Score: B+

This episode was interesting in a few ways. It was a chance to see someone, anyone digivolve which was a treat. I’m pretty sure this was the first actual digivolution scene since episode 1. They did nicely conclude the Makoto arc and there was certainly enjoyment in seeing a rather scumbag person getting punched repeatedly. Will take the wins wherever I can find them!

Is she actually in the clear?

The Haruko thing…leaves me with questions. Tomoro was told early on that he had to become a Cleaner because he had a digimon and would have a bounty otherwise. So that’s what he did. But apparently you can agree to become a Cleaner…then stop almost immediately? Doesn’t this regulation require the Cleaner to actually work? I have questions! Is Haruko going to be targeted by bounty hunters once she goes to her mother? Isn’t there some overseeing organization that would take issue with her assaulting humans with her digimon regardless of her father pushing her? Does this mean Tomoro just had to get registered and could have just gone back to living his life? You’d think a shady organization would love any excuse to take Shademon from Haruko. It’s a mind controlling digimon that requires excessive willpower to resist. And as far as we can tell humans can’t resist it!

She is not blameless here

There’s no doubt that Haruko’s father was scum…but I feel like others looks bad too. Her mother basically abandoned her. Oh it’s nice that she sent letters some indeterminate time later. She was so uncomfortable with her husband’s obsession with money but left her vulnerable child in his care!? It’s not like she chose to abandon her after Shademon tried possessing her to stop it. She chose to do that first! Haruko herself isn’t that great either. She gladly used her power to assault the minds and bodies of humans and digimon alike. Yes she was a kid and should have had much better parental figures to guide her. But she still made some rather abusive choices for herself. Well here’s hoping that reuniting with the mother that left her behind will work out…On the positive side her possessed form was pretty cool looking.

That of course isn’t saying that her father was anything great. Sunny was a scumbag obviously. He didn’t even consider winning his daughter over by securing a fake ID for her as well. His daughter was the only reason he had any possibility of getting what he wanted, but he just used her and threw her away. If her gaining a digimon was the reason they were thrown out that’d be one thing, but it was his selfish greed that got them in that spot. He wasn’t wrong with how he pointed out all the things his daughter was doing to Shademon. But…he didn’t exactly have a leg to stand on when he was the example she was being shown.

Enjoy the moment while we get it!

Nightchiropmon…eh. The design isn’t really my thing, but that’s certainly a choice. Kind of figured the champion would be more a giant bat or something and then it’d go to something like this for ultimate. Oh well. I can’t say much about the fight since despite a lot going on…there really wasn’t one. The mind control was broken by one move and then…Shademon literally stopped fighting himself. Attacking was kind of pointless, but they did kind of need to show another attacking move for Nightchiropmon. I do wonder what would have happened otherwise. There was a slight move made to protect Makoto, but Nightchiropmon moved so little and so casually I’m not sure what the next move. Was it just going to use that attack anyways? Or was it planning on blocking that big attack with a single arm?

Chiropmon isn’t that ugly!

In the end this was a solid episode. Kyo actually tried to do something! He doesn’t done that since the first 3 episodes. Kind of refreshing seeing him actually care about the well-being of his team and realize that sleeping on a couch all day probably isn’t a good move. We did get a digivolution which frankly I’ll take after almost the entire show not getting much of anything! And I also kind of find it funny how Makoto and Haruko keep calling their partners ugly and disgusting! Guys…ease up on the insults here.