This 24-Year-Old Anime Is the Neon Genesis Evangelion of Digimon

Neon Genesis Evangelion, a legendary anime, is famous for its innovative approach to the mecha genre by exploring complex themes like abuse, mental health, trauma, and free will. Often, other anime are referred to as the ‘Evangelion’ of their respective genres, but few live up to this comparison. Remarkably, one of the rare series that shares Evangelion’s qualities was even created for children – namely, Digimon Tamers in its third season. This anime offers a dark deconstruction similar to Neon Genesis Evangelion but also presents additional elements that make it an equally captivating watch.

Initially criticized for various aspects upon its debut, Digimon Tamers has since gained a devoted fanbase due to its unique blend of action-packed fun and character development, while also delving deeply into darker, often disturbing themes that could have given children nightmares. By deconstructing the concept of monster capture anime, Digimon Tamers crafts a compelling narrative on several heavy topics similar to those explored in Evangelion.

Digimon Tamers Sets itself in the Real World

Digimon Tamers Aims to Show What it Would Be LIke if Digimon Were Real

In contrast to what some might believe, the initial two seasons of the Digimon anime showed a level of maturity and emotional depth that was not immediately apparent, yet they remained primarily simple, straightforward fantasy stories. However, in Digimon Tamers, it became clear that these were merely fantasies. The show takes place in our “real” world, where Digimons are viewed as nothing more than a popular franchise encompassing an anime, trading cards, and video games. The characters known as the DigiDestined are simply fictional figures within this context.

In this transformation, the narrative of “Digimon Tamers” moves significantly towards science fiction anime genres. This change involves providing logical explanations for all the supernatural events, though some may be rooted in pseudoscience. Significantly, this shift also indicates a change in atmosphere compared to its earlier versions. The series aims to depict an authentic representation of what it might be like if Digimon truly existed, much like how “Neon Genesis Evangelion” endeavors to portray the harsh realities of children engaged in battles with massive robots, given their actual circumstances.

The initial storyline of ‘Digimon Tamers’ primarily revolves around the main character, Takato Matsuki, learning to manage his role as a tamer with his partner Guilmon. He’s often anxious about losing Guilmon, keeping their existence hidden, ensuring he’s well-fed and content, and becomes extremely tense when Hypnos, an organization focused on eliminating Digimon that might harm humans, starts posing threats to him.

In this show, the personal journeys and struggles of main characters Henry Wong and Rika Nonaka are more important than any action or ongoing plot. Unlike the DigiDestined who seem larger-than-life, these three leads are portrayed as realistic children, with depth and complexity. Similarly, their Digimon companions aren’t just friendly creatures who simply adore them; they have their own personalities, stories, and hardships, making their relationships much more significant. The Tamers’ journey to the Digital World may only last for a single story arc, but it’s different from what was experienced in Digimon Adventure.

In contrast to a vibrant fantasy realm where no one perishes permanently, the Digital World depicted in Tamers is a bleak and merciless environment where lives can be snuffed out in an instant. As the climactic arc unfolds, the Tamers find themselves utterly incapable of confronting their final adversary alone, necessitating heavy reliance on the Monster Makers – a group of mature software developers who engineered the Digital World initially. It’s surprising to see characters like Henry Wong, Dolphin, and Shibumi taking center stage in a series like Digimon, but given the nature and adult presence in this world, it makes sense for adults to delegate digital threats to children.

Digimon Tamers Deconstructs the Monster Capture Genre in Heartbreaking Ways

Tamers is a Horribly Depressing Anime With Dark Themes

A common misconception among fans about Neon Genesis Evangelion lies in its deconstruction aspect. Unlike the serious tone or complex themes it presents, other shows like Mobile Suit Gundam were already exploring such elements back in 1979. What sets Neon Genesis Evangelion apart is its unique approach to storytelling – by combining conventional aspects and applying them in innovative ways, it transforms into a haunting psychological drama cloaked as a mecha series, with the latter serving merely as a surface layer.

