Digimon Adventure S01E48

So you know how I ended the last comparison with “how bad can it be?!”? Turns out the answer is “actually really fucked up in light of current events”. That wasn’t intentional; I legitimately forgot this one.

This episode contains content which somewhat mirrors real-world events going on right now – particularly of the ‘war crime’ variety involving bombs on civilian locations. In the show, the locations are uninhabited save for the protagonists, but the timing of this comparison is still pretty bad, to say the least. This warning is here so you aren’t blindsided by what’s ahead and can opt to skip, if you so choose.

This comparison takes the same tone as the others – stupid jokes and all. I did avoid jokes that I thought were in poor taste in the context of the subject matter, but I can see how it will still come across as insensitive, and I am sorry if it does. It was uncomfortable for me to watch and review, so I wouldn’t blame anyone for finding it uncomfortable to read.

The next comparison is already available: Episode 49 – Goodbye, Numemon | The Crest of Light

After crashing Puppetmon’s house party in the most literal sense they could manage, the Digidestined decide to introduce their new teammates, Kari and Gatomon, to their favorite pastime: walking aimlessly through deserts for questionable reasons! It actually sucks a lot and Kari faints, her cold coming back for revenge, but, ironically, not serving said revenge cold. The kids take her to a nearby city to break into someone else’s house, and Tai and Izzy leave with Agumon and Tentomon to go look for remedies.

Izzy keeps derailing the mission to sign on to Digidit and try to ask the more helpful trolls where to find ‘remeDEEZ NUTZ’ in town, but his posts catch the attention of the least helpful trolls, who try to send him the opposite instead, which is bombs. Not finding this highly inappropriately timed onslaught the least bit funny, Izzy tries to get the attention of the moderator, Machinedramon, who sees the inimitable cringe in ‘remeDEEZ NUTZ’ and brings the banhammer down upon Izzy a little too hard, dunking them all into the abyss.

Narrator: “Jyou and the others finally defeated MetalEtemon after a fierce battle, but they sacrificed Leomon in order to do so. Meanwhile, Taichi and his group finally defeated the second Dark Master, Pinocchimon. However, Yamato once again disappears from Taichi and the others’ sight.”
Gomamon: “Leomon and Ogremon decided to stop fighting each other and face MetalEtemon together.”

That is not what happened. Your summaries are worse than mine!

Gomamon: “Meanwhile, the rest of the gang had their own problems with Puppetmon, but thanks to a brief appearance by Matt and MetalGarurumon, he finally got his strings cut. Risking all to save Mimi, SaberLeomon threw himself in front of a vicious blast. I digivolved to Zudomon and used my Vulcan’s Hammer to put a serious dent in MetalEtemon’s armor. We thought Leomon would return to a DigiEgg, but Primary Village was poisoned by evil, and it’ll stay that way until all the Dark Masters are defeated.”

You know, it’s going to be a while before he matures back to Leomon. He didn’t hatch like that.

---

[The group that faced off against Puppetmon is now walking through yet another desert. Hikari is lagging behind the group]
Hikari is coughing.
Tai: “This road has to be going somewhere, right?”
Kari: *wheezes and coughs*
Tentomon: “Don’t count on it. Nothing is certain in the Digiworld.”
Kari: *coughs*
Gatomon: “Do you have a furball, Kari?”
Kari: “No, silly… I’m okay…”
Sora: “One thing is certain: only a cactus could love this place!”

Less so when you people pass through, but yeah.

[Hikari collapses]
Sora: “Her cold must have come back. They say summer colds are hard to get rid of.”
Sora: “She has to stay out of the sun, and we’re got to find a way to get her fever down – soon!”

---

[They find a shady spot for Hikari to rest]
Tailmon: “Are you okay?”
Hikari: “Yeah…”
Taichi: “Why didn’t you say something before? I bet you haven’t been feeling well for a while now.”
Hikari: “Because if we don’t hurry, the Earth…” *coughs*
Gatomon: “Don’t worry; I won’t leave you.”
Kari: “Oh… yeah…”
Tai: “How come you didn’t say something before now? If we’d have known sooner, we could have rested until you felt better.”
Kari: “You mad? I didn’t want to slow everyone down…”

Where did Gatomon’s “I won’t leave you” come from? Was she thinking of leaving?

Taichi: “Hikari…” [flashback to Hikari being loaded into an ambulance]
Tai: “Oh, I’m not mad…” [flashback]

[Taichi suggests to Koushirou it may have been better to not have brought Hikari along]
Koushirou: “Eh? Without Hikari, we can’t save the Digital World or the Earth. She is a Chosen Child, too.”
Izzy: “Huh? What are you talking about? We had to bring her; we need her if we want to save the Digiworld! She’s one of the Digidestined have you forgotten that?”

All right, I’m not denying that Tai very well could have forgotten that, but there’s no reason to be combative, Izzy.

Taichi: “But she’s still in second grade, and she had a cold until recently… Takeru is also in second grade…”
Koushirou: “What’s wrong, Taichi?”
Tai: “Not at all, but her being sick… we should have left her someplace safe. We should have split up so someone could take care of her while the others looked.”
Izzy: “’Split up’? Tai, this isn’t like you.”

Remember the last time you left someone to take care of her and you went off to search? She turned herself in to the enemy and your friend got his ass kicked by Boris Karloff.

You should leave her with Izzy.

