THE DIGIMON DATA SQUAD/SAVER

January 9, 2010

Digimon Data Squad
デジモンセイバーズ (Digimon Savers)
Genre	Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
TV anime
Director	Naoyuki Itou
Studio	Toei Animation
Licensor	Studiopolis
Network	Fuji TV
English network	Jetix (Original), Disney XD (Current) Seven Network, 7Two
[show]Other networks: Cartoon Network RTL 2 Cartoon Network Fox Kids Italia 1, K-2 Rede Globo ABS-CBN, Hero, Cartoon Network Modern Nine TV Disney XD Taiwan Television, YOYO TV TVB CHAMP TV, ANIONE, Anibox TV
Original run	April 2, 2006 – March 25, 2007
Episodes	48 (List of episodes)
Anime film
Ultimate Power! Activate Burst Mode
Director	Tatsuya Nagamine
Studio	Toei Animation
Released	December 9, 2006
Runtime	22 minutes
Related works
Digimon Adventure (Season One) Digimon Adventure 02 (Season Two) Digimon Tamers (Season Three) Digimon Frontier (Season Four)
Anime and Ma

Digimon Data Squad, known in Japan as Digimon Savers (デジモンセイバーズ, Dejimon Seibāzu^?), is a Japanese anime television series, and the fifth series produced as part of the Digimon franchise. It was produced by Toei Animation, and aired every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. on the Fuji TV network. In addition, a tie-in movie called Ultimate Power! Burst Mode Invoke!, which is non-canonical, was released on December 9, 2006. [1] Savers is the first Digimon program to be produced in almost four years, following 2002’s Digimon Frontier.

Unlike previous Digimon series, which were broadcast in English in Autumn of the same year as their Japanese release, there were a full eighteen months between the Japanese and English broadcasts, leading at first to some doubt as to whether the series would be dubbed at all. Not long after the discovery of an entry for the show on Toei’s website, which featured anglicized names for some of the characters and the show’s new English title, on April 25, 2007, Disney’s ABC Network announced that it had signed an agreement [2] with Toei Animation to license the show. On May 4, director of previous Digimon series Jeff Nimoy confirmed that he had returned to direct the series, confirmed its English title, and revealed the majority of voice actors for the main cast of the series. Data Squad premiered on Jetix on October 1, 2007 at 8:30 PM.^[1] Data Squad finally premiered in Canada the morning of Sunday September 7, 2008 after a long wait, the show is on Family Channel (Canada’s Disney Affiliate). This is the first Digimon show to appear on that network as all other series in Canada could be seen on YTV. New Episodes air Sunday mornings while the prior weeks episode can be seen on Saturday mornings. The Japanese version is aimed at late teens ages: 16-21, while the English dub in the US is aimed at a younger audience for young kids ages 6–10 to make it more view-friendly.

The Digivice used in this series is the “Digivice iC“, and its upgraded version, the “Digivice Burst“. The series is the first to feature the lead character not sporting a pair of goggles and have all main characters’ Digimon digivolve to the same level. This series is also the second one where the last battle is fought in the Real World against a non-Digimon entity, the other one being Digimon Tamers. Unlike the previous seasons, Digimon Data Squad took on more radical changes for the character designs ditching the style animation always used previously in favor of more traditional Japanese animation. Also, according to this series’ composer, Ryota Yamaguchi, this series was to take in a wider age group, and was aimed to also appeal to late teens, however, without ending it as a hobby anime. This is why the characters are much older (ranging from early teen to adult) and the story somewhat darker and mature in tone than in previous series. This is unlike in most past Digimon anime that are aimed at young children aged 6–10 and have younger and lighter stories. The English dub done by Studiopolis is edited to be younger, lighter, and more kid-friendly to children aged 6 to 10 years. Also, as requested by Digimon’s sponsor, Bandai, in order to grab the older Digimon fans, Bandai wanted the reappearance of a Digimon from the old series, which was chosen to be the original main Digimon, Agumon.^[2]

