The Bibliomancer

As soon as the recap of last episode is done, the Tamers cross into the realm of data. The Digimon lead the way at the front of the group with the three experienced Tamers following behind, each wearing their goggles or sunglasses.

Behind them, Ruki, Hirokazu, and Kenta are struggling to follow, each shielding their eyes from the bright light of the data realm.

Juri: It's too bright....

Ruki reaches out, taking Juri by the hand.

Ruki: Take my hand. Juri: Thanks, Ruki-chan.

Takato similarly puts a hand on Hirokazu and Kenta's backs.

Takato: Let's go. Hirokazu: Yeah! Kenta: Yeah!

Some notes here. First off, it's funny to me that Guilmon's leading the group when he of all Digimon has absolutely no idea where we're going. Leomon and Renamon have walked these roads before. Jury's out on Terriermon; It's complicated. But Guilmon Realized immediately after he was born.

Second, I think this might finally answer the question of what those dark glasses are for. It's always been odd the way the Tamers will don their glasses to enter a Digital Field but then take them off as soon as they get inside.

Like, they don't need eye protection to shield their eyes from the fog, but they do need eye protection to transition from not being in the fog to being in the fog. The goggles are there to be worn for about five or ten seconds of a given Digimon fight.

But here we see that the bright light of the data realm is blinding to anyone without that eye protection. So maybe, when entering the field of particles that creates the Digimon's Real World body, you have to pass through a similarly blinding field of data.

Takato, Ruki, and Jian all seem to be treating this initial passageway like they've experienced this before and are used to it.

Also, Ruki and Juri bonding! Considering how icy Ruki was when Takato called her Ruki-chan before, the fact that Juri gets away with it is really sweet.

The dub adds quite a bit of dialogue to the initial march.

Takato: Well, ladies and gentlemon, we're officially the pioneers of the Digital World! Rika: Oh, please. Just stay focused. We're here to find Calumon! Renamon: And be careful. The laws of the Real World may not apply here. Henry: You're telling me! I almost got hit in the mouth with a floating question mark! Jeri: Guys, wait up! It's too bright! (Tamers stop and see the new kids blinded by the light) Jeri: I can't see! (Rika takes Jeri's hand) Rika: Here. Jeri: Huh? Rika: Hold on, okay? Jeri: Thank you, Rika. Much better. (Takato puts a hand on Kazu and Kenta's backs) Takato: Alright guys, let's go! Kazu: Yeah! Kenta: Yeah! Kazu: Where are we, anyway? Renamon: A data field. An ocean of digital information.

The extra dialogue serves two purposes. The main one is to recap what this place is and why we're walking through it in case you weren't paying attention to Davis's recap. And the second one is to do a little riffing, courtesy of Henry's extra line.

The parts that adapt the original dialogue stay on-script.

Suddenly, reality distorts itself and gravity ceases to exist.

Kenta: What's wrong with this place!? The ground is missing! Hirokazu: I feel kinda weird....

Takato, Kenta, and HIrokazu all briefly distort, like a Digimon whose body is on the verge of losing its integrity. Jian floats past them.

Jianliang: It's okay. Even without the ground, we can float freely. Takato: Okay, but which way are we supposed to go?

Ruki floats past with Juri adorably clinging to her arm.

Ruki: Up? Down? Or maybe-- Renamon: It makes no difference either way. Ruki: Does that mean you don't know? Juri: Um... How about that way?

Juri points in a direction, and then gravity takes hold and pulls everyone that direction. The children scream as they plummet, and we go to the episode's title card.

Juri coming in with those school-nerd critical thinking skills. No, Ruki, what Renamon meant was that it makes no difference what way we go. Any direction we pick will work. Ruki didn't get that, but Juri took Renamon's meaning right away.

In the dub:

Kenta: Might want to let go, Takato. I think I'm gonna be sick! Kazu: I'm right behind ya, dude. (The boys flicker; Henry floats past) Henry: It must have been a data surge. Maybe new information changes spatial relationships. Takato: I'll have to change something too if this keeps up! (Rika and Jeri float past) Rika: But which way is up and which way is down? Renamon: It's all the same. Up or down depends on you. Rika: (sarcastic) Well, that makes a whole lotta sense. Jeri: I think that way is down. (Jeri points) Renamon: Oh, dear. (Everyone falls)

The dub takes its first commercial break here. Seems a little early but it does work to break up this scene from the next, which the original breaks up via the title card.

Between Renamon explaining the "data field" and Henry talking about the "data surge", the dub seems to be trying to clarify this otherworldly experience into comprehensible technobabble. There's more of an effort on the dub's part to present this space as something that makes sense and has explanations, while the original's letting it stand on its own as an unknowable eldritch reality.

Kenta, Kazu, and Takato bow out of the "But what's going on?" conversation to instead make jokes about bodily excretions.

The girls largely stay on-script but the tone is a little different. The different lead-up to Jeri's line, the way the line itself is written, and Renamon's "Oh, dear" reaction all make it seem like Jeri made a naive mistake here.

Juri here picks a direction for them to go in, and the eldritch reality obliges her. This is clearly what Renamon was suggesting we should do when they said that which way we go in doesn't matter.

But Jeri isn't picking a direction to go. She guesses which way is down, and that causes everyone to start falling. Which Renamon then clearly indicates was not what she wanted them to do and, indeed, Jeri should not have done that.

So in this same scene, Juri solves our problem and Jeri fucks us over.

Now with a direction to go, the Tamers plunge through layers of the Network.

First, they fall through a wireframe grid layer with a thick fog over it similar to the Realization fog. Once they're through that, they plunge towards a green motherboard layer; The kind we typically see Wild Ones traversing when Hypnos tracks them prior to Realization.

Kenta: W-WE'RE FALLING!!! Hirokazu: WHAT DO WE DO!?!? Terriermon: MŌMANTAIIIIII!!! Takato: AHHHHHH NO!!!

As they approach the motherboard, they crash through circuit layers. The impact knocks Guilmon's bag open and sends the bread scattering. He frantically tries to grasp for it.

Guilmon: NO, THE BREAD!!! BREAD BREAD!!! BREEEEEEAD!!!

Then they're through the circuit layer and still plummeting.

Takato: H-HOW FAR ARE WE GOING TO FALL!?!?

Oh, Takato. It doesn't really matter. You're probably at terminal velocity by now.

In the dub:

Takato: ALRIGHT GUYS, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE LATE BUT WE NEED A PLAN!!! Rika: NOW WHATEVER GAVE YOU THAT IDEA, TAKATO!?!? Terriermon: MŌMANTAI!!! Rika: YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT!?!? (Tamers plunge towards motherboard) Takato: AHHH HERE IT COMES!!! (Takato smashes through circuits; Guilmon loses the bread) Guilmon: OH NO, WE'RE LOSING ALL THE BREAD!!! Takato: Well guys, it's been real! Nice working with you!

EN Takato is shockingly composed for someone who's seemingly plummeting to his death. He even manages to make peace with death during the fall.

Rika gives zero fucks about Terriermon's Mōmantai right now. Some things are worth being unchill about!

Next thing Takato knows, he's waking up face-down in red dirt.

Takato: Where am I...? Guilmon: (despondent) Takatooooo.... Takato: Huh? Guilmon?

Takato gets up to see Guilmon lying in a crater next to his. Guilmon's turned his pack upside-down and shaken it, but there's nothing inside.

Guilmon: Takato, we lost all the bread! Takato: This place....

Takato looks up and sees a colossal Earth in the sky with apertures shooting out purple beams of light. The country of Japan is visible directly above them, though the sphere is inverted; East is West and vice versa, like a mirror image of the Earth.

Takato: Did we actually fall from all the way up there? Guilmon: Hm? Yeah, looks like it.

The others start to pick themselves up out of their craters.

Hirokazu: Isn't that too high? Kenta: Yeah.... Juri: That's way too high. Ruki: And yet it's amazing that no one got hurt, isn't it? Juri: Yeah.

A pair of shadows fall over Ruki and Juri's craters; Renamon and Leomon offer their hands.

Leomon: Let me give you a hand.

With Terriermon on his shoulder, Jianliang helps himself out of his crater.

Jianliang: This is nothing like how I pictured it. Terriermon: How did you picture this world, Jian? Jianliang: How? More digital... Sort of like virtual reality, I guess.

Ruki and Juri circle an interesting point about their descents. Everyone woke up lying in a crater so it's not like they warped here; They clearly fell and hit the ground hard enough to create an impact. And yet every Tamer and Digimon is fine.

So I guess fall damage just doesn't exist here. You can fall from any height and be perfectly fine on landing, not as a point of criticism but as an actual established metaphysic, is what I'm taking from this.

The loss of Guilmon's bread provisions is disheartening. That bread probably wasn't going to last as long as it needed to but it could have lasted more than five minutes! Takehiro worked so hard on it too!

In fact, the show doesn't bring it up yet but Juri, Hirokazu, Kenta, and Jian have all visibly lost their provisions bags too. We don't even see if they've been emptied or not; Their bags are just gone and will not be seen again. At least, not in this episode.

So we've pretty lost most if not all of our supplies right out of the starting gate. Ruki and Takato still have their bags, but that's it. And Guilmon's bag was the one with all the bread in it.

Please ignore the fact that last episode clearly showed Takato's bag being stuffed to overflowing with bread too. This episode will proceed under the assumption that Guilmon's bag had all the bread, and Takato's has none. All of the bread is gone now.

There's kind of a continuity disconnect between this episode and the last. This won't be the worst example of it.

In the dub:

Takato: Where am I...? Hey, I made it! I'm alive! What is this? Is this dirt? ...huh? Guilmon? Are you okay? (Guilmon upends the bag but nothing's left) Guilmon: It's gone. The bread went bye-bye. Takato: Huh? (Takato looks up) Takato: Is that Earth? Wait a minute, did we fall from all the way up there? Guilmon: My poor bread.... (The others start to get up) Kazu: There's just no way! Kenta: Ah! Jeri: It's so far away! Kenta: I can't believe we weren't hurt. Jeri: Rika, are you alright? Rika: All things considered? Yeah, I'm fine. Leomon: Welcome to the Digital World, ladies! (Leomon and Renamon offer to help the girls up) Leomon: Do you need a hand? Rika: We've got to find a new way of getting here. (Henry and Terriermon get up) Henry: So this is the Digital World.... Terriermon: What did you expect? Everything to look like a video game? Henry: No, but I guess I pictured something different. I just never thought it would be so real!