Taichi: “It’s nothing. But she has a tendency to just put up with things without saying anything.”
Tai: “I’m just a little worried about her. It’s all a part of what I do to be a good leader, Izzy.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I mean, so yeah, this is why this section is here. Hikari tends to keep quiet when she needs something. Taichi knows this, so he’s both concerned AND feeling guilty that he wasn’t being mindful of it. Tai is trying to flex his leadership chops, and I feel I should remind everyone that he’s the reason the group keeps getting split up most of the time.

[Tentomon interrupts their conversation]
Tentomon: “I found somethin’!”
Tentomon: “Izzy, I’ve found it! We’re saved!”

WHAT WERE THEY LOOKING FOR?

Other than a safe place for Hikari to rest, they weren’t looking for anything specific. They would not even know what to be looking for; nobody has given them any clues as to where to go or what is around here.

[Kabuterimon carries the group on his back towards his findings]
Kabuterimon: “Look, it’s over there.”
Takeru: “It’s America! Huh?”
Koushirou: “This area is Italy. Then the Arc de Triomphe. It’s France.”
Kabuterimon: “Look: right up ahead. You wanted civilization. Well, it doesn’t get more civilized than this!”

Why would you people be looking for civilization in the Digital World? You tried that before, AFTER you were already told – SEVERAL TIMES – that there are only Digimon there.

T.K.: “Is that America? Do you think they have a bathroom?”

NO.

Sora: “That’s New York City… but that isn’t!”
Izzy: “That’s Rome. We studied it in Geography. And up there, that’s the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. They’re all smooshed together.”

So, it does resemble Lower Manhattan (with the wrong bridge in the wrong place), but The Battery park is missing. Also missing is the World Trade Center, which would have still been there in 1999.

The next location is the Piazza di San Pietro (St Peter’s Square) in Rome, Italy, and the final location is the Arc de Triomphe (Triumphal Arch) in Paris, France. The original didn’t try to get specific with the cities, but I guess the dub writers saw an opportunity to show off their geography skills and seized it! (Except New York City – that one is questionable)

Incidentally, the Arc de Triomphe is called the gaisenmon 「凱旋門」 (‘triumphal arch‘) in Japanese.

Sora: “But… There’s no people around. It feels so strange.”
Piyomon: “There are no Digimon either…”
Tai: “It’s like that theme park in Florida!”
Sora: “Except that this place is deserted. Look, there’s not a sign of life anywhere.”

They did not, however, seize an opportunity to get in a dig at Disneyworld by implying it’s also uninhabited.

[Hikari learns the hard way that the air is thinner at higher altitudes, which is terrible for a person with a respiratory illness]
Taichi: “Hey, is there anywhere we can rest?”
Tai: “Hey, Izzy, Kari’s getting worse; let’s find someplace to land!”

---

[They come to a house and immediately start looting the place]
Agumon: “Hey, hey, Taichi! Is this it?” *hands him a box labelled as cold medicine*
Taichi: “Yes, this is it!”
Koushirou: “Did you find cold medicine?”
Izzy: “These cupboards are empty. There’s not even a speck of food!”

Yeah, nobody lives here. The place is deserted. All the food would be rotten anyway. What the hell is wrong with you?

Agumon: “Hey! This what you’re looking for?”
Tai: “All right, way to go!”
Izzy: “What is it, Agumon? Did you find some aspirin?”
Tai: “Yeah, this ought to do the trick! It’s empty!”
Izzy: “Just like everything else! This place is weird!”

Yeah, it’s like non-existent people don’t get colds or something.

ASK A PEDIATRICIAN BEFORE GIVING ASPIRIN TO CHILDREN UNDER 16

Aspirin is a fever reducer, but use of salicylates by children (aspirin is a salicylate drug; its chemical name is acetylsalicylic acid) is linked to Reye syndrome, which can result in permanent brain damage or death. “Children’s aspirin”, which is just a lower dose of aspirin, was widely available back in 1999, but it is no longer recommended for children. There are some circumstances in which the benefits of aspirin will outweigh the risk of Reye syndrome, which is why you should consult with the kid’s pediatrician first.

Taichi was just looking for ‘cold medicine’. The label on the box indicated it was for sneezing, runny nose, and stuffy nose, and the fictional brand is Ruralon 「ルラロン」 – likely a reference to the real brand Pablon 「パブロン」 as the katakana look similar.

[They’d found a bed for Hikari to rest in. Her face is flushed. Taichi report to Sora that they didn’t find any medicine for her]
No dialogue.
Gatomon: “Tai, humans aren’t supposed to be this color, are they?”
Tai: “Mm-mn.” (negatory grunt)

Don’t be racist, Gatomon.

[Taichi is heading off to search for medicine]
Takeru: “Taichi, I’ll go with you to look for cold medicine.”
Taichi: “No, Takeru, please stay. We don’t know when the Dark Masters will come.”
Takeru: “Got it! I’ll definitely protect everyone!”
Taichi: “You’re the man!”
T.K.: “Listen, Tai, I want to come with you. I won’t get in the way, honest.”
Tai: “No way – you’re my last line of defense! What if the Dark Masters come, huh? I need you here to look after the others.”
T.K.: “You can count on me! Don’t worry – I’m on the job!”
Tai: “I knew I could count on you guys!”

