Summary
DigimonFrontieris considered by many fans of the franchise as one of the best seasons of the anime series. Its unique approach to the concept of the DigiDestined, in which the children themselves transformed into Digital Monsters, is still an iconic part of the lore of the show.
While the story of this season ofDigimonwas self-conclusive, there were plans to continue the adventures of Takuya,his powerful spirit Agunimon, and his friends in the form of a manhua.
This project was discontinued, but it would have givenFrontierfans much more content, with new transformations for the DigiDestined, new enemies, and friends. Considering how positive the reception forDigimon Frontierwas, it’s a shame that this sequel never saw the light of day, as it could have capitalized on the elements that made that season so beloved.
10 Best Digimon Frontier Episodes, Ranked
The DigiDestined use Spirit Digivolution to transform into ancient Digimon warriors, as the emotional reunion of two long-lost twin brothers unfolds.
Digimon Legendary Skies Could Have Been an Amazing Series
The Manhua Would Have Been Inspired By Chinese Mythology
Acting as a direct sequel tothe outstandingly entertainingDigimon Frontier,Legendary Skieswas supposed to follow the battle between the DigiDestined andthe corrupted ruler of the Chinese Digital World, a being named Nuwa. Long before the beginning of the series, this creature lived in harmony with her friend, Fuxi, another ancient digital being who helped her create their universe. Their peace was abruptly terminated when an evil virus took control of Nuwa, forcing her to become an evil ruler and enticing her to eat her partner, as doing so would grant her immense power.
To aid her on the hunt for Fuxi were the 28 Heavenly Generals,powerful Digimon inspired by the Chinese Constellations. These beings were once the protectors of the Chinese Digital World but were also corrupted by the virus that possessed Nuwa. In an attempt to escape from his enemies, Fuxi fled to the human world, where he encountered a boy named Yu. While the protagonist of the series believed the creature to be a hallucination at first, he still followed it, curious as to where it had come from. This decision would make him encounter three new characters, who were directly inspired by Takuya, Koji, and Zoe.
From there, the manhua would have the new DigiDestined traveling the new and unexplored Digital World, accompanied by Yu´s partner, a panda-like Digimon named Daxiongmaoshou. The kids would be forced to fight against the Heavenly Generals, in an attempt to prevent them from capturing Fuxi and destroying both the Digital and human worlds. The series continued for a few chapters more after the introduction of theFrontierDigiDestined but was soon discontinued in November 2004.
Legal Issues Doomed The Series From The Start
The Chinese Publishing House Did Not Acquire The Full Rights To The Frontier Cast
Despite its interesting premise and the appealing idea of continuing the fan-favoriteDigimon Frontier, this short-lived manhua was destined to fail from the beginning. Shanghai Century Publishing Group, the company in charge of the manhua,never acquired the full rights to include the cast of the original series. This is the main reason why the characters introduced to Yu were merely inspired by the protagonists of the original series, instead of the actual cast. This was a major issue for the publishing house, as they had already planned the entire series as a sequel toFrontier.
As such, the story depicted in the few chapters that were published is far from the authors' original idea. They were forced to rewrite most of the story, as well as create new characters that would not be perceived as copyright infringement. These circumstances caused the manhua to slowly become less interesting for fans of the original series, with this being the main reason why it was discontinued so early in its life. The fact that the series was never introduced to international audiences also played against it.
These events preventedDigimonfans from enjoying what promised to be an amazing sequel to one of the most popular entries in the franchise. The introduction of an entirely new Digital World based on Chinese Mythology sounds beyond interesting. The idea of the Frontier DigiDestined acquiring new evolutions based around the same concept was also a fantastic idea that would have been truly enjoyable to witness. Yet, this concept is likely to never see the light of day again, as the idea of a sequel to another season of the anime other thanthe belovedDigimon Adventurehas seemingly not been discussed by Bandai’s executives.
Even after two decades since its release,Digimon Frontieris still one of the most imaginative and representative entries in the franchise. Fans of the series would surely have loved the idea of a direct sequel, which is why the discontinuation of Legendary Skies is such a tragic event. Nonetheless, the hope of an original series based on the original idea of this obscure manhua still exists in the fandom.
Digimon Frontier
Cast
Digimon Frontier (2002) is the fourth series in the Digimon franchise, focusing on a group of children who possess special spirits allowing them to transform into Digimon warriors. These children embark on a journey to save the Digital World from an evil force. The series introduces a fresh perspective within the Digimon universe, diverging from previous storylines to explore themes of courage and friendship in a new format.
