Digimon Season 1 (Digimon Adventures)
Arc 1: Episodes - 1-13
Summary: Digivices appear to seven kids at summer camp, transporting them to the Digital World. There they meet cute little creatures known as Digimon that have been waiting for them. As the kids explore the strange new world, they learn the Digimon Digivolve into a new creature when the kids are in danger. They notice that some of the Digimon that attack are good, but infected by a Black Gear. The gears are tools of the villainous Devimon, who traps the kids in a hotel before scattering them to different parts of the fractured island. The kids return the island to normal and have a final confrontation with Devimon, who is defeated when TK's Digimon reaches its champion form.
Place: File Island
Principal Bad Guy(s): Devimon, w. Ogremon and possessed Leomon
Principal Mentor: Leomon, and various Digimon freed from Black Gears
The Good: The first episode was a good start, and the split team episodes were engaging; Leomon and Andromon are very likeable; I loved Gommamon and the other rookies' antics off the bat; Devimon is very intimidating and menacing. Ep.1, 8-12
The Bad: Matt becomes kinda annoying, picking fights and the like; at first, each episode is devoted to someone on the team's Digimon reaching champion, and not all these stories are interesting. Ep. 3, 5-7
The Indifferent:Ep. 2, 4, 13
Overall: As a unit, this arc is well designed with a beginning, middle and end, but I watch this the least because so many of the individual episodes in the first half are dull filler. Once the team is split up and more focus can be given to each character it gets more interesting, particularly the group dynamics. The conclusion of the arc is surprisingly touching. Pay attention to the Digimon freed from Black Gears, as they'll resurface throughout this season and the next.
Arc 2: Episodes - 14-28
Summary: The kids next get a message from Gennai on the digital continent of Server, who wants their help in defeating another villain, Etemon. Since he is more powerful than Devimon, they will need to locate crests which are scattered around the continent. Etemon hounds them as each kids finds their crest, and Tai loses faith when he causes his Digimon to Digivolve incorrectly. The team shapes up with the help of Pixiemon and finally confronts Etemon when a disgruntled employee abducts Sora for his own purposes. The gang rescues Sora and Tai is able to take his Digimon to the next level correctly, but is warped back to the real world while defeating Etemon. He eventually returns to find the team split up and must reunite them despite the best efforts of a mischievous digimon, Demidevimon, who works for Myotismon. The kids learn Myotismon plans to invade their world but are too late to stop him, so they return to the real world as well.
Place: Continent of Server
Principal Bad Guy(s): Etemon, and then Myotismon, w. Demidevimon, Gazimon and various lackeys like Gatomon
Principal Mentor(s): Gennai, Pixiemon
The Good: Etemon is a hilarious villain, very Elvis-like; I like how Demidevimon uses psychology to render the crests useless; Tai's character development; Mimi's comic moments; Pixiemon's training sessions; Gatomon at her most invincible. Ep. 16-21, 25-27
The Bad: Etemon's all-too-brief reign of terror; Patamon's In-Training form and TK kinda bug. The arc gets off to a slow start when new villains are introduced. Ep. 14, 15, 22
The Indifferent:The momentum-killing card arrangement episode near the end; the Datamon stuff seemed rushed and confusing. Ep. 23, 24, 28
Overall: A neatly designed story arc, with cohesive designs even if it is split down the middle - like the first arc, it suffers though because a lot of individual episodes are dull or filler-like. The exceptions are the Tai-centered episodes that are willing to show that the team leader is flawed but also how he can come back from it. The episode where he and Agumon return to the Real World was well done. Some of the funnier episodes are found here.
Arc 3: Episodes - 29-39
Summary: Once in the real world, the kids try to protect their town from Myotismon's lackeys while finding the eighth child destined to save the digital and real worlds. Unbeknownst to them, it is Tai's younger sister, who was too sick to go on the camp trip, and her digimon is one of Myotismon's lackeys, Gatomon. Gatomon's friend Wizardmon discovers the connection and the two are united. Meanwhile, Myotismon is also searching for the eighth child and steps up by taking the city hostage and putting the parents in a trance. Kari and Gatomon are eventually captured, but saved from death by Wizardmon, who takes the blow. Kari's crest Digivolves Gatomon to Angewomon, who seemingly defeats Myotismon. But instead a prophecy takes place, where Myotismon Digivolves to an even higher form. As per the Prophecy, Izzy directs TK and Kari to have their digimon shoot their brothers with arrows of energy, triggering their Digimon to a higher level as well. Still, the battle isn't going well until all the Digivices ensnare VenomMyotismon and he is easily defeated. But the children notice that the Digital World is in chaos since their absence, so they return.
