Digimon Adventure: (2020) Episode 51

Wha… We’re choosing NOW to address the crests??? When there are only 15 more episodes left?! Not gonna lie, I’m a bit peeved about that. I feel like the crests should have been addressed earlier, like say, I dunno… BEFORE FIGHTING MILLENNIUMON?! The pacing and structure of this series is absolutely dreadful. I felt like wanting to slam my head into the wall with how this episode played out.

Literally after the battle with Millenniumon, the kids are summoned to a research lab of sorts. I’m not sure how much time passed, but they sure put together this place pretty fast. Too fast if you ask me. But whatever, we’re not talking about that. Gerbemon makes a reappearance and introduces Wisemon. I’m a bit wary of Wisemon because not only was he a minor villain in the Digimon game I’m playing, but he’s voiced by Show Hayami who has played some pretty shady characters. So unless I’m proven wrong, this guy is on my sus list.

But… WHY WASN’T THIS ADDRESSED EARLIER?! This honestly feels like a super interesting plot point to have been set up going into the Millenniumon arc. Like sure, it’s fine that it didn’t end with Millenniumon, but the fact that there is a BIGGER threat coming feels so tacked on. They could have built up the fact that Millenniumon wasn’t the final boss and that there was something else possibly pulling the strings. And yes, I am still salty that the Millenniumon boss fight only lasted 1 episode when freaking Orochimon lasted two eps…

Also they SAY they always wondered about those symbols, but they never SHOWED us any interest in what it could be. They never even talked about it… But I will admit that these kids have seen these symbols throughout their lives is rather intriguing and I am curious as to how this could possibly lead into developing the kids more or at least seeing more of their home lives. But at this point, I should know better than to put my hopes into this series. I’ll just let myself be surprised if it every impresses me again.

The kids are set up to learn more about the meaning of the crests which will most likely be the key to unlocking the rest of the kids’ Mega forms. Since it was spoiled in the next episode’s title… But then the research lab is attacked by… Burpmon. I literally cannot. BURPMON?! I literally had to pause the episode and just bury my face in my hands because you cannot just drop that name and have me take it seriously. With an enemy looking like THAT, I cannot take it seriously. This thing is literally just a dumber looking Gluttony from Fullmetal Alchemist or a less cute Kirby. Yes it posed a big threat since it was swallowing up all the data (and attacks) it could find and would have eaten the crests if the kids hadn’t intervened.

They end up defeating it by shoving all of the garbage data into it and having it explode. I did have a laugh that the Mechanorimon it swallowed earlier flew out of it when it exploded. Guess it survived after all. Though I do wish that it didn’t like the garbage data since it would have been in line with it not liking Gerbemon who is basically trash as well. So when Wisemon said that Burpmon had it’s preferences, I assumed it wouldn’t like the garbage data…

It was obvious that Burpmon was dropped there purposefully in an attempt to get in the way of learning more about the crests. Now the kids now have to search for the secrets of the crests and as soon as I saw the compasses point in different directions I was like: oh no… they’re going to force them to split up again. But to be fair, the kids have been together for a while now so I GUESS it’s fine if they go separate ways for the time being. It does make for some interesting interactions especially the Joe, Hikari and Takeru group. Didn’t think the hot springs would be brought back up….

This episode just made me want to stop the coverage because I’m just baffled at how bad the pacing of this series is. However… we are 51 episodes in and only 15 left. I’M IN TOO FAR TO STOP NOW. Even if it’ll cost me my sanity at times. I’m pretty stubborn about dropping series when I’m already so far in (i.e. Fire Force and Ensemble Stars). So I am finishing this series whether I like it or not!

So many of the things that happen feel so tacked on, like Ga- …Ahem, Tailmon and Patamon suddenly getting fatigued at the end of the episode just felt so forced. Why weren’t they like that at the beginning of the episode? Not to mention, that the Soundbirdmon just happen to appear now… where were they for the past 20 or so episodes???? All I ask is for consistency and not have things happen for the sake of happening. Once this is all over, I definitely should just binge the original series because I don’t remember it having so many of these problems I’m experiencing with the 2020 version. Also… I really wish they’d stop putting the name of the evolution that’s about to happen in the freaking episode title. It ruins the surprise. Looks like we’re on the route of getting everyone else’s mega evolutions one episode at a time… But I do have hopes that the crest secrets could be interesting despite my grievances with the placement of this arc.

On a brighter note, any frontier callback is a good call back and it was a pleasant surprise to see Bokomon. SO. MANY. BOKOMON. Seeing so many of them in one place was rather adorable lol.