@ethanrayne said something in the tags of this reblog a few days ago which I've been thinking about a bit since. Because I think it sort of gets to the heart of why I find the issue of how this site talks about Giles (especially as opposed to Joyce) so frustrating.
I was complaining in that post -- as I often do -- about the double standards by which Joyce and Giles are often judged as Buffy's parental figures. He made the reasonable point that, and I quote [any typos below are mine, of course, as is some of the punctuation, which I've added to make the text more readable in this format but hopefully doesn't change the intended meaning]
"Joyce is in fact Buffy's actual mother. Giles is not Buffy's father and the ways in which he ends up as a parental figure are nuanced and not entirely in his control. But while he has obligations as a mentor he doesn't have obligations to act as a father. So there is nuance to why the ways Joyce fucked up are treated worse: because she very much does have an obligation to be better in the specific role of a parent."
And on the one hand ... right, this is obviously true. Giles is not Buffy's father and he does not have a directly comparable role in her life to Joyce. But ...
Look: I agree that Joyce is Buffy's mother and Giles is not actually any sort of parent. As a Watcher he has a specific kind of mentor relationship with Buffy, one that involves parts of Buffy's life her parents aren't aware of (and perhaps don't want to be aware of). More generally, as (in the first seasons of the show) a member of her school faculty and as (often) the only adult in the group he has a more general duty of care towards her and the other members of the Scooby Gang. But -- although the show will toy with the idea that Buffy thinks of him as a kind of parental substitute a few times (most notably in Season 3's Helpless and in early Season 6) -- he is not her father. That's not how either of them would characterize their relationship.
Buffy's relationship with Joyce (who is her mother, and post-divorce the only parent actively involved in her life) is qualitatively different to (and, I'd argue, clearly more important to her than) her relationship with Giles (who is a man she met for the first time aged 16 and who isn't even her first Watcher). Joyce has obligations that Giles doesn't have, she's known Buffy for a lot longer, she relates to Buffy as her daughter first of all and as a Slayer (if at all) a distant second (whereas Giles, however fond he grows of Buffy over time, only knows her at all because he has an obligation to train her as a Slayer and so probably watch her die young: she's not his daughter, she's his Slayer). It would be ludicrous, on the face of it, to complain that Giles doesn't take an equal share in making sure Buffy has somewhere safe to sleep and study or that he doesn't pay his "fair share" towards her food or clothes or education. He is not her father, biologically or legally or really in any other sense. It is not reasonable to judge him as if he were.
And, honestly, if everybody in the fandom could agree on this point, I wouldn't make so many posts complaining about the different ways Giles and Joyce are talked about. I would probably be a lot less critical of Giles on here than I'm sure I come across as being.
I agree with this point myself! I don't think (for example) that Joyce somehow deserves credit for offering to take Buffy ice skating for her birthday when both Hank (and Giles) refused to do, or for paying for Buffy's textbooks in college, or for looking after Dawn instead of deciding to leave her to the care of two twenty-year olds and fly back to England. She has an obligation to do all that, as Buffy's actual parent, an obligation that Giles does not.
However ...
... the truth is, the fandom doesn't agree on this. At all. You don't need to exert yourself even a little bit to find posts in which people talk about Giles as "Buffy's father" (or even as Buffy and Xander and Willow's father, or even as a father figure to the wider Scooby Gang), or talk about him "raising" the three of them (despite the fact he, you know, met them all for the first time when they were sixteen and he very much Did Not Do That) or explicitly describe him as a better parent than Joyce (or as Willow's parents). I certainly see these posts, very regularly, and believe me when I say I do not seek them out. I've seen a dozen this week alone, either on my dash or just casually browsing the Buffy tags.
And it often feels like there's a kind of motte-and-bailey situation going on. Quite possibly not consciously on any one person's part, but certainly collectively.
On the one hand, yes, Giles isn't obliged to give Buffy a regular allowance or make sure she has somewhere to live or to fight for her right to stay in Sunnydale High or whatever else. That's not what he's paid to do (... or, well, presumably not? I think the implication is that Kendra's Watcher is responsible for Kendra having somewhere to live, a duty which Giles is very happy to offload onto somebody else while presumably still getting paid the usual Watcher salary, but that's getting into fanon and speculation so best saved for a different post). I mean, officially, he's only even her Watcher for about half the show (less than half, if your read is that he only becomes a Watcher again after Checkpoint; just over half if you assume he becomes Buffy's Watcher again when she asks him to step back into that role at the end of Buffy vs Dracula).
So, sure, Giles is (probably) going beyond his minimum responsibilities when he does do those things (threatening Snyder into letting Buffy back in in Dead Man's Party; offering Buffy a large check to help with her financial problems in Flooded). I think it's important to note that Joyce also does these things, and in fact does them rather more, but: yes, as she's Buffy's mother such acts are more expected of her and don't count in the plus column in the same way.
But then it feels like -- and again, I'm not saying any one person is doing this, only that the considering the fandom in aggregate it can feel like it -- there's a kind of rhetorical sleight of hand that happens around this point. Somehow we start by noting, accurately enough, that Gilles does nice things for Buffy sometimes, even though he isn't necessarily obliged to, which is to his credit, while the nice things Joyce does for Buffy don't count for as much (or at all) as, because she's Buffy's mother, she's already obliged to do them. And then -- or so the argument seems to go -- this pretty uncontroversial observation gets presented as evidence of the claim that Giles is, in fact, a better parental figure than Joyce is. Because he does nice things for Buffy (which he doesn't have to do because everyone knows he's not her dad), and she doesn't (if you exclude the things she's obliged to do because she's Buffy's mom). And that's what I find so aggravating.
Yes, there are reasonable reasons to judge Giles and Joyce by different standards. They really aren't trying to fill the same sort of role in her life. But if you're going to justify their different fandom treatment on these grounds, I don't think you [general you; again I'm not suggesting anybody specifically does this] can fairly then start comparing the two of them and have Giles emerge as the "better" parental figure. Not if Giles wasn't being judged as a parent to begin with. Of course Giles is going to emerge as the more positive figure if you start from the premise that everything good Giles does for Buffy goes in his plus column while the majority of things Joyce does for Buffy aren't relevant. But that's only a relevant comparison if you take it as read that Giles isn't any sort of parental figure and shouldn't be judged as such. If you actually are going to argue that maybe he is a better parent, you have to be willing to judge them by the same metric after all.
And conversely, if anybody points out that, actually, Giles treats Buffy appalling at times (drugging her and lying to her about it in Helpless, say, or leaving her alone and flying out of the country when she's going through the worst months of her life and begging him to stay and help) or that a lot of the ways in which Joyce mistreats Buffy stem from her not knowing anything about Buffy being the Slayer (something that, because she's her mother and not a Watcher, she can't be expected to know and indeed something Giles fights very hard to stop her from learning), it's as if we retreat back to the first position. Of course Giles has to be distant sometimes. He's Buffy's Watcher, after all, not her dad. Why would you judge him as if he was?
The answer to which is: well, people in the fandom keep talking about what a great parental figure he is! If they stop doing that, I'll stop pointing out that he isn't one.
(And, honestly, asides from what I think is the fairly obvious fandom misogyny at work here, this discourse just makes me kind of depressed because the implicit logic of the "Giles is Buffy's dad!" argument is that any adult man who regularly interacts positively with a group of teenagers and seems to (mostly) like them must be some kind of de facto parent. And not only is that not true in general - there are plenty of ways adults and teenagers can positively interact outside of the bounds of the nuclear family -- we're specifically talking about a work of fiction set in a high school.
Giles is, even aside from being a Watcher, quite literally paid a (second) salary to have a positive relationship with teenagers! That doesn't make him Willow or Xander's parent; it makes him part of the high school faculty! Like ... did none of you have a positive relationship with any of your high school teachers?? Am I really the outlier here?)
i still think the devil may cry fandom's vast oversimplification of the themes in devil may cry (regarding human "good" vs demon "evil") are amplifying some very bad faith criticisms of the netflix adaptation. as well as some weird moral essentialism i just really don't vibe with. this is long and kinda messy but whatever.
i see people mostly take issue with this scene in which lady and white rabbit have their confrontation and lady says this:
this, to me, does not go against the themes of the game at all. it's not some cynical attack on "humanity". contextually, this is a sorely needed moment of reflection on lady's part, where she's able to connect with white rabbit and realizes that their ruthlessness is a shared trait. she's speaking about herself here. lady considers herself the antithesis of a demon, yet she realizes how terrible she's been acting and that they're Not So Different. she's a flawed human being and this is an explicit, textual acknowledgment of that.
i really take issue with the idea that devil may cry has ever been about coddling and portraying humans as innately good. most major villains in the dmc games are human, statistically. every single dmc game except the first 1 has an over-arcing human villain at the center of the conflict. sanctus is a religious cult leader. agnus is an unethical mad scientist. arius is a CEO. arkham is a wife killer. these are all very human evils. demon villains like mundus and argosax tend to embody more stereotypically villainous evils, but the human villains are much more nuanced and varied in their approach, which in some respects makes them a lot more dangerous.
but you might say "well they're evil because they throw away their humanity, as dante even calls out. these tears are a gift only humans have" and to which i say, so? these are conscious choices these villains made to get where they are. yes, thematically their decision to throw away good traits like compassion and empathy led them on the path to evil, and dante himself equates these traits with humanity, but dante is also biased against his demon half and has an entire arc about being wary of that part of himself until he's finally able to accept it, which is how he awakens his sin devil trigger in 5 (mirroring vergil's rejection/ultimate acceptance of his human half.)
idk man. just feels yucky seeing all of this "well demons have always been an Evil Race in devil may cry" when no, it's always been more complex than that and pretending otherwise is a massive disservice to this series. there is no hard moral dichotomy in dmc. sparda disproves this from the very opening scene from the very first game. he was one of the most powerful demons in hell, who fell in love with humanity and decided to turn against his own kind. even if demons in a general sense tend to be "evil" (mundus seems to be a particular outlier in how evil they are honestly, hating humanity to an almost comical extent), they're shown to be completely capable of good, just as on the flip side, humans are capable of being evil. again, it's about choice, what you do with the power given to you, choosing to protect what's important or throwing away everything. these are not immutable traits of humans or demons, as that would mean characters like sparda, trish, arkham, sanctus, lucia, bradley, baul, modeus, etc would not exist.
there's maybe an argument to be made about dmc netflix's explicit use of politics and whether this is appropriate or not, but i don't think it's a bad thing it decided to really dig in on the nuances of humanity. i think the choice to make white rabbit a human villain who in a sense "throws away his heart" makes him thematically consistent with devil may cry's ethos, as ive mentioned in my other post about him. i view him akin to a character like vergil, who straddles the line between human and demon, and doesn't really fit into either "demon overlord" or "overambitious human sociopath" like the other series villains. more variety is good actually.
Reading your write-up of the season 3 Daredevil finale has me thinking about The Boys.
I stopped watching The Boys years ago, but one thing about it stuck with me. When Homelander goes full mask-off fascist, showing that he's a heartless, mass-murdering, sadistic monster, some people praise him for it. It's a sickening moment, highlighting how these dark desires exist in enough people that they can't be dismissed as "not who we are".
I stopped watching because the premise of The Boys often seemed to be "this *is* who we are", which I don't agree with, but I feel like Daredevil missed an opportunity in Born Again to engage with the darkness of humanity more sincerely. Not "this isn't who we are", but the hard work of figuring out, in this world of many moral perspectives who *you* are, or at least who you want to be. Who you want at your side, and who you're willing to stand apart from.
I feel like Daredevil has always been, at its core, a story about what people are willing to sacrifice for their ideals. Fisk is the perfect foil for Matt, not because they hate each other, but because Fisk has no philosophy beyond rank self-interest. He's an empty man, and sacrifice comes easy to him when it's at the expense of others. Meanwhile, Matt struggles but is ultimately fortified by the morals that Fisk eschews. If this is what Daredevil wants to talk about, every character should be a point of interest on the map of morality. Karen's practicality, less about "should" and more about "can", is fluid to the situation and reflects how people often live their lives burdened with compromise. BB turns her rage into something contagious, sacrificing peace for justice at the end of a pitchfork. They have something to say! It's frustrating when a comic book story comes down to Kill or Spare, like that's the only moral question that matters.
Anyway. Thanks for doing episode summaries. They're thought-provoking and I really enjoy them. It's a shame this show is blighted by this mealy-mouthed messaging about how the bad guys aren't so bad if they're cops and politicians, and the good guys are bad if they're too rowdy because "this isn't who we are".
Yes, I think a larger conversation between all these characters should have been centered. One of the show's flaws is the way it keeps boiling down the conflict to Matt vs. Fisk as though nobody else in New York has or deserves a voice. This subject matter is simply too broad to be reduced to "Should Batman kill the Joker?"
I also think part of the problem is that, at its core, the question around which the entire show revolves is this: "Can our institutions of governance withstand becoming so thoroughly twisted by the cruel and ignorant hand of authoritarianism, fascism, and imperialism?"
The show says, "Yes, absolutely. Our systems WILL hold, true justice WILL be done, law and order WILL be restored, and no damage will be done that cannot be undone. GOD BLESS AMERICA."
But it's always going to come off tone-deaf to try and give that question any sort of definitive answer. Because that is history that is still unfolding as we speak. The fact of the matter is, we don't know if our institutions will survive. If our definition of normalcy will survive.
But the outlook isn't great. Things have been broken that will take decades to restore, if they ever can be at all. And a lot of spotlights have been shone on things that have been broken for a very long time, some since the very creation of this country. The existing powers of government and the justice system, the institutions that the show upholds as the answer to our current crisis, have long since shown their complicity in the unfolding descent into fascism.
This just isn't a topic that can easily be tied up in a neat little bow where the good guy defeats Trump, the system holds strong to values of justice and equity, and then everything goes back to the way it was before when... when enough things were already broken and enough people were carrying hatred in their hearts to elect him in the first place.
For a show like Daredevil to meaningfully tackle subject matter like this, it needed to be willing to have those hard conversations, and to own the ugly truth that in the end we don't know. We don't know how to fix this. We don't know if it ever can be fixed.
In the end, I think what it comes down to is that if this is the subject matter they wanted to explore, they needed to use the familiar trappings of Daredevil and his cast to examine broad issues of the topic, centering many voices with many perspectives on a complicated issue with no clear answers.
Instead, they used the familiar imagery and iconography of our present moment in history to frame a story about Daredevil's latest battle with the Kingpin.
