We're saving the Hanimon line for a separate one, since this one leads nicely to the Pendulum Color virtual pets that were tied to the New Century designs. The Pendulum Color 7: Toho Braves covers the Hanimon line, the Shellmon to Ryugumon line, and a bunch of brand-new designs based on Chinese and Japanese mythology, some of which also debuted in New Century.
I really like this batch!
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Tomorimon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Baby I
- Type: Ghost
- Attribute: None
We've got a little hitodama, Japan's equivalent of the will-o'-the-wisp phenomenon. It's an adorable little baby blob ghost on fire! Little Tomorimon is a little ghostly friend, with a single eye and a cute mouth with a little snaggle-tooth. The description notes that it's covered in a gas-light substance, and is associated with Shambala, the Eastern Digital World.
No notes from me, these are nice, and I really like that the babies are allowed to have their own identity beyond being disembodied heads of marketable Child-levels! This one is just simple and sweet. I actually think it might be my favourite baby form in a long while.
9/10._________________________________________________________
Onibimon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Baby II
- Type: Ghost
- Attribute: None
The Baby II form is a bit more formed, losing the fiery aura but gaining little stubby hands, a fiery tail, and a really cute mischievous grin. Onibimon is, of course, a ghost! In the Eastern Digital World, Onibimon are believed to be reincarnated forms of Digimon that have died of natural causes. I mean, all Digimon that die turn into eggs based on Digimon lore, and Tomorimon/Onibimon hatch from eggs, so technically they are true. Baby ghosts! These are adorable.
Onibimon and Tomorimon are the baby forms of the various Child Digimon from the 'Toho Braves' virtual pet, one of which is Hanimon below... but also works quite as well for the baby forms of Ghostmon, who is one of the main Liberator partner Digimon!
8/10._________________________________________________________
Hanimon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Child
- Type: Puppet
- Attribute: Data
Hanimon is based on the haniwa funerary statues, or specifically a specific type of haniwa that has became quite popular in Japanese media with that dot eyes-and-mouth face, and alternately-facing arms. Hanimon is a bit more elaborate, with a sealing rope around its upturned-cup-like body and some grass as a topknot hair. Hanimon is noted to be made up of clay, and often gets broken and chipped, and needs to meticulously repair itself. Oh no! Poor Hanimon!
Hanimon's expression apparently can't change, but it normally is friendly and gentle... unless you touch the hair on its head. Fair enough! A single Hanimon is weak, but a group of them dancing together can channel latent holy energies to ward off Dark-species Digimon, which is a reference to multiple haniwa figures being found in different tombs. Pretty cute, I really do like them as a neat twist on the 'puppet' family.
I haven't read the Liberator manga fully but have skimmed through to appreciate the cool artwork. Shoemon and Hanimon's tamers are sisters, so it's really cool that two siblings have wildly different takes on "puppet" Digimon! The manga being based on the card game, this also meant that the different Puppet Digimon also freely evolve to-and-from each other.
7/10._________________________________________________________
Kokeshimon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Adult
- Type: Puppet
- Attribute: Data
And puppet it is, because the Adult-level of this line is the rather adorable and slightly creepy kokeshi doll, Kokeshimon! Kokeshis are tall dolls without arms and legs, another style of traditional Japanese dolls. I was first introduced to creepy Kokeshi dolls from the manga As the Gods Will, but most Kokeshi are just cute little dolls! They also served as the inspiration for the design of Nintendo's Miis.
Kokeshimon itself is quite cute, with a really nice set of purples and reds and an adorable face. It doesn't have arms, but it has two smaller, simpler kokeshi dolls that hover around it and act like arms. Kokeshimon is noted to like to stand still and pretend to just be an ornament, but often goes around and causes some mischief with its psychic powers. Kokeshimon is often mistaken for ghosts due to its ability to levitate itself, and would have been an excellent addition to Ghost Game if it was released at the time of the show's production.
Ultimately, however, it's well-meaning and is particularly protective of Baby and Child Digimon -- an extension of the real Kokeshi dolls being associated with wishes for a child to grow up healthy.
8/10._________________________________________________________
Karakurumon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Perfect
- Type: Puppet
- Attribute: Data
Karakuri Puppets have had a huge resurgence in Japanese media, with these mechanized puppets showing up everywhere from Naruto to Yu-Gi-Oh to Jujutsu Kaisen. And to be fair, these mechanized dolls were pretty amazing particularly considering the time period that they were built in. Karakurumon goes back to the basics of what a karakuri is -- a puppet or automaton with long flowing robes that hides the mechanisms inside. And indeed, Karakurumon's guise is a lady with a pleasant pink and purple kimono serving you tea... but under that skirt are two giant rocket boosters, and coming out of its sides are metallic arms that end in lightsaber weapons.
