Digimon Adventure S02E21

---

The suffix -chan refers to someone with whom you are very familiar and find endearing. Combined with the voice acting of the title card, the JP title is written from the perspective of Wormmon.

With Magnamon on his side, Davis rejoins the others as his Digimon does battle with Kimeramon. The two seem pretty evenly matched at first, but Kimeramon soon gains the upper hand while the kids try to reason with Ken. Their efforts fail, and Ken insists that Kimeramon is his perfect Digimon partner, even as it attacks him and ignores his orders. His base is destroyed and everyone escapes, but when Wormmon roots for Magnamon’s victory, Ken whips him one last time. In response, Wormmon gives all of his energy to Magnamon who uses his ultimate attack to destroy Kimeramon. The kids finally force Ken to realize that Digimon are real beings, and that his actions to this point have been monstrous. In shock and horror, Ken discards the Digimon Emperor persona as Wormmon dies in his arms. Reminded of a similar tragedy years ago, Ken wanders the Digital World, searching for something.

Back at the fake camping trip, Jun has managed to arrive at the campgrounds, leaving Tai, Matt, and Izzy scrambling to come up with a reason why Davis and the others aren’t there. However, they arrived in the nick of time. With the car full, Matt was forced to ride the bus with Jun back to town while the radio reported that Ken was found safe and sound in his home.

Daisuke: He evolved?
[silence]
Daisuke: Ma-Magnamon…?
Davis: Wow, that was intense! You’re about the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! Where’d you get those rad shoulder pads? I could use them as boogie boards!

Davis has officially lost it.

Narrator: Magnamon! An Armor-level Digimon evolved from V-mon with the Digimental of Miracles. He releases light from his armor with his special attack, Extreme Jihad.
Magnamon: I am Magnamon, a Golden Armor Digimon that attacks with my Magna Blaster… and I look so good doing it, too.

Pretty sure the attack name was changed even before 9/11. Not sure what they would’ve done otherwise.

Miyako: What’s that? I’ve never seen that Digimon before!
Iori: A new Armor Evolution?
Takeru: It can’t be… there shouldn’t be any more crests to claim.
Hikari: It must be different from the usual, some kind of special evolution!
Yolei: I wonder if Hawkmon can Golden Armor Digivolve…
Cody: I don’t get it – where’d he come from?
TK: It came from that golden Digi-Egg! Davis must have unleashed its power!
Kari: This is fantastic! Can somebody turn off his headlights?

Aside from Kari’s final line in the dub, both sets of dialogue are at least believable, but the original’s is definitely more useful, particularly Takeru’s line about there being no more Crests left. That ties in with the overall mythos, while TK just… insists that somehow that thing was an egg.

A detail that gets lost in the dub is that Chimairamon starts laughing with that same weird echo-laugh that Devimon had, which is creepy and evil-sounding. The dub gave him just a standard growling monster voice and therefore he does not laugh at all.

Kaiser: How many times are you all going to get in my way?
Daisuke: Digimon Kaiser! It’s time to settle this!
Emperor: Hey, Digi-Fools. Do you honestly think your new Digimon can beat me? He couldn’t even be my flashlight!
Davis: Oh yeah? Well sticks and stones can break my bones, but when Magnamon gets ahold of you, he’ll kick your–
Emperor: BUT! You didn’t let me finish! He would make a good nightlight!

---

It’s implied that Hikari and Takeru could tell Chimairamon was back just from sensing the dark aura he puts out. In the dub, they’re clueless.

---

Daisuke: All this… ends today!
Davis: Show him he’s no match for you! But just in case he is, I’ll get the others!

Keeping the faith.

In the original, Wormmon says nothing when he latches on to a beam with his thread and swings over to Ken. In the dub, he calls out Silk Thread.

Cut – 2 seconds: Ken whipping Wormmon for insisting that Chimairamon is out of control.

Barely a change, but Magnamon’s Magnum Punch and Magnum Kick become Magna Punch and Magna Kick in the dub.

Cut – 3 seconds: Magnamon repeatedly punches Chimairamon in the face.

• 

• 

This time, both versions’ actors for Devimon voice Kimeramon’s laugh, but it’s definitely a lot more sinister and creepy in the original.

Cut – less than 1 sec.: Magnamon hitting the wall was cut from the dub, and replaced with footage of Ken backing up in fear from Chimairamon, splitting footage to make up for the cut.

---

In the original, Wormmon tells Ken they made a mistake in creating Chimairamon, to which Ken replies he’d perfect and can’t make mistakes. When Wormmon insists, Ken kicks him away and whips him for his trouble. In the dub, the dialogue is changed to Ken lamenting that “kids these days” have no respect for evil. The kick and whip are cut, about one second in duration.

• 

• 

In addition to the above changes, the Kaiser says “This is a game, and the ultimate winner will be me!” In the dub, he calls Wormmon a slimy nightcrawler and that they aren’t friends.

Cut – 3 seconds: An injured Wormmon listening to Ken’s ramblings.