Both Guilmons are distraught but EN Guilmon is more pitiful about it.

The dub takes Ruki's point about no one being injured and gives it to Kenta.

Rika says "We've got to find a new way of getting here" as if we expect to come and go frequently from the Digital World. This would make sense if we've made this jump a bunch of times and it sucked every time, or if this is the first of many such jumps we expect to make.

But not exactly planning to pop between Digital World and Computer Club every afternoon after school. This is an odd line for the first and hopefully only time we make this jump.

EN Terriermon wryly asks Henry if he thought it'd look like a video game. Henry denies it, but says he's surprised by how real it is. Jian did in fact expect it to look like a video game.

While the Tamers are getting their bearings, a set of pink data balls blows by.

Takato helps Guilmon up out of his crater, then sighs.

Takato: In any case, it sure is vast, isn't it? But what is that up there?

Ruki takes out a pair of binoculars, using them to get a closer look at the inverted Japan up there.

Ruki: What could it mean? (to Renamon) What is that? Renamon: The Real World sphere. It's what the Real World looks like from this side. Ruki: You mean our world!? Renamon: That's right.

It's striking how immediately the Digital World of Tamers is irreconcilably different from the Digital World depicted in Adventure.

In Adventure, the Real World and Digital World are only visible from each other during moments of instability, when the veil between realities is collapsing and the two are bleeding into each other. But here, the Real World hangs in the sky as a common fixture of the Digital World. An ever-present reminder of this world's subordination to the other.

In the dub:

Kazu: Dude! Check it out! They're like digital tumbleweeds! (Takato helps Guilmon out of the crater) Guilmon: Push harder! (Guilmon makes it out) Takato: Hey, what's that? Henry: I don't know! It looks like a movie premiere! Takato: Wow... It's so beautiful.... (Rika checks out the sphere) Rika: Those beams are gigantic! And they lead right up to the Real World! They're everywhere! (to Renamon) What are they, do you think? Henry: They must be streams of data being transferred from our world to this one! Any time you use a computer, I bet it sends one of those beams to extract the information from down here!

Kazu explains out the imagery of the purple data balls, in case it was too subtle.

JP Takato is awed by how huge and open the Digital World is. EN Takato and Henry riff on the sphere's beams resembling Hollywood spotlights.

Ruki asks Renamon to explain the Real World sphere, which they can do because they were born here and know what everything is. Rika's more interested in the beams coming off the sphere, and Henry wildly speculates his own made-up explanation for them rather than letting Renamon answer.

Renamon will later explain the data streams, but the dub beats them to the punch by a wide margin here to make Henry look super-smart.

Hirokazu and Kenta plant the Tamers' flag while the others are busy making sense of the Digital World.

Takato: YAHOOOOOO!!! Guilmon: What are you doing, Takato? Takato: When you come to a place as vast as this, doesn't it just make you want to shout? Guilmon: Why would it? Takato: Why? Well-- Kenta: Hey! Let's all take some photos together! Hirokazu: To commemorate the first steps ever taken by humanity in the Digital World! Kenta: Hurry up! Takato: Yeah! Ruki: That's stupid.

For the first photo, Juri and Hirokazu have to drag Leomon and Ruki into it, neither of whom really see any value in this. But the pair seem more comfortable getting into the second. To be fair, Ruki has had a recent bad experience with getting pictures taken.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth are more personal shots. One for Takato, Hirokazu, and Guilmon, one for Ruki and Juri, and one for Jian, Kenta, and Terriermon.

For the seventh and final shot, Kenta tries to set up the camera but the force of its own shutter clicking before Kenta even makes it to the group causes it to fall over.

What a cute little landing party! I've been thinking that the way Guilmon was wearing it as our standard-bearer made Takato's goofy Tamers flag suddenly take on a different meaning, and this settles it. There is something very invasion force-y about planting our flag in foreign soil to mark our first landing in this new frontier.

The Devas did Holy War to us for months. Now we're here to repay them in kind.

In the dub:

Kazu: There we go! That's one small step for 'mon, one giant leap for 'monkind. Kenta: Bad! Takato: This place is humongous! Guilmon: Can we go search for the bread now? Takato: Hehe, you never give up, do you? We came here to find Calumon. Enough with the bread! Guilmon: Awww.... Kenta: Hey! Over here! Kazu: We're the first humans to step foot in the Digital World! Picture time! Now let's get busy! Kenta: Smiles, everyone! Leomon... Oh, forget it. Rika: Oh, terrific. Another camera test. Others: Huh!? Kenta: Let's make sure to get our flag in the shot. (First picture set up) Kenta: Okay, everyone get inside there. Remember, the camera is your friend! (Click) Kenta: Leomon, could you-- Thank you! (Click) Kenta: Hehe. (Click; Setup Takato and Kazu) Kenta: Nice! (Click; Setup Jeri and Rika) Kenta: Ooh, very nice. (Click; Setup Henry and Kenta) Kenta: Hahahaha! (Click; Final setup) Kenta: Okay, group shot. Everyone try to be natural (Camera falls over) Kenta: Aww, nuts!

Kazu's so busy making a punny American cultural reference that he doesn't even realize he's expressing the wrong sentiment. No, Kazu, 'monkind has taken no steps here. This is their world. They live here. This is actually one giant leap for mankind, like the original quote you're riffing on.

JP Takato gets to have a kid moment here, shouting into the open desert for funsies. The dub swaps this for Guilmon continuing to bring up the lost bread and getting teased for it.

This is an odd plot point because. Like. Guilmon's right? Losing our food provisions is cataclysmically bad for us. He should be harping on this. Everyone should!

But in the original, everyone's too distracted by the Digital World to care that we have no food. And in the dub, Takato's outright telling Guilmon to chill out; It's fine if we starve. Which is a valid expression of the attitude we'll see from JP Takato in a sec.

The dub makes a callback joke to Rika's camera test in episode 18, comparing it to Kenta's commemorative photos. It's a good callback; With Ruki's standoffish behavior, that's immediately what my mind went to as well.

EN Kenta gets several throwaway lines while taking the photos, and also flirts with Jeri and Rika from behind the camera, because "Hehehehehehe girls". Honestly, they're just sitting there; I'm not even sure what about their photo is "Ooh, very nice" worthy.

I think he's just being weird because girls exist nearby. Which. Y'know. 12-year-old boy. That checks out.

After the photos, Takato digs around in his backpack, pulling out the comms device that Yamaki gave him.

Takato: Found it! Guilmon: ( ._.) It's not bread? Takato: When Yamaki-san gave this to me, he said we might be able to reach him from this side.

Unfortunately, Hypnos tech continues to not be all it's cracked up to be, as the device is unable to get through.

Takato: Maybe it needs a connection?

Takato holds it up as if it were a phone trying to find a signal, but suddenly Hirokazu yells.

Hirokazu: HUHHHH!?!? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?!?

Takato turns and sees Kenta, Kazu, and Jian gathered around Kenta's camera.

Kenta: You're right! I can't see anything! Jian: Let me see it for a sec.

Jian flips through the camera. The photos are there but they're extremely dark and grainy. Ruki and Juri watch the boys fiddle with electronics from a short distance away; Juri's got her puppet out from sheer boredom.

Jianliang: It's no good. The pictures were taken, but.... Puppet: This is so boring.... Hirokazu: You wouldn't think a digital camera would be so useless in the Digital World. Kenta: Yeah.

Then the boys hear the beeping of Takato fiddling with the comm.

Takato: Looks like we won't be able to set up a connection, either. Jianliang: But why would that be? We were able to enter this world exactly the same as we are in the Real World, so why aren't these working? The camera and communicator... It's only the electronic mechanisms that are failing....

This is where we see that Takato's pack is no longer overflowing with the bread last episode. I guess Takato dumped it out into the grass at some point while Yamaki was telling him his name.

There's a bit of "When did Yamaki ever introduce himself?" here like there was with Rika a couple episodes ago, but at least it can be assumed that Yamaki went "By the way, I'm Yamaki," while the kids were going down into the tunnel now that we have a more friendly relationship with him.

It's not the worst instance of the kids suddenly knowing a name they were never told in this episode. Look forward to that.

Also, here JP Guilmon gets his second "But what about the bread?" in.

There does seem to be a sort of "Ohhh, yeah, that makes sense," to the fact that digital devices aren't working in the Digital World in a way I can't fully articulate but definitely am nodding along with.

In the dub:

Rika: Now that Kenta's little fashion shoot's over, shouldn't we start looking for Calumon? (Takato digs in his pack and pulls out the comm) Takato: Rika's right. Who knows, maybe this can help. Guilmon: What's that? Some kind of food finder? Takato: No, Yamaki said it was a comm device. (Device doesn't work) Takato: What? System error? That's weird. I'll reboot. Hmm... The data streams must be messing with the signal. I'm not getting anything. (Takato holds up the comm, but is then distracted by the boys) Kenta: Aww man! What gives? Something's wrong with my camera. Henry: Let me see it. (Henry flips through) Henry: That's weird. They're pixelated. Kenta: They're pixa-whatted? Henry: Fuzzy, Kenta. They're fuzzy. Puppet: Aww, no wallet-size! Too bad! Kazu: I don't get it. It worked fine when we were back in the Real World. Kenta: Mhm. Takato: Hey guys! (The boys look at Takato) Takato: This thing's fried too. It won't connect. Henry: Hmm... I wonder... Those data streams must be interfering with anything that's digital. As long as we're anywhere near them, the electronics we brought with us will probably be useless! Takato: So basically, you're saying that we're cut off? Rika: (sarcastic) Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.

Since they already explained the data streams prematurely, the dub ropes in the streams again here as explanations for the electronic interference.