" One of the show’s flaws is the way it keeps boiling down the conflict to Matt vs. Fisk as though nobody else in New York has or deserves a voice. This subject matter is simply too broad to be reduced to “Should Batman kill the Joker?” "
Ironically, one particular criticism I kept seeing against the first season was that there was too much development being given to anyone that wasn't Matt or Fisk. I never understood this criticism because the amount focus Matt and Fisk got seemed adequate to me for the main protagonist and antagonist respectively, but I think this is relevant to what you said in a way.
Daredevil: Born Again is by no means the only superhero story that struggles with acknowledging the perspectives and agency of anyone other than the main hero and main villain. It's arguably built into the superhero genre, and this in turn has instilled in superhero fans the idea that acknowledging that the world is or should be bigger than the petty feud between two masked weirdos (or in the case of Daredevil, one weirdo who wears a mask and another who doesn't) is antithetical to what superheroes are about. Because doing so comes with the implication, if not the direct statement that the hero isn't always right.
Perhaps the ultimate manifestation of this philosophy is the Hero With Bad Publicity trope, where the hero is a devoted, iron-willed martyr who continues to protect the public despite getting little to no gratitude for it, sometimes even receiving hostility and physical violence. Marvel in particular loves this trope; so much so that they rarely, if ever, examine the fact that the heroes of the Marvel universe have done more than enough to earn the hatred and distrust of the public (various hero vs hero fights that could be resolved with a ten-minute-at most conversation, various instances in which a hero turned evil or at least seemed to that never gets addressed, heroes allowing villains that have everything from grand larceny to attempted or even accomplished genocide on their resumes).
To sum it all up, I don't think we were ever going to get the kind of story you suggested for Born Again. Not necessarily because the writers are incapable of telling such a story (though that is likely a factor), but because such a story would have been rejected by typical superhero fans.
Daredevil: Born Again 02x07 - The Hateful Darkness
This season struggled with its midseason as D+ shows often do but now that we're ramping towards the finale, things are picking up. This episode has high highs.
Though it certainly has its lows as well. Oh, where to begin?
The best part of the episode is easily its A-plot. However, I couch that with the caveat that if you enjoy women in your media, there's still a lot to dislike here. A lot of small things
There's very little to enjoy in this episode for the many female characters it involves. The mask is off; This is a show about masculine bros being manly at each other. The women are an afterthought.
In any case, we open this episode with the end result of Powell drawing his gun on Karen last episode. She was harmlessly arrested and turned over to the NYPD. Didn't even get disappeared to FIsk's black site. That seems weird but there is actually a reason.
Karen: He's different. I don't know what's going on in his mind but he's scheming and he's planning and he's way ahead of us. I just don't think we can run.
Matt: Yeah. 'Cause he's losing the city and he knows it. So he's gonna prosecute you and humiliate you. Publicly, legitimately, and make everyone cheer for it.
Now that Fisk is blinded by rage and grief from the murder of his wife, he's carefully calculating his moves instead of just murdering all his enemies. Vanessa's death made him into a cautious, meticulous mastermind.
Okay, show.
No, I jest. Matt's dialogue credits this change of behavior to Fisk recognizing that he's gone too far. Having cops beat up protesters was a step too far; Even a broken city would never stand for one night of police hitting protesters with riot batons.
Karen accuses Fisk of the same when he comes to visit her in her cell.
Yeah, Wilson "Screaming Haymakers of Death at the Slightest Inconvenience" Fisk actually meets Karen Page, a woman who by his admission has killed someone he cared about, just so he can choke her a bit and then leave.
Wilson Fisk may despise this woman but he's not about to let his murderboner get in the way of his carefully plotted plans.
Wilson Fisk
Wilson Fisk
Is more interested in salvaging his PR than in revenge. It's wild, I know!
My favorite part is when Karen gets up from her cot across the cell and walks to the door so that she can be in grappling range. There was absolutely no reason for her to do that. She's so lucky Fisk is experiencing a rare grief-stricken bout of cowardice-mercy.
So, yeah. Fisk is no longer barbarian rage from Vanessa's death. He's over that. Now, he's stopped killing people and is planning his moves carefully because he's afraid of losing the city's support. All because a few protesters were hit with batons last night.
That's. That sure is a Rubicon crossed, alright. Never been a time in American history where police violence against protesters was met with the country shrugging and continuing to do what it's been doing.
The funny thing, and another instance of the show not really knowing what it's talking about, is the way last night's events are reported.
There's a brief bit at the start of the episode where Matt hears snippets of news reports and part of it is good. They blame "vigilantes" for the violence because scapegoating is real. Great job.
But one snippet says "...attacked by Task Force...." and that's just not how the news talks about cops. Police never attack people in the news. Officers may be involved in a shootout. But police don't attack. Linguistically, those words are not allowed in a formal news broadcast.
A good opportunity to portray the Neutral Voice of the press towards police skated right on by. They should have said "Three injured in riot at City Hall; Task Force was on the scene."
Though, honestly, show? If you really wanted last night to be shocking in a way that hasn't been normalized on American streets for years? You should have just had Powell and his men open fire into the crowd. That would do it.
The AVTF shooting protesters would feel like escalating beyond the currently accepted limits of police heinousness, while still feeling vividly real as something we all dread is right around the corner.
The press would probably still cover for them, though. Capitalist news media serves private interests and profit incentives.
In any case, half of this episode is spent building to Karen's trial. Part of that means resolving things with Mr. Charles.
Jess: You sent your assholes to my house
Charles: That was a mistake! They were just supposed to tell you to back off!
Jess: With my daughter there.
Charles: I would never hurt your kids! I love children.
Jess: You listen to me. If you ever come at me or Danielle again, I swear to God I will kill you. Do you understand me?
Charles: Yeah. Please don't kill me. Also, I'm not really sure you can anymore 'cause a little birdie said your powers ain't what they used to be.
Jess: Speaking of little birdies, you're talking a lot of shit for a guy sitting there in his underwear with very limited options.
Charles: Don't forget, I am the only one that can connect you with Luke.
Jess: Where is he?
Charles: He's overseas. He's doing the Lord's work so you don't have to.
Jess: You're behind Fisk's arms deal.
Charles: No, I'm not. Because a couple antisocial vigilantes blew 'em up. No arms, no deal. Thanks for that, by the way.
Having blown up the secret CIA guns last episode, Jessica Jones now finishes the job by telling Mr. Charles very sternly not to attack her again. But he turns the tables and intimidates her into backing off through his superior charisma or something.
Fortunately, it quickly comes out that it doesn't matter anyway. The destruction of the guns last episodes means we no longer have an avenue to Charles anyway, so this entire plot point is dead in the water. It was a big waste of time for everybody involved, and there's no longer any reason to fight about it. The end.
It was hinted last episode that Luke signed on with de Fontaine's crew; Charles confirms it here, using Jess's unreliable powers and the fact of Luke's enlistment to make Jess tuck her tail between her ovaries and back down.
I feel like Jess would break his face but maybe that's just me. She doesn't even get to punch him once. This man sent men who threw a grenade at her child! This is Jessica Motherfucking Jones! But okay.
Between this and Powell flexing on her last episode, she's having a pretty shit time in this show.
Also, wasn't Luke a crime boss last we heard of him? How did we get from there to Luke and Jess playing old-timey "Going to war for my woman while she mans the homestead and raises my child"? I don't know, and I'm not sure the show does either; I think they just like the imagery of Jess sitting around a hearth telling Dani stories about her brave daddy.
In any case, it's also through Charles that we learn about Governor McCaffrey. Vanessa previously had convinced McCaffrey to look the other way about Wilson's abuses of power, but now that she's gone, Wilson intends to deal with her through the B-plan: Just fucking kill her.
It's at this point that I finally realize why they made McCaffrey a woman.
Jess relays to Matt that McCaffrey is going to be targeted. Matt's got just the guy for the job.
Now. I don't want to be too harsh on this. There's a good and a bad. Let's start with the good, and that is the thing I keep saying the show needs to do more: Paying off Matt's ideological beliefs with positive consequences. Rewarding him for the moral stances that he takes by making those choices critical to his success.
Matt made a very controversial decision to save Bullseye's life. The man who killed Foggy. Who killed many other people. Who just killed Vanessa Fisk!
Matt made a very hard decision to put a stake down and say, "No. Fisk's brand of justice is not acceptable even for the people that we hate." He chose to be the lawyer, to represent the interests of a man who is guilty as sin. Because if they can do it to Bullseye, what's to stop them from doing it to Matt or Karen next?
Matt is our protagonist and his ideology should be our guiding light. By his ideology, this was the right choice.
Now we're here on the other side of it. Matt knows that Bullseye is, in his own warped way, seeking atonement for his transgressions. It's just that his brand of atonement means killing the right people because that's how his beliefs work.
Matt needs to be in two places at once. But because he saved Bullseye's life, his options are suddenly opened up. A narrative reward for sticking to his beliefs and making his right choice.
...
(sigh)
And it's presented by Matt going, "Hey bro, I'm trying to save my damsel from her distress but now there's a second damsel also in distress! There isn't enough of my Matt-ness to go around! Will you go save the other damsel?"
"I got you, bro! I'm gonna go rescue the shit out of that damsel! Saving a princess from secret assassins is the perfect way to earn my redemption!"
Hey, I have a question? Who the hell is the guy with the garotte wire? Because Buck is Fisk's guy for this right now, and that's not Buck. Is it an AVTF cop? Someone who is immediately traceable to Fisk?
I haven't gotten the impression that, at this stage of his life, Fisk has an army of crime goons at his beck and call. The AVTF are his crime goons now. So who the hell is this guy?
Did he just hire a rando assassin on the dark web? Hope he paid in Bitcoin.
Actually, yeah, that's probably exactly what he did. That makes sense.
So, while Bullseye's playing Guardian Devil for McCaffrey, Matt needs to deal with Karen going to prison. He can't just break her out, though. Matt's cop friend Cherry shows up to explain why.
Cherry: They booked her legit. Prints, photo, phone call, the works. They're fast-tracking her to Vigilante Court. You go in there and bust her out, you are the criminal he says you are.
See, it was okay to break out Jacques and the others being kept in Red Hook because they were being held in Bad Cop Jail by the AVTF, a bunch of vile scumbag cops who answer to the mayor.
But Karen's being held in Good Cop Jail by the NYPD, a bunch of heroic and virtuous cops who answer to... probably some higher calling of justice and moral decency! It's okay to break people out of Bad Cop Jail but if you start breaking people out of Good Cop Jail, then Fisk becomes the good guy and you're now worse than Satan.
It's only okay to be anti-police when it's the wrong kind of police.
I mean. Cherry even has the audacity to say this.
Matt: She's not safe there.
Cherry: If he was gonna hurt her, he'd have done it already. Look, I'm told he went to the precinct, they talked, he left.
Somehow, being in Good Cop Jail surrounded by all of Cherry's trusted buddies didn't stop Fisk from choking the shit out of Karen.
"Yes, she's completely at Fisk's mercy and surrounded by people whose job is to do violence in his name. But she's perfectly safe as long as Fisk remains a man of gentle temperament and reasonable self-control."
These are not the comforting words you think they are, Cherry.
But this show respects the sanctity of Good Cop Jail, so we're gonna play this by the book. Fisk intends to publicly crucify Karen, and our counter-strategy is to let him do that while looking at the cameras and yelling "Isn't this unfair!?" to the crowd watching.
Matt: He's gonna prosecute you and humiliate you. Publicly. Legitimately. And make everyone cheer for it.
Karen: Can't say it's not smart. ...that means there'll be cameras.
Matt: Mhm. Exactly.
Karen: Holy shit!
Matt: Turns out, we may have to cross lines to stop him. Just not the ones you think.
Fisk wants to condemn Karen to prison and then probably have her killed as a PR win. But we're going to have him condemn Karen to prison and then probably have her killed as a PR lose.
Matt and Karen concoct a plan to take down Fisk by letting Karen be prosecuted in the crooked kangaroo court that already condemned Jacques Duquesne a few episodes ago.
Also, Dr. Glenn is here.
She has a weird exchange with Fisk. She stole one of Vanessa's earrings last episode while everyone was mourning her death last episode. I didn't comment on it because I honestly had no idea why or where they're going with it. She hasn't been established as a kleptomaniac or anything.
But here they pay it off. Fisk reveals that he knows she stole the earring, but he's cool with it and gives her the other one.
I. Guess? They're gearing up for Heather to become the new Vanessa or something? Like.
Again, this is Wilson. Goddamn. Fisk.
This woman stole his wife's belongings while he was mourning her recent death.
And his response is, "That's great! Good hustle. Here, have more of her things!" Okay.
Between this and the way he's dialed back on the violent rage, he sure got over Vanessa's death fast. He's the most composed and lenient we've ever seen him!
So that's where everyone is going into the trial. The day begins with Hochberg and McDuffie facing off. They give their opening statements separately like they're supposed to but the show cuts their statements against each other to show their contrast of ideals.
Hochberg: Your Honors, I stand before you today to ask that you convict and that you punish this woman, this criminal Karen Page for the crime she has committed against this great city.
McDuffie: Your Honors, I could argue my client's innocence. I could argue the illegitimacy of this court. I could argue against the Safer Streets Act.
McDuffie: But first, I want you to think on one very important concept: What is a vigilante? Is it he or she who breaks the law in order to get their own version of justice? Or is a vigilante the last resort to obtain the justice that a broken society can no longer supply?
Hochberg: The evidence will show that Ms. Page is not a hero. She's not a "freedom fighter" for a noble resistance. No. No, she's a criminal responsible for the destruction of innocent human lives.
McDuffie: Your Honors, you have a duty to this city and you have a duty to the ideals of this court. And fulfilling that duty can only come to one conclusion.
Hochberg: Guilty.
McDuffie: Not Guilty.
So, Hochberg's argument is, "She did it."
McDuffie's argument is, "Really, what even IS justice anyway?"
Okay, cool. Great opening statements. Are we ready to decide a verdict, because even if this wasn't a kangaroo court, I'm feeling "Guilty as Fuck".
Even Hochberg gets distracted in his second bit and starts whining about whether Karen should be lionized or demonized in the public image. Um. This is a court of law, my guy. I don't think that matters. Would both of you please stop trying to perform literary analysis on the show's themes. "Did she do it?" is sufficient, thank you.
Now, in McDuffie's defense, she knows that this case is unwinnable. This court will not be fair to Karen. She learned that the hard way with Jacques. McDuffie is performing for an audience of one.
Judge: I will caution you against these theatrics and remind you that there's no jury to play to here.
