Taking a Ride On the Nostalgia Train - From the Vault - Digimon Tamers: Runaway Locomon

As a kid there was always a debate, at least among my friends, which franchise of pet monsters was better; Pokemon or Digimon. The answer isn't as clear cut as it seems. Pokemon had the better video games, the better card game. However, nobody was ever doubting that Digimon's TV show was the better of the two. Pokemon's show, aside from the movies, never exactly reached the scale or the stakes of the games that it was based off of. Digimon meanwhile had an overarching plot that were generally more engrossing than Pokemon's which were always simply a sightseeing journal of their regions than anything else. This is not saying that Pokemon was a bad show by any means, Digimon's show at least was simply a better product. So that brings me here, to the point where last night I decided that I wanted to relive some good old childhood memories with the Digimon movie; Runaway Locomon.

Before we delve into the movie (it's actually hardly that, it's more like a special episode), I suppose a little background is necessary. The film takes place in the Tamers universe, the third season of Digimon. Tamers is notable for the fact that it represented a reboot for the franchise in which there was an entirely different cast of characters in a different world. In this series, Digimon exists in the same way that it exists in our real-life world. So the first two seasons of Digimon were just a TV show in the same way it was in our world, get the picture? The three main protagonists are Takato (the show's main-main character and this seasons goggle head), Henry (the friendly Chinese boy who was the first to be paired up with his Digimon), and Rika (the cold rival who eventually comes around to their side). All of them were big fans of Digimon and played the card games and the video games and each ends up paired up with their Digimon and ends up fighting evil in the real world. The Digital World also exists here but in a much realistic way and not as pretty as the first two seasons made it out to be. Regardless, Tamers stands out among the Digimon franchise because in it's best (and many times scariest) moments it could get dark and psychological and is regarded as the most mature of the seasons. Because of this, it's stands with Adventure as the most popular works within the franchise. The dark, pyschological part comes from the fact that the series was inspired by Hidieki Anno's work with Neon Genesis Evangelion (sure explains alot). Tamers is by far my favorite of the four seasons I've watched because it was able to realistically portray how these digital monsters would fit in the real world.

It's certainly fun to see the gang back together

So that brings us to 2002's Runaway Locomon and it's 29 minutes of fanservicey pleasure. The ending of the Digimon Tamers TV series was heartbreaking because the kids were forcibly taken away from their Digimon. Despite there being a little hope spot at the very end of the final episode for a reunion there was no onscreen evidence that it was going to happen. However, Runaway Locomon takes place after the series' conclusion and all the characters are reunited with their partners. How this happens isn't explained but it's confirmed that it's within the series continuity so everyone can rest easy knowing that this is the true end to the series and all the characters are reunited with their partners. The plot is thin at best, the characters are throwing a surprise party for Rika which doesn't entirely thrill her. However, the whole day is thrown off when a train Digimon called Locomon starts freaking out and is rampaging on the tracks. The whole thing is threatening to open up a dimensional rift between the Digital World and the Real World and it's up to the characters to get to the bottom of it. So after a whole lot of Digimon action the day ends up being saved thanks to our main characters. However, it's not really the plot thats important here as the fact that the whole gang is back together again! Takato is with Guilemon, Henry with Terriermon, and Rika with Renamon. Plus the other characters have their Digimon partners with them as well. We get to see them Digivolve again and fight the monsters and save the day. Beezlemon even makes an appearance as well as Ryo and Justimon. It's simply a nice treat for the fans of the series, however there's more here than just some fan service.

Like I said before, Digimon Tamers is known for being more than just a show about kids who fight with monsters. It had moments when it was dark, psychological, and downright emotional. The first two series, while being good in their own rights, were hardly the complete work that Tamers was. There is one scene that stands out in Runaway Locomon which has to be one of my favorite scenes in any anime. Of the three principal main characters, Rika always stood out as the one with hidden depths. In the show she was very much a tomboy, headstrong, and resistant to working with others. In short, she was the traditional loner character that most animes have. Another key part of Rika's character was her rocky relationship with her mother, who had her when she was very young. However, during the series, Rika's father was never shown. During the movie, Rika falls under the possession of a Digimon who appears to appeal to it's host's greatest desire. Rika's as it turns out is to be reunited with her father. The scene itself is both beautiful and heartbreaking, depicting Rika on a swing with her father while she sings him a song with the words "promise that you'll stay for the sunset". It's heartbreaking to see Rika so happy with her father only for him to leave her once again. Not to mention the beautiful song that she sings. The scene is able to say so much in such a little amount of time with Rika's song perfectly matching that feeling of that her father always said he'd be there but didn't fulfill that promise. That same song, which everyone wants her to sing at her birthday party only reminds her that her dad left and hasn't come back. So much about Rika's character is fleshed out in such a short scene. Runaway Locomon never promised to be anything more than simply a fanservice work and yet this scene makes it into so much more.

So beautiful and yet so heartbreaking

From an A/V standpoint, Runaway Locomon holds up pretty well. The animation is that signature faded style that Digimon movies have used since they started making them. Obviously I've gushed enough about Rika's scene in the movie's middle, but it's not unjustified. Everything about that scene is gorgeous. The Digimon themselves look great as well and the animation style seems to suit the fight scenes really well. The version that I have is the English dub, which Tamers did well during it's sun as a series so I guess I can't really complain. The dialogue of the dub can be corny at times however it's all part of the nostalgic experience. One thing that is certainly great about Digimon is that they really know how to make you laugh through the characters who aren't directly related to the plot. The whole atmosphere of the town is humorous and is bound to make a few people chuckle.

Runaway Locomon is a personal favorite of mine. I've watched this so many times that I've lost count at this point. It's more like a special than a movie at this point but that's hardly important. For a Digimon fan like myself it's a trip down memory lane. There is a little more here than meets the eye, especially with the large focus on Rika as a character, so it shouldn't just be dismissed as a piece of fanservice. Runaway Locomon is great if you're a fan of the series and is actually a pretty good reflection of the series itself, surprisingly deep. Overall, it's a trip down memory lane that I certainly never regret.