Because Sora’s a useless schmuck, apparently, even though Garudamon is higher level and consistently more useful in a fight than Angemon. Taichi’s line at least left room for interpretation that Takeru and Patamon would be there so Sora and Piyomon weren’t left behind on her own with Hikari and Tailmon (who can’t evolve while Hikari is incapacitated but is still the strongest Digimon on their team), which would be disastrous. Takeru did take the other interpretation (that he’s there to protect everyone), but he’s like 8. Let him dream.

---

[Taichi, Agumon, Koushirou, and Tentomon rush into the city. Koushirou lags behind]
Agumon: “Medicine… medicine… where is the medicine..?”
Taichi: “What are you doing, Koushirou?”
Koushirou: “There!”
[Koushirou has found a phone booth]
Koushirou: “It’s a waste of time to go searching around blindly.” (a map populates on his screen) “Yes! This is a map of the city.”
Agumon: “So… what about cold medicine?”
Koushirou: “Some of these are hospitals and drugstores.”
Agumon: “This place is deserted, but I still get the feeling we’re being followed. Isn’t that strange?”

Yes. They are not being followed. It’s the factory with “no exits” all over again!

Tai: “Izzy, what do you think you’re doing?”
Izzy: “Aha!”
[Convenient phone booth]
Izzy: “This is the digital age, Tai. There are a lot simpler ways of finding things now.”
Tentomon: “Good. I was beginning to get a cramp in my wing!”
Izzy: “I knew it! There’s an online map of the city.”
Tai: “Izzy, you’re a genius.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Koushirou’s theme, Digital Scratch, plays throughout the previous scene.

Koushirou is connecting to the Internet via the phone line (RJ11 port). Before broadband or wireless connectivity, that was how we accessed the internet, though ordinary you would need a modem to actually get online. Koushirou is connecting within the Digital World, which is the Internet, so he doesn’t need a modem.

Also:

1. The word ‘TELEPHONE’ doesn’t have its grey background and dark letters, and it has a telephone logo instead of a crown, but it looks to be based off a French or British phone booth. They may be in the Paris section of the city mash-up.
2. Koushirou is using Tentomon as a table. To be fair, there’s probably not enough space for the laptop screen under the phone, where the little shelf is. Still, it’s a laptop, not a– … wait… oh my cod… ‘lap’ is ‘pal’ spelt backwards. He made it into a paltop.

Out of curiosity, I did compare Koushirou’s map to city maps of Paris, Rome, and Lower Manhattan, ostensibly from 1999 (in that I included the year in my search, but that requires the files that come up to be labelled with the year), and I didn’t find any matching areas. That’s not really a surprise because where they are in the show is a mash-up of the three cities (possibly more).

Tai: “Nice going!”
Izzy: “Okay, now I’ll search for hospitals and pharmacies… Jackpot! Take your pick.”

[Taichi selects a hospital and hastily departs, leaving Koushirou behind]
Koushirou: “Wait a moment!” *unplugs his computer*
Izzy: “Hey, wait for me! I got to unplug myself!”

Ew. Why did you have to say it like that?

The new, gear-like Digimon coming up don’t get a Digimon Analyzer screen, but they’re Hagurumon. Their names are only ever said in the original (to each other).

They both have cartoonish, cracking voices in the original that sound very similar, but the one on left of the screen has a higher pitched voice. In the dub, one has a nasally but mid-pitch voice, and the other has a more raspy voice. Also, that one keeps saying “hi-oh!” for some reason.

The dub also keeps switching their voices (or the Hagurumon switch positions?). I identified them as ‘A’ or ‘B’ by voice rather than which is on the left or right.

[Elsewhere, two Hagurumon looking at the map Koushirou pulled up, along with the indicators of what he had been looking for. Mugendramon is chilling out menacingly behind them]
Hagurumon B: “Mugendramon, they appear to have collected data on hospitals and drugstores.”
Mugendramon: “Show me the locations of the hospitals and drugstores.”
Hagurumon B: “Yes, my Lord Machinedramon, sir! They accessed maps and things for hospitals and pharmacies. Hi-oh!”
Machinedramon: “And you’re waiting for what? Show me those locations.”

Pretty sure they were waiting for your order, buddy. Calm down.

Hagurumon B: “These are the 12 places.”
Mugendramon: “They will be targets of attack. Metal Empire Corps, move out!”
Hagurumon A: “Metal Empire Corps, move out!”
Hagurumon B: “Metal Empire Corps, move out!”
Hagurumon B: “Right away, sir. There are, uh…” *counts them individually up to…* “12 of them.”
Machinedramon: “Let me put this in words you can understand: send units to all 12 locations, and blow them up.”

… Those are straightforward instructions!

Hagurumon B: “Oh, I get it now — blow them up. Yes, sir.”
Hagurumon A: “Consider it already done, my lord.”

Yeah, the Hagurumon are not actually stupid in the original, but we didn’t have enough sassy villains in the dub.

No dialogue.
Machinedramon: “Our little foes have swallowed the bait. Now it is time to spring the trap.”

Wait… what was the bait? Did YOU give Kari a cold?

… HOW?

The Metal Empire Corps Digimon move out, the first ones shown (Mechanorimon) walk without any sounds to their footsteps in the original. The other Digimon (Tankmon) have treads instead of feet, which make quiet rolling noises. We see this all happening over intense music, but it feels weirdly peaceful because this menacing army is so quiet!

In the dub, they are given more noticeable footsteps, and they’re humming a little “huh huh huuuuuh” chant as they walk. It’s kind of adorable that they practiced, but it seems unnecessary.