McDuffie: (smug) You sure about that?
She's not trying to win over the judges. Rather, she's trying to win over the people watching the case on TV. One person, particular.
Governor McCaffrey, who has the authority to have Fisk removed from his position as Mayor of New York.
While the other women get screwed, Kirsten McDuffie gets to eat well in this episode. Of course, they do bring in Matt as co-counsel for the Big Holy Shit Moment.
Yes, that's correct. For the climactic season finale trial, they should definitely fire that gun.
But he doesn't steal McDuffie's thunder either. Matt and Kirsten alternate questioning important AVTF officers on the stand. Matt takes Powell.
Murdock: Officer Powell, tell me, what is the mission statement for the Anti-Vigilante Task Force?
Powell: To interdict, apprehend, and prosecute extra-legal vigilantes to the fullest extent of the law.
Murdock: "To the fullest extent of the law"? That sounds serious.
Powell: As a heart attack.
Murdock: Huh. And, Officer Powell, who formed the Task Force and created these parameters?
Powell: Mayor Fisk.
Matt: Of course.
And he spends his screentime just establishing the fundamentals. It's Kirsten who gets to go wild on one of these assholes. Specifically Cole North, the officer who killed Hector last season.
McDuffie: Can you tell me about those scars on your face?
North: I got these in a firefight with Daredevil and Frank Castle.
McDuffie: In Mr. Murdock's apartment?
North: Yes.
McDuffie: Why were you there?
North: Um, we were performing a welfare check.
McDuffie: A welfare check? With assault rifles and MRAP personnel carriers? I don't know, it seems like a lot of hardware for a blind lawyer. Was the defendant there?
North: I was told she drove the getaway vehicle.
McDuffie: You were told? What else did Officer Powell tell you to do? Did he tell you to kill Hector Ayala? Or maybe that was Mayor Fisk.
Hochberg: Objection!
Like I said, McDuffie eats well here. Her questioning of Powell is the best part of the trial. She does go off the rails and start pushing unproven accusations not relevant to the case at North. This gets her pinged with a sustained objection. Of course it does. It's bad legal practice.
But again, she's not actually litigating here. She's performing for McCaffrey. The judges can make her shut up but they can't untell McCaffrey that this one of Fisk's officers murdered a man.
In an ordinary court of law, something like this can be stricken from the court record. The jury can be barred from considering it when making their decision. But there is no official jury; Only the governor, watching and considering the words being spoken about a man she already harbors a lot of suspicion and distrust towards.
Overall, the court scene is really strong. The highlight of the episode. Though it also leaves Matt in the behind of having to figure out an exit from the courthouse full of cops. It's a good thing half the cops are good guys who don't answer to the mayor, right?
The Good Cops escort Matt and Kirsten to the parking garage, where they're ambushed by AVTF officers with assault rifles! Cherry and the Good Cops valiantly fight to defend the lawyers from the Bad Apples.
So. I have a question.
Last we heard, the AVTF think Matt's a heroic figure who saved Wilson's life, and nothing else. Even Powell has no idea that Matt is Daredevil. They're under orders to take Daredevil down by whatever means necessary and also to rescue Matt from whatever ill fate has befallen him.
Fisk explicitly told Powell to either save Matt and bring him to the mayor's office or take down Daredevil. He said he'd be happy with either, but Powell boldly insisted that he's going to do both.
Why are they now trying to murder Matt? How did we get from there to here? There was no connecting thread established.
The Good Cops get Kirsten to safety but Matt takes a bullet in the leg and has to throw his walking stick through the windshield. A critical hit sticks the steering wheel and forces them to lose control, leading the car to crash.
Fortunately, the crash bashes them all unconscious. Despite the car being full of at least three armed Bad Apple cops, it's treated as successfully vanquished. Matt is able to slowly limp away and not one officer emerges from the vehicle to finish the job.
We're going to assume they all have harmless bonks on the noggin' for the sake of Matt's No-Killing record.
This is almost the final scene of the episode; There's one last bit where Heather tries to give Karen a crooked psych eval but they just end up catfighting over Matt instead.
Karen: I'm in love with this man. He's completely inaccessible. He's distant, complicated. There are nights where I... I fall asleep in bed next to him, totally unsure of who he is. Worries me.
Heather: As it should.
Karen: It's also totally hot! I'm sure you can understand. So what does that say about me?
Heather: That's a very good question. I mean, what kind of person kills their own brother? The mayor's office has detailed files. Fratricide is very rare. Was Kevin molesting you?
Karen: Don't. No. No, it wasn't like that.
Heather: I'm sure. Did you feel powerful when you murdered James Wesley? After a lifetime of, I don't know, being used as a puppet by all these men. Daddy. Brother. Frank Castle--
Karen: Fuck you!
Heather: Heh. Funny. That's where the nerve is. Does Matt know?
Karen: You want to know what I think?
Heather: Hm?
Karen: I know that Matt, that mystery beside me, loves me in a way that makes every contradiction, every conflict in him and in me a part of us. And I'm willing to bet that that's the part that you can't really understand.
Heather: Professionals call that transference.
Karen: Yeah, well, I call it the truth. You were friends with Vanessa Fisk, weren't you?
Heather: I'm not answering any personal questions. That's unprofessional.
Karen: Well, she had my friend Foggy killed. Did you know that? Is that in those files? Jesus... Matt really hurt you, didn't he? Enough that you'd run to them to feel safe.
Wow. Every facet of Karen's existence really is about a man, isn't it? Heather's too, as she's caught between Matt, Muse, Buck, and the Fisks but at least she has Vanessa. A portion of her existence is about a woman instead of a man. That's... better? Somehow? I think?
But. Like. This scene really lays out how much these women are just bouncing between men with next to nothing of themselves to show for it. What do they want? What are their dreams? Their ambitions? What do they even believe that isn't parroting or following instructions that someone else gave them?
Even Karen's arguments with Matt about killing FIsk are just the show's way of treating her as the substitute for the Punisher. She's the rope in a tug-of-war between Matt and Frank over her identity and beliefs.
This evaluations is eye-opening as to just how much these women are defined by the men in their lives. And that's before it devolves into slapfighting.
You thought I was being facetious when I said they "catfight over Matt".
At this point, it's probably apparent that I've omitted a set of characters from this rundown. That's because they're so utterly divorced from the rest of the episode that they aren't necessary to talk about the A-plot. BB, Daniel, and Buck are over in their own little pocket episode so let's join them over there and talk about what's happening.
Be warned, it's really stupid. Easily the worst part of the episode, except for maybe the Jess and Mr. Charles scene.
Last episode, Daniel caught BB because she stupidly brought incriminating evidence to a date with him, and not by using Buck's tricky countersurveillance maneuver. This leaves Daniel and BB in a bind this episode; Buck is waiting for Daniel to bring BB to him and he needs to make a choice.
Um. I have a question.
Did we skip a step?
Last episode, Buck gave Daniel an idea for how to confirm whether or not BB is the leaker.
Daniel has confirmed that she is.
But why does Buck suddenly know? Buck suspects, sure. But Daniel says it's impossible for him to keep covering for BB and yet the only person who's confirmed that she's the leaker is Daniel.
There's nothing stopping him from going back to Buck and going, "I did the thing. If BB's the leak, they'll be announcing on the news tonight that Fisk's not running for re-election. Let's wait and see what happens."
He acts as if that's not an option anymore; Buck knows as of the end of last episode and there's no hiding it anymore. But. Buck doesn't know. That didn't happen. Only Daniel knows. So what is he on about?
Daniel lies to BB and says he'll take her to a safehouse where they can escape from Fisk. But he contacts Buck and gives him their destination as the place to meet. For the sake of his career and because he's already committed unpardonable crimes, he chooses to kill her.
Wait, what unpardonable crimes?
He helped Buck bury the First Mate a couple episodes ago. So now he's a gritty, irredeemable crime guy.
That's stupid but I can forgive it because it's character stupid. Daniel is such a dweeb that I can totally buy that he sees himself as a ruthless mafioso now.
Fortunately, BB figures out that he's walking her to her execution. Now, she's been undercover in the capitol building investigating and secretly publicizing the crimes of the man who murdered her uncle and will absolutely have her killed the instant she's made.
So, of course, she has no shortage of self-defense weapons on her person. Once she realizes what's up, she pulls out her personal stun gun and--
No, I'm kidding. Of course she has never once considered that this might blow back on her and can do nothing more than beg and plead for her life against Daniel's strong, masculine grip.
But then she asks him the question.
BB: Is this really the person you want to be?
Instantly his resolve shatters and he falls on his sword for her instead. Daniel fatefully decides that His Woman should come before The Boys.. He tells BB to run for it, and then goes inside to face Buck alone. It goes as well as you'd expect.
This is the final scene of the episode, and it's played for maximum drama. Daniel refuses to give BB up. In fact, he told her not to tell him where she was going so he wouldn't be able to give her up once the torture started.
In the final moments, as Matt says a prayer over the closing scenes, a lot of keen attention is drawn to how badly Buck doesn't want to do this. This is where their bromance was always destined to end and here in the moment, we can see how much it hurt Buck. This one, this one, is going to leave a scar on his soul that he probably hasn't felt in a long time.
But he does his duty and he pulls that trigger, ending Daniel's life. Daniel sacrifices himself. For BB.
...
Okay, I hate to ruin what was clearly sculpted to be a beautiful moment but I have a question.
What the fuck did Daniel accomplish by going in and dying here?
Daniel's car is literally right next to him and Daniel has the keys. They drove here in it. He tells BB to run away on foot. He doesn't even let her take the car. He takes the keys to the car inside to die with him.
Why couldn't they just get back in the car and drive like hell out of New York at a speed very much faster than BB's jogging rate? Leave Buck standing around the murder site impatiently texting him for status updates? Why couldn't Daniel go on the run too?
Here is everything Daniel says to Buck when he goes in to sacrifice himself. These are the words so important that Daniel had to die for them.
Daniel: Hey.
Buck: Where is she?
Daniel: She's not coming.
Buck: Where is she, Daniel?
Daniel: I think she had a birthday party.
Buck: Now, sooner or later, we both know you're gonna tell me.
Daniel: Fuck you, Buck.
Ultimately, the idea here is supposed to be that Daniel is distracting Buck, buying time for BB to get away. But Daniel decides when the clock starts ticking. Nobody has clocked that he and BB are here yet.
So nobody has to go in there right now. He can text or even call Buck and feed him some bullshit about a traffic jam or the car breaking down. He could even feed Buck a story like, "She thinks we're trying to get away. We're running for xyz new spot. We'll be waiting for you there," and send Buck to the other side of the fucking city.
While driving like hell away from New York.
This was a very brave thing he did. And a very dramatic thing for Buck to have to do, which seems like it affected him greatly and may play into his continuing arc. I just don't see how it was necessary. This self-sacrifice could have been an email!
But at least they didn't kill off BB for Daniel's grief. They killed Daniel for BB's Buck's grief instead. That's... better? Somehow? I think?
If it's that easy for Karen to get under Heather's skin with just a few comments about their respective relationships with Matt, I can only imagine how that conversation would have gone if it were Elektra in Karen's place.
"Daniel fatefully decides that His Woman should come before The Boys.."
Insert joke about the other mainstream r-rated superhero show on a streaming service.
A special place in my heart for female characters in children's anime that are traditionally aimed at young boys. In a perfect world, media doesn't really need to be gendered, but I'm so thankful that there were girls like Misty/Kasumi and Yolei/Miyako to root for in stories with male dominated casts, who not only held their own but stood out.
Spunky tomboys like Misty, unapologetically girly girls like Mimi, Aloof tough as nails girls like Rika/Ruki, and fragile kind girls like Jeri/Juri.
Special shoutout to Shadowverse Flame for having three stand out female characters who win their battles and stand on just an equal playing field as the boys, to the point of beating them multiple times without it ever feeling like the narrative was talking down to any of the characters because of gender.
I hope we get more monster shows, more card battle shows, and more anything else where the girls can shine like some of my favorite examples above.
If anyone knows of any more prominent examples please feel free to recommend them, I'm always looking for more!
there's an invincible post i remember seeing once that was specifically about comparing mark+amber to nolan+debbie in terms of nolan instilling in his son the tendency to lie to his partner and see her as a lesser priority compared to his ✨ greater purpose ✨ and how even if it's on a smaller more mundane more well-intentioned scale, you see in mark and amber the beginnings of the disrespect+manipulation and "viltrumite with a human pet" attitude in nolan and debbie and i wish i could find it again because it makes every single mark and amber interaction in season 1 make me feel like my bones are being twisted out of my body
I made a video about this but took it down bc I was tired of racist comments and didn't have the patience for it but I think it's fascinating how many ways Mark's relationship with Amber parallels Nolan and Debbie's and the ways Mark ends up doing the exact same things his dad does. I can just sum up what the post was about.
Both Mark and Nolan do the exact same thing--hide a significant part of their identities from their partner and hurt them and betray their trust in the process. Amber and Debbie even both confront them over this in the exact same episode with the two mirroring each other scene wise.
When Debbie feels uneasy about their relationship and feels something is off and asks her husband about it, Nolan never directly answers her and instead just insists on her trusting him. If he wants to comfort her, he won't address her concerns but instead replaces communication with gifts or trips.
Mark does the exact same thing to Amber.
He buys her gifts several times throughout season 1 to make up for his lack of communication and while he's not doing this maliciously it still ends up reproducing the same problem.
He feels entitled to her time and space and gets to enjoy everything on the relationship entirely on his terms. He withholds his identity from her under the logic of "I have to keep a secret identity for safety's sake.
Nolan genuinely cares about Debbie but wants to just enjoy her labor and intimacy in a way that involves lying to her for most of her life if things went his way then colonizing Earth.
Mark is not obligated to share this information with Amber, but he's also not entitled to her time, intimacy and comfort either and knowingly continues while keeping this from her.
The "Secret identity" excuse is especially silly in the Invincible universe when Mark's uncovered face is literally shown on a newspaper from his fist outing as a hero in the first two episodes. He's outed again because Nolan refers to him as "Mark" in front of a group of people and shares his real name and the fact that they're father and son.
Eve literally has a social media presence and goes around and takes selfies with people unmasked but we're supposed to buy that she also just is able to keep a secret identity.
Furthermore, Amber isn't necessarily safe just because she's not made aware of Mark's identity. She doesn't even know that there's a risk in the first place.
