Plot: Iori feels he must leave kendo practice with his grandfather to help Jo and the others respond to an SOS sent out by Gomamon.
——————————–
Title Card: 
Title Change: Destroy the Dark Tower is changed to Old Reliable….I don’t mind this at all because both titles are equally boring. Guys, seriously, both Iori/Cody and Jo/Joe are considered some of the most boring characters in Digimon – they don’t need boring titles helping them out.
As for the title card, that’s also a big ‘meh’. The colors are boring the shot’s not interesting….just meh.
They remove a closeup shot of one of the Gizamon getting whipped as well as a few more times from further away, showing Ken.
Gomamon points out that Gizamon can’t travel well on land while dub!Gomamon replaces this line by saying someone should use the whip on Ken instead.
Ken asks why Gomamon believes he has a right to tell him about Digimon. In the dub, he tells Gomamon to never talk to him without calling him ‘sir’ and to never talk to him period.
Gomamon getting whipped is removed.
Why didn’t Ken have Dark Rings on the Gizamon before they even started working? If it does make them stronger and makes work easier…??
Wow, was Ken’s VA told by the director to sound as whiny as possible when he said “I want you to make me some hot chocolate.” I could hear a pout at the end. Also, obviously, this is a dub-only line.
I think Jo really shows how cool he is in these little moments. He’s so obsessed with good grades and school and yet he is perfectly fine skipping class and a big quiz because he thinks Gomamon is in danger. Jo may be boring sometimes, but he can also be really cool.
Iori’s grandpa asks if something’s bothering him or if there’s a girl he likes. Cody’s grandpa asks if he’s losing interest in martial arts or finds spending time with him boring.
Iori’s grandpa asks is he’d like Chu-Chu with a kissy face. Since ‘Chu’ is a word commonly used as a kissing onomatopoeia in Japan, he realizes that Iori is thinking he said something weird, so he points out that he was talking about Chu-Chu jelly with a blush on his face. In the dub, Cody’s grandpa just says prune juice will cure all of his problems with the kissy face, goofy expression and blush…..Uh….kay.
Now, as for what Chu-Chu jelly is, after some digging through endless Legend of Zelda results, I found that Chu-Chu jelly is apparently this universe’s version of an energy….snack/drink that is basically an energy drink/health drink in jelly/jello form in a drinkable packet.
The dub doesn’t include Iori telling his grandpa to tell his mother he’ll be late.
Iori’s grandpa says he’s starting to resemble his father, Hiroki. In the dub, he just says no problem is too big for prune juice.
Why exactly does Joe find it weird for the Digimon to be in the real word? Did he forget that like 1/3 of the first series took place in the real world with the Digimon? It was a pretty big thing…
Daisuke and Miyako don’t mention anything about Jo being a doctor in the original. They just greet him. Also, Kari adds a correction to Yolei and Davis saying that Joe’s not a doctor yet.
Originally, Jo says they’ll eat the snacks in the Digital World. In the dub, he says they’re for an emergency. Also, I find it a bit weird that Joe went and got snacks when Gomamon sent an SOS. I mean, it’s nice and everything, but a distress call usually means ‘Come right now, I’m totally screwed’ not ‘Take your time, it’s not a big deal, maybe get me a Snickers.’
While not a major change, Upamon tells Iori that he was just about to go into the Digital World by himself. In the dub, he annoyingly screeches ‘YOU MADE IT!’ over and over.
Originally, Iori tries to politely introduce himself to Jo. In the dub, Cody excuses Upamon to Joe stating that he’s hyperactive. I don’t really get why Upamon is such a ball of caffeine but Armadillomon is such a slow and laid back character.
Jo originally says he wonders where Gomamon is. In the dub, he says he’s always so prepared because he watches a lot of those survival shows.
