you’ll get thrown into a completely different and crazy-looking world!”
All: “Oh.”
Mimi: “Do that many worlds really exist?”
Gennai: *regains composure and clears throat* “Yes! There’s also the possibility that you may not be perfectly restored on the other side!”
Mimi: “What does that mean?”
Gennai: “In other words…”
*visual example of Mimi and Palmon entering a gate and coming out with switched features*
Mimi: “That is NOT OKAY! NO NO NO (x100)!”
Gennai: “That’s why, while Vamdemon used an incantation, you’ll need to use your own power.”
Jennai: *assault* “No, you will not, you silly boy! That’s absolutely the last thing you should do! There are many, many other worlds. If you put the cards in the wrong holes, it will be a disaster! You could end up in a different world with no way to return!” *regains composure, clears throat, and cheerily continues* “Let me explain!” *he speaks over the visual example* “The wrong cards might take you to a world where, for example, people and Digimon switch skin.”
Mimi: “No! Not that! I like my skin! *wails*”
Jennai: “Don’t worry, don’t worry! You’re not going to switch your skin with anyone as long as you use the cards correctly!”

Why did you have that example ready?

Gennai: “Anyway, I’m giving you these cards. Rest up tonight. Enemies won’t attack you here.”
Jennai: “You must learn to use your power the way Myotismon is using his. Tomorrow I’ll teach you the proper use of the cards.”

They don’t HAVE magic card-floaty-boy powers! That’s the whole problem!

Side Note

In the dub, the children sigh or otherwise vocalize in their sleep, whereas they are actually asleep and not making it impossible for others to sleep in the original.

Not even joking: if I had to sleep next to someone making those sounds as they slept, I would smother them with a pillow.

YES, I KNOW IT DOESN’T KILL THEM. IT’S JUST FUN

Dialogue Deviation

When Koushirou is talking to Gennai, he says the Digital World is similar to the Real World, but “strange”, and asks why that is. Izzy says it’s “like our world, but different” and asks why that is. Because it’s a different world, smart boy. Go back to bed.

Gennai: “Do you know what this world is made up of? It’s similar to your world’s atoms and molecules.”
Jennai: “The same material is used in all worlds.”

Except the Digital World, which is made of computer data, as Jennai goes on to say.

Koushirou: “I see. By the way, Mister Gennai, are you also data?”
Gennai: “Yep.”
Koushirou: “But you have a real body somewhere, don’t you? Like we do?”
Gennai: “Nope.”
Izzy: “What about you, Jennai? Are you just made up of computer data, too?”
Jennai: “Of course. So in each of the worlds, I would appear somewhat… different.”

I KNEW IT!

I assume by saying “I would appear somewhat… different,” he means he’d look like code on a screen rather than a person. Gennai does not have an organic, Real World body.


[The following morning]
Satisfied post-meal sighs
Sora: “Wow, Joe. Why not just eat the bones, too?”
Joe: “Hey! I was hungry.”

You have to give him the raw bones, Sora. The cooked ones can break and get stuck in his throat.

Gennai: “Are you all ready?”
All: “Yes!”
Jennai: “Good morning, everyone!”
All: “Hi!”

Listed for the implication that he didn’t see them before they were done eating, and therefore they ate his food without his knowledge or permission, of which I approve.

Gennai: “I’ve added an adapter to Koushirou’s computer. If you insert a Digivice in here, the information of Digimon that its owner has met will be added to the Analyzer. I’ve also installed several new programs. Take a look at the manual when you have the time.”
Koushirou: “Thank you!”
Jennai: “Izzy, I completed the modifications for your computer. When you insert someone’s Digivice into this adapter, the analyzer will show information on any Digimon that person has seen. I also installed a new screensaver! You know the one with the colored fishes swimming around? I really like that one.”
Izzy: “Great minds do think alike!”

Flying toasters or GTFO.

Gennai: “It may be tough for you, Chosen Children, but have faith in your power.”
Jennai: “And now I have a request for all of you. I don’t want you to forget that you are the DigiDestined.”

We all wish we could forget that’s the name they were given…

Jou: “The power of a Chosen Child, huh?”
Sora: “Hey, let’s have faith!”
Joe: “I’ll never forget this stomachache. Ugh…”
Sora: “Joe, this is serious.”

I told you not to give him the cooked bones!


[They make their way up the slope to Vamdemon’s castle]
No dialogue
Joe: “Man, this place looks even scarier than it did the first time!”

Somehow, the lack of powerful soldiers makes it MORE intimidating!