One of the most powerful moments after Debbie confronts Nolan is her seeing the hole he made when he punched the wall, because it's a visual reminder that he could easily kill her at any time if she doesn't fall in line. That wall could have been her.
then when Amber has enough, Mark flies into her room without her consent after she just says she doesn't want to talk to her. Mark just flies in anyway and disregards the boundary she set, announces his identity to her months into the relationship when she's upset and assumes she'll be fine with it.
It's why I think the secret identity excuse is by design pretty misogynistic because it's an applied way for men to basically enjoy comfort and intimacy on their terms and imputing the labor onto their partners.
Secret identities "can" have a great application, especially with feminist, queer, neurodivergent, etc readings but a lot of times they're just uncritically used to create tension with male superheroes being shitty partners and vaguely rationalizing it with "I'm keeping you safe."
Why is it assumed that sharing with other superheroes is inherently okay? Can they not also become brainwashed? What happens if they decide to go evil at some point? There's nothing inherently safer about sharing your identities with other supers that justifies keeping it from your non-superhero partner imo.
Amber is just one of the main figures that doesn't accept having to be a subservient girlfriend who falls in line and her being a Black woman especially is what leads to so many readings that she was being unreasonable or should have broken up with Mark herself.
That ignores the fact that she gave him more grace than he ever deserved and also holds next to no power in the relationship relative to Mark. this is the same show that in the first episode he goes "make me" to his mother when she tells him to go to bed after getting his powers.
He knows he has power over her and weaponizes it against his mother. It'd be really interesting if Invincible actually thoughtfully engages with these themes but I don't feel it does unfortunately.
Digimon Tamers 18 - Beautiful Evolution! Taomon Dances in Moonlight / Digital Beauty
Previously on Digimon Tamers: The Tamers sat a trap to catch the man distributing Blue Cards but accidentally reeled in Jianliang's dad instead. Meanwhile, livestock broke into Best Buy and made a mess of the place.
Davis promised that we'll find out the full truth about Henry's dad and Shibumi this episode, so let's dive in!
We open at a hotel called "Alamanda", which is probably supposed to be the luxurious Hotel Allamanda.
Rumiko talks to a man by the door. Ruki's sitting at the table in a cute pink dress that's shocking to see her wearing and disassociates with a drink in hand.
Man: Sorry to keep you waiting! I had to take a phone call.
Rumiko: Oh no, really, I'm sorry to bother you when you're so terribly busy.
Man: Don't worry about it! I was the one who asked you to come in the first place.
He looks down at Ruki, who's remained silent and motionless through this conversation.
Man: Pardon me?
Rumiko: This is Sugai-san. He's always supported me, so don't say any weird things. Okay, Ruki-chan?
Ruki: What kind of weird things?
Rumiko: Hm? Oh, you know. Things like "What's this model laughing about that's so funny?" or "I can't get into this mindset." Or "I hate Western-style clothes."
Sugai: ...huh?
Ruki: I don't hate Western-style clothes!
Furious, Ruki stands up and whips around to face her mom.
Ruki: I hate the clothes that you buy me!
Rumiko: See? That's what I'm talking about. Don't go saying weird stuff like that. Got it?
Sugai: All the same, that dress is really pretty on you. It's because you have such distinct features, Ruki-chan. That lets you pull off a look like that. There aren't a lot of girls who can make that look so good. Here, take this.
Sugai puts a straw hat in Ruki's hands. It's ringed in flowers.
Sugai: I think this hat would look good on you too.
Ruki: Really?
It's faint, but Ruki's smiling just a little bit under Sugai's praise. She puts the hat on, looking down at the floor.
Rumiko: This will be over soon.
Sugai: It's just a quick camera test.
This is a fascinating opening scene and speaks to how layered and inscrutable Ruki's locked-and-chained personality is. Previously, I had gotten the impression that a key point of conflict in her relationship with Rumiko stemmed from Ruki's disdain for girly things.
But she's completely different with Sugai here. She offers him none of the belligerence she gives Rumiko, and even seems to smile just a tiny bit with her eyes and the corner of her mouth when he tells her she looks pretty in that dress.
Here, it seems as if the opposite is true. Ruki's disdain for girly things actually stems from her conflict with her mom. She doesn't dislike girly things; She's just trying to dress opposite and be opposite to what her mom wants from her.
And that makes sense. Something I've always found curious about her is her use of the girly pronoun あたし Atashi. It's always seemed like a curious choice for such a tomboyish character, when she could be using 私 Watashi like Renamon or even go full ボクっ娘 Bokukko. But she verbally clings to this one vestige of her femininity.
And this scene seems to shed some light into why. It's not femininity itself that Ruki takes exception to, but rather the particular brand of femininity that Rumiko would impose on her. It's about rebelling against Rumiko moreso than being a tomboy.
In the dub:
Man: If it isn't my favorite supermodel!
Mom: Hello, Sugai! Thanks for setting up this camera test.
Sugai: For you, Makino? Anything!
Makino: I'm sure my little Rika has what it takes to be a world-class model - with a little guidance, of course!
Sugai: A little guidance? Please! You are the best role model there is!
(Sugai looks down at Rika)
Sugai: Isn't she?
Rika: (thinking) Ew, yuck.
Makino: Well, that's what everyone says. Coco will love her look; She's the girl next door! That is, if you live next to a gas station. Aren't you excited, Pumpkin?
Rika: (sarcastic) I'm ecstatic.
Makino: Ohhoho, don't mind her. She's just nervous! Right, Honeybunch? Sugai and Coco are very important contacts, so don't do anything strange like ask why models always look hungry. Okay, Baby?
Rika: I never said I wanted to be a model.
(Rika stands up suddenly and whirls on her mother)
Rika: And frankly, I'd rather be eaten by snakes! And this dress itches!
Makino: That is a designer dress, young lady! It's all the rage now. And you're acting like a baby!
Sugai: That's quite alright. Fact is, you're gorgeous! With those looks, I'll bet you're the most popular girl in your class. If not, they're jealous. I mean, just look at you! Am I right?
Makino: Of course you are. You're always right!
(Sugai hands Rika the hat)
Sugai: There's that smile! Now try on the hat.
(Rika puts the hat on)
Rika: ...'kay.....
Makino: See, that wasn't so bad.
Sugai: Now on to the camera test!
They previously called Rika's mom Makino all the way back in episode 6, when she answered her phone as Makino. I thought that was a mistake at the time, but no.
They're really going with Makino as Rumiko's name. Makino Ruki and Makino Rumiko in the dub are Rika Nonaka and Makino Nonaka? That's weird.
Maybe Makino is a stage name?
In any case, as usual, the dub exaggerates Rumiko's difficulty to connect with Ruki to outright hostile and overbearing behavior. They even have Makino directly insult Rika twice.
JP Sugai is able to give Ruki more confidence about her dress by telling her she looks pretty in it. He also plays to her ego, suggesting that not many girls could pull off a look like this. Which sounds full of shit. Like, yeah, sure, only a select few girls could pull off the color pink. Definitely a rarity among the female gender.
He's totally just fluffing her up. But it works and it makes her feel more comfortable with dressing this way. She feels pretty and a little bit punk all at once.
EN Sugai ignores the dress and just tells her she's a super-cute hottie who probably drives the boys wild. It hits a little weird. Makino also totally ruins any chance of tricking Rika into thinking this dress is punk when she calls it trendy.
Now that Ruki's head is in the game, they adjourn to the production stage. Makino Ruki's photoshoot begins!
Photographer: You have such cute eyes!
Sugai: Have you ever thought about a career like your Mom's?
Ruki: Not once.
Rumiko: (flinches) Mmmph!
Photographer: STROBE TEST!!!
They flash a strobe light. Ruki winces and flinches away from the bright flash.
Photographer: Ready? Now just act natural. We'll start without the strobe.
Photographer takes several shots of Ruki from different angles.
Photographer: That's great! Just stay like that....
He takes more photos, getting down on one knee for a lower angle.
Photographer: Alright, good. Next, take off the hat and look right at the camera.
Even more photos.
Sugai may have worked his magic on Ruki with regard to the dress but she definitely seems uncomfortable again.
In the dub, the photographer is voiced as Austin Powers. For some reason.
Photographer: Time for Coco to work his magic. Look at those eyes! When I'm done with you, baby, you're gonna be a STAR!!!
Sugai: Wouldn't that be fun? To be famous like your mother?
Rika: Not really.
Makino: Rika!
Photographer: It's magic time, baby!
(Strobe flash)
Photographer: LIGHT CHECK!!! Don't move....
(Photographer takes several shots)
Photographer: Okay, Rika-baby, show me what you've got! I want to see glamour. I want to see class!
Makino: Don't be shy, Honey. Go on!
Photographer: You make other girls look like dirt. Great! Work it, baby! Yes!
(More shots; Photographer gets down on one knee)
Photographer: Don't move... You are a natural, darling! Now, lose the hat!
(Rika takes off the hat)
Photographer: Terrific!
Yeah, it felt weird the way EN Sugai was talking to Rika last scene, and it doesn't feel any less weird when you have The Spy Who Shagged Me telling 10 13-year-old Rika to "Work it, baby."
As Rika takes the hat off, the photographer gets up in her face with the camera.
Photographer: Nice job! Okay! Now, don't move.
She moves. As the photographer gets too close, Rika flinches away from him.
Photographer: Next, we'll use the strobe. Don't close your eyes.
Ruki winces while she keeps her eyes open during the flash.
Photographer: Could you lift your chin up a bit?
Ruki: Sure....
But with the second flash of the strobe, Ruki begins to have a panic attack. The hat falls from her fingers and she starts to hyperventilate. When the photographer gets too close with the camera again, she freaks out and shoves him, then flees the production stage.
Rumiko: Ruki-chan!?
She's gone, leaving the hotel entirely and walking home. Well, to public transit to take her home.
Yeah, Sugai did a good job of getting her on that stage but this was never going to work out. I don't know what Rumiko was thinking.
Well, I know what she was thinking and it's, "It would be great if my daughter could learn to love modeling like I do." But. No. This was a mistake, Rumiko. You screwed up.
Although, in Rumiko's defense, Ruki isn't in a great headspace for this right now anyways. She has a lot on her mind, and it's nothing short of a miracle that Sugai was able to fluff her up as much as he did.
Rumiko's flaw as a parent seems to be an inability to see past herself. She wants to mold Ruki into the shape of Rumiko Jr., but Ruki doesn't want that. Ruki doesn't want to simply be a reflection of her mother. She wants to have her own interests and her own fashion and her own life.
In that, you can see where the dub gets its characterization of her as a self-absorbed celebrity stereotype, but the difference between JP Rumiko's misguided parenting choices and EN Makino actively hurling abuse at Rika is still like night and day.
Speaking of which, back to Austin Powers.
Photographer: Terrific! Now, look right into the camera. That's it. You like the camera. You LOVE the camera! The camera's your new BOYFRIEND!!!
(Photographer sticks the camera in Rika's face and she flinches)
Photographer: Love that look! You're afraid. You're a bunny in the woods!
(Strobe flash)
Photographer: You're gonna be SO FAMOUS, baby! Just like your mom!
(Second strobe flash freaks Rika out)
Photographer: (hallucination) You're going to be a star! You make the other girls look like dirt! You're gonna be so famous, baby! Just like your mom! JUST LIKE YOUR MOM!!!
(Rika shoves the photographer and runs)
Makino: Rika, stop!
(Rika leaves the hotel and storms off)
Rika: (thinking) "The camera is your boyfriend"? What a freak! I should make him eat his camera! Right after I get out of this ridiculous outfit.
In the original, Ruki was kinda getting into this until the photoshoot started. She even tried to be cooperative with the shoot itself until the flashing lights and intrusive camera made her panic and activated both her Fight and Flight reflexes.
Rika hated every second of this, and given how much more over-the-top obnoxious Makino, Sugai, and the photographer have all been, it's not hard to see why.
Rika reacts not to the lights or the camera in her face, but to the words. The dialogue that the dub has Austin Powers speak to her is what sends her spiraling, with the comparison to Makino specifically being the thing that triggers her panic attack.
After Ruki leaves, we cut over to the boys to see what they're doing. Takato's with Jianliang and Terriermon in his room talking shop.
Jianliang: I wonder why Renamon left with Vajramon....
Takato: Yeah... Do you think Renamon will come back?
Terriermon: Mōmantai. They'll be back.
Takato: Maybe, but isn't there a way for us to track them down now?
Jianliang: We might be able to find them if we had Ruki's Digivice. For now... are we just stuck waiting for the Deva to show up? What even are the "Devas", exactly?.
Jianliang's touching on the deeper questions now that he's got his dad's infodump.
If Digimon are just supposed to be wild animals created on a computer, then what are these intelligent beings who proclaim themselves beyond their human creators and worship their own God?
Can the Digimon have really evolved that much in twenty years?
As an aside, I think this might be the first time Takato's ever been to Jianliang's room before; The only other time Takato's visited Jian's house was to evaluate Shaochung to be Culumon's Partner. So it's nice to see their bond deepening.
In the dub:
Henry: I wonder why Renamon disappeared with Vajramon?
Takato: Yeah, I dunno. Maybe he put, like, a wacky mind-control field on her.
Terriermon: Nah. She's too stubborn for that.
Takato: You guys, we should look for her! You know, launch a search and rescue mission.
Henry: We'd need Rika's D-Power. But even then, our chances are slim. If Vajramon's anything like the other Devas we've encountered, then he'll show up soon enough. So will Renamon.
JP Takato worries that Renamon may have left for good, but Terriermon reassures him. EN Takato speculates that Vajramon mind-controlled her into leaving, which Terriermon dismisses because she's too stubborn to be mind-controlled.
Jianliang wonders aloud about the nature of the Devas. This gets dropped from the dub, which keeps Henry narrowly focused on the question of how to find Renamon.
As the sun begins to set over Shinjuku, Takato and Jianliang aren't the only ones worried about Renamon.
Sitting on a tree branch in Central Park, Guilmon stares sadly up at the sun, then slowly lowers his eyes.
Guilmon: ( •᷄ࡇ•᷅) ....
Over by the Big Guard crossing, Ruki's trying to track Renamon with her Digivice but it just spins uselessly.
Ruki: There's no signal. I have no idea where they went. Renamon... It feels like you aren't coming back.
Ruki is experiencing separation anxiety. Ruki has started opening up but she's still a very vulnerable person who masks her loneliness and insecurity under a shroud of thorns. She's taken the step of reaching out to Renamon, of letting them into her heart. But taking that step has made her vulnerable and insecure about this fragile relationship.
