is a Japanese anime television series and the third television series in the Digimon franchise, produced by Toei Animation. The series takes place in a new setting separate from the preceding series, Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02, where the characters utilize cards from the collectible card games. The series aired in Japan from April 2001 to March 2002.
The series was originally licensed in North America by Saban Entertainment, aired in the US from September 2001 to June 2002 as the third season of Digimon: Digital Monsters. A Hong Kong manhua adaptation of the series, by Yu Yuen-wong, was serialized from April to October 2004.
Plot Takato Matsuki, a fan of the Digimon card game, finds a Blue Card, which transforms his card reader into a D-Power Digivice. His original Digimon creation, Guilmon, materializes into real life when his D-Power scans his drawings. Takato meets Henry Wong and Rika Nonaka, two other children who are partnered with Terriermon and Renamon respectively, as well as Calumon and Impmon. As wild Digimon begin roaming Shinjuku, the Tamers defeat them and defend the city. Using their D-Powers, the Tamers can enhance their Digimon partners by scanning cards to Digi-modify or help their partners Digivolve. After each Digimon is defeated, their Digimon obtains their data. Meanwhile, Hypnos, an intelligence agency led by Mitsuo Yamaki, has been capturing the Digimon and sending them back to the Digital World.
Yamaki's obsessive efforts to exterminate the Digimon brings the Devas, twelve extremely powerful Digimon, into the Real World. Henry's father, Janyu Wong, and his friends, the Monster Makers, are revealed to be responsible for creating the prototype digital forms that eventually evolved into Digimon. The Bio-Emergence of the enormous pig Deva, Vikaralamon, reveals the existence of Digimon to the general public and result in Calumon being captured and taken back to the Digital World. In hopes of saving Calumon, the Tamers enter the Digital World, with a remorseful Yamaki as their ally in the Real World. Impmon turns his back on the Tamers when he encounters the dog Deva Caturamon, and wishes to become strong, thus becoming Beelzemon. The Tamers confront Beelzemon, and Beelzemon kills Leomon, causing his partner Jeri Kato to fall into depression. After resolving conflicts with the Digimon Sovereigns, the Tamers learn that the Digimon are protecting themselves from humans and the Real World because the D-Reaper, a rogue clean-up program, has been destroying the Digital World.
As the Tamers return to the Real World, the D-Reaper kidnaps Jeri, manipulating and trapping her inside its body. The D-Reaper begins to materialize in the Real World and the Tamers fight back, with Yamaki assembling the Monster Makers to assist them. The Monster Makers develop a program targeting the D-Reaper's core programming, allowing the Tamers to defeat the D-Reaper and save Jeri. With both worlds restored, the Tamers discover the effects of the Monster Makers' program also have impacted the Digimon. The Tamers say goodbye to their Digimon partners as they forced to return to the Digital World. Some time later, Takato discovers a portal to the Digital World in Guilmon's old hideout in the park.
Characters Tamers
Takato is a 10 year old student. His parents run their own bakery. He plays the DigiBattle card game with his friends and draws his own Digimon, Guilmon, on paper, which he brings to life after finding a Blue Card and using it on a Digivice. Because Guilmon was a product of his imagination, Takato appears to be empathic with him and thus the two influence each other in every fight. Their bond is augmented when Takato biomerges with Guilmon into Gallantmon. After learning that Digimon are mysteriously appearing in their world, Takato becomes a Tamer and leader of the group fighting to stop rogue Digimon from causing chaos. He also appears in Digimon Fusion. To reflect the normalcy of the characters, Takato was imagined to be a "normal" boy who is "full of curiosity" and "fascinated by monsters and Digimon." To continue the tradition of naming the leading characters in the Digimon series, Takato's name began with the same sound as Tai and Davis' Japanese names, the leading characters from Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02.
Rika is a 10-year-old champion of the Digimon Card Tournament and known by the title "Digimon Queen." Her relationship with her mother is initially strained, as she is often too busy with work to spend time with her. She is partnered with Renamon. At first, she has a cold and lonely personality and believes in fighting Digimon to become the strongest. However, Takato helps her see that there is more to Digimon beyond fighting. She also appears in Digimon Fusion. Rika was designed with a "strong" image and character in an attempt to boost sales for products based on female characters, which traditionally did not perform well in the market. In early stages of her design, Konaka and Nakatsuru based her on Trinity from The Matrix. Fumiko Orikasa was cast to play her due to her clear, strong voice. Konaka decided not to give Rika a father figure to reflect how many Japanese children have grown up without fathers, and he did not intend it to be the cause of her "twisted personality" in spite of the events portrayed in the film Runaway Locomon (which he had no involvement in).
