Digimon Frontier

Digimon Frontier is the fourth Digimon TV series. Toei Animation made it, with Yukio Kaizawa as director and Sukehiro Tomita as the main writer. It aired in Japan from April 7, 2002, to March 30, 2003, with 50 episodes. In North America, an English version aired on the UPN channel from September 2002 to July 2003, as the fourth season of Digimon: Digital Monsters. Like Digimon Tamers before it, it tells a brand-new story with new kids, so you do not need to watch the older seasons first.

This season changes the biggest rule of the franchise. In earlier shows, each child has a Digimon partner who fights for them. In Frontier, the children have no partners. Instead, the kids themselves turn into Digimon. They do this with the help of ancient spirits that belong to the Ten Legendary Warriors, heroes who protected the Digital World long ago. When a child joins with a spirit, they change into a powerful warrior. The show calls this Spirit Evolution.

The adventure begins in a normal Japanese city. Takuya Kanbara, a lively and hot-headed boy, gets a strange message on his phone. It tells him to catch a train. He follows the message and reaches an underground station, where a train takes him and other kids to the Digital World. Trains are a big part of this season, and some of them are even living Digimon.

Takuya gets the spirit of fire and becomes the natural leader of the group. Koji Minamoto is quiet and likes to act alone, and he gets the spirit of light. Izumi, called Zoe in English, is bright and confident, and she holds the spirit of wind. Junpei, called J.P., is older and wants to be liked, and his element is thunder. Tomoki, called Tommy, is the youngest, and his element is ice. Later, a boy named Koichi joins the story, and he is tied to darkness. The kids start as strangers and must learn to trust each other.

The Digital World is falling apart. An angel-like Digimon named Cherubimon, who once guarded this world, has become evil. He and his followers steal the Fractal Code, which is the data that holds the land together. When the code is taken, the ground itself fades away. Each time the kids beat an enemy, they collect the stolen code and save a piece of the world. Over time, they find out that the danger is even bigger than Cherubimon.

The show is full of action, but it also focuses on how each child feels. Because the kids fight with their own bodies, they feel the fear and the pain of battle more directly. Each one has a personal worry to face, such as loneliness, pride, or feeling too small. Frontier is also known for its bright transformation scenes and its strong theme of working together. For viewers who want a fresh take on Digimon, where the heroes are the monsters, this season is a fun and different ride.