So a new animation team, new story, let's see how the first episode of Savers did.
The opening song is kinda catchy, you feel upbeat just listening to it. Compared to the Wada Kouji songs from the first four seasons, it beats Butterfly and FIRE!, but can't stand up to Target and Biggest Dreamer.
The animation for a starting anime is good, but it could have used a few touch ups here and there. Stuff like that can be fixed on the DVD releases.
Summary:
Agumon is running through a drain to the outside world. Next day, it becomes apparent the little bastard did some damage, as he in his little quest to get the hell away from the government took out a bunch of dudes in suits. Our first official Tamer, Yoshino goes in to investigate, only to find Agumon about to fight another human, a local gang leader named Daimon Masaru.
Now, Masaru's VA is also the same for Kira Yamato, which you can really hear when Masaru is calm. On the other hand, the same VA did the voice for Kazuma from Scryed, and you almost wanna wait for him to scream out "SHOUGEKI NO FIRST BULLET!!!"
Masaru and Agumon go into a slugfest. This Agumon is not the little pussy we all got to know in the original series, this one has no qualms about fighting dirty. Yoshino just sorta watches in shock. The two finally stop fighting, having gained eachother's respect, a classic shounen scene, which is put to a screeching halt when Yoshino tries to arrest Agumon. She summons her partner from her Digivice, Lalamon, who starts firing her special attack Nut Shoot on the two. Agumon and Masaru escape using a well timed Baby Flame, and escape to Tokyo Tower. In the mean time, Yoshino's employers are watching the entire affair take place with interest.
Masaru and Agumon have a small argument over food, in which Masaru leaves Agumon at Tokyo Tower to get him enough food from a convenience store. Before he can pay, Yoshino, in civilian gear, picks up the tab. She takes Masaru to the park and explains why she's after Agumon. Masaru doesn't really give a damn, until she touches on a touchy subject, that of his father. Yoshino then takes him to base to meet her coworkers and boss, who try to get more information about Agumon and Masaru's dad out of him. Explanations are cut short when a Digimon attack occurs, and Agumon is automatically the one that is blamed, though Masaru stands up for the little guy. He races back to Tokyo Tower, and finally ditches Yoshino before reuniting with Agumon. The real menace of the episode is a Cockatrimon, one that is much larger than the last few seen on tv. They get their asses handed to them, and Masaru, pissed that his little buddy got beat up, punches Cockatrimon, and actually does damage. An energy called DigiSoul is located in his fist, and before he can ask questions, an old man appears briefly and passes him a Digivice. Masaru uses it to evolve Agumon to Geo Greymon, who lays waste to Cockatrimon. However, as soon as the battle is won, he shrinks back to a very hungry Agumon.
Yoshino picks up the Digitama of Cockatrimon, and still insists she at leasts takes them in for questioning and protection. Masaru and Agumon ditch her, much to her chagrin.
Let's talk about proportions. The Digimon are a LOT bigger than the old Adventure days. Agumon is closer to the size of his first movie counterpart, while Geo Greymon is closer to the size of his movie counterpart. Cockatrimon as I said is huge, and a lot more powerful, as he kicks a car into one of the highest floors of Tokyo Tower with ease. The smaller Digimon was Kudamon, the boss's partner, who drapes around his neck like a scarf.
In terms of characters, Masaru, though hotheaded, is to me a welcome change from the usual impulsive sports player leader (barring Takato of course, as he was a nerd and dreamer). Masaru is a gang member and has a very much deliquent attitude towards life. He seems like a nice guy at times, but that's really his gang personality, offering friendship only after a show of power or trust from the opposing party.
Yoshino is cute. *_* Her voice is also a joy to listen to, as it sounds very natural and fitting of her personality. She's a know-it-all (through experience, she's 18) and has a bit of a big sister complex. She's also very blunt about her motives, and never skirts a subject. You almost feel sorry for her with having to deal with Masaru. Lalamon is very cute, to the point you just wanna hug her.
DATS, the government agency dealing with Digimon, has better support and recognition than HYPNOS did in Tamers. As in Tamers, the leader Yamaki had to go to Digimon related incidents personally and had to speak with certain people ahead of time and on the scene. Yoshino just had to flash a badge to a basic cop and she got through to Agumon's crime scene.
The ending theme is nice to listen to, worth getting the full version.
All in all, I've give it an 8 out of 10, which is about what I give most first episodes of fresh series. Hopefully Savers will offer a lot more insight into this new world within the next few weeks.
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