#perfect level

DigiMonday - GOGMAMON

(Perfect Level/Vaccine Attribute/Ore Type)

Gogmamon is a rare example of a relatively-new Digimon for which behind-the-scenes design info has been publicly released, giving us a few interesting points of insight into this big craggy creature's development; Gogmamon was originally conceived of as an evolution for Golemon, and was initially known as "GranGolemon" internally. The Digimon Encyclopedia describes it as an enormous but rarely-sighted type of Digimon, living in deep caves and emerging only to bask in the sun.

Gogmamon's final name is likely a reference to Goëmagot (also translated as Gogmagog,) the chief of a tribe of giants described in Historia regum Britanniae, a heavily fictionalised account of the history of the British Isles written in the 12th century by the Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth (who is himself perhaps most notable for being credited with playing a major role in collecting and popularising legends relating to King Arthur, the legendary "King of Britains" described in ancient English folklore.) According to Historia regum Britanniae Goëmagot and his tribe lived in what is now Cornwall, terrorising the isles until Corineus (a likely mostly-if-not-entirely-fictional Trojan warrior and the supposed founder and namesake of Cornwall) defeated him in a wrestling match and flung him off a cliff. The decision to apply Goëmagot's name to a giant mineral-based 'mon may be a reference to the Gog Magog Hills in Cambridgeshire, England (which may be named after Goëmagot,) or could have been inspired by the cliff at which the legendary giant met his end. Brutal...

(The view from the top of one of the Gog Magog Hills, image source here. Suffice to say, Cambridgeshire is a very flat place...)

Gogmamon debuted in 2020 as part of the Digimon Pendulum Z line of VPets (an updated version of the Digimon Pendulum line released between 1999-2000.) Each VPet in the Digimon Pendulum and Pendulum Z line featured Digis of a specific "field" or "familiy" which shared similar concepts (such as the aquatic "deep savers" or mechanical "metal empire",) with Gogamamon being an addition to the generally nature-themed Nature Spirits field (apparently in an effort to add more mineral-themed Digis to the group.) A huge win for those in the admittedly-niche overlap between Digimon enjoyers and geology nerds (affectionate.)

Lilimon!!!! Lillymon in the dub!!!

Lilimon’s a Perfect-level digimon originally slotted as the final form of Palmon in the first Adventure series, for which it’s probably best known. It was one of the earliest examples of digimon getting more humanoid as they evolve, though the trend hadn’t yet gotten ubiquitous enough to be annoying, and ending on a fairy creature felt cool and appropriate for a plant-themed evolution line. And it’s a pretty novel fairy, too!

Usually, fairies in modern media tend to basically be humans with some insect-inspired features – most commonly insectoid wings. What Lilimon does though is take that premise and make it 100% plant oriented, with a set of dragonfly-esque wings made out of leaves, along with a slew of other botanical features. A flower-shaped dress, flower and leaf accessories, and a flower for “hair” along with a bunch of thorny vines for even more hair. The color scheme is also really pleasant, too! Very evocative of spring. Lilimon also has a slight monstrousness to it as well, with sharp claw-like nails and the dark animalistic eyes.

By far the weirdest aspect of Lilimon, though, is its primary means of offense: turning its hands into a gun. Called Flow Cannon or Flower Cannon, this ability kinda thematically clashes with Lilimon’s whole nature motif, but it’s also conceptually hilarious enough that it wraps back around to being cool. Characterization-wise, its profile explains that it has a whimsical and “tomboyish” personality and is prone to “crying like a crybaby”. Okay.

Lilimon also has an X-Antibody form, which is….very forgettable honestly. The art style changes far more than the design itself does, with Lilimon more or less getting just a slightly different outfit. The main additions are the giant bow on its back and the small tiara, which it apparently wears because “it knows it can be the best of itself”. I’m glad at least you’re feeling good about your new design, Lilimon. It’s also said to lightly dismiss even the most horrible of enemy digimon, though its crybaby tendencies have given way to full-blown tantrums. They’re really trying hard to make Lilimon sound unappealing to interact with :v

Regardless, Lilimon’s a classic. Although its vibes aren’t something I’m especially into, it’s a concept I definitely appreciate. Thankfully, there is a Lilimon form that does do something dramatically different, in addition to totally abandoning the other two forms’ crybaby tendencies: Bancho Lilimon. I’ll save it for its own review, though, since it is an evolution.