Henry is a 10-year-old student of half-Japanese and half-Hong Kong Chinese descent from Takato's school, though they are not in the same class. In the Japanese version, he is nicknamed for short when he grows closer to his friends. Because Henry takes care of his younger sister, Suzie, he is patient and mature for his age. He is also experienced with computers and technology because his father is a computer engineer. Henry is partnered with Terriermon, and because he dislikes hurting others, he is reluctant to fight. He is also a tai chi practitioner. Throughout the series, he is unaware of his father's connection with the Monster Makers and Hypnos. Henry became the basis of the proposed non-Japanese or emigrant character Hiromi Seki had wanted for the main cast. Konaka decided to make him half-Chinese and half-Japanese based on the statistics of non-Japanese students in elementary schools. Originally, Henry was written as a foil to Takato, where he would offer "a difference in values" that contrasted with Takato's "child-like beliefs and values."
Other Tamers
One of Takato's classmates, a sweet-mannered girl who always tries to encourage her friends. Her family owns a tavern in Shibuya. Hoping to become stronger, she eventually becomes the partner of Leomon. Despite her cheerful demeanor, Jeri has a strained relationship with her father and stepmother and believes herself to be unworthy of love. When Leomon is killed by Beelzemon, Jeri's despair attracts the D-Reaper's attention and it abducts her, feeding off of her negative emotions to grow and invade the Real World.
A skilled Tamer who the Tamers encounter in the Digital World, which he arrived through unspecified means. Ryo is revealed to have been the only person to have previously defeated Rika in a DigiBattle Card tournament. His partner is Cyberdramon. His character had previously appeared in the Digimon Adventures timeline and was the protagonist of the Digimon games for the Wonderswan console.
One of Takato's friends and an avid player of the DigiBattle Card game, considered much better at the game than Takato and Kenta. Although he frequently brags about his superiority, he is still loyal and eager to help his friends. He accompanies Takato and the other Tamers to the Digital World in hopes of gaining a partner of his own, and eventually becomes the Tamer of Guardromon.
One of Takato's friends, often seen with Kazu. He is meeker and more timid than his friends, but still excitable and eager to join in their adventures. After he becomes resigned that all his friends have gained Digimon partners except him, Kenta is thrilled when the mega-level Digimon MarineAngemon chooses him as its partner.
Henry's younger sister, a playful and carefree girl who initially believes that Terriermon is a plush toy. She is pulled into the Digital World after Henry and the Tamers leave to rescue Calumon, and she ends up befriending the Rabbit Deva, Antylamon, who becomes Suzie's partner. Because Antylamon chose to protect Suzie from the other Devas, her master Zhuqiaomon punishes Antylamon by de-Digivolving her into her rookie form, Lopmon.
A pair of very young children who often squabble over both Impmon and their toys, they inadvertently drove Impmon away and led him to believe that Digimon did not need humans. After returning to the Real World, Impmon finds the children ashamed of their behavior and that they missed him deeply. They ask for his forgiveness, which he accepts. The renewed strength of their bond allows Impmon to become Beelzemon Blast Mode, and the siblings later jointly become his Tamer.
Partner Digimon
Guilmon is a reptilian Digimon that resembles a theropod dinosaur with a digital hazard symbol on his chest. He is created by Takato, who drew him and was brought to life soon after by the Blue Card which the DigiGnomes secretly placed among his card deck. Guilmon originally has the mentality of a child, unaware of the differences between humans and Digimon, often calling his partner "Takatomon". He stays in a shed of Shinjuku Park, learning to speak normally and develops a better understanding of the world around him. Guilmon possesses a taste for bread, often being distracted by the thought of food. Guilmon has a very keen sense of smell and possesses somewhat of a sixth sense to detect other Digimon in the vicinity, usually going feral in fights due to his virus-type nature. He is also loyal and protective. Guilmon's Champion form is the dinosaur-like , his Ultimate form is the cyborg dinosaur-like , and his Dark Mega Form is the snake-tailed dragon-like . Guilmon and Takato can also Bio-Merge to become the knight-like . When Guilmon reverts into Gigimon as a side effect of the Red Card, he says goodbye to Takato. Guilmon also appeared in Digimon Fusion. Guilmon was created by Chiaki J. Konaka, influenced by Ultraman and Kaiju films. Upon viewing the initial design sketches, he assumed that the character would be roughly the same size as Agumon. However, when he realized that Guilmon would be about the size of a human adult, he realized that "[h]e was nowhere near small enough for a child to hide in his room." Konaka realized that he could tailor the plot of the series to incorporate the problem.
Terriermon is a small one-horned terrier-like Digimon with a laid-back personality, often using the word "Momantai" (written as 無問題 or 无问题), a Cantonese phrase meaning "take it easy/no problem". Terriermon was originally a wild Digimon living by the survival of the fittest rules in the Digital World. Henry chooses Terriermon, while playing a video game. When Terriermon Digivolves into the Galgo Español-like , he goes on a rampage while fighting Gorillamon and loses control. Henry uses a Blue Card to send him out from the computer to the real world. Throughout the series, Henry hid Terriermon from his family, using him like a stuffed toy which Suzie plays with. His Ultimate Form is the poodle-like which is different from the gold version. Henry can Bio-Merge with Terriermon to become the St. Bernard-like . When Terriermon reverts into Gummymon as a side effect of the Red Card, he says goodbye to Henry.