Digimon Adventure was a staple in the early 2000s. Every week, we'd tune in to watch Taichi, Yamato, and the gang navigate the Digital World alongside their Digimon companions. The DigiDestined starred in the first two seasons and the Digimon Adventure film series.
This year, fans of the original DigiDestined were in for a treat as a Digimon Adventure reboot was released. Needless to say, the series already has fans buzzing. While there are some obvious changes to the original, Digimon Adventure 2020 has kept a lot of the elements the fans loved. Here's are 5 things the reboot has changed and 5 things they've kept the same so far.
10 Changed: The Date of Events
In the original Digimon Adventure, the date was an important detail to the plot. The kids get transported into the Digital World on August 1st, 1999. When the kids return to their world they think they've been gone for months, only to realize it has just been a few minutes.
In the reboot, the year is 2020 and the world has been updated. Everyone has a cellphone, laptops, and the Japanese landscape that is shown is one that matches real life. The date is not mentioned at all. All we know is that Taichi and Koushiro are getting ready for summer camp.
9 Stayed the Same: The Effects of the Digital World
In both the original Digimon Adventure and the reboot, the first episodes show how closely the Digital World and the real world are linked. In the 1999 series, it starts snowing while the kids are at camp, even though it's summer. The entire real world is experiencing weather phenomenons due to the issues in the Digital World.
In the reboot, the world practically runs on technology so the problems are digital. The first signs that something isn't right are the trains going haywire and power outages in certain areas. Once the train issue is fixed, a missile is launched and heading towards Tokyo.
8 Changed: The Order of Events
The 1999 Digimon Adventure picks up the story with the DigiDestined at camp before being transported into the Digital World. In the American version, there isn't much information revealed initially as to why these kids are chosen. However, fans of the series now know that the events that took place in the first Digimon movie are canon, explaining why.
In the reboot, the timeline is given a fix. They combine the first movie, The Digimon Movie, and the second, Our War Game. We see glimpses of the other kids but they are not initially involved. We also get the Omegamon evolution, which occurred in Our War Game. At the end of the third episode, it appears the kids have finally arrived in the Digital World as we know it.
7 Stayed the Same: The Roles of Takeru and Hikari
Yamato's younger brother, Takeru, was initially shown as the runt of the DigiDestined. Alongside Patamon, he was very naive and was often trying to prove his independence. Patamon was the last Digimon to Digivolve to his Champion form, Angemon. Hikari, who doesn't join the group until later, gained Gatomon as a partner who's Ultimate form, Angewomon, is the counterpart of Angemon. Together they play a pivotal role in defeating the Dark Masters.
Since it's still early in the reboot, we don't know if Takeru and Hikaru will both arrive in the Digital World at the same time. However, during the Omegamon evolution, they are both shown getting feathers and their Crests are flashed. This is a clear foreshadowing of how important they are to the Omegamon evolution and possibly something else down the line.
6 Changed: Introduction of the Digimon
One of the interesting things about the original Digimon Adventure was that we met all the Digimon companions in their baby forms until they Digivolved into their rookie forms, in which they stay most of the time. This provides a good insight for the DigiDestined and the viewers since any time the Digimon are too exhausted, they can regress to their baby forms.
When Taichi is transported into the Digital World in the reboot, he sees Agumon's baby form, Koromon, as they are falling. By the time they land Koromon has Digivolved into Agumon. Later on, when Taichi has been transported back into the Digital World, Taichi sees Agumon, not Koromon.
5 Stayed the Same: The Personalities of the DigiDestined
Although not all of the main characters have been introduced yet, it's clear that the characters haven't been given a makeover as far as their personalities are concerned. So far, in Digimon Adventure 2020, we have seen Taichi, Yamato, and Koushiro in action.
Taichi immediately goes into battle mode upon arriving in the Digital World and aids Agumon in fighting the Digimon. While Koushiro didn't enter the world, he was on his laptop keeping Taichi informed. By the time we are introduced to Yamato, it seems that he's already been in the Digital World and has a handle on things by himself. This is typical to his lone wolf persona in the original Digimon Aventure.
4 Changed: Summer Camp
The fateful trip to summer camp changed everything for the kids in the original anime. The kids were at camp together, and right before a big wave hit to drag them to the Digital World, they all received their DigiVices. The camp was also important because it united Yamato and Takeru who did not live together due to their divorced parents. Hikari was also supposed to attend the camp but did not because she got sick, leading to her being sought out later on as the 8th DigiDestined.
In the reboot, fans were thrown through a loop when the kids arrived at summer camp, and... then they left promptly after. This may have been a small way for the show to tribute the original but it also explains that the reboot is taking a different approach.
3 Stayed the Same: The Focus on Taichi and Yamato
It goes without saying that all eight of the DigiDestined played an important role in the original Digimon Adventure. It is clear though that Taichi and Yamato have always had more of a spotlight, especially in regards to their relationship with each other. Early on in the original, Taichi and Yamato were often butting heads as they were both trying to be leaders.
While it may be too early to tell if Taichi and Yamato will have the same issues when it comes to working together, the first three episodes have shown that they will both play a huge role in this new series. They are the first two to go into the Digital World and meet their Digimon, and the union of their two Digimon saves Tokyo.
2 Changed: The Abilities of the DigiVices
One of the coolest parts of being a DigiDestined is owning a DigiVice. The DigiVice is the connector between the kids and their Digimon. The original DigiVice would light up when a Digimon was about to Digivolve, it had a small on-screen map, and most importantly, it played a huge role in stopping the world from being destroyed.
In the reboot, the DigiVice appears to have undergone a complete hardware makeover. The DigiVice now seems to light up dramatically, display the crests in full color, pull up maps, and even allow for holographic communication.
1 Stayed the Same: The Emphasis on Teamwork
Digimon Adventure may have its stand out characters as mentioned earlier, but one of the reasons it has held its ground for the last 20 years, throughout different adaptations, is because of its emphasis on teamwork. No one character or one Digimon could have saved the world by themselves, a point the original Digimon Adventure made sure to drive home time and time again.
In the new series, the saving of Tokyo could not have been possible without the combined efforts of Taichi, Yamato, and Koushiro as well as their Digimon partners. While it may seem like a small detail, the main story has always been about friendship and working together to overcome obstacles.