The Meaning of the Crest Symbols
Something I have been thinking about for a while was doing a bit of a anthropology/mythology analysis of the Crest Symbols in Digimon Adventure/02. Because there is a bunch of interesting stuff going on there, especially in relation to some cultural aspects. While a lot of the symbols are fairly self-explanatory as the general understanding is clear, but there might be also some additional things related to Japanese culture, mythology and religion.
The crest of courage was named 勇気の紋章 in Japanese. Here the translation was fairly straight forward. 勇気 is Yuuki, and this is indeed just courage, valor, bravery... this kind of word. And the symbol for it, pretty much everyone has realized that much, is a sun, which of course has a sort of double meaning here, because Japanese culture has a ton of sun worship going on. (The top Shinto god is after all a sun goddess.) But also generally speaking the sunrise is often associated with giving people new courage in a situation where courage seems scarce. As such the association here with courage and also the leader character is quite simple. The color associated is, of course, because the sunlight at sunrise is also sort of orange. And because Agumon is also somewhat orange-y.
The Crest of Friendship is again fairly directly translated with 友情の紋章. 友情 is the Japanese for Friendship (I love, by the way, how it is written: a feeling between friends - but this is not Digimon specific, it is more generally how Japanese language often works and I kinda adore it). And one part of the symbol is somewhat self-explanatory: it is the Yin-Yang symbol, the Wuxia Symbol of balance, which through Buddhism is also quite prevalent in Japanese culture. The symbol of course in Chinese philosophy generally stands for things that balance each other out. Light and Dark, Feminine and Masculine... you know the kind of stuff.
I find it quite interesting that Wikimon explains this as the symbol being enclosed in an eye. However, when I asked back when I got to interview the folks who had worked on Adventure, the answer I got was along the lines of: "I am not fully, sure, but I think the original idea was two hands entwined." And given that Time Stranger, upon using a variation of the crests for the personality traits, used two hands holding onto each other for the Friendship Equivalent, it seems that Nishizono was right in his memory of this.
So what happened here was that they tried symbols of hands holding onto each other (which makes sense for friendship), and noticed that the Yin-Yang symbol was somewhat similar, and simplified it to this.
And blue, as a color, is often a color of loyality, hence the color being chosen here.
The Crest of Love is probably the simplest to explain. 愛情の紋章 with 愛情 being a deep kind of love. The symbol is the heart symbol we all know, which basically is used as a signifier of love pretty much everywhere around the world. Usually red, which is why the color of the crest is red, and... Frankly, there is not much to talk about here.
Now we get to one of the more interesting crests - to me. Koshiro's crest of knowledge. 知識の紋章. Because there is a bunch of different words in Japanese to refer to knowledge. And this specific one - 知識 - is the knowledge in a very clear, learnable way. The kind of knowledge that someone who is very studious and/or curious would acquire. (Also, fun fact, though from my understanding this is a bit newer: in the cases where there is a specific word for IT related jobs and positions in Japanese, especially the kind of jobs with names related to "information", apparently some of them instead have been put into "knowledge" within Japanese job sites, using the same word, 知識, which feels so fitting for our little computer geek.)
The symbol for this is one that was originally meant with one specific interpretation, but the folks noticed that there was a second one you could also read into it.
The original idea was concentric wave patterns for when water drips into a standing water surface. This is a thing often associated with meditation in Zen Buddhism, which of course is also meant to get some deeper knowledge/understanding of the universe. So it is two of those concentric patterns on a water surface, tying into also the depth of knowledge.
It was noted though upon when the episode of Altur Kabuterimon's evolution was made, that one could also read it as a planet and a moon, and the knowledge about the universe we have not yet acquired.
I love the Crest of Purity, because the symbol is not just one that is generally associated with the idea, but actually refers to a very specific myth, and the episode with Lillymon's evolution (despite me still being of the opinion that Lillymon should have evolved in the Tonosama Gekkomon episode) is actually directly referencing that myth. I love that.
But first 純真の紋章 is the Japanese name of the crest. 純真 could also be translated as innocent, true, or pure-hearted specifically, with the 真 denoting specifically also the more Buddhist understanding of purity.
But now the symbol. This is not just a drop, it is a tear. A tear of Jade. Based on this idea from Chinese mythology, that when China was invaded (by the Mongols) the dragon protectors of the land wept tears of such pure emotion that those tears would turn into Jade. Which then ties in of course with Mimi's episode, as the Digimon invade Odaiba in that episode, and Mimi cries a tear of pure emotion, that then activates her crest.
