IWIW: Digimon, Digital Monsters!

[Azecreth]

Hey there fellow humans, it's time for another episode of App Monsters. I hope that you all are doing alright. The weather is slowly turning to the hotter, and aside from one crisis which nearly threw me for a loop I'm doing alright. Playing my games, doing some writing, all of that good stuff. Otherwise there isn't too much to report, so let's stop wandering around the reason we're here and just get right into it.

In the previous episode Haru tried to hang out with Yujin, but got interrupted by another crisis. Tubumon was manipulating social media to cause conflict, only it turned out that this was actually a trap for the heroes to get them into an AR Field with the bounty hunter Sateramon. He nearly kills them, only for none other than Yujin to show up and save the day with his own AppliDrive Duo. Needless to say, this has raised several questions.

Now then, let's get to it.


Our hero

The episode picks up pretty much where the last one ended. We get Yujin explaining that he came to save Haru, before adding that it looks like he arrived just in time. But the conversation is sidetracked as it appears Offmon has decided to start gnawing on his head like it's a security blanket, leaving him with streams of saliva running down his face. But it doesn't seem to be bothering him, or at the very least he's taking it like a champ as they point out what Offmon is doing.


He's in danger

Following the OP, the episode picks up back at the secret base in Ai's bookstore. We find that Offmon has not stopped, though he's shifted to nervously teething at Yujin's arm instead of his head. Yujin does his best to assure Offmon that he's safe, but does not succeed. Haru realizes that Offmon must be scared of them, and crouches so he's no longer looming over the Appmon.

Eri does the same thing, though Torajiro teases that she's the only one who would be punching him. Seeing this, Yujin tells Offmon that he's safe, and puts him on the ground next to the group. Sadly this does not work as Offmon's brain implies malice where none actually exists.


Ai about to commit a murder

Sadly this means that Offmon does not stop freaking out. Tears well up in his eyes, and after a moment he steps back. He seemingly throws up data into his hands, which he begins kneading into a purple energy orb. They recognize it as the attack from before, and everyone begins to freak out since he could blow up the bookstore with an attack that powerful. Eri runs over to a nearby table, and the episode makes a point of showing her taking her shoes off before jumping on it to declare that if he does that then she'll punch him. Torajiro enjoys the vindication of those Human-on-Appmon violence.

At that point Ai arrives, and she is not happy at the idea of someone blowing up her family store. She picks up Offmon from behind and menacingly explains that this is her house, and asks where Offmom is going to put that energy orb as he sweats bullets.


Talk about bad gas

Offmon takes the only solution available to him. He eats the orb, causing it to explode inside of his body. This does generate a massive wind somehow, and his body expands like a balloon, but he's back to normal when it ends aside from coughing up a cloud of smoke. Ai compliments him on a good answer as he sighs.

After all of this the group sits down to have some tea. Offmon is exiled to the main common area while everyone else is in one of the side rooms, though he could just be hiding. Yujin comments on how nice the secret base is, before Haru asks when he became an AppliDrive User. It turn out that it was like right after their meeting earlier in the episode.


Made to order

The group then asks how he got his AppliDrive, and recount where they found theirs. Yujin explains that after Haru left, stuff kept changing on him like he was being guided to a specific location. He ended up at one of those sushi places that has the food on a conveyor belt, and suddenly got a coupon for ten free plates of sushi. Naturally being the tech savvy guy Yujin is, he did not think anything was suspicious about this and went inside to enjoy his sushi. So imagine his surprise when the AppliDrive Duo was delivered on a plate instead of food.

While Torajiro cries about how cool his story is compared to the rest of theirs, Haru wonders what Offmon's deal is. Gatchmon runs a search and explains that Offmon represents games that you play offline, though I feel like that has a pretty big overlap with other Appmon. Haru suspects that this might be why Offmon is such an introvert, due to the lack of contact.


He's so modest

Despite this, Musimon comments on how awesome Offmon is. Despite being a Standard Appmon he was able to drive off Sateramon, though I feel like that's a slight misrepresentation of what actually happened in that scene. Regardless, Yujin wonders if it was really that amazing since he hasn't seen some of the foes they have to fight before now.

Dokamon asks Offmom how he is so strong, and Offmon explains that he gets a power boost from being Apprealized using the AppliDrive Duo. This is because of that 'self injection' thing we saw Yujin do, which essentially injects the power of the AppliDrive User into the Appmon being Apprealized. Musimon is pretty jealous of this since they only have one of these things, and Offmom gets a blush as Dokamon shares that sentiment.


Here we go again

Then Torajiro comments on how not all of that power of Offmons, though Gatchmon suggests that this means both Offmon and Yujin are amazing. Unfortunately, Offmon has already taken this the wrong way and apologizes as he runs off. He blo ws down a locked door on one of the room and takes off down a tunnel, despite Gatchmonm yelling that what they were saying was not a criticism.

Ai admits that she's never opened that door before, exciting Torajiro and Musimon at the prospect of an adventure. The tunnel itself leads to a set of stairs and an area that looks a lot less like a living space. There are stone walls with wooden supports, and Gatchmon suggests that they used it and just never got rid of it when they stopped using that basement area.


They're having a lot of trouble for having a GPS

Another explosion then rings out, sending bits of stone falling from the ceiling. They follow the tunnel to an exit with a metal gate that ha been destroyed, and a river beyond. So the tunnel leads to an area near Ai's house. Haru pulls out his Seven Code Band and suggests they use its GPS feature to track down Offmon, and the group sets out. Without Ai, who remains behind to try and fix the doors that Offmon blew up in his escape.

So we get a short montage of their search, not having much luck despite the ability of the Seven Code Band. I suppose he could have cut himself off from that, though it's never indicated that that is what actually happened. Picking up from that, they haven't found him yet. But Eri does note that Haru looks like he's having a lot of fun. Hw agrees, though it's more like he's just happy that he doesn't have to keep this part of his life secret from his best friend anymore. He also apologizes to Yujin for lying, and explains his reasoning behind keeping the secret.


Not a lot of sushi at this sushi place

Luckily Yujin is pretty understanding about the whole thing now that he knows what was on Haru's mind this whole time. The conversation then turns to how Yujin got Offmon, which everyone is curious to know. As one might expect, Offmon was delivered by the sushi place after he got the AppliDrive Duo. Then he used the Seven Code Band to track down Haru, Which seems to confirm that the Seven Code Band can detect the location of AR Fields, though I don't know if that was the intention.

Gatchmon then brings up the questions that the AppliDrtive Users were asked when they got their AppliDrives, the ones that led to them achieving their pairing. They share their own questions, before Haru asks if there was something Yujin had to answer.


No time to rest when you're getting shredded

He confirms that there was, but before he can say what it was he is interrupted by a dramatic cry from our comic relief guy. He's nearby doing push ups, but given he is yelling 'No' he doesn't seem to be having a fun time. The group runs over and tries to get an explanation, but he is so focused that he doesn't acknowledge their existence.

He's not the only one having a problem as Gatchmon draws their attention to the gym behind them. Everyone in there looks exhausted, and Eri wonders why they're working out so hard. We then see the culprit in action. It appears that the exercise app they're using keeps resetting when they complete an exercise, forcing them to do the whole thing again. Eri wonders why they don't just stop, and Musimon observes that they are helpless to resist the instructions of their apps.


Well that worked out

At that point Musclemon appears to comment on how cute his muscles are. He's a training Appmon, as Gatchmon says. As the group wonders how to stop him, Offmon reappears. He wants to know why they're here, and Yujin steps over while explaining that they came looking for him. This seems to make Offmon feel better, since he doesn't run away again.

You can tell he's feeling better because he offers to turn off the devices in the gym. Yujin agrees, so Offmon turns off the internet in the area. This prevents Musclemon from affecting the workout apps, allowing everyone being affected to collapse now that their workout routines have zeroed.


