Digimon Adventure 2020 ep 6-8: is the old formula creeping back?

Of the three Digimon Adventure episodes I'm covering here, episode 8 was my favorite. Episode 6 was the first one in the series I found boring, and episode 7 was likable but leaned on the same formula. The reboot, Digimon Adventure (2020), was still introducing its cast across this stretch. That's also where a concern of mine started to creep in: I'm worried the series could slide into the repetitive, episodic pattern I criticized the original Digimon for about 20 years ago.

Episode 6, Mimi's Episode, Was the First One I Found Boring

Episode 6 is centered around Mimi. I understood it as being called The Targeted Kingdom, and the story also involves her grandfather. To be honest, it was the first episode of this Digimon series that I found boring. I know what they were trying to do, but I was bored during it. The Ogremon storyline kept going and continued here. The animation was fine, but there wasn't much to dissect.

I'm not hating on it. You can't have every episode of an ongoing series be a home run. It's impossible, because there are too many episodes. A shorter series like The Mandalorian, with one or two seasons of 12 or maybe even 20 episodes, might pull that off. This is supposed to be a serialized show, so there will be ups and downs. My main issue was pacing. In my opinion it could have been paced a little faster.

The Digimon Adventure 2020 Soundtrack and Battle Animation Keep Delivering

I still greatly enjoy the soundtrack of this anime. I like how it kicks. I'm thinking about getting my hands on the soundtrack when it comes out, because it's killer. Digimon Adventure 2020 has a very good soundtrack.

The animation holds up even in episode 6. There's the clashing of the horns and an awesome battle. I praise it in every review, and it's still very solid. It's not always great. There are some moments where it's whatever. When it comes to the battles, though, they've all been pretty good, especially as the series keeps going.

My Concern: Digimon Adventure 2020 Drifting Into the Old Formula

Episode 7 introduces another chosen one, Joe Kido, and it centers on Gomamon, his partner. We're still meeting the cast. That's where my concern comes in. I criticized the original Digimon for going down a formulaic path where it became repetitive and episodic. In the old episodes, there would be a problem, the good guys would lose, and then whichever Digimon the episode wanted to spotlight would digivolve and win, or they would work together.

I think that approach was probably more effective in the late 90s and early 2000s. Storytelling on television has evolved, not just in America but also in Japan, where this series is targeted. That formula tended to hurt the story a little bit. Every time, the drama would be gone because they would miraculously pull a deus ex machina and reveal a new form. That went on for a long time.

I feel like the 2020 series is slowly going down that path, but I don't want to commit to that idea yet. It's too soon. I think they're still establishing the characters and the journey they're going on. Still, it's in the back of my head. I know some fans love that formula. I prefer a more serialized story with longer struggles and better payoffs. Instead of giving the solution in one episode, give it two or three episodes of bad things happening to the main characters before the digivolution, and make it a more creative moment. They're rebooting things, and it's not the exact same story, but it does seem to be heading down that path.

Joe Kido's Episode 7 Ocean Battle Was a Welcome Change

Taken on its own, I liked the Joe Kido episode. I like that the characters are on a quest and won't simply reach their goal without obstacles. If there weren't any obstacles, why would it be a quest? Part of a quest is overcoming obstacles and dealing with things as they come.

I also liked that the big battle in episode 7 took place in the ocean. It was something different, a different aesthetic to look at as the battles play out. Overall, though, it still had the same formulaic problems.

The Repeated Insert Song Stands Out Back to Back

They need to chill out with that insert song. Maybe it's because I'm taking these episodes in chunks. Week to week, maybe you don't notice it. Going one episode after another, it's more noticeable that it's repetitive.

That makes me wonder about future generations who come back to this series and marathon it, seven, eight, nine or ten episodes at a time, the way some of us do with Netflix shows. I wonder whether it will feel the way it's supposed to, because of the passing of time. It's something I've often wondered about.

Episode 8's Attack on the Fortress Was My Favorite

Episode 8 got very interesting. I understood its title as The Children's Attack on the Fortress. Things got a lot darker, with a nighttime setting that seemed to fit symbolically. The motif turned dark and shifted the tone, but not in a bad way. It was my favorite of the three, and I think it had the most action.

Seeing Garurumon go up against tanks while trying to break into a fortress was awesome from start to finish. The whole episode was very fun. Then they revealed DarkTyrannomon, and I loved it. DarkTyrannomon is awesome. He's the main antagonist of this episode, with his design and his powers, and the characters all have to team up against him because he's that strong.

Garurumon is the spotlight character here. As much as I don't want the series locked into the formula, here it worked effectively. The animation and everything else clicked together nicely, and it was good to see Garurumon get the spotlight and become the real hero. The story wasn't over either. At the time, they were teasing that the next episode would see the characters face off against the most powerful Digimon yet, and I was looking forward to it.