Digimon Vs. Pokemon

[I took a shot in the dark with where to put this one because I wanted it to be an intelligent discussion, though it is Anime-based, which most of the topics here are not. ]


I am very serious about this discussion. As my explanation will prove why:

Time and time again, I've been bombarded with people who happen to bring up Digimon or Pokemon, and then somehow the counterpart gets slipped in there and then I take the side of Digimon while the other person chooses Pokemon. And since everyone that I've talked to have been very unwilling to listen to what I have to say, I've become, sort of angered. I just want to try to get all the feelings out of the way and write down all my reason for why I think Digimon is better, and then I want to actually discuss it.

That's my reasoning behind that.

Ok.. I was on Formspring and someone asked me: "Why is Digimon better than Pokemon?"
So obviously my opinion is based on me thinking that Digimon is exceedingly better. Though I try to keep an open mind, but please someone tell me how Pokemon is superior. I don't get very good arguments, and I will post what I responded to the question below. So I'm going to quote what I wrote, and then I guess it will just have to be answered as we hopefully go.

Answer to my question (with edits):

OK, I will answer, but in order for you to understand this opinion, you must retain a clear mind, and try to be as impartial as possible when reading this.

A lot of opinions on this topic are biased. Obviously mine is biased, but when I try to explain it, people shut down when I mention Pokemon because it’s obviously their favorite. Try to keep the open mind. I know I try, but no [Pokemon]arguments go deep [So far], so I’m not won over.


I also take a very different approach to this. I actually think critically about the subject. I just don’t go, “Well it obviously surpasses Pokemon in every single way.. For this is a very long answer, and I probably have a hell of a lot more to say.


Where should I start?

Well first off, Digimon doesn't specifically follow the same storyline. Yes, the "same" storyline is "save the digital world" or in some cases, the real world. But at least the writers are smart enough to come up with different situations. With Pokémon, the storyline is the same: “I have to collect all the badges, and become a Pokémon master by {not} catching all the Pokémon I can!” by Ash, and Pikachu.
We’ve gone through... Kanto, Orange Islands, Jhoto, Hoenn, the new one… at least and it’s been the same.

Generally, the tag-a-long characters are different, but at the same time they aren’t all that interesting. If the episodes maybe featured the others working toward their dream a little bit more, maybe then it wouldn’t be as boring, but when there have characters in the story that have completely different dreams than the main character that we’re following, it’s kind of stupid.

“Let’s follow Ash, even though I want to be the best Gym Leader, but I can’t do that if I don’t battle… wait. Let me rethink this… nevermind.”

At least all the characters in Digimon have the same target goal along with other side goals which are explored (though for a kids’ show, not enough/very general. But ok)

Another thing that it doesn’t get is respect. It doesn’t usually receive a chance considering it’s: “Copying Pokémon”. If anyone watched it, it obviously contrasts Pokémon in a number of different ways.

1) Not everybody has 100% access to receiving to receiving a partner. In Pokémon, anyone can go out and catch a Pokémon, if they’re lucky, or you know, really Boss and can kick a Pokémon’s Ass. Digimon is more of selective in their Digi-destined. At the end of the second season, it was mentioned that anyone could receive a digimon partner (because they were meant to be).

2) Pokémon can have many partners, Digimon, generally one, unless you are exceedingly special.

3) When Pokémon evolve, they can’t go back. I mean yes, it makes them stronger and sometimes cooler, but when I played video games, I never wanted my Charmander to evolve. I don’t like Charmeleon or Charizard. Digimon could revert back to their original states and become stronger, and it was possible for them to actually stay in evolved states, which is cool.
a. Also someone used the argument that you can pick your digimon partners. That is onlyin games such as Digimon World 3, because obviously they can’t do what they do in the show. Pokemon: Pick whatever pokemon you like, your team, your rules. Ex: Any Pokemon Game (Pick your starting Pokemon, generally, whichever one you like the most/what is most useful to you) Digimon: Your Digimon reflects a sense of self in you. Ex: Mimi and Palmon. Palmon was also a very materialistic digimon in attitude and thought.

4) As stated before, the storyline isn’t recycled like it is in Pokémon.

5) Digimon aren’t necessarily… “natural”. Yes, they are, but that is due to the fact that Digimon are pieces of deleted data from computers and such. I think. I know it has to do with being old/disregarded/deleted. So in theory it makes a lot of sense when there are new Digimon. Different and new kinds of data can create different kinds of Digimon.
a. Oh and it’s totally awesome how Digimon can become real, even though they are made from data.