He never misses arm day

Musclemon is not happy about this, and launches himself into an AR Field. The group follows and finds themselves in some sort of auditorium. Musclemon welcomes them, and they find him working out on stage. Apparently the more he works out the stronger his muscles become, to an infinite degree. Needless to say, this does sound intimidating.

On that note we head into the break. Coming up next, 'More powerups'

 

[Azecreth]

Hey there folks, we're back with the second half of this episode of App Monsters. In the previous part we learned how Yujin became an ApplIDrive User, Offmon ran away because he was scared of the rest of the group, and in finding him the team ran across Musclemon causing trouble. Now that Offmon is back, it's time for them to put a stop to Musclemon before he can grow even more powerful.

With that said, let's get right back to it.


Don't quit your day job

We pick up from the break with the group confronting Musclemon. He's turned the lights on since we left off, so they can see him working out in all of his glory. He explains again how working out lets him increase his power, before picking up the pace. He exercises so fast that a pillar of fire engulfs him and rises to the ceiling even, leaving the group on edge as to how strong he will become.

As it turns out, all of that effort was for him to raise his Power Rating a single digit. The group is not impressed and begins walking off, talking about getting some food as they do. It seems Yujin is in the mood for pasta right now. It says a lot when you've disappointed them so much that they don't even feel like fighting you.


How does he keep being the coolest guy here

Musclemon is not pleased that they don't care at all, and he kicks a nearby sign at them like a missile. Luckily Yujin is amazing and dodges to the side of the projectile without even looking at it first. I guess all that soccer is paying off. He assures Haru that he's fine, just before Offmon floats over to express his displeasure without using words. It seems they're going to fight after all.

Yujin Apprealizes Offmon and prepares to fight, only to be suddenly approached by the rest of the Appmon. They want to be Apprealized using the AppliDrive Duo too, since it will make them stronger. Yujin has no choice but to agree given the circumstances, and luckily for them there does not appear to be anything preventing them from doing this. Of course it is a bit dependent on Yujin being around in the future, so it wouldn't hurt to get more of these things for everyone.


Let the power flow through you

So Yujin does it, and it works. Unlike Offmon the trio are engulfed in a yellow aura, and they comment on how powerful they now feel. Musimon then directs their attention to those power bar displays, which are also engulfed in that same yellow aura. The number displayed proceeds to go up, showing a 50% increase in their power simply from using the AppliDrive Duo. That's pretty impressive. I suppose it doesn't come as a shock that the team is more interested in this than they are in fighting Musclemon right now.


Does he kind of look like Vegeta to anyone else?

Watching this, Musclemon is furious that they could get such a dramatic power increase from the AppliDrive Duo. He calls it cheating, though he also says that it's pretty awesome. He vows to make them pay as he is engulfed in his own aura, the group watching with rapt attention as the numbers on his power card go crazy from all the energy he's giving off.

Then the number resolves, and for all that flashy display he has not gotten a single point stronger. Even Musclemon is shocked at this turn of events. After a moment he steps over and does several jumps to grab the display card hovering in the air. Once he does manage to do that, he snaps it over his knee out of pure rage at his own failings. I mean, I'm not sure how much that number matters anyway. No one has brought it up in universe before this episode at least.


Ah, he's one of those types of people

His temper tantrum is interrupted by Offmon, who blasts him. This is the signal for the others to attack, and they do so without hesitation. This does result in a comedic moment where Musclemon seems to be enjoying Dokamon's punches more than he should be, though it doesn't stop him from being finished off all the same.

He does one of those poems before reverting to chip form in the AppliDrive Duo. With the bad guy defeated everyone heads for home in the growing twilight. Haru recaps for Yujin how this is the sort of stuff they've been dealing with as they try to stop Leviathan. He also explains that they need to get stronger before they go back to the Deep Web, or else they'll just get beaten like before. That explains why they're not exploring right now. Yujin is on board with this plan, and promises to help out however he can.


They're just friends

Another time skip, and we go to Haru and Yujin walking home together. Haru pauses to return to that question that Yujin had to answer when he got the AppliDrive Duo. He admits that he was worried for Haru at the time, as he could see he was carrying some sort of burden. The AppliDrive ended up asking if he had a friend that he would die to protect.

Haru is taken aback by a question that series, and Yujin agrees that it does sound pretty clingy. And although he wouldn't know for sure until he was in that position, there is a part of Yujin that would die to protect him. Mark that one up on the death flag counter, I suppose. Haru is touched by this gesture and thanks him after they do their special handshake.

Meanwhile all of this is being observed from a distance by Rei, though he makes no moves to approach just yet. I wonder how he feels about all of this.


Not beating the robot allegations

We then get the Call of Duty satellite zoom in on Yujin's house as he returns home. He greets his mother, who we see using her phone while her eyes are obscured by the reflection off her glasses. As Yujin moves forward he passes through some red field, which reacts with his pupils in an odd way before fading. It turns out that she prepared pasta, and makes a comment about how she knows everything he's thinking. Definitely not ominous at all.

On that note the credits roll.

Ending Impression: This episode is somewhat important in an overall sense, as it establishes what the AppliDrive Duo can do, and answers some immediate questions left from last episode. It also teases more in regards to whatever is going on with Yujin, though no explicit answers yet. As a standalone episode it was solid, but not amazing.

The main focus of the episode is Yujin. Firstly, it explains how he got the AppliDrive Duo and what motivated him to join the fight, not that it's particularly any sort of mystery. It also integrates him into the team, showing us Offmon's personality and him slowly getting used to trusting the rest of the group. I'm sure that there will be issues in the future, but the ground work is there at least. It also gives us an idea of what the next power up is going to be, though I'm not sure I'm sold on their argument that they need to get stronger before returning to the Deep Web. I feel like they just needed to approach things from a smarter angle. But that's just me.

As far as the antagonist for this episode, the show goes out of its way to downplay Musclemon as a threat, removing any real sense of stakes involved. It mostly serves to demonstrate what the AppliDrive Duo can do, though I was amused by the comedy bits involving Musclemon himself. Nothing crazy, but it got a couple chuckles. Musimon's comment about people blindly following their apps feels like the sort of topical commentary I've expected from this show the whole time.

As far as negatives are concerned, Offmon's personality is definitely a bit offputting. I'm sure some people might get annoyed by what he does, especially as things go on. I also think the pacing could be a bit tighter, though it isn't that big of a deal since this isn't really meant to be a serious episode.

On the whole this is a more lighthearted episode which focuses on integrating Yujin into the already existing group. It lays the groundwork for the future powerup as well as some other plot threads, while having some fun overall. I might not have been blown away by it, but I did enjoy it for what it set out to do.

We'll see what other sorts of conflicts arise next time, in "Buddies no More!? Gatchmon's Run away from home"

 

[Azecreth]

Hello all you fine people, it is time for another episode of App Monsters. The weather is turning warmer, though in typical Midwestern fashion it won't just settle down and actually stay that way. So we've still got a bit of cold weather at hand before we jump straight to summer. Such is life, I suppose. Otherwise things are going fine, not too much to complain about.

In the previous episode Yujin explained how he met Offmon and became an AppliDrive User. Offmon is very shy and ended up running away, which led the group into a scheme by Musclemon. They got to see the benefits of the AppliDrive Duo before defeating him with relative ease. Yujin officially joined the team, and we learned that his parents are up to something shady.

Now then, let's get to it.


He really is a dog

The episode begins at Fujimizaki High School. Gatchmon examines the AppliDrive Duo, recounting to the audience how it boosts an Appmon's power by injecting part of the User during the Applirealize process. He turns to ask Haru what he thinks, only to find Haru busy trying to draw Offmon out from hiding behind Yujin's legs.