At two separate points, JP Takato and Jian go, "Our electronics won't work here in the Digital World. I wonder why that is?" only for EN Takato and Henry to go, "Clearly, it's the data streams I know about because I already watched this episode. That has to be the right answer, right?"

Staring up at the Real World sphere, Juri's puppet is the first to ask the most pressing question of all.

Puppet: ( ._.) Arf! Are we gonna be able to go home? Takato: ... Juri: Our world's so high up there... Can we even make it back? Hirokazu: Yeah, you're right. And we even lost most of the stuff we brought with us too. Kenta: This might be really bad.

As the edges of despair begin to creep in around the group, Ruki stands up and storms off without a word. Takato has many words.

Takato: H-Hey, come on, guys! Don't be so depressed! W-We'll be fine! After all, both Leomon and Renamon were able to get to the Real World from here! ...right? Renamon: Yes. Leomon: That's correct. Takato: See! That means we'll be fine! So let's start searching for Culumon! After all, that's the whole reason we came here, right? Puppet: ( ^ᴗ^) Arf! Jianliang: Right. No point in worrying about things we can't control. Terriermon: Mōmantai!

It took them a while but here, the group finally acknowledges that they've lost just about all the bags they brought with them, plus the emptying of Guilmon's. We can't go back and we don't have any food or water; That's an ugly position to be in.

Takato also raises an interesting point here. Impossible as it seams to get up to that sphere, Digimon clearly do it all the time. Every Digimon that's Realized from the Digital World has somehow made that leap, including Leomon and Renamon. Which they confirm.

How? No idea. But demonstrably, it can be made.

In the dub:

Puppet: Um... How are we gonna get home? Takato: Huh? Jeri: If we can't communicate, how are we supposed to find our way back? I don't want to be stuck here forever. Kenta: Who's gonna feed the school-- I mean, my hamster? Kazu: We lost a lot of supplies in the fall, and I don't see any convenience stores anywhere in this desert! Kenta: Man, a Mega Slushie sounds good right now! (Rika storms off) Takato: Come on, you guys! You sound like you're giving up before even trying! Look, the Digimon all traveled to the Real World from here somehow, so we just have to find that portal, okay? If there's a way in, there's gotta be a way out! Right? Renamon: Exactly. Leomon: Good point, Takato. Takato: See? Now that's what I'm talking about! Come on, didn't we all come here to rescue Calumon!? Puppet: ( ^ᴗ^) Yeah! Henry: Right! Then let's go find the little guy! Terriermon: Mōmantai!

The puppet's barks are dropped.

Jeri connects Juri's point of "How do we get back up there?" with the malfunctioning comm device, creating the wild implication that being able to talk to Yamaki on the phone would allow us to make a 100,000 foot space-jump.

Takato, for his part, assumes there exists a portal down here on the ground that will warp us up there.

Neither of these points are in the original, where the points are simply:

Juri: It's really, really, REALLY high up there. Takato: Yeah but it's gotta be possible 'cause these guys did it.

The dub remains allergic to serious peril, with Jeri, Kenta, and Kazu delivering their lines in a way that still sounds fairly upbeat despite Takato criticizing them afterward. Kenta delivers a laugh line calling back to the school hamster confession last episode and then slips in some product placement.

EN Takato says broadly that all the Digimon have made this journey, and then we cut to Renamon and Leomon going, "That's a good point, young man!"

We cut to them because in the original, Takato calls out them specifically. Of the four Digimon we have with us, those two are the ones who not only came from here but entered the Real World under their own power.

Guilmon Realized immediately after his birth while Jian used his Digivice to bring Terriermon over straight from the American video game. But Renamon's made this trip twice, once to enter Ruki's home the first time they met and then recently with Vajramon, and we first met Leomon after he Realized under his own power. Those two have the experience in question.

I don't know why this was changed. "Yes, I personally have made this journey and can attest to it being possible," makes Takato's point a whole lot stronger than "Very well articulated! Good job!"

Jian here expresses しょうがない shōganai, the Japanese cultural philosophy of peacefully accepting things that are outside your control. It can't be helped; It is what it is. Effectively, there's no point in wasting energy and stressing yourself out dwelling on things you can't change. You should focus on things that you can.

Deal with what is. Do the work that can be done and accept that it's all you can do.

We can't un-lose the food or make the sphere in the sky anything but what it is. So we need to just take those for what they are and move on. Let's not dwell on them and instead try and think about what we can do from here, from this situation we find ourselves in. Which Terriermon backs up with his Cantonese Hakuna Matata.

Henry switches gears with Takato and agrees to find Calumon, which doesn't quite segue into Mōmantai as well but still works.

So, we're moving forward! Next question: Uh, to where and how?

Hirokazu: But where do we go? Kenta: Do we have any leads? Takato: Uh, a "lead", you say.... Ruki: (distant) THERE'S SOMETHING THERE!!! Takato: Huh?

Looking up, Ruki's way ahead of us on the shōganai front. When she stormed off earlier, it was to go do something productive. She's climbed a mesa and is using her binoculars to scout.

Ruki: I SEE SOMETHING OVER THERE!!!

The boys look where they're pointing. On the horizon, they can see a tiny cluster of objects sticking up. They really just look like more mesas from this distance. But on closer inspection....

Hirokazu: What is she seeing? ...wait, are those...? Kenta: Antennas? Hirokazu: You're right! I see antennas! Kenta: That's great! That means someone must be over there, right!? Jianliang: TAKATO!!!

In the rear, Takato and Juri are mounted on Guilmon and Leomon. Behind them, Ruki slides down the mesa. Renamon catches her to stabilize her landing.

Takato: YEAH!!! I SEE THEM!!! THERE'S ANTENNAS!!! Juri: Hey, we should go see what's over there. Takato: Yeah! Let's go! Onward, to those antennas!

Just like that, we're on our feet and ready to get moving.

It's kinda like being in the void earlier. We were drifting aimlessly, but we picked a direction and now we're moving. Are we moving in the right direction? Who knows. But we're moving in a direction and that's more than we were doing a moment ago.

In the dub:

Kazu: Yeah, but where do we even begin? Kenta: Where are we, anyway? Takato: Well, see, that's a problem. Rika: (distant) HEY!!! GOGGLEHEADS!!! (Everyone looks up at Rika) Rika: THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE HORIZON!!! I THINK THEY'RE TOWERS!!! (The boys look) Rika: OR MAYBE A BUNCH OF ANTENNAE!!! Kazu: That's a long ways away. Are you sure? Henry: She's right! That does look like an antenna! Kazu: That means there might be a city! I wonder if they have digital chili dogs? Kenta: Mega Slushies, here we come! Henry: WELL??? (Cut to Takato, Jeri, and Rika) Takato: YEP!!! I SEE IT!!! Let's move! Jeri: Um, do you think Calumon might be there? Takato: Well, we'll find out. If not, I'm sure there's someone there that can help us find him.

JP Kenta asks Takato if he had any leads for where we go from here. Takato does not, which is he why he fumbles for a response.

EN Kenta asks Takato where we are right now. Which, despite Takato's fumbling, is an easy question to answer. We're in a desert in the Digital World, right under the Real World sphere. That answer isn't useful in any way but it is the answer to the not-useful question Kenta asked.

Kazu and Kenta continue to be comic relief. So much so that they took the antenna confirmation away and gave it to Henry instead, so those two can just focus on delivering the gags.

After the antennas are confirmed, Takato and Juri take three lines to say "Let's go check them out." The dub trims that down to one and then has Jeri express concern for Calumon using the remaining two.

Elsewhere in the Network, despite having left days before us, the Monkey and Culumon are only now passing through the fog barrier layer and approaching the circuit layer.

Culumon: (screaming in terror) CULUUUUUU!!!

Monkey crashes through the circuit layer, reaching the individual circuit panel clouds comprising the next layer down. The ones Takato crashed into on his way down.

However, though Monkey breaks through the motherboard just fine, Culumon's cage sticks halfway through and refuses to pass any further.

Monkey: Wha--!? Is there some force that's stopping it!?

A small blue ripple of energy spreads out from the cage, and white particles begin to glow around it.

Culumon: It's so pretty-culu!

Then sparks appear around Monkey's fingers and his grip loosens involuntarily.

Monkey: What the hell!? This is beyond my strength. I'll have to borrow more of God's power!

Monkey releases the cage and falls towards the desert of the Digital World below.

Monkey: WAIT RIGHT THERE!!! Culumon: (singsong) ( ᵔᗜᵔ) ~Culu culu CULUCULU~!!!

Another close call for Culumon! Get fucked, Monkey Deva!

I'm going to assume that this is not contemporaneous with the Tamers' scenes because the idea that we entered the Digital World before Monkey and Culumon is mind-breakingly wild. Though, even then, wasn't Monkey in the company of the colossal phoenix thing (Hououmon?) that attacked Leomon? Where did that guy go?

I have no idea what just intercepted the cage but I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say it was Shibumi. That blue pulse of energy reminds me of the Blue Cards. And the way the cage is specifically stopped as it passes through the circuit barrier is the kind of visual I might if Shibumi was, like, Matrix-hacking the Digital World to make this happen or something.

Like his code ran along the circuits and met Monkey and Culumon there. I could see this being Shibumi.

In the dub:

Calumon: WHOAAAAAA!!! Makuramon: Hold on, Peewee; We're almost there! (Crash; Makuramon goes through but Calumon's cage doesn't fully) Makuramon: What's going on!? You can't get away from me that easily, rodent! Calumon: You're silly! Haha! (Lights begin to glow) Calumon: Pretty! Hoho! (Lights pry off Makuramon's grip) Makuramon: I'm losing my power! This is impossible! I've got to get more energy! Calumon: (teasing) Better hang oooooon! Hahaha! Makuramon: I'LL BE BAAAAAACK!!! (Makuramon loses his grip and falls) Calumon: Buh-bye! Hahaha! Oh, what a silly monkey!

