Digimon Tamers
2001 Japanese television anime
Digimon Tamers
North American DVD box set cover
デジモンテイマーズ
(Dejimon Teimāzu)
GenreAdventure, fantasy[1]
Created byAkiyoshi Hongo
Anime television series
Directed byYukio Kaizawa
Produced by
  • Hiromi Seki
  • Kyotaro Kimura
Written byChiaki J. Konaka
Music byTakanori Arisawa
StudioToei Animation
Licensed by
Original networkFNS (Fuji TV)
English network
Original run April 1, 2001 – March 31, 2002
Episodes51 (List of episodes)
Manga
Written byYu Yuen-wong
Published byRightman Publishing
English publisher
Original runApril 2004 – October 2004
Volumes4
Film
Digimon franchise
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Digimon Tamers (Japanese: デジモンテイマーズ, Hepburn: Dejimon Teimāzu) is a Japanese anime television series and the third television series in the Digimon franchise, produced by Toei Animation.[2] 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.[3] 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.[a] 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 began roaming Shinjuku, the Tamers defeat them and defend the city. Using their D-Powers, the Tamers can Digi-modify[b] through scanning cards or help them Digivolve.[c] 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.

The Tamers eventually began working with Hypnos when the wicked Devas invade the Real World. Calumon is captured by the Devas, and the Tamers follow him to the Digital World to save him. During their journey, they meet Ryo, and his Digimon Partner, Cyberdramon. Impmon turns his back on the Tamers when he encounters the dog Deva Caturamon, and wishes to become strong, thus becoming Beelzemon. Eventually, the Tamers confront Beelzemon, and Beelzemon kills Leomon, causing 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 after the Digital World is invaded by the evil D-Reaper, a rogue clean-up program. As the Tamers return to the Real World, the D-Reaper kidnaps Jeri, manipulating and trapping her inside the body. When the D-Reaper begins to materialize in the Real World, the Tamers defeat it, using the program and saving Jeri. With both worlds restored, the children say goodbye to their Digimon partners, when they end up returning to the Digital World by the effects of the program. The series ends with Takato discovering a portal in Guilmon's old tunnel.

Characters

Tamers

Takato Matsuki (松田 啓人, Matsuda Takato; Takato Matsuda in the Japanese version)[11]
Voiced by: Makoto Tsumura (Japanese); Brian Beacock (English)
Takato is a 10 year old student.[d] His parents run their own bakery.[12] Takato plays card games with his friends and draws his own Digimon on paper. After finding a Blue Card, he uses it on the Digivice to create Guilmon. Learning that Digimon are mysteriously appearing in their world, Takato joins the battle. 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. Takato becomes the leader of the organization. He also appeared 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."[12] 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.[12]
Rika Nonaka (牧野 留姫, Makino Ruki; Ruki Makino in the Japanese version)[15]
Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese); Melissa Fahn (English)
Rika is a 10-year-old[d] 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.[16] She is partnered with Renamon.[15] At first, she has a cold and lonely personality and believes in fighting Digimon to become the strongest.[15] However, Takato helps her see that there is more to Digimon beyond fighting.[15] She also appeared 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.[13] In early stages of her design, Konaka and Nakatsuru based her on Trinity from The Matrix.[13] Fumiko Orikasa was cast to play her due to her clear, strong voice.[13] 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).[13]
Henry Wong (李 健良, Rī Jenrya; Lee Jianliang in the Japanese version)[17]
Voiced by: Mayumi Yamaguchi (Japanese); Dave Wittenberg (English)
Henry is a 10-year-old student[d] of half-Japanese and half-Hong Kong Chinese descent from Takato's school,[17] though they are not in the same class.[14] In the Japanese version, he is nicknamed Jian (ジェン, Jen) 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.[17] He is also experienced with computers and technology because his father is a computer engineer.[17] Henry is partnered with Terriermon, and because he dislikes hurting others, he is reluctant to fight.[17] 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.[14] Konaka decided to make him half-Chinese and half-Japanese based on the statistics of non-Japanese students in elementary schools.[14] 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."[14]

