Digimon Frontier

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Digimon Frontier

Digimon Frontier
デジモンフロンティア
(Dejimon Furontia)
Genre Action, Adventure, Super Sentai
TV anime
Director Yukio Kaizawa
Studio Toei Animation
Network Flag of Japan Fuji TV
Original run April 7, 2002 – March 30, 2003
Episodes 50
Animated film: Island of Lost Digimon
Studio Toei Animation
Released July 20, 2002
Runtime 40 mins
Related works

Digimon Frontier (デジモンフロンティア Dejimon Furontia?) is the 4th Digimon TV series, first broadcast in 2002. After prompted to do so by unusual phone messages, the five main characters go to a subway station and take a train to the Digital World. Once there, they meet two secondary characters, Bokomon and Neemon, who act as guides, and tell the DigiDestined that the Digital World is in danger. They must fight the antagonist, Cherubimon and his Legendary Warrior servants before they succeed in dominating the world; it's up to the children to save it.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Logo used in the English Dub
Logo used in the English Dub

The biggest feature introduced in the season is "Spirit Evolution", where the Digi-Destined themselves evolve into Digimon to become Legendary Warriors, rather than having partners. For this special kind of evolution, they use "spirits," artifacts created by the Ancient Warriors that were hidden in certain areas of the Digital World. When the characters first arrive in the Digital World their cell phones turn into digivices called D-Tectors(D-Scanners in the Japanese version). Each character actually acquires two spirits each, the "human spirits" and the stronger "beast spirits," and two characters transform into even stronger forms by being able to use their two spirits at once and ultimately by combining all the team's spirits together, known as Fusion Evolution. Another detail different from the previous seasons lies in the way the characters travel within the regions of the Digital World: most areas are connected by railroads, where train Digimon called Trailmon act as a means of transport.

When the five Digi-Destined arrive in the Digital World, they find themselves hunted by five other Legendary Warriors that serve the evil Cherubimon. After they defeat four of the them, Koji Minamoto discovers that Duskmon, the fifth evil Legendary Warrior, is really his twin brother Kouichi Kimura. With Takuya Kanbara's help, Koji is able to free his brother, and Kouichi restores the Spirits of Darkness to their true forms and joins the team as the true Warrior of Darkness, Löwemon. After they defeat Cherubimon, the Digi-Destined learn that the true mastermind was Lucemon, an ancient, evil, angel Digimon whom the Ancient Warriors sealed away. So now the six Digi-Destined must try to defeat his two Royal Knights before they scan away all of the Digital World, which would allow Lucemon to be free, and stronger, forcing Takuya and Koji to evolve together into one Digimon named Susanoomon.

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Digimon Frontier episodes

The season aired 50 episodes on Fuji TV in Japan from April 7, 2002 to March 30, 2003, then later on UPN and ABC Family Channel in the United States) now on Jetix/ Toon Disney in the US), and in Canada on YTV from September 9, 2002 to July 14, 2003. It was scheduled to air in the United Kingdom on Fox Kids UK, and much more recently Jetix UK, but it never happened (a fate shared by Season Three of Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon S). On June 2, 2003, this series of Digimon was first aired in Australia on Network Ten's Cheez TV.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Main characters

