Digimon Data Squad S01E17

Yoshi awakens from a nightmare, unsure of herself. With her health returned, she and the rest of DATS continue their journey to the Infinite Ice Ridge. She attempts to establish herself as the team leader, but her tenure is short, as Gotsumon attacks with Mammothmon. Yoshi, Lalamon, and Thomas are swept over the side of a cliff in an avalanche. While Marcus, Agumon, and Gaomon are able to stay topside, they’re attacked by Keenan and Falcomon once more. Gaomon leaves to assist the others while Marcus and Agumon deal with him.

Meanwhile, Yoshi’s self doubt reveals itself as a full-blown inferiority complex, stemming back to an early memory of her freezing from stage fright at a piano recital. Since then, she has never had confidence in herself, and it always held her back. Being the last to make it to the Ultimate level didn’t help, either. Mammothmon attacks, and Lalamon is forced to face him without Yoshi, who is paralyzed with fear. Gaomon tries to talk sense into her, but it isn’t until Lalamon uses her Sing-a-Song technique that she remembers more of her past: she did manage to play the song at the recital in the end, and the song served to guide Lalamon’s Digi-Egg to her.

Her confidence restored, Yoshi awakens her full DNA Charge, warp Digivolving Lalamon to Lilamon. She subdues Mammothmon and reverts it to a Digi-Egg, and Gotsumon retreats. The group continues their journey, but upon arriving at the Infinite Ice Ridge, they bump into none other than Grandpa Digivice.

As is so often the case in American shows, voicing children is not easy. Yoshino as a little girl sounds fine in Japanese, but Colleen struggles a bit with toddler Yoshi, just sounding squeaky.

Tohma says that if they keep up their current pace, they should reach the Infinity Ice Ridge by “tomorrow night.” In the dub, he says mostly the same thing, but also adds that he doesn’t know how far away they are. But if he can’t approximate the distance, how is he coming up with this estimate?

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Merukurimon says he can hear the human’s heartbeats, and Ikuto shouts that he will stop those heartbeats. In the dub, Merukimon says he can hear their footsteps, and Keenan says he’ll destroy the humons.

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Lalamon: That’s why we told you [Agumon] to go on a diet!
Lalamon: Less talking, more walking!

Hm, maybe they’re trying to undo all the fat jokes they made in Frontier.

In both versions, Yoshino rightfully points out that if they stop to rest in the middle of the snowbank, they’d have no cover in the event of an attack. I know it’s overcompensating on her part, but if she’s this competent, why can’t she be this competent all the time?!

Masaru: Hard to believe you actually think about these things.
Yoshino: Of course I do. From now on, you have to listen to my orders as the leader! Got that?!
Masaru and Agumon: Yes ma’am!
Yoshino: As long as that’s clear.
Lalamon: That’s how it is!
Marcus: Yeah, alright. But that doesn’t mean you can be mean to Agumon!
Yoshi: I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just trying to lead this mission to success! Do what I say or I will get mean! Got it?!
Marcus and Agumon: Yes!
Yoshi: And don’t forget it.
Lalamon: Double don’t forget it!

Even when Yoshino is competent, Lalamon is useless. Still, seeing her take charge is a nice change. She’s the only member of the DATS field team to be a legal adult.

Everyone else is a teenager. Working nonstop. In hazardous conditions. Against labor laws.

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Narrator: Mammon. A Perfect-level Digimon who can sense events and hear sounds that occur from far away. His special attacks are Tusk Strike and Tundra Breath.
Yoshi: Mammothmon, an Ultimate-level Digimon. Its Tusk Crusher and Freezing Breath would make it tough enough to defeat, but it can also counter your moves before you even make them because it can see into the future!

I don’t know why the dub added in that it could see into the future. It doesn’t come into play in the episode at all.

Megumi: No good, we can’t find them at all!
Miki: We’ve scanned all the areas around the dropoff point, but still can’t find any signals…
Megumi: Oh no! I’ve lost their signal again!
Miki: I’ve just scanned the entire edge of the clifftop, and even the crevasse below, but I’m not picking up anything!

For whatever reason, the dub DATS team is better at their jobs. In the Japanese version, they’re still searching around the landing zone and have never managed to track them to this point. The dub implies that the avalanche caused them to lose the signal, though they had it before.

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Megumi: Could Masaru and the rest… have been eaten by a Digimon?!
Megumi: Please tell me this doesn’t mean what I think it means! Commander, they can’t really be gone for good, can they?!

The original line was funnier because it’s basically Megumi flying off the handle, but I’m confused why she said “Masaru and the rest,” when her closest bonds are with Tohma and Yoshino.