Partner Digimon

Guilmon (ギルモン, Girumon)
Voiced by: Masako Nozawa (Japanese); Steve Blum (English)
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. 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.[18]
Terriermon (テリアモン, Teriamon)
Voiced by: Aoi Tada (Japanese); Mona Marshall (English)
Terriermon is a small one-horned terrier-themed 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 Gargomon, 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. When Terriermon reverts into Gummymon as a side effect of the Red Card, he says goodbye to Henry.
Renamon (レナモン)
Voiced by: Yuka Imai (Japanese); Mari Devon (English)
Renamon is a yellow bipedal fox-themed Digimon with a mature personality for a Rookie level. In a fight, she uses ninja-like skills, such as vanishing from view until called and moving at fast speeds. These traits mean that, unlike Guilmon and Terriermon, she can fend for herself when Rika is at school, and never gets into trouble like Guilmon. She has no memory of her life before meeting Rika, whom she first saw as nothing more than a means to become stronger. Her initial exchanges with the other Tamers and their Digimon cause her to question this belief, and Rika's obsession with battle. When Rika and Renamon part ways, they begin to understand each other, and reunite themselves for their apology. Renamon learns that Impmon is selfish, because he is desperate for Digivolution. When Renamon reverts into Viximon as a side effect of the Red Card, she says goodbye to Rika. Renamon also appeared in Digimon Fusion.
Impmon (インプモン)
Voiced by: Hiroki Takahashi (Japanese); Derek Stephen Prince (English)
Impmon is a small, purple Digimon resembling an demonic imp, sporting red gloves and a red bandana around his neck. Originally introduced as a troublemaker, Impmon develops a bond with the Tamers and their Digimon, albeit reluctantly due to his loner nature. Impmon initially boasts how strong he is, stating having a human Tamer is more of a hinderance than a help, eventually admitting to Renamon his desire to digivolve. Through flashbacks, Impmon formerly had two Tamer partners, a pair of siblings named Ai and Mako, but left due to their constant fighting and arguing. After making a deal with the Devas, Impmon was given the power to digivolve to his Beelzebub-themed Mega form Beelzemon, which he used to terrorize the Digital World and attack the Tamers and their Digimon, killing Jeri's partner Leomon in the process. After being shown mercy by Takato and Guilmon in their combined form Gallantmon, Beelzemon wandered off, reverting back into Impmon. Back in the real world, he reunites with Ai and Mako, who apologize to Impmon for their behavior. With their bond restored, Impmon is able to digivolve into a stronger version of his Mega form Beelzemon Blast Mode. When Impmon reverts into Yaamon as a side effect of the Red Card, he says goodbye to Ai and Mako.