[St Peter’s Square opens up, and two flying Digimon emerge from underneath and fly out]
Digimon: “Ah, finally! It was getting a little stuffy!”

Why were you even in there?

---

[Elsewhere, in the selected hospital]
No dialogue.
Agumon: “No wonder this hospital’s so clean; there’s no sick people.”

Yeah, nobody lives here. Stop looking for people.

[Agumon is looking around. Taichi seems lost in thought]
No dialogue.
Agumon: “Hello? Hello?”

[Taichi is recalling an upsetting memory, which we see in a brief flashback]
Mommy Yagami: (panting from running in) “Where’s Hikari?? Taichi!”
Mommy Kamiya: “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”

I suspect that’s a question she asks him often but already knows the answer is ‘no’.

[Koushirou finds the hospital’s pharmacy]
Taichi: “Which ones are cold medicines?”
Koushirou: “If only Jou was here at a time like this… His dad is a doctor, isn’t he?”
Taichi: “He’s never around when you need him the most!”
Tai: “There’s a lot of medicine, all right, but how do we know what to use for Kari’s fever?”
Izzy: “Strange as it sounds, I wish Joe were here.”

Okay, you can just say, “I wish Joe, OUR FRIEND, were here right now”. You don’t need to be a dick about it.

Izzy: “He might know what these are. His father’s a doctor.”
Tai: “That’s a doctor’s kid for you – there’s never one around when you need him!”

Yeah, and when he is there, he tries to pretend he never found you and leave you for dead.

So they had gone to a hospital because it was the closest location, but they would have been better off at a drugstore because the shelves would be clearly labelled for finding cold medicines (especially for children). In a hospital pharmacy, the medicines are dispensed by pharmacists from stock containers, so they don’t have consumer-friendly labelling. They are also likely to be organized by chemical name rather than what they treat. Being kids, though, Taichi and Koushirou wouldn’t have known that.

[Koushirou remembers networking] (Digital Scratch plays)
Koushirou: “Oh, that’s right!” *plugs his computer into the phone port*
Izzy: “Hold on, I can patch into the hospital’s computer!”
Tentomon: “Izzy shoots, he scores!”
Izzy: “’Fever reduction, children’.”

Good thing the server’s still running in this abandoned hospital!

---

[Elsewhere, the Hagurumon and Mugendramon are still glued to their screens]
Hagurumon B: “There is someone accessing it from within the first target.”
Mugendramon: “Mm, limit the objective to the first target. Prepare to attack!”
Hagurumon B: “Sir, there they are, sir! Haha!”
Hagurumon A: “The network is being accessed from inside target 4, master, sir.”
Machinedramon: “Then wouldn’t it be a good idea to have all forces converge on that target and prepare to attack?”
Hagurumon B: (over the scene of Tankmon moving into position) “Oh, a brilliant idea, my lord, sir.”

Is putting all your forces in one place a good idea? Also, somebody re-numbered the targets.

Koushirou brings up is the pharmacy’s inventory in all its uncensored, Japanese text glory. The table shows the symbol they use for each medicine (which likely indicates its location on the shelf), its form and color, and what each is used for (indications / efficacy). They’re all fairly straightforward:

Symbol	Form / color
ZD 57 H-PP	Loose「散」 (i.e. powder) White 「白」
ZE 22 Y-ZE	Tablet 「錠」 White
ZE 25 Y-ZZ	Tablet Slightly yellow 「微黄」
ZG 31 Z-AD	Loose White

And all the drugs listed are indicated for “relief of cold symptoms such as sneezing (kushami) 「くしゃみ」, runny nose (hanamizu) 「はなみず」, stuffy nose (hanadzumari)「はなづまり」, chills (okan) 「悪寒」, and fever (hatsunetsu)「発熱」”.

Incidentally, if you know some kanji, you probably noticed the kanji for ‘wind’ (kaze 「風」) in the text. What we call the cold in English is called the ‘wind’ or ‘evil wind’ in Japan, and it’s written 風邪 to distinguish it from moving air (both are pronounced kaze). The kanji 邪 means ‘evil’ or ‘obstacle’ and is pronounced ze in the word kaze「風邪」, but it appears in other words with the pronunciation ja – for example, jama 「邪魔」, meaning ‘hindrance’.

[The weirdly stealthy Metal Empire Corps converges on the hospital]
Grey Flying Digimon: “After you, Megadramon.”
Megadramon (Orange Flying Digimon): “Oh no, after you!”

---

[Back inside the pharmacy…]
Taichi: *holding a bottle of medicine* “Is it this one?”
Koushirou: “Yes, that’s correct.”
Tai: “Hey, Izzy, you sure that’s the right stuff?”
Izzy: “It’s as safe as children’s aspirin!”

Which we established is not actually safe for children. R.I.P. Kari. It wasn’t Tentomon’s fault this time (but he did nothing to stop it).

[They suddenly hear the bombardment coming down on them]
Group: “Whoa!”
Agumon: “W-what?”
Agumon: “Right, let’s beat it!”

[They run for the exit. They find a line of Mechanorimon waiting for them]
No dialogue.
Tai: “Lucky we’re in a hospital, because it looks like we might need one!”

That’s not funny, Tai.

Taichi: “It’s an enemy!”
Tai: “What are they?”

Narrator: “Mechanorimon: an Adult-level, machine-type Digimon. Its special move is emitted from a linear lens: Twinkle Beam.”
Agumon: “Mekanorimon: evil robots with one job – blasting Digimon! I suggest we get out of here, and fast!”

