Digimon Reviews, Episode 49: Pulsemon and Friends

2026-era EDIT: This review was originally written in 2021, containing practically every other Digimon released until then all stuffed into a big article. That was a mistake! I was just trying to be a completionist for completionism's sake, and that resulted in pretty half-hearted reviews. Please click here and here for my reviews of the Digimon released throughout the 'Pendulum Z' virtual pets and the Digimon Adventure: 2020 anime, properly reviewed without me rushing through everything. 

This article used to contain everything here and those reviews, which really speaks to how much I was just rushing through everything! Basically, this article went through a lot of changes.

And now, this article can have a proper focus. It's mostly going to cover Pulsemon and his many forms. Pulsemon and his forms are tied to the Vital Bracelet Digital Monster, a V-Pet that also doubles as with an 'exercise wearable' gimmick, which is why Pulsemon has a lot of forms and evolutions themed around sports and activity. The V-Bracelet is technically released in 2021, so Pulsemon and friends would be debuting after a lot of the Digimon we're going to review in episodes 50-51... but thanks to me redoing the reviews for a lot of the Pendulum Z monsters, we're seeing things in a bit of an anachronistic order! 

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Dokimon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Baby I
• Type: Slime
• Attribute: None

We start off with the Baby I, which is... very uninspired. The thing with babies is that they're a lot neater when you can't exactly tell which Child-level they are going to become. Unlimited potential and all that! That's the whole thing about the 'Slime' category. But the anime seasons putting a very rigid and defined Baby I and Baby II for everyone just kind of made all the babies just look like decapitated heads of their Child forms.

Anyway, Dokimon sure vibrates a lot. 

 2/10.

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Bibimon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Baby II
• Type: Lesser
• Attribute: None

And where Dokimon vibrates a lot, Bibimon carries static electricity. It's just the same colours and a very low-detailed version of Pulsemon's concept, although I guess I should note that they at least restrained from just making Dokimon and Bibimon into Pulsemon's head, but hopping around. 

 3/10.

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Pulsemon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Child
• Type: Beast Man
• Attribute: Vaccine

And here is Pulsemon, the Child-level. It's basically an electric-themed Veemon, with a very similar Sonic the Hedgehog face, and oversized arms and legs. The bright neon yellow and green colours with black highlights are neat and something I don't think any 'mascot' Digimon has really done before. It's just that Pulsemon, like poor old Dorumon from way back in the day, doesn't quite have a proper anime to 'push' his popularity. Pulsemon and a couple of the more obscure 'full lines introduced in spinoffs' Digimon would get a starring role in the web-novel series, Digimon Seekers, so at least someone out there appreciates ol' Pulsy.  

I'm not the biggest fan of him, but I do think I like him a bit more than some other non-show 'would-be mascots' we've covered in the past couple of reviews. Being a sports-themed gremlin, Pulsemon is noted to be 'born out of data from hospitals and gyms', which is why he's in a health bracelet game. 

 4/10.

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Bulkmon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Adult
• Type: Beast Man
• Attribute: Vaccine

Pulsemon has a whole V-Pet's worth of evolutions themed around different sports and activities built for him. The only Adult that looks designed for him is Bulkmon here, who's a big muscle lizard man that essentially does to Pulsemon what Greymon does to Agumon -- a big 'mask' now covers its upper body, and it's just a bit bigger. He's a big buff electric lizardman. 

Pulsemon evolves into Bulkmon after getting the 'data of a body composition monitor'. So it got swole after getting data from gym body-building equipment. I think it actually has a nice vibe that reminds me of some classic Digimon like Golemon, and I could see a fair bit of jokes with the whole 'muscle' thing. 

 4/10.

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Runnermon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Adult
• Type: Beast
• Attribute: Virus

I don't know enough or care enough to look up the V-Bracelet to see how they determine Pulsemon's evolutions, but Runnermon here is themed after jogging and running. And Pulsemon evolves into a white tiger-leopard creature with some armour around its head and legs. It reminds me of Lighdramon/Raidramon, being a four-legged alternate evolution with armour. 