Hypnos

Digimon Sovereign

Devas

D-Reaper

Other characters

Episodes

No.Fox Kids title (Original Japanese title translated to English)
Original Japanese title		Original release date [19]English air date
1"Guilmon Comes Alive" ("Guilmon is Born! The Digimon that I Created")
Transliteration: "Girumon Tanjō! Boku no Kangaeta Dejimon" (Japanese: ギルモン誕生!僕の考えたデジモン)		April 1, 2001 (2001-04-01)September 1, 2001
2"Digimon, Digimon Everywhere" ("You're my Friend! Introducing Terriermon")
Transliteration: "Kimi wa Boku no Tomodachi Teriamon Tōjō!" (Japanese: 君はぼくのともだち テリアモン登場!)		April 8, 2001 (2001-04-08)September 1, 2001
3"To Fight or Not to Fight" ("Renamon VS Guilmon! Battle is a Digimon's Life")
Transliteration: "Renamon Tai Girumon! Tatakai Koso ga Dejimon no Inochi" (Japanese: レナモン対ギルモン!戦いこそがデジモンの命)		April 15, 2001 (2001-04-15)September 8, 2001
4"It Came from the Other Side" ("A Tamer's Trial! Defeat Gorillamon!")
Transliteration: "Teimā no Shiren! Gorimon o Taose!" (Japanese: テイマーの試練!ゴリモンを倒せ!)		April 22, 2001 (2001-04-22)September 8, 2001
5"Dream a Little Dream" ("Rollin'-rollin'! Let's Play with Calumon!")
Transliteration: "Kurukkurūn! Kurumon to Asobo!" (Japanese: くるっくるーん!クルモンと遊ぼ!)		April 29, 2001 (2001-04-29)September 15, 2001
6"O Partner, Where Art Thou?" ("The Meaning of Partners, Renamon Evolves")
Transliteration: "Pātonā no Imi, Renamon Shinka!" (Japanese: パートナーの意味 レナモン進化!)		May 6, 2001 (2001-05-06)September 15, 2001
7"Now You See It, Now You Don't" ("Crisis for Guilmon! The Adventure in my Town")
Transliteration: "Girumon ga Abunai! Boku no Machi no Bōken" (Japanese: ギルモンが危ない! ぼくの町の冒険)		May 13, 2001 (2001-05-13)September 22, 2001
8"A Question of Trust" ("Guilmon Evolves! Decisive Battle in West Shinjuku")
Transliteration: "Girumon Shinka! Nishi Shinjuku Daikessen" (Japanese: ギルモン進化!西新宿大決戦)		May 20, 2001 (2001-05-20)September 22, 2001
9"Not as Seen on TV" ("Revert to Guilmon! The Growmon Incident")
Transliteration: "Girumon ni Modotte! Guraumon Sōdō" (Japanese: ギルモンに戻って!グラウモン騒動)		May 27, 2001 (2001-05-27)September 29, 2001
10"The Icemon Cometh" ("Renamon is my Friend! Ruki's Hesitation")
Transliteration: "Renamon wa Tomodachi! Ruki no Mayoi" (Japanese: レナモンは友達!留姫の迷い)		June 3, 2001 (2001-06-03)September 29, 2001
11"Much Ado About Musyamon" ("Shinjuku Railroad Bridge...Duel for a Minute and a Half!")
Transliteration: "Shinjuku Dai Gādo Ippun-Sanjūbyou no Taiketsu!" (Japanese: 新宿大ガード 1分30秒の対決!)		June 10, 2001 (2001-06-10)October 6, 2001
12"Divided They Stand" ("Ruki and Renamon, The Crisis of the Bond!")
Transliteration: "Ruki to Renamon Kizuna no Kiki!" (Japanese: 留姫とレナモン きずなの危機!)		June 17, 2001 (2001-06-17)October 6, 2001
13"Juggernaut" ("The Order to Capture the Digimon! The Sinister Foreboding")
Transliteration: "Dejimon Hokaku Shirei! Wazawai no Yokan" (Japanese: デジモン捕獲指令!災いの予感)		June 24, 2001 (2001-06-24)October 13, 2001
14"Grow Mon Grow" ("Stand up, Tamers! MegaloGrowmon Super Evolution!")
Transliteration: "Teimā yo Tate! Megaroguraumon Chō-Shinka" (Japanese: テイマーよ立て!メガログラウモン超進化)		July 1, 2001 (2001-07-01)October 20, 2001
15"Snakes, Trains, and Digimon" ("Giant Snake Appearance! Ōedo Line Great Panic")
Transliteration: "Kyodai Hebi Shutsugen! Ōedo-Sen Dai-Panikku" (Japanese: 巨大ヘビ出現!大江戸線大パニック)		July 8, 2001 (2001-07-08)October 27, 2001
16"Back to Nature, Back to Battle" ("Protect the Light of the Town! Dangerous Camp of the Digimon")
Transliteration: "Machi no Akari o Mamore! Dejimon-tachi no Kiken na Kyampu" (Japanese: 街の灯を守れ!デジモンたちの危険なキャンプ)		July 15, 2001 (2001-07-15)November 3, 2001
17"Duel with the Deva" ("Chase the Blue Card! The Rapidmon Moment")
