Zero Two Episode 14: The Samurai of Sincerity

In this episode, Mimi introduces some stuck-up American to the gang. In other words, yet another boy for Yolei to fawn over. That makes four now.


There are some very important plot points mentioned in this episode that inform much of the second half of the series. If we ignore the movie (and life is easier when we do), this is the first time we've heard anything about other digidestined. We've had every reason to think that this whole Digimon adventuring business was exclusive to Japan. Well, turns out there is a digidestined in America, which creates the possibility of digidestined around the world. Needless to say, this will be important later.

It does raise several questions, however. Are they regular travelers to the Digital World? Can they open a gate at all? If so, why haven't they helped in the battle against the Emperor? If not, how are they able to bond with their partners? We don't get any good answers to these in this episode. All we get is an American digidestined with a Betamon capable of evolving to Champion level.

We also hear about Cody, Davis and Yolei's Highton View Terrace moments- their previous experience with Digimon that got them signed up to be digidestined. Turns out Davis was one of the kids Myotismon kidnapped and Cody was in the plane that malfunctioned and almost crashed after VenomMyotismon's defeat. Yolei... e-mailed Izzy once. Good for her. She wins one (1) episode.

This is one of those episodes that needs to absolutely drill home a single character trait by having that character embellish that trait to the extreme. It's not as bad as the “asshole Tai” episodes early in season one, but Yolei is more outspoken and boy-crazy in this episode than she's ever been before. And it's not like she wasn't outspoken or boy-crazy in the past.

The outspoken part is first unleashed upon our old friend Digitamamon after yet another currency snafu in his restaurant. Seriously, this guy's better suited for an episode of Spice & Wolf. Now, he only accepts digidollars, leaving the kids unable to pay for a large meal. This leads to a long argument with Yolei, solved only when Mimi arrives with her new friend Michael... who sounds like he went to Yardale where he had a 4.0 grade average.

There's no nice way to say it: Michael's a tool. He became a digidestined after a previously unreported Gorillamon incident in New York four years ago and seems content smiling his way through all this to impress some pink-haired Japanese hottie. The “hots for Mimi” part is important, as boy-crazy Yolei is jealous and that part of her gets exaggerated as well. Not to mention that she too may be “hots for Mimi.”

Mimi remains awesome and helps Digitamamon turn a new leaf. When Gorillamon attacks, he intercepts the attack, allowing Michael's Betamon to evolve and fail to subdue it. Togemon has to finish the job, because Mimi's awesome. When Digitamamon returns, however, he's suddenly corrupted again, viciously attacking Mimi when she tries reasoning with him.

What follows is pretty cool. Crest of Sincerity bearer Mimi spent the whole episode trying to empathize and reason with Digitamamon. When she goes down, Yolei gets up and gives him a complete and thorough verbal smackdown. It's the total opposite of Mimi, but is it sincere? Oh hells yeah! The digiegg of Sincerity is summoned, Hawkmon evolves to Shurimon and Shurimon's just made of win.

Afterwords, Mimi's shown to not be completely love and compassion when she socks Sukamon for asking her out. Yolei comments that she now knows what to do when someone asks her out. Then Michael asks Yolei out...

WHY DIDN'T SHE PUNCH HIM?!

My Grade: B

Loose Data:
  • Matt's band's song “I Turn Around” is playing at Mimi's big sexy American party. J-Rock must really be catching on. Incidentally, that party is way too big and way too sexy for a bunch of kids Mimi's age.
  • Izzy ponders that Kari must be special for traveling to the Dark Ocean without her digivice. In other words, he witnessed Kari being possessed by a mysterious benevolent force TWICE last season and he's just now thinking there might be something special about her?
  • Five kids and five Digimon rack up an $87 bill. Sounds about right. Now honestly, what thirteen year old carries $87 worth of any currency in her wallet?
  • Mimi says she doesn't believe that any Digimon are born evil, despite a number of them being classified as Virus types. While the Virus designation does not always equate to being a bad guy, if Mimi's right then you have to wonder what kind of screwed-up childhood Piedmon had.
  • TK and Kari are really quick to fly off together in search of Digitamamon. If you're still thinking about those two in terms of the last episode, there may be some backstage shenanigans going on here.
  • Yolei's complete and thorough verbal smackdown was so nasty that she randomly insulted Davis. The next shot shows him in the background, stunned, thinking “what the hell did I do?”
  • Now that it's come up, I suppose I should recap the movie. This is about when the third segment would have taken place if it were canon (and FYI- it's not). Upon further research, the third movie in Japan came out right before... the next episode. Huh... well guess what we're doing next!

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