Yamato and Taichi have a quick exchange that is effectively given to Izzy with his question, “How do we get past the Devidramon?”

Side Note

The Devidramon have grown so much since the the start of this episode! They no longer sound like weird baby raptors, but instead, their growls more closely match their original voices.

Dialogue Deviation

[Inside the castle, AtlurKabuterimon starts a ruckus to distract the Devidramon]
*ruckus under way* Koushirou: “Now, while they’re distracted!”
Izzy: *running past the Devidramon* “Let’s go! Now’s our chance!” *ruckus ensues* “Aah! Move it! Move it! … Well, so much for a quiet entrance.”

Yeah, your screaming and lack of stealth didn’t help.

[At the card alter thing, Taichi tries to figure out the order of the cards]
Taichi: “Good guys… Bad guys… Dirty guys…”
Tai: “Good one… bad one… funky one!”

XD


Jou originally suggested “small, medium, and big” for the cards, and Yamato suggested “weak, average, and strong”. In the dub, Joe used their levels, “In-training, Rookie, and Champion”, which he gets wrong, because the sets are Child/Rookie, a mix of two Perfect/Ultimate-levels and one Adult/Champion-level (Unimon), and a mix of two Adult/Champion-levels and one Perfect/Ultimate (TonosamaGekomon) level, and Matt suggested their sizes.

Original Mimi suggested the number of syllables in their names indicated the order. Dub Mimi suggested it was alphabetical, which is a sensible adaptation.

The Square and Compass symbol on the right is swapped out for a repeat of the dots on the left. Why? Well, it’s a symbol used in Masonic rituals of Freemasonry, which is a rather unique Western subculture. Freemasonry, however, is frequently associated with conspiracy theories. The editing team perhaps thought it best not to associate it with Vamdemon and his magic.

… so why was it there in the first place?! Yeah, other than the “Masonic rituals” biz, I have no idea. I guess it might be considered part of the occult in Japan, or maybe there was a communication mix-up somewhere.

ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_and_Compasses

Dialogue Deviation

[Koushirou contemplates the images on the slate]
Koushirou: “The lion and archer are from the twelve zodiac constellations. But the monkey isn’t a part of it…”
Izzy: “Sagittarius and Leo are signs of the Zodiac, but there’s nothing about a monkey in any horoscope!”

If by “horoscope”, he means the ones in the newspaper that predict how your day is going to go, he might be correct as they do tend to leave out monkey-related events. I haven’t looked at mine in a while, though. It may very well have specifically monkey-related fortunes.

The Monkey is a sign of the Chinese zodiac.


[The castle is collapsing, as is standard for castles in this show]
Sora: “That’s not all! Inside here will also [collapse]..!”
Jou: “Taichi…”
Taichi: “What is it?”
Jou: “I’m leaving this to you.”
Izzy: “One of us has to choose nine cards and put them in the holes, and that’ll be that!”
Joe: “You, Tai.”
Tai: “Me?”
Joe: *flippantly* “Yeah, it’s your call…” *yawn*

Not that I don’t enjoy the humor of Joe sleepily foisting things onto Tai and then settling down for a nap, but Jou was encouraging, and Joe sounds like he’s checked out.

Side Note

Originales: The instrumental version of Seven, Friends ~Battle Theme~ (Tomodachi ~Tatakai no Teemu~ 「友達~戦いのテーム」) plays as they all encourage Taichi to place the cards in order.

Dubales: a whole lot o’ “not much”…

Dialogue Deviation

[Mimi has faked them out by demanding Taichi get them home, then reminding them that she won’t be selfish anymore]
Sora: “That’s right! If we don’t change ourselves, nothing else will!”
Jou: “That’s why I’ll place trust in my friends!”
Sora: “Yeah, we have to believe in our friends! Remember what Jennai said?”
Matt: “Yeah, he said to believe in our power. You believe, don’t you, Tai?”

That is not what he said. He said he didn’t want you to forget that your group name is “the DigiDestined”. I’m pretty sure he meant for you to be ashamed of it.

Yamato: “You think so too, right, Takeru?”
Takeru: “Yeah! Even if we end up in another world, we’ll be together, won’t we? That’s why I’m not scared!”
Yamato: “That’s right!”
Sora: “Koushirou, you?”
Koushirou: “Y-yes! I’ve believed in Taichi since before this.”
Joe: “Come on! We’ve gone through a lot of weird stuff already. If we hadn’t stuck together, we never would have beaten Seadramon!”

Half of you were on shore while Garurumon fought him.

Matt: “Or smashed Tyrannomon!”

You and Izzy left the group behind.