Transliteration: "Burū-Kādo o Oe! Rapiddomon Denkōsekka" (Japanese: ブルーカードを追え! ラピッドモン電光石火)		July 29, 2001 (2001-07-29)November 3, 2001
18"Digital Beauty" ("Beautiful Evolution! Taomon Dances in the Moonlight")
Transliteration: "Utsukushiki Shinka! Gekkō ni Mau Taomon" (Japanese: 美しき進化! 月光に舞うタオモン)		August 5, 2001 (2001-08-05)November 10, 2001
19"Impmon's Last Stand" ("I Would Like to Become Strong! Rise, Impmon!")
Transliteration: "Tsuyoku Naritai! Haiagare Inpumon" (Japanese: 強くなりたい! 這い上がれインプモン)		August 12, 2001 (2001-08-12)November 10, 2001
20"Out of the Blue" ("The Last Resort is This! Blue Card of Friendship")
Transliteration: "Kirifuda wa Kore da! Yūjō no Burū Kādo" (Japanese: 切り札はこれだ!友情のブルーカード)		August 19, 2001 (2001-08-19)November 17, 2001
21"Jeri's Quest" ("Juri's Partner!? My Mr. Leomon")
Transliteration: "Jere no Pātonā!? Watashi no Reomon-sama" (Japanese: 樹莉のパートナー !? 私のレオモン様)		August 26, 2001 (2001-08-26)November 17, 2001
22"The Boar Wars" ("Vikaralamon Appears! Protect Our Town!")
Transliteration: "Vikarāramon Tōjō Boku-tachi no Machi o Mamore!" (Japanese: ヴィカラーラモン登場 僕たちの街を守れ!)		September 2, 2001 (2001-09-02)November 24, 2001
23"A World Apart" ("Digimon Total Sortie! Advancing while Facing the Wind")
Transliteration: "Dejimon Soushutsugeki! Kaze ni Mukatte Susume" (Japanese: デジモン総出撃!風に向かって進め)		September 9, 2001 (2001-09-09)December 1, 2001
24"The Journey Begins" ("To the Digital World… The Day of Departure")
Transliteration: "Dejitaru Wārudo e… Tabidachi no Hi" (Japanese: デジタルワールドへ…旅立ちの日)		September 16, 2001 (2001-09-16)December 8, 2001
25"Brave New Digital World" ("Enter the Digital World! Goodbye to Our City")
Transliteration: "Dejitaru Wārudo Totsunyū! Saraba Boku-tachi no Machi" (Japanese: デジタルワールド突入!さらば僕たちの街)		September 23, 2001 (2001-09-23)December 15, 2001
26"Kazu and Kenta's Excellent Adventure" ("Little World! Jijimon and Babamon in the Strong Wind Valley")
Transliteration: "Shōsekai! Kaze no Tsuyoi Tani no Jijimon Babamon" (Japanese: 小世界! 風の強い谷のジジモン・ババモン)		September 30, 2001 (2001-09-30)February 9, 2002
27"Motorcycle Madness" ("Impmon Evolves! The Shudder of Beelzebumon the Dark Lord")
Transliteration: "Inpumon Shinka! Maō Beruzebumon no Senritsu" (Japanese: インプモン進化! 魔王ベルゼブモンの戦慄)		October 7, 2001 (2001-10-07)February 9, 2002
28"Blame it on Ryo" ("Friend or Foe!? The Legendary Tamer, Ryo Akiyama")
Transliteration: "Teki ka, Mikata ka!? Densetsu no Teimā Akiyama Ryō" (Japanese: 敵か味方か!? 伝説のテイマー秋山リョウ)		October 14, 2001 (2001-10-14)February 16, 2002
29"Goliath" ("Here is the Ghost Castle! The Great Escape of Stray Culumon")
Transliteration: "Koko wa Yūrei no Shiro! Mayoeru Kurumon Daidasshutsu" (Japanese: ここは幽霊の城! 迷えるクルモン大脱出)		October 21, 2001 (2001-10-21)February 16, 2002
30"The Imperfect Storm" ("Urgent Message from the Digital World, Culumon is...")
Transliteration: "Dejitaru Wārudo kara Kinkyū Renraku, Kurumon ga…" (Japanese: デジタルワールドから緊急連絡 クルモンが…)		October 28, 2001 (2001-10-28)February 23, 2002
31"Kazu's Upgrade" ("Friendship with Guardromon! 'I'll fight too!', Tamer Hirokazu")
Transliteration: "Gādoromon to no Yūjō! Boku mo Tatakau Teimā Hirokazu" (Japanese: ガードロモンとの友情! 僕も戦うテイマーヒロカズ)		November 4, 2001 (2001-11-04)February 23, 2002
32"Shibumi Speaks" ("The Mystery of Guilmon's Birth! The Mystic Water Space")
Transliteration: "Girumon Tanjō no Nazo! Shinpi Naru Uōtā Supēsu" (Japanese: ギルモン誕生の謎! 神秘なる水の宇宙)		November 11, 2001 (2001-11-11)March 2, 2002
33"Rabbit Transit" ("Where is Terriermon? Shiuchon goes to the Digital World!")
Transliteration: "Teriamon wa Doko! Shiuchon Dejitaru Wārudo e" (Japanese: テリアモンはどこ ! 小春デジタルワールドへ)		November 18, 2001 (2001-11-18)March 2, 2002
34"Lionheart" ("The Kind-Hearted Hero, Leomon Dies")
