Digimon Frontier

This Review is Being Given after viewing the Japanese Version

The fourth season at Digimon Frontier, this was the creators attempt at bringing back the faze of Digimon that was widely spread around the year 2000 but slowly began to die as the third season, Digimon Tamers, proved to be a disappointment to many Digimon fans.
In this season, the main characters, instead of having Digimon as their partners, the 'Digi-Destined' themselves turn into the Digimon. With provides a very interesting twist in this series compared to other Digimon seasons. Though I really liked this series, there were a few things I found disappointing in it, and ... I'm writing these things out for everyone can see the pros as well as the cons of this Digimon season.


Story: 8.5/10
To put it simply, the storyline was overall good. Your everyday, rescue the Digital World from being destroyed plot line. There were many points that could be easily guessed as to the results of the ending as the story draws to a close, but it also includes its many surprise twists that will surprise you no matter how much you've been paying attention to the story and each and every detail.
There are some points where I felt like it was just repeating the same thing over and over again and eventually it became quite boring since I could easily guess what the results were going to be. Though it wasn't to repetitive to the point that each and every detail was alike, but it was still at that level that it was a bit boring to watch through.

Art: 7/10
I give this one a 7 because of the fact of many things in the art of it that particularly annoyed the hell out of me. For one, there were many incidents where the mouths didn't move in sync with the words, at all. Not just slight out-of-sync, but major out-of-sync, it didn't occur often though, which was a relief.
But. . .that wasn't the main reason this got a 7 out of 10, my main pet peeve about the art in this was how characters would get injured, major injuries, and hardly be able to stand, the next second they'd be standing and all their injuries were totally gone.
Then there were other points when the injuries would last long. It just seemed to really piss me off about this fact of the art.

Sound: 9/10
Well I could say the sound was really good! Great sound effects, I loved the opening song and always sang along to it, I also like the first ending, but when it came to the second ending it just seemed to become to slow for the way things were moving in the series and totally ruined it for me that I fast-forwarded through the ending from then on.
Don't really know what else to say about the sound so I'll end it there.

Character: 9/10
To many. That's what I've got to say about it. There seemed to be to many main characters to give to much information about. In equal amounts that is. The story plot managed to tell you about each of their actual lives before they went to the Digital World, but for a couple of the characters, it was just a single episode used to reveal some of their past, after that it didn't seem to be very important. Then there were a couple characters who their lives seemed to have almost half of the story line revolving around them.
It seems to start out with one of the characters, Takuya, having the role as the main character, but as the story plot deepens it seems that that staring role is transfered to another character. Not that I found anything to wrong with that though seeing as the new 'star' was a favorite character of mine.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I will truthfully say that I enjoyed this anime very much! Despite the things I stated before that I disliked, it was very good ^^ I became attached to some of the characters and cried when they cried, laughed with them, cheered them on, I'll never forget this wonderful anime!

Overall: 9/10
Overall this an outstanding anime! Though it may not appeal to some of those who are fans of the original (seasons 1 and 2) of Digimon. I'm sure it will be a favorite to those who have chosen this season to watch before the others. Both new and even some older fans of Digimon will enjoy this season. As unlike some of the earlier ones, it seems to be much more in-depth and much darker than some of the other season.
If you didn't like earlier seasons of Digimon and saw them as 'childish', then you may prefer this season as it appears to be a much more 'dark' type of anime.

Digimon Frontier is the fourth installment in the Digimon franchise, and is unconnected to the previous three shows, or "seasons". It follows the main character, Takuya, and his friends as they go through the digital world, and it is absolutely my favorite in the Digimon series.

STORY: The plot develops quite well, actually surprising me with some of the twists. Keep in mind this series IS made for kids, so the messages that the story produces are things about growing up and making friends. On top of being a wonderful kids show, it actually has quite a few more adult like themes that surprised and ... pleased me as a teenage rewatcher of the show.

The storyline will often show the kids being bullied, or having very real problems that I myself have experienced in life. It shows how that effects them once making new friends, and it shows them grow throughout the series. It's heart warming and very wonderful to watch.

Besides that, the plotline was actually very well written (definitely a step up from Digimon Adventure 02, in any case) and kept you interested throughout the fifty episodes of the show.

ART: The art, as it's a very old show AND made for children, leaves a lot to be desired. The world is absolutely beautiful, though, and they do a great job with the scenery. I don't believe the art is terrible, but it is definitely not great, especially compared to the art in anime nowadays.

SOUND: Both the original and the English versions of the soundtrack are pretty good, in my opinion! They are both very upbeat and really fit what's happening in the show. Very enjoyable to listen to.

The voice actors in the original for the characters are much, much better, though. In the English, true to most children's shows, they change a lot of things including names and whatnot, so I would suggest watching the sub instead of the dub.

