The following article contains spoilers for Digimon Ghost Game available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
Throughout Digimon Ghost Game, the line between human and Digimon has become blurred. The series is not the first in the franchise to blur these lines. For example, in Digimon Frontier, the children actually transform into Digimon. However, in Digimon Ghost Game, the opposite is true. The Digimon seem to be becoming more human.
These blurred lines can be seen through various Digimon introduced in the series. However, the most significant developments with this theme have been seen in Gammamon and Angoramon. Examining both Digimon's character arcs throughout the series proves that the Digimon are transforming through their contact with humanity, though the consequences of these changes remain unclear.
Hiro and Gammamon's Brotherhood Form the Core of Digimon Ghost Game
While Digimon Ghost Game has a strong ensemble case, Hiro Amanokawa and Gammamon still could be considered the series' main duo. Before the series began, Hiro's father, Hokuto, disappeared mysteriously. When Hiro first met Gammamon in the series' premiere, a hologram of Hokuto appeared and gave a brief explanation of Digimon and the Digital world. Most significantly, Hokuto's hologram refers to Gammamon as Hiro's little brother, and to care for him. With these directions, Hokuto immediately indicated Gammamon's true identity.
Hiro began taking the role of older brother seriously almost immediately. With Hiro's guidance, Gammamon has been learning to interact with the human world and has grown stronger as a Digimon. However, the series has made it clear that Hiro hasn't just been trying to train Gammamon to fight. Instead, Hiro has been more focused on Gammamon's emotional development and needs, taking care to help Gammamon understand difficult and frightening concepts like grief and death in response to all the horrors that they have faced. Hiro has intervened in fights to protect Gammamon and his evolved forms as well. Overall, Hiro has treated Gammamon as his little brother and continues to prioritize Gammamon's wellbeing.
Hiro's role as Gammamon's older brother has not been the only aspect of Gammamon that makes him different from other Digimon. Gammamon also has a dark side that emerges as through his evolution, GulusGammamon. Throughout the series, multiple Digimon have asked "What are you?" when confronted by Gammamon. Questions surrounding Gammamon's identity may just be an indication that they sensed Gammamon's potential to evolve, however, Hokuto's insistence that Hiro think of Gammamon as his brother may point to something entirely different.
Angoramon's Divided Loyalties Highlight His Hybridity in Digimon Ghost Game
Angoramon is characterized as the most mature of the Digimon in Digimon Ghost Game. However, he also has been the Digimon most likely to act on his own, partially due to his strong ties to the Digimon community. In the series' eleventh episode "Kamaitachi", there was tension between Angoramon and his human partner, Ruli Tsukiyono, because he was keeping secrets from her. Angoramon had been meeting his other Digimon friends in secret, without informing his partner. His secrecy worried Ruli, who has been dealing with a fear of abandonment throughout the series. By the episode's end, Ruli and Angoramon reconcile, and both work on strengthening their friendship and trust in each other.
However, Angoramon's role within Digimon Ghost Game cast is drawing him further and further from his fellow Digimon. In episode 26, "Cannibal Mansion", Angoramon reunites with his best friend, Digitamamon, and the two Digimon reminisce about their past. However, in true Digimon Ghost Game fashion, the happy reunion turns horrific when Digitamamon reveals that he's developed a taste for human souls and attempts to eat Ruli. Digitamamon shows no remorse for the humans he's eaten, and Angoramon decides to bring an end to Digitamamon when it becomes clear he won't change. As Digitamamon disintegrates, he states that Angoramon has changed -- asking if he's a Digimon, or a human. While Digitamamon might have been referring to Angoramon's divided loyalties, he also could have been indicating that Angoramon has been changing in other, more mysterious ways.
So far, Gammamon and Angoramon's arcs have focused on the tensions they face as Digimon living so close to humanity. While Gammamon's origins are still a mystery, they show that he may have close ties to humanity. While Angoramon may not share a similar introduction, he reveals that the Digimon are relating more to humans the more they are exposed to the real world. Thus, their storylines may be building toward an existential conflict as the series progresses, hinting that the Digimon will become far more enmeshed with humanity the longer the two worlds are connected.