It's unclear how much time has passed since Renamon left. But whether this is tomorrow or a week later, Ruki feels abandoned all the same. Renamon's the first person she's opened her heart to, and Renamon's decision to leave with someone else and not tell her why has hurt her deeply.
There's an interesting subtext there that's going to flow through the episode, though it's only lightly touched on here with Ruki fearing that Renamon won't return.
Subtextually, Ruki is afraid that Vajramon stole her one and only friend away from her. And it's not by coincidence that Vajramon is designed as a big, manly beefcake. Why would Renamon ever choose to hang out with Ruki when they could go gallivant off with a chiseled man like him?
Did Vajramon swoop in and seduce Ruki's first and dearest friend away from her?
So. Y'know.
Bad time for a photoshoot. Sorry, Mom.
In the dub:
Guilmon: (thinking) Takato said he'd be back once they'd heard something, but waiting is so hard. I hope they find her.
(Rika's D-Power scans fruitlessly)
Rika: (sigh) Still nothing... I can't believe I let you go with him. It's not that I don't trust you, but how can I be sure that Vajramon will keep his promise? Renamon, please be alright....
The dub takes its first commercial break here.
Guilmon indicates that Takato and Henry are actively searching for Renamon but they're hanging out in Henry's room. They were just talking about how searching for Renamon is impossible.
The dub softens Rika's concerns. She has reasonable worries that Vajramon might hurt Renamon but she trusts Renamon implicitly. As opposed to Ruki who's feeling "Oh god, oh god, she left me, she left me on purpose, she doesn't want to be my friend anymore, oh god."
Rika specifically worries about whether or not Vajramon will keep his promise. That's a peculiar thing to worry about because he didn't make any promises to begin with.
This is every line of dialogue that EN Vajramon had in that scene.
Vajramon: Mmmm... You.
Vajramon: That's correct. (Responding to "He wants to talk.")
Vajramon: SILENCE, YOU IGNORANT HUMAN!!!
Tat's it. That is the full extent of the words that he spoke. What promise is Rika referring to?
Renamon promised to explain everything after she returns. But Vajramon didn't promise shit.
Back at home, Rumiko folds Ruki's pink dress while Seiko does dishes.
Rumiko: Oh, where has that girl run off to?
Seiko: She said she'd be back soon.
Rumiko: And when exactly is "soon"!? Throwing a fit and running off like that... Honestly! Doesn't she realize how much trouble she's making for other people!? And after ruining the camera test we worked so hard for.... I'm the one who should be angry!
Seiko: Oh, I'm sure she'll be back soon. That girl is a lot more level-headed then you give her credit for.
It's easy to see where Rumiko's coming from here. She doesn't know what's going on in her daughter's life right now, and so can't possibly understand the stress and anxiety that Ruki's under, which the pressure of this camera test exacerbated.
Rumiko's also been a model for a long time, and so the flashing lights and intrusive camera are all normalized in her brain. She doesn't remember what it feels like to be in that position for the first time, especially for someone who has no aspirations to be.
So from her perspective, Ruki just snapped. Things were going well until she lashed out for no reason and then ran away.
In the dub:
Makino: It's dinner time. Where on Earth can she be!?
Grandma: Careful, dear. Excess worrying leads to premature wrinklse.
Makino: First the camera test and now this! I was mortified. You should have seen her! This is the one chance for her to be famous and successful like me, and she just stood there like a donkey! Then she practically attacked poor Coco the photographer! I just don't understand why she acts like that.
Grandma: To be honest, I'm not surprised. She didn't want that camera test, you did. Let her have some time alone. She'll be fine.
Makino again is rewritten to be more of an ass. They add in an attack on her daughter for "standing there like a donkey" during the camera test. They also assert that Makino's motives were for Rika to "become famous and successful like me", demonstrating the added shallowness they tend to give her.
And they cap it off by having Grandma scold Makino for ever taking Rika to that camera test in the first place.
In a rare glimpse at one of the Hypnos ladies with their hair down, we find Redhead out swimming.
As she emerges from the pool, her phone goes off. Returning to where she left her towel and her things, she answers.
Redhead: (gently) I can't tonight. I have a night shift.
Some guy very unsubtly ogles Redhead's cleavage while she's on the phone. Noticing him, she covers her cleavage with her towel, then turns around.
Redhead: Yes, it's right after this. Maybe next time?
Her eyes are uncovered, of course, so she's more humanized here than we usually see her. It's a brief glimpse into her life outside of Hypnos, but a welcome one.
The dub covers the long stretch of Redhead swimming by dubbing over it with gossiping women.
Woman 1: Have you seen the new member?
Woman 2: Ugh, yeah! She's so skinny, it makes me sick!
Woman 1: There she is in the pool! They say she eats nothing but toast and prune juice.
Woman 2: I'm tired of her getting all the attention from the guys!
Woman 1: I wonder what she does for a living?
Woman 2: Rumor is, she works for a top-secret government project!
Woman 1: Oh please! She's probably an aerobics instructor or something.
Woman 2: Hahahaha!
(Riley comes out of the pool and answers her phone)
Riley: Hello? No, tonight's no good. I have to go into work-- Hold on.
(Riley covers her cleavage and turns away from the ogling man)
Riley: Maybe tomorrow. Talk to you later.
The gossip centers how hot and desirable Riley is. Which is something we're establishing here and will continue to in the next scene, so that's accurate to the tone here. And also the central theme, since the desirability of attractive women and the noxious behavior of others in response is going to be a key talking point here.
(Which is, of course, why they brought in Austin Powers to do the photoshoot but that was still weird all the same.)
In that regard, the gossiping women here suit the theme well. They're being unnecessarily mean about Riley in retaliation for her just existing near them and being pretty.
That said, she's a "new member" but there's already rumors flying about her work at Hypnos? Wow, Riley is terrible at keeping secrets.
After she leaves the pool, Redhead goes in to work. She gets off the train at a station and we get to see her in casual clothes.
As Redhead rides an escalator up from the boarding platform, attention is drawn to the way men going the other way stop and ogle her as she passes.
Redhead notices their stares. But she ignores them, donning her sunglasses and getting her game face on. Her eyes are covered; She's in business mode now.
She exits the station into Takato's neighborhood, passing by Ruki on a bike on her way into work.
The escalator scene adds onto the ogling at the pool. Redhead is what's called a "head-turner". She's a stunningly beautiful woman who men stop and gawk at as she passes. Something she's obviously aware of, and seems irritated by after a lifetime of enduring their gazes.
But once the sunglasses go on and she puts her eyes away, we switch contexts from Redhead as a beautiful woman to Redhead as an ominous agent of Hypnos.
Also, apparently Ruki has a bike. I don't think we've ever seen her with a bike before. Ruki, did you steal that? Did you vent your anxiety by coming to the bakery and robbing one of Takato's customers?
Maybe she mugged Jou's girlfriend in an alley. There's the Adventure crossover we all want to see.
In the dub:
Riley: (thinking) That's the fourth date I've turned down this week. I'm starting to wonder if this job is really worth it! Chasing after all these Wild Ones seems like such a waste!
(Men ogle Riley on the escalator; She puts on her sunglasses)
Riley: (thinking) Even when we find them, there's hardly anything we can do about them! All this money spent on a top-secret organization, and still....
(Riley passes Rika)
Riley: (thinking) The only ones who have any success against the anomalies are those kids! I wonder who they are....
Riley gets a lot of inner monologue added to this scene. In it, she vents frustration about Hypnos's uselessness in all of this.
This has the knock-on effect of drawing focus away from the animation and towards Riley's expressed concerns, so you might not notice the guys ogling her on the escalator or how it pertains to the topic of social reactions to attractive women..
She also wonders about the identities of the Tamers, which... Serious question, does Hypnos not know? Are their identities a mystery? Yamaki visited Takato's school a few episodes ago, and he's also gone to see the Matsuda Bakery in person, though he never went in.
Redhead enters the Matsuda Bakery, seemingly to grab a bite on her way in to work.
She grabs a carton of vegetable juice and a pre-wrapped sandwich, then peruses the pastries.
While Redhead's thinking over her options, Takato's upstairs looking over his Growmon sketch.
Takato: Guilmon... What would I do if you left?
Dad: (Downstairs) Takato! I need some help here!
Takato: Coming!
Takato comes downstairs, where his dad is ringing up Redhead's order.
Dad: Hey, go bring me some change. I need 10-yen coins.
Takato: On it!
Takato runs off to grab the coins. Redhead pulls off her sunglasses for a moment, scrutinizing him. Takato returns soon, passing the coins off to Dad.
Dad: Oh-ho-ho, perfect! I appreciate it.
Mom: Takato!
Mom's doing dishes in the kitchen. Takato leaves Redhead with Dad and goes to join her.
Mom: Did you finish your homework?
Takato: Of course I did.
Mom: Then maybe you could help out around the store for once.
Takato: Uhhh....
Takato looks around for a moment and spots a pile of freshly cleaned trays. He picks them up to take them out to the storefront.
Yeah, I don't get the impression that Redhead is here by chance. I think she's confirming that Takato lives here. This is the "night shift" assignment she said on the phone that she had to do.
Because Yamaki obviously can't go in and scope the place out for himself, after all. Takato knows his face.
But her intentions here are left ambiguous, so the possibility exists that she just stopped in to grab a bite on her way in to work.
That seems unlikely though because she'd have to go a bit out of her way to get to this bakery. We know it's on the opposite side of Central Park from the Government Building, and there's a train station right there in front of the Government Building. It's kind of an important place for transit.
So this isn't exactly "on the way". She got off the train a stop early or a stop late. Unless she just fancies a stroll through the park before her shift starts, it's hard to imagine why she would do that unless she came here with intent.
In the dub:
Riley: (thinking) Oooh, cream puffs! Ahaha! ...hmm, better not. I'll never fit into my uniform.
(Upstairs, Takato reviews his Growlmon sketch)
Takato: (sigh) If Guilmon disappeared, I'd go mental. Man, I sure hope Rika's doing alright.
Dad: (downstairs) Takato! Come here a minute!
Takato: Okay!
(Takato goes down to the bakery)
Dad: You think you can get me a roll of quarters for the register?
Takato: No problemo!
(Takato runs off; Riley takes off her sunglasses)
Riley: (thinking) Goggles? Interesting fashion statement.
(Takato passes off the coins to Dad)
Dad: That was fast. Thanks, kiddo.
Mom: Takato!
(Takato goes into the kitchen)
Takato: Yes, Mom?
Mom: Go look in the breadbox. You've been studying so hard, I thought I'd make you a snack.
Takato: Studying? Uhh... Mhm.
(Takato picks up the trays)
Takato: (thinking) Broccoli tart!?
The dub takes the position that this is a complete coincidence, which may be the case.
Not only that, but Riley doesn't even recognize Takato when she sees him. She simply comments on his peculiar fashion choices. If this is a coincidence as the dub alleges then that would make some sense, as Yamaki's the only one who's met and interacted with Takato before.
The dub also tries to pass off Takato picking up the stack of trays as him opening a breadbox to discover a comically disgusting pastry.
JP Takato did his homework when he got home like a good boy. EN Takato's slacking, but he's willing to lie to his mom about it.
Across town, Ruki finally makes it home. Rumiko's in the entryway waiting for her.
Ruki: Tadaima!
Mom: Where have you been!? You had me worried sick!
Ruki: Out for a walk.
Mom: A walk!? What kind of elementary school student would be out for a walk at this hour!?
Ruki points at herself.
Ruki: This kind.
After that smart-ass remark, Ruki slips off her shoes and goes inside without another word to her mom.
Over at the Lee residence, Jianliang is dozing on his bed while Terriermon gazes out the window. Suddenly, Terriermon's ears prick up.
Terriermon: Jian!
Jianliang: Huh?
Terriermon: That's probably the guy from last time!
Jianliang: Vajramon!?
Terriermon: Do you think Renamon's with him?
Jianliang gets up from the bed.
Jianliang: Let's go.
Terriermon hops onto Jianliang's shoulder. Jian starts to leave, then hesitates.
Terriermon: What's wrong, Jian?
Jianliang: We should call the others.
He's learning to think like a team player! While the beef between Ruki and her mom is only growing.
In the dub:
Rika: I'm home.
Makino: Young lady, where have you been!? I've been worried sick about you!
Rika: Nowhere. Just walking.
Makino: Oh, never mind! (angry) I hope you're pleased with the way you acted today. I want to talk to you about that camera test!
(Rika points at herself)
Rika: I don't.
(Rika takes off her shoes and goes inside)
Rika: All those flashing lights must have given me a headache.
(Cut to Henry's room)
Henry: Terriermon, will you sit down already? What are you looking at?
(Terriermon's ears rise)
Terriermon: He's back!
Henry: Huh?
Terriermon: I can sense him.
Henry: You mean Vajramon!?
Terriermon: No, Santa Claus. Who do you think!?
(Henry gets up)
Henry: Ha ha. Funny.
(Terriermon hops onto Henry's shoulder, but he hesitates)
Terriermon: What are we waiting for!?
Henry: I should call Rika.
Rumiko only scolds Ruki for being out so late, but ever the more shallow one, Makino drops it to change subjects to the camera test. They use the shot of Ruki pointing at herself and saying "This kind" for Rika's "I don't", but the animation lands awkwardly and isn't as silly.
Back at the Makino residence, the phone rings. Seiko answers.
Seiko: Ruki! It's for you!
Ruki comes out to the hall and takes the phone.
Ruki: Moshi moshi. Oh, Jian!
Rumiko lurks around the corner, very unsubtly listening in. Spotting her, Ruki turns around and holds the phone more close to her face.
Ruki: Y-Yeah...?
Jianliang: Yeah, so come quick! I already called Takato-kun.
Ruki: Got it.
Ruki immediately goes out into the night on her bike. Rumiko calls after her.
Rumiko: Ruki, wait! Where are you going!?
She doesn't even slow down.
In the dub:
Grandma: Hello? Oh, yes. One minute. Rika! It's for you!
(Rika answers)
Rika: Hello? Henry?
(Rika spots her mom and turns around)
Henry: Rika, thank goodness you're home. I think we found Vajramon and there's a good chance that Renamon will be there too!
Rika: Be right there!
(Rika goes out on her bike)
Makino: Rika Nonaka, you come back here THIS MINUTE!!!
In the previous scene, Henry said he'd call Rika specifically. Now that he has, he makes no mention of calling Takato. I assume he calls Takato after, of course.
In the original, Jianliang calls Takato first. Which goes to show his priorities. Though it's interesting that Ruki feels comfortable just calling him Jian. Only his family and Terriermon call him that. Even Takato addresses him as Lee-kun.