Runnermon evolves after getting data from a treadmill. It's now primarily white-furred and most of Pulsemon's colours are transformed into the highlights. On its own, it wouldn't rate very highly, but I do appreciate the context of it being part of a set. 

 4/10.

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Exermon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Adult
• Type: Insect
• Attribute: Data

Exermon (from...  'exercise'?) is a yoga ant. It's got humanoid fingers and gloves, and looks slightly removed from how I prefer my Digimon bugs to look like, but it's still a neat-looking robot ant and I like that it's balancing itself on the stinger on the tip of its abdomen. Its head is also quite neat -- the white part is its actual, mouthless face, while the 'helmet' is framed like an ant head wrapping its jaws around the real head. 

Exermon apparently 'practices martial arts based on mollusks'. I mean... okay? In combat, it's a martial artist that whacks its enemies with open-palm strikes that deliver lightning shocks. I like Exermon the most out of the four Adults (not a surprise that I like the bug) but it's otherwise not the most exciting Digimon. 

 6/10.

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Namakemon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Adult
• Type: Puppet
• Attribute: Virus

Namakemon is the 'junk' Adult evolution in the same vein of Numemon, Sukamon or Raremon from the older games, but also combines it with the theme of puppets (Monzaemon, ExTyrannomon, Etemon, etc) that their original Perfect forms would become. Namakemon is a sloth puppet. And... I actually like it a lot. I like the long, mismatched arms and the mean-looking claws, and I like that one leg is a sock. One claw pokes itself out of the sock, as if Namakemon can't be bothered to put the sock on properly. Those mismatched eyes and drooping tongue is pretty 'junk Digimon', too. The one thing that I think bothers me is the hair, which is neither sloth-like, nor puppet-like, nor Pulsemon-like. 

Being a sports game, Namakemon is the result of you slothing around and sitting on your ass all day. Namakemon even throws his shit around! The little scamp! Namakemon, unfortunately, doesn't have a dedicated 'love it enough that it evolves into a powerful form' like the Monzaemons, so it's just doomed to be a lazy poop-throwing sloth puppet, then. 

 5/10.

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Boutmon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Perfect
• Type: Beast Man
• Attribute: Vaccine

And just like that, you lost me. We've got six possible Perfect-levels to go through, which is a lot of Perfect-levels, aren't there? Boutmon is the martial-arts themed one. He sure is a martial artist anime character! 

He does have a fun detail where he has learned all the martial arts. All of them. But he also incorporates techniques from fighting games into them. So intermixed within all the proper martial arts-ing are Shoryukens!

 2/10.

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Tempomon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Perfect
• Type: Beast Man
• Attribute: Data

Based on dancing, Tempomon is... a bit interesting. He's got a hoodie that's seemingly based on Penmon, and within that hoodie are those nice two glowing Black Mage eyes. Its arms are actually kind of chimpanzee-like from what we can see, and despite being classified as a 'bird man' those talons are just accessories on his feet. 

Again, he's an all right background anime character design in a zany anime. I rated this guy pretty low the first time I reviewed him, but I kinda vibe with his style. 

 2/10.

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Divemon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Perfect
• Type: Aquatic
• Attribute: Data

You'd think I'd be more excited about this hammerhead shark fishman, but... it sure is the Digimon that represents swimming. I like the tattoos on its dorsal fin, and I like that the bio points out that Divemon has four eyes -- two on each side of the hammer, and a set of sunglasses on where the human face is. It's a neat fish-man design, I suppose. 

 4/10.