6) I find that there is actually a background to Digimon that does goes a lot deeper than the background of Pokémon, they actually comment on the history of the digital world and all that and Pokémon is.. As far as I know, not like that at all. I know there are “Ancient Pokémon” but that’s not the same as an actual history. The history and such that I mention includes the crests (which are NOT the same as Badges).

7) Digimon has a story of Good vs. Evil. Pokémon… No.

Nobody can give me that “Pokémon is obviously better because it is more popular” crap because a lot of that is from the individual stating how Digimon “copies” Pokémon. Or at least that’s what I believe. No person that I have ever talked to has told me, [their defense states] how Pokémon is more popular, which is a completely different viewpoint because it takes the form of his or her “general argument” vs. my “personal argument”[: meaning the popularity is not the argument I'm making and do not plan to go into depth about it, though I will if challenged.]
I try to look deeper into the two so that it is more likely to find an answer that actually makes sense.

And due to the fact that Pokémon is more popular, for whatever reason, there is more show. They’ve come up with I think 6 seasons (?) (I don’t care enough to know [there are too many for me to keep count and follow]/ I count Orange Islands as a season because they marketed new Pokémon in the Jhoto series, but it was not the Jhoto season) There are also more games, because it was made more popular by the general public. And when the first set of games became popular, obviously, the next set should be too. And etc.

This next part will require some knowledge of the Digimon and Pokemon fighting stages.

Don’t give me the Pikachu can kick any Digimon’s Ass. Considering, it is very hard to determine where Pikachu is on the Digimon latter of strength and vice versa, we can’t really determine that. Though, if I was to fix that up, I definitely believe that there would be few Pokemon as the equivalent of an Ultimate Digimon, let alone Mega. It doesn’t have to do with size, or any of that, it just makes sense. But, again, the issue of trying to interpret the different strength structures comes into play, with I don’t know how the Pokemon would fit into the Digimon one.
My assumption is that in the average Pokemon, Mew, Articuno, Ho-oh, Deoxys, etc. would be considered Mega Digimon. Pokemon like Snorlax, Gyarados, NidoKing/Queen, Gengar, Alakazam, etc. would be considered Ultimates. Pokemon like Charizard, The Eevee evolutions, Scyther, Butterfree, etc. I would consider Champions. And Pokemon like Pikachu, Charmander, Lickitung, Dratini, Sunflora, etc. I would consider the Rookie set of Digimon.

I do know that part of the problem here is that I could be saying that Caterpie is an In-Training Form, or maybe… Nidoran (Male/Female) could be Champions. I don’t really consider the level in the Pokemon World, because then there would have to be an extra step between Rookie and Champion for Pokemon like Charmeleon. So I’m trying to focus more on how the strength works in Pokemon rather than their stages of evolution (It is very hard to classify).
Also, with THE Pikachu, being supposedly “very very strong and very rare” I would consider having more of a Champion strength than Rookie.

Now these are just some of the reasons I can currently think of and mention. If you have any specific questions, please ask them. This is the site to do so. And I will try my hardest not to get mad at you. Understanding my reasons for believing Digimon is superior is part of the open-minded-ness of what I asked beforehand. I mean you can ask me questions that are specifically biased, but I can’t promise I’ll be nice.
You asked, I answered the best that I could.

That was that. I do want everyone to know that i do have a lot of exposure to both Digimon and Pokemon, shucks, I have a a video of me naming 1 - 161 Pokemon. I just increasingly enjoyed Digimon much, much more.


I would love to hear what you guys think.

 

So, I prefer Pokemon and will offer you a deeper answer then you most likely get. I will admit growing up I liked both equally as a show. Then I prefered Digimon as a show. I will full out agree that the storyline for the show is the same recycled garbage, and that's why at one point Pokemon was widly discarded. Now it also has some strengths you listed as weaknesses. These only pertain to the games seeing how those are what I believe make the whole franchise popular.

The multiple teams actually make it harder to adapt and chose your six to face any random six. That added strategy and the fact that it can be just as simple as do as much damage as you can as fast as you can, for the little kids, to well if you use this move with this item and then use this move you can trick your opponent into doing this and win, which is why competitive battling is popular. The franchise made a game that looks simple but yet has so much depth to the rules that most people don't think about.

Then there is an answer in the slogan, gotta cath 'em all. This appeals to the fact our society is one of mass consumption, and this game pleases that, you go around catching animals you like to complete a goal. Then the mass variety of pokemon there are means that any type of consumer can enjoy roaming these worlds.

