Digimon Data Squad S01E19

Having been thrown back into the Analog World, the DATS team are subjected to a battery of physical tests to ensure their safety. However, Marcus and Keenan fight the doctors tooth-and-nail; Keenan because he feels he is being held prisoner, and Marcus because he is determined to return to the Digital World to rescue Grandpa Digivice. However, Commander Sampson steps in and orders the physicals to be completed, ultimately revealing that Keenan is not only human, but the child of two of the researchers who originally traveled to the Digital World with Marcus’ father. Grandpa Digivice is revealed to be the highest-ranking member of DATS: Commander-General Yushima. In a fit, Marcus and Keenan break the Digital Dive, stranding the group in the Human World and forcing Thomas to stay behind to make repairs while Yoshi and Marcus take Keenan to meet his parents for the first time.

Before they can get there, Gotsumon leads three Okuwamon into the Real World in an attempt to kill Keenan. RizeGreymon and Lilamon manage to drive him into retreat, but not before Gotsumon tells Keenan in no uncertain terms that he is human, and that every Digimon in the Digital World wants him gone, never to return. The episode ends with Keenan screaming in anguish just before they arrive at his parents’ home.

Aside from Marcus narrating instead of the JP version’s narrator, the recap is nearly identical.

Captain Yushima, (or Grandpa Digivice as I’ve called him to this point) is called Commander-General Yushima in the dub.

While both versions use comedic music as Masaru and Ikuto trash the Digital Dive, the dub’s fades out like the power was cut mid-song when the destruction happens.

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Tohma shouts at Masaru for breaking the Digital Dive, but Thomas is more sarcastic and annoyed sounding. The screaming fits his face better, but Freeman’s delivery makes it work anyway.

The dub adds an extra external shot of DATS Headquarters as a commercial bumper.

The team Yushima led in the original version was the Project Team. In the dub, it was the Alpha Team.

I realize these notes are getting pointless, but that’s a good thing – this episode is very faithful to the original. It’s a very important episode, so it’s nice that critical emotional moments and information aren’t being softened or outright replaced by jokes.

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Tohma guesses that the government formed the Digital World Exploration Squad. Thomas jumps straight to it being the Data Squad, leading Sampson to correct him.

In the original, the Ministry of Confidentiality created the precursor to DATS. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such organization in real life Japanese government, meaning either the translation is off, or the show made up the entity for the purposes of the story. In the dub, Sampson just says “the government” formed the group that became DATS.

The Noguchis become the Criers, meaning Ikuto Noguchi’s full dub name is Keenan Crier.

Satsuma: The results from our team’s collective inquiries and analysis thereof led us to discover the existence of another world.
Yoshino: Which was… the Digital World…

No, Fujieda, he means Disney World.

At least in the dub, Yoshi is more confident in her assertion. In the Japanese version, she sounds worried that she might be wrong and says it hesitantly.

<3 seconds – a gun being fired, implied to be at the Digimon that kept attacking the exploration team.

Satsuma’s tone is different from Sampson’s. Satsuma is very clinical in his speech, from simply stating that the Noguchis were there, to speaking about Ikuto in the third person while he’s there. In the dub, he calls the Crier’s “poor souls” and tells Keenan directly that they’re his parents.

Another external shot of DATS Headquarters is used as a commercial bumper.

Tohma: This subject is getting out of hand! I request a further explanation.
Thomas: Wait, are you actually telling us Keenan was born in the Digital World?!

While I can at least kind of understand why they cut the gun… why did they feel the need to cut this image of a teacup shattering? Were they afraid kids were going to think dramatic scenes were cool and start shattering their grandparents teacups for emotional resonance?

Marcus says he’s going to carry Keenan like a baby, then proceeds to put him in a headlock. Do not let that man anywhere near babies.

Merukurimon: I am worried about Ikuto and Falcomon.
Merukimon: Keenan and Falcomon concern me the most.

Then why did you try to vaporize them?

In both versions, Masaru compares Ikuto to a “country bumpkin” based on his reaction to seeing the city for the first time. Ikuto complains that he’s not a bumpkin, but a Digimon. Keenan just says he doesn’t understand how there are no rocks in the sky. There are more minor differences, but in both versions, this exchange devolves into Marcus and Keenan sniping at each other childishly, though Lalamon in the original is more positive about the situation than in the dub.