What's that about?
Following her encounter with Takato at the bakery, Redhead goes in to work.
She passes a technician working on a console and heads up the stairs to the goofy Crane Chairs. On the stairs, she runs into Megumi.
Redhead: Thanks for your efforts.
Megumi: Huh? Where have you been today?
Redhead: Eheh... Why do you ask?
Megumi points at Redhead's face.
Megumi: Your skin looks a little glossier.
Redhead: It does? Well, I haven't gone anywhere special....
Redhead puts her visor on, marking an end to the conversation.
Megumi: Well, I should get--
Suddenly, an alarm rips through Hypnos. Redhead and Megumi drop their conversation instantly and both race up the stairs.
Alert: Emergency! Wild One! The usual type of pseudospace is forming in the airspace above the National Stadium!
Yamaki watches uselessly and flicks his lighter while Redhead and Megumi analyze the data in their Crane Chairs. The chairs do spinnies complete with mechanical whirring sounds so they can each face the camera while talking. I still have no idea what possible value this has.
Redhead: Wild One located. This reading's intense!
Megumi: Another enormous Wild One!
Redhead: I think this might be the same one that Realized in Akihabara recently. The Wild One is Realizing quickly!
Yamaki: We won't let you keep tearing down the boundary between our world and yours for much longer!
Terriermon was right. Vajramon's back.
The phrase Redhead greets Megumi with is お疲れ Otsukare, which literally means "You must be exhausted." Said in a cheerful tone, it expresses gratitude to another person for the work they've put in, like "Good job!" or "Nice work!"
Megumi's line is a little ambiguous, as it's unclear if she means there's two huge ultra-powerful signals or if she's just exasperated by yet another huge ultra-powerful signal. Renamon is with Vajramon so two signals would make sense.
But I kinda think she's just venting because it wouldn't make sense for Renamon to have an identical ultra-powerful signal to a Deva at their Child level.
More interesting is Redhead and Megumi's conversation on the stairs, and the context it adds for the bakery visit while still leaving a lot of ambiguity.
Megumi asks about Redhead's whereabouts today for innocent reasons; Redhead looks prettier than usual and Megumi wants to know if she's gotten some kind of spa treatment done or something. Again, how other people react to beauty is a talking point for this episode.
But Redhead gets evasive about her whereabouts. She doesn't want Megumi to know she visited Matsuda Bakery, and that is interesting. Is she up to something behind Hypnos's back? Or was she there on Yamaki's orders but Megumi is out of the loop?
That Redhead dodges the question the way she does adds an extra layer of intrigue to exactly what her intentions at the bakery were.
In the dub:
Tally: Hey, Riley. Nice makeup! Did someone have a da~ate?
Riley: Nah, not tonight.
(Tally points at Riley's face)
Tally: How come you're always getting asked out and I never am?
Riley: Maybe it's that dead rabbit's foot you carry around.
Tally: That's supposed to make me lucky!
(Riley puts on her visor)
Riley: Ahaha... See you later.
(Alarm)
Tally: So much for luck!
(The women run upstairs to work)
Yamaki: (thinking) When will this end!?
Riley: A large Digital Field has materialized over the National Sports Arena. Wild One detected. Projected Bio-Emergence in zero minus ten.
Tally: From the energy readings, it's a big one.
Riley: We've seen this bio-print before. It's the same Wild One that Bio-Emerged in Akihabara! I'm locking sensors on the entire area to get an accurate read of its progress and activity.
Yamaki: The Wild Ones are getting bigger, appearing faster than ever! This infestation must be stopped at once! I'll stamp them out! I'll stamp them all out!
The dub already staked its claim to Riley visiting the Bakery by coincidence, so her conversation with Tally has none of the same intrigue as Redhead and Megumi's. They have a charming bit of throwaway banter ending in a gag about lucky rabbit feet.
The dub drops the alert announcement and lets Riley give the infodump. That seems like a better fit, as it's typically her job to exposit these things. I don't know who the hell Alert Guy is supposed to be.
Riley also adds some technobabble about bio-prints and "locking sensors to the area".
Alright, before we move to the Stadium, it's MAP TIME!!!
We're further south on the map than we usually go. These Devas sure are taking us quite a ways outside of our comfort zone, aren't they?
Blue circle is Central Park and the adjoining Government Building.
Green circle is the Big Guard crossing where we fought Mushamon.
Pink circle is Isetan where we fought IceDevimon and the Hanazono Shrine right across from it.
Down there on the bottom right side, we have the Tokyo National Stadium.
Well, had; It was torn down in 2015 and replaced with an Olympic-sized stadium, erected on the same spot. So it no longer exists in the form we're about to see it in.
From the center of the stadium, a Digital Field erupts. Within its fog are Vajramon and Renamon. Renamon bounds through the air with attention drawn to their form flipping through the air as they land gracefully at the edge of the bleachers.
Vajramon and Renamon stare each other down for several seconds. Then Vajramon takes a few steps forward, enthralled by what he's seeing.
Vajramon: Beautiful... Such truly beautiful data....
He may be enthralled, but Renamon casts their gaze up and away from him. Not interested.
Yeah. This is what Vajramon pulled Renamon away for. On a certain level, Ruki's concerns are entirely valid. She was reading that situation correctly; Vajramon wants Renamon.
In the dub:
(Digital Field appears)
Vajramon: Renamon. It is time!
(Vajramon spots Renamon through the mist)
Vajramon: Ahh... There you are.
(Renamon flips through the air)
Vajramon: The way you move... It's poetry in motion.
Renamon: Enough with the flattery. What do you want with me?
Vajramon: I want to talk. Renamon, I have come to offer you a chance to change your destiny.
The dub skips ahead to laying out the purpose of their meeting while the original lingers on how captivating and alluring Vajramon finds Renamon. The dub does also make mention of that, but EN Renamon's in a hurry to get to the point.
In both versions, it's unclear to what extent they've talked prior to this. It's been at least a full day since Renamon left with Vajramon, right? What have they been doing? A tour of the Digital World's most romantic hotspots?
Meanwhile, the Tamers are on their way. Everyone has bikes now!
JIanliang leads the way with Terriermon on his shoulder, pointing out the direction.
Terriermon: That way! It's that way, Jian!
Ruki follows behind him. At an intersection, they meet Takato on his way to the same destination with Guilmon as his guide.
Jianliang: Takato-kun!
Takato: Hey!
The Tamers form up and make for the stadium. With Takato grunting much more heavily than Jianliang or Ruki from having to transport Guilmon's weight.
And with that, we go to commercial break in anticipation of the showdown in the stadium to come.
In the dub:
Henry: Quit pulling on my ears!
Terriermon: Well, move it!
(Terriermon points)
Terriermon: Can't this thing go any faster!? We have a bullfight to pick!
Henry: Mōmantai, wouldja!?
Rika: Please... Be there....
(They run into Takato)
Henry: Takato!
Takato: Good, you brought Rika!
(They ride together)
Takato: (thinking) Geeze, why can't Guilmon pedal for a while!?
The dub also takes its second commercial break here.
EN Terriermon is being much less helpful than JP Terriermon; It's part of the dub's injection of levity into this scene, keeping the impending showdown from feeling too tense.
Coming back from commercial, Vajramon makes his pitch.
Vajramon: Renamon, worship our God with me. Obey God's will with me and we will descend into these lands together... and flourish.
Renamon: Vajramon, what is this God you speak of? Where is he?
Vajramon: So beautiful... You are worthy to live beside our God.
The still expression Renamon gives the camera at that point somehow manages to be the most eyeroll anyone has ever given. Fourth-wall breaking "You're hearing this shit, right?"
Vajramon uses 我 Ware for his pronoun, which is an old-fashioned and archaic pronoun typically seen in old wizened characters and godlike entities. Fitting for a Deva but Pajramon used あたし Atashi, so it's not universal.
It kinda makes him look like a 50-year-old man coming on to a teenager, ngl. Which might be deliberate. Especially with the way his idea of a flirt is "Come respect our sacred traditions with me." STRANGER. DANGER.
In the dub:
Vajramon: Beautiful Renamon, I've asked you here because I believe you are worthy to serve our Master, the magnificent Digimon Sovereign! Join us and the kingdoms of Earth will be ours for the taking!
Renamon: Sounds tempting, but how does your Digimon Sovereign plan to do that?
Vajramon: With our help. We, the most powerful DIgimon, will vanquish humankind.
EN Vajramon keeps focus on business and drops JP Vajramon's emphasizing of "with me". And, as usual, God is now the Digimon Sovereign.
Since the idea of some sort of Digimon ruler isn't as confusing and questionable as a Digimon God, EN Renamon skips the questions about what God even is. She asks about his plans instead.
Outside, the Tamers have reached the National Stadium.
Donning their eye protection, the Tamers ride into the stadium, then park their bikes.
Takato: Do you think Renamon is here?
Ruki: I don't know....
They run inside, immediately spotting Vajramon and Renamon when they reach the field.
Jianliang: What the--!?
Ruki: Renamon....
Guilmon moves to back up Renamon, but Terriermon calls out to stop him.
Terriermon: Wait! It looks like they're talking about something.
Terriermon's right. We're here, so we can support Renamon if things go south. Best to give them the chance to press Vajramon for intel while they have it.
In the dub:
Guilmon: Takato, are we there yet?
Takato: Ugh, no.
Guilmon: How about now?
Takato: No! Not yet!
(Takato puts on his goggles and enters the Digital Field)
Takato: We should have a plan if we're going to beat Vajramon. Anyone notice his weak spots?
Terriermon: Weak spots!? He's a tank with horns!
(Tamers park their bikes)
Takato: You think Renamon's in there?
Rika: Don't know....
(Tamers run to the field)
Henry: Bingo!
Takato: Um, he's a lot bigger than I remember!
Rika: You going chicken on us, Gogglehead?
Takato: Ack, no!
Terriermon: BWAK-BAK-BAK-BAK
Henry: Terriermon!
Terriermon: Just kidding! Sheesh.
(Rika takes off her sunglasses)
Rika: Renamon...!
(Guilmon goes to intervene, then stops)
Terriermon: Looks like they're talking.
Lots of added banter. Special credit goes to the last part, the chicken bit. Rika expresses with fear and uncertainty that she doesn't know if Renamon is here. Then she drops that to make fun of Takato with all the usual smarm and attitude. And then she suddenly remembers she's supposed to be scared and vulnerable once she gets back on-script with the original.
Terriermon never shouts for Guilmon to stop. Guilmon charges out onto the field and then abruptly changes his mind, I guess.
Since the Tamers don't intervene, the conversation continues. Renamon's losing patience.
Renamon: Answer my questions properly. What is this "Our God" that you keep talking about.
Vajramon: Renamon, "Our God" means the God of all of us Digimon. We may once have simply been data generated by humans, but we have gained a life of our own now.
Renamon: Data generated by humans...?
Vajramon: Digimon follow the Digimon God, and so we evolve in ways fitting of Digimon. The humans abandoned us, didn't they!? Remember! Before we regained these forms, we were nothing but fragments of data wandering aimlessly through the Digital World!
Oh, that's where they've been. Wandering the Digital World as nothing but disembodied fragments of data. So I was kinda right.
The Tamers, listening in, discuss what they're hearing.
Jianliang: The Digimon God?
Takato: The other Digimon we've met have been saying something about that too.
Jianliang: Do you know anything about that?
Terriermon: No idea.
Takato: How about you, Guilmon?
Guilmon: Guilmon knows nothing.
Culumon: Cuuuuulumon!
Suddenly Culumon is here, announcing their presence so suddenly that it feels like an answer to Takato and Jianliang's question.
( ≖_≖) What is your connection to the Digimon God, Culumon?
Renamon and Vajramon's talk here is fascinating. Renamon seems unaware that Digimon were made by humans originally, but Vajramon is well informed. Presumably, he learned of this from God.
But he also sounds bitter. Vajramon drops a tantalizing clue about the Digimon's motives when he loses his temper about the humans "abandoning" the Digimon.
This adds a layer to the Digimon's hatred of humans. After the funding was cut and Jiang-yu's project terminated, the Digimon lost contact with their creators. The human creators went out to buy milk and lotto tickets, and I guess they won because that was twenty years ago.
They're lost children who, in the absence of their parents, have turned to God to provide them with a stable and guiding authority structure instead. It's a cult! Yay!
Vajramon also insinuates that the Digital World of Tamers is not the stable, habitable environment of Adventure. I was honestly starting to wonder if there even was a Digital World or if DIgimon just exist on the Network.
I feel, though this might just be speculation, like there's been a growing implication that the Digimon don't really have a "world" like ours to call home, and that's why they keep invading ours. They want our world because they can't continue to exist where they are. But they're also hostile to us because they blame us for their predicament.
We made them, we abandoned them, they've evolved, and now their only hope as a species is to come back home and take our world for themselves.
This also frames the Tamers and their Digimon in an interesting way. Leadership among the humans and DIgimon feel aggrieved and despise each other, as seen with both Hypnos and the Devas. But the Tamers and Partner Digimon have chosen coexistence instead.
In the dub:
Renamon: This "Digimon Sovereign" you keep telling me about. I've never heard of him. Who is he?
Vajramon: Digimon... We're created by humans but now we have surpassed them all. It's fitting that we have a Digimon master who, unlike humans, will never desert us.
Renamon: But humans have not deserted us.
Vajramon: Surely you're not talking about those puny children who treat you like pets, a role that hardly befits magnificent creatures such as ourselves. We were made to rule this world and the humans, and with the guidance of our master, we will soon take what is rightfully ours! This will usher in a golden age where Digimon will reign supreme.
(Humans listen in)
Henry: So that's what they're up to.
Takato: Man, I knew it! It's a conspiracy to take over the world!
Terriermon: He's intense! Whew!
Guilmon: What's a "sovereign"?
Calumon: Hello!
This part goes completely off-script to avoid all the talk about the Digimon God and what he means to the Digimon.
EN Vajramon asserts that the Digimon plan to conquer the human world because they're the superior race and deserve to conquer everything.
EN Vajramon has none of the bitter nuance of JP Vajramon. He states that the humans have deserted the Digimon, but he delivers it matter-of-factly and entirely devoid of emotion. This then provokes an argument about the validity of human Partnerships, like the kind Impmon usually likes to bring up.
Vajramon even compares Partner Digimon to pets, literally reading from Impmon's playbook. And with the way EN Takato treats Guilmon, he's not exactly wrong.