Are they hiring?

In the dub, Mechanorimon is spelled ‘Mekanorimon’, and Twinkle Beam is renamed “Twin Beam”. Mekanorimon only shoots a single beam when it uses the attack, but twins aren’t always together. Maybe the other twin is shot by a different Mekanorimon.

Before firing Twinkle Beam, Mechanorimon stutters the name – “Twi—Twi—Twi—Twinkle Beam!” In the dub, they say, “Target in range. Twin Beam”. The Mechanorimon also have strange, high-pitched voices in the original, and they have mid-range, robotic voices in the dub.

[The group attempts to flee but run into another type of enemy]
Agumon: “From here, too!”
Agumon: “They brought along a friend!”

Narrator: “Tankmon: with the power of a heavyweight and heavy weapons attached to its entire body, it blows its targets to pieces. Its special attack is fired from the barrel on its head – Hyper Cannon.”
Agumon: “Tankmon: an armor-plated bully with a sneeze like a cannon. If you think the other guys are bad, these creeps have more firepower than a volcano!”

Hyper Cannon retains its name in the dub.

Tentomon: “How did they know we were here?”
Koushirou: “Maybe they saw us coming in here.”
Taichi: “Damn! We just got our hands on some medicine.”
Tentomon: “I thought we lost them! How did they find us so quickly?”

They just got here; they weren’t following you.

Izzy: “One of them must have been following us and saw us come in here.”
Tai: “Think! Kari needs us to get back pronto!”

---

[Taichi et al fled. They hide as the Tankmon and Mechanorimon patrol the streets looking for them]
Taichi: “Just how many of them are there?”
Agumon: “Alright! I’ll go out and beat them!”
Koushirou: “Please wait! It’s too dangerous without knowing the exact strength of the enemy.”
Taichi: “So what are we going to do, Koushirou?”
Koushirou: “I’m checking the enemy’s positions and looking for a safe route back. Right now, the first priority is to deliver the medicine.”
Tai: “I’m really getting tired of that sound.” (the little chant they’re humming) “When are they going to call it quits and go home?”
Agumon: “We don’t have time for this! I’m going to go down there and take care of them.”
Izzy: “No, wait! Those rolling arsenals are just waiting for us. We show ourselves and they’ll go ballistic!”
Tai: “So, we just hide here all day? Is that it?”
Izzy: “Those machines are the only things moving out there, so a map of the city’s traffic flow will show us where they are. Then it’s just a question of plotting the best course to avoid them!”

I don’t think that’s how traffic maps work, but Izzy wouldn’t know that. He can’t drive.

Taichi: “Oh, that’s it.”
Koushirou: “Yes! The enemy’s position has been revealed!”
Taichi: “Eh? Really?”
Tai: “Yeah… just might work.”
Izzy: “Of course it’ll work! You see? There – I’ve pinpointed every one of them!”
Tai: “Good job, Izzy.”

Cod, this is so much funnier when you know the payoff…

[Meanwhile…]
Hagurumon B: “Mugendramon, access confirmed on B129.”
Mugendramon: “Attack target change to B129.”
Hagurumon A: “Excuse me, your Metalness.” ⧵m/ “They are accessing the network again, but the access point is relocated to sector B-17.”
Machinedramon: “Then relay those coordinates to all forces and attack.”

Okay, the dub just kind of gave it away. It was a bit more subtle that the group was being tracked through Koushirou connecting to the network in the original.

Also, why do they keep changing the area designations? Lip flaps? And 9 – 2 is 7, thus transforming B129 to B17. Are the writers showing off their subtraction skills after hitting us with all the geography?!

---

[Megadramon and his buddy fly over to the new target]
Megadramon: “Well, it’s about time!”

---

[I’m sure it’s nothing]
Koushirou: “Ah…”
Taichi: “What’s wrong, Koushirou?”
Koushirou: “The enemy is trying to surround this building.”
Izzy: “Inconceivable!”

Okay, the geography and maths were enough; we don’t need Film Appreciation, too. Or at least pick a better film.

Tai: “Incon—what? What now?”
Izzy: “The machines — every one of them rotated in sync, and now they’re heading our way.”

[Koushirou releases his newtork access has been giving away their location]
Koushirou: “Ah, no way! They noticed our access from here!”
Izzy: *gasps* “Of course! They’re zeroing in on my computer connection!”

DAMNIT, IZZY.

And he was so smug about using the network to find everything in the dub. Masterfully played, Chamberlain and Abley.

Tentomon must be so proud.

[Megadramon smashed through the window of the building they’d been hiding in and got his head stuck. Agumon evolved to Greymon, shot one fireball at his face, and ran away as Brave Heart played in the background. Elsewhere, Piemon watches the scene unfold]
Piemon: “Isn’t that interesting? There’s no room for error. A Digimon that exists solely for the purpose of destruction; that’s Mugendramon. Has the fate of the Chosen Children been decided here? It’s a shame I couldn’t play with you. Adios!”
Piedmon: “Oh, the plot thickens! Ah, me… I had such high hopes that these little ones would put on a more entertaining show, but this… Really, it’s TOO tiresome! Can we just get this over with and get on to something a little less TEDIOUS?”

HAHAHAHAHA

Piedmon: “There’s no escape from Machinedramon; he’s designed for total annihilation. It’s only a matter of time now before he catches them, and then the game is over. It’s not fair that that overgrown can-opener gets all the fun when I was so looking forward to playing with them myself. Farewell, little ones.”