I always loved this one. Mimi is just an amazingly written character.
So, we get to the Crest of Sincerity. (It was Reliability in the dub.) The Japanese name for this is 誠実の紋章 with 誠実 denoting faithfulness, and sincerity. And if you have wondered, whether this cross is a reference to the Christian Cross. Yeah. It is. While there are actually a bunch of Crosses in historical Japanese finds showing Buddhist figures in a cross, those tend to mostly come from a time when Christianity was outlawed in Japan, so putting a Buddhist figure onto the cross created plausible deniability for anyone who did convert to Christianity. And this specific design of a cross with those "rays" emanating from it, is a design found often in Asian Christian contexts.
Sadly I never got much of an answer why this specific symbol was chosen in this context. I am assuming more than having to do with whatever Jesus might or might not have done, it was more about the concept of how Japanese Christians held onto their faith despite persecution.
Now we get to our two special kids: Takeru and Hikari. Takeru's Crest of Hope (希望の紋章) is once again very directly translated. 希望 being hope. Specifically in the most common context of "being hopeful for something", or "being positive in expectations". Kibou - the word that is - is very often used in those contexts, and might also be translated as wish.
And this gets us to the symbol of it. I saw variety of interpretations on this, but the original idea actually was a shooting start, as you wish upon them, and this idea of a pure-hearted wish that you hope to come true is what inspired how Takeru was written in adventure. (I kinda feel that Europeans had actually an easier time in recognizing this, as our Christmas traditions often include a simplified shooting star that does not look too different from the crest.)
And there we have Hikari. And her Crest. 光の紋章. I will once more iterate that the reason for this crest is so dumb. Hikari's crest is literally named "Hikari's Crest". Because her name is Hikari. Light. And this was not some sort of master stroke or whatever. It was just Nishizono being pissed that he had to include her, because this was not originally planned and a decision made by the producers because folks loved Hikari in the first movie so much. So the idea was "I cannot be assed to give this character more attention than necessary. I guess her name is Light. She gets the Crest of Light. Fuck it." (It should be noted that I also find it kinda funny how even the at the time released media switched back and forth between writing Hikari's name as ヒカリ, so just the Katakana, or 光, light.)
The symbol however is actually more meaningful, as this is not just any flower, it is a simplified Lotus Flower. Which in Japanese flower language stands for an almost saint-like purity of heart.
And then we have the 02 additional Crests. First of all, we have Ken's crest of kindness. 優しさの紋章. With 優しさ being of the more general idea of someone who is gentle, kind, tender, and caring. Which obviously ties into Ken's entire story a lot.
The symbol used here was apparently supposed to be read as a developing peach bulb on the tree, with peaches in Japan often symbolizing a general softness. This is also why the color associated here is a light pink, the same as peach blossoms. (Admittedly, this is one that in a million years I never would have guessed.)
Now we get to the two that technically never had crests associated with them, but only Digimentals. And that, for this reason, also are just a bit more all over the place, because they were originally designed for the movie, and that were written and directed by other people, so the people from the TV anime were not fully clued into this. (And I would do a whole lot to get to interview Yoshida Reiko, because... I mean, darn, the woman wrote most things that I was obsessed with as a kid. Like, she played such a big role in shaping my childhood.)
The Digimental of Miracles is written as 奇跡, which is Kiseki, and that denotes a Miracle, mostly thought of as the result of some sort of divine intervention.
When I asked Yoshimura about the design, she said she was told it was meant to resemble the head of a dragon, and... I guess in the way that Digimon designs dragons it kinda fits? Like, the design looks a whole lot more like Magnamon's helmet than anything else, frankly. Because I have been staring at this symbol for 15 years trying to find the dragon and... eh. Yeah. No. I don't see it.
And finally we have the symbol from the Digimental of Fate, which is written as 運命 (unmei). My first thought at this always is that 運命 was also the word Juri's Leomon in Tamers uses upon his death. So I am of the opinion that if any character in Tamers should have a crest... Okay, too soon? I know the 25 years are still hurting here. (A quarter century. This has been a quarter century.)
運命 is a word associated especially with the association that fate or destiny are inescapable. That you cannot run from it. Which in the context of the movie probably is meant to tie into this idea that Wallace and Cocomon's fate were sealed and Wallace needed to accept this?
The symbol of course is the infinity symbol. One that everyone should be familiar with. Again, I have not gotten to talk to anyone involved with the movie, but I guess the idea is that fate is tied to time and time is endless by default. Something like that.
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