TheDigimonanime franchise is considered one of the biggest and most influential in history. It is best known as a pioneer of the industry due to its innovative storytelling and expertly designed monsters. For more than two decades, fans have been enchanted by this incredible series, and with plenty of reasons to do so.
Nonetheless, fans often forget one of the details that have helped the original series,Digimon Adventure, remain a timeless classic:its realistic and complex female characters. Unlike other boy-oriented shows of the time, theDigimonfranchise made sure to develop its heroines as much as their male counterparts, something rare for the time.
Sora, Kari, and Mimi Are More Than Damsels in Distress
Their Stories Are Unique and Exciting
TheDigimon Adventureanime follows a group of eight chosen children known as the DigiDestined. These special kids were elected by destiny to find a digital partner that would help them fight against the forces of darkness. Seeing as the series was designed to primarily appeal to a younger male audience, as most shonen released in the early 2000s, most of the members of the group were boys. Onlythree of the protagonists, and their Digimon partners, were female. Yet, this distinction did not prevent the show from giving them complex and engaging character arcs.
As the series progressed, Mimi, Kari, and Sora had challenges that revolved around their personal growth and desires, rather than focusing on their feelings for one of their male friends. Tai’s sister was particularly important for the plot, beingthe carrier of the Light Emblemthat was vital to defeat the most powerful villains of the series. Despite the male-heavy focus of the series, with Tai and Matt being often considered the true protagonists, the girls were never underutilized. They were equally important whenever an adversary made themselves known and would often outshine their male friends.
Strong Female Protagonists Were Rare For the Times
Digimon Broke Many Tropes
Although the female protagonists ofDigimon Adventurewere by no means the first to have significant roles in male-centric anime, they did break a lot of tropes of their times. Series of the era, likeNarutoorYu-Gi-Oh!, tended to give their female characters a more supportive role, with them often acting as sources of motivation for the men. Other shows would introduce girls just to become the love interest of the heroes, forgetting about them until it was time for a romantic or comedic moment between the main couple.
This is not to say that anime from the early 2000s did not have strong female protagonists, as franchises likeInuyashaorthe controversialElfen Liedintroduced powerful girls. Nevertheless, the fact that theDigimonseries went out of its way to give its female characters a personality and motivations unrelated to the male heroes was an amazing decision. This is one of the reasons why the show is still considered a classic despite having been released more than two decades ago.
Other Series in The Franchise Followed the Same Formula
Almost no Digimon Anime Lacks Powerful Female Characters
Even thoughDigimon Adventurewas the first in the series to include strong girls in its cast, it is not the only one in the franchise to do so. In almost all subsequent seasons of the anime, the female characters are given the same respect and importance as the boys.Rika, also known as the Digimon Queen, was considered the best and strongest member of the Tamers cast. Along with her Renamon,hailed as one of the best creatures in the franchise, she defeated villains that none of her teammates could.
Not all the seasons had the same vision for their female characters, as proven byFrontier. Despite the series being one of the most interesting and unique, it did not give its only female character, Zoey, the same level of relevance as her castmates. Nevertheless, she still had several episodes of personal development that had nothing to do with her being a damsel in distress or a simple love interest. Even when the series does not focus as much on the girls, it still attempts to give them a certain level of respect.
Having strong female protagonists is just one of the traits that have helped theDigimonfranchise maintain its status as a classic anime. This beloved show is about more than just extremely powerful digital monsters fighting each other, it is an amazing coming-of-age story. No matter how much time passes, fans will never stop loving the adventures of Tai and his friends.