Are can-openers also designed for total annihilation? More importantly: does Machinedramon also open cans?

---

[Greymon evolves into MetalGreymon, jumps out a window onto a bunch of Tankmon, and runs off with the others ostensibly on his back]
Hagurumon B: “I lost sight of the target. Looks like they escaped again.”
Mugendramon: “Hmm…”
Hagurumon A: “Oh, I’ve got a teenie bit of bad news: they’ve escaped again, my lord, sir.”
Machinedramon: “And yet you’re still here.”

Yeah, he works here.

[Taichi et al regroup]
Koushirou: “I was careless. The enemy was able to use the signal from the computer’s access to locate us…”
Taichi: “’I was careless’ isn’t good enough!” *grabs him by the shirt* “While this was happening, Hikari was… Hikari was…”
Tentomon: “Hey, Taichi!”
Izzy: “It’s all my fault. I was giving away our location every time I logged on with my computer. How could I have not thought of that before?”
Tai: “Good question!” *grabs him by the shirt* “Now we’re stuck here! Meanwhile, Kari’s getting sicker and sicker – because of you!”

[Agumon and Tentomon try to separate them. Taichi realizes how he’s acting and apologizes]
Koushirou: “Did something happen, Taichi?”
Izzy: “Hey, Tai, this isn’t your normal behavior…”

Yeah, just ask Matt!

---

Tai’s recollection of how he nearly became an only child is accurate save for one line:

Taichi: “But when I got home, she was up and watching TV. I thought for sure she was better…”
Tai: “I wanted to go out and play, but I didn’t want to leave her by herself, so I took her outside with me. She seemed okay. Really, she did.”

That doesn’t really work because she was already home alone when Taichi got back. It makes more sense that he thought she was better because she was out of bed.

Leaving young children home alone is fairly common practice in Japan, especially if both parents work (Mommy Yagami is a house-spouse, so in this case, she likely needed to go out for a while). Japanese children are generally expected to become independent at an earlier age than Western children, and Japan is a relatively safe country for them to be on their own. It’s not uncommon there to see unaccompanied kids, even very young ones, taking public transit to school, running errands, or playing outside.

That said, it is a controversial practice, and some people in Japan consider it a form of neglect or even abuse.

Article: Why do Japanese people leave children walking and playing alone without adults?
Article: Saitama [the prefecture, not One-punch Man] scraps bill on kids left alone at home due to backlash

Hikari was also seen at home alone in episode 21, when both parents were away to visit her grandparents.

(3 secs) … speaking of abuse: in his flashback, Taichi’s mum slaps him for taking Hikari outside and leading her to be hospitalised. We see the red mark it leaves spread on his cheek.

The mark is visible in other shots in both versions and is not censored in the dub.

[Taichi’s mother has slapped the taste out of his mouth]
Mommy Yagami: “I told you Hikari is sick!” *sobs*
Mommy Kamiya: “What could you have been thinking? You knew she was sick!” *sobs*

I feel like “I told you Hikari is sick” hits a lot harder than “you knew she was sick”, for some reason.

Taichi: “Hikari’s cold got worse… Three days of hovering between life and death… When she finally got out of the hospital, she said…”
Hikari (flashback): “Big brother, sorry I couldn’t kick properly.”
Tai: “She ended up with pneumonia or something. She almost didn’t make it. But what really kills me is what she said when they brought her home. The first words out of her mouth…”
Kari (flashback): “Tai, I’m sorry I can’t kick the ball very good. You’ll probably never want to play with me again.”

Both versions specify that Hikari/Kari had a cold, which is rarely dangerous unless the person has a weakened immune system. It’s likely that she did end up with a secondary infection or pneumonia, as Tai suggested in the dub.

It doesn’t seem as likely that she had an infection with her recent cold, though, because she does soon recover and is fine after. I would guess she still had the cold and just had a couple of good days where she seemed to be on the mend, but then it snuck up and kicked her right in the alveoli, as colds are wont to do.

[The flashback ends, and Taichi is crying. We’re all crying]
Taichi: “That’s the kind of person she is – always thinking about other people.”
Tai: “That’s her. That’s Kari. She never thinks…” *sniff* “… about herself.”

I don’t expect Tai to recognize what selflessness actually looks like, but ‘you’ll probably never want to play with me again’ is not an indicator.

Taichi: “She never tells me until the very end that she is in pain or suffering. Maybe she didn’t really want to come to this world, but if you say ‘fate of the world’… Hikari would never refuse.”
Tai: “It doesn’t matter if she feels bad or she’s bummed out about other stuff; she’s always worried about the other kids. She wouldn’t be sick. She’d be just fine if she never came to this stupid place, but she came because she knew that we needed her help.”

I’m pretty sure she would still be sick, because she just “got over” her cold like two days ago, if that.

Tai: “She never thought about what she wanted. She never does.
Izzy: “Because she cares.”

Unless she did want to come along, and seeing as none of you actually prepared her for aaaaany of this…

Taichi: “So… so I have to be careful with her… I have to keep an eye on her… and yet…” *cries*
Tai: “She’s a kid. I’m her big brother. I’m supposed to look after her and protect her and think of what’s best for her. That’s what I’m supposed to do!”

That’s actually her parents’ job, and now that I think of it: they also knew she had a cold very recently, and they let her go to the Digital World anyway.