Reaching out, Haru gets his fingers bitten by Offmon seemingly out of fear. Gatchmon panics and snaps at Offmon for hurting his buddy, but Haru assures them both that he's fine. He reiterates to Offmon that there's no reason to be scared, and Yujin once more tells Offmon that they're friends here. There's nothing to be scared of.


Off to a great start

Offmon apologizes for biting Haru, and Haru forgives him before asking if they can be friends. Offmon bows his head in thought, luring Haru in with how cute he looks. That's when Gatchmon intervenes, annoyed that Haru is so forgiving of Offmon for biting him when he was super annoyed at Gatchmon for falling asleep on top of him before. He is, needless to say, pretty mad at this double standard.

This causes Offmon to panic again, and he takes cover behind Yujin before apologizing for being so needy. Haru chides Gatchmon for yelling at Offmon, which offends the Search Appmon since he feels like he's being blamed for this. Haru then gets down on his knees to apologize to Offmon and pat hi head, which does not endear him to Gatchmon at all. Things aren't going to be resolved so easily.


Musimon tells it like it is

After the OP, we pick up with Gatchmon entering the secret base. He grumbled about Haru being so soft on Ofmon, only to find that now it is the entire gang doing it rather than just Haru. Eri picks up Offmon to hold him close, causing Dokamon to slide over and ask if she would pick him up too. But he gets completely ignored, poor guy. Meanwhile, Torajiro is more interested in how snazzy the AppliDrive Duo is.

Gatchmon grumbles about how obsessed everyone is with Offmon, leading Musimon to ask if he's jealous. He denies it of course, but as he says it Offmon runs into hiding behind the couch. Ai wonders if it's because of how much they have been smothering him, though Yujin says that this isn't the case. Offmon just isn't used to being around this many people all the time.


This is why you wear a helmet

Watching Offmon pace back and forth, Musimon admits that he can't help but spoil Offmon a little. Dkomon moves to watch as he agrees, saying that it's like having a little brother. But Gatchmon doesn't get to it.

Gatchmon's ominous expression causes Offmon to panic even more. Runing away, he stubs his foot on the wall and goes tumbling backwards. He then collides with a bookshelve, which sends two heavy novels tumbling down. Seeing this, Gatchmon steps in and catches the books before they can hit Offmon. The others see this and run over to make sure Offmon is okay as he apologizes for being so careless and for making them worry.


Another classic Gatchmon L

While Haru comforts Offmon, Gatchmon voices his own frustration due to how heavy those books he's holding are. Dokamon relieves him of that burden and asks if he's alright, to which he gives a solid 'meh' while glaring daggers. He grumbles to himself as he goes to sate his anger with some food, only for his Gatch Monaka to be missing from where he left it.

As if conspiring to make Gatchmon's day worse, it turns out that Haru gave that to Offmon. He didn't realize it was Gatchmons, to which the Appmon angrily note that Haru knows Gatch Monaka is his favorite food. He's firing on all cylinders now, which certainly does not help Offmon feel any more comfortable with the situation.


You've really done it now

Seeing how angry Gatchmon is, Offmon does attempt to fix his mistake by apologizing for eating his food as he offers what is left of the Monaka. But Gatchmon is fully angry now, and he slaps it away into the main room while yelling that he doesn't want Offmon's leftovers.

This is a step too far, and even he seems to realize it as a silence falls upon the room before Offmon breaks down into tears. Torajiro notes that it's pretty not cool to treat a kid that way, Eri and Ai go to comfort Offmon, and even Haru chides Gatchmon for how he just acted.


Someone is a bit too eager

Seeing all of this, Gatchmon tells them that he sees how it is. It looks like the group only cares about Offmon, and he declares that he's done with them all as he runs out. Haru is taken aback by this, and then freaks out as Torajiro and Yujin observe that Gatchmon basically ran away from home.

One skip later and we pick up with Gatchmon by the river. He grumbles about how mean Haru is being despite them being buddies, before sitting down and glumly wondering why Haru isn't coming after him. The sound of noise draws his attention, but it's just Dokamon. They talk, and Gatchmon confirms that he's never going back. Dokamon decides to join him, and when Gatchmon points out that Eri will be worried if he runs away he takes it as a benefit rather than a drawback.


Running away is a work in progress

They make it a couple more steps before Musimon also appears to join them. Gatchmon asks him why he wants to run away, and he does a rap that basically comes down to how fun it is because you never know what you'll run into. Gatchmon is not impressed, but Dokamon figures it can't hurt to have more people along.

That leads to a discussion of where they should go. Dokamon suggests Torajiro's house, only for Musimon to point out that it's not really running away from home if they go to his home. He suggests going to Yujin's house, but Gatchmon rejects this since Offmon might be there. For now they decide to wander around and just get as far away from the secret base as they can.

I'm gonna put a small pin on that one by the way. It'd make for an interesting AU if they had crashed Yujin's place and found out whatever was going on there earlier than they likely will here.


Gatchmon is actually a cat

Running away proceeds to not go very well. They immediately get spooked by a barking dog, then almost run into traffic, and end up having to dodge a group of school kids walking down the sidewalk. Who knew this sort of thing was so difficult?

They end up in a park where Gatchmon thinks they should be safe. Unfortunately karma immediately smacks him upside the head as they are spotted by Watson. Ultimately he decides that they're cryptids and takes a picture, causing Gatchmon to once again tell the group to hide. Watson goes in pursuit since this could be the discovery of a century, but he quickly loses them. Not because they shifted back to chip form, but because he's just that bad at chases.


What a coincidence

Despite having lost them Watson posts the picture in the hopes that it will go viral. We also see the photo is a kind of blurry photo of Gatchmon so it isn't all that useful. Nonetheless it quickly spreads, forcing the group to be even more careful as they move around. They eventually end up at a park where things appear to be safe, though by now only Musimon is enjoying himself.

As they converse they hear a kid crying nearby. The kid says he wants to go home, and Musimon thinks that he is lost. Dokamon wonders what they should do, but Gatchmon is of the belief that they can't let anyone see them. Even if it is just a kid. So they stand nearby, watching and waiting.


Not great at first impressions

Eventually his crying becomes too much to listen to, and they decide to intervene. Gatchmon draws his attention, causing him to freak out for a moment at the idea of a talking dog before they give their names and explain that they're Appmon. Not that he has any context for what that means, but at least he knows they aren't pets.

The kid's name is Sota, and it turns out that he ran away from home just like them. However, now that he's run away from home Sota is at the stage where he wants to go back. The problem is that he is completely lost and doesn't know where home is.


Stranger danger

The trio converse and decide that it's dangerous to leave a kid alone in the big city with no idea where he is. So they all agree to help get him back home where he belongs.

On that note we head into the break. Coming up next 'Maybe I'm the jerk'

 

[Azecreth]

Greetings everyone, we are back with the second half of this episode of App Monsters. In the previous part Gatchmon got jealous that everyone has been focused so much on Offmon, and he ended up running away from home. The other Appmon joined him for their own reasons, but times have not been easy so far. Then they met a kid who also ran way from home but got lost, and are now helping him get back.

With that said, let's get right to it.


The search could be going better

The episode picks up with Haru. He and the group are out looking for Gatchmon, though for some reason Haru is yelling into the Seven Code Band like he can communicate with his buddy through that. Needless to say, he cannot. They're also not using the tracker feature, and I'm not sure why since Gatchmon can't drop himself off the network like Offmon can. Maybe there's a range limit or something?

While Eri grumbles about Dokamon running away too, Torajiro draws their attention to the post Watson made with the blurry photo. They agree that that is definitely Gatchmon, and Haru recognizes the slide in the background of the picture. It seems they have a bit of a lead towards his location, albeit an outdated one.


