Not gonna lie, this episode felt off. In more ways than one. Not only did they basically reuse an earlier episode premise AGAIN, but the pacing and reactions just felt really weird to me. I’m glad that we’re finally getting some more background on the kids, but the placement in the series doesn’t quite flow well with the plot right now. Especially since it feels like we’re in plot limbo right now as the kids don’t seem to be worried about doing anything right now. Are they supposed to be going after the dark crystals left by Milleniummon? Are they supposed to go to the big crystal where those alien Digimon are? What are they even supposed to be doing right now?
Like, I don’t mind a couple fillers here and there, but for the past several weeks there has just been filler after another. Some better than others, but having so many in a row is starting to feel a bit tiring. Anyways, like most of the other character filler episodes so far, this ends up being a reskin of episode 20 where Yamato ends up having to try and rescue Takeru from darkness until Angemon pops out. Nothing new was really added to the characters so the episode just comes across as pointless. It was nice seeing Yamato and Takeru with their family before they split up, but that was really all.
Yamato and Takeru come across this empty amusement park and I immediately think of the Toy Town episode in the original. Though the big difference between that episode and this one was that there was plot relevant reason with the black gear controlling Monzaemon and giving Palmon the spotlight for her evolution, while the amusement park was just there because… reasons? There was no connection to Milleniummon or his crystals and didn’t really expand on anything character-wise. I even wish that they didn’t immediately show us that Opossommon had bad intentions. Reveal it after they spot that injured Digimon.
To no one’s surprise, the amusement park was just a ploy to trick Digimon into coming and having fun before being eaten by the Warumonzaemon… which is pretty horrific in its own right. I do like that Opossommon was a fun antagonist and actually spoke while having a personality unlike so many of the other one off Digimon villains we’ve seen so far. Even if I did want to punch that snarky little punk in the face. I honestly wish that this had at least SOMETHING to do with Milleniummon and not this random encounter of some terrible Digimon… because I feel like we should be past this point now.
When Takeru was swallowed and immediately got brainwashed, my immediate response was: WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT??? I know he’s a kid and didn’t think things through… but still. In any case, Takeru most likely just went in to see if he could help without really thinking only to find the Digimon’s life force slowly being drained away all the while forever riding the different rides within the Warumonzaemon until they went brain dead, which is also pretty terrifying.
But man, I was not expecting Angemon to come up in this episode. Though I do wish he came back in a better more meaningful episode. I definitely felt like I was faked out several times since I’m like: Oh is he about to become Angemon- Oh, just Pegasmon again- OH MY GOSH IT IS HIM. And not gonna lie, I just started laughing when the small Digimon were like: We have to have hope too! It just felt so cliche that I couldn’t take it seriously.
Because it’s Angemon, Warumonzaemon had no chance and was easily defeated and we had the wonderful moment of that snarky little rat Opossummon just get squished like the bug that he was. Sad he won’t be sticking around as a recurring villain, but he will not be missed.
What I did like from this episode, we at least get A LITTLE bit out of Yamato and Takeru by highlighting some character traits that we haven’t seen from them yet with Yamato being afraid of horror and Takeru being a little punk lol.
This episode was pretty bland. Not to mention the pacing just felt really off for some reason. Warumanzaemon felt like he was barely there and the action scenes weren’t particularly exciting and extremely brief. I’m glad Angemon is back, but I wish his reappearance had more meaning and impact rather than just shock value. I do wonder if Patamon can choose which evolution to go into now or if he still needs the power of Hope to evolve into Angemon. Other than that, the episode was cute, but felt very hollow. Hopefully next week will be better… though if I had to wager a guess, Koshiro’s episode is just going to end up a reskin of episodes 5 and 14. Hopefully the series will prove me wrong… but I I highly doubt it.
Due to the business of this weekend episode 42 will be in a double post together with episode 43 next week!