It’s also common in Japanese society for individuals to try to avoid being a burden or nuisance to others, even at their own expense. What Hikari does is typical, even though it’s counterproductive because being hospitalized is a MUCH bigger concern than saying “I’m not feeling well” and being allowed to rest (but she wouldn’t know that because she’s a child).

What’s interesting is how the original shows its impact on Taichi, not Hikari herself. The whole situation – from Hikari being hospitalized because she didn’t speak up to her current state – shows what this behavior does to the people who care about the person doing it. He knows she’s like this, he believes he should be looking out for this exact behavior, and he feels like he’s failed her because it happened again, but it’s not his fault. The result of her “selfless” behavior is MUCH worse than the inconvenience of just having to stop for a bit so she can rest. I don’t know if that’s the intended message, but it’s a damn important one.

It’s not her fault, either – she is a product of a culture which strongly values these qualities, and she has no concept that any of this shit isn’t her responsibility yet, because she’s just a kid. Taichi certainly doesn’t see it as a negative quality in her – he adores her because she’s a sweetie… which no doubt makes him feel even worse!

This kind of “selfless” tendency exists to some degree in the West, especially amongst older adults who were taught to not be a “burden” on others and don’t realize that sacrificing your own health in that way creates much bigger problems. It’s slowly becoming more openly accepted that it’s actually REALLY important to communicate your needs and get help (both in the West and in Japan).

The dub carries the overall message just fine, but it does uncouple the “she’s always thinking of others” from Taichi feeling he has to look after her. The original made it clearer that it’s because she does shit like this, but the dub makes it seem like Tai just thinks it’s his responsibility as her brother.

[The scene changes, and Koushirou gets back down to business]
Koushirou: “It’s impossible to break through head-on, so let’s use the enemy’s strategy to our advantage.”
Tentomon: “What do you mean, Koushirou?”
Koushirou: “This makes it impossible to know where we’re accessing from. It’s software. It should be able to blind the enemy.”
Izzy: “Okay, it would be ridiculous to try to break through them, but maybe we can use their own surveillance techniques against them.”
Tentomon: “You’re not going online again, are you??”

Don’t judge me.

Izzy: “Yes, but this time I know what I’m doing.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Izzy: “I’ve got a program that will throw them off our trail. I’m going to mask our access point. It’s a little trick a computer programmer taught me once.”

Did the computer programmer tell you to use that before you start accessing anything? Feels like they should have.

There’s a scene change to make it feel less abrupt, but Koushirou seems to make no effort to comfort Taichi, instead moving on to a solution for the problem he created. Taichi has clearly stopped crying at this point.

In Japan, it’s more normal to give a crying person some space to process what they’re going through, not to offer a hug or even comforting words. The rules for physical contact are rather different from Western culture – where some of us Westerners might offer even a crying stranger a hug, in Japan, that’s severely invasive if it’s someone you don’t have a close relationship with.

We’ve seen this before when Sora was crying in episode 26, and Yamato advised Taichi to just let her cry. The sentiment is ‘they’ll be okay, let them get it out’, not ‘fuck that, they’re on their own’. To a Westerner, it may seem cold that Koushirou doesn’t even offer words of comfort to his friend, but his response is proper in his culture.

Izzy, however, is a Westerner, and he callously disregards his friend’s emotional state and moves along with, “WHATEVER, I just remembered I could have been using a VPN this whole time. Enjoy your PTSD, NERD!” What a twerp.

[Elsewhere, the staring at a computer screen waiting for Chosen Children to pop up resumes]
Hagurumon B: “Access catch! … Uh… this is…”
[There are several access markers on the screen]
Hagurumon B: “How should we proceed, Lord Mugendramon?”
Mugendramon: “Hmm…”
Hagurumon B: “There they are again! Hwoh! … Um, boss…”
[There are several of them]
Hagurumon B: “Uh, there are now dozens of access points ALL over the map.”
Hagurumon A: “Does this mean what I think it does, my lord, sir?”
Machinedramon: “That you have the brains of a tin can?”

Is Machinedramon just assuming the multiple dots are caused by something the Hagurumon did? I’m not saying that isn’t a reasonable conclusion; just asking.

---

[Back at the other computer screen, Koushirou explains why the enemies aren’t moving]
Koushirou: “They don’t know where we are, so they can’t move. Success!”
Taichi: “Just wait, Hikari, I’m bringing it [the medicine] now!”
Izzy: “That’s because the program worked, and they don’t have a clue where to look for us. Prodigious!”
Tai: “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get going!”

---

[Fuck, there are too many scene changes in this episode]
Mugendramon: “Now, execute Plan Z.”
Hagurumon A: “But… that plan…”
Mugendramon: “Defeating the Chosen Children is the top priority. Prepare to execute immediately!”
Hagurumon (pl): “Yes!”
Hagurumon A: “Prepare to execute Plan Z.”
Hagurumon B: “Prepare to execute Plan Z.”
Mugendramon: “Plan Z – execute!”
Machinedramon: “I’m bored with this game of cat and mouse. Initiate plan Elimin-8.”
Hagurumon A: “Uh, Elimin-8? How about Elimin-9?”
Machinedramon: “Are you actually questioning me?”

I’m questioning your decision to call it ‘Elimin-8’. You know ‘eliminate’ means ‘to poop’, right?

Machinedramon: “Initiate plan Elimin-8… now!”
Hagurumon (pl): “No, sir! Yes, sir!”
Hagurumon A: “Attention! Initiate plan Elimin-8.”
Hagurumon B: “Attention! Initiate plan Elimin-8.”
Machinedramon: “I’m glad you agree. Fire at will!”