Culumon hops down the bleachers, joining Renamon.
Culumon: What are you up to?
Renamon: Culumon...?
Vajramon: Who are you? Are you another Digimon who serves the humans!?
Culumon: (curiously) Culuuu?
Culumon hops down onto the field in front of Vajramon.
Culumon: I'm not sure what you mean-culu.
Vajramon: Stay out of it!
Vajramon kicks Culumon with his front left hoof, then tries to stomp on him.
Jianliang: Culumon!
Takato: What do we do!?
Culumon scampers off but Vajramon, not content to leave them with a warning, gallops after them.
Culumon: Culu! Culu! Culu!
I sure hope, for his sake, that Culumon isn't affiliated in some way with God because God might not look too kindly on this. Not sure it's doing much to endear him to Renamon either. He's kinda showing his whole ass right now.
You might be able to play off kicking Culumon like, "I thought they were trying to interfere." But running Culumon down is completely indefensible. You are just a butt with a face drawn on it at this point.
I know you don't need to be told this, Renamon, but red flag.
In the dub:
Renamon: Calumon...?
Calumon: Whatcha doin', huh? Can I watch?
Renamon: You shouldn't be here.
Calumon: Awwwww, why not?
Vajramon: Another pet Digimon who performs for the enjoyment of humans?
Calumon: A new friend!
(Calumon hops down to the field)
Calumon: Can I ride on your back? Can I?
Vajramon: Rrrgh!
(Vajramon kicks Calumon, then tries to stomp him)
Henry: Calumon!
Takato: What do we do!?
(Vajramon chases Calumon)
Calumon: You could have just said no!
JP Vajramon shouts "邪魔をするな Jamo wo suru na!" when he attacks Culumon. He's declaring the imperative negative of 邪魔 jamo, which means to interrupt, to interfere, to hinder or obstruct. "Do not interfere!"
He's made assumptions that a) Culumon is affiliated with the humans and b) Culumon is here to stop him from seducing Renamon. So, having done all these calculations in his head, he lashes out pre-emptively to protect his claim to Renamon against Culumon.
Culumon, notably, has done absolutely nothing but show up as someone who knows Renamon. That alone set off Vajramon's "I WILL DEFEND MY WOMAN" instincts.
Red. Flag.
As with the rest of the "be mine, be with me, serve God with me" stuff, that line is dropped from the dub. EN Vajramon attacks because he's annoyed by Calumon's childish antics.
Culumon's never been good at fleeing from pursuers and, as is often the case, they trip and fall.
Ruki: We have to save them!
Takato: Guilmon!
Guilmon's wanted to intervene since he got here. Now let off the chain, he runs straight into battle.
Growmon evolves to an instrumental of the Card Slash theme, but Vajramon hasn't noticed yet. His attention is still on Culumon. He stomps down right next to Culumon. Culumon turns and runs again.
Vajramon: Are you...?
Culumon: Culu culu!
Renamon: Growmon...?
As Growmon rushes in, Renamon's eyes are drawn to the Tamers behind him. To one Tamer in particular.
Renamon: Ruki....
Growmon reaches Vajramon, popping out his arm blade and swinging. Vajramon's armored bracer stops the blade, parrying Growmon's attack. He counters, ducking his head under Growmon's body and then using the leverage to launch him against the bleachers.
Takato: GROWMON!!!
Strong as Growmon is, he's not winning an arm-wrestling match with a Perfect. Gotta fight smarter.
In the dub:
Rika: Do something!
Takato: Guilmon!
(Guilmon runs in)
Guilmon: Okey-dokey. Don't worry, Calumon! I'm coming!
Takato: DIGI-MODIFY!!! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!!!
(Growlmon Digivolves)
Vajramon: I'll squash you like a bug!
Calumon: Oogh!
Renamon: Growlmon!
(Growlmon rushes Vajramon; Renamon sees Rika)
Renamon: Rika, stay there!
Growlmon: DRAGON SLASH!!!
(Vajramon parries Growlmon and then tosses him)
Takato: GROWLMON!!!
JP Guilmon tells Takato to do the evolution Card Slash, demonstrating the way their mutual partnership is a back and forth.
Between the way Terriermon had to stop him a moment ago, the way he attacks as soon as he's let off-chain, and the fact that he already has an opening move in mind and needs Takato to catch up, you can feel the way Guilmon's been chomping at the bit to get in there.
EN Guilmon is more lackadaisical. He stopped himself earlier, answers the attack order with "Okey-dokey", and Takato Digivolves him of his own volition rather than answering Guilmon's instruction.
JP Renamon is shocked to see Ruki here. EN Renamon accepts her presence without question and warns her to stay out of the danger zone.
EN Growlmon calls his arm blade as Dragon Slash, as usual.
Culumon runs to the safety of the Tamers, cowering just under Ruki's legs. Growmon clearly needs backup, so Jianliang turns to Terriermon.
Jianliang: Terriermon, can you go in?
Terriermon: Eh, probably.
Jianliang: CARD SLASH!!! CHŌ SHINKA PLUG-IN S!!!
From the stands, Renamon watches Galgomon now evolve and join the fight.
Folding his arms to shield his face, Vajramon blocks Galgomon's hailstorm of bullets until the assault relents.
Vajramon: Troublesome pests... I'll dispose of you all at once!
Demonstrating his serious intent, Vajramon draws both of his holy swords and--
Renamon: KOYŌSETSU!!!
Renamon fires at Vajramon's unprotected back. He blocks some of the shots, but simply tanks the others. Still, the attack shocks and infuriates him.
Vajramon: RENAMON!?!?
Renamon: I am a Digimon who evolves with my Partner.
Yeah, man. I don't know what you expected to happen once you got in a big fistfight with all of Renamon's friends. You didn't even try to de-escalate this. Hell, they jumped in to protect Culumon from you.
This may have gotten out of control and snowballed in ways you couldn't have foreseen, but nonetheless, it did so because you're an asshole. This is what watching Manosphere videos gets you.
In the dub:
Henry: Get him, Terriermon!
Terriermon: About time!
Henry: DIGI-MODIFY!!! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!!!
(Gargomon Digivolves)
Renamon: Be careful!
Gargomon: So, we meet again. GARGO LASER!!!
(Vajramon blocks Gargomon's bullets)
Gargomon: Whuh-oh!
Vajramon: You pathetic pests!
(Vajramon draws his swords)
Renamon: DIAMOND STORM!!!
(Vajramon blocks some, tanks others)
Vajramon: What is this!?
Renamon: Your Digimon Sovereign sounds dreamy but I won't be signing up any time soon.
JP Renamon rejects Vajramon ideologically. Digimon has always had evolution as a metaphysic but also spoken broadly about evolution in grander terms. That's what human Partnerships are about; The human children evolve, they grow into the people they're going to become. And as they do, their Digimon evolve as a reflection of their growth.
Evolution the Metaphysic exists in service to Evolution the Broad Idea, signifying change and transformation.
Vajramon believes that DIgimon should grow as an independent people, liberated from the yoke of their human creators. They should evolve in accordance with their own God's will, to become what He would make of them.
And he would have Renamon join him, because he's captivated by their beauty. It's an entirely shallow desire he has to possess that sexy fox he saw across the battlefield, even though he hates everything Renamon stands for and believes in.
He's playing "Conquer the progressive woman". He's eager to tame that shrew!
But Renamon renounces his ideology with a single sentence. Renamon chooses to evolve hand-in-hand with Ruki; Broadly, for Digimon and humanity to evolve together in a symbiotic relationship with one another. That is what they believe in, and they remain unswayed by his appeal.
Renamon isn't buying what Vajramon is selling, so whatever courtship he's trying to carry out was doomed from the start. He's just a gross, mean old man who believes hateful things, and Renamon wants no part of it.
A lot of women right now navigating the minefield that is MAGA men on dating apps can probably relate.
EN Renamon inexplicably states that the Digimon Sovereign "sounds dreamy". Um. What? But she rejects Vajramon anyway, presumably out of loyalty to Rika.
With Renamon's decision made, Ruki calls out to her.
Ruki: Renamon!
Renamon: ...
Renamon says nothing, but simply looks back at Ruki. A silent accord.
Ruki: CARD SLASH!!! CHŌ SHINKA PLUG-IN S!!!
When Ruki Card Slashes, she and Kyūbimon are greeted with a short instrumental of EVO, though it cuts out as soon as the evolution finishes. This won't be that easy.
Vajramon: You've evolved? Kyūbimon... How beautiful you are... Do not try to defy me. You will come and live with me!
Vajramon shows his, ahem, sincere intentions by sheathing his holy swords. Now that it's come to Renamon/Kyūbimon standing against him, suddenly he's interested in de-escalating.
But Kyūbimon is not.
Kyūbimon: ONIBIDAMA!!!
Vajramon weathers the ghost flames for a couple seconds before breaking free. Kyūbimon lunges, following up on their attack. Vajramon catches them in his meaty arms.
Vajramon: Stop trying to fight me, Kyūbimon!
He throws Kyūbimon across the grass, where they land gently on their paws.
My guy, I think maybe they're just not that into you.
Also, gotta love the hypocrisy. Vajramon's enthralled by the evolution that Ruki and Renamon earned together, by what their Partnership has made of Renamon. But not so much that he might reconsider his stance on humans. He just wants to reap the benefits of the human's hard work without acknowledging her.
In the dub:
Rika: Renamon!
Renamon: Now!
Rika: DIGI-MODIFY!!! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!!!
(Kyubimon Digivolves)
Vajramon: So you've Digivolved. You'll make an even worthier servant for our Master. Join us, Kyubimon. Be part of the new world order or FACE THE WRATH OF THE DEVAS!!!
(Vajramon sheaths his swords)
Kyubimon: Never! FOX TAIL INFERNO!!!
(Kyubimon blasts Vajramon, then lunges. Vajramon catches her)
Vajramon: So beautiful, yet so LOST!!!
(Vajramon tosses Kyubimon)
EN Vajramon remains focused on recruiting Kyubimon for their team, though he does call her beautiful once they start to fight.
I love how he amps up to "FACE THE WRATH OF THE DEVAS", shouting a violent threat to Kyubimon... while he disarms himself, putting his swords away and trying to stand down. Um.
Vajramon may be too strong right now, but Kyūbimon and Ruki aren't done yet.
Ruki: CARD SLASH!!! POWER CHARGER!!!
Kyūbimon: KOENRYŪ!!!
That's the card Takato used against Sandiramon! Ruki has a copy of it too!
Powered up by the Card Slash, Kyūbimon's flame dragon pushes Vajramon harder. He's forced to draw his swords again, striking as he draws to form a cross-slash projectile. His shot collides with Koenryū, dispersing them both together.
Vajramon: Stop resisting me, Kyūbimon! You will live with me! You will evolve with me!
Kyūbimon: RRRRRAAAAAAAGH!!!
Culumon: This is getting really scary-culu...!
While Kyūbimon roars out of sheer frustration with this asshole, Culumon cowers behind Ruki's legs.
In the dub:
Rika: DIGI-MODIFY!!! POWER ACTIVATE!!!
Kyubimon: DRAGON WHEEL!!!
Vajramon: DEVA BLADE!!!
(Vajramon disrupts Dragon Wheel)
Vajramon: Kyubimon, you could be so much stronger. Why do you depend on such a feeble human Partner?
Kyubimon: RRRRRAAAAAAAGH!!!
Calumon: He sure is a big bully!
Vajramon calls his cross-slash as an attack.
JP Vajramon yells at Kyubimon to give up and be his woman already. EN Vajramon blames Rika for Kyubimon's weakness.
Culumon cowers in fear from Vajramon. Calumon makes a wry observation.
Takato and Jianliang realize that Kyūbimon needs backup.
Jianliang: If this keeps up, Kyūbimon's going to lose!
Takato: Growmon, get in there and support Kyūbimon! CARD SLASH!!! KŌSOKU (High-Speed) PLUG-IN H!!!
Growmon: EXHAUST FLAME!!!
I'm not sure how the speed buff helped Growmon's Exhaust Flame, but the answer seems to be that it didn't. Vajramon disperses the attack with a swing of his holy swords.
Still, it pulls attention away from Kyūbimon. Vajramon chases after Growmon, who turns and flees from his blades.
Even with enhanced strength, Galgomon can't land his hit. Vajramon smacks him aside, using Galgomon to hit and knock down Growmon. Kyūbimon races by as if trying to pull Vajramon's attention back to them.
Jianliang: He's too strong. Galgomon, can you evolve?
Galgomon: Urgh, I don't think so... I don't have any strength left....
Rapidmon will not be able to save us this time. If we wanted to do that, we probably should have done it before Vajramon beat Galgomon to shit.
Once more, the limitation of Card Slash as a game-changer is showing itself against the Devas. Like Pajramon, Vajramon is just too strong for the Tamers' card tricks to make a difference.
In the dub:
Henry: It's like we're fighting a wall! What are we gonna do!?
Takato: Growlmon, you gotta get back in there now! DIGI-MODIFY!!! HYPER SPEED ACTIVATE!!!
Growlmon: PYRO BLASTER!!!
(Vajramon disperses the attack and chases Growlmon)
Henry: DIGI-MODIFY!!! ENERGY ACTIVATE!!!
Gargomon: HRAAAAAAAGH BUNNY PUMMEL!!!
(Vajramon knocks Gargomon into Growlmon)
Growlmon: (sarcastic) This is going well....
Henry: He's too strong! Gargomon, you've got to get up!
Gargomon: Easy for you to say. You didn't get your butt whupped!
Jianliang asks Galgomon if he can evolve to Rapidmon, but Galgomon doesn't have any strength left.
Henry just asks Gargomon to get back in the fight, though he receives a similar response.
Though Growmon's in a similar state to Galgomon, Takato's not taking this lying down.
Takato: Growmon, hang in there! Get up!
Growmon: Nnnnngggg, I can try....
Takato: CARD SLASH!!! KŌSOKU (High-Speed) PLUG-IN T!!!
Boosted by another card, Growmon tries his hardest to get to his feet. But his muscles give out on him.
Growmon: I can't! I'm sorry, Takato....
Growmon falls forward and collapses to the ground.
This is the end of Kyūbimon's support. The boys may have tried, but there's only so much they could do. Kyūbimon must face Vajramon alone now.
In the dub:
Takato: Growlmon, come on! We gotta keep trying!
Growlmon: (weakly) Okey-dokey....
Takato: DIGI-MODIFY!!! POWER ACTIVATE!!! Growlmon, up! Up!
Growlmon: Growlmon down. Down!