As usual, Culumon is a babychild who wears their heart on their sleeve, and Calumon is such a goofball that it's hard to tell how much of anything that happens to them they actually understand. The dub adds two "LOL He's such a silly-billy" lines here that make it seem as if Calumon doesn't fully understand that he's been kidnapped against his will.

In the original, an outside force intercepted the cage as it was passing through the circuit field. Some force that Monkey doesn't recognize is holding fast to the cage and refusing to let it pass any further.

Whatever it is, it's attacking Monkey's fingers to make him lose his grip, and it's also stronger than Monkey. He's forced to let go, planning to come back with more of God's power to force Culumon's cage through the obstruction; What that means is left ambiguous.

It's not clear to what extent either Culumon or Calumon really understand what's happening here. Though EN Makuramon accuses Calumon of doing this on purpose, and Calumon does mock Makuramon triumphantly.

Instead of the force being too strong, Makuramon just starts losing all of his energy for no apparent reason; Even he's confused by why his power is draining.

Then, where JP Monkey lets go so he can come back with more power, EN Makuramon hangs on as long as he can but ultimately runs out of strength and falls, vanquished by... Calumon, is what we seem to be going with?

In any case, he says he's leaving to get more energy, indicating that once he's refueled, he'll come back and spring the cage. This is not the plan. He's going to get more of God's power, in the sense of more physical strength to extract the cage with. We'll see why that matters later.

Down in the Digital World desert, the Tamers are still walking towards those antennas.

Hirokazu: It's too far.... How long have we been walking now? Takato: Probably about the distance from Shinjuku to Ikebukuro. Kenta: Shinjuku. Shin-Okubo. Takadanobaba. Mejiro. Ikebukuro. Hirokazu: Don't sound them out!

Hirokazu and Kenta collapse in the dirt.

Kenta: I can't go on!

Takato plops down into the sand next to where they fell. But the important thing is that they made it. Above them are the rock formations they were trying to reach.

Wait, rock formations?

Juri: Hey, aren't those...? Takato: Hm?

Takato looks up and sees them too.

Takato: ROCKS!?

Juri drops to her knees in dismay at the realizatoin.

Juri: They weren't antennas after all!? Ruki: From a distance, they looked just like antennas. Takato: I wonder how far they go on? Jianliang: Also, did these form naturally or...? Leomon: I believe they formed naturally. However, this all was created from fragments of data created by humans. Jianliang: So they've taken the form of the original data.

What Kenta was counting off was train stations on the Yamanote line. Ikebukuro is a district of Toshima, which borders Shinjuku to the north. Yamanote is a straight line from Shinjuku Station to Ikebukuro Station; It's specifically the train line for that train bridge that crosses over the street at Big Guard crossing.

The distance on the Yamanote line is about 2-2.5 miles, so that's the "Roughly this far" reference Takato was making for how far they've walked.

As an aside, I want it on record that everyone walked the same distance, but Juri was only the fourth to collapse despite being a neeeeerd. Takato is in just slightly worse shape than Juri, as both of them merely sat down instead of completely collapsing, while HIrokazu and Kenta are in worse shape than them both.

Jian and Ruki remained standing even after all that walking, despite the fact that Ruki climbed a goddamn mesa right before they started walking. This makes sense because Jian actually has interests that involve exercising his body and Ruki is goddamn Makino Ruki.

I kinda love the colorful description Leomon uses here, describing the source data for the antenna rocks as data 残骸 zantai, which means debris, wreckage, ruins, broken pieces. The imagery it creates for me is that when data in the internet is damaged or deleted, the fragments of that data filter down into the Digital World and form the foundation of new growth,

These rocks are not antennae. They don't know what an antenna is. But they have the shape of an antenna encoded in the fragments they grew from.

In the dub:

Kenta: Are we there yet? Kazu: I think my feet fell off. Rika: Suck it up, boys. According to Henry's calculations, we should be there any second. Kenta: We'd better be. I have enough sand in my shoes to start my own private beach! Kazu: At least you've only got it in your shoes! I'm finished! (Boys collapse) Kenta: Oogh! Takato: Good idea. Let's take a break. (Takato drops to sitting position) Jeri: Hey, don't these rocks look familiar? Takato: Huh? (Takato looks up) Jeri: They look a lot like antennae! (Jeri drops to sitting position) Jeri: Oh no, don't you guys get it!? This is the city! It's just a bunch of rocks! It was a mirage.... Rika: It can't be. I could swear it was an antenna! Henry: We all thought so too, Rika. Rika: Yeah, but we wasted so much time because of me! I hate that! Henry: It was an easy mistake. Don't blame yourself. Takato: Wow! Did somebody make these things? Leomon: It appears to be natural, but it's just fragments of human-made data.

The Yamanote line bit wasn't going to work for American broadcast so the dub has to go its own way there. They do a good job, though they add the wild detail that Henry has visually calculated the distance we'd need to walk, and he and RIka are somehow tracking our progress.

Takato's estimation in the original is pure guesswork.

The dub also adds Rika going down an insecurity spiral over the mistake, which Ruki does not.

JP Takato and Jian are both curious about the rock formations. Takato's curious about how far the field of naturally-forming antenna structures extends, while Jian's curious about how they came about.

In the dub, Henry's busy trying to soothe Rika's guilt so only Takato gets to be curious, and he asks Jian's more important question.

Suddenly, Juri gets an idea.

Juri: Hey guys? This seems like a good place to break for lunch. Takato: Great idea! Guilmon: But Takato, we lost all the bread from the rucksack. Takato: Oh, right....

The group takes what remaining bags they have on them and go through for food.

Hirokazu: I've got some biscuits. Juri: I brought cookies!

The Tamers share relieved smiles with each other as they brace themselves for a biscuits and cookies lunch.

...we're definitely going to starve and die out here.

If you're curious, Hirokazu's biscuits are labeled ビズケト Bizuketo.

In the dub:

Kenta: So what are we supposed to do now? Takato: I have an idea. Let's eat! Group: YEAH!!! Guilmon: But Takato, we have no food. We lost it in the fall, remember? Takato: Oh, I forgot... (The group digs through bags for food) Kazu: No sweat. You can have my gummi fleas! Jeri: And I'd be happy to share my cookies! I mean, we are a team, aren't we? Takato: I don't know about the fleas but I'd love a cookie.

Takato steals Juri's plan to break for lunch.

Despite the dub acknowledging all the supplies they lost in the fall, they interpret this scene as only Takato and Guilmon being out of food. Kazu and Jeri's lines are phrased as if they're offering to share portions of their food with Takato specifically.

When Takato looks up from the smiling moment, he notices more of those strange pink data-tumbleweed-things coming towards the Tamers.

Takato: What's that?

There's a lot of them. A whole herd data blobs all headed the Tamers' way. The Tamers freeze as the blobs reach them. Then one explodes, startling Hirokazu and Kenta into getting up and running. Renamon grabs them as they pass to keep them from getting too far.

Renamon: Everything's fine. There's no need to run. These are dust packets, merely fragments of data.

At Renamon's reassurance, Hirokazu and Kenta calm down.

Renamon: More important is what comes next. Guilmon: Huh? Takato: What comes next?

We'll get to what comes next in a moment.

The dust packets too are made of data 残骸 zantai.

In the dub:

Takato: Huh? What's that? Leomon: It's just a packet of old data. Henry: Um... Guys? It's, uh, coming right at us.... Takato: Maybe they want some cookies too? Henry: There's nowhere to go! (The dust packets reach the Tamers; One explodes and startles Kazu and Kenta straight into Renamon's clutches) Renamon: Just hold it right there, you two. Would you stop running? It's just old data. Completely harmless. (Kazu and Kenta stop running) Renamon: They must be sensing something.... Takato: Huh? Are you sure? I don't see anything. Renamon: Look! Down by the end of the rock towers! It's coming!

Some dialogue is added to the start, in which Leomon beats Renamon to explaining what the tumbleweeds are. I feel like the men are stealing the women's thunder a lot in this episode's dub script.

During the added dialogue, Henry shouts "There's nowhere to go!' for some reason even though we're in a vast desert and there's everywhere to go. I think this was the dub trying to justify why the Tamers froze like that and didn't try to flee.

JP Renamon states with certainty that something else is about to happen.

EN Renamon presents this as inquisitive speculation. She's unsure of what's to come until she sees it happening, even though it's a natural phenomenon that anyone who grew up here would know about.

Down by the end of the rock towers, it comes.

The farthest towers are blanketed in a wave of darkness that washes over the land, coming towards the Tamers.

Takato: W-what's coming...? Renamon: ... Takato: WHAT IS THAT!?!? Renamon: Night.

The wave of night washes over the Tamers and their Digimon, then continues onward and leaves them shrouded in the dark.

Juri: No way... What does this mean!? Jianliang: Exactly what they said. It became night. Hirokazu: It's night? Without an evening first? Kenta: It's just night all of a sudden? Ruki: That's just how it goes in the Digital World.

The others are still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that this is an artificial simulation of a world, with mechanics only loosely based on reality and divorced from natural causes, But Ruki's got it. The day/night cycle is determined not by the position of the sun in the sky but rather, at a certain point, night just turns on for the Digital World.

There's an interesting implication in Renamon's "what comes next" remark a moment ago that suggests the dust packets were actually fleeing from the onset of night. I wonder why that is?

In the dub:

Kazu: Whoa-ho-ho! Check it out! Takato: It's turning dark! Kenta: (nervous) Um... hehe... is this normal? Takato: I HOPE SO!!! Renamon: Nobody panic. (Night washes over everyone.) Kenta: Whoa... What just happened? Hirokazu: Aww, man! Who turned off the color? Jeri: Is it night-time now? Henry: How weird. No dusk, just darkness. Hirokazu: That was the fastest sunset I've ever seen. Kenta: More like a switch! Jeri: I guess that's how it works here.

As with the previous scene, Renamon's role as guide is usurped again. This time, instead of Leomon or Henry beating her to an explanation, she simply doesn't explain anything at all. The Tamers are forced to figure out the wave of darkness's meaning for themselves.

It's a shame none of our Digimon have ever been to the Digital World before to give us these answers with certainty.

