Episode 5 of Digimon Beatbreak brings us a little side quest adventure for Tomoro and Gekkomon that may be laying the groundwork for a deeper theme to come.
The Misfits of Society
Tomoro and Gekkomon find themselves in a quaint little town in an area that’s undergoing development. The people of the town are mostly older folks who reject the “ideal self” society that has been formed with Sapotamas. None of them has one, and the town’s boss is the leader of the Panda-gumi group. Together with the digimon Pandamon he adopted, the boss protects the town from a group that is trying to run them out. Tomoro and Gekkomon end up helping Pandamon at the first encounter with the group, so naturally, the town invites them in for food as a thank you.
This town provides a good perspective on what the current world is like. In episode one, we saw how everyone in the city wants to live to their “ideal self” as predicted by their Sapotama. Here in this little town, everyone rejects that notion. Older folks just want to cook their food and live in peace with their neighbors and the community they’ve built.
I find that this is foreshadowing a conflict we will be seeing more of in the future. Already, we know Tomoro rejects the Sapotama’s due to his bad experiences, and he doesn’t really believe in the “ideal self.” However, now he has Gekkomon, the personification of that connection to the “ideal self.” I’m imagining that Tomoro will come to terms with what it means to live with Gekkomon.
Familial Ties
The theme of family is brought up again in this episode, specifically, chosen family. The boss explains to Tomoro that when he rescued Pandamon, they underwent a ritual to become “parent and child.” Although one is a human and one is a digimon, they consider themselves to be father and child, and think that their bond is stronger than blood. We also see Gekkomon and Pandamon choose to become siblings.
I’m a big believer in chosen family, so I am happy to see this theme continue in this episode. I think Tomoro witnessing firsthand this connection between the boss and Pandamon will start shifting his heart with Gekkomon, and subsequently Glowing Dawn. The episode ends on an emotional cliffhanger so I’m hoping whatever happens propels Tomoro forward.
Overall, this show is promising to me. Each episode is building some themes I resonate with. I’m hoping it continues the momentum and keeps being interesting.
See you next week!
Digimon Beatbreak is streaming on Crunchyroll, with new episodes on Sundays.