Don't act so enthusiastic

Back with the Appmon, they're facing a different problem. Sota doesn't remember his address or even which direction he came from. After some thinking Gatchmon asks if Sota remembers the name of his kindergarten, and from that is able to locate the only school with that name in the area. So now they have a starting point, though Gatchmon needs a moment to calculate a route with all the people around.

In the meantime, Sota starts to wonder if he'll ever get home. Seeing this, Musimon persuades Gatchmon to play some of Torajiro's videos to cheer him up. In particular the video he made with the slime pool, which does succeed in getting the kid to laugh at how silly it is. Dokamon also shows him Eri, and while the kid doesn't actually know who that is he thinks she's pretty silly too. Which is not the reaction that Dokamon was hoping for.


I appreciate his dedication to his brand

Before anything else can happen, a guy calls out from the entrance of the alley they're in. As you can tell, this is Occult Hunter J. He has spent thirty years looking for cryptids, and now he has finally found them. Speaking into a microphone, he narrates how he will try to make contact with the unknown life forms before capturing them and puttiAndng them on display.

I don't know if he specifically dyed his facial hair to match his logo, but it's pretty impressive if he did.

Before he can do anything nefarious, Sota picks up Gatchmon and gives him the old line about how they're just stuffed animals rather than living beings. J is suspicious of this and begins poking Gatchmon's cheek, hoping to provoke a reaction by doing so.


He's surprisingly clever for a crazy guy

This goes on several seconds before J seemingly decides that they're telling the truth after all. They all breathe a sigh of relief, only it turns out that this was a ruse so he could catch them moving when he turns around. This nearly succeeds, but he doesn't catch their startled reaction every time he does it.

After the third time, he turns around to find that the group has vanished. With that out of the way the group quickly arrives at Sota's kindergarten. Gatchmon then has Sota identify a supermarket in the area that he's been to before, and finally a park which Sota knows is in front of his house. And just like that they're home.


Not like anyone else I know

Despite being home, Sota doesn't seem happy. They encourage him to go inside since his parents are probably worried about him, but he doesn't think that they are. Gatchmon asks if something happened with his parents, and Sota nods. It seems that his parents are so focused on his baby brother that they aren't paying any attention to him at all and don't seem to care. That's why he ran away.

Gatchmon objects, noting that they have to pay attention to his brother because he's still a baby. It is at this point that Gatchmon realizes that the situation is similar to his own with Offmon, and maybe he's the jerk here. Good thing the lesson worked out in such a fortuitous manner, eh?


You are so grounded

As he is reeling from this revelation, Sota's parents arrive and he dives into cover. Initially it seems like they're mad with Sota as his mother places her hand on his shoulder to ask where he's been, only to pull him into a tight hug as she tells him how worried she was. His father also crouches next to him whilst holding his baby brother to ask if he is alright.

Confronted by this, after a moment Sota starts to cry as he apologizes. Off to the side Gatchmon says he's happy for Sota, before being asked what their next plan. Instead of directly answering he relates his realization that Haru wasn't deliberately trying to be mean to him, he was jut focused on the Appmon who was so terrified that he ran away from them out of fear just last episode. You know, sensible priorities.


Classic internet

Another time skip follows, and we pick up with the three Appmon atop a structure near the river. Dokamon again asks if they're going to go home now, so Gatchmon decides to pose the question to App Answers to see what the internet thinks. Unfortunately for him this is the internet, and the answers he gets seem to assert that a broken friendship can't be fixed so easily.

While Gatchmon collapses in despair, Dokamon assures him that the best thing to do is to apologize sincerely and Muimon says he should follow his groove. Gatchmon is grateful for the support, which is a lot better than some random people on an Answer site. Haru's voice then appears, and we see him out of breath as he looks for his buddy. Yet Gatchmon still hesitates to make the first move.


Gatchmon was about to become the real villain

Then the decision is made for him as a barking dog charges towards Haru. Gatchmon leaps off the roof of the structure he's on towards Haru, prepared to use his Gatch Claw to defend his buddy. Only it turns out that Haru was not the target as the dog runs to a guy nearby and Gatchmon ends up face planting into the sidewalk. Oops.

Also, can I just say that this episode has been great for reaction images? Because it really has been.


How is this the first time Eri has punched someone

Eri is also there looking for Dokamon, and he also jumps down in anticipate of her loving embrace. Needless to say he is quite disappointed as Eri punches him in the face and sends him flying away as punishment. Meanwhile Torajiro is just glad that Musimon had fun running away. It's a very different set of reactions on display.

Back with Gatchmon, he and Haru kinda stand there for a second before both of them apologize at the same time. Haru confirms he isn't mad since it was kind of his fault, and offers a whole bunch of Gatch Monaka as part of his apology. Gathcmon is daunted by the amount, but Haru says that he thought just one was too little. In the end, they agree to remain Buddies.


Gatchmon please

Turning to the others, Gatchmon thanks them for their advice of apologizing honestly. At that point Yujin and Offmon arrive, happy that everything is resolved. Offmon apologizes for making Gatchmon run away, for being so popular, and for making Gatchmon jealoud. Gatchmon was fine with that first one, but the others just make him angry as he lashes out again. Eri chides him for being mean to Offmon, and we end with him declaring that he doesn't like Offmon at all. Did we learn anything? I'm not sure.

On that note the credits roll.

Ending Impression: This episode is minorly important in an overall sense, in that it involves the further integration of Offmon into the team and the troubles that it causes. As a standalone episode I felt that it was above average. It had some decent stuff in it and I enjoyed the different angle it took from the previous episode.

The main focus of the episode is Gatchmon, and his annoyance/jealousy that everyone is focusing so much on Offmon regardless of how valid a reason it might be. This leads him to run away too, where he quickly encounters another kid who has also run away. In the process of getting him home he realizes how unreasonable he's been, and end sup reconciling with Haru.

On the whole, I enjoy this episode. I like the focus on the Appmon and the reminder that they aren't just extensions of their Buddies. As noted I do think they have a good reason to treat Offmon like they were, but Haru's personality once again clashes with Gatchmon in a way that we haven't seen since the early episodes. It's also fun just watching him, Dokamon, and Musimon hang out on their way even if they don't get up to much shenanigans. The plot with Sota I a bit on the nose, but what I'm not sure I expected more than that. And J makes for a unique, if not all that threatening, roadblock.

As far as negatives, I am mindly annoyed that this is what the show feels deserves Eri's first actual punch even if it is for comedic effect. The ending also muddies the water on whether Gatchmon has actually learned anything, which is kind of unfortunate. Or maybe I'm thinking too deeply into it. I also wouldn't have minded more of the Appmon trio just hanging out and doing stuff in the city, though I understand that they didn't necessarily have time for it.

All in all it's a decent episode that carries out its message effectively. There's some stuff I disagree with, but it doesn't ruin the quality of the episode as a whole that might. Overall this deals with a more mature subject matter while still being relatively light stakes overall and not that integral to the core plot.

We'll see if there is more team conflict next time, in "Dokamon's Love!? Gourmet Appli, Marypero Invasion!"

 

[Azecreth]

Hey there all you lovely people out there. We are here with another episode of App Monsters. I have some family members visiting for the weekend so that's going to mess up the timing of these updates, but I will get the updates out all the same. This is the most consistent thing that I've done and I don't intend to change that until after we're done. No idea what I'll do after that, but that bridge is long in the distance. We still have plenty of Digimon to go.

In the previous episode Gatchmon got jealous that everyone was giving attention to Offmon and ran away from home. He was joined by Dokamon and Musimon, and they had an adventure where they helped get a kid home after he ran away. This made Gatchmon recognize that his worries were unfounded, and he reconciled with Haru. He still doesn't like Offmon though.