(Growlmon collapses)
It's delivered with more levity but the idea is the same.
Kyūbimon headbutts Vajramon in the abs to no avail. He bounces them off with a flex, then sheathes his holy swords again.
Vajramon: Stop this! I don't want to fight you! Just do as I say, Kyūbimon!
Kyūbimon answers with another headbutt. He swerves aside to avoid the lunge, but Kyūbimon flicks him across the face with their tail as they pass. Then, while he's disoriented, Kyūbimon headbutts him in the ribs, sending him sliding on his side across the grass.
Kyūbimon: HROOOAAARGH!!!
Get his ass, Kyūbimon!
Remember how Vajramon was using 我 Ware for his pronoun to sound ancient and powerful and godly? He's so mad right now that he's slipped out of his "godly demeanor" or whatever and started using 私 Watashi instead.
In the dub:
(Vajramon abs-bounces Kyubimon and puts away his swords)
Vajramon: Too bad! I thought that you'd be a worthier opponent, but you're all pretty and no punch!
(Kyubimon tail flicks Vajramon, then tackles him to the ground)
Kyubimon: HROOOAAARGH!!!
JP Vajramon puts his swords away because he doesn't want to use them against the object of his desires.
EN Vajramon does it because he underestimates Kyubimon after seeing how weak she seems to be.
Picking himself up off the ground, Vajramon has reached the limit of his patience.
Vajramon: If you won't listen, then I have no other choice.
Vajramon draws his swords again, this time to fight Kyūbimon seriously.
Vajramon: I'll have to make you understand!
He slashes twice at Kyūbimon, though it's unclear if he hit.
Ruki: KYŪBIMON!!!
Vajramon: You have it wrong, Kyūbimon. You are a Digimon. Only a Digimon can live with you!
He launches another cross-slash at Kyūbimon. They retreat, leaping high into the air to escape the attack.
Dude's still begging for their reciprocation.
In the dub:
Vajramon: I will convince you to join us even if I have to destroy you to do it!
(Vajramon draws his swords and swings twice)
Rika: KYUBIMON!!!
Vajramon: I don't understand. You could have unlimited power in this world, yet you continue to be a lap dog to that worthless little girl! DEVA BLADE!!!
(Kyubimon escapes the attack)
More refocusing into just trying to recruit Kyubimon for the bad guy crew.
Ruki pulls a card to try and help Kyūbimon only to discover that it's the Blue Card.
Ruki: Ah! A Blue Card! We can evolve....
Culumon: CuluuuUUUUUU!!!
Ruki: CARD SLASH!!! MATRIX EVOLUTION!!!
This time it's the Japanese Culumon's turn to do a Dragon Ball power-up scream. Kyūbimon Matrix Evolves into their Perfect form, Taomon.
Jianliang pops them up on the Digivice.
Takato: Amazing....
Jianliang: Taomon. Perfect-level, Data-attribute. Their special attack is Bonhitsusen.
Takato: Taomon...?
Culumon: (tired) Culu....
Culumon drops to a sitting position from the effort of producing this evolution.
In addition to what Jianliang said, Taomon is a Majin-type or "Magical Person" Digimon, similar to Mushamon. This probably goes without saying but their name is derived from Taoist philosophy. Which...
(deep breath) Okay. I'm still struggling with Shinto and now you're going to throw Taoism at me. Great. Thanks. Okay. To the best of my understanding.
Why Taomon? Because Tao is the antithesis of everything Vajramon has been saying up to this point. Tao is a belief structure with no rigidly defined dogma, one which emphasizes individual understanding of your place in the universe.
In Taoism, there is no clearly defined road to enlightenment, no set of rules you can follow to enter Heaven. Everyone has their own journey to find their inner balance and to live in harmony with the world around them. It's about making the effort to learn and to understand your physical, emotional, and spiritual existence.
Vajramon is telling Kyūbimon, "Come with me, be with me, walk my path and live as God would tell you to live." This is the dogmatic way of the Devas. They are a dedicated religious order. They serve God and they follow God's path.
But Kyūbimon chooses Tao instead. They choose to trust their own heart to guide them to the path that is most right for them, to blaze their own trail and find their own place in the universe. Their own spiritual understanding.
This is the next evolution that Kyūbimon and Ruki have made together.
At Hypnos, they seem to have some sort of glowing white imprint of Taomon on the screen.
Redhead: One of them just underwent a powerful energy conversion.
Back at the stadium, Vajramon is not happy with Taomon's choice.
Vajramon: You made a mistake. You've evolved the wrong way!
Taomon: Who decides if it's wrong? Not your God, certainly.
Taomon bounds into the air, firing off their first attack.
Taomon: KOFŪSATSU!!!
狐 - Kitsune or Fox
封 - Sealing
札 - Talisman
Vajramon cuts most of Taomon's talismans out of the air, though a couple strike him in the chest. He flinches as they hit.
Vajramon: Why can't you just understand!? Why have you evolved into such a human-like form!?
Vajramon charges in, swinging his holy swords furiously. Taomon's sleeves slap away Vajramon's blade with every swing.
Vajramon: Must you continue to reject true evolution guided by Digimon ourselves!? To defy the will of our God!?
Finally, Taomon ducks under a horizontal slash. When Vajramon thrusts downward, Taomon flips over him, landing on the grass on his other side.
Taomon: You have provided all the information I was looking for. You have my gratitude.
Vajramon: There can be no absolution for anyone who defies the will of our God. NOT EVEN YOU!!!
Vajramon slams his swords into the ground, sending waves of energy rippling through the earth towards Taomon. Taomon can levitate though so they just go up. Vajramon throws his swords, but the problem with throwing your swords is that after you throw them, you no longer have swords.
Taomon draws a gigantic writing brush from their sleeve.
Taomon: BONHITSUSEN!!!
梵 - Sanskrit
筆 - Brush
閃 - Flash or brandish or flicker
Or "Sanskrit Brush Stroke".
Taomon paints the character "hum" in Sanskrit in the air, which is way beyond my cultural understanding. The symbol is the Sanskrit hūm̐ according to Wikimon, and I think it means understanding or enlightenment? But IDK.
Nonetheless, the Sanskrit symbol burns into Vajramon. It vaporizes him, his unwanted come-ons, and his dogmatic beliefs in an instant.
Culumon: You did it-culu!
They sure did, Culumon.
So, does anyone else get "She will be mine or she will burn" from Vajramon? I feel like he's been giving Judge Claude Frollo for a while now.
In the dub:
Rika: Huh? A Blue Card! Now it's our turn!
Calumon: Mhm!
Rika: BIO-MODIFY!!! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!!!
(Taomon Digivolves)
The dub takes its third commercial break as Taomon's Digivolution sequence concludes.
Vajramon: How interesting....
Takato: Cool....
Henry: Taomon. Ultimate Data-type Digimon. Her graceful appearance masks her Thousand Spells and Talisman of Light attacks! Whoa....
Calumon: Oooogh...
(Cut to Hypnos)
Yamaki: I want a report! NOW!!!
Riley: The energy reading for one of the anomalies has increased exponentially!
(Cut back to the stadium)
Vajramon: Our master would not be pleased you look so human. Why would you Digivolve to resemble such weak and insignificant creatures?
Taomon: I don't really care what your master thinks. And besides, looks can be DECEIVING!!!
(Taomon bounds into the air)
Taomon: THOUSAND SPELLS!!!
(Vajramon deflects most, but takes two talismans to the chest)
Vajramon: You stubborn creature! If you defy my master, then I have no choice but to destroy you! (swinging sword) Rraagh! Rrragh! Arrrgh! Ragh! Raaaggh! Argh! Rrragh! Ragh!
(Vajramon tries to stab down, but Taomon dodges)
Vajramon: You must want more than THIS!!! Why are you here!?
Taomon: I only wanted information from you and now that I've got my answers, you can go.
Vajramon: You deceptive wretch... Once I've finished with you, I'll take care of your PATHETIC HUMAN!!! TERRA BLADE!!!
(Taomon dodges the attack)
Taomon: No one threatens Rika!
(Vajramon throws his swords; Taomon draws her brush)
Taomon: TALISMAN OF LIGHT!!!
Vajramon: W-What's happening!? THIS CANNOT BE!!!
(Talisman of Light kills Vajramon)
Calumon: YAAAAAY!!!
The dub emphasizes that Taomon is a deceiver who uses her unassuming appearance to sucker her opponents. No mention of this is made in the original.
JP Vajramon tries one last time to impose his dogma on Taomon. Taomon responds with the fittingly Taoist sentiment that it's not God's place to define Taomon's path for them.
Between this and their human-like shape, a product of the way they've chosen to evolve with Ruki, Vajramon finally gives up on winning Taomon over much too late to save himself. He tries to kill them for their heresy and dies.
EN Vajramon expresses the Sovereign's disappointment and says Taomon looks weak like the humans, setting him up for the deception surprise. At his wit's end, he threatens Rika, enraging Taomon into killing him.
The line "You stubborn creature! If you defy my master, then I have no choice but to destroy you!" runs out of dialogue long before the span of time he's alloted to speak for ends. They didn't write a replacement line for "Must you continue to reject true evolution guided by Digimon ourselves!? To defy the will of our God!?"
As a result, there's a period of ten seconds where he's just swinging his sword, grunting, swing, grunt, swing, grunt, swing, grunt, over and over.
There's long periods without dialogue in the original too but it's noticeable here because the animated action is kinda boring and repetitive. It's meant to accompany interesting dialogue so it can't be too interesting and draw attention away from what Vajramon's saying.
Take away the dialogue and you just have a weird ten-second lull in the action where nothing's really happening.
Kofūsatsu becomes Thousand Spells in the dub, which makes it sound like a bag of tricks that can produce a wide variety of results. It's just sealing talismans, though.
Bonhitsusen becomes Talisman of Light, which makes more sense.
Vajramon calls his ground ripple attack as Terra Blade, which is a strong name.
With Vajramon dead, the Digital Field over the stadium disperses. Hypnos is tracking what just happened.
Redhead: The Wild One is gone.
Yamaki: Are they the only ones capable of eliminating Wild Ones...?
Not only does Yamaki look incredibly dopey right now, but he holds up his lighter and gives it the saddest little flick. Awwwwww! XD
In the dub:
Riley: The Wild One has been neutralized!
Yamaki: Unbelievable! It's those children again! How is it that only they can destroy these anomalies!?
JP Yamaki seems to have finally caught onto how mission-critical the Tamers are for containing the Digimon incursions into the Real World.
EN Yamaki takes that for granted but demands answers to the next question: Why?
Once the fight's over, Taomon easily reverts to Renamon since we're long past the point where evolution has meaningful drawbacks except maybe for a joke here or there. Takato and Jianliang head one way while Ruki goes the other, since they live in different directions.
Ruki doesn't go home right away, though. She's feeling better now that she's reassured of her bond with Renamon, and she has thoughts to share about what just happened.
Ruki: Is evolution decided by the way Digimon and their Partners fight?
Renamon: I can't really say for certain, but that feels right to me.
Ruki: Yeah, I know what you mean. I feel that way too. ...Renamon, you've become incredibly strong. But when you're bathed in the moonlight like that, you look beautiful too.
We close here with Ruki getting the final word in, then riding her bike off into the distance.
We've seen a few toxic ways that beauty can be admired. We saw it from those creeps ogling Redhead, from Vajramon, and from the dub version of that photoshoot at the start.
But the point made with Ruki's final statement here is that it's not the admiration of beauty itself that's bad. We've seen that too, with Sugai getting that smile out of Ruki and making her feel pretty as well as with the exchange between Megumi and Redhead.
It's the context of that admiration that determines whether it's flattering or creepy.
Ruki isn't trying to get something out of Renamon. Isn't trying to impose an idea on them, to mold them to suit her own interests and desires. She just thinks Renamon looks pretty and says so, free of expectations and secure in the relationship they have.
In the dub:
Rika: So you're back. I'm quite pleased with your latest Digivolution.
Renamon: Thank you, Rika. It may very well be the key to defeating the Devas.
Rika: Yeah, I hope you're right. And good job finding out about the Digimon Sovereign. But you know what impresses me the most?
Renamon: No, tell me.
Rika: How heroic you look right now standing in the moonlight.
(Rika rides off)
Rika: I'll see you tomorrow, Renamon!
Renamon: Heh... Good night, Rika.
Davis (V.O.): Did Rika just say something nice? I gotta be hearing things! Sure hope she stays that way! To find out, tune into the next Digimon: Digital Monsters!
Ruki and Renamon unpack the nature of evolution and the way their relationship created Taomon, though they only lightly touch on it. A quick reaffirmation of what the fundamentals they believe to be true.
Rika welcomes Renamon back into the fold and congratulates her on her accomplishments.
For the final nail in the beauty theme's coffin, the dub changes Renamon looking beautiful to looking heroic. The line's a little shippy in both versions, but because Rika's line is divorced from any non-shippy context, it becomes that much more difficult to read any other way.
Ruki is issuing the last word on a central theme while Rika seems to be flirting all of a sudden.
Alright, let's talk promises. Davis said that we were going to learn the full truth about Shibumi and about Henry's dad this episode! And...
...
Yeah, we didn't even touch on that at all. That had nothing to do with anything going on this episode. That's a promise broken.
Assessment: Ruki episodes are amazing.
This episode gave me a lot to chew on with regard to not only its central theme but also Ruki's relationship to her mom and her gender. We also get a glimpse of the extent to which her loneliness is making her a little codependent on Renamon. She can't function anymore unless she knows Renamon is with her, at least in some capacity.
I wonder if we're ever going to talk about that? We've got her over the first hurdle, which is "My first friend." But I feel like there's another hurdle ahead of her called "My first friend can't be the center of my entire existence," and that's one that often goes overlooked so I don't know if we're going to discuss it or not.
Rumiko's still making mistakes and struggling to connect with Ruki but it's hard to blame her. It's hard to know what to do about your kid when the only thing you're sure of is that they hate everything about you, specifically. And with Ruki running off at all hours of the night, she's become quite the delinquent.
Also, screw Vajramon! What a weird creep he turned out to be! This was Renamon's IceDevimon episode. We did it twice for some reason. Something something two nickels.
I'm pretty sure I only understand like 30% of what Taomon is about but they're my favorite of the three Perfects anyway.
I thought Vajramon's attraction to Renamon in the English dub was ridiculous but he's even more over the top in the Japanese version.
You bringing up the manosphere also put the terrifying thought of a Digimon created from data gathered from red pill videos and misogyny promoting forums in my head.
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