Transliteration: "Kokoro Yasashiki Yūsha Reomon Shisu!" (Japanese: 心優しき勇者 レオモン死す!)		November 25, 2001 (2001-11-25)March 9, 2002
35"Give a Little Bit" ("The Name is Dukemon! The True Ultimate Evolution")
Transliteration: "Sono Na wa Dyūkumon! Shin Naru Kyūkyoku Shinka" (Japanese: その名はデュークモン!真なる究極進化)		December 2, 2001 (2001-12-02)March 9, 2002
36"The Battle Within" ("Final Fight! Dukemon vs. Beelzebumon")
Transliteration: "Kessen! Dyūkumon Tai Beruzebumon" (Japanese: 決戦!デュークモン対ベルゼブモン)		December 9, 2001 (2001-12-09)March 16, 2002
37"No Mon is an Island" ("Showdown with Zhuqiaomon! SaintGalgomon, Ultimate Evolution")
Transliteration: "Taiketsu Sūtsēmon! Sentogarugomon Kyūkyoku Shinka" (Japanese: 対決スーツェーモン ! セントガルゴモン究極進化)		December 16, 2001 (2001-12-16)March 16, 2002
38"Azulongmon Explains It All" ("True Enemy Gets to Move! The Battle of the Four Holy Beasts")
Transliteration: "Ugoki-dashita Shin no Teki! Shiseijū no Tatakai" (Japanese: 動き出した真の敵 ! 四聖獣の戦い)		December 23, 2001 (2001-12-23)March 23, 2002
39"Song of Sakuyamon" ("Whirling Ultimate Flower! Sakuyamon Evolves")
Transliteration: "Maichiru Kyūkyoku no Hana! Sakuyamon Shinka" (Japanese: 舞い散る究極の花!サクヤモン進化)		December 30, 2001 (2001-12-30)March 30, 2002
40"Janyu's Ark" ("Evolutionary Radiance: Shining Evolution")
Transliteration: "Shinka no Kagayaki, Shainingu Eboryūshon" (Japanese: 進化の輝き シャイニング・エボリューション)		January 6, 2002 (2002-01-06)April 6, 2002
41"Homeward Bound" ("The Return to the Real World!")
Transliteration: "Kikan Riaru Wārudo e!" (Japanese: 帰還 リアルワールドへ!)		January 13, 2002 (2002-01-13)April 13, 2002
42"Reunion" ("The City Attacked by the D-Reaper, The Tamer's Resolve")
Transliteration: "De Rīpā ni Osowareta Machi Teimā no Ketsui" (Japanese: デ・リーパーに襲われた街 テイマー決意)		January 20, 2002 (2002-01-20)April 20, 2002
43"Beelzemon's Big Day" ("Connected Hearts, Beelzebumon's Resurrection")
Transliteration: "Tsunagaru Kokoro, Fukkatsu no Beruzebumon" (Japanese: つながる心 復活のベルゼブモン)		January 27, 2002 (2002-01-27)April 27, 2002
44"The Messenger" ("The Mysterious Girl! Bringer of Miracles, Dobermon")
Transliteration: "Nazo no Shōjo! Kiseki o Hakobu Dōberumon" (Japanese: 謎の少女!奇跡を運ぶドーベルモン)		February 3, 2002 (2002-02-03)May 4, 2002
45"The D-Reaper's Disguise" ("Stand Up to the D-Reaper, Charge into the Zone!")
Transliteration: "De Rīpā ni Tachimukae Zōn Totsunyū!" (Japanese: デ•リーパーに立ち向かえ ゾーン突入!)		February 17, 2002 (2002-02-17)May 11, 2002
46"When is a Mon Justimon?" ("The Invigorating Ultimate Warrior, Justimon Appears!")
Transliteration: "Sawayaka na Kyūkyoku Senshi Jasutimon Kenzan!" (Japanese: 爽やかな究極戦士 ジャスティモン見参!)		February 24, 2002 (2002-02-24)May 11, 2002
47"His Kingdom for a Horse" ("Save Dukemon! Grani Scramble")
Transliteration: "Dyūkumon o Sukue! Gurani Kinkyūhasshin" (Japanese: デュークモンを救え!グラニ緊急発進)		March 3, 2002 (2002-03-03)May 18, 2002
48"Shadow of the Beast King" ("The Power to Save Juri! Beelzebumon's Fist")
Transliteration: "Juri o Mamoru Chikara, Beruzebumon no Ken" (Japanese: 樹莉を守る力、ベルゼブモンの拳)		March 10, 2002 (2002-03-10)May 18, 2002
49"D-Reaper's Feast" ("Destruction of the Capital! Culumon's Wish")
Transliteration: "Shuto Kaimetsu! Kurumon no Negai" (Japanese: 首都壊滅!クルモンの願い)		March 17, 2002 (2002-03-17)June 1, 2002
50"Jeri Fights Back" ("Crimson Knight, Dukemon! Save the People you Love")
Transliteration: "Shinku no Kishi Dukemon Ai Suru Mono-tachi o Sukue!" (Japanese: 真紅の騎士デュークモン 愛するものたちを救え!)		March 24, 2002 (2002-03-24)June 8, 2002
51"Such Sweet Sorrow" ("The Power to Dream is Our Future")
Transliteration: "Yume Miru Chikara Koso Boku-tachi no Mirai" (Japanese: 夢見る力こそ 僕たちの未来)		March 31, 2002 (2002-03-31)June 8, 2002