Now then, let's get to it.


Laying it on a bit thick aren't we?

The episode begins with Eri doing another food review. Of all of the episodes to get a callback, I did not expect it to be that one. She's eating some sort of shaved ice dessert, and goes into a long speech about how it represents the coming of spring and stuff like that. It's even getting broadcast on one of those big tv monitors in the city so people can watch, which is definitely a step up in the world. The rest of the team is also watching in AppTube.

This goes on for like a minute as she raves about the taste and the aroma of the ice and the fruits and the sauce. Eventually it ends with her telling everyone to go to this restaurant. It is an effective message, as the group in the secret base all want to have some for themselves now.


Shill her harder

As they're talking, Gatchmon does a search of the restaurant Eri went to and is shocked to find that they're super popular. Dokamon speaks up to say that Eri has become a professional food reviewer in all but name. Her reviews are descriptive, relatable, and whatever restaurant she reviews does amazing (there is no proof for this beyond Dokamon's word). Haru and Ai agree that they are relatable, at the very least.

It is at that point that Eri arrives, drawing attention to herself as she stands on a table positioned at one of the higher staircase landings. She tells them that it's no big deal since this sort of thing comes naturally to her, but as she gets her shoes back on and heads down the stairs she adds that Perorimon's training is the reason her reviews are so good.


The Perorimon expanded universe

For whatever reason Eri didn't have her AppliDrive with her, as Perorimon emerges from it on the table at the center of the sitting area. He confirms that in spite of the proliferation of review apps Eri remains quite popular. Haru wonders if there are really that many, and Gatchmon confirms that review apps exist for all genres of food, and each one of them has a Perorimon. He then goes on to list off some examples.


That does happen when you're niche

That brings us to the app Morimori, but when Gatchmon lists off that Perorimon it turns out that they are actually in the room already. This is Marilyn Perorimon, possibly a reference to Marilyn Monroe and going by Maripero for short. She is here because she wants Eri to teach her how to do food reviews. Needless to say, Eri was not expecting that.

After the OP, we get the CoD satellite zoom before the conversation resumes. Maripero explains that her app is devoted to mega-servings of food, but the download numbers are terrible and it doesn't get much attention. She hopes that Eri can help her refine her review writing skills to kindle more interest in the app. Which is admirable, though you should probably have reasonable expectations too.


You can't just be insensitive like that Perorimon, this is the modern era

Perorimon flies up to her and agrees that good reviews can definitely bring in customers, but he demands to know why she isn't asking him to teach her since he's the one who taught Eri what she knows. Maripero explains that she wants to be a capable lady reviewer like Eri, and since Perorimon is decidedly not a lady he won't do at all.

She flies around him to once again ask Perorimon, leaving him trembling in rage. Off to the side Dokamon comments on how surreal it I that a different Perorimon wants to learn from Eri after she herself was trained by a Perorimon. That's just how life goes sometimes.


Perish

There's just one problem. Eri doesn't really have the time to stick around for training since she has a recording session to get to. She asks if Maripero can wait until after that, but it seems the Appmon is short on time for some unspecified reason. Come to think of it, we've never heard what happens to an Appmon if their app gets shut down entirely.

Eri then asks Perorimon, but the way she phrases it makes it sound like he would be doing it on her behalf, and he takes offense to this before returning to his chip. So they won't be able to rely on his help at all in this matter.


Always was

Several seconds pass as Eri tries to come up with a solution before eventually Dokamon speaks up. He'll just teach Maripero in Eri's place as her greatest disciple. Gatchmon doubts this, leading Dokamon to go on about how he's read all of her reviews and is basically her student in spirit. He is confident that he can succeed.

Eri accepts this and wishes him good luck. Maripero is fine with this as well. Eri Apprealizes Maripero before heading out, leaving them to get to it. They both vow to do their best, once Maripero is done being amazed at how it feels to be Apprealized.


Mission start

One time skip later and they enter a restaurant called 'Burger Kong'. The place is themed after the American Wild West, with cowboy hats, lots of wood, you know the general aesthetic. The appmon are in a trench coat, with Dokamon carrying Maripero so she appears like a normal human. They order an Ook-Ook Jungle Burger (which doesn't seem like it fits the restaurant theme) before taking a seat, pleased to have fooled the humans as to their true natures.

Soon the meal is delivered, a towering burger with at least seven patties if I'm not miscounting. Now that it's here Dokamon encourages Maripero to begin her review. She talks about the restaurant a bit, like how it has free water and free wet wipes, before suggesting 'all-you-can-eat' pickles to increase the portion sizes. She then talks about the burger and gulps it down. She claims she finished it in nine minutes and 29 seconds, but I don't think that's actually true.


How sour

Reading this, Dokamon is taken aback at how short the review is. When Maripero asks if something is the matter, he fumbles for a moment before explaining how Eri would talk about how she feels as well as the flavor of the meal. To this Maripero says that she did, in the form of her comment about the pickles. When he says that that isn't what he meant, she asks for a concrete explanation of what the problem is. Unfortunately Dokamon doesn't have much besides 'not enough review in the review'. Maripero doesn't understand the problem, since she did talk about the portion size and how long it took to eat. Those sorts of things are important in this kind of review. But he still feels like something is missing.

On that note we head into the break. Coming up next, 'Everyone's a critic.'

 

[Azecreth]

Hey there folks, we're back with the second half of this episode of App Monsters. In the previous part Marilyn Perorimon appeared to ask Eri for her help in becoming a food reviewer. Unfortunately Eri was busy, so Dokamon agreed to help instead. Now they've started the training, but it looks like it's going to be a process to get there.

With that said, let's get back to it.


Slightly disturbing

We return from the break to a montage. Maripero and Dokamon visit several restaurants, with a notable one being this bee themed restaurant. She continues her reviews, but it quickly becomes clear that there is a problem as every review has a significant amount of downvotes in comparison to upvotes. I wouldn't say crushing since I don't think any of them get over 300 reactions, but it's still not great.


He's tired of your nonsense

Needless to say all of this is getting Maripero pretty bummed as she cries a little. They've adjourned to a park near the river, probably to assess what the problem is. Reading over the reviews, Dokamon quickly identifies their issue. All these reviews do is talk about how long it took Maripero to eat them, not about how the food tastes or anything like that.

Maripero doesn't really understand this. As far as she is concerned mega-helpings are all about whether you can conquer them or not. Dokamon disagrees with this, explaining that food reviews should be about making the reader want to go to a particular restaurant for the experience being related. All this is is a list of what Maripero has done, not a real review.


It's a work in progress

While Maripero doesn't deny this, she does seem kind of offended by how he explains this. She ends up wishing that Eri had taught her after all, which causes Dokamon to start moving away. He agrees that he's just an action game Appmon and apologizes for being a bad teacher before leaving.

We then shift to Eri, who is wearing a track suit as part of some sort of 'Banana Track Meet'. I assume this is a reference I don't get, but at least she's not in a banana costume. During her break she asks Dokamon how things are going, and he successfully lies to assure her that things are going fine with the training. Hopefully it serves as a bit of motivation.

Also it turns out that you can, in fact, communicate with your Appmon buddy through the Seven Code Band. I feel like they should have established that before making such a big deal of Gatchmon not responding through the Seven Code Band last episode.


Iced coffee can fix any relationship

Back with Maripero, she is saddened by how she made Dokamon angry and the fact that she has so little time left. Her musing is interrupted by Dokamon, who has apparently found iced coffee somewhere and is now giving it to her.

Though he has a bit of trouble with it, Dokamon explains that Eri had trouble doing food reviews as well when she started out. She had to work hard to reach the level that she is at now. He wants to be a good teacher to her, and he encourages her to work hard to become a good food reviewer. So they agree to start over without any arguing.


