Digimon, the beloved childhood classic, is currently airing a rebooted version of its first series. The revival has kept much of the same things as its predecessor, like the characters, setting and a good portion of its other story elements. The premise, however, has been altered considerably: the beginning of Digimon Adventure 2020 doesn't start off with the gang at summer camp; instead, it starts a little earlier with Tai meeting Izzy just when all of the electronic systems in Tokyo start going haywire. The Digivices have also had a technological upgrade in their functions, becoming a communications device for the DigiDestined, allowing them to appear as holograms when "calling" one another.
Besides the modern upgrade, the Digivolutions have also undergone a significant change. Gone are the bars that shoot out from the Digivices and gone is the guitar riff at the start from the "Brave Heart" OST that always accompanied the originals. The 2020 version is a much more 'digitized' affair -- complete with digital sound effects. In it, we see every limb going through the Digivolution, too, and while it does look more aesthetically pleasing, OG fans might argue that it falls short compared to the originals.
The Original Digivolutions Were Cheesy But Epic
Way more over-the-top than they needed to be, the original series' evolutionary sequences are iconic. Digivolutions are presented as special occasions: viewers spend a solid 10-15 seconds watching the Digimon go through the process, getting more and more hyped along the way. It's a sign that something big is happening -- we know that once the Digimon has leveled up, the ensuing fight will be epic. These original Digivolutions stand out so much that they're still ingrained into fans' heads, years later. The 2020 version just doesn't bring that same kind of anticipation that the original does.
Hearing "Brave Heart" play during the Digivolutions is half of what makes it so cool but we also can't ever forget the English dub's version of the "Brave Heart" OST -- "Digimon are the Champions." It's kind of cringey in retrospect but you can't say it's not memorable.
The Reboot's Digivolutions Focus Too Much On Tai & Matt
Tai and Matt are effectively the team leaders of the series and so awarding them a significant portion of screen time isn't an unusual move for Digimon. That being said, Agumon and Gabumon's Digivolutions in the reboot are of a different level of quality compared to the other DigiDestined's partners. The original version's Digivolutions took their sweet time but that was because each and every Digimon went through the exact same sequence of Digivolution: the Digimon spin, the bars of the Digivice extend outward, and the DNA helix of their name beams down to transform them into their next level. It was consistent and equal.
While the 2020 reboot has shinier Digivolutions that look more aesthetically pleasing, the timing of the Digivolutions varies significantly. When Agumon and Gabumon go through the entire metamorphosis process it takes a little over 30 seconds. We see flashes of them at the Baby level and In-Training level before finally watching them transition from Rookie to Champion (and beyond, later on). But the rest of the DigiDestined's Digimon doesn't get the same level of detail. For example, Biyomon Digivolves into Birdramon in a paltry 10 seconds -- we don't even see the entire Digivolution most of the time.
Although the revamped Digivolutions fit into the 21st-century and the two main Digimon get a pretty awesome Digivolution sequence, they just don't have quite the same impact, uniqueness or fairness that the original had.