CHARACTER: Every character is well thought out and well designed and well developed. Even though there may be parallels to other Digimon series (Takuya being similar to Taichi, for instance), they all develop very differently and in their own ways which was pleasing to watch.

Digimon Frontier delves more into character development then I feel the other Digimon series had, and it really allows you to get inside the character's minds. It's very intense, especially for a children's show, and very interesting to watch. They did an excellent job at making the characters very relatable in their own respects while also teaching people about the problems bullying and other real life issues will cause later on in life. As a child, the characters in this show helped me out greatly with life, and I find even as an older teenager the messages are universally important.

ENJOYMENT: I have watched this series three times now -- once as a young child, once recently in English, and again in Japanese -- and I have enjoyed it every time. As I said, the messages are universally important and useful, and I've found them helping me in every day life.

The series is very different from the other installments in Digimon, and I think it increased the enjoyment factor for me greatly. It's my favorite in the Digimon line, and for good reason.

OVERALL: I will gladly give this an overall ten, without a doubt. I love watching this series from start to finish and it's highly enjoyable.

Delving into character's minds is something of a hobby for me, and watching a Digimon series allow me to do that was a wonderful experience. As I said, it's my favorite in the Digimon line, because everything worked so much better.

It had an original plot that was fun and interesting to follow, wonderful characters that were all very different from each other, believable character development, and so much more. Everything about Digimon Frontier was done well, if not very well, and I highly recommend it as something fun to watch and take your mind off of things.

It's also, of course, an excellent show for kids, and I would recommend showing it to your children if you have them. It teaches wonderful messages that I still carry with me in my day to day life, and it does it in a wonderful way that I really appreciate now that I'm older.

10/10

Review: When I first checked this season out I didn't care about it mostly. That was because at the time I heard a theory that season four was the prequel to one and two and I wanted to see if that theory held up. Little did I know that this season had so much more to offer.

In the first half I found the concepts to be great. Let me tell you something first. Most people dislike this season for its ideas that sort of take from seasons one and two and more original stuff. Two things to debunk that. First, when you are making ... a prequel, sequel or something new to a series you need to have old stuff and new stuff. Second if this was a prequel (and it gets more convincing the more you look at it and examine the details) then it is kind of smart to have some people represent the older group

Takuya: Tai Koji: Matt Tommy: T.K., but his evolutions like Joe J.P.: Joe, but his evolutions like Izzy Zoe: Sora and Mimi Koji's twin brother in second half: Ken

I don't have much to complain about. I like the story and follow it fine. The characters are all very interesting and develop nicely even the villains.

Tommy as a 12 year old kid didn't bother me at all. The reason this is because if you compare Young Gennai to Tommy in appearance, they look a like. If this was prequel, then there is a possibility that this is Gennai's origin story. Its like Anakin in episode 1, but the role of how they are when they are when younger and older is reversed. A powerful idea on the creators ideas. The idea of a brother that is impacting what he is doing but has no screen time is interesting, and how Tommy learns the meaning of his last words.

When Neemon showed up I feared the worst because some called them the worst comic relief since Jar Jar. After a couple of episodes though Neemon didn't bother me at all. In fact I found them to be funny.

Some say comic relief shouldn't be in Digimon. Let me correct you on that. Remember Gomamon in season one?

Some people complain about why so many digimon in season 1 and 2 are in it and why the technology is so much older. Some digimon in season 2 such as Armadillomon are abundant in season 4 but near dead in season 4 and considered ancient. That makes sense though if you think about it.

Some other people talk about why the digital world looks near destroyed in season 4 but like a good as new place in 1. Remember near the end of season 1 when Gennai told the group that the final test they have face nearly destroyed the digital world but five saved it? That was Lucemon's goal in the end and there were five kids in season 4. Meaning that the digital world could have collapsed in between the two and if Tommy is young Gennai, it would make sense why he would know this.

About half way through the season we meet Duskmon the seasons secondary villain, who is Koji's twin brother who was forced evil by the main villain Cherubimon. Anybody who was paying attention to what Bokomon said to the group, Cherubimon has been fighting a war to control the digital world. So it would make sense that they have a few servants. He didn't choose it it was forced and he found a way out and you find out his spirit was there not his real life self. His real life self dies at the end of the season which just breaks Koji. The only season to have a human die in it.

May I also mention that the season unlike everything prior or since has one story arc. Not multiple. The only thing it has multiple of is the villains which all serve purpose and have development.

