[Digimon Movie Commentary Podcast] LiT Special 32 - I am the Walrus

Brief Summary

In this special episode of Lost in Translationmon, May is joined by her flatmate Brady to watch and comment on the Digimon movie. They discuss Brady's limited Digimon experience, his expectations for the movie, and some interesting trivia about the film's production and localization. They dive into the movie, offering commentary and trivia, discussing the plot, animation, and changes made in the dub.

• The hosts provide live commentary on the Digimon movie, discussing plot points, animation quality, and differences between the original Japanese version and the English dub.
• They share trivia about the movie's production, including the Screen Actors Guild dispute over voice actor pay and the combination of three separate Digimon films into one.
• The hosts discuss their favorite characters and moments from the movie, as well as the changes made in the dub, such as the addition of dialogue and alterations to character traits.

Intro

May introduces Brady, her flatmate, who has limited Digimon experience, mainly from seeing it on TV as a child. Brady recalls an episode involving a bus, an orange Digimon, and black rings. May clarifies some details, mentioning it was a trolley car and the black rings appeared in season two, while season one had black gears. Brady expresses his hope to see the orange Digimon and the "walrus" (Ikkakumon) in the movie, referencing a plushie he liked. May explains the episode will be a commentary track as they watch the movie together, noting the YouTube version's length is approximately one hour, 24 minutes, and 17 seconds.

Trivia Before the Movie

May shares trivia about Digimon: The Movie, including a Screen Actors Guild dispute with Saban over voice actor pay due to the extensive changes made to the film, considering it more of an original work. Originally, only the first two Digimon movies were planned for theatrical release, but executives forced the inclusion of the third part, "Hurricane Touchdown," despite its plot inconsistencies. The first two movies were directed by Mamoru Hosoda, known for "Summer Wars." The three films were condensed to fit 85 minutes, resulting in plot edits. Originally, Tai was to narrate, but it was changed to Kari due to Tai's absence in the third part. The movie poster had issues like missing transparency and miscolored Digimon.

Starting the Movie

May and Brady start watching the Digimon movie, beginning with the "Digi Rap." Brady recalls seeing it before and notes the poor animation quality. May points out that the Digimon are not animated but are just pictures moving across the screen. They discuss the length of the movie, estimating it to be around an hour and 20 minutes.

First Part of the Movie

May and Brady discuss the initial scenes, noting that the part being shown is actually from the third movie. Brady questions whether Digimon was initially presented as a TV show within the show, but May clarifies that only season three had that concept. They comment on the rice cooker and the constant references to Willis, a character relevant only in the third part. They observe the twins in the movie and joke about the egg being "real dinner."

Parrotmon

May expresses her fondness for Parrotmon, a Digimon that has rarely appeared in other media. Brady finds Parrotmon ridiculous-looking and suggests that the animators avoided drawing him due to his complex colors. May notes that Parrotmon is mostly silent in the original version, but the dub adds dialogue. They discuss the characters' lack of knowledge about each other at this point in the timeline and the setting of Hikarigaoka, which translates to "heightened uterus."

Second Part of the Movie

May and Brady transition into the second movie segment. They comment on the extensive damage to infrastructure in the film. Brady jokes about the computer virus, and May remarks on the novelty of the internet at the time. They note the Power Rangers reference, a nod to Saban's involvement. They discuss the movie's soundtrack and the nameplate on the door, which was changed in the dub. May shares that Tai's voice actor is now a hypnotist.

Cooking Scene

May and Brady discuss the scene where the mom makes beef jerky shakes instead of oolong tea. May finds it unnecessary and strange that the dub made her a bad cook. They note that in the original, the characters don't know Willis, who only appears in the third part. They comment on the evil Digimon and its voice.

Internet

May and Brady discuss the cat being on the internet. They comment on the appearance of the internet in the movie. Brady asks about a pumpkin Digimon, and May identifies it as Pico Devimon. They discuss the levels of Digimon evolution, from baby to ultimate. May shares that Tentomon is voiced by Jeff Nimoy, who is related to Leonard Nimoy.

