'Digimon' Fans Celebrate The Franchise's 21st Birthday

Digimon, it’s time to blow out the candles. Today, the franchise is turning a solid [...]

By Megan Peters

Digimon, it's time to blow out the candles. Today, the franchise is turning a solid 21-years-old, and fans are as surprised as they are excited about the big milestone.

For those unaware, June 26 marks a major day in the Digimon fandom. While the franchise is best-known for its anime projects, it got its start back in June 1997. Before the anime got going, Digimon was birthed by the Digital Monster device that was spawned from Tamagotchi's insane success the year before. The Digital Monster — or Digimon — device was made by Akiyoshi Hongo to make the Tamagotchi model more appealing to men. And, as you can see, the plan went over perfectly.

The special Bandai toy was a hit in Japan, and it led way to Digimon becoming a full-on franchise. More than 13 million Digital Monster devices were sold in Japan alone, a number that shows off its V-Pet popularity. Bandai put out a second generation device shortly after before a third hit in 1998. So, when 1999 came around, the device leveled up into an anime.

March 1999 marks the date Digimon hit the big screen with an anime film. Digimon Adventure came a day after, and the TV show solidified the franchise's booming success. To date, more than 5 anime series have spawned from Digimon alongside a share of films and video games. Much like Pokemon, Digimon enjoys the benefits of being a nostalgic anime title thanks to its late-1990s boom. So, you can see why fans are all too happy to celebrate the franchise's humble origins today.

For those unfamiliar with Digimon, the series was originally conceived by Bandai, Toei Animation, and WiZ in 1997 as a way to capitalize on the virtual pet craze sparked by Tamagotchi. The franchise focus on its titular "Digital Monsters," monsters that live in a parallel, digital world that came from mankind's technology. The franchise had its first anime adaptation, Digimon Adventure, which focuses on a group of children known as the DigiDestined (or "Chosen Children" in Japan) that are transported to the world of Digimon and have to fight the various evil digital beasts that roam the land.

Can you believe Digimon is this old already? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

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