I also really like the giant upside-down sakazuki cup it has on its head, which gives it a nice twist instead of 'merely' being a puppet of a girl. Karakurumon often hang around groups of Kokeshimon in old, abandoned houses, which is such a nice, creepily moody vibe. While Karakurumon can be an elegant host, when in combat it behaves as a 'tenacious assassin', deploying all those blades, wielding its bowl and filling it with acid... and attacking the 'fangs from its gaping mouth? Unfortunately, while trading cards have been quite great at illustrating alternate attacks and poses of these new Digimon, all of Karakurumon's artwork has been of it smiling demurely...
With this small sprite from the V-pet being the only at-the-time-of-writing depiction of Karakurumon's monster mouth. Creepy!
8/10._________________________________________________________
Kaguyamon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Ultimate
- Type: Puppet
- Attribute / Subgroup: Data / Tentei Hachibushu
And finally, the Ultimate form of this evolutionary line is Kaguyamon, based on Princess Kaguya, who is a princess found inside a bamboo stump. With the Pokemon Celesteela, this isn't the first Princess Kaguya adaptation that combines the princess, the bamboo, and mechanical spaceships. While Celesteela was more of a strange plant technology, Kaguyamon is a straight-up puppet mecha. The main body is still the princess's body, but it's got a massive jetpack made of a single giant bamboo, with a bunch of robotic arms and detached robotic feathers forming a set of 'wings'.
Kaguyamon's tears are often noted to create doorways up to the moon, creating gateways to other Digital Worlds or dimensions, transporting its targets via bamboo to their destinations. Kaguyamon is a peacekeeper, and where it has sent its subordinates, bamboo groves appear and manifest. It's a pretty impressive-looking final form, and while I still like its three pre-evolutions more, it's a pretty cool-looking robot lady. That is enough of a twist for me to like it, I suppose!
I haven't been the most consistent with reviewing them, but Kaguyamon is also our final member of the Tentei Hachibushu, forming the three ' Sanmyojin' alongside Amaterasumon and fellow Liberator-debutante Ryugumon!
7/10._________________________________________________________
Wankomon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Child
- Type: Beast
- Attribute: Vaccine
In addition to cute little Hanimon, the other Child-levels in Toho Braves included this guy! WHO'S A GOOD DOG??? Wankomon is a good boy! I realize that it's 'just a dog' with some extra accessories, but it's just such a dopey looking dog. I can't hate him. As I mentioned in the Loogamon review, we don't quite have enough Child-level dogs and wolves for me to feel that they are oversaturated anyway.
With its horn on its head and the ball wrapped around its tail, Wankomon is an adaptation of the Komainu, and its ability is to harden its body into stone similar to the komainu statues. This also means that Wankomon has essentially became the most appropriate Child-level for Siesamon, which is also featured as one of its evolutions in the virtual pet. Wankomon has the personality of a cute guardian dog, being super-loyal to its Tamer or the other Digimon in its pack. It's often checking for danger with its sense of smell, even though it looks like it's lazing around. That's what all my dogs think they're doing, I'm sure.
Wankomon carries a ball, and it likes playing with itself, but Wankomon would be extra delighted if someone would play ball with it!!! Yes??? YES BALL??? WHERE BALL!!! FETCH BALL!!! GOOD DOG!!!
8/10._________________________________________________________
Shishimamon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Perfect
- Type: Holy Beast
- Attribute: Vaccine
Another Perfect level is Shishimamon, based on the lion dance. It's a really fun interpretation instead of just drawing a regular lion dance outfit, though! Shishimamon's head is just a lion mask with a fiery mane, but the rest of its body is a mass of black clouds that flows out of the green cloak. I think there are a bit too many things going on and they maybe should've focused more on the 'light vs dark' trope, but it doesn't bother me as much.
Shishimamon is noted to be able to absorb darkness and transform it into light, devouring the darkness which presumably becomes its smoky body. It then lights up the Digital World from its lion head. The virtual pet assigns it as the evolution of Siesamon (which we mentioned ties to Wankomon) -- and the similarities in the names does indicate an evolution from a 'lion-dog' to a more proper 'lion'. With the profile also mentioning that Shishimamon is rumoured to evolve into an Ultimate-level with the holy powers of the sun, which is...
6/10._________________________________________________________
Amaterasumon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Ultimate
- Type: God Man
- Attribute / Subgroup: Vaccine / Tentei Hachibushu
Yep, the goddess of the sun. Amaterasumon is the final member of the Tentei Hachibushu in my reviews. Which, to recap, has Shakamon (Buddha), Enmamon (King of the Underworld), the three Saneiketsu: Erlangmon, Nezhamon and Takutoumon (based on Chinese myths) and the three Sanmyojin: Kaguyamon, Ryugumon and Amaterasumon (based on Japanese myths). That's neat.
Amaterasumon is noted to have similar ornamentation with Susanoomon of Digimon Frontier fame, and there are a bunch of hints of Susanoomon being involved with the Tentei in some way. If you're reading an episode 64 of a Digimon review column, you probably know enough anime to also know that mythological Amaterasu and Susanoo are siblings. This means that we're missing a 'Tsukuyomimon' at some point in the future.
