After countless episodes fighting to reach their goal, they have arrived at last! The biggest threat they’ve faced yet literally drops from the sky! Massive internet outages around the globe! Entire islands in the sea of the net demolished! And our heroes… really don’t do much of anything. One show of determination summons Dantemon, he makes a dramatic entrance, snuffs out Cometmon… and then flames out in minutes. His appearance is ridiculous and unforgettable, and all the gigantic concepts make you root hard for this one, but when the main cast is pretty much relegated to the sidelines and they aren’t left with much more than consolation prizes, it’s hard not to see the problems.
Perhaps what lets it mostly get away with all this is a bold, almost comical, revelation: the kids have no idea how the mechanics of the Seven Codes work. They’ve done a great job gathering the dragon balls, but they have no clue how to summon the damn dragon. This locks them up enough to throw in all sorts of silliness like Dantemon’s overflowing mailbox and the gate guardian with the laughably generic name. The confused ambling around accomplishes little and wears thin, but the audacity is appreciated.With the good guys standing on Deep Web’s doorstep, Leviathan getting desperate enough to call out the big guns makes sense. Cometmon is there to destroy the doorway… but as a giant monstrosity inspired by that app designed to crush everything you love, he’s going to leave a lot of collateral damage in its wake. Thing is, it’s causing so much damage it’s more compelling than his slow approach to hinder the App Drivers’ path. The implications of entire islands in the sea of the net going down, with severe ramifications affecting real-world connectivity and access, is way too interesting for the main characters to play a passive role. The damage we see in a few short minutes and the massive size of Cometmon could fuel an entire arc! All we can hope for is that it’s a sign of things to come as the kids take the fight against Leviathan to the next level.
Unfortunately, the kids have no answer for this threat. In another sequence slowing the pace to a crawl, the kids muster up enough resolve to deliver some statements of resolve, which of course is what kicks the Seven Codes into action and summons Dantemon. Everything about Dantemon is wonderful: he makes a flashy entrance, he makes everyone think for a fleeting moment that all that bluster added up to nothing more than a snack for Cometmon, he slashes it to pieces anyway… and then he sings. All the kids can do is react to him. It’s not sound storytelling, but those reactions are priceless. Rei’s having second thoughts about joining the crew already!And then… he really does die. Or at least turns to stone keeping the gate open as Leviathan disables him. It’s jarring to see him fall so soon, especially after they spent 21 episodes gathering the parts for him and getting here. Maybe he was too powerful to stick around. Maybe his gimmicks had a short lifespan. Maybe it’s a bad omen about the sort of odds these kids will face as their journey continues. It stills feels sudden, like an even more stark Seraphimon in Frontier.
Unlike Seraphimon, Dantemon provides some protection and support in the new Seven Code Bands. They’ll probably be invaluable, but feel like small consolation trinkets after losing such a powerful ally. Their excitement doesn’t seem justified. The Seven Code Appmon also return to them, rather anticlimactically. They had a real heroic sacrifice vibe during the rise and fall of Dantemon, so for them to just pop out again made their part in it feel rather pointless. Even them surviving as normal Appmon doesn’t arouse much relief. The fond memories and open mourning of the likes of Gomimon and Copipemon were more confusing than anything else, and it’s not like they’re going to see any action ever again. Shove ‘em back in your new toy and let’s get on with it. There’s a Deep Web to explore!
My Grade: B
Loose Data:
- Rei’s utter disinterest in this entire scenario is wonderful. The other three are hanging on every moment and he deadpans his way through everything. It’s that sort of thing that keeps this from being more hokey than it already is.
- Despite all the actual dire scenarios going on in the world, the Caught-Up Man laments his inability to pick up his pre-order of the latest definitely not Harry Potter book. So far this is the closest he’s come to actually interacting with someone from the main cast.
- Eri and Astora play very much to their character outlines, dropping catchphrases at every turn. Astora even contributes a rap and random dabbing for no reason. Just because they’re stuck watching this episode happen shouldn’t mean they have to be as one-dimensional as possible.
- Somewhat lost in Dantemon’s sacrifice is that Fido was turned to stone and that’s sad. He was hecka mad but guarded that door like such a good puppers. 13/10
Honestly, the fact that all of the build up and bluster of the past 21 episodes ended in this kind of absurd anticlimax just felt *so right* the first time I watched it. Appmon absolutely capitalizes on comedic timing better than most seasons and that tends to make it a joy to watch for me as a long-time fan. I *do* wish we saw more of Dantemon in action,though. He's just so darn likable in his 10 minutes or so of screentime!
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