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Pistmon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Adult
• Type: Plant
• Attribute: Virus

Pistmon, I actually like! Representing cycling, it looks like just a robot dude on a bike, but that's just on a glance! Identified as a plant Digimon, Pistmon's 'humanoid' body actually only extends to its waist, which tapers off into a mermaid-like 'tail' that grips the two thorny wheels that are otherwise not attached to any bicycle frame. Even the handles are wooden branches that Pistmon presumably manifests. It's just a really wacky looking bike-robot-man, and they could've gone the boring way like they did with Boutmon and just drew an anime robot with a bike. Or even drew a robot bike. But there's a nice sense of them trying to do something with Pistmon here. 

I also like that the heartbeat pulse is being formed from the electrical sparks on the wheels, replacing the spokes. The pulse was something that Pulsemon, Runnermon and some of the earlier stages have but are dropped by half the forms. 

There's also an Evangelion and bicycle meme here, apparently, but I'm not familiar with it. Anyway, this is probably the highest I'll rate an exercise-themed Digimon.

 7/10.

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Shootmon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Perfect
• Type: Machine
• Attribute: Vaccine

That's just a Mamemon? Or, well, reminds me of Mamemon, anyway. Shootmon gets his data from 'ball games', not shooting games. He himself is a ball, throws balls around, and carries a gigantic bazooka that shoots balls at you. All the balls. It's like one of those auto-shooting tennis ball machines, except Shootmon loads basketballs and footballs into it. That's fun, and I like the lightning bolt 'horns' this guy has. 

Shootmon's special ability is 'Round Jail', which is probably meant to represent being time-outed from a sports game with a red card (I don't know anything about actual sports, if you can't tell) but in practice Shootmon turns you into a ball with a touch and shoots you out of his cannon. I'm sorry, what???

 6/10.

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Climbmon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Perfect
• Type: Insect
• Attribute: Virus

Oh, we get another bug. This one, of course, represents climbing sports. Climbmon's got three pairs of limbs, as a proper insect should, and I do like how they did it here. The lower legs are like bug claws, the middle pair of arms are humanoid and holdthose climbing pitons, and the back arms are giant scythes that it also uses to climb. Or to fight, presumably. the general vibe of Climbmon here looks like a cockroach of sorts, which is neat. There's also a general ninja vibe to him. 

He's also got a bunch of hot pink... harness? Body harness? I think people use that for climbing, right? It's neat. Climbmon is created out of rock-climbing data. 

 6/10.

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Kazuchimon

• Alternate Names: Kaduchimon (initial romanization)
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: God Man
• Attribute: Vaccine

We've got the Ultimates, now. Kazuchimon (previously translated as Kaduchimon) is basically what you get if you give Boutmon a samurai outfit. Not my thing, although I appreciate that Pulsemon's original colour scheme is back after being lost in Boutmon. I suppose this is the 'most default Ultimate'. Its profile is boring and we don't even get a token 'it drew its power from the data of sword training'. Where's the exercise theme gone, Kazuchimon? I also kind of wished that we still kept a bit of Pulsemon/Bulkmon's reptilian features. This is just... a dude, you know? 

 2/10.

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Shroudmon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: God Man
• Attribute: Virus

Yeah, we kinda lost the sports theme, huh. Shroudmon is the token 'SkullGreymon' evil evolution, and is a big red-skinned muscleman. I like the ECG heartbeat carved into his chest that exposes the pale flame within his body, which somehow makes Shroudmon tie into the whole 'heartbeat' thing better than Kazuchimon. Those are also nice bloodstained skull-and-chains gauntlets, too. 

So what is it about? Evil sports? Overly harsh training? The profile is rather generic, noting that he's a mindless rage-monster, but I guess Shroudmon is the epitome of people who obsess too much about sports to the exclusion of anything else? Maybe? Not a big fan of this one, but I like it a bit more than Kazuchimon. 

 3/10.

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Shivamon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: Insect
• Attribute: Data

Shivamon is another Ultimate, based on, of course, Shiva. It sure is a robot insect doing a yoga pose. I do like the metal lotus that it's sitting on, and it's got an eyeless worm draped around its shoulders. It is normally peaceful and wants to guide others to enlightenment, but those that disturb the peace will be annihilated with the sheer amount of energy it has within itself.