We have the remainder of Shishimamon acting as its little helmet, but I really don't have much to comment about its humanoid part. Far more interesting are the two gigantic gauntlets that Amaterasumon sticks its hands into. That's cool. Amaterasumon normally lives in seclusion, taking care of the sun (or the Digital World's 'sun') and when it goes into battle, it causes disruptions to the sun when it does so. The bio for Amaterasumon doesn't really give me much to say about this one, but I do like the effort that they did in giving Amaterasumon a full evolutionary line and those funky, big gauntlets!
4/10._________________________________________________________
Gasamon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Child
- Type: Mollusk
- Attribute: Virus
Oh! Our last Child-level for this virtual pet is an unexpected one. Gasamon is a little octopus hiding under an amigasa hat, wearing it like a hermit crab shell. The amigasa shades the main body of Gasamon and makes it look super-mysterious, even as it conceals its badass ronin samurai weapon inside... or at least, the baby octopus tries his best to. I love this. The profile plays it straight and makes it appear as if Gasamon could fit that long katana inside its hat, but there is no way, right? I imagine that its opponents humour it.
I do like the idea of this creature hiding under its hat, before doing an iai quick-draw on anyone that comes near it. I love it! It's an ambushing little octopus samurai. Gasamon often ambush Bushi Agumon, but are often driven to flee since its sword skills isn't that good. Honestly, while the profile doesn't outright say it, I feel like the Gasamons have the personality of a samurai wannabe. Look at this octopus samurai, it wants to bad to be mysterious and badass and whatnot.
I like this thing. Shellmon is assigned as its Adult-level evolution since Sangomon skips out on this virtual pet. But Musyamon is also one of its possible Adult-level evolutions, and I could see other 'warrior' Adults like Igamon evolving from this guy, too. But most importantly, being an octopus, and with those distinct horns and an unseen head, Octmon seems to be the Adult-level that this little buddy seems to be explicitly designed for! That's cool!
9/10._________________________________________________________
Manekimon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Adult
- Type: Puppet
- Attribute: Vaccine
A perfectly acceptable alternate Adult-level for Hanimon in this virtual pet is Manekimon, which is based on the maneki-neko figurines -- the 'lucky cats' you see in stores. That, too, is a form of puppets.
The best joke, however, is that while Manekimon's main design is a typical cat-like Digimon (it's not just a Tailmon ripoff, which is nice), its right arm is engorged to a ridiculous size. It's a joke that a maneki-neko keeps waving with one arm, but I really like that Manekimon actually has some old-school 'veiny muscle' and cyborg modification going on where its arm connects to that red gauntlet, which I do like.
That arm draws things to it... but instead of happiness or fortune, it actually has what's essentially a gravity generator to draw enemies so it can punch them with its giant arm. I love this guy. It's a simple concept, but a fun one .
7/10, could be 8. _________________________________________________________
Darumamon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Perfect
- Type: Mutation
- Attribute: Vaccine
Oh! What! Darumamon is based on the daruma dolls, of course. And being based on another toy, it fits as the Perfect-level evolution for either Manekimon or Kokeshimon. But it's the design! That's Digitamamon, only with some differences! Instead of an egg, the orb is a daruma doll, with the eyes of Darumamon being placed in the 'mouth' of the daruma doll. Instead of two dinosaur legs, Darumamon has two dragon legs and a dragon tail bursting out of the bottom -- because this is Shambala, the Eastern Digimon World, so of course Darumamon has an Eastern Dragon inside it.
Darumamon is noted to have a streamlined suit that deflects all attacks, and can't tumble over due to how specialized it is. It often spends most of its time meditating, but gets super-powerful if it turns hostile. Its attack is a play on the daruma-otoshi game, which involves a daruma doll that splits. This game is featured in some anime like Bleach or Kami-sama no iuutori... and Darumamon extends this to its enemies, splitting them apart into pieces. Another one of Darumamon's attack sets itself on fire, referencing the ritual of daruma burning.
Honestly, I just like it for being a Shambala version of Digitamamon and adding in a couple of fun little twists!
7/10._________________________________________________________
Tengumon
- Alternate Names: N/A
- Stage: Ultimate
- Type: Bird Man
- Attribute: Virus
I mean, a tengu Digimon isn't really something new. We already have Karatenmon... but I suppose we don't have an Ultimate version and Ravmon is honestly kind of a bland ninja action figure. So while Tengumon is what you'd expect from a tengu monster design, I do appreciate its new debut. Peckmon, Yatagaramon and Ravmon are in this virtual pet, and I like that we get a more mythology-inspired final evolution for Yatagaramon.
I like its mask, and it's got a massive gunbai that it waves around to herald disaster. I also like that while it's got the geta (with retractable blades!) its actual legs are bird talons. Tengumon is noted to live in the mountains with Karatenmon serving as its students and followers. The ultimate trial for a Tengumon's Karatenmon followers is to defeat and surpass it, and the Karatenmon that manage to finish this ritual will evolve into the next Tengumon.
6/10. It's a'ight. _________________________________________________________