Slash-impact screen covers Agumon’s headbutt.

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The music in Yoshino’s flashback differs between the original version and the dub.

Consulted Grynestyr again, our music expert. He identified the piece played in the Japanese version as Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers, from The Nutcracker.

No idea on the English song, but it’s definitely… a lot.

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Yoshi’s mother sounds older than Yoshino’s. And more flamebird-like.

When young Yoshino steps onto the stage, the emcee states that she will be performing the “Puppy Waltz,” which they might’ve just made up since I can’t find it anywhere. The dub doesn’t name a song.

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In the original, Gotsumon says they can’t return to Merukurimon without the humans, so they have to search for them. In the dub, he just says he won’t give up when he’s so close.

This qualifies as an improvement over the original, as in both versions, Yoshino asks if Gostumon and the Kuramon are Merukimon’s minions. Right after he said he was.

Dammit Yoshino, this is why no one likes you aside from that one squeaky bamboo sprout.

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Another example: Lalamon says they need to take down Gotsumon, Yanmamon, and the Kuramon to escape. In the original, Yoshino says there’s no way they could take them down, implying that they can’t take down one Rookie, one Champion (who’s really more of a manned drone than an actual Digimon), and a bunch of Fresh-level Digimon.

Yoshi, on the other hand, says that there are too many of them to take on alone, which is a more reasonable thing to say.

Yoshi: I’m useless! I’m way too weak!

I know I’m supposed to feel bad for her, but… god, at least someone finally said it.

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And when Mammothmon attacks, Lalamon just freezes and whimpers loudly while Gaomon is forced to save her.

The dub uses the same slash impact screen as always to cover Gaomon taking a hit from Mammothmon.

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Lalamon tells Gaomon to leave Mammothmon to her and go protect Yoshino and Thomas! …even though she was just quivering in fear and why can’t these characters be more consistent?

Falcomon kicking Agumon is replaced by Agumon growling at the camera.

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Masaru: Why do we have to hate each other when we’re both humans?
Marcus: Look, I’m sorry for your loss, but I had nothing to do with it!

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While it’s clear that Frigimon was killed, the dub avoids the topic, changing lines so it’s only mentioned once (it was mentioned three times in the original), and removing any reference to death or killing.

The proportions this season are… wildly variable.

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Maybe it’s just the angle of the shot, but Gaomon’s head looks massive in this scene.

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Yoshi: I’m just not good enough!
Gaomon: You are as good as you allow yourself to be! And are you really gonna let Lalamon fight all alone?!

That was a damn good line read in the dub. Way to go, Skip.

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Gaomon: Lalamon can’t evolve, and yet she fights with everything she’s got…

…which sadly isn’t much.

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The song that brought Lalamon to Yoshino differs between versions. The so-called “Puppy Waltz” from the Japanese version:

…and the song from the dub, thanks to SeannyBravo‘s clean soundtrack:

Both songs work great for their purpose, but I honestly like the dub’s version better because it sounds more somber, and simultaneously more catchy. Your mileage may vary, however.

I think what bolsters it a little is that unlike in the Japanese version, Dub Lalamon doesn’t keep singing it with her own high-pitched squeaky voice. She fades out and the actual music takes over.

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And seriously, Lalamon just put an Ultimate-level Digimon to sleep! Why doesn’t she use this ability more often?!

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Yoshi adapts Marcus’ timing for her Digivolution cry, differing from that of the original and Thomas’.

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Narrator: Lilamon! A Perfect-level Digimon that looks like a lilac flower. Her special attacks are Lila Shower and Un Deux Pollen! With a lively dance, her pollen bewitches the enemy.
Thomas: That’s Lilamon! She may look cute, but she sure packs a punch with powerful attacks like Lila Shower, a strike that bewitches enemies!

And yeah, Lalamon is turning into a Palmon expy, with Lilamon looking very much like Lilymon, and their sharing a Mega.

Yoshino: Lalamon’s song…
Lilamon: …Yoshino’s heart…
Yoshino: Both give us the courage to fight!
Lilamon: Now show us what you’ve got!
Yoshi: Let’s finish this!
Lilamon: Let’s take ’em down, Yoshi!
Yoshi: As long as we work together, this guy doesn’t stand a chance!
Lilamon: So bring it on, you pathetic pachyderm!

Well, you’ve got the heart of the cards cheese factor in the original, or the alliterative assault cheese factor of the dub. Dealer’s choice.

Lilamon’s Beauty Slap and Marvel Shot are retained.

Odd that the show would specifically mention Lila Shower and Un Deux Pollen, and then use neither in the battle.