The night sky makes those purple beams of light coming out of the Real World sphere much more noticeable. As one of the beams crosses the sky nearby, Juri's the first to realize that they're moving.

Juri: What!?

Having crossed the rocks one way, the beam now doubles back the other.

Jianliang: What is that light? Renamon: That is a stream of data coming from the Real World. Leomon: That's right. If you get swallowed up by that light, there's no way of knowing where you'll end up.

Staring up at the data streams, Ruki catches a glimpse of something else moving.

Ruki: Ah! Renamon: What is it? Ruki: Just now, on top of that rock....

The Digimon in question comes into view. They see us too, just as we see them.

Ruki: A Digimon?

And break for commercial right before things inevitably go hot.

Specifically, Meramon! We know them well from Digimon Adventure; They were one of the first Digimon that the Chosen Children encountered on File Island, and then came back as a member of Mimi's militia.

I wonder what causes those beams to move? Leomon says that getting swallowed by one of them is bad news, but are they actually hunting us? Or are they more like natural phenomena, moving inscrutably based on some quirk of Digital World physics, and we just need to stay out of their way?

In the dub:

Jeri: Hey, look! Takato: That data stream's getting pretty close to us. Henry: If that hit us, what would happen? Renamon: Those streams pull massive amounts of information from the surface of this world and transfer it to wherever the user specifies. Leomon: If it did hit us, who knows where we might end up. (Meramon) Rika: Hm? Renamon: Rika, what is it? Rika: We have company. Takato: Where? I don't see anything. (Meramon reveals himself) Rika: Right there. Meramon: MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

The dub also takes its second commercial break here.

EN Renamon finally gets to explain something. Henry already deduced what the data streams were earlier, but Renamon builds on Henry's explanation about Real World computers pulling up data via the streams.

Meramon laughs wickedly so that you know he's bad. You might not have realized we were in danger if he wasn't doing a bad guy laugh.

With regard to the extra infodump about the way the data streams work, barring further information from the original, I'm inclined to say that this sounds reasonable. The dub's explanation does seem to hold water with our limited knowledge.

It connects in an interesting way to what the original was saying about this world coming from the debris of Real World data. Like, it's not so much that the Digital World is the source of data for the Real World, but moreso that it sits on top of that source.

Like. If you imagine the flow of data through the network as water moving through pipes from the ocean to farms and back, Digimon are moss growing on the sedimentary build-up inside the pipes. That's the impression I'm getting.

Coming back from commercial, we replay Meramon showing themself.

Ruki: A Digimon?

Jian pulls out his Digivice, which scans Meramon instantly.

Jianliang: Meramon. Flame Digimon, Adult level. Terriermon: Jian! Jianliang: His special attack is....

Jian looks up at what Terriermon was trying to draw his attention to. Up on top of the antenna rock, Meramon launches a seven flaming rocks in an upward arc, bringing them down towards the Tamers.

Jianliang: ...MAGMA BOMB!!!

The Tamers stare in shock for a moment at the meteors headed their way.

Jianliang: RUN!!!

Then they scatter, fleeing before the meteors hit the ground. One crashes into the ground right in front of Takato and Guilmon. Guilmon returns fire.

Guilmon: FIREBALL!!!

Meramon bounds over the fireball, landing in front of Guilmon with an uppercut.

Meramon: BURNING FIST!!!

Ruki grabs her Digivice.

Ruki: Renamon!

But Leomon leaps into action before they have a chance to get involved.

Leomon: JŪOKEN!!!

Leomon's shot catches Meramon completely offguard, flattening them into a crater. Takato runs to Guilmon's aid.

Takato: Are you okay, Guilmon!?

Guilmon sits up, shaking it off. Down in the crater, Meramon's okay too, but he's irritated.

Meramon: Urgh... Wh-Why are there jerks as strong as you in a place like this!? Go on! Go ahead and Load me or whatever you want! Takato: Are you a Deva? Meramon: Huh? Takato: Are you here on the Devas' orders? Meramon: Deva? Wait, you're... You're not a Digimon. Takato: Oh? That's because I'm a human. Meramon: ( °⌓°) H-Human!? For real? Are you saying you guys are from the Real World? Takato: That's right. Kenta: We came here to find Culumon. Meramon: Culumon?

I love the timing here, of having Jian call Meramon's attack for them while reading the Analyzer. That's fun.

In the dub:

Hirokazu: Whoa! Who's that dude? Rika: Meramon. And from the looks of it, he's not too happy. Renamon: Be on guard, everyone. Let's see what he's up to. (Henry scans Meramon) Henry: Meramon. Champion level. His special attack is Magma Blast. Terriermon: Great! (Henry looks up at Meramon) Henry: Yeah. I wonder what he wants? Meramon: MAGMA BLAST!!! (Meramon fires) Jianliang & Terriermon: Uhhhhhh uh-oh! Terriermon: Does that answer your question!? (Tamers scatter; Takato and Guilmon almost get hit) Takato: (annoyed) Heyyyy! Guilmon: PYRO SPHERE!!! (Meramon bounds over the Pyro Sphere and punches Guilmon) Meramon: MRAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (Rika grabs her Digivice) Rika: You ready? Renamon: Yes. (Leomon leaps into action) Leomon: That's enough! FIST OF THE BEAST KING!!! (Meramon completes punch and Guilmon slides across ground) Takato: Guilmon! (Leomon's attack hits Meramon)

Instead of replaying the exchange from before the commercial, the dub treats the replayed animation as the next point of conversation.

Rika identifies Meramon on sight and it's odd because.

Like. The show's reliance on the Digivice scans has been a weird plot point from the get-go. These characters are all supposed to be a bunch of Digimon TCG nerds but they don't know a single Digimon. They always need the Digivice to tell them who every new Digimon is, just like the Adventure kids, even though this is their fandom.

It's so weird that they never run into a Digimon and just go, "Look, it's Yukidarumon/Frigimon!"

Even though they're hardcore Digimon nerds! Ruki/Rika plays in competitive tournaments and wins, and she can't name a single Digimon? That's weird.

So it's neat that Rika gets to do that here, but that also makes it even more odd when Hirokazu can't.

It also makes it awkward when Henry scans Meramon anyway even though we already know who Meramon is.

The cute moment where Jian calls Meramon's attack for them doesn't make it across. Henry reads Meramon's bio like normal, then sets up a joke. Meramon calls his own Magma Blast, but then doesn't call Burning Fist.

Burning Fist is censored with a white flash over the impact.

Takato: Guilmon, are you okay? Guilmon: ...uh-huh.... (Guilmon sits up and shakes it off) Meramon: Well, I hope you're happy! You evil fiends have finally defeated me! Go ahead! Absorb my data! I'm ready for you! Takato: We wouldn't have hurt you if you hadn't attacked. Did the Devas send you? Meramon: Devas? Hey, wait... You're not a Digimon. Takato: Huh? Well, no. I'm a human being. Meramon: What!? Human!? Are you from the Real World!? Takato: Yeah! We came here to rescue a friend and then you attacked us. Meramon: I beg your pardon! I thought you were those monstrous creatures! I'm so sorry.

The dub plays Meramon as a nice guy who, for some reason, thought we were evil villains who wanted to hurt him.

JP Meramon is 100% the aggressor here. They were hunting us. They wanted to kill and Load us, as is the way of Digimon. It's still a misunderstanding, but the misunderstanding is that they thought we'd be easy prey and they were sorely mistaken.

They're behaving themself now, but in the same way that a wolf knows better than to start shit with a bear.

Once the dust's settled, Takato shows two hand-drawn pictures to Meramon.

Takato: This one is Culumon, who we're looking for. And this one is Makuramon. So, have you seen them? Meramon: Hmm.... Hirokazu: (whispers) How about them for a Partner? Kenta: (whispers) They're not bad. They're pretty strong, but... That heat is a little.... Hirokazu: Hrmm.... Meramon: No, I'm sure haven't seen them before. Takato: Really? Meramon: Yeah, I'm certain of it.

Another dead end.

So, remember when I said we can at least assume Yamaki introduced himself offscreen now that he's on our side, so he's not the worst example in this episode of the kids suddenly knowing a name they haven't been told?

Here we are. We've never scanned Makuramon with the Digivice. Why does Takato know his name? How does Takato know his name?

The dub got ahead of this problem last episode when they had Makuramon introduce himself to Jeri and the others. I wonder if they knew it was coming? It's always unclear how much Dub Team actually knows about future episodes when dubbing.

Speaking of which, in the dub:

Takato: Hey Meramon, maybe you can help us. Okay, this was our friend Calumon. He was kidnapped by this creature, Makuramon. So, have you seen them? Meramon: Let me see. I'm very well traveled throughout this part of the world, so there's always a chance! Kazu: Hey Kenta, don't you think Meramon would make a great Partner for me? Kenta: I was thinking for me! Kazu: Hrmm.... Meramon: I'm sorry but I don't remember seeing them. Takato: No dice? Meramon: No, I'm afraid not.

The dub adds the detail that Meramon is "very well traveled throughout this part of the world". Considering that he doesn't know shit, I'm not sure why; Maybe to make it seem more hopeless. Like, if even he doesn't know then we're definitely cooked!

Kazu and Kenta bicker over whose Partner Meramon should be.

JP Kenta is reluctant to let Meramon be their Partner because of the intense flames coming off their body.

So that's a no-go on Culumon, but all this discussion is making Meramon contemplative.

Meramon: I am a little shocked, though. I never thought I'd meet anyone who's actually been to the Real World!

Meramon holds their hand up to the Real World sphere as if to grasp it.

Meramon: It feels like it's just within reach, but it never is. Maybe if I Load strong opponents, I'll be able to get there. Takato: The Real World....

Unlike Adventure where the two worlds are largely separate, Digimon of the Tamersverse Digital World live with the Real World hanging just above them, tantalizing and mysterious with its omnipresence. A goal to pursue.

In the dub:

Meramon: You know, I thought traveling to the Real World was only a myth. But now I long for the day when I become powerful enough to go there on my own. (Meramon reaches for the Real World sphere) Meramon: Every night, I look at it. So close, so beautiful. Takato: Yeah, it sure is. I wonder when we'll see it again?

