Since the release of its first season, Digimon has been consistent in its formula: digital monsters team up with their chosen DigiDestined partners in order to save the world. Digimon Frontier, the series fourth season, takes that formula and flips it on its head.
Frontier is a hot point of contention among Digimon fans. Because it's so different, fans tend to skip right over it. This unfortunately makes Digimon Frontier the most underrated season of the series, but Digimon devotees should absolutely reconsider it.
In Digimon Frontier, five DigiDestined arrive in the Digital World after receiving a special message. There, they're tasked with saving the Digital World from forces that seek to destroy it. In order to do this, the protagonists seek out the power of ancient Digimon spirits. The DigiDestined are able to merge with these spirits and become Digimon in a way that has never been seen before in the series. They end up repeating history and sealing away an ancient evil, just as the legendary spirits did long before them.
There is a lot that works in Frontier's favor, making it an incredible entry in the Digimon series. While a lot of what makes the series different is what turns fans off of the series, these creative leaps of faith enhance the individuality of the show and are also extremely well done. Take the most glaring difference: the DigiDestined are able to become Digimon through a process called spirit evolution. Accompanied in true Digimon fashion by a transformation sequence that rivals those seen in Power Rangers, spirit evolution has the DigiDestined taking on the visages of ancient Digital World warriors, equipping them with powers necessary to take on enemies encountered on their journey.
By eliminating the Digimon/DigiDestined partner dynamic in the way that fans are used to, the DigiDestined become more important to the plot of the story -- beyond being relegated to a support role for their Digimon partners. It also allows the story to focus on exploring new aspects of the canon, such as the history of the Digital World, and the origin spirits of prominent Digimon in the series. Did you know that the Greymon-species got their powers from being the descendants of the legendary warrior AncientGreymon? If not, it may be worth checking out Digimon Frontier again!
It's worth acknowledging, too, that Digimon doesn't exist in a vacuum. Anime as a medium has changed and evolved since Digimon's original release, but sometimes, examining what's popular today can inspire fans to revisit older series. The isekai genre, a genre in manga/anime that revolves around otherwise normal people being transported to a different world, has surged in popularity over the past decade, and anime fans are excited to consume similar stories. Digimon is inarguably part of the isekai genre, and the case could be made that due to the scale of the world and the fact that the protagonists were the superheroes of their own story, Frontier is the most isekai of all. Fans of the genre can easily recognize what Digimon Frontier does for it and for the series as a whole.
Despite the ire that Digimon Frontier draws for being different, another huge contributing factor in how underrated it is is actually how similar it is to previous seasons. After all, Season 4 is by no means a complete departure from what Digimon is at its core. Not all of the Digimon in the show are human/Digimon-spirit hybrids, and seeing the protagonists interacting with communities of peaceful, friendly digital monsters reminds fans of the emotional pull of Seasons 1 and 2, while the action sequences harken back to the fan-favorite Season 3.
Familiar Digimon from previous seasons permeates this one, as well. Patamon and Lopmon both make appearances and references to Digimon from the first season are made in several of the DigiDestined's evolved forms. Even production points like fantastic character designs and familiar voice actors remind viewers that while this take on the traditional Digimon story may be different than before, this is still far and away still a season that belongs in the Digimon series.
While it's a simple fact that not everything appeals to everyone, those fans that were so keen on skipping this season should seriously reconsider because Frontier has a ton to offer them. It's well worth a watch, and fans of Digimon and isekai anime alike should take a look back and see exactly why the season is so underrated.