Then there are the regions. They may all each follow the same basic goal, become the pokemon master, which is what you argued was the whole story line where as Digimon had save the world plus more. Well Pokemon has more, because in the games you encounter new problems that don't have anything to do with becoming the best. I'd argue that is only a justification to why a ten year old is roaming a world full of monsters alone. Now each region features it's own completly different shape, towns, people, gyms, legendaries, pokemon, everything. This gives us the adventuring aspect some gamers search for. To me the thrill of exploring a new region is incredible.

Now the storyline in each game also varies greatly, though they are all based off the same concept of becoming the best, face a crime syndicate along the way. The way the crime changed from team rocket to Team Aqua and Magma gave pokemon a second wind with this new concept of the fact these organisations were fighting against each other, which was different from the whole "Let's steal pokemon for profit" team rocket had going on. Though the storylines are similar they also change, because when Team Galactic came along they had a different goal, and then same with Plasma. Which makes it just different enough to be appealing

You also claim the characters have no personality, which was true for the earlier games. However in the most recent games, Black and White each character is developped along the way, as you have two rivals each facing their own troubles. Then you have a third rival who is the crime syndicate who in himself is an intriguing character as he plays on the moral aspects of the game.

Now not only do the games play on the simplicity and the complexity of society to get a wider audience they also offer different sides of the franchise. The Manga is also a big part of the franchise, and is viewed as much better then the anime. It in itself is a more gorey view of it, and it holds much higher stakes and develops the characters in a very compelling way. The writers know how to use suspense and change the world we grew up in without changing it, yet nothing is the same. We view the Gym leaders in a different way, and we see the quest for badges actually has meaning.

You also claimed that you only quest to be the pokemon master. Not at all true. The games each offer their own sidequests, such as collector. Many games also had contests, fun minigames of sorts in which your Pokemon competed not based of power, but style. Which some people focused on. Then in the remakes of Silver and Gold not only did the storyline get more depth they also added the pokeathlon, the pokemon olympics, which many people spend a lot of time one. Then they added the musicals, a new minigame I personally haven't tried.

In short I'd say that Pokemon has more fans because of the marketing. Where as Digimon has plenty of loyal fans Pokemon doesn't appeal to a specific crowd and tailors the franchise accordingly. I am not hating on Digimon, I am simply stating why I believe Pokemon is better IN MY OPINION.

 

^Just to say, the topic was about the Animes.

And really, this is the kind of discussion that's too hard to move on with.
I mean, if we start now, the cons and pros will likely even each other out eventually, or not, but the opinions will stay fixed in one place.

But opinions aside, Pokémon is clearly more successful than Digimon, in everything.

Why? The games of course.
When the Pokémon games were making addicts worldwide and expanding itself, Digimon was still a VPet, which was hardly as popular as a full fledged game.

Simple case of Overshadowed by Awesome, but even if Digimon was the one successful back then, neither would be the same they are now, and it would still be impossible to say which is better.

Aaand even if it were not for that, Digimon and Pokémon are completely different genres if you ignore the Mon part, just as pointed out in the first post. Heck, the games of Digimon completely change from a title to the next.
You can't compare one to another that easy.

And unless you could, the sheer amount of Fandumb attracted by the popularity of Pokémon will win end any argument (No offense to anyone, but there is lot of ignorant people who will just come, say Digimon is a blatant Rip-off of Pokémon, then move on).

Not that Digimon is bad because it's less known (I myself like Digimon mangas and games a lot more), and that Pokémon is bad because it is more known (PokeSpe is a great manga too, and the Games have a great, stable, addicting metagame, that i don't get in just because it's too much of a hassle) either.

It's just that, well...
Opinions can't be discussed without some sort of disagreement.

[/senselesspost]

 

Depends on how you mean better (quality or sales) like Red said, sales are definitely better for Pokemon but if you are looking for better quality wise then Digimon for me. Pokemon is basically just pointless anymore and should have been canceled long ago. Digimon (the latest series I watched which was Tamers I think) is still capable of holding an acceptable story line with a plot, not just random battles. If we went back to the first of both series I would have to say a tie, though Digimon had better action seens, because they both had good story lines and plots. In the end it comes down to this, they both are better at some things. One is better to watch and the other is good to invest in.

Spoiler

Honestly (besides the young female characters in mini-skirts) Pokemon is directed at the younger generation (5 to ten) I stopped watching it because it was only random battles and what not. Digimon however holds a plot and is directed for all ages. End my endless rant.

 

They both have / had interesting storylines.

When I first saw Pokémon, I didn't even know that it was following games. Now that I do, I don't mind that it's following the game.

As for Digimon, its storyline is / was pretty interesting, too.

With both Digimon and Pokémon, I like all seasons equally.