Digimon Frontier: Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!

Digimon Frontier: Revival of the  (デジモンフロンティア ！！, Dejimon Furontia  Fukkatsu!!; Dub: Digimon: Island of Lost Digimon) is a short film. It is the only Digimon theatrical film to be based on the Digimon Frontier anime series. It is set at an indeterminate point during the main story of Frontier.

It premiered on July 20, 2002 as part of the 2002 Summer Toei Anime Fair, alongside ' and '. Since the 2002 Summer event was the final traditional Toei Anime Fair and the final event to use that branding, Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! was the last Digimon film to be shown at such an event.

=Characters=

=Summary =

Teaser
The Chosen Children are traveling through a desert in the Digital World on Trailmon Ball, seeking out an oasis that Bokomon has told them about. Kanbara Takuya and Minamoto Kouji are bickering, as Kouji sees the visit to the oasis as a frivolous waste of time.

Out of nowhere, a dust storm is kicked up as two opposing armies of Human and Beast Digimon appear running alongside Trailmon Ball, trading blows with each other and climbing on Trailmon Ball. In the confusion, Trailmon Ball's parasol blows away in the wind. The Chosen Children spot an island, which Bokomon identifies as the Wandering Island, floating above and rapidly approaching them. The Wandering Island slams into the ground, knocking everyone up and onto it, before it sinks into the ground and vanishes again.

When the dust settles, all that remains is Trailmon Ball's parasol, situated near the oasis.

Act 1
Takuya, Shibayama Junpei and Himi Tomoki awaken in a rustic city, surrounded by Kotemon and a group of Baby I Digimon. Bokomon and Neamon are also with them, on a statue which Kotemon and the Babies identify as Ornismon, the guardian god of the Wandering Island. Bokomon draws their attention to a massive mural on a nearby set of ruins, depicting Ornismon with Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon of the Warrior Ten, and also informs the group that there is allegedly no escape from the Wandering Island.

Suddenly, a contingent of Beast Digimon storms the streets of the city, killing members of the Human Digimon army (reverting them into Digitamas). Dinohumon, Kotemon's brother, arrives piloting the tank Pinocchi and attempts to threaten the Beast Digimon into standing down, but the Beast Digimon's eyes glow and they rush the Human Digimon soldiers, exploding in a suicide attack that kills many Human Digimon soldiers. Meanwhile, Dinohumon spots Hippogriffomon, the leader of the Beast Digimon, overlooking the battle and begins to pursue. He follows Hippogriffomon into a back alley, but there he instead finds Darcmon, the leader of the Human Digimon and his own commander. Dinohumon and his soldiers, however, are so bent on revenge that they ignore Darcmon's counsel for patience and caution, and run off. Darcmon turns her attention to the remaining soldiers, and leads them in prayer for their fallen comrades.

Elsewhere on the Wandering Island, in a village built on a lake, Bearmon offers Kouji and Izumi food while his friends try to find Takuya, Junpei and Tomoki for them.

The three witness an attack on the village by Dinohumon and the Human Digimon army, seeking revenge for the attack on their own city. Bearmon's brother, Gryzmon, leads the Beast Digimon into battle and prepares to take on Dinohumon, although Dinohumon demands to face Hippogriffomon instead. The Beast Digimon tank Yūbō fires cannonballs upon Dinohumon, obliterating his soldiers and forcing him to retreat, and Hippogriffomon appears from within it to exhort his men to exterminate the Human Digimon to protect themselves.

Kotemon, Bearmon, and their Baby Digimon friends lead the Chosen Children, Bokomon and Neamon back together on neutral ground. Takuya, Junpei and Tomoki (siding with the Human Digimon) argue with Kouji and Izumi (siding with the Beast Digimon) over the crimes that each group has respectively witnessed the other side commit, and Takuya and Kouji start fighting. Kotemon, Bearmon and the Babies start crying and beg them to stop. The two admit that they are friends, despite coming from opposite sides, but that they will get in trouble if anyone else knows.

Kotemon and Bearmon lead the group to the inside of the ruins. They show the group a broken mural of Ornismon, whom they implore to stop the fighting. Bokomon examines an inscription on the mural, but in the mural's present state, all that he can make out is:


 * Let the [...] Digicode [...] fill the [...]

Takuya and Junpei conclude that if Ornismon is a symbol of peace, then solving the meaning of the inscription could lead to the end of the violence on the island. Bearmon and Kotemon implore them to do so.

As the group exits the ruins, they are stopped by Dinohumon, Gryzmon, and their respective soldiers. Dinohumon and Gryzmon demand that Kotemon and Bearmon separate, and the two sides start fighting. Kotemon and Bearmon beg them to stop, to no avail. Takuya and Kouji are pained and angered to witness the two sides at each others' throats, even as Dinohumon and Gryzmon attempt to sway them to their own side. The two Spirit Evolve into Agnimon and Garummon, and Takuya/Agnimon subdues Dinohumon, while Kouji/Garummon subdues Gryzmon. The two convince the army leaders to stand down, but they insist on taking their brothers home, and warn them never to see each other again. Kotemon and Bearmon are absolutely distraught to be separated, and the Chosen Children lament what they have witnessed.

Meanwhile, Tomoki notices writing on a piece of the mural that he found.

Act 2
In the Human Digimon city, Takuya and Junpei watch a propaganda speech that Darcmon delivers to the Human Digimon, in which she insists that the Human Digimon must stop the Beast Digimon before they themselves perish. Dinohumon attempts to recruit Takuya into the army, and as he does, Takuya and Junpei notice Kotemon, Tomoki and the Baby Digimon sneaking away. In order to keep Dinohumon distracted, Takuