What started off as an anime series about a bunch of kids sent to the Digital World to encounter some strange-but-cute-looking creatures called Digimon ends in a heartbreaking and bittersweet goodbye to beloved characters that many '90s kids grew up with. Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna, the final film in the original era's timeline, was first released in Japan last year on the 20th anniversary of the series. Appropriately, it follows the first set of DigiDestined on their last adventure. The film had a North American home release in September, finally giving fans elsewhere a chance to watch this last chapter in their story.
In Last Evolution, Tai and Matt, our two deuteragonists, navigate the uncertainties of young adulthood -- a sentiment that can be wholeheartedly empathized with by Millennials since they grew up with the series. Last Evolution implies that this is the last time that we'll see the original DigiDestined, and it very well may be; but more optimistically, kizuna means "bonds" in Japanese, so even with a final farewell from the original series, the connections that were created in the 20 years since its creation will never be broken.
Digimon's 20th Anniversary
In 1999, the first season of the Digimon Adventure series was released. It concluded in 2000 with the release of the first Digimon movie, which was a collection of short films. After the successful launch of the first series, a second series called Digimon Adventure 02 premiered with a focus on a new cast of DigiDestined, along with some special appearances from the older set of DigiDestined. On the 15th anniversary, a six-part miniseries called Digimon Adventure tri was released, featuring another milestone for the original DigiDestined: high school. A reboot of the Digimon Adventure series also started this year, with the original DigiDestined back in their childhood bodies with an all-new adventure ahead of them.
Set five years after the conclusion of Digimon Adventure tri, Last Evolution focuses primarily on Tai and Matt as they ponder what they'll do after school. Trouble starts when DigiDestined all around the world start falling unconscious as their Digimon partners disappear. Mellua Belluci, a researcher from an American university, travels to Japan to help Tai, Matt and others, but comes bearing more bad news: when the DigiDestined inevitably reach adulthood, their level of "potential drops," and a countdown begins. Soon, they'll be separated from their Digimon partners forever. If Tai and Matt choose to fight and Digivolve Agumon and Gabumon again, their time together will be shortened faster.
Saying Goodbye to Our Childhoods
In the original Digimon series, the DigiDestined were mere kids: earnest, brave and kind-hearted. One of the unique features of the series' continuing was that we got to watch these characters age: they went to high school, university and we even saw them briefly as adults in the final episode of Digimon 02. It's remarkable, to say the least, for a series to grow up at the same pace as its audience. Last Evolution allows fans to briefly fall back into their childhood and be swept up in the excitement of watching Agumon and Gabumon (along with appearances from the other DigiDestined) fighting an epic battle.
Ultimately, Tai and Matt have to make a sobering, adult decision though -- saving the world whilst knowing that their choice will result in them losing their Digimon friends forever. It's this singular choice that makes them truly transition from being adolescents into adults, making Last Evolution a requiem of their coming-of-age.
How You Can Watch Digimon: Last Evolution
The film was originally planned for a special theatrical release in the US for one night on March 25 this year. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this had to be canceled. While you can't watch it in theatres at the moment, you can find the movie on the iTunes, Microsoft and Sony PlayStation Network stores.