Talk about large portions

Maripero then sips the iced coffee and is taken aback at how good it tastes. Dokamon says that it's because of the feelings that he put into it, which I think is made up as I doubt he made this drink. But it serves the point well enough as he goes on to describe how the people making the food probably had similar feelings. This causes Maripero to realize that she's been doing things wrong, and she asks if they can do another review.

We then get another narrated review, but this one is much more descriptive than the one we saw previously. It also feels much more sincere, and in the end it achieves the result they want with a positive upvote ratio. It turns out that it wasn't so hard after all.


Romance in the air

Reading this, Maripero and Dokamon are both thrilled that it worked out. She thank him for putting up with her selfishness, and he says that he just did what any teacher would do. She also notes that visiting all these restaurants together was kind of like a date, which causes him to get a blush and hurry on to the next restaurant as he wonders why his heart is racing.

It takes a bit of effort but Maripero manages to interrupt him as he's moving. It seems there is one final restaurant she wants to go to. We then skip to a small restaurant where the old chef is talking about how he was always hungry growing up so he wants to make sure the younger generation can eat their fill. Though there's a cheap lunch place near here which might put them out of business soon.


Someone's having a party

Maripero explains to Dokamon that this is the first restaurant she reviewed. She wants to fill this place she loves with people, and she feels like Dokamon can help her do that. She orders the Megadon Katsura Manhattan, only to be informed that they can't make any right now because their shipment hasn't shown up today. Then the situation gets worse as someone calls in to order 30 of the things.

We then transition outside to the delivery driver as he informs the store that it's like he can't move. Traffic is at a standstill, and the computer screen in his car appears to have been replaced by a racing game. That would be because of Racemon, who is using status ailment items to freeze the real world cars in place as he drives around. The duo then see Racemon on the news report, and Dokamon tells Maripero to stay here while he goes to kick some butt.


If you wait he'll circle around eventually

Running down the street, Dokamon is joined by Haru and Yujin. It seems Eri was worried and sent the two of them to check on him, despite her being able to call him now. He asks them for their help in stopping Racemon and they agree, though I think they would have helped without being asked. They're not jut going to let an L-Virus infected Appmon cause chaos unchecked. Yujin Apprealizes Offmon, and the group heads into the AR Field together.

Arriving, Gatchmon quickly identifies where Racemon is. Dokamon runs after him while vowing justice, though the others are quick to note that there's no way he can catch up with how fast Racemon is moving. They will need a different plan. A better plan.


Special delivery

Yujin asks Offmon if he can do something about this, but Offmon says that Racemon is too far away. Nonetheless Yujin encourages him, and he vows to do his best. We cut to Racemon, who is driving along happily and confident no one will get ahead of him, before he sees the Link Severance orb coming up behind him. And this is too fast to run away from.

This seems to have a paralyzing effect on Racemon, which allows Dokamon to catch up. He does a small speech about how he'll make Racemon pay for messing with Maripero's love before dive bombing him out of existence. This fixes the traffic problems, allowing everyone to move again. Yujin gets the Racemon chip, and everyone there is fine letting him keep it.


She dead

Haru and Yujin then join Dokamon and Maripero outside of the shop. She did write the review, and she thinks it might be her best yet. She also thanks Haru and Yujin, though Haru is modest and says they didn't do that much. Dokamon suggests they keep up the training, only for the big reveal as Maripero begins floating into the sky and glowing. It turns out that her app's service ends tonight, which seems way too late to learn how to do a good review. Despite this, she is glad that she was able to learn what is most important in a food review.


What, is Dokamon Sokka or something?

She says that she owes this to Dokamon, and thanks him before leaning in to kiss him. Then she starts floating away again, and voices her regret that she couldn't play his game before vanishing in a burst of light. Dokamon calls her name as the screen fades to black.

This transition leads to Eri reading Maripero's last review. We also see that the restaurant has become very busy as a result of the review, showing that she got her wish in the end. Eri thinks the review was great, and Perorimon gives it three stars.


Rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated

Imagine their shock when Maripero then appears, very not dead. It turns out that the president of a venture capital firm saw her review and ended up buying the app to keep the light's running. Probably that guy who bought the 30 orders that we heard about. Dokamon asks if this means they can keep doing reviews together, only to be denied.

He is shocked by this and asks if this means she doesn't need him any more. For some reason she decides to salt the wounds of his previous grief by mocking him for taking that kiss seriously when it was just one of gratitude. You know, ignore that she's the one who kissed him as her last act before dying, who'd read too much into that sort of thing? She says they can look forward to more reviews before disappearing again.


That's why Gatchmon wears a helmet

All of this has left Dokamon sad and his heart in pain. Gatchmon assures him that being a man means letting pain make you stronger. Dokamon takes solace in the fact that he still has Eri, only for Eri to punch him because Maripero kissed him in a totally platonic manner.

On that note the credits roll.

Ending Impression: This episode is unimportant in an overall sense, despite being a follow up to a previous episode. As a standalone episode it is fine, though I am a bit soured by the ending of it. It is an adequate filler episode, but not much more than that.

The main focus of the episode is Maripero, a Perorimon who wants to learn from Eri so she can inspire people to go to restaurants that she likes before her app is shut down. Unfortunately Eri is busy, so she has to get Dokamon to teach her instead. Things are a bit rough, though surprisingly none of the problems are really because of him aside from not being the best at explanations. They do eventually work things out, then Racemon shows up and causes a bit of disruption to Maripero's last wish, but he is defeated quickly enough and isn't a threat to our heroes.

I did enjoy some aspects of it. I like Dokamon having some time separate from Eri to do things, I like the continuation aspect to show that Eri has actually improved in a visible manner from how she was as a food reviewer, and while I personally am not that invested in the subject matter I think it's interesting.

As far as weak spots are concerned, the ending is the part that leaves the sourest taste in my mouth. We get this whole death scene, only for it to be a fakeout used for comedy at Dokamon's expense. I'm also not that interested in Racemon, and honestly I would have been fine if we weren't obligated to include an enemy Appmon in this episode. It just feels like forced drama which makes more sense in hindsight as to the urgency of it.

Overall this is mostly an episode meant as filler, in spite of its connection to a previous episode. It does this adequately, but there are a couple of things that annoy me about it. It could have been worse, could have been better. There's not much else to discuss about it.

We'll see if we get another episode like this next time, in The Traveling Companion!? Tripmon's Terrible Trip

 

[Azecreth]

Hey there folks, it's time for another episode of App Monsters. I hope you all are doing alright, now that spring seems to finally be here. I'm feeling a bit under the weather unfortunately, but hopefully I'll get over it soon enough. Also my work schedule got changed again because the client complained, so updates will be on Saturday and Sunday again. Not that any of you mind I'm sure, and I don't have a particular preference either way if I'm being honest.

In the previous episode Marilyn Perorimon tried to get Eri to train her to do good food reviews, but since Eri was busy Dokamon did it instead. There were some hiccups but they eventually succeeded in doing this just before a fakeout death. Ultimately I'm not sure anything was learned but it is what it is.

Now then, let's get to it.


Remember when maps were a thing?

The episode begins with Eri learning from her manager that she's been given the opportunity to go on a trip as a reward from Appliyama for all of her hard work recently. Gotta keep the talent happy after all. Eri is thrilled to hear that of course, like anyone would be at a free trip. Her manager will be going along as a chaperone, but since she still has some stuff to do they'll meet up at the hotel.

It turns out that the manager has all the travel information on an app, as well as tickets and stuff. Eri has her send it to her cell phone, while Dokamon comments on how great this is. Eri then asks if she can bring some friends along, and vaguely explains that it's a group she's been working with when asked if she wants to bring other idols with her. The manager doesn't give a direct answer, but says she'll ask the agency about it.