I suppose it is much better than just drawing a very human-looking fellow, but I don't particularly care too much for this design. It's a nice extrapolation from the two insectoid stages Exermon and Climbmon, and at least Shivamon's still keeping the exercise theme intact! 

 2/10.

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Achilesmon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: Beast Man
• Attribute: Virus

And we have Achillesmon, who's just a dude. He's just a dude in armour! I guess the reference to Achilles is neat, and he's doing sports, I guess. Those giant laser wings hovering next to its shoes is neat, I suppose, but I just have a bit of a visceral reaction seeing those very modern Nike's next to Achillesmon's ancient-Greece-inspired helmet and sportswear. 

He gets one point for still keeping the sports theme, but otherwise Achillesmon brings my coverage of the Pulsemon line to a close. There were some nice gems in the Adult and Perfect stage, but overall I felt like they could've either been more creative or really committed to the sports theme. 

 1/10. 

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Omedamon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: Holy Mechanical Warrior
• Attribute: Vaccine

I basically expect an Omegamon variant with every second video game, but Omedamon here is at least something a bit... funny? Ish? It's a bit more clear with the updated Reference Book art, but Omedamon has the heads of two characters from Medabots, taking the place of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon. Also, the robot heads end up on the shoulders instead of the arms, which are regular robot arms. 

It sure is probably cool to someone who's a fan of both franchises... but I tend to roll my eyes whenever two franchises I like do cross-overs. Being a crossover character, I feel, also almost guarantees that Omedamon's never going to get a big role anywhere, beyond the mobile games that it's already in. 

 3/10.

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HeavyLeomon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: Machine
• Attribute: Vaccine

The next couple of entries are all Ultimate designs from Re:Arise, a mobile game that has since shut down. And...  what is it with making Leomon evolutions into cyborgs? We've got GrappuLeomon, LoaderLeomon and probably a couple others I'm not thinking of? 

HeavyLeomon is an Ultimate-level and, I guess, the 'natural' evolution of LoaderLeomon? It sure looks like a Power Rangers or Gridman mecha, and you even have random vehicle 'kibble' like the wheel-ankles and a giant piledriver on one arm. There's a bit of a charm to that, I suppose, although I'm not a big fan of his face. I feel like I would like it a lot more if that chest-lion-head is moved up and acts as its actual head. 

I've warmed up to this design slightly over the years as it is a big lion mecha, and I like the ridiculousness of the giant piledriver accessory having a lion-head detail moulded into it. I think this guy would shoot up in the rankings if only he had a more robotic head instead of stealing Apollomon's. 

 4/10.

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Mitamamon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: God Beast
• Attribute: Vaccine

An Ultimatel-level Digimon that's based on the Uka-no-Mitama, a Japanese deity, Mitamamon here looks... it looks like a pretty neat godly-beast Digimon. It's what Qirinmon would evolve into if they kept the Asian theme instead of randomly becoming a Nordic horse war god in Sleipmon. Indeed, in Re:Arise, Mitamamon is indeed associated with the Kudamon line. 

I do like this design quite a bit, even if I feel they could've done a bit more? I like how it is faithful to Kudamon's long design, and the accessories do make it regal-looking. Not sure if I particularly like the different-coloured flames on the wheels, which is a bit distracting... but I suppose that's the whole point of this deity-like figure manipulating all the four elements. 

Mitamamon is described by its bio as a Digimon that send the souls of Digimon who have done good deeds to heaven, and is actually a spiritual being -- it can't actually be touched, and only those that are at the brink of death and recognized by Mitamamon can touch it. ...or, unless, if you find its core. I like that it's not just straight-up invincible! Mitamamon normally despises conflict, but those that incur its wrath will be crushed with its elemental powers. It's a neat one!

