Digimon Tamers (Anime)

Digimon Tamers (デジモンテイマーズ) is the third animated series based on the Digimon franchise. The story takes place initially in the "real world", a world much like ours where Digimon is just a franchise, composed of video games, a collectible card game, and a cartoon series. A group of 12-year-olds (10-year olds in the Japanese version), Takato, Henry and Rika (fans of the Digimon card game) meet their own Digimon friends and start to duel "bio-emerging" Digimon who cross the barrier between the information network and their world, synthesizing proteins and becoming real. Most of it set in the modern Tokyo ward of Shinjuku and only changes scenario to the Digital World for a short time. This series is also known for its darker undertones and story plots, taking darker routes than in previous series. The anime has become controversial over the decade, with debates about how appropriate this show actually is for its "target" audience, especially due to the Lovecraftian nature of the last arc. The English dub is more lighthearted dialogue-wise, though still not as much as previous series. Tamers aired in Japan on April 1, 2001 to March 31, 2002. The English-language version by Saban Entertainment aired on September 1, 2001 to June 8, 2002. It was succeeded by Digimon Frontier.

Plot
One day Takato creates his own Digimon Guilmon when he slips a mysterious blue card he found in his deck through his hand-held card reading device, changing it into a D-Power (called a D-Arc in Japan), the Tamers' version of a Digivice. The appearance and powers of his Digimon come from Takato's sketches that were scanned into the device. Guilmon bio-emerges from the Digital World and is found by Takato. In his attempts to hide his new friend, Takato meets other Tamers Henry who met Terriermon in a computer game, and Rika whose success in card game tournaments caused many Digimon to come to her when she received her D-Power, and she chose Renamon, promising to make her stronger. Early in the series, the three Tamers and their Digimon duel foreign Digimon emerging into their world. Takato, Henry and their partners quickly become friends and allies, while Rika and Renamon prefer to fight on their own; however, they all soon realise that much more is at stake and the six unite. During their escapades, they encounter the michevious and mysterious Calumon, who has the power to make other Digimon digivolve, but dislikes fighting, and Impmon, a cruel Digimon that left his twin Tamers because he was sick of their bickering and selfishness, and thinks that all Digimon with Tamers are a disgrace. Along the way, the kids learn to be responsible for those creatures as a mysterious man known as Yamaki tries to stop wild Digimon from coming to the real world. From the secret government agency called Hypnos, Yamaki is in charge of monitoring and covering up Digimon activity around the globe.

When Yamaki attempts to use his project, the Juggernaut programme, to suck every Digimon back to the Digital World, a group of powerful Digimon calling themselves the Devas, who serve the Digimon Sovereigns, hijack the programme and begin to enter the Real World. The Devas believe that true Digimon should not pair up with humans, and they fight the trio of Tamers and their Digimon to defend their world against them. The Devas' true purpose for entering the human world is eventually revealed; they wish to capture Calumon, and take him back to the Digital World, so that they can use his power of Digivolution. The Devas eventually succeed, although many are destroyed in the attempt. Impmon, meanwhile, is badly beaten by one of the Devas and is drawn back into the Digital World with the promise of power.

The Tamers then decide to rescue Calumon, and are surprised to find a portal to the Digital World under Guilmon's hiding place in a park. Several accompany them in their quest: Kazu and Kenta, Takato's trading card rivals, set out to find themselves a partner Digimon, while another friend Jeri, who met her partner Leomon in the Real World, sets out to prove her strength. Henry's little sister Suzie is later sent to the Digital World on her own. On their travels in the Digital World they meet Ryo (Rika's rival and legendary Digimon Tamer) and his savage partner Cyberdramon.

The Tamers destroy all but one of the remaining Devas (Antylamon turned to the side of good and became Suzie's Digimon partner) only to be confronted Impmon, who had digivolved to his mega form, Beelzemon, after making a deal with a Sovereign for more power, in exchange for eliminating the Tamers. Beelzemon brutally kills Leomon, causing Jeri to fall into depression. Beelzemon is then defeated in a duel with Gallantmon. The Tamers then meet Zhuqiaomon, one of the four Digimon Sovereigns, and the force behind the Devas, and battle him until Azulongmon intervenes. The Sovereigns reveal the true danger to their worlds is the D-Reaper, a computer program initially designed to keep digital life from getting out of control, but became rampant. The Sovereigns also explain their kidnapping of Calumon was not an act of cruelty; as the embodiment of Digivolution, his power would allow every Digimon to Digivolve and combat the D-Reaper.

When Calumon gives up his power willingly to allow the Digimon to defend their home, the Tamers return to the Real World to combat the D-Reaper, but later learn they must also rescue Jeri, who has been taken by the renegade program and is, unwilling and unknown to her, feeding it information with her sadness. A huge battle ensues with Takato, Henry, Rika, Ryo and their Digimon against the monster, with Takato attempting to breach the defences to rescue Jeri while the others try to eradicate the D-Reaper. Finally, Henry's father and Hypnos upload a variant of the Juggernaut program to Megagargomon, allowing them to suck the D-Reaper back into the Digital World, harmless once again, as Takato and Jeri escape, in part thanks to Kazu, Kenta and their Digimon. The partners however, are also drawn back to the Digital World by the effects of the Juggernaut program, forcing the children to say good-bye, although Takato promises to see Guilmon again. The story ends several months later; Takato discovers that the portal under Guilmon's old hiding place has opened again, and that he will be able to keep his promise after all.

Films

 * Digimon movie 5 (Battle of Adventurers)
 * Digimon movie 6 (Runaway Locomon)

Theme Songs

 * Opening


 * The Biggest Dreamer (Ep. 1 - 51)
 * Closing


 * My Tomorrow (Ep. 1 - 23)
 * Days ~Aijou to Nichijou~ (Ep. 24 - 51)

Voice Cast

 * Japanese


 * English
 * English

all information on the Digimon Tamers (Anime) came from http://digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Digimon_Tamers