Following on from last week’s review and, of course, our podcast discussion episode, it’s time to watch the 23rd episode of Digimon Adventure: (2020)!
Opening thoughts
I am on the fence about how excited I am for this episode – on one hand, last week wasn’t bad and this week COULD be a (semi-)stealth Mimi episode. On the other hand, the preview barely showed Mimi so now I’m worried that we might just be getting upgrades for the ‘two main characters’ and not the characters that I actually care about.
So yeah, could go either way, somewhat worried, somewhat excited. So, y’know, the usual…
Digimon Adventure 2020 Episode 23 “The Messenger of Darkness, Devimon”
Digimon Adventure 2020 Episode 23 Review
Is it just me or is this episode starting with the world’s longest ‘Next time on…’? Like surely children can remember what happened last week.
Wow Devimon is just floating and they didn’t animate his face or mouth for that matter when he talks and there’s a closeup. Yamato tells Takeru to stay hidden, but I’m pretty sure DEvimon would have just watched him run off as he is literally floating overhead. Yeah Devimon’s mouth just does not move when he talks. That saves on the budget, all the better to fund Lilimon’s evolution.
Anyway, Devimon attacks the perfect level Digimon with his death claw and Taichi tells everyone to hide. Yamato tells Taichi to use the debris as cover, y’know, like they were already doing. Wow his attack is just random beams of purple light that anime cut through rock in a perfect slice. Then a terribly drawn hand appears above Taichi.
Back in the human world, with the characters I actually care about, we get an update on the tanker. While I don’t like the fact it sure does feel like Our War Game again, I am happy that the characters I care about are finally getting Their War Game. So Koshiro is using Skype, and it appears he’s logged in as ‘Charlie Rent’.
Apparently the lighthouse like object is absorbing the data and it’s building up in the Digital World like in the fake Tokyo.
Back to the main characters, we see some terribly animated purple orbs going towards a crystal, which must be the data. Taichi tells MetalGreymon to blow away the miasma mist but the badly drawn hands swats him again.
Back to the characters I care about, Calmarimon has appeared out of no where with new camouflage abilities and nobody has thought maybe they should evolve as they are being melted by squid ink. Or something. The tankers, meanwhile, wreck an innocent fishing boat.
Back in the Digital World, WereGarurumon’s size is inconsistent and Takeru does what he’s done twice before – scream ‘STOP’ at the bad guy. Takeru then tells them to not bully his friends and Poyomon evolves to Tokomon, Devimon is annoyed by this. Like, really annoyed. He also exclaims how he should be dark or something and how he shouldn’t resist darkness so I guess we’re not going down that actually interesting plot path.
Man this all powerful Digimon sure is angry about a baby Digimon evolving to a different baby Digimon. So much so that he screams and that causes the energy that is being sent to the Digital World to increase. Devimon then evolves to NeoDevimon, which is very cool looking, and I’m glad we went down this path as it’s something different, but it does make it kinda feel weak since we’ve already beaten to Ultimates and we’ve pulled out Omegamon twice, just do that again.
Anyway, Joe almost has a moment but Ikkakumon gets captured by the tentacles. Back in the Digital World, Taichi says that this evolution feels different that before. NeoDevimon conjures some wind or something and appears behind MetalGreymon and then does the same to Were Garurumon but pushes him over which is hilarious. Koshiro is able to contact Taichi.
Taichi says that we can do this and I swear to gosh if we pull Omegamon out again I’m going to be mad. Everyone’s Digivices glow because it’s 02 again. Yes, even the Koshiro, Joe, Mimi, and Sora are involved as they remember that they can evolve to perfect too! Togemon evolves to Lilimon, Birdramon evolves to Garudamon, Kabuterimon evolves to AtlurKabuterimon, and Ikkakumon to Zudomon. I like to think that this was caused by the fact that the other chosen remembered they had other friends.
It’s a fairly cool scene and it’s better animated than the rest of the episode, but I don’t know why it took them so long to remember that they could evolve. Calmarimon is defeated and Zudomon destroys the obelisk. NeoDevimon is fuzzing out and Yamato says ‘WereGarurumon’ and WereGarurumon mode changes on command which makes it feel less special if it can just triggered by shouting real good and remembering your Digimon’s name.
Meanwhile, the tankers are able to stop just in time. I hope NeoDevimon survives because if he’s destroyed so easily it’s going to really make him seem weak, oh, he literally dies in his introduction episode because they decided to TRY. GREAT. The tanker does a sweet drift by the way. Surely this will be seen as a threat of war by Japan on Singapore, right?
Koshiro confirms the system’s recovery and Yamato says well done to Takeru for doing nothing. Apparently the characters forgot about DarkKnightmon who has taken the crystal which is cool but man how did they forget he existed. Oh good, NeoDEvimon is emerging from a hole? Or something? Taichi remembers Nidhogmon and I guess NeoDevimon is evolving. Great.
The encyclopaedia tells us about Lilimon, who did not get a special upgrade in this episode. Koshiro just points out that Lilimon looks different from her previous evolution, unlike the other Digimon.
Rating for Digimon Adventure 2020 Episode 23
3/5
An okay episode – it had moments that were pretty cool – primarily the evolution part where they all helped out, but I felt that it was weird that they only then decided to evolve to perfect, something that was possible the entire time.
I really do not think we are getting upgrades for the other Digimon, though.
Also next time on looks like we’ll be continuing the ‘Taichi and Yamato’ show, so, whatever.
So what were your thoughts on Digimon Adventure 2020 Episode 23? Let me know in the comments or in the discussion thread on /r/Digimon!
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