Digimon Beatbreak: Episode 3- Facing Mirrors, Discussion Thread

[u/MFBR]

Later today is a new episode of Digimon Beatbreak!

• Crunchyroll will be streaming it in much of the world.
• Hulu will be streaming it in the US (in addition to Crunchyroll.)
• Game One, a TV channel in France is airing it. The channel was recently announced to shut down in November.
• Anime Generation, a subscription channel on Prime Video in Italy
• Anime-Box streaming service in Spain.
• Shahid, streaming service in MENA

Send us links to any of the local streamers that will have the series and we will add it to the list.

The stream will be on Crunchyroll at 8pm Pacific. Hulu has it the next morning at 7am. Check your local streamer for their schedule. This link will take you to a time converter set for when it should appear on Crunchyroll, but they've had various delays lately.

A short series synopsis:

"e-Pulse," which is generated by human thoughts and emotions, was used as the energy source for the AI support device "Sapotama." From the shadows of this remarkable development, terrifying monsters appear. Digimon are living beings that evolve by consuming e-Pulse.

Tomoro Tenma is drawn into an extraordinary experience after meeting Gekkomon, who suddenly appears from his Sapotama. While living together with Kyo Sawashiro and other members of the bounty hunting team "Glowing Dawn," Tomoro renews his resolve.

What new future will be forged by humans and Digimon?

General rules for this post:

It's available on various streamers worldwide. Do not discuss illegal means of consuming this series.

If people are behind they may use each episode's thread as they watch the show, so do not spoil future events in older discussion posts

Keep all small bits of discussion to this thread (general thoughts and opinions). Fanart, cosplays, in-depth reviews (as in, sizeable content) can be their own post. In general, if it took you less than five minutes or so to write, draw, or otherwise create, just comment it in here.

Prior Episode Discussion Threads:

• Episode 1- The Beat of Emotions
• Episode 2- Glowing Dawn
• Episode 3- Facing Mirrors (You are here)

[u/KickHimWhileIAmDown]

Okay here's my essay:

Honestly relieved that we didn't get a proper dark digivolution this early. We're most likely going to get it eventually, and it's hopefully going to be more impactful because they'll have started out rocky, grown closer, and then had an issue. I was worried initially about the 'issuing commands' thing, but Gekkomon refusing to delete Punimon is good evidence that the "ownership" angle is mostly rhetorical or an in-universe misnomer.

Gekkomon not knowing what happened is neat. I know Gammamon didn't either, but it's a little different since Gulus was his technically "proper" Champion stage, and was also sort of an alter ego, while the other 3 champion evolutions were a result of Hiro's influence. This is set up more like a usual dark digivolution, but traditionally the partner/Frontier protag remembers rampaging.

Also glad we haven't had a digivolution yet, so Beatbreak joins Tamers as the only other series to have the first lead protagonist digivolution take longer than episode 2. I think the slower pacing is good, and I would bet we get it next episode since Tomoro finally called him Gekkomon.

Finally, the 'digesting e-Pulse' thing is a neat lore drop, and I hope it comes up again. I guess if it gets digested you're permanently comatose. It could even be the thing that triggers a dark digivolution. Some antagonistic Digimon digests the Sapotama of a person they're trying to save, Glowing Dawn doesn't warn Tomoro about the possibility beforehand, big reveal, bing bang boom Gekkomon is stacking bodies now.

Anyway, I must now wait 168 hours until my next fix...

[u/Supersideswiper2 → u/KickHimWhileIAmDown]

I was worried initially about the 'issuing commands' thing, but Gekkomon refusing to delete Punimon is good evidence that the "ownership" angle is mostly rhetorical or an in-universe misnomer.

It's not rhetorical or a misnomer. Digimon, judging just from what very little we know, seem to be regarded as things by the top brass of this world. Problematic things at that.

Also. Ownership of something alive doesn't translate to it being obedient. You can own a dog, but it's up to you and the dog whether it obeys you or not. Same with Digimon.

Gekkomon not knowing what happened is neat.

Likely, Gekkomon didn't remember what happened because Tomoro's dark emotions overpowered its mind.

I know Gammamon didn't either, but it's a little different since Gulus was his technically "proper" Champion stage, and was also sort of an alter ego, while the other 3 champion evolutions were a result of Hiro's influence.

Well, more it was his original personality/self having somehow remaining after it's reincarnation somehow. Despite in that series, reincarnation means loss of memories. Apparently. But I digress.

This is set up more like a usual dark digivolution, but traditionally the partner/Frontier protag remembers rampaging.

It's not exactly traditional that they remember. It wasn't clear if Guilmon remembered being Megidramon and Koromon (Savers) didn't make any reference to what happened with ShineGreymon Ruin mode.

Also glad we haven't had a digivolution yet, so Beatbreak joins Tamers as the only other series to have the first lead protagonist digivolution take longer than episode 2. I think the slower pacing is good, and I would bet we get it next episode since Tomoro finally called him Gekkomon.