We're about to get a life lesson

Eri then asks where they're going, and we don't get a name. All the manager says is 'a highland location with clear skies and a resort hotel. You know, very specific. An appmon then appears and notes that following someone else's plan isn't a real adventure. He changes the destination listed on the app, to play off the fact that the manager never actually said what it was to Eri.

Also, I think his comment is meant to just be for the audience since Eri and Dokamon don't react to it, and I feel like they'd notice an appmon coming out of their phone when it's right in front of them.


Torajiro calling her out

After the OP we pick up with the group in a train car, on their way to the vacation spot. They seem to have the entire place to themselves which shows that the agency spared no expense. Haru thanks Eri for letting them come way, and Eri waves it off by saying that she can't be the only one enjoying herself when they're all fighting Leviathan. Plus she thought it would be more fun with everyone here.

Dokamon then reveals that she was up all night, giving Torajiro the opportunity to tease her about ruining her 'ego' impression. Which causes her to vow to punch him if he keeps it up. Everyone laughs at that before Gatchmon comments on how nice this private car is. It means they can be Apprealized without having to worry about anyone seeing them.


Five second rule

This then brings the conversation to their train lunch boxes. Everyone has their own, and they go off listing them as well as some of the stuff inside. Torajiro has a turbocharge box with a lot of meat, Musimon has an East-West fusion box with Teriyaki and Chili Shrimp and Omelettes and other stuff. Eri has a health-first low calorie box, Dokamon got the quintuple decker box, which he nearly drops as a result of the train rocking. Yujin has a pork sandwich box, Offmon got a kneaded paste products box, Haru got a classic box, and Gatchmon just packed a box full of Monaka for himself.

Honestly the boxes fit their personalities pretty well, aside from the pork sandwiches maybe. Maybe he just wanted pork sandwiches, who's to say?

Everyone digs in to their meals, and there seems to be a general consensus that they taste good. Yujin notes to Offmon that eating with a group makes things taste better, which Offmon seems to agree with. Eri comments on how close Yujin and Offmon have become, and Yujin concurs that it feels like they're starting to become real buddies now.


Is it Garurumon? I bet it's Garurumon

Gatchmon then asks Eri where they're actually going. Eri repeats what her manager told her before providing the name as she displays the travel app. They're going to Bite Creek, and Gatchmon points out that the name doesn't really conjure vistas and resort hotels. More notably, the name seems to have spooked Offmon as he starts biting Yujin's arm.

Eri makes the connection and assures Offmon that it's just a name. Only it turns out that their reserved train car isn't so reserved after all as an old woman steps into view. She warns them that the hot springs are cursed by a wolf whose cubs were slain by a cruel hunter, which causes Offmon to bite Yujin's arm harder. Then she pivots and says that it's just a story used by certain parties to sell tie-in merchandise. So it might or might not be all made up. Who knows?


We do a little chomping

With her gone, Eri and Dokamon seem pretty concerned by this curse stuff. On the other hand Torajiro almost seems excited, even as Eri points out that the story isn't true. Dokamon notes that it would be pretty scary if it was, which causes Yujin to wince as Offmon bites his arm even harder. Still not hard enough to draw blood though.

Seeing this causes Eri to scold Dokamon for spooking Offmon. Offmon apologizes to Yujin once he's let go of his Buddy's arm, and Yujin assures him that it's fine. I assume he's built a pretty high tolerance to that by now.


Ever the optimist

We then cut to their arrival at the train station. It's an old place with tattered posters, and Gatchmon wonders if they're really in the right place. Eri confirms it on the app, which says they just need to follow the dirt road a while. She's confident that the resort hotel is waiting, though the road seems to lead to a cloud wreathed mountain that succeeds in scaring Dokamon.

In contrast, Torajiro and Musimon are fully down for this spooky vibe that is going on. I guess it's nice to see that there's someone who will enjoy this little trip even if no one else does. However this causes Yujin to realize something, and he looks over to where Offmon is hiding once again. Yujin is quick to ask him if something is wrong since he seems a bit down, and Offmon apologizes for biting him earlier.


Pretty sure that's all subjective

Yujin reckons that Offmon is just spooked by all this curse talk, and assures his buddy that he doesn't think it is true. And even if it was, he would be here to help Offomn. He offers a hand, only for Offmon to turn away and apologize for wanting to be alone.

There isn't really an easy answer for this, and Yujin is not able to provide one as Eri gets them under way. As she walks along that appmon from before appears again to talk to the audience, saying that true adventures are identified by thrilling, exciting, and unexpected occurrences. Which can be true, depending on what the surprise consists of.


Quick take a selfie

As they walk along we see Offmon lagging behind the group. After a couple of seconds Torajiro spots something off to the side, and while Eri hopes it is luxury villas, it's actually a shrine with several wolf statues lined up. Leading Eri to wonder if that curse story is true after all. This, yet again, prompts Offmon to hide his face with his big sleeves as he stands some distance away from the group.

Of course Musimon and Torajiro are jazzed to have found a cool local landmark. Gatchmon isn't impressed by it since the sign says that it's a shrine to headless wolves, but these statues clearly have heads. At least until he touches one and it falls off. He and Eri start to panic at this, since it could be considered desecrating a shrine which would be bad mojo.


That's how you get to Terebithia

The next scene has the group making their way up a slope. Seeing that Offmon is lagging behind again, Yujin crouches near him and says that if he's scared he can stick close to his buddy. However, Offmon refuses. Haru then swings back to reiterate the point, but Offmon insists that he can't be close to anyone. That includes Yujin. Which is a swing from simply being antisocial like we had previously been told was going on.

Before they can follow this further, a cry from Eri distracts them. It seems the next landmark is a long log bridge without a railing. As usual Musimon and Torajiro are thrilled by this, while the others are not. Dokamon suggests that it isn't too late to turn back, but Torajiro quickly objects. Eri decides to think on the bright side, insisting that their destination is just on the other side of the bridge.


Now might be a good time to call your manager

Since no one here is a coward, they start running across the log bridge to get to the other side. Yujin looks back to Offmon before heading on to the bridge as well. Haru asks him if Offmon is okay, and Yujin tells him that this is something he needs to work out on his own. They are buddies after all. The group then passes through a tight ravine and wades through a lake before eventually arriving at their destination. To Eri's disappointment however, it is a far cry from a 'luxury resort hotel'.

On that note we head into the break. Coming up next, 'The wolf inside'.

 

[Azecreth]

Hello there folks, we're back with the second half of this episode of App Monsters. In the previous part Eri brought the group along on her vacation, unaware that she wa being waylaid by a malicious app. They ended up in Bite Valley, and have gone through several trials while tension develops between Yujin and Offmon for a reason that is not yet clear. But I'm sure everything will be fine now that they're at their destination. Right?

With that said, let's get back to it.


Tell us something we don't know

The episode picks back up with the group checking in at the hot springs place. It seems the appmon behind this all did actually make reservations with this place, so at least they don't have to worry about that. The old lady owner seems to think they're part of a troupe, which Eri is annoyed by but Haru figures it's fine since it lets them pass off their Appmon as mascots.

The old lady guides them to a room where they can all sit down and hang out. She tells them that she's prepared rooms for the troupe leader across the hall, and I think she's talking about Eri's manager in this case. But before she leaves, she pauses to warn them that the place is haunted, and yes she is talking about that wold curse. Yujin reaches out to assure a hiding Offmon, but Offmon just ignores him.


I'm starting to see where these stories are coming from

However, it seems that the old lady has an option, and she offers to sell them a protective talisman for their stay. She'll even throw in nine more on the purchase, to provide protection for everyone here. Dokamon is dismayed that they aren't free and Haru tries to politely decline, only for Eri to agree to buy some.