Ken: The Chimairamon I created will never lose to you.
Daisuke: It’s not the time to be talking about winning or losing a game!
Miyako: Do you think you can just build a Digimon? Do you really think you can do that?
Iori: Taking other Digimon’s data and being proud of “my Digimon…” It’s stupid! Digimon are not toys!
Takeru: Look at these Digimon! Digimon have souls too! They’re alive! They’re our irreplaceable, most important partners!
Hikari: You’re a Chosen Child, and you can’t understand that? That Digimon is your partner, isn’t he?
Ken: Well, if it isn’t the DigiDestined. I see you’ve finally come to your senses and are ready to surrender to me and Kimeramon.
Davis: Fat chance, Ken! I think some of your hairspray must’ve leaked through into your brain again!
Yolei: And another thing! Who said it was okay for you to go out and create a Digimon anyway?!
Cody: Yeah, do you think you’re Doctor Frankenstein or something? Creating creatures just for your own cruel pleasure? Chaimairamon is not the monster, Ken – you are!
TK: Look at them – are they trying to hurt you?! They’re not your toys for some kind of a sick game – they’re alive! They’re not just data in a computer, they’re living creatures like you and I!
Ken: Huh?
Kari: You’re DigiDestined too, just like us! You have a responsibility to both worlds! Like Wormmon! He’s your friend, and not somebody you should kick around!

This exchange is a mixed bag. On the one hand, Cody hit him the hardest in the dub with his Frankenstein reference… but that’s not a book Cody of all people should be reading for at least a few more years, let alone understanding the subtext of who’s the actual monster. In the original, the kids are pleading with Ken to see reason and understand what Digimon are. In the dub, they’re being loud and angry, which is understandable, but their jokes and statements kinda take away from that.

Add in TK’s question of “are they trying to hurt you?” being silly since their Digimon have attacked him in the past, and Kari’s “not somebody you should kick around” comment when all the kicking he’s done has been cut out of the dub footage, and it just doesn’t make as much sense.

---

Digmon: Digmon – The Drill of Knowledge! I used to say “The Drill of Power,” but I think this makes me sound smarter!

O-okay, then… that’s one way to handle a mistranslation.

The original uses an instrumental version of Break Up! during the evolution sequence into the fight. In the dub, they use Digimon Are The Champions for evolution, then they switch into Run Around for the fight.

Magnamon’s Plasma Shot becomes Magna Blast in the dub.

silence
Digmon: C’mon everyone, follow me!
Pegasusmon: I’ll follow him!
Nefertimon: I’ll follow you!
Halsemon: I’ll follow you!
Digmon: Now that’s what I call following orders!

Did anyone think that was funny as a kid? Seriously, tell me if you did.

Magnamon calls out Magna Blast in the dub (which was the localized version of Plasma Shot), when in the original it was Extreme Jihad. They had earlier in the episode called it Magna Blaster. Someone lost a spreadsheet somewhere.

This time, when Ken whips Wormmon for rooting for Magnamon, it’s censored with a flash-impact screen.

Wormmon: The old Ken-chan wasn’t like this… the Ken-chan I traveled the Digital World with wasn’t like this.
Wormmon: Whatever happened to that sweet kid I met a long time ago who had a dream to take over the Digital World? Okay, sure, it was a sick and twisted dream, but still, we had a lot of laughs together. Whatever happened to the boy I was proud to call “Master”? Of course, you made me call you that…

The entire monologue Wormmon gives out in the dub is completely softened with bad jokes and more child-like language.

---

Wormmon: Please, Magnamon… save Ken-chan!
Wormmon: Please, Magnamon, save Ken for me! Here’swhatlittleenergyIhaveleft, use it!

The dub’s need to spell everything out for the audience can lead to some awkward line reads, sometimes.

This time, when Magnamon uses Extreme Jihad, it’s localized to Magna Explosion.

silence
Ken: Your Digimon were all at the soccer game in the real world. I remember now…!

You remembered before, Ken. This isn’t news.

---

Ken continues to narrate the flashbacks in the dub, but it’s at least handled with remorse and horror at what he’s done, so it’s not a bad addition this time.

A flash impact screen is used to cover Ken whipping an Elecmon and a Gizamon in a flashback.

• 

• 

I love that The Emperor/Kaiser’s hair is deleted along with his outfit, like it was a wig or something.

In the original, Daisuke says that he heard the Crest of Kindness tell him it wanted to go back to its original owner. In the dub, TK explains that what he’s holding is a Crest, something Davis apparently didn’t know. I suppose in the original, it’s possible that the 02 kids were taught about Crests off-screen, but since it wasn’t shown, the dub dialogue isn’t a problem, other than omitting that the Crest spoke to Davis.

---

Kari: You’re right, TK, and it has the Crest of Kindness on it!

Okay, how the hell would you know that, Kari?

There’s a scene with a Ken-like silhouette being knocked flying, glasses and a shoe flying apart from him, indicating some sort of impact. Just before, Wormmon is seen flying off in a similar manner.

In the original, the sound of tires screeching can be heard with this imagery. The dub omits this, as well as the sound of sirens. Ken mentions that Wormmon is gone “just like my brother,” while in the original, Ken’s mom can be heard screaming “Osamu-chan!”

Daisuke repeatedly tells Ken to go home to his parents. Davis says this once, then pleads for Ken to join their team since he’s also a DigiDestined.

---

silence
Cody: I hope he’ll be okay.

This line is at odds with Cody’s future development, but you’ll see that soon.