Well, they sucked all the emotion out of this scene. Originally, Gomamon seems slightly surprised that Jo came, and Jo says that even if they’re far apart he still worries about Gomamon. In the dub, Joe asks him if he knows what day it is. Gomamon says Saturday and Joe says it’s Thursday, but Gomamon never understood the days of the week so he’s fine.
While the next line from Gomamon is the same, originally, Jo says that he received Gomamon’s SOS on his Digivice. In the dub, he says Gomamon’s going to wipe out his entire first aid kit. This seems weird because Joe is obviously holding up his Digivice as he says this.
Armadimon says that if he sent out an SOS, Iori wouldn’t come after him. Gatomon then asks what he’s pouting about. In the dub, Armadillomon says he always gets teary eyed in reunions and he might cry. Gatomon then tells him not to cry because his tears will turn to icicles.
While the next exchange is mostly the same, humor is added to the dub version of Joe saying Gomamon looks like he’s badly wounded. This shot is again made odd by the fact that you can clearly see Joe tearing up. I wouldn’t mind so much if he had any emotion in his voice like his Japanese VA does. It would just seem like he’s trying to make a joke as to cover up his emotions. He’s basically speaking normally and making a joke while he’s supposed to be crying over his terribly wounded Digimon.
Takeru says it will be difficult to get across the snowy tundra. In the dub, he says he now understands what Matt means when he says TK’s walking on thin ice…..What? Given the context, what does he mean by that, and how did looking at a lot of snow make you understand? Saban, if you’re going to try to make pun-ish jokes, at least have them make sense.
Attack Name Change: Armadimon’s Scratch Beat is changed to Claw Chop.
Attack Name Change: Hawkmon’s Feather Slash is changed to Beak Buzz Saw….which makes no sense because, as the original name implies, he’s using the feather on his head to cut through things, not his beak.
The Digimon say they’ll do anything to destroy the Dark Tower. In the dub, they complain about having to pull the sled.
The animation on the sled ride is just silly. Most of the time it just looks like a cardboard cut out sliding over the scene.
Very very very tiny change, but when Iori goes into the river, someone yells out ‘Iori!’ In the dub, no one yells Cody’s name. Makes it seem like no one but Gomamon either notices or cares that he went over into icy cold water.
Jo originally has cold medicine while Joe has herbal tea.
Armadimon originally apologizes to Iori for how he’s been acting like Iori doesn’t care about him as he didn’t realize that he left his kendo lesson to be there. In the dub, Armadillomon just says they should take a nap.
I honestly don’t know why this little side plot was removed. It’s not much, but it is a little bit of character and relationship development for Iori and Armadimon.
In the original, Jo says he ditched a quiz like Iori balked out on his lesson because he wanted to help out the Digimon. He made his decision to go just like they all choose to help out the Digital World. Despite being Chosen Children, they are ultimately the ones who decide to do what they do. In the dub, Joe says he always felt like he needed to be out there doing something too, but now he realizes that even staying behind can benefit them all in the end. He also peppers little jokes that really don’t work into his dialogue like saying he thought the feeling was nausea and how the big picture isn’t a wide-screen TV.
Jo expresses sympathy that he’s asking the wounded Gomamon to stall Shellmon while the others destroy the tower in the original. In the dub, he doesn’t. Also, original Gomamon doesn’t make jokes, he just distracts him by saying ‘Hey, look over here.’
Additionally, Jo internally hopes that Takeru, Hikari and the others hurry up and destroy the tower so Gomamon won’t have to fight anymore. In the dub, he just internally facepalms at Gomamon’s famous charm.
A wipe transition is added between the gang getting to the tower and Gomamon’s first distraction.
Another wipe is added after Fladramon’s first attack and before the second distraction.
Jo just yells Gomamon’s name. Joe tells him to try knock-knock jokes.
Why did Armadimon just now Armor Digivolve? Yeah, sit there and gawk while the terribly injured Gomamon tries to dodge a gigantic dinosaur in a shell.