 6/10.

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LovelyAngemon

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: Warrior
• Attribute: Vaccine

It sure is a girl in cosplay! LovelyAngemon joins a bunch of other Ultimate-level angels, and she's... she doesn't even have wings. Instead, her Sailor Moon ponytails and parts of her skirt vaguely give the silhouette of wings. She otherwise is sure an anime girl. Normally these humanoid Digimon at least dress up up in like, much more fanciful outfits. I think I can find someone with this dress in any cosplay district. 

One saving grace, however, is that LovelyAngemon's whole deal is that she PUNCHES THE SHIT OUT OF EVERYONE. She is a cheerful, happy angel that likes all the sweet things that girls do, but she has the data of all the mightiest close-combat specialists and if she finds an evildoer she's going to PUNCH THE SHIT OUT OF THE VILLAIN. Her dress may be frilly, but what else has frills? Her KNUCKLE DUSTERS THAT WILL BE DRENCHED WITH THE BLOOD OF THOSE WHO DISRESPECT JUSTICE. Okay, her canon personality is nowhere as jarring as that and it's all cutey-cutey-cute, but I feel like that's a very easy thing to do with her, isn't it? 

I still think they could've made her design a lot more visually interesting, add some wings or armour or something, though the idea of an archangel just going around THROWING HANDS is funny enough for me not to give her a zero.  

 1/10.

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Gaioumon: Itto Mode

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: Dragon Man
• Attribute: Virus

I'll just tack these two 'alternate modes' here, just to get them out of the way. 

I barely remember Gaioumon, who debuted alongside a bunch of those X-Antibody Digimon. In the Re:Arise mobile game, the Gaioumon featured there transforms into 'Itto Mode', merging its two swords together (ittoryu means 'single sword style', as any One Piece fan will tell you) and getting a fancier details into its armour.

It sure is a super-strong warrior among super-strong warriors! One of the major changes I thought I would do is to go back and revising a lot of my 'X-Antibody' reviews with the same criteria that I do with Pokemon's regional forms and mega evolutions, which is how much they change and how necessary they are. Gaioumon: Itto Mode, most definitely, is not. It is nice that Gaioumon presumably had a piece of fiction pay attention to him after being obscure for so long. 

 1/10.

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Huanglongmon: Ruin Mode

• Alternate Names: N/A
• Stage: Ultimate
• Type: God Beast
• Attribute: No Data

Debuting in the Digimon Survive game, Huanglongmon: Ruin Mode here is an example of an alternate form that I do find to be neat! The design actually changes quite a bit of Huanglongmon's original design, and being an 'evil repaint' does make it kind of easy... but I really like the black flames on the tips of Huanglongmon's spikes and claws. Most importantly is actually giving Ruin Mode a brand-new head with more threatening horns and that set of multiple eyes really does make it look more threatening, doesn't it? And it's got a swarm of white hitodama or will-o-wisps on its back, too. 

Huanglongmon was always a Digimon who I felt didn't quite get the respect it deserves -- as the 'master' of the Four Sovereigns, Huanglongmon was left out of 02 and Tamers when the Four had their spotlight, and its first anime appearance has it treated as just some random beastly minion to be fused in Xros Wars. But more than anything, I also feel like compared to the many, many other cool dragons in Digimon, Huanglongmon's head and face just doesn't look all that impressive. Ruin Mode does fix that quite a bit.

Anyway, I don't know enough about Digimon Survive, but the official profile for Huanglongmon Ruin Mode noted that it needed to be defeated and sealed by the Four Sovereigns. That's neat! 

 6/10.

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Explicitly excluded are several Digimon -- Aequcedramon, Pyontomon, Madomon, Rurimon and Ganvivormon -- that were designed as a create-your-own Digimon competition who received 'official' art, but otherwise feel irrelevant unless they do show up in an anime, video game or get a profile at some point.