Place: the Real World (Odaiba, Japan)
Principal Bad Guy(s): Myotismon, w. Demidevimon and various lackeys, including Gatomon and Wizardmon
Principal Mentor: Gennai, w. help from Wizardmon
The Good: Great plot and character development for all! Biyomon fixing the gap between Sora and her mom and the Digimon's general interactions in the real world - it's cute when they pretend to be toys; the easygoing nature in the first few episodes, which allowed for all the development; Matt and TK's friendship with Gotsumon and Pumpkinmon; the emotion behind the crests' activating; Wizardmon's whole story arc and his friendship with Gatomon; the climactic battle, where Matt and Tai fulfill the Prophecy. Ep. 29-39
The Bad: Joe's barely in this arc - what's up with that?
The Indifferent: They started off with Myotismon sucking females' blood like a real vampire and then never went anywhere with it; we never get to meet Joe's parents or Sora's dad, which seems kinda strange;
Overall: The strongest arc of this season to me. The plotlines are strong and cohesive throughout, and almost no lull. There are quiet moments but no filler episodes, and a lot of character developments as several crests are activated. The bond formed between Kari and Gatomon, the Wizardmon character, the interactions of the kids with their parents, and the fulfillment of the Prophecy are all heart-stopping moments.
Arc 4: Episodes - 40-54
Summary: While the Digidestined were gone, malevolent Digimon called the Dark Masters took over, reshaping the land's data. The kids go about the task of defeating each Dark Master, with some of the Digimon helping them out cruelly deleted. This traumatizes Mimi, who leaves the group with Joe. Matt also leaves the group after being manipulated by a lackey of the Dark Master Puppetmon. Eventually, Tai has Sora fetch the wayward teammates when it's time to defeat the last Dark Master, Piedmon. Sora has trouble and falls into a pit of darkness. Meanwhile, Joe and Matt meet and rescue Sora, and Mimi finally faces her fears and joins the others as well. Ultimately, Angemon's digivolved form defeats Piedmon, but now the group must defeat Apocalymon, who was made from the data of deleted Digimon. He destroys the crests and deletes the team, but through pure strength of spirit they realize their crests are within and come back to defeat Apocalymon. Then it's time to say goodbye to the Digimon, although Palmon is especially reluctant.
Place: All of the Digital World, give or take
Principal Bad Guy(s): The Dark Masters - Metal Seadramon, Puppetmon, Machinedramon, and Piedmon w. various lackeys; MetalEtemon; Apocalymon
Principal Mentor(s): Gennai, w. assists from Saberleomon, Ogremon, and other various Digimon; that disembodied voice that took over Kari
The Good: the darker tone in general, which works well with the urgency to save the Digital World; the Mimi and Joe team-up with assists from Ogremon and Saberleomon against MetalEtemon; Puppetmon, the most dynamic of the Dark Masters; Matt redeems himself after sinking to an all-time low by helping Tai and Sora out; the team's character-defining moment after being deleted by Apocalymon; the sad goodbyes. Ep. 40, 43-47, 51-54
The Bad: the Machinedramon/ Kari episodes, because we already know Tai loves his sister and he already had his character defining episodes, so this seems repetitious, and the arc is so short I have trouble remembering it; Matt's all-time low, attacking a team member, really ticked me off. Ep. 48-49
The Indifferent: At first the deaths of innocent Digimon resonant, but gets monotonous after awhile; the Metal Seadramon episodes; the backstory episode was placed weird. Ep. 41-42, 50
Overall: The story continues getting dark in this arc, but the pacing seems scattershot - like the backstory episode that kills momentum during a battle; and one Dark Master has more episodes than the others? Still, there is a lot of character development - pretty much everyone has moments where they either become stronger or weaker and learn from it. The group splits up again, this time to deal with their issues, but reunite in time to save the Digital World. The ending is touching and leaves the door open for the next season...
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