Production

After the success of Digimon Adventure 02, Hiroyuki Kakudo and staff did not know what to do now that the series was finished.[clarification needed] The team was satisfied with the release of Digimon Tamers, as Kakudo believed the setting could have also been applied in the previous anime. Chiaki J. Konaka was concerned that the portrayal of the Digimon as "kind-hearted creatures" in Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02 might affect the "monster-like spirit of Digimon." As a result, Konaka wanted to explore the primitive nature of Digimon, where they instinctively harm other creatures to become stronger and would learn morals from their partners. This aspect would be primarily explored through Guilmon.

Konaka was also worried about Digivolutions losing impact due to their repetitiveness. In order to solve this, the D-Power was designed as the new Digivice so that it could be used alongside cards and give the characters another "ace up sleeve." The writers wanted to limit the use of cards to one at a time. The main characters being more responsible of the evolutions and their adventures was another of Konaka's priorities as a message to children from modern society.[7] For the last episodes of the series, Konaka believed the final enemy is the D-Reaper.[20] While making the series, Konaka had conceptualized the idea of the Tamers combining with their Digimon to reach the highest level of evolution, Mega. Shinji Aramaki joined the design team in the CGI animation, which including the Bio-merge scenes.[21]

Unlike the previous series, Konaka did not introduce the idea of Digimon being reborn after death, as he believed death should be portrayed realistically in a show for children, especially since the main characters were risking their lives. As a result, the staff decided to portray death as a shocking event by using Leomon like in Digimon Adventure, even though Konaka had doubts about it.[22] While the series was presented as dark, Terriermon and Calumon balanced out the tone of the series.[23]

The early storyline of Digimon Tamers was significantly influenced by an unused script for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe written by brothers Chiaki and Kazuya Konaka [ja], alongside another draft by Yoshikazu Okada [ja], which preceded the final version by Kazunori Itō.[24][25] Concepts from the Konakas' script were later adapted for Digimon Tamers, as well as for Gamera the Brave and Ultraman Tiga.[26][27] Their draft also shared similarities with Tsuburaya Productions' Daigoro vs. Goliath.[26] Konaka, who had been an admirer of Ultraman since childhood, additionally cited Tsuburaya's Kaiju Booska—itself influenced by Ultra Q—and Hayao Miyazaki's Future Boy Conan as reference points for Tamers.[28] The kaiju Kanegon [ja] from the Ultra Q and Ultraman franchises is also referenced in the spin-off prequel novel Digimon Tamers 1984.[28]

Character design

The characters were designed by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru and was based on the concept of "a normal elementary school student has a great adventure over the span of a year."[12] Producer Hiromi Seki had wanted the three main characters to be of mixed genders and consist of an immigrant or someone not raised in Japan.[13][14] 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.[13] Henry became the basis of the proposed non-Japanese or emigrant character, and Konaka decided to make him half-Chinese and half-Japanese based on the statistics of non-Japanese students in elementary schools.[14]

