Digimon Data Squad S01E21

Merukimon is approached by SaberLeomon, who demands that the human world face a full-scale invasion from the Digital World before they are all wiped out. Merukimon refuses however, insisting that they only target the humans who crossed their borders. Arriving at an impasse, SaberLeomon leaves, warning Merukimon not to interfere in his plans.

While searching for Keenan, who escaped from DATS headquarters, the Data Squad find themselves heavily outnumbered when Gotsumon brings an army of Armor-level Digimon through a gate and launches a full-scale attack on the city. They barely manage to keep people alive even at the Ultimate Level, but Gotsumon abruptly halts the attack if the humans agree to destroy all Digital Gate equipment in the human world, and to hand over Keenan Crier as a war criminal. Director Hashima demands the Data Squad comply, but Marcus, Thomas, and Yoshino resist (with even the Commander making it clear he doesn’t agree with the order). The situation is rendered moot when Peckmon joins the battle, driving off Gotsumon long enough for a mysterious figure on a rooftop to open a Digital Gate that sucks in the enemy army, ending the incursion.

The initial dialogue between Merukimon and SaberLeomon is nearly identical, though in the dub, SaberLeomon is a bit more forward with his challenging of the former’s authority, even claiming he’s willing to remove Merukimon from his throne by force if he doesn’t attack the human world.

At least Yoshino’s driving is great for nearly running over a bunch of thugs working for the Director while rescuing Keenan.

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When the Commander tells the team to take Ikuto/Keenan somewhere safe, Masaru and Marcus both suggest hiding him at his house.

Brilliant. They’ll never look there.

The DATS team (in the original) are more bewildered by Ikuto’s disappearance, wondering aloud where he went. In the dub, Yoshino and Thomas start immediately giving orders to seal exits and secure levels to find him.

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Falcomon: Ikuto? Where are you planning to go?
Falcomon: Keenan? This doesn’t feel safe…

Both lines lead to a flashback to Gotsumon’s betrayal, but the original line is more to-the-point than the dub’s.

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The subtitled version I’m using has switched to proper “English” for Ikuto’s dialogue, so I’m not sure how broken his Japanese still is. Reportedly it continues throughout the series, but I can’t say for sure. The dub is keeping it up, however.

In both versions, Miki is searching for Falcomon’s Digimon signal, but can’t find it. I’m starting to think that this Digimon signal thing is completely unproven technology rushed into production at breakneck speeds to meet some kind of quota, because it is completely unreliable.

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Ikuto’s quiet walk through town stays quiet during the dub. It’s amazing how much better it is not to add in unnecessary dialogue during every quiet moment!

Masaru: I’m exhausted. Damn that squirt for making people worry about him…
Marcus: Ugh, my legs are killin’ me! I’m gonna let that little squirt have it if I ever catch him!

Narrator: Pteranomon, an Armor-type Digimon that can launch devastating attacks from the sky. Its special attack is Beak Pierce.
Miki: We’ve confirmed that some of the Digimon are Pteramon, Armor-level Digimon. Their special weapon is Sharp Wing, and they can attack as easily from the sky or the ground!

Zero-Two kinda screwed the pooch when it came to defining exactly what an Armor Digimon is. Though it seems invented by the dub, I think it makes sense that Armor is a level of evolution (with a wide variety of power levels) as opposed to just some special state, and some of the newer Digimon games back this up.

But back on topic, Pteranomon has been renamed Pteramon. I’m guessing it’s not as bad in Japanese due to the way it’s pronounced but in English, Pteranomon would be pronounced almost exactly the same as Tyrannomon. This may be the reason for the change.

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Narrator: Boarmon. An Armor-type Digimon that is unstoppable once it starts running. Its special attack is Nose Blaster. It blows out red-hot air from its nose.
Megumi: Boarmon! Another Armor-level Digimon that is unstoppable after it begins its charge! Its special attack mode is Nose Blaster, where its tusks blow out high-heat gas!

In the original, Miki’s computer loses the ability to keep up with the situation when 360 Digimon appear in the city. In the dub, it’s upped to 3,600.

The dub’s use of music during the full-scale invasion is phenomenal. They only have a few tracks, but they’re used very well, and they do a great job at conveying the level of stress the Data Squad is facing.

Satsuma: We’ll group our war potential in the same place and work together to stop them!
Sampson: Herd the invading Digimon into one area, then annihilate them with one blast!

That’s a very bold plan, Sampson, especially since your city has ten times the number of invading Digimon compared to the original. Which Digimon is capable of taking out over 3,600 in one shot? Probably not even yours.

Sampson orders them to meet up at point Y408. Yoshino is the only one with a car, but she’s still the last one to arrive, screeching sideways to a stop just before rolling into the harbor.

Cut: (4 seconds) – A close-up of Pteranomon firing missiles at the city, followed by the city under attack.

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I’m wondering if it was cut for time, since they retain several other shots of the city exploding, and they retain the scene when it’s reused later in the original.

I know it was probably a cost-saving measure, but there’s something really cool about how the people in the city fleeing the destruction were done in silhouette. Kinda adds to the feelings of panic, forcing you to focus on how many there are rather than who they are.

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At least until you need to know who they are.

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Like with a lot of series, Digimon with feminine voices tend to have their expressions of pain dulled in the dub. In the original, Lilamon screams when she’s hit with Boarmon’s Nose Blaster attack. In the dub, she sounds… mildly inconvenienced.

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Yoshino thanks Tohma… in English. Not sure why.

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The original keeps the dramatic music from the battle playing during the evolution sequence for RizeGreymon. The dub switches to its evolution music. It makes the evolution itself and the following battle more suspenseful in a way, but I don’t think what the dub did is bad here, since the music ends right when Marcus is hit by an explosion.

Cut: (Less than 1 minute) – RizeGreymon firing from an angle where the “revolver” part of his Trident Revolver is visible.

silence
Miki: PawnChessmon Digivolve to…!
Megumi: KnightChessmon!

The PawnChessmon can’t speak in any of their forms, so I guess Miki and Megumi are doing it for them. How considerate.

Narrator: KnightChessmon. An Adult-level Digimon who carries huge darts. Galloping like centaurs, they disquiet the enemy!
Miki: KnightChessmon, the PawnChessmons’ Champion level!
Megumi: They can use their Big Darts attack while at a high-speed gallop!

In the original, Gotsumon simply states that they will stop attacking for an hour. In the dub, he makes a point to call it “one of your human hours,” implying time is different in the Digital World.

I suppose if you’re going based on the first Digimon World game, an hour is 60 seconds long.

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Dub Gotsumon calls him “Keenan Crier,” leaving one to wonder how he came to learn of Keenan’s last name. In the original, he just says “Ikuto.”

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Despite his facial expressions, Governor Hashiba is a lot more snarky and self-important than his dub counterpart, who comes off as more pragmatic, but cowardly.

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In the original, Gotsumon intends to execute Ikuto, and the latter knows it and is prepared. In the dub, it’s changed to Gotsumon dragging Keenan back to the Digital World, presumably to face SaberLeomon, though it’s not expounded upon.

This results in Masaru’s speech about making a place you belong for yourself becoming more Earth-centric in the dub, saying he belongs in the human world, but it’s his job to make a place for himself there.

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Mysterious Man: Let me help you… be grateful about this. It’s showtime!
Mysterious Man: All this destruction… I really should end it. After all… I started it.

Honestly, the dub didn’t need to spell it out. Cloaked in shadow, only half his face visible, the threatening tone of his voice… there are more then enough clues that this guy is a villain.