Mimi: “Or escaped from Toy Town!”

You and Palmon while everyone else was either stuck in a box or running around like idiots.

Joe: “And I’d still be making french fries in Vegiemon’s diner if you hadn’t saved me!”

Matt was halfway to ditching you. And they’re “Digifries” on the menu.


[Taichi has delegated the task to Koushirou, and Motimon suggested he use his computer]
Koushirou: “With my computer? If I could use the Internet, I could ask people who know more about the occult…”
Izzy: “The computer? Right now, I’d rather use it to log onto the Internet and book us a flight out of this place.”

Myotismon’s castle has GREAT WiFi signal!

Side Note

As Koushirou pulls up images of Devimon, Leomon, Ogremon, etc., their information on the Digimon Analyzer screens is… NOT censored! Those blank blocks are blank in the original as well! The only alterations are the heading with the Digimons’ names, which are in katakana in the original and English in the dub. The info only appears when Etemon’s card is brought up, then they all have their information again.

Section: Cut or moved footage

Despite the brazen display of Japanese text a moment ago, there are some things we simply cannot abide, and that is zoomed-in Japanese text! Koushirou focusing on Centarumon, Leomon, and Etemon’s attributes is cut from the dub.

成熟期 is “Adult-level” (seijukuki, literally “mature phase”), and 完全体 is “Perfect-level” (kanzentai, literally “perfect body”).

The attributes themselves are in katakana, because these words are borrowed from English. ワクチン is Vaccine (WAKUCHIN), データ is Data (DE~TA), and ウィルス is Virus (UiRUSU). Japanese doesn’t have a native “v” consonant sound, so they adapt with ウィ (Ui), ブイ (BUi), the “w-” syllables (ワ/ヲ, wa/wo), the “b-” syllables (バ/ビ/ブ/べ/ボ, ba/bi/bu/be/bo), or more modernly, ヴぃ (VI, pronounced like “bi” or “bui”), depending on the word.

Dialogue Deviation

Izzy carries on the noble tradition of either getting ShogunGekomon’s name wrong or flat-out ignoring what it is, asking for someone who’s met “Gekomon” instead. The Digimon Analyzer is no fool, however, and it shows his name as “ShogunGekomon”, as it should be.

Izzy also says “prodigious” after seizing Joe’s Digivice, which is even worse!


THEN, after he figures out the puzzle, he reads off the lion, centaur, and monkey’s attributes as Data, Virus, and Vaccine respectively. Leomon is Vaccine, Kentarumon is Data, and Etemon is King Virus.


Koushirou: “As far as which is the wrong one, I don’t know. I’m sorry. I couldn’t meet to your expectations.”
Izzy: “Wait a minute, not so fast. There are two cards here. One of them is the fake, but I don’t know which one! So that’s it. I’m sorry. We still can’t be certain where the gate will open to.”

Listed because Koushirou felt like he let everyone down in the original, and it was sad. 🙁 Izzy sounds like an IT tech who couldn’t reinstall someone’s mouse drivers, which will probably happen in his future.

Sora: “Taichi can do the rest.”
Taichi: “Understood! Koushirou, you really helped me out! Thank you!”
Sora: “Tai can pick which one’s fake.”
Tai: “If I can’t, everyone gets an ice cream, and I’m buyin’!”

“Also, everyone dies – maybe in that order!”

Section: Digimon Analyzer

Spiders from above!

Narrator: “Dokugumon: a cursed Digimon whose entire body is made from a computer virus. Its special attack, Stinger Pollation, is released from its sharp fangs.”
Izzy’s translation is accurate, though he leaves out the special attack.

Dokugumon’s Stinger Pollation becomes Poison Thread and/or Poison Cobweb.

Stinger Pollation is the attack name in katakana (it’s borrowed English), but “pollation” isn’t a word. They may have been going for “pollenation” or a portmanteau of “pollenation” and “pollution”.


And now, I get to try to describe Dokugumon’s voice! In the original, they sound like… okay, so you know when you mock someone for saying something stupid, and you take on a lower pitch and kind of a soft, bumbling voice? It’s like that with an echo. In the dub, it’s a generic “rawrr, I’m an evil monster maybe-lady!” voice.

Dialogue Deviation

[Dokugumon is attacking, and Taichi is trying to decide between the Gomamon or Agumon cards]
Jou: “Either is fine!”
Tai (thinking): “If I choose wrong, we’re toast!”

Mmm, toast…

[Dokugumon has used Stinger Pollation on Togemon, Garurumon, and Ikkakumon]
Togemon: “I’m going numb!”
Dokugumon: “The Children are next!”
No dialogue – Togemon et al. groan, and Dokugumon laughs.