Character Voice actor
Takuya Kanbara
Kanbara Takuya (神原拓也)		 Michael Reisz (EN)
Junko Takeuchi (JP)
Leader of the group. Uses the Human Spirit of Flame to become Agunimon (Agnimon) and the Beast Spirit of Flame to become BurningGreymon (Vritramon). He later received the power to assume the forms of Aldamon (Ardamon) and EmperorGreymon (KaiserGreymon).
Koji Minamoto
Minamoto Kōji (源輝二)		 Steve Staley (EN)
Hiroshi Kamiya (JP)
He was quiet and reserved, the "lone wolf". Uses the Human Spirit of Light to become Lobomon (Wolfmon) and the Beast Spirit of Light to become KendoGarurumon (Garmumon). He later received the power to become Beowolfmon and MagnaGarurumon.
J.P. Shibayama
Shibayama Junpei (柴山純平)		 Steven Blum (EN)
Mahito Amada (JP)
The oldest of the group. Uses the Human Spirit of Thunder to become Beetlemon (Blitzmon) and the Beast Spirit of Thunder to become MetalKabuterimon (Borgmon).
Zoe Orimoto
Orimoto Izumi (織本泉)		 Michelle Ruff (EN)
Sawa Ishige (JP)
The main female member of this season, and is very independent. Uses the Human Spirit of Wind to become Kazemon (Fairymon) and the Beast Spirit of Wind to become Zephyrmon (Shutumon).
Tommy Himi
Himi Tomoki (氷見友樹)		 Brianne Siddall (EN)
Kumiko Watanabe (JP)
The youngest of the group. Uses the Human Spirit of Ice, to become Kumamon (Chakmon) and the Beast Spirit of Ice to become Korikakumon (Blizzarmon).
Koichi Kimura
Kimura Kōichi (木村輝一)		 Crispin Freeman (EN)
Kenichi Suzumura (JP)
Koji's twin brother. He was separated from Koji when they were babies when their parents divorced. Originally lost his memory and became Duskmon/Velgemon, an enemy to the others, but later became purified. Uses the Human Spirit of Darkness to become Lowemon (Löwemon) and the Beast Spirit of Darkness to become JagerLowemon (KaiserLeomon).

[edit] Secondary characters

[edit] Villains

  • Onismon (Ornithmon) (Movie): Killed by AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon.

[edit] Family

  • Yuriko & Hiroaki Kanbara: Takuya's mother and father.
  • Shinya Kanbara: Takuya's brother. He and Takuya often fought each other, like most siblings.
  • Kousei Minamoto: Kouichi and Koji's father. He took custody of Koji when he divorced Tomoko and told Koji that she was dead. He later remarried Satomi.
  • Satomi Minamoto: Koji's stepmother. She was depressed when she thought that Koji did not love her because he thought about his biological mother.
  • Tomoko Kimura: Koji & Kouichi's biological mother. She took custody of Kouichi when she divorced Kousei. Though she suffered from sickness, she continued to work because she knew she had to support Kouichi.
  • Tomoki's brother / Yutaka Himi: Tommy's older brother. He did not want Tommy to become spoiled, so he kept telling Tommy not to keep asking their parents for everything. This created a distance in their relationship. In the Japanese version, Tommy simply referred to him as 'brother.' The American dub gave him the first name of Yutaka--possibly because it is an anagram of 'Takuya,' Tommy's surrogate older brother, friend and hero.

[edit] Other children

These are all the other children that were brought by the Trailmon but not chosen to receive a spirit. Ophanimon sent them a message asking them to go home but they chose not to. Ophanimon sent Angemon to protect them, but they thought of Angemon as their Digimon and ignored what he told them. At some point in time, they came to the Beanstalk Village, where the Mamemon gave them the last of their peas. The group planted the peas where a giant bean stalk used to be, and it grew into another beanstalk. After Angemon was killed by the Royal Knights they decided to go back to the real world, but the Royal Knights captured them and took them back to the Beanstalk Village and demanded to know where the code was. After Takuya and crew saved them, they boarded a Trailmon and went back to the real world.

  • Katsuharu: He bullied Tommy in the past and forced him onto the Trailmon that brought him to the Digital World. He seemed to be the group's unofficial leader.
  • Teppei: He also bullied Tommy in the past. He told Tommy to go back because he thought he was too weak to stay. When he saw Tommy beast spirit evolve, he took back what he said.
  • Chiaki: She felt she could become stronger if she stayed in the Digital World.
  • Teruo: He felt that his old life was boring and that he was more free in the Digital World.

[edit] Island of Lost Digimon

The seventh of the TV-based Digimon movies, Takuya and company end up on a floating island in the middle of a civil war between human and beast Digimon, instigated by an evil Digimon named Murmuxmon. He was posing as the leader of each side in the war so that he could free an ancient evil - known as Onismon - that the Ancient Warriors, AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon had defeated. The team then tries to end the war but it is too late and Onismon is resurrected. However he is soon after defeated by the also resurrected AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon. The movie ends with the two sides finally making peace.

Unlike Tamers, in which the movies flowed in continuity with the series, this movie takes place somewhere in the middle of the series, seeing Zoe does not have her Beast Spirit and Koichi is not present and/or mentioned.

[edit] English dub edits

A deleted dub scene from episode 15
A deleted dub scene from episode 15
  • In the original Japanese version Crusadermon was portrayed as an extremely effeminate male character.
  • Arbormon originally gave advice to the audience at random times, such as "Always wash your hands after using the toilet". In the English version, he uses the word "Right" quite often instead.
  • Ranamon was portrayed as a Texan woman in the English version instead of a childish girl.
  • Mercurymon was much more verbally abusive in the English version than in the Japanese version.
  • Duskmon was more silent in the Japanese version than in the English version.
  • In episode 15, a scene where the words "Sexy Dynamite" was shown in the background was edited out. The scene depicted Zoe Orimoto in a red bikini. When removing her shirt, she raises it a slight bit higher and shows a bit of her panties in the original Japanese version. Also, when Takuya and J.P run in on her after she screamed, J.P had a nose-bleed.
  • Most of the suspenseful parts in the Japanese version were talked through by soliloquies in the English version.
  • In episode 9, a short scene where Tommy attacks Zoe with a burning stick (with Koji leaping in front of her to defend her), is cut from the dub.
  • The background music in the Japanese version is different from the English version.
  • From episode 48 onwards, when the children were in the Hybrids as Susanoomon, certain parts were airbrushed out to avoid showing them nude.[citation needed] During the evolution to Susanoomon (Takuya and Koji only) had a key part cut to avoid showing Takuya and Koji nude as well. Later, in the final evolution to Susanoomon, the English dub re-created the entire hand motion (first 10 seconds of spirit evolution). This can be seen because Takuya and Koji have their old digivices instead of the new ones. In the original Japanese version however, they have the newer ones.

Despite these edits, Digimon Frontier keeps the standard of content that has been running throughout the whole of Digimon's English run and is also the first to refer Digivolution as its Japanese counterpart (Evolution). (Other overseas dubs such as the Spanish and German dubs, use terms derived from Digivolution, despite this change).

[edit] Theme songs

[edit] Original

  • Opening: "FIRE!!" by Wada Kouji
  • Ending 1: "Innocent~Mujaki na Mama de~" by Wada Kouji (eps. 1-26)
  • Ending 2: "an Endless tale" by Wada Kouji and Ai Maeda (as AiM) (ep. 27-49)
  • Ending 3: "our Digital world" by Wada Kouji and Ai Maeda (as AiM) with Digimon All-Stars (eps. 50)
  • Insert 1: "With The Will" by Wada Kouji (Evolution Theme)
  • Insert 2: "The Last Element" by Ayumi Miyazaki (Hyper Spirit Evolution Theme)
  • Insert 3: "Salamander" by Junko Takeuchi (Takuya's Theme)
  • Insert 4: "in the blue" by Hiroshi Kamiya (Koji's Theme)
  • Insert 5: "Spark!!" by Mahito Amada (Junpei's Theme)
  • Insert 6: "Kaze no Shizuku" by Sawa Ishige (Izumi's Theme)
  • Insert 7: "Say yes!" by Kumiko Watanabe (Tomoki's Theme)
  • Insert 8: "Oreta Tsubasa de -With Broken Wings-" by Kenichi Suzumura (Kouichi's Theme)
  • Insert 9: "Blader" by Kenichi Suzumura (Duskmon's Theme)

[edit] Credits

[edit] Cast (Japan)

[edit] Cast (English)

*All Characters listed here are referred to by their English Names.

[edit] Movie Cast

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Digimon Frontier
Main characters:
Takuya · Koji · J.P. (Junpei) · Tommy (Tomoki) · Zoe (Izumi) · Koichi
Spirit evolution:
Villains:
Other characters:
See also:
v • d • e
Digimon
General
Elements
Anime
Adventure (Season 1) • Adventure 02 (Season 2) • Tamers (Season 3) • Frontier (Season 4) • Savers (Data Squad) (Season 5) • Digital Monster X-Evolution (movie) • Digimon: The Movie (American dub)
Manga series
Video games