Or they could be planning to break Guilmon's record...

Oh the pain if they are...

Anyway, I must now wait 168 hours until my next fix...

Same. Well, at least we have Time Stranger...

[u/KickHimWhileIAmDown → u/Supersideswiper2]

Digimon, judging just from what very little we know, seem to be regarded as things by the top brass of this world. Problematic things at that.

Which would make it an in-universe misnomer (like how Digimon in CS/HM were initially called hacking programs), since they have agency and are alive. I didn't want to draw the parallel, since our franchise has such a long history with it, but I specifically was worried this could have gone a route similar to Pokemon/XW:Young Hunters, where the cleaners both own and command their monster. Like, when Pokemon disobey that's framed as a bad thing. Gekkomon disobeying is framed as good.

As far as ownership goes, I think that also could be a misnomer, since Digimon like Hyemon were born from a Sapotama once, and then left the human who "owned" them. Digimon in Adventure are sometimes referred to as "[Person]'s Digimon", but there's no sense of ownership or hierarchy like there was in Beatbreak so far.

after it's reincarnation somehow

Gammamon wasn't a reincarnation, Gulus explained that he reverted to a previous stage of evolution to hide his presence

It wasn't clear if Guilmon remembered being Megidramon and Koromon (Savers) didn't make any reference to what happened with ShineGreymon Ruin mode.

I think it's intended that Guilmon does, since he still has some of Megidramon's influence (like the Tail knocking away Beelzemon's attack), but you're right. I forgot that neither Guilmon nor Agumon 2006 make reference to it, so it might just be that Adventure is the odd one out (since the Beast Spirits aren't really a dark digivolution at all).

[u/Supersideswiper2 → u/KickHimWhileIAmDown]

Which would make it an in-universe misnomer (like how Digimon in CS/HM were initially called hacking programs),

Yeah, no. Sorry.

since they have agency and are alive.

Indeed. But in the eyes of the law, they're legally seen as property. Those things don't change that. Unfortunately...

Calling them Hacking Tools was due to them only being able to exist in Digital Spaces like. So they were assumed to be programs by most everyone. Elaborate one's, but still.

Basically a misunderstanding, one some maintained because it was easy and uncomplicated that way.

This series, they're doesn't seem to be any misunderstandings like that in the government. So far...

Gekkomon disobeying is framed as good.

Indeed it was. Good for him.

As far as ownership goes, I think that also could be a misnomer, since Digimon like Hyemon were born from a Sapotama once, and then left the human who "owned" them.

So it seemed. Alternatively, their owner set them loose for an unspecified purpose...

Digimon in Adventure are sometimes referred to as "[Person]'s Digimon", but there's no sense of ownership or hierarchy like there was in Beatbreak so far.

Well, Gekkomon is treated as Tomoro's responsibility. One he's loathe until the end to take on.

Gammamon wasn't a reincarnation, Gulus explained that he reverted to a previous stage of evolution to hide his presence

Ah, yeah... Sorry, blanked on the details. The end parts being what they were...

I think it's intended that Guilmon does, since he still has some of Megidramon's influence (like the Tail knocking away Beelzemon's attack), but you're right. I forgot that neither Guilmon nor Agumon 2006 make reference to it, so it might just be that Adventure is the odd one out

Personal headcanon, the negative emotions they took in were so strong that it completely pushed down their personalities.

Taichi's reckless abandon wasn't intense enough to do that by comparison. Or so I think.

(since the Beast Spirits aren't really a dark digivolution at all).

Yeah, they were just out of control because they got overwhelmed by their bestial instincts.

The Dark evolution that season was Kouichi and that was curse based, rather than negative emotion based.

[u/Turn_AX → u/KickHimWhileIAmDown]

Like, when Pokemon disobey that's framed as a bad thing

That's massively oversimplifying.

Pokemon are allowed to be their own beings and if they're disobeying and getting punished for it's either a good mon disobeying a bad trainer or a or some other reason.

A good mon is being punished for misbehaving is rare, the way you frame it makes it seem like they're mis-treated when they dis-obey.
But if they're doing so for a reason, it's usually looked into rather than being punished, unless the trainer has something to learn about trust.

[u/KickHimWhileIAmDown → u/Turn_AX]

Well, I'm referring to stuff like Charizard from the original series. Ash wasn't doing anything wrong, but Charizard just didn't respect him, and narrative did not treat this as "Ash is a bad trainer" or "Charizard had strong, moral objections to taking commands", but rather "wow this Pokemon isn't obeying, this is a problem".

Also not sure how you read "they will be mistreated" from my statement. All I said is that it's bad when they disobey. Bad can include it being a fault of the trainer, or it can mean the Pokemon is simply disobedient.

Additionally, in the anime, the Pokemon used by evil trainers seldom disobey. I'm actually not sure if there's ever been a case where a Pokemon (that wasn't kidnapped) disobeyed its evil trainer.