JP Meramon longs to become strong enough to reach the Real World, which he plans to achieve the way Digimon do: by hunting prey and grinding XP.

Meeting the Tamers is what puts the idea in EN Meramon's head that going to the Real World might be an attainable goal.

High above, something new passes through the circuit layer.

As he descends, Impmon suddenly seems to notice where he is.

Impmon: Wh-Why was I brought to a place like this? S-Someone like me... Why!?

Fully emerging into the Digital World, Impmon falls, becoming a shooting star in the sky.

In the dub:

Impmon: No! Please! Okay, okay, I-I changed my mind! I don't need to Digivolve! I was JUST KIDDING!!! (Impmon falls) Impmon: WHY ME!?!?

JP Impmon reacts to the sight of the Digital World as if he's unsuited for it. This may be self-deprecation brought on by what Indramon told him earlier, that he reeks of humanity. Or just his general insecurity.

EN Impmon panics and tries to go back up to the Real World, but no dice.

Down below, Takato sees Impmon's glowing descent. The Tamers have made camp for the night and laid down to rest, but Takato's staring up into the Real World sphere.

Takato: A shooting star? (sigh) I wonder why... Why do Digimon want to go to the Real World so bad? Fighting, Loading, evolving.... Jianliang: That's just how it is. Takato: Jian? You're still up? Jianliang: I couldn't get to sleep. You too, Takato? Takato: Yeah... So what do you mean by, "That's just how it is"? Jianliang: Digimon don't really know any other way to live. They're just like how Terriermon, Renamon, and Leomon were before they met us. Takato: That's awful.

Takato reaches over to pet Guilmon, who's snoozing away.

Takato: It's just so...

But Guilmon wakes up before he can complete his sentiment.

Fun sleeping details! Juri and Ruki are sharing a blanket to sleep on. Ruki sleeps on her side while Juri sleeps flat on her back, staring up like a corpse.

Hirokazu and Kenta are heaped on top of each other.

Leomon and Renamon sleep sitting up and trying to look tough.

Terriermon cocoons himself in his giant ears and becomes an adorable snuggie egg.

Jian here again expresses shōganai, here asserting that the Digimon are the way they are, and that's just the way they are. The way things go in the Digital World is simply that: The way things go. It can't be helped or altered.

The Digital World simply is what it is, just as we are what we are.

Though Takato doesn't like that answer, calling it つらい tsurai. This means harsh, cruel, heartbreaking, difficult. Casting the Digimon preying on each other to try and claim the ultimate prize of Realizing as some type of immutable natural law is painful for Takato to hear.

In the dub:

Takato: A shooting star! Whoa... This place never ceases to amaze me, yet all Meramon dreams of is fighting and getting strong enough to go to the Real World. I wonder why? Henry: He just can't help it. Takato: Hey! Couldn't sleep either? Henry: No way, not a wink. Too wired. How about you? Takato: Same thing. Hey, why did you say he can't help it? Henry: Well, he's like all Digimon. I think they just don't know any other way to live. And until they met us, Terriermon, Renamon, and Leomon were the same way. Takato: Yeah, but that's so sad. Guilmon never-- Oh!

EN Takato is initially thinking of just Meramon, not all Digimon, but Henry ropes them back around to the broader topic. Largely, this scene stays on-script with the original.

When Takato reaches for Guilmon, suddenly Guilmon sniffs the air, smelling something.

Guilmon's eyes open suddenly.

Guilmon: Hm? Takato: What is it?

Terriermon, Leomon, and Renamon all wake up abruptly as well.

Terriermon: Jian, something's coming! Takato: What's coming this time? Renamon: I'll go look.

Renamon leaps up the spire overhead. In the distance, a rumbling sound starts to approach.

Jianliang: What's that sound? Takato: No idea....

Well, it doesn't sound pleasant.

Takato's "this time" is a shot at Meramon. We just had our Random Encounter for the day! Why is there another one!?

Well. Digital World, that's why. We're kind of in their native environment now.

In the dub:

Guilmon: Huh? Takato: What's up? (Other Digimon rouse) Takato: Wh-What's the matter!? (rumbling sound begins) Renamon: I hear something. Rika: What is it, Renamon? (Renamon goes up the spire) Henry: What's that sound? Takato: I-I don't know.

The dub sometimes forgets that Digimon have a preternatural sense that can detect other Digimon nearby. Guilmon, Terriermon, Leomon, and Leomon all snap awake because their Digimon-sense radar just pinged incoming blips.

But the dub drops Terriermon snapping awake and saying "Something's coming!", which makes it seem like it's the rumbling sound that they're all responding to.

Renamon bounds up onto the spire, to get a good look over the horizon. The rumbling sound gets louder and louder as something approaches. Then she sees it.

Renamon: (gasp)

Instantly, the profile appears on Ruki's Digivice.

Ruki: Jagamon. Plant Digimon, Perfect level. Ngh....

Juri wipes sleep from her eyes and gets up, joining the waking crowd.

Juri: What's wrong? Ruki: They move in herds. Takato: Herds?

FUCKING. HERDS.

Considering that Adult is the last guaranteed evolutionary level and Perfect is only for exceptional Digimon, the idea of a Perfect herd is wild. And terrifying!

Anyways, Jagamon. Vaccine-attribute Perfect-level Plant-type Digimon. It's been a while since we had a new Digimon debut that wasn't specifically created for this show. We've been knee-deep in the 12 Heavenly Generals for so long that I almost forgot there were still other Digimon who haven't appeared yet!

Jagamon comes from the Nature Spirits V-Pet in the Digimon Pendulum line. In fact, Jagamon is our very last debut from this V-Pet, finally completing the roster. They're one of the less common Digimon when it comes to making video game rosters and anime appearances, and so they don't really have any common evolution associations.

Though I could totally see a connection to Tortomon among the Nature Spirits roster.

Their name, Jagamon, stems from the word じゃがいも jagaimo, which means potato. They're Potatomon.

In the dub:

Henry: Jeri, wake up. Do you hear that? Jeri: Hear what? (Rumbling sound gets louder) Rika: That! Renamon: (gasp) (Jagamon profile) Rika: Jagamon. Ultimate-level plant Digimon that travel in herds. (Jeri rubs sleep from her eyes) Jeri: Are they mean? Rika: I don't know. It doesn't say. Takato: Oh, great.

The dub adds some throwaway dialogue to fill the silence while Renamon's watching for the incoming Digimon.

In the original, "They travel in herds" is an Oh Shit line. It's not a Perfect Digimon coming over the horizon at us. It's a hundred Perfect Digimon.

The dub has Rika casually rattle that off as part of the Analyzer blurb. Instead, the Oh Shit line is that Rika doesn't know if they're mean.

Which. Like.

They're Digimon. They're universally predatory by nature. It can be assumed that they're dangerous.

The Jagamon herd comes over the horizon and is now headed straight for us!

Renamon: They're coming this way! Everyone RUN!!!

Renamon comes down from the spire. Lemon picks up Ruki and Juri while Renamon grabs the still-sleeping Hirokazu and Kenta. Terriermon takes his spot on Jian's head. Takato looks around, a little confused for what to do, as Jian runs past.

Jianliang: Hurry, Takato! Guilmon: Grrrr....

Guilmon's in feral mode, however, and his eyes are on the inbound Jagamon herd. He doesn't want to run. He wants to hunt.

He is definitely going to die if he tries this. His tombstone will read "Crushed by Potato Avalanche".

In the dub:

Renamon: It looks like they're turning... They're coming right at us! Let's move! (Renamon jumps down; Leomon grabs the girls) Renamon: Now! (Renamon grabs the boys) Renamon: Come on, sleepyheads! (Henry passes behind Takato) Henry: Don't just stand there! Run for it!

Renamon says they're turning even though the dust trail in their wake was clearly coming at us both before and after the "turn".

Guilmon decides he's going to stand his ground. It's a stupid-ass decision, though, so Takato elects to ignore it.

Takato grabs Guilmon's arm at the last second, pulling him away and pushing him up one of the spires.

Takato: Guilmon! Guilmon: (whining) Takato-- Takato: JUST HURRY UP AND CLIMB!!!

He pushes Guilmon up onto a higher ledge.

Takato: Hurry up and climb!

It's too late. The Jagamon are almost upon them. Takato looks away from Guilmon at the onrushing death, but then suddenly feels himself hoisted up.

Above, Guilmon's taken one arm and Jianliang's got the other. Together, they pull him up just enough that the Jagamon pass harmlessly beneath him.

Both: TAKATO!!!

When Takato pushes Guilmon up the hill, Guilmon starts to say something in that "But MOOOOOOM" voice and it's perfect. No, Guilmon, you may not fight the giant herd of Digimon each roughly the strength of a Deva. Go up the mountain now!

In the dub:

Takato: Let's get out of here! Guilmon: (indignant) Takato! Quit pushing! (Takato pushes Guilmon up the hill) Takato: I'm slipping, guys! Henry: Going up! (Henry and Guilmon pull Takato up)

JP Guilmon is upset because Takato won't let him fight the Jagamon. EN Guilmon is upset because Takato's shoving him around by his backpack.

The dub's a little confused on the action here. Takato says "I'm slipping" as if he's about to fall, but he hasn't started climbing. His arms are raised like that because he's still pushing Guilmon up.

With everybody safe on the higher ledge, the Jagamon herd passes below.

Takato: Whew... That was too close. Jianliang: Is everyone okay? Juri: Hey, look over there! Takato: Huh? Meramon!?

Juri raises her hand to point but then an animation error resets her hand and puts it down by her side. Meramon's found a spot on the other side of the herd, and he decides to test his luck.

Meramon: MAGMA BOMB!!!

The herd shrugs off Meramon's attack. A second branch of the herd opens up and rolls right over him.

Juri: Ahh!

As Takato gets up onto the ridge, Juri covers her eyes. Ruki also averts her eyes, looking down at the ground. Only Takato, Jian, and the Digimon can bear to watch.

Because boys. And Renamon.

