TLDR;
The video reviews Digimon Dreamers, a manga series initially overlooked due to its perceived simplicity and Japan-only release. The reviewer expresses surprise at the depth and engaging story, which surpasses expectations and some recent Digimon projects. The review highlights the unique humor, compelling narrative, and fresh twists on Digimon lore, ultimately recommending it as a top-tier modern Digimon project.
- Digimon Dreamers is surprisingly good, exceeding expectations for a kids' comedy series.
- The manga features a compelling story, unique humor, and fresh twists on Digimon lore.
- It surpasses Ghost Game and Seekers in terms of story and enjoyment.
- The reviewer highly recommends reading Digimon Dreamers, which is officially translated and free.
Intro & Why I Held Off [0:00]
The video introduces Digimon Dreamers, a newly available and free Digimon story that was previously exclusive to Japan. The reviewer admits to initially avoiding the series for two reasons: its initial Japan-only availability and the perception that it was a simple comedy manga aimed at young children. Now that 13 chapters are officially localized in English, the reviewer decided to evaluate whether the initial hesitation was justified.
The Premise [1:25]
The story centers on Aritsukoto (Ritsu), an average indoor kid who is spontaneously transported to the Digital World. He encounters Pulsemon, a Digimon he recognizes from a video game where Pulsemon refuses to evolve. Pulsemon's motivation to evolve is to protect his village of baby Digimon. Ritsu is summoned to the Digital World whenever Pulsemon needs him, which introduces a unique twist where Ritsu doesn't control when he enters the Digital World. These random transports are often played for comedic effect.
The Comedy [2:52]
The humor in Dreamers is reminiscent of Bridge series-style self-aware humor and Akira Toriyama's early Dragon Ball with fast-paced visual gags. An example includes a scene where villagers excessively praise "tanamon's meat," leading to a humorous misunderstanding.
The Story [3:20]
The Cypress Village digimon's inability to digivolve is due to a curse. During a battle, Pulsemon can only digivolve one body part at a time, a unique twist on evolution. The goal becomes undoing the curse on Cypress Village. This partial digivolution is used for comedic effect but also introduces a fresh concept.
The Ghost Game Comparison [4:05]
The reviewer compares Dreamers to Ghost Game, noting that Dreamers, despite being a children's manga, has a more compelling story and twists than Ghost Game had in its initial episodes. While Ghost Game seemed to lack an overarching story, Dreamers builds towards something bigger with each chapter. The characters explore a shrine for clues about the curse and meet Joe Wakamiya, another human Tamer, who inspires Pulsemon. Espyimon arrives, seeking information about Pulsemon's condition to sell to Dr. Vadamon, who is researching super chimeramon.
The World Hopping [6:00]
Espyimon recommends dimension hopping to learn more about the village curse, referencing the world of magical witches from the less successful virtual pet series, Witchlings. Magic is defined as high-level programming. Readers are introduced to wizardmon, dagomon, agatomon, and Leomon from the world of Witch and Lee. Wizardmon unites with Ritsu and Pulsemon to reach Witch and Lee.
The Verdict [7:15]
The reviewer concludes that Digimon Dreamers has a more interesting story than Ghost Game. It is a more enjoyable experience than Seekers due to its cleaner localization and straightforward vision. The reviewer ranks Dreamers as the second favorite Digimon narrative series of the 2020s, surpassing other recent projects. He encourages viewers to read the officially translated manga to support free Digimon content.