Appmon 49 reaction

[davetheanalyzer]

 This was an episode full of hope and drama, but show there is more drama to come. As people disappear, Yuujin-bot summons Rebootmon and Leviathan’s egg/prison/idk appears to be rebooted with people’s data. Hajime informs the Appli Drivers of this and they go to the data conversion point, where they witness some disappeared humans get ground into zeroes and ones. That was unnerving but I severely doubt they are dead dead and they might be reverted back to humans after being temporarily turned into Apps. Those poor humans do get kind of forgotten after Eri, Astra, and Rei break out the God Grades. I have to admit, they are truly impressive there is some GOLD there but other colors as well. This is one of the first times I’ve seen Hades show up in a piece of kids’ media in a vaguely heroic light.

The fight with Duesmon is truly impressive. Duesmon doesn’t have much personality but he doesn’t need it as he’s more of a antagonist for the new shiny Buddy Appmon to beat up. Poseidemon stopping Duesmon’s attack by making a giant blue hand was cool, as was Eri joining her partner in crossing her arms as she explained why Duesmon’s attacks won’t effect them. But I also was amused when Rei pointed out she climbed all the way on top of a head statue to make this cool proclamation, and his general bafflement about it. Uranusmon charging at Deusmon and Hadesmon flying around with him was also good. I’ve said this once or twice but the upper level Appmon being CG animated does lead to some good battle scenes. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the normally animated Appli Drivers run in the foreground while all the God Grade action is happening in the background. I also enjoyed the point where the Appli Drivers, as Rei apparently lampshades, are the ones riding on the chips now, recalling earlier Digimon series where the human partners rode on.  

Haru, in the meantime, is so broken by the Yuujin-bot reveal he doesn’t answer Hajime’s calls. Even with Gatcmon encouraging him, Haru doesn’t think there’s any point. A major part of his formative years was influenced by his best friend Yuujin and the implication he never existed was like a huge part of him had been ripped out. Of course Yuujin-bot rubs salt in the wound by pretending to be Yuujin, to further break him before asking him to activate God Grade on threat of death. Rebootmon hesitates to carry out smashing their school hiding place. I don’t know if this is Bootmon, Shutmon, or both having second thoughts about hurting Haru. But they go through with it. As Gatchmon hastily pulls Haru through the school, he sees illusions of his time with Yuujin, each of which gets destroyed by the pursuing Rebootmon. This demonstrates Haru feeling the entire existence of his friendship with Yuujin fall apart, disperse like the apparent illusion it might be.

Buried in the rubble, Haru barely has any energy to respond. With his friendship apparently nonexistent, his issues about being a protagonist come up to the forefront. He was unable to deal with the struggles of being a protagonist after all and he never had a dream or goal or best friend. Gatchmon schooling Haru that he did have a goal that led to them being Buddies, that they’re still searching for that goal, was moving. It’s Haru that has the power to come up with the search words for a certain future. His question about what Haru wants leads to Minerva to display Yuujin’s Appli Driver question, awakening and showing there’s a real Yuujin that can be saved after all. I don’t think this is wholly a trick to activate Haru’s God Grade. Yuujin-bot gripes his face immediately thereafter and wonders what happened. Haru learns that Yuujin and their bond wasn’t a lie and his goal is to save him. But he doesn’t want Gatchmon to look it up. Apparently, whatever his mistakes, he wants to find the answer himself. I do love Haru and Gatchmon’s partnership and they deserve the God Grade they are about to activate.

I’m unsure if it’s the real Yuujin smiling over Haru getting himself up or Yuujin-bot being satisfied all the God Grades have been activated. But Leviathan soon emerges, teleporting most of the Appli Drivers and their Buddies into the Real World, to their confusion (Which leads to a amusing moment where Rei asks them to get off him already). All the civilians stare at the suddenly appearing Appli Drivers and the big floating Appmon but everyone’s attention is suddenly on the enormous, multi-headed Leviathan as he looms over the city. He commends the Appli Drivers for activating the God Grades (Calling them “Chosen Children” as a nice shoutout), which is indeed worrying. How do the God Grades figure in his plan? And what is going to be the impact on the Real World that so many people are going to see the final battle openly?

Next time, Leviathan absorbs more humans as the Appli Drivers and their Buddy Appmon try to protect them and fight Duesmon and Leviathan. I don’t know if humanity will remember all this drama – after the Appli Drivers save them, their memories might be reset for all we know – but it would have a big impact on them to really become aware of Appmon and A.I.s’ existence through this violent event. Then Haru and Gaiamon will show up, Gaimon looking pretty awesome in his whites and silvers, and Haru floating in front of his chest sans a chip. I wonder if that’s just their dramatic entrance or if he’ll be floating like that throughout the episode. And I wonder how he’ll try to get through to Yuujin. I guess I’ll find out within the day when the next episode comes up.