Sequel

In 2021, Konaka had posted on his blog that he originally had plans to create Digimon Tamers 2020, which would have been the continuation of an audio drama that was released with the 2018 limited edition Blu-ray box set of Digimon Tamers.[29][30] However, Toei Animation had rejected the pitch; Konaka claimed it was due to casting problems, particularly in regards to having some voice actors reprise their roles or play older versions of their characters convincingly.[29][30]

Media

Anime

The series aired 51 episodes on Fuji TV from April 1, 2001, to March 31, 2002. The opening theme is "The Biggest Dreamer" by Kōji Wada, which peaked at #59 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.[31] The ending themes are performed by AiM, the first half of the show being "My Tomorrow"[32] and the second half being "Days (Aijō to Nichijō)" (Days-愛情と日常-). "My Tomorrow" peaked at #70 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, while "Days (Aijō to Nichijō)"[33] charted at #68.[32][33] Insert songs featured in the show include "Slash!!" by Michihiko Ohta as the Digi-modify theme,[34] "Evo" by Wild Child Bound as the Digivolution and Matrix Digivolution themes,[35] and "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto as the Biomerge Digivolution theme.[36]

An edited English-language version was produced by distributor Saban Entertainment and aired on Fox Kids in the United States from September 1, 2001, to June 8, 2002, as the third season of Digimon: Digital Monsters. Saban's version received various changes to character names, music and sound effects, as well as edits pertaining to violence and cultural references. The show also began airing on ABC Family in 2002, after Disney had acquired the rights from Saban Entertainment, which later also included a package deal with Digimon Frontier.[37] The show was released on Hulu with English subtitles in January 2011.[38] New Video Group release the dubbed version as a DVD boxset in North America on June 11, 2013.[39] Manga Entertainment released the series in the United Kingdom in 2018.[40]

The series was added to the Netflix Instant Streaming service on August 3, 2013, in separate English dubbed and Japanese subtitled versions. The series was removed on August 1, 2015,[41] after nearly two years on Netflix when Crunchyroll acquired streaming rights to the English dubbed versions and Funimation acquired rights to the English subtitled versions, the English dubbed version of Tamers returned to Netflix while the English subtitled version of Tamers are now exclusive to Funimation.

Films

Digimon Tamers: Battle of Adventurers (デジモンテイマーズ 冒険者たちの戦い, Dejimon Teimāzu: Bōkensha-tachi no Tatakai) was released on July 14, 2001, as part of Toei Animation Summer 2001 Animation Fair. The film was featured along with Mōtto! Ojamajo Doremi: The Movie: Kaeru Seki no Himitsu and Kinnikuman: Second Generations. The film takes place during the Tamers' summer vacation, where Mephistomon sends Digimon to invade the Real World through a virus called the "V-Pet." The film's ending theme song is "Moving On!" by AiM, which peaked at #95 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.[42] An insert song in the film, "Tomodachi no Umi [ja]" (トモダチの海), was performed by Sammy [ja].[43] The film's original soundtrack was released on December 5, 2001.[44]

Digimon Tamers: Runaway Locomon (デジモンテイマーズ 暴走デジモン特急, Dejimon Teimāzu: Bōsō no Dejimon Tokkyū) was released on March 2, 2002, as part of Toei Animation Spring 2002 Animation Fair. The film was double-billed with One Piece: Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals. The film grossed ¥200 billion. The film's story is centered on the Tamers battling Locomon, who has been infected by Parasimon and led into the Real World. The film's ending theme song is "Yūhi no Yakusoku" (夕陽の約束) by AiM.[45]

Both films will be released on Blu-ray in Discotek Media's second Digimon films collection.[46]

CD dramas

Two CD dramas written by Chiaki J. Konaka were released. The voice cast from the series reprised their roles.

Digimon Tamers: Original Story: Message in the Packet (デジモンテイマーズ オリジナルストーリー メッセージ・イン・ザ・パケット, Dejimon Teimāzu: Orijinaru Sutōrī: Messeji in za Paketto) was released on April 23, 2003, and follows the lives of each Tamer after the events of Digimon Tamers.[47]

Digimon Tamers: 2018 Days: Information and the Unordinary (デジモンテイマーズ 2018 Days -情報と非日常-, Dejimon Teimāzu: Ni-sen-jū-hachi Deizu: Jōhō to Hinichijō) was released on April 3, 2018, as a bonus with the first-press edition of the Digimon Tamers Blu-ray disc set.[48]