Meramon: UWAAAUGH!!!

The Jagamon consume Meramon, who explodes into pixel dust. Takato's so shocked, he goes back down the cliff so he can climb up again.

Takato: Th-They can't be.... Renamon: That's just how it is. Ruki: That's just how it is? Renamon: That's right. This is the law of the Digital World. Takato: The law? This is the Digital World's...?

The return of shōganai. Or, actually, 仕方がない shikataganai which is the same expression but more formal, since Renamon always speaks coldly and professionally.

The law Renamon's referring to here is, of course, 弱肉強食 Jakuniku kyōshoku. The weak are the meat that the strong eat, known in English as the Law of the Jungle. The notion of predators and prey that Jiang-yu tried to impress on Jianliang way back in the Gorimon episode.

In the dub:

Takato: Oh man, that was close! Henry: You're telling me! Is everyone alright? Jeri: Uh-huh! Look! On the other side of the gorge! Takato: Meramon! Meramon: MAGMA BLAST!!! (No effect; The Jagamon herd captures and kills Meramon) Takato: Wait, what happened to him? Renamon: I'm afraid he's gone. Rika: Just like that? Renamon: Yes. It's the law of the Digital World. Takato: Why? Renamon: Things here can be cruel sometimes, Takato.

This is pretty solid. No notes.

Up in the circuit layer, the white lights are now revealed to be glowing white axolotls, each with a similar red triangle mark on their forehead to that of Culumon's.

Culumon: They're everywhere-culu!

Culumon phases forward through the bars of the cage, escaping its confines.

Culumon: (excited) Wahhh! I'm out! I'm out!

Again, it's hard to say to what extent Culumon understands what's going on here. But the axolotls bear Culumon's mark, so they must be affiliated in some way, right?

Something that's been sticking in my craw for a while is Impmon's summoning. Culumon wanted an unidentified "them" to all come and join them in the Real World. This has been an odd plot point for a while because Impmon was immediately hostile to them and vice versa, and Culumon's been helping the Tamers fend off Digimon incursions into the Real World ever since.

So. Like. If not the Digimon, who was Culumon trying to bring over? Who does Culumon know on the other side?

Could these axolotls hold the key to finally answering that?

In the dub:

Calumon: Ooooh... Look at all the pretty flying fishies. Uh, hi! Hey there, guys! I want to learn how to do that. Will you teach me? Please? (Calumon phases through the cage) Calumon: Oh ho ho, whoa! Here I GOOOOO!!! Hey, this is easy! I'll race you down, okay?

Calumon definitely has no idea what's going on here. Jury's still out on Culumon.

Calumon gets really excited about the axolotls teaching him to fly even though he's been able to fly this whole series.

The next morning, Hirokazu wakes up beneath the morning, uh... Real World sphere.

Hirokazu: (stretching) That was a good night's sleep. Huh?

Down the hill from where Hirokazu's snoozing, the four Tamers with Partners and their Digimon gather around a cairn, standing together in silence. The hill itself is covered in saplings.

Hirokazu: What are they doing up so early?

Hirokazu nudges Kenta to rouse him.

Hirokazu: Hey, wake up, Kenta. HEY!!! Kenta: (rousing) Wha...--huh!? Wait, is this where we fell asleep last night? Hirokazu: Now that you mention it....

It's not. They've been moved. But before they can think any more about that, the saplings all twitch over and over, startling the boys.

Hirokazu: What's this?

Curious, Hirokazu takes hold of a sapling.

Down below, Takato places a hand-drawn picture of Meramon on the cairn, holding it down with a rock.

Takato: And done. Tamers: ... Jagamon: STOP IT!!!

The Tamers take a moment of silence in memory of Meramon. Until the silence is broken by a Jagamon up the hill. Hirokazu and Kenta have unburied a Jagamon. Kenta's holding them down by the head while Hirokazu pulls at the sapling on their backside.

Jagamon: (pathetic) STOP IT!!! STOP IIIIIIT!!! Kenta: Is this a Digimon? Hirokazu: They look pretty weak. Ruki: That ones from last night. Jianliang: Jagamon.

Led by Ruki, the Tamers march up the hill to confront the Jagamon.

Jagamon: (whining) Stop it! Stop it.... Ruki: What do you mean, "Stop it"!? After what you did last night!? Hirokazu: Last night? Ruki: These things attacked us in a huge group last night! Hirokazu & Kenta: HWEHH!?!?

Both boys release Jagamon and jump back about a foot, now realizing that they're playing with fire.

Takato: And then Meramon....

Takato glances back somberly at the cairn.

Jagamon: (cowering) We were scared! We were just scared, that's all! Ruki: Listen here, you-- Renamon: Meramon was the one who struck first. They were afraid because Meramon had been encroaching on their territory. Ruki: But-- Jianliang: Let's stop trying to assign blame.

Wild that Hirokazu and Kenta slept through all of that last night, but they did. Even when they were being carted around by Renamon, they were out like lights. They don't even know that Meramon's dead, let alone what these planted potatoes are.

They're lucky that Jagamon was so pitiful. Still wild that these are Perfect Digimon.

The Tamers pack-bonded with Meramon super fast, which made this a harsh lesson in the nature of the Digital World. As Renamon says, this is just how things go here. The Tamers want to defend Meramon's honor because they got attached to them.

But Renamon's right. Meramon started this. They picked a fight they couldn't win and they paid the price for it. The weak are the meat the strong eat. Meramon wasn't murdered unjustly last night; They tried to eat but their eyes were bigger than their stomach, and so they became the meat instead. The Jagamon have committed no wrong.

In the dub:

Kazu: (stretching) Oh man, did I sleep good.... (Kazu notices everyone down at the cairn) Kazu: Huh? They're up early. Maybe they're giving Rika some personality lessons! (Kazu nudges Kenta) Kazu: Kenta! Wake up! Quit being a lazy blob, dude. Kenta: Huh? Hey, who took my blue blankie! Kazu: Grow up! (Saplings twitch) Kenta: Huh? Kazu: Hey, breakfast, anyone?

Kazu fires a shot at Rika to amuse himself.

JP Kenta comments on the fact that the boys were physically moved by Renamon last night.

EN Kenta wonders what became of his "blue blankie" and I wonder that too because there was no such blankie when they went to bed last night. These boys basically just dropped dead on top of each other until they reactivated this morning.

(Takato places the last stone on the cairn, pinning the picture) Takato: Goodbye, Meramon. Leomon: Your fire burned bright, my friend. Kenta: We can't eat this! Everyone: Hmm!? (Up the hill, Kenta and Kazu terrorize a Jagamon) Hirokazu: Hold him, Kenta! Kenta: I am holding him! Rika: (dryly) Guess who's awake. Henry: Oh no...

Leomon fills the moment of silence by eulogizing Meramon.

Not sure if Rika and Henry are dissing Kazu and Kenta or the Jagamon.

(Tamers go up the hill) Jagamon: Please let go of my tail! I'll do anything you want, I promise! Rika: HEY!!! Jagamon! You're in a lot of trouble for what you did last night! Kazu: What do you mean? Rika: He and his friends caused the stampede that almost flattened us! Kazu & Kenta: DYAAGH!!! (Boys jump back from Jagamon) Takato: Meramon didn't make it.... Rika: Explain yourself! Jagamon: We only wanted to protect ourselves! Rika: You hurt him! Renamon: I think Meramon was trying to take over their territory, Rika. Jagamon: I'm sorry! We didn't mean to hurt him! Kazu: He's sorry, see!? Rika: Well, that just isn't good enough, see!? Henry: Stop it, Rika!

Nitpick but RIka says the Jagamon "caused the stampede that almost flattened us", but the Jagamon were the stampede. They didn't cause anything.

Takato also says "Meramon didn't make it" as though Meramon were caught up in an avalanche while trying to escape and not. You know. Directly killed and devoured by the Jagamon herd.

Rika does get to say "You hurt him" but that's softer language than what they actually did to him, and it's followed up by the Jagamon insisting that it was an accident. Somehow.

I'm reminded of the cairns Mimi made in Adventure 1, where the dub had to keep insisting that none of the Digimon are really dead and Mimi's just overreacting and NOBODY DIED, OKAY???

By contrast, the Tamers dub here is actually getting to confront the matter of Meramon's death directly. There's almost no attempt at downplaying what happened to Meramon. But there is this little bit of equivocating; Just enough to remove direct personal responsibility from the Jagamon.

It would have been really easy to just cut the shot of Meramon dying and say the Jagamon carried him off to parts unknown. I'm sure the Adventure dub would have done it that way. Remember when Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon were "sent to Myotismon's dungeon"?

So I'm wondering if they got the censors' sign-off to kill Meramon here, but had to draw a line at saying outright that the Jagamon killed him? Even though we all saw what happened.

Similarly, in the original, the Jagamon offers justification for the herd's actions, but not apology. And they did mean to hurt Meramon, albeit in their own defense. It's not a huge difference, but a tonal difference in how Digimon are being presented.

Now that we've sorta made nice with a Jagamon, we have some questions.

Jianliang: More importantly, Takato, didn't you want to ask about Culumon? Takato: O-Oh, that's right.

Takato takes out his picture of Culumon and shows it to Jagamon.

Takato: Hey, have you seen this Digimon? Jagamon: ...hrmm....

Jagamon cocks their head to the side, visibly unsure of what they're even looking at. So Takato tries Makuramon's picture.

Takato: Well, how about this one? Jagamon: Oh!

All the surrounding Jagamon pop up from their holes, throwing out a cacophony of answers.

Jagamon Herd: (scattered) I saw him! I saw him! I saw him! I saw him! I saw him! I saw him! I saw him! I saw him! I saw him! I saw him! Hirokazu & Kenta: EUGH!?!? Takato: You really saw him!? Jianliang: Alright, so when was that? Jagamon Herd: (unison) Ummmmm.... Takato: Where was it? Jagamon Herd: (unison) Uhhhhhh.... Juri: Are we sure we can trust them? They say they saw Makuramon but not Culumon. That's weird, right? Ruki: Hey, you guys aren't lying to us, are you!? Jagamon: What does "lying" mean?