Willis

May and Brady discuss Willis and the twins, noting that one of the twins was evil. May explains that Willis is blamed for the virus in the dub, while it has no relation to him in the original. They comment on the music and the cake that Kari made.

Odaiba

May and Brady discuss the setting of Odaiba, an artificial island. They comment on the nameplate and Kari's cactus Digimon. They discuss the availability of Digimon merchandise at Kmart in Australia. May wonders about the cultural diversity of their listeners.

Digi-Eggs

May and Brady discuss TK's role in making the devices. They comment on the characters hitchhiking and the skull punk soundtrack. May notes that America is not referenced in the original, which is a localization change. They discuss Kari's beef jerky smoothie and the characters' search for internet access.

Digivolution

May and Brady discuss the digivolution sequence, noting that the smallest Digimon turns into the coolest one. They comment on Angemon's lack of speech in the original. May explains the armor digivolution and how it allows the Digimon to reach their fully evolved form. They note that someone interrupts a digivolution by kicking a football.

Diaboromon

May and Brady discuss Diaboromon, noting that he is just there in the original, but in the dub, he is related to Willis's virus. May asks if this version is better, and Brady says that this part is his favorite Digimon movie. They comment on the missiles and the references to Willis.

Emails

May and Brady discuss the characters sending emails to slow down Diaboromon. They comment on the sound effects and the battery life of their recording equipment. May notes that there was no narrator in the original.

Fusion

May and Brady discuss the scene where the characters send their energy through emails, similar to a Goku spirit bomb. They comment on the fusion of the Digimon and the creation of Omnimon. May notes that this fusion does not happen again in the show.

Willis Again

May and Brady joke about the frequent mentions of Willis in the movie. They comment on the characters knowing Willis's email address and the spam emails. They discuss the ending of the second part of the movie.

Third Part of the Movie

May and Brady discuss the third part of the movie, noting that the events are strangely placed in the timeline. They comment on the characters hitchhiking and the unsafe situations they encounter. May notes that in the dub, one of the hitchhikers is a relative, but in the original, it is just a random person.

Davis

May and Brady discuss Davis, noting that he is not very bright. They comment on Davis's crush on Kari and his insulting remarks about Willis's mom. They discuss the pizza delivery scene and how Davis is left behind.

Digimentals

May and Brady discuss the digimentals and the armor digivolution. They comment on the animation quality and the flame Digimon. May notes that in the manga, Davis can shoot off the armor and use it as an attack.

Terriermon

May and Brady discuss Terriermon, noting his lack of emotion and his sassy personality. They comment on the digivice and the digi-eggs. May notes that the dub makes references to things that they should have done before.

Flashback

May and Brady discuss the flashback scene, noting that it is not what actually happened. They comment on the tying in of this movie to the other ones. May explains that Willis's Digimon is evil because it is infected by Diaboromon.

Cherubimon

May and Brady discuss Cherubimon, noting that his name is Truemon. They comment on the animation and the size of the Digimon. May shares trivia that this form is equivalent to Super Saiyan 4 on Vegeta.

Angels

May and Brady discuss the angel Digimon, noting the lack of gender diversity. They comment on the de-busting of some characters in the westernized version. May explains that the rainbow realm is where the original chosen are being reverted back to babies.

Golden Digi-Eggs

May and Brady discuss the golden digi-eggs, noting that they are pulled out of nowhere. They comment on the human becoming a Digimon driver. They discuss the changes made in the dub and the differences between the English and Japanese versions.

Ending

May and Brady discuss the ending of the movie, noting that the Digimon are not really dead. They comment on the characters' lack of emotion and the editing of the all-star scene. May shares that the voice of Mimi was also TK's grandma.

Final Thoughts

May and Brady share their final thoughts on the movie. Brady enjoyed the music and the battle scene with Diaboromon. May liked the second part of the movie and the incompetent cook storyline. They discuss their favorite characters and Digimon. Brady rates the movie two stars out of five, while May gives it a three. They mention the Digimon Adventure Tri series and other Digimon movies.

Outro

May thanks Brady for joining her and does the outro, mentioning the birthday shoutout and the various ways to contact and support the podcast. She thanks their Patreon supporters and says goodbye.