Main Characters

	Character	Seiyū	Voice actor	Digimon	Seiyū	Voice actor
	Marcus Damon Daimon Masaru	Soichiro Hoshi	Quinton Flynn	Agumon	Taiki Matsuno	Brian Beacock
	The main character of the series, Marcus Damon is the son of the researcher, Spencer Damon, who disappeared into the mysterious realm known as the Digital World almost 10 years ago. Loud and outspoken, Marcus calls himself “the number one street fighter in Japan.” After encountering Agumon, he becomes the Digimon’s partner after receiving a Digivice from the mysterious old man, Homer Yushima. Marcus and Agumon later become members of DATS in order to face tougher and stronger opponents. As the series progresses, he finds much more to fight for. As Agumon’s partner, he claims full responsibility for Agumon’s actions.
	Thomas H. Norstein Touma H. Norstein	Hirofumi Nojima	Crispin Freeman	Gaomon	Kazuya Nakai	Skip Stellrecht
	Having graduated from Stockholm University at the age of 13, Thomas H. Norstein is a half-Austrian, half-Japanese prodigy. An Olympic-level boxer and a genius scholarly and tactically, he is a vital member of the DATS team. When Marcus joined DATS, Thomas was away in Europe, and when they finally met, they were at odds. However, they overcame their difficulties and have since become steady team-mates. Gaomon is Thomas’ loyal Digimon partner, and is a focused and serious-minded warrior - he responds to Thomas’s every order with a steadfast “Sir, yes sir!” (in the original Japanese version, he used the English phrase, “Yes, Master!”). In the Japanese version, Masaru often refers to him as “Tonma,” a rarely used insult meaning “idiot” or “dope.” In the English dub, Marcus often calls him Nerdstein.
	Yoshino “Yoshi” Fujieda Fujieda Yoshino	Yui Aragaki	Colleen O’Shaughnessey	Lalamon Raramon	Yukana	Dorothy Elias-Fahn
	Yoshi is 18 years old and the third member of the core team. She and her partner Lalamon have been partners for many years. Though initially not as strong as Marcus or Thomas, Yoshi has more t han enough skill at her job. She suffered from self doubt due to experiences in her childhood, but with Lalamon, she was able to overcome them.
	Keenan Crier Noguchi Ikuto	Rie Kugimiya	Brianne Siddall	Falcomon	Chie Kojiro	Steven Blum
	Keenan is a mysterious 10-year-old boy who, years before the start of the series, was lost in an accident involving a Digital Gate and was raised by a Digimon called Frigimon, who was killed in a massacre orchestrated by a man named Akihiro Kurata. Because Keenan was raised by Frigimon since he was a boy, when he is discovered he believes himself to be a Digimon. A servant of Merukimon, Keenan eventually hated all humans, but began to change his opinion as he learned his true origins. Falcomon is his partner and childhood friend, who does his best to help Keenan as he comes to grips with his humanity. Keenan looks up to Marcus as a big brother. Keenan is one of the first Japanese characters in the Digimon Anime’s US Dub release to have a full Americanized dub name. For some reason he speaks with a Jungle Boy accent speaking in third person and replacing I with me despite all other digimon speak perfectly.

Supporting Cast

Main article: List of Digimon Data Squad characters

D.N.A. Charge

Main article: Digivolution

An important concept in the series is the D.N.A. Charge (which stands for Digimon Natural Ability; it is called Digi-Soul in the Japanese version), the main medium by which the humans in the series digivolve their Digimon. Essentially, it is some kind of energy aura that allows a Digimon to grow stronger, and is tied into a human’s emotions.

The D.N.A. usually manifests as a glowing aura around the user’s hand, which is then channeled through the Digivice with the command of “D.N.A. Charge”. Whilst most user’s can bring this out naturally, Marcus usually has to make physical contact with an enemy digimon to awaken his. Unlike in the actual series, the previews for the series depicted this energy to be in visually recognisably forms, such as flames for Marcus, a miniature whirlwind for Thomas, and a much larger blossom for Yoshi; the auras in the actual series bear slight resemblance to their preview counterparts, and are much smaller.

A stronger version is the so-called D.N.A Full Charge, which erupts around the entire body. D.N.A Charge Overdrive is the term used to allows the Digimon to digivolve into their Mega form. When activating Burst Mode, the command is Charge! D.N.A Burst Mode.

Digivice

Main article: Digivice

The digivice is the primary tool used by any human with a Digimon partner. The primary Digivice used by the characters in the series is the Data Link Digivice (Digivice iC in Japan^[3]). It is used for multiple purposes, the most important of which is the channeling of the human’s D.N.A., which allows for the Digimon to digivolve (evolve” in the japan dub). It can also “store” a partner inside of it, and released back in the world with the command of “realize”. Different digivices are also used by the series villains.

Later on, the Digivice is upgraded into the Data Link Digivice Burst (Digivice Burst in Japan and the Digivice Mega Burst in toys due to be released in America). which can channel the full power of the D.N.A. and activate Mega (Ultimate) digivolution. It also reportedly has another ability called the Air Signal, which can be used to activate Burst Mode or (this only involves Marcus) can be used to summon the GeoGreySword for ShineGreymon.

DATS (Digimon Data Squad/Digital Accident Tactics Squad)

DATS is an organization dedicated to keeping the peace between the human and Digital Worlds, by stopping any Digimon that appears in the real world, and returning it to the Digital World in the form of a Digi-Egg (digitama). DATS is apparently a worldwide organization, as Thomas was known to visit the European branch prior to episode three. It is unknown if there is an American branch, or one elsewhere, but the majority of Digimon activity occurs in Japan. The Japanese branch, at least, falls under the direct jurisdiction of Japan’s Confidentiality Ministry.

Due to the manipulation of Akihiro Kurata, the core team of DATS operatives in Japan was broken up, and the building that housed DATS was annihilated. In later episodes they operate secretly from underground after the core team of DATS comes back together, though not officially. After the Partner Digimon (including Biyomon), Gotsumon and Marcus Daimon returned to the Digital World, DATS is permanently dissolved and five years later most of the members of DATS have moved on and have jobs at the local police station, except for Thomas who cures his sister’s illness and wins a Nobel Peace Prize and Marcus, who stays in the Digital World with Agumon as a sort of peacekeeper.

Digital World

Main article: Digital World

The Digital World is the otherworldly realm, which as it is in other series, formed due to the growing worldwide digital network. Though we have only seen a part of it in the series, locations include a forest ruled over by Cherrymon, and the Infinite Ice Ridge, the ruling place of Merukimon. The Digital World is connected to the real world by way of Digital Gates, most of which open incidentally. For some reason, the barrier between both worlds is breaking down. Finally, as stated by Merukimon, an omnipresent god of the Digital World exists, known as King Drasil.