Ruki scowls but before she can say or do anything further, Takato pushes in front of her.

Takato: Hang on. So, you're sure that you saw Makuramon, right? Jagamon: We saw him! We saw him! Takato: Then which way did he go?

The Jagamon rise up out of their holes as one.

Takato: You'll tell us that, right?

Together, the potato crop points the way!

Jagamon Herd: (scattered) That way! That way! That way! That way! That way! That way! That way! That way! That way! That way!

We have our bearings! Assuming the Jagamon aren't fucking with us! Which, as Ruki and Juri bring up, is a very real possibility.

That said, the Tamers don't know this but the fact that they saw Makuramon and not Culumon actually improves their credibility, given what we know happened to Culumon's cage. between then and now.

In the dub:

Henry: Takato, show Jagamon the pictures of Calumon and Makuramon. Maybe he's seen them in the area! (Takato shows Calumon picture) Takato: Hi, have you seen him? It's okay. We're not going to hurt you. Jagamon: Hm? Takato: He's a little guy. (Jagamon cocks head to the side, unsure of what they're looking at. Takato tries Makuramon picture) Takato: Okay. Uhh... How about this one? Jagamon: NYAGH!!! (Herd pops up from the ground) Jagamon Herd: (scattered) We saw! We saw! We saw! We saw! We saw! We saw! We saw! We saw! We saw! We saw! Takato: Whoa! Hehe... How ya doin'? Henry: Did all of you see him? Can you tell us when? Jagamon Herd: (unison) Ummmmmm.... Takato: Oh, uhhh, okay, how about where? Jagamon Herd: (unison) Uhhhhhh.... Jeri: Do you think we can believe them? I mean, don't you think it's strange that they saw Makuramon but not Calumon? Rika: Listen up! Are you lying to us about seeing that monkey!? Jagamon: Lying? What is lying? (Takato intervenes) Takato: My turn. Now, you remember seeing Makuramon, right? Jagamon: Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Takato: Good. Okay, where? (Jagamon all pop up) Jagamon: Mmmmm.... Takato: Alright! Which way did he go? Jagamon Herd: (scattered) That way! That way! That way! He's over there in the desert, where all those big lights are!

The dub takes its third commercial break here.

This is pretty much perfect. No notes.

A burst of flame shoots up from the surface of the Digital World.

Makuramon: KYEHHHHHH!!!

Makuramon emerges from the flame riding on the back of the Dragon Deva. The Dragon plunges his hand into the circuit layer and pulls out the cage. However, as we know, the cage by now is empty.

Makuramon: Kkkkkkgh WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?!?

That's a very good question, and one that we do not currently have any real answers for.

In the dub:

(Dragon plunges hand into circuit layer and pulls out cage) Makuramon: I told you I'd be back! And now.... (Dragon opens hand to reveal empty cage) Makuramon: HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME, YOU LITTLE TWERP!!!

This is where the distinction between "I need to get more energy" and "I need to borrow more of God's power" comes in. Makuramon didn't come back with more energy. He came back with a physically stronger Deva who could pull the cage from its place embedded in the circuit layer. More power.

The Tamers head off in the direction that Makuramon's supposed to be. But as they're walking, Takato's curious about something.

Takato: You know, the Jagamon remain in their Perfect form for good. Why do Guilmon and the others revert to their previous forms? Ruki: Does it mean they're regressing? Jianliang: You'd think that once they evolve to the Perfect level, they'd stay there. But maybe it's too difficult to remain in that form, so they return to a form that's more stable. Takato: Hmm... I want Guilmon to stay as Guilmon, though. When Digimon evolve, they get so big and strong.... Guilmon: Guilmon is Guilmon, Takato. Takato: O-Oh, yeah, you're right. Guilmon: Yep. Takato: Hahaha....

Guilmon here calls back to the talks they've had before on the subject, reminding Takato that no matter what form, Guilmon is still Guilmon. Takato acknowledges, but he clearly doesn't believe it.

Takato's still got this on the brain. On the one hand, why our Digimon revert and these Digimon don't is a valid question, and the answer might have something to do with the way we're borrowing Culumon's blessing for evolution.

But on the other hand, Takato doesn't actually want Guilmon to stay locked into an evolution indefinitely, because he hates and fears Guilmon's evolutions.

You know, with the way Asanuma-sensei and Yoshie were both getting on Takato's case about how he needs to grow up and face responsibilities, I'm starting to get a whiff of a character theme in the way Takato doesn't want Guilmon to evolve. Especially with the Deva arc stuff about how this isn't a game, it's a serious responsibility, and Takato's longing to play with the other kids.

Is Takato afraid to grow up? Is that what this is really about? Takato fears Guilmon's evolution because Takato fears his own evolution, of one day attaining his own Adult form and all the responsibilities that come with it?

Hmm... Food for thought.

In the dub:

Takato: Wow, what a day, huh? We've been dropped, lost, starved, attacked, and stampeded. Kazu: Yeah, if we were back home, I'd be in social studies right now catching up on my sleep. Rika: It's only going to get more intense! We haven't even faced Makuramon yet. Takato: We'll be ready for him. And we'll get Calumon back too Henry: Yeah, but at what price? You saw what happened to Meramon. This place can be brutal. Takato: Guilmon, I want you to be really, really careful while we're here, okay? No funny stuff. You gotta promise me something: That nothing bad will happen. Guilmon: Nothing bad's gonna happen! Don't worry! Takato: But... promise me. Guilmon: I promise. Now about that bread....

The dub throws out this entire scene and writes a different one instead. The Tamers take turns rotating the plot synopsis up to this point, and then Takato asks Guilmon for an unkeepable promise.

Special mention to the way Takato says "What a day, huh?" but it's explicitly tomorrow. There was a night between now and when we were dropped.

This is pretty much all throwaway dialogue, with some possible foreshadowing for Guilmon and Takato depending on how the future plays out. Kazu's social studies crack got me, though. XD

Takato looks back at Guilmon, laughing a little at their exchange. But then he sees it coming up behind Hirokazu and Kenta: A data stream.

Hirokazu and Kenta see the way Takato's staring past them.

Kenta: Huh? Hirokazu: What is it?

Then they realize he isn't looking at them. They turn around and see the data stream coming too. Soon everyone sees it. The team freezes up, unsure of what to do.

Juri: Wh-What's happening!? Takato: I don't know! Jianliang: It doesn't matter; Just run! It's coming right at us! Takato: You're right! LET'S GO!!!

The four Tamers and their Digimon run to the side, getting out of the data stream's path so it can pass them by.

Hirokazu and Kenta are not so clever. They stare up at the beam until it's almost on top of them, then scream, panic, and try to outrun it. In the process, they're immediately separated from the rest of the group.

Ruki, heading the smart way, notices the two of them.

Ruki: YOU IDIOTS!!! DON'T GO THAT WAY!!! Renamon!

Renamon scoops up Ruki, then changes course to try and catch up to Hirokazu and Kenta.

Jianliang: RUKI!!! Terriermon: Jian!

Jian has to dive to get out of the stream's path just before it passes.

Jianliang: RUKI!!! Takato: Jian!

Takato doubles back to check on him. But then he sees what's become of Ruki. Takato and Jian can only watch helplessly as the data stream remains on course for Ruki, Hirokazu, and Kenta.

And that is where we close today's episode.

With a cliffhanger like this, I imagine we'll be seeing more of the data streams next episode. Dub's written a lot of checks about what all this means and I can't help but wonder how much of it will hold up. How much is Dub Team knowing something we don't at this point in time know, and how much is Dub Team just winging it and making things up.

Speaking of which, in the dub:

Takato: GUYS LOOK OUT!!! Kenta: Huh? Kazu: What now? Takato: B-BEHIND YOU!!! (Kazu and Kenta turn) Renamon: It's a data stream! Terriermon: Uhhh uh-oh.... Takato: That's not good.... Henry: Not good at all.... Renamon: Shouldn't we be running by now? Takato: Yeah, let's go! Henry: Come on! (Tamers run one way; Kazu and Kenta run the other) Terriermon: GET THE LEAD OUT, HENRY!!! Takato: Come on, Guilmon! (Rika sees Kazu and Kenta) Rika: GUYS, YOU'RE RUNNING THE WRONG WAY!!! Renamon, we have to go after them! Renamon: Right! (Renamon and Rika go after them) Henry: Wait! (Henry dives to safety) Henry: RIKA!!! Takato: Are you okay? (Takato notices) Henry: If that thing hits them, we may never find them again! Davis (V.O.): This doesn't look good at all! Will Rika and the guys be blown to the other side of the Digital World? Find out on the next Digimon: Digital Monsters.

Dub Team did not like the way everyone froze up in terror at the sight of the data stream. EN Takato shouts a warning at Kenta and Hirokazu instead of staring uselessly at the beam in shock, and Renamon riffs about how long it takes them to start running.

Henry and Davis both offer a last-second reminder that the data stream WILL NOT KILL THEM.

It WILL NOT kill them.

Please understand that it WILL NOT kill them.

Okay.

This is accurate in both versions; JP Leomon also indicated that the data stream will warp them somewhere, not that it would kill them. I just find it funny the way Henry and Davis both shout, "OH NO!!! They're about to be TELEPORTED and NOT BURNED TO DEATH!!!" as we roll credits.

Assessment: I've heard that the official line in the Digimon franchise is that any time we've ever seen the Digital World, it's the same Digital World. Only one Digital World exists for all the Real World's of the multiverse simultaneously.

That was definitely not the intention at this point in time, because the Tamersverse Digital World bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Digital World of the Adventure duology. Its mechanics, its history, its function in the story, even the basic idea of how Digimon work are all wildly different.

This is very much a new interpretation of the Digital World for the new continuity. Which saves me a lot of work because it means I don't have to try and figure out how the things we see in the Digital World are supposed to connect to the Adventure Digital World. New series who dis?

I do wonder if the Real World sphere is always visible in the Digital World? Or if it's just, like, one region of the Digital World where it sits? We've barely scratched the surface of this place, and I'm interested to see more.