Also, Yoshi mentions she used to babysit. Yoshino just says that Ikuto is a second Masaru.

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In the original, Falcomon is intrigued by how many humans are in the street (the crosswalk, really) and how Yoshino isn’t hitting any of them with her car. (To be fair, with her driving skills, that’s a legitimate concern.) In the dub, he comments on how many humans are packed into such small spaces, presumably referring to the apartment building he’s staring at.

Keenan gets sick in the car, and in both versions, Marcus gives him a chili dog to make him feel better.

Seriously. Never let this guy around kids.

During the conversation between Masaru and Yoshino while the other two are asleep in the car, you can see more evidence of the dub changing Yoshi’s character to be more interesting. In the original, Masaru says he wants Ikuto to meet his parents, and Yoshino responds with “That’s true.” In the dub, Yoshi asks Marcus why he’s being nice. Marcus says he’s not, but that he’s only doing this so Keenan can meet his parents. Yoshi says, “I hate to tell you this, but that’s called ‘being nice.’ Busted.”

The exchange in the dub is sillier, but to me, it feels more realistic. It’s also much more interesting dialogue from Yoshi, rather than just agreeing and being quiet. Yoshi is more stern and sarcastic than Yoshino, which is a small way to make her more interesting than she originally was. It also helps that the VA work is well done.

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Gotsumon suffers from long, strung out, weirdly timed dialogue delivery in the dub. His mouth moves constantly, and while that’s fine in the original, in the dub he’s having to string several sentences together to fill the space.

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Masaru falls asleep
Yoshino: This is the worst! He was talking so maturely only seconds ago! But in the end, he’s just a kid himself! And completely lacking in etiquette! It’s considered courtesy to pay attention to the driver’s needs first! Making me do all the driving… just because he’s a student is no excuse!
Yoshi: Just great. Thanks so much, Marcus! He always does this: making you think he’ll help, then flaking out! Sure, I have to drive because he’s too young, but the very least he could do is stay awake and keep me company! I mean, even if almost everything he says makes me mad, at least it would make the drive less boring! Sheesh.

This rant is so weird. Yoshino seems to be upset that she has to do all the driving (even though she always does) and that Masaru being a student is no excuse. But the driving age in Japan is 16, and Masaru is 14.

Meanwhile, Yoshi is complaining that Marcus fell asleep and isn’t keeping her company, and she’s complaining about this to… her own Digimon partner who is wide awake and keeping her company. She’s literally calling her own partner boring. But then again, this is Lalamon.

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Yoshino: I’m also very fatigued myself.
Lalamon: I’d like to switch with you, but it’ll be pretty useless…
Yoshino: Masaru is definitely not popular with the girls.
Yoshi: And I’m not tired?! But you don’t hear me complaining!
Lalamon: Well actually, Yoshi, that’s kind of all I can hear.
Yoshi: Lalamon, let me just say, this is not the time to push me!

Not surprising I’m sure, but I like the dub’s conversation better. Earlier in the series, Yoshi and Lalamon compare themselves to being roommates or friends, and it definitely shows in conversations like these where they kinda snipe at and tease each other. It feels more natural.

Yoshino slams the gas and makes a turn so sharp the tires leave skidmarks on a road on the edge of a cliff with no guard rail.

Honestly, I’m not sure if I should be more horrified by her driving, or by the infrastructure out here.

Finally someone acknowledges it.

Narrator: Okuwamon, a Perfect-level insect Digimon. It cuts everything with its mighty scissors. Its special attack is Scissor Arms Omega.
Miki: Okuwamon, Ultimate level! It can use its mighty pincers to cut through almost anything, or it can bring down its opponents with its Double Scissor Claw attack.

Damn it Yoshino. Every time I try to redeem you in my mind, you pull stunts like holding your Digivice upside down.

Gotsumon outright says that the Digital World will be better off if Ikuto “is dead.” In the dub, he says the Digital World will be better off if Keenan were “gone, and I’m going to make sure that he is.” So standard death-softening.

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Gotsumon: DIE!!!
Gotsumon: Goodbye, Keenan…

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Masaru: Man, stop making me look after you all the time!
Marcus: Look, don’t read too much into me saving you. Just stay out of the way!

A shot is slightly shortened to remove this image of RizeGreymon aiming his revolver at Okuwamon’s head.

Ikuto’s scream of horror is more primal than Keenan’s, who just shouts NOOOOOOOOOOOO!