With the talisman in hand she tells Offmon that he doesn't need to worry anymore, though he doesn't seem to be feeling any better. She also hands them out to everyone else to keep them safe. Gatchmon asks if they're in the right place and Eri is pretty sure that it is. We then cut to the actual hotel where they're supposed to be, with Eri's manager commenting on how late they are. I guess that isn't worth a phone call either.


Someone is a bit paranoid

Then it's on to the hot springs, the reason they are all here. We see Torajiro actually jumping in to the water, with much laughter and happiness while Haru and Yujin just give each other a look. This also means that Eri has a pool entirely to herself, which means she is also a perfect target for the owner to hawk more curse merchandise on her.

Another transition takes us to dinner, where they are fed a stew made from local vegetables. There is also an exorcism menu, which Eri buys from without hesitation. The girl has a problem, that's all I'm saying.


The problem may be him, not you

Another skip and we find ourselves at night time. Most of the group is playing a board game, possibly some variation on the board game Life though don't quote me on that. Yujin tries to get Offmon to join them, but the appmon ends up knocking his hand away. This causes him to panic, and he flees the room to go outside.

Watching him go from the door, Yujin glumly says to Haru that he thought they were becoming closer, but maybe it was just him. Perhaps Offmon just prefers to be alone, as per his nature as an offline game appmon. But Haru isn't so sure of that idea. He was having a lot of fun with them before after all. Despite what has been said, he wonders if there is another reason Offmon is acting the way he is.


It's time for the sequel

The show then follows Offmon as he walks along, talking to himself about how he can't be around Yujin or the others. He doesn't say why, but either it's because he is worried he'll hurt them or that someone will hurt them to make him suffer. The second seems unlikely since it seems unlikely that he had enemies before this, but I could be wrong.

It takes him several seconds to realize that he has wandered into an AR Field, one that is full of historical landmarks scattered across the forest. But his problems have just started as Sateramon appears in front of him. He reminds Offmon that Leviathan hired him to kill them all, so letting their guard down is something they shouldn't do. It seems Offmon is in a rough spot.


You'll always remember that one thing you forgot a half hour into the trip and it's too late to go back for it

The team is also out looking for Offmon, and they quickly stumble across the AR Field. They are met by the mysterious appmon upon entering, who asks them if they've had a good time. Gatchmon identifies him as Tripmon, and he confirms that he's the one who set this all up. Eri is pretty mad about that, but is of the opinion that Offmon comes first.

As a result, in contrast to pretty much every episode before this one, they decide to all go Ultimate and gang up on this Super level Appmon. He does fight back by pointing out that accidents are a part of any trip, before trying to suck them into his backpack. But it doesn't last long as they attack, and he is swiftly defeated. As we'll see coming up shortly, it was not worth it.


He has a bit of a grudge

We then return to Offmon, who is running for his life as Sateramon fires a shot at him. He explains that he uses GPS satellites all over the world to watch Offmon, so there's no way he can escape his tracking ability. He then takes to sky and flies after his target as Offmon runs towards the pyramid nearby. It seems Sateramon is pretty mad that Offmon foiled his plan the last time they met, so he's here to get some payback for that.

He opens fire again, his lasers shattering column as Offmon runs for his life. All this commotion draws the attention of the nearby group, though they only have thirty seconds left. Offmon takes cover behind a pillar as Sateramon lands and paces towards him, the Ultimate noting that at this range Offmon's trick won't stop him from just shooting his target directly.


The rescue needs to be rescued

As Offmon hides he thinks to himself that he needs to handle this on his own. He can't go crying to the others for help because of that reason we haven't heard yet. We still don't get to hear it, because Yujin and the others arrive on the scene at that moment to save Offmon.

Seeing this, Sateramon declares that Tripmond did his job well and bought enough time that Ultimate Appmon are off the table. Though he's really betting a lot on them acting a specific way for no particular reason, isn't he? They could have easily decided that there was no need to overkill it or even go Ultimate at all. Anyway, he blasts more pillars, and when the smoke clears everyone is alive but all the Ultimate Appmon have transformed back. I guess you get this one Sateramon.


Nice dog gone now

Offmon finds themselves protected by Yujin, who has curled over his buddy to protect him from falling debris. Yujin takes this moment to remind Offmon that they're buddies, and he can't help if he isn't told what the problem is. But Offmon insists that if they knew then they would hate him. Which seems unlikely, unless they committed a murder or something.

Not that they have much time to debate as Sateramon prepares to finish them off. This leaves Offmon in a bind as he is the only one who can save them now, but if he does then his secret will be exposed. But he overcomes his fears and starts to growl before returning to the Seven Code Band and becoming an Ultimate Appmon chip. Who needs Super anyway?


You don't mess with the wolf

While confused, Yujin isn't about top think twice and Apprealizes Shyutmon. Shutmon is a Forced Termination App, so I guess it's the app equivalent of the Task Manager. Evereyone thinks Shutmon looks pretty cool, and the resemblance to a wolf explains his unease earlier. Sateramon is also taken aback, as Offmon having an Ultimate form was something he did not anticipate.

Shutmon then attacks at Yujin's urging, roaring as he does so. The combat is fast paced, with Shutmon dodging laser blasts while trying to slice and dice Sateramon in the process. The rest of the pillars go down in the combat, and Sateramon proceeds to use his guns to make a dust cloud so he can run away while he still has the chance. Which is good. This show needs long form villains.


The other shoe

Everyone is amazed by all of this, and Yujin asks Shutmon why he was trying to hide such awesome power. It is at this point that Shutmon tries to attack them, revealing why he was so worried before. I guess in his Ultimate form he becomes a berserker who will attack anyone that gets close.

On that cliffhanger, the credits roll.

Ending Impression: This episode is important as it reveals Offmon's Ultimate Appmon form and the complications that will come with that. The episode as a standalone is good, if a bit contrivewd in terms of how things work out. It's not a dealbreaker but it did get a bit hard to ignore at points.

The main focus is the trip that Eri brings the rest of the group on, which ends up being hijacked by Tripmon. He takes them to some remote hot spring for an exciting adventure, as part of a plot to get Offmon alone so Sateramon can get revenge for their last battle. This complicates the relationship between Yujin and Offmon, as all the talk about wolves reminds the latter of the danger his Shutmon form poses. But in the end he is willing to use it, even at the risk of potentially harming them in the process.

I enjoy the trip part of the episode. It does get them into new situations, and it's fun seeing Eri's worry contrasted by Torajiro just having the time of his life on this trip. The wolf cure stuff is a bit gimmicky, but overall it's fun and clearly made up for a marketing scheme. It just coincidentally has an impact on Offmon as well.

Regarding Offmon, the reveal of Shutmon and his deal is one that you could kind of guess at given Offmon's efforts to keep everyone at arm's length. It does raise the question of what he got up to before becoming Yujin's buddy, since apparently he can just make the Shutmon chip at will. I wonder if he ran into Hackmon before….

As far as weak spots go, it does feel like the gang goes along with things a bit too easily once they arrive at the hotel. Sateramon's plan is also dependent on things happening a specific way without any safeguards to make sure they go that way. As previously mentioned, there was no guarantee that everyone would blow their Ultimate Apprealize on Tripmon, or that Offmon would run away from Yujin rather than clinging to him (since he didn't know about the wolf connection beforehand). It feels like he got super lucky rather than his plan being all that smart.

Still, on the whole I did enjoy the episode. The trip stuff is amusing, Tripmon is one note but otherwise inoffensive, and it was neat seeing more of what lies beneath Offmon's surface. Sure there were some weaker parts, but nothing egregious by Digimon terms. Now they just have to avoid getting team killed. Easy.

We'll see if Shutmon has the sixty second time limit next time, in "Everyone to Take you Out! The Self-Withdrawal Offmon!"