Even though they say the same ‘I’ll protect you, Iori/Cody’ line, Digmon’s VA just completely ruins the emotion of the line. You can at least try to sound like you’re slightly in pain. Digmon’s obviously wincing.
This next edit’s a little weird in a couple of ways. First, they edit out Digmon getting pummeled while he’s protecting Iori. When they cut back to the first few frames of it, they quickly wipe transition to Fladramon’s next scene. In addition, instead of Flamedramon yelling ‘Fire Rocket’ he just says ‘Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage’ again. Yeah, Flamedramon, you said that already. We know what you are. You’re not a Pokemon.
They remove more of Digmon getting pummeled and replace it with the earlier shot of Digmon wincing.
Boy, they can’t catch a break in this episode. First Gizamon, then Frigimon, then Shellmon now Ebidramon.
Dub, that’s Pegasusmon’s Mane Wind not Star Shower….you can tell because it’s not stars….and is hair…from his mane…in the wind.
I find it a bit stupid on Ken’s part that he had two powerful Digimon handy to take out a wounded Child level Digimon that can’t evolve and one new Chosen Child when all he had was a bunch of Frigimon going against the others….one of whom has a Digimon with the power of fire….
Did they kill Ebidramon? Unlike Shellmon, they don’t show his ring being destroyed, and the last shot of him is engulfed in a huge explosion a la Harpoon Torpedo.
Originally, Jo says he’ll come immediately if Gomamon needs him. Joe says Gomamon will have plenty of time to work on his jokes when he’s in charge of this frozen wasteland.
Iori is intent of finishing what he starts. Cody’s focused on having good manners.
I love how they flat out explain how the new Digidestined are meant to be combinations of the old ones. They only do it for Iori/Cody here, but it’s apparent in them all. That’s probably another reason why Ken’s the best of the new group – he’s the only one that wasn’t made as a chimera between any of the old Digidestined.
Ken yells at Wormmon for not speaking when spoken to despite him telling him earlier not to speak. Dub!Ken asks Wormmon what plan B is. He says it’s to become friends with the Digidestined. Ken calls him a fool, and Wormmon says he can’t spell.
Hikari says she’s heard that Iori’s house has the best ohagi. Kari says she’d love to meet Cody’s grandpa.
Hikari says Daisuke can’t come because he and Chibimon (Demiveemon) would eat everything. Kari asks why he has to do everything she does. He says it’s because they’re partners, but Kari points out that Demiveemon is Davis’ partner.
Iori says his mother can make enough ohagi for everyone and then they start inviting themselves over while Daisuke laments that everyone’s muscling in on his time with Hikari. In the dub, Davis sulks that Demiveemon is his partner instead of Kari.
————————————————–
Overall this episode was fine in the original, nothing particularly great or even good, but alright. Dub-wise….it was pretty bad. I do like Joe, even if he tends to get the worst jokes in the dub, and I’m pretty okay with Iori/Cody as he’s the second most interesting of the new kids, but since they seemed intent on removing every single lesson and emotion from the episode, we’re left with a hollow shell. Joe only has a small shot where he seems really concerned over Gomamon, which is when he skipped his quiz, and Iori’s subplot with Armadimon thinking he didn’t care about him was completely removed.
Plus, since the beating was removed, it didn’t seem like Digmon was really doing much to protect Cody. Yeah, he took one water blast to the back, but that was it in the dub. I kinda understand why it was removed, but it was no where near as bad as when Gabumon was getting beaten up. Plus, he has armor, a few swipes to the back can’t be hurting him that much.
Additionally, they changed the big conflict with Iori to begin with. Instead of him finishing what he starts and living up to his own responsibilities as an individual, there’s some confusing crap about being true to himself.
It’s just a big mess that didn’t need to happen at all outside of having Iori bond with one of his crest-sakes.
Next episode, a Mimi and Yolei-centric story.
If you enjoy my work and would like to help support my blog, please consider donating at my Ko-Fi page. Thank you! ♥
The Anime Madhouse 