---

Yet-unnamed Flying Digimon: “Oh, can I blow something up?”
Megadramon: “I don’t know, can you?”

---

[Back in the city, Megadramon attacks… something]
Taichi: “Ahh!”
Tai: “Now we’re in for it!”

Megadramon’s attack name is Genocide Attack. It is changed to “Darkside Attack” in the dub for very obvious reasons.

(12 sec) The attack itself is completely cut in later airings. Missiles strike on of the buildings in the city, then we see Megadramon and soon-to-be-named companion (it’s Gigadramon, and you already figured that out because you’d seen the show before; I’m just being a dingus) firing repeatedly over the city.

These scenes are NOT cut in the episodes available on Hulu. They were likely removed after 2001.

[Megadramon’s attack misses Taichi et al by a wide margin]
Taichi: “What are they doing?”
Tentomon: “They’re shootin’ wildly!”
Koushirou: (realizing where the attack is aimed) “… ah… no way!”
Taichi: “Man, what a waste of ammo. They’re way off.”
Tentomon: “I don’t think they’re shooting at us.”
Izzy: (realization) “Huh? No, it can’t be!”

Narrator: “Megadramon: boasts the greatest power among the Perfect-level Dramon Digimon. Organic missiles fire from both arms – its Genocide Attack burns everything to ashes.”
Tentomon: “That’s Megadramon, a fully digevolved flying fiend with devastating destructive powers! Those missiles of his can level a city block in the blink of an eye!”

Again: Megadramon is Perfect/Ultimate-level, not “fully digivolved”. As mentioned before, Genocide Attack becomes “Darkside Attack” in the dub.

Narrator: “Gigadramon: boasts destructive power and flight speed that surpasses Megadramon. A Cyborg-type Dark Dragon Digimon, its special attack is Genocide Gear.”
Tentomon: “The other one’s Gigadramon. If anything, he’s more powerful than his buddy. Believe me, if these guys were shooting at us, we wouldn’t still be here talking about it!”

Gigadramon is also Perfect/Ultimate-level, incidentally. He doesn’t evolve from Megadramon. Genocide Gear is never called out in this episode, so it isn’t named in the dub.

[Koushirou’s plan has backfired, and Megadramon and Gigadramon proceed to bomb the city. The Hagurumon and Machinedramon enjoy the show from their base]
Hagurumon A: “Bombing of A1 and A2 districts completed.”
Hagurumon B: “Megadramon and Gigadramon have begun bombing District A3. The chosen children have yet to be discovered.”
Mugendramon: “Hmm…”
Hagurumon B: “That’s it for sectors A and B. What a mess!”
Hagurumon A: “Megadramon and Gigadramon have begun operations in sectors C and D. Children sneaky, hm!”
Machinedramon: “Soon there will be no place left to hide, and this game will abruptly end.”

---

[Megadramon flies over where Sora et al are hiding]
Koushirou: “Ahh! Mugendramon!”
Tentomon: “Everyone’s in there!”
Taichi: “SHIT!”
Tentomon: “Uh-oh! Megadramon! He’s heading right for where the others are hiding!”
Tai: “No!”
Tentomon: “I hope they see him coming!”

---

[Taichi et al arrive at the house where they’d left Hikari. The building is blown up. Angemon emerges, meaning at least one of them isn’t dead]
Takeru: “Taichi! Are you okay?”
Taichi: “Takeru!”
Piyomon: [Piyo] (chirp)
Taichi: “Hikari!! You’re all safe!”
Izzy: “But that means…”
T.K.: “Hey, what’s up? You look tired.”

PffffffHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You’re all right, T.K.!

Tentomon: “T.K.! Biyomon! And the others!”
Tai: “Kari, you’re okay! Actually, you look better than okay.”

[They did, indeed, hear the bombings and knew well enough to get the fuck out. But now they’re all out in the open, so Mugendramon decides to join them]
Mugendramon: “This is the end, Chosen Children.”
Machinedramon: “You can’t rely on scrap metal if you want the job done right.”
Tai: “Take cover, everybody!”
Machinedramon: “That’s right, scurry away. Ask any rat catcher; the chase is part of the fun!”

Mugendramon’s special attack, Infinity (Mugen) Cannon, is “Giga Cannon” in the dub. Mugen 「無限」, as mentioned previously, means ‘infinity’.

(2 sec) We see Infinity Cannon fire, and the blasts strike the building the Children had run into to try to hide (despite buildings being the thing getting destroyed around here).

(8 sec) The dub shows the smoke billowing out of the building, but it cuts the building sinking into the ground.

Again, these are NOT cut in Hulu’s version.

[Mugendramon’s Infinity Cannon tears the world a new one, and the Chosen Children and their Digimon fall into the chasm]
No dialogue.
Machinedramon: *laughs* “Nothing like a little wholesale destruction to end a hard day’s work! Goodbye, Digidestined!”

Hikari: “Whoa! Big brother!”
Kari: “Aah! Help me, Tai!”

‘Always thinking of others’, that one.

Narrator: “Helpless before Mugendramon, the Children fell into the abyss. Into the depths of the abyss where darkness reigns.”
Narrator: “Has Machinedramon succeeded in destroying the Digidestined? Don’t miss the next Digimon: Digital Monsters.”

What if he had? That would be neat.