Wow
I didn't expect this to happen. After two meandering story arcs with sporadic impressive moments, "Digimon Tamers" seems to have found its footing regarding episodes devoid of action, producing one of the dramatic and emotional highpoints of any season in the franchise.
The trip back home on the Ark hits a few bumps that I frankly found unnecessary. Ryo journeying out to find Rika serves no purpose, and he would have been more help getting Takato back on the Ark in the first place (the jerk). It's not as tense as one would expect, which is strange because one can definitely see at least one of these kids getting left behind. The scenes inside the Ark have an appropriate sense of relief, and through implications that it may be self-aware the show manages to create something of an emotional connection between the kids and Ark, which is surprising.
Once the kids return home, the episode packs a real emotional wallop. The arrival at the fountain, with the tamers' relatives present and ready to greet them, absolutely excels in the technical arena! It's so well drawn that for a moment I could have sworn I was watching a theatrical release. You can really feel how jubilant these parents are to see their kids return, such that you just want to leap into the screen and congratulate them on enduring such a trial. Even after that, there are still a few surprises.
While I found the encounter with the conductor to be tonally jarring and way too long for its own good, Takato's confession to "Jeri", which runs the gamut from awkward to poignant, is very well done (and devoid of flashbacks). Having him be so open about his feelings is a great way to demonstrate how much he has matured, far better than any battle could. For once, I actually sympathized with the guy and found his tears to be appropriate, because they express the sympathy he feels for a dear friend. It's all the more saddening because here, at his most vulnerable, he doesn't even know that he's talking to an imposter. Without question, this is Takato's best moment in the series.
Finally, the entirety of the episode is excellently complemented by the background themes, and this investment in the soundtrack will prove important for this final segment of the story.
The trip back home on the Ark hits a few bumps that I frankly found unnecessary. Ryo journeying out to find Rika serves no purpose, and he would have been more help getting Takato back on the Ark in the first place (the jerk). It's not as tense as one would expect, which is strange because one can definitely see at least one of these kids getting left behind. The scenes inside the Ark have an appropriate sense of relief, and through implications that it may be self-aware the show manages to create something of an emotional connection between the kids and Ark, which is surprising.
Once the kids return home, the episode packs a real emotional wallop. The arrival at the fountain, with the tamers' relatives present and ready to greet them, absolutely excels in the technical arena! It's so well drawn that for a moment I could have sworn I was watching a theatrical release. You can really feel how jubilant these parents are to see their kids return, such that you just want to leap into the screen and congratulate them on enduring such a trial. Even after that, there are still a few surprises.
While I found the encounter with the conductor to be tonally jarring and way too long for its own good, Takato's confession to "Jeri", which runs the gamut from awkward to poignant, is very well done (and devoid of flashbacks). Having him be so open about his feelings is a great way to demonstrate how much he has matured, far better than any battle could. For once, I actually sympathized with the guy and found his tears to be appropriate, because they express the sympathy he feels for a dear friend. It's all the more saddening because here, at his most vulnerable, he doesn't even know that he's talking to an imposter. Without question, this is Takato's best moment in the series.
Finally, the entirety of the episode is excellently complemented by the background themes, and this investment in the soundtrack will prove important for this final segment of the story.