Short story

Digimon Tamers 1984, written by Chiaki J. Konaka and illustrated by Kenji Watanabe, was published on July 5, 2002, in Volume 5 of SF Japan, a Japanese science fiction magazine. The story focuses on the creation of the original Digimon program by the Monster Makers at Palo Alto University and dealt largely with the philosophical and technological issues surrounding the creation of artificial intelligence.[49] In 2018, Konaka uploaded an updated version of the story onto his website.[49]

Reception

Due to its differences from the first two Digimon series, Tamers received mixed reviews when it first aired in the United States (September 1, 2001). Tim Jones of THEM Anime writes, "Although Digimon Tamers has its faults (slow character development, a sudden change in new characters from the last series, and a less-than-exciting first half), the more you watch it, and the further you get into it, the more you'll enjoy it." In comparison to the first two series, Tamers also displayed darker undertones in its plot.[50] According to English-language dub voice actor Dave Wittenberg, the new series possessed "an element of seriousness" that was not present in the first two series. Additionally, some parts would be better understood by older viewers due to the introduction of more difficult concepts.[51] Regarding this, Konaka believes that Calumon and Terriermon were able to tone down the grim and serious atmosphere of the occasionally tough scenes throughout the series.[52]

The airing of the series coincided with the September 11 attacks, and in at least one case, the events have been analyzed within the context of the series. Margaret Schwartz of PopMatters writes, "As NPR and other […] media began to debate the September 11 images, I began to see just how important it was to consider how we as a culture define and experience 'reality' […] Some argue that the shocking video footage […] is a necessary experience of the catastrophe—even a condition of it." She points out the metafictional story of Tamers where "bits of forgotten computer data have fused to become a separate world inhabited by live creatures". In acknowledging the line drawn between good and evil in the series, Schwartz writes, "The evil here consists in refusing to see that Digimon are 'real', real creatures, and that destroying any one of them is in fact murder." Through the existence of intangible communication networks as a "product of human ingenuity", she concludes that "those of us in the 'real' world have become so good at playing creator, at making 'things' appear much like 'real' creatures, that we tend to confuse the two."[53]

Controversy

DigiFes 2021, an official Digimon event taking place annually on August 1, held a live reading featuring the original voice cast of an original audio drama that Konaka had written for Digimon Tamers' 20th anniversary.[54] The script featured the Tamers fighting a villainous entity called "political correctness", which used an attack called "cancel culture."[54] Prior to this, Konaka had been keeping a retrospective blog for rewatching Digimon Tamers and had blogged his opinions about conspiracy theories around 9/11 and COVID-19.[54] The audio drama was met with international backlash.[54] Konaka released an apology on his blog and clarified that he did not associate with any political ideology.[29][30]

Notes

  1. ^ A D-Power (ディーアーク, Dī Āku; "D-Ark" in the Japanese version) is a type of Digivice that allows a Digimon to Digivolve and includes a card reader.[4][5]
  2. ^ Digi-modification (カードスラッシュ, Kādo Surasshu; "Card Slash" in the Japanese version)[6] is the process by which a Tamer scans a card through a D-Power that allows a Digimon to access better battle abilities or Digivolution.
  3. ^ Digivolution (進化, Shinka; "Evolution" in the Japanese version)[7] is the process by which a Digimon evolves into a higher-leveled, more powerful form.[8][9][10]
  4. ^ a b c In the Japanese version, the main characters are 10 years old and in 5th grade. In the English version, the characters' ages were changed to 13 years old.[12][13][14]

References

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  46. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (August 9, 2025). "Discotek Reveals Monster, Shin Aim for the Ace, Zegapain, 6 More Licenses". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 9, 2025. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
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  50. ^ Jones, Tim. "Digimon Tamers". THEM Anime. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  51. ^ McFeely, Chris (August 2002). "Interview With Dave Wittenberg". The Digimon Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on July 27, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  52. ^ Konaka, Chiaki (2002). "Terriermon". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  53. ^ Schwartz, Margaret (October 8, 2001). "Real Consequence". PopMatters. Archived from the original on February 8, 2005. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
  54. ^ a b c d Morissy, Kim (2021-08-04). "Digimon Tamers 20th Anniversary Stage Show Features 'Cancel Culture' Villain". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  • Toei Animation official site (Japanese)
  • Digimon Tamers Resources
  • Digimon Tamers (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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