The anime titled “Digimon Tamers” holds a deep reverence for its predecessor, the “Digimon Adventure” series. It creatively revisits and reimagines various elements from the original, but twists them in unique ways to construct a completely different narrative. Unlike “Digimon Adventure,” which was a heartwarming tale about friendship and self-discovery, “Digimon Tamers” is often dark, unsettling, and thought-provoking. It delves into complex themes such as the bond between creator and creation, parasocial relationships, various types of family abuse, self-hatred, life’s purposelessness, the certainty of death, and even touches upon existential dread. At its peak, “Tamers” skillfully intertwines these themes with its storyline and character development, reaching emotional heights akin to those seen in “Neon Genesis Evangelion.

In the realm of Digimon Tamers, there are scenes that have left an indelible mark on me – moments so intense, frightening, and heart-wrenching that they’ve etched themselves into my memory forever. I can’t possibly list them all, but the debut of Hypnos’ Shaggai program, Takato’s emotional turmoil over Guilmon’s reality, Beelzemon’s tragic slaying of Leomon, Guilmon’s ominous Dark Digivolution into Megidramon, and virtually everything concerning Jeri Katou in the latter part of the anime stand out as surprises even for a series like this. Yet, Tamers never loses its essence; it still manages to feel like classic Digimon, filled with moments of camaraderie, laughter, and warmth – from Takato’s transformation into a true hero, Rika discarding her icy queen persona, to Beelzemon’s journey towards redemption.

Digimon Tamers Doesn’t End Anything Like How It Began

Tamers Goes From a Monster-of-the-Week Anime to a Serious Struggle Against a Lovecraftian Embodiment of Death

Often overlooked about Neon Genesis Evangelion is that its initial part is a typical, albeit exceptional, mecha anime. However, as it progresses towards its latter half, it becomes increasingly unsettling and surreal, with its final episodes bearing little resemblance to the first. Consequently, The End of Evangelion can be seen as a critique aimed at viewers who found the anime’s unusual yet hopeful ending disappointing, delving into full-blown horror as it dismantles everything that the series had established.

As the anime progresses, it initially presents a more leisurely, grounded, and authentic portrayal of the franchise. However, the concluding arc in Digimon Tamers transforms into a chilling Lovecraftian ordeal. Throughout the series, there are hints reminiscent of the cosmic horror tales penned by H.P. Lovecraft, but it’s the final adversary, the D-Reaper, that is most directly influenced. The D-Reaper embodies an apathetic, indestructible, and relentlessly consuming force of doom. Overcoming this menacing entity takes 10 episodes, and much like in other cosmic horror narratives, there’s no joyous resolution at the end of the struggle.

The self-evolved monster known as D-Repear is a terrifying enigma, both in theory and reality. Its shape-shifting form has the power to obliterate anything it touches, and its Agents are increasingly horrifying entities. Throughout the arc, it mercilessly torments Jeri psychologically and feeds off her despair. Traditional combat methods are ineffective against it, making this narrative less about a band of heroes saving the world, but rather a desperate struggle among city inhabitants trying every conceivable method to save themselves. Although the finale doesn’t quite match the emotional intensity of the ending in “End of Evangelion“, it is still a poignant and painful experience.

In a poignant turn of events, The Tamers are irrevocably separated from their Digimon companions, leaving Janyu in tears over his breach of trust with his son. Henry’s gesture signifies an irreversible change that nothing will ever be the same again. Two decades later, Digimon Tamers continues to be a timeless classic, standing apart from any other franchise title or monster capture anime in terms of depth and impact. This is for the best, as any attempt to emulate Neon Genesis Evangelion would inevitably lead to failure, much like the mecha series that have attempted to imitate it. The unique qualities of Tamers and Evangelion lie not in their ambition to revolutionize their genres or achieve commercial success, but in their ability to weave creative, thought-provoking, haunting, and deeply personal narratives while maintaining reverence for the anime that preceded them.

2025-04-27 02:39