Notice that the last two also have different names on the season name. Digimon Xros Wars/Fusion: Digixros > Digifuse, ok, this was really needed? I get it, they fuse, but that word was really needed? What audience were they even aiming for?.Maybe Soul was too complex to have it on TV?) Digimon Savers/Data Squad: Digisoul > DNA (Digimon Natural Ability, funny, because the humans can still cast/burn Digisoul or have small/big ones.
Digimon Frontier: Digicode>Fractal Code (it is the code of the Digimon, so why not keep it?).Digimon Tamers: Matrix Evolution > Bio Merge Digievolution, this was like a must, there was no way to recognize two evolution levels if both were "Matrix Evolution", I wouldn't mind if they said "Matrix Evolution, Fusion" when they merged but no, it was the same.Digimon Adventure 02: Digimentals > Digieggs, ok, they are partially Digiegg, but works different than regular ones, so using an already used name wasn't such a great idea.(I could say Evolution>Digievolution or Evolve>Devolve, but in 02 there is that girl that does say Digivolve in japan dub.) Evolution stage names, you know, Baby>Child>Adult vs In Training>Rookie>Champion.Well, about Yagami to Kamiya, I heard it was because it is "cursed", just spell it backwards and you may see why, "YAGAMI"Īnd not just the Digimon and Humans, the list of changes is big. It's great." But now that you know, you'll never be able to watch Digimon the same way again. Jeff: And you'll hear go, "It's a kid's show. But now that you go back and you hear the dialogue, you go, "Oh my god." Listen to that dialogue, and ten to one, it's, Izzy, it's time for your bath. I never told Mona Marshall, who played Izzy, that I wrote it that way. Jeff: Now you'll never see it from the performances. Jeff: Thanks! And I wrote all the subtext, so if you go back and watch Digimon now, you'll never watch Digimon the same way. You're the first people to hear this, but I wrote Digimon, obviously. Actually, speaking of yaoi, here's a little secret.Īudience: (Audience member: Oh no!) Jeff: Second fiddle to Izzy? Oh no! I love Izzy! My voice is gone, sorry. The transcript was listed as follows:Īudience member: So what's it like playing second fiddle to Izzy? They also listed the discussion that alledgedly took place, although I can't verify this myself because the video isn't there.
The topic claims it was during a panel in 2006 at some convention called AnimeNorth. Update: I found a post via an adult Digimon message board with a YouTube link, although the video has since been removed. As someone who grew up used to the Japanese names, seeing the westernized names was a bit of a culture shock. To clarify, I ain't mad at the changes, I'm just trying to understand the logic behind them.
Of course, there are just a few examples, but I think I got my point across. Or change the already very easy to pronounce Ruki Makino to Rika Nonaka (which didn't westernize it at all, so why bother?). Why change Henry's surname from Lee to Wong (both Chinese/Cantonese surnames)? Like, I get westernizing Taichi and Hikari to Tai and Kari but what's the logic in changing their surname from Yagami to Kamiya (both Japanese names)? The humans also have inexplicable name changes. Why the need to add extra letters for some Digimon like Armadillomon (Armadimon) but remove those letters for others like Beelzemon (Beelzebumon)?Īnd it's not just the Digimon. Why change all the 'Holy's into 'Magna's? Why change Heracles into Hercules when it's literally the same person? Why change Omega to Omni but keep Alpha and Beta as is? However, why the need to change the names that are already using English words? Ie: Dukemon to Gallantmon, Tailmon to Gatomon etc. (Although, for some inexplicable reason they went from English to Japanese for Fairymon/Kazemon) Ie: Houomon to Phoenixmon or Mugendramon to Machinedramon. Ok, I get changing the ones that are literally Japanese words to make it easier for western audiences to pronounce. Am I the only one who finds some of the Japanese to English name changes for Digimon kinda bizarre?