Side Note

“Hey, Digimon” plays in place of Brave Heart again, and no, I will not stop pointing it out, because it sucks and it’s annoying.

Dialogue Deviation

Yamato: “We’ve got to go, too!”
Dokugumon: “I’ll drag you down to Hell!”
Matt: “Leave him and come on!”
Dokugumon: “You’ll never get out of here in One Piece! It’s a completely different show!


[The Children have successfully gone though the gate and are now back at the campgrounds where they’d been sucked into the Digital World, pondering where their Digimon are. Turns out they were just looking for food. And by “food”, I mean “leaves”]
Jou: “This is Japan, so we don’t need to eat that stuff anymore!”
Mimi: “We’ll be able to eat tastier things!”

All (to each other): “Welcome back!”
All: “We’re home!”
Joe: “Now that we’re home, we don’t have to eat leaves anymore! We can eat cheeseburgers!”
Mimi: “That’s right, and pepperoni pizza!”
T.K.: “And french fries!”
Matt: “And ice cream!”
Sora: “Yeah, and broccoli!”
All: “Broccoli?”
Tai: “Broccoli?”

Time to pack in all those calories we burned off walking through deserts!

Koromon: “Why didn’t you choose my card?”
Taichi: “Your card? Ah, I wanted to keep it as a souvenir.”
Koromon: *dubious* “Really?”
Koromon: “How did you know that my card was the fake, Tai?”
Tai: “I didn’t. I kept your card ’cause you’re my friend, and Gomamon can fuck right off!”
Koromon: *laughs* “That’s so nice!”

Taichi: “Hikarigaoka. The eighth child is there for sure! Let’s find them and save them!”
All: “Yeah!”
Tai: “I’m happy that we’re finally headed back to my hometown, and we already know that’s where we’re going to find the eighth child! Let’s go!”

All right, I guess by “hometown”, they do mean “the town I used to live in and barely remember” …

Side Note

Seven plays during the scene above in the original, from the time the Digimon appear to the end. In the dub, the usual triumphant music plays.

The Digi-Verdict

There was a lot of re-used footage in the original episode, so don’t mistake familiar shots or scenes for cuts! The only cut was the zoomed-in shots of the Digimon Analyzer info, which you should be thankful was kept away from your precious ey– oh, wait, I posted a screen cap of it. Woops!

Adaptation-wise, this episode is about average: added silliness with minimal cuts, and it maintains the underlying story even though it continues the whole “‘Japan?’ Why I’ve never heard of such a place!” business. Some confusion with the attributes, but that’s more about the cadence of the words “data, virus, vaccine” than actually mixing them up. Overall, no major losses. I give a C, for “catfish”, the masterful reversal of which Jennai pulled off.

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4 Comments

  • After reading all that I have 3 things I wonder and one is resolved…

    1. I finally understand why in the Filipino English dub when Taichi says his response to Genai’s locations as the “The Nerima Ward” in the dub it’s hard to here what he said and even the subbed version just says Nerima I couldn’t find any way to figure out what he was saying as it sounded like he said “The Evil Hoard” but actually they got the locations right the 1st time but if I didn’t read this write up I never would have knew so thank you!

    2. I can’t understand why Yamoto said “It’s nothing important” just after Genai shows the 3 locations it was said in both the Japanese and Filipino English dub in the same meaning but what did he mean by that, wouldn’t Yamoto’s response been something like “Could that be” or “Is that” why would he say the location isn’t important as they wanted to get back there anyway in the end was he having post thoughts about Takeru and his mum?

    3. It’s interesting the Saban dub edited the right most icon in that stone tablet, especially when they left it in clear as day when Vandemon earlier in the past episode pulled both parts downwards to open the passage, to be honest I would have never knew what it was until I read this write up to so thank you once again and keep up the good work ^^

    • Re: #2; it seemed to me like Yamato was dismissing his reaction to seeing the location. Nothing was the matter; he was just shocked to see that it was where he used to live. Same with Taichi’s reaction. At the time, they didn’t know they all used to live there.

      • And with that another one is resolved, I must re-watch that reveal and eventually notice it being put together on how it turned out like that, and you’re right they didn’t know that they used to live there until a later event happens which changes everything once again.

  • Michapfan says:

    The deeply mistrustful look that Koromon gives Tai during the “why didn’t you pick my card?” scene at the end of the episode is hilarious. I never saw the dialogue in Japan before but after reading this I can understand the scene better.

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