The second half of the season only gets better. The story picks up even better. All the characters good and bad have purpose that is needed. The characters only develop even more so than the first half. But then comes the last few episodes with a climax and resolution that is considered to be the high light of the season by everybody. And one of the best climaxes/resolutions in all of digimon history. The only dispute is with season 3. Which I won't give away

This season has the second best evolution concept in the entire saga (behind Bio-Merge in season 3) called Spirit Evolution. There are three factors why this idea is so good. First is the music. The only form of digivolution to have its own soundtrack and it's old style. It shows by how well it works. Second is the humans reactions. With no words you know how they feel turning into the digimon. Third is the human contributions. For once and only this once we don't have the humans have digimon do all the work. It is them and the group all works together. Just watch this on Youtube to see what I mean.

Overall season four is a great entry in the digimon series as a whole. It has some good and well held up animation, the best (or at least second best) writing of the series, well done and cared for characters, a well made story line that works together, and it doesn't deserve the hate that some give it. The only season that beats it and it is a very close one is season 3 I would highly suggest people to check this season out any day.

I would give this season a 15 if I could

I gave this an overall , not because it was bad in any way- but because it is ... so... digimon...
First time I watched this season, was in Spain actually- in Spanish... and I had NO idea it was digimon, at all. It was only a couple of years later that I realised it was [I only watched some of the episode, one were one of the kids transformed, and then I saw those small thingies... the "book keapers"].
I have watched this at least twice...
Let me explain.

Story: I actually liked this story plot... because it had more depth in it than the previous series, or ... so it is in my opinion. Digimon Tamers might have a bit more of a sinister plot than this one, but still. I really liked it because it was more than just the "children goes to digiworld and meets digimon... then saves the world after finding out they had the ability inside of themselves from the start!"
In this season, they go on an adventure and find the spirits! Which thereafter helps THEM digiwolve [ an improvement from the children just standing on the side lines, screaming- then the digimons evolve... ]. Of course, they do end up saving the world!

Art: It was... different, I suppose.

Sound: I LOVED the opening sound to this season. Best so far...

Character: Errm... they were pretty standard [Goggle main guy, the emo kid who doesn't want to attach to others, but ends up with the "friendship crest...", the girl [this one reminded me of ... Mimi from first season... can't remember if that was her name? The pink haired one x3], the little guy [TK!!!], and awkward guy... this one turned out to be a bit different from the previous ones... Cody, and them... also there was evil guy who turns out to be good!].

Enjoyment: Well, obviously I enjoyed this very much, in relation to the fact that I watched it two times... was going on my third time right before writting this...

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not at all a Digimon fan. I've watched the first 4 shows and some of the 5th, but none of it ever stuck to me as much as other shows from my childhood. I'm not saying that Digimon as a whole is bad, matter of fact I think the majority of the shows are fine. Some better then others. Digimon overall is not a bad series.

When it comes to Frontier I've often heard mixed feelings about the show, some believe it to be the dark horse of the franchise, by changing the repetitive nature of the Digimon sequels, ... turning the kids into Digimon, and by focusing more on the kids themselves. On the other hand, I've heard some think that because of this change, it loses its Digimon vibe. I understand both sides of the argument. I get that it's hard to like a new show in a franchise that changes the original concept, I also understand that it's hard to enjoy new sequels that seem repetitive. I think Frontier keeps a nice balance between the two.

I probably will get a little flack for this, but I personally believe that Digimon Frontier is the best show of the franchise. I'm not saying that Frontier should represent the franchise as a whole, that title still goes to the original first season. I believe that Frontier did what the other sequels did little of, and that was not copying a majority of its material from the original source. I'm not saying that Frontier isn't guilty of this, and that other sequels took all of their material from the first season. What I am saying is that Frontier takes the right amount of source material to still give it the feeling of being part of the Digimon series, while not being too repetitive.

I will admit, I am one of those who thinks one of the strongest strengths of Frontier is that it's not as repetitive as the other Digimon sequels, I like that it focuses more on the kids then it does the Digimon, giving more character development instead of just moving from one battle to the next. The original season did have character development don't get me wrong, but I feel as though a lot of that development was spread out too thin, mainly due to the amount of main protagonists (including their Digimon) in the show. Whereas Frontier focuses manly on the 5 characters (6 if you include Koichi), each getting more then one episode to focus on that particular character. Another thing that I loved about Frontier is that it turned the kids into Digimon. This is what I believe to be the strongest strength about Frontier, not only do you get to battle with Digimon, but now you get to be one as well. I feel this trait gives the show a more of a Power Rangers feel to it, and that it gives the protagonists something to do besides cheer on the sidelines.

Frontier on the other hand does have its flaws. As I said before Frontier doesn't have the feeling as though you are moving from one battle to next, but instead suffers from having filler. I will give credit to other Digimon seasons for not having a lot of this problem, but I feel as though Frontier suffers from this the most. This is what I believe to be Frontiers biggest flaw. There seems to be huge gaps between plot points that are filled with unnecessary story. Sometimes if you're lucky a filler episode will give huge character development or backstory, but usually results with some life lesson. I understand that this show is intended for kids, but I feel as though life lessons can be integrated within the main plot, rather than having whole episodes dedicated to them entirely.

Overall season four of Digimon is a very good addition to the franchise. It changes the concept of Digimon enough to keep the show interesting and not so repetitive, while keeping enough originality to be considered a Digimon show.

Now if you want to get into Digimon and have never seen any of the franchise, don't begin with Frontier. If you were to start with this season, you would get an entirely different picture of what Digimon is as a whole. I recommend starting with the original first season.

P.S. The Frontier dub opening is also the best opening in the series.

while the first digimon anime will always hold a special place in my heart as it was the first one I watched. I found myself enjoying digimon frontier more.
I liked how they could become the digimon, and reminded me of a few other shows I watched growing up.
I found the characters very relatable and well fleshed out.
I would have liked if some things were worked on a bit more and feel the anime had much potential.
I would recommend it yes.
I liked the spirit evolving scenes a lot, and the music always got me hyped.
And I think the intro was one fo the best.

Just a small review for fun, I am no means a reviewer or even claim to have good taste or knowledge of story writing and while I tried to not contain spoilers I can't guarantee it.

I decided to watch Digimon Frontier as I have great fondness and nostalgia for the first three series, so choose to start with the forth series that I had once watched the first episode and had some knowledge of.

I think some may dislike the initial concept of the series being the characters become Digimon rather than having Digimon companions breaking from tradition of the other series, however I don't mind ... this as it does seem like a natural concept to explore inevitably and I rather it was done earlier than later. I also think it does satisfies a natural itch all Digimon fans have, that it would be just as cool to be a Digimon as to have a Digimon. I don't feel it looses much from it either as the interactions between the Digimon and humans are usually minimal with only Tamers expanding on this relationship and you still have interaction between the main characters and ones they meet along the way. So I don't see the concept as a negative.

While I feel the characters are archetypes, I do think they are are good examples of them and their traits where never used to the point of becoming annoying, the loner didn't brood ridiculously long, the youngest didn't remain too whiny and the optimist wasn't unrealistically optimistic with all the characters developing nicely. I like their designs and Digimon forms especially Takuya with me being indifferent to the designs at worst however I do feel it is a little more unbalanced in terms distribution of the amount of forms amongst the characters compared to other series. I also think they did some interesting thinks with some the themes with them not necessary progressing how you may expect and the story had enough twists and turns to be compelling and was mostly progressed by the characters will rather than just happenstance however I do think some of these where later under used, with many being pushed aside for the next new thing and there may have been one too many twists.

Overall I feel it satisfied my nostalgia for Digimon with it feeling much akin to the original style especially in terms of designs and I found the story compelling and interesting enough to maintain my attention which I was concerned about with its target demographic however I wouldn't disagree with it being lesser than the first three series but is a solid addition to the franchise and doesn't feel like a complete cash in, that some of the later series may be so overall I greatly enjoyed Digimon Frontier and would recommend it to fans of Digimon.

Digimon Frontiers is really different from all the other digimon series , the story is somewhat similar/different from other digimon series , you'll notice it when you watch it. Characters make progress through the story as they get stronger and closer to each other . Some of the let down for me is the relationship in the series though , makes me have high hopes but instantly shuts me down afterwards. But overall the action is good on every episode and the mysteries will make you look forward for the new episode . Every episode interesting to watch and worth my time watching.

This anime is not a classic Digimon series, but close.

The past series fallowed the kids and there Digimon companoins while this one focouses more on the Kids and the people they meet in the Digital world.
The kids gain the power to turn into legendary Digimon, and must save the Digital world.
There are to many anime were they have to save some one else's world, but unlike the other Digimon series the human world is safe.

The characters are likeable, but I did not care for Junpei's back story so much.
I thought that Koichi and Kyoji's back story was better and more well thought out than Takuya's, ... but his was not bad ether.

The beginning of the series started off slow, but picked up pace when it got closer to the fight against Cherubimo.
The last fight was epic, I am a fan of Luchemon, in every Digimon series he is a great villain.

This installment had a promising start, much like its predecessor, but it felt rushed towards the end. As a result, pacing has always been an issue for me with this franchise.

The intro and outro songs were decent, but not particularly memorable. The character designs, especially for the Digimon, were underwhelming compared to the previous series, though they still have a unique charm in this version. The designs remind me more of RPG characters than traditional Digimon sprites.

One aspect I enjoyed more than in previous installments was the storyline and the adventure elements, which reminded me of Digimon 02, my favorite series. The characters were very ... likable, and the voice cast was excellent.

I would definitely recommend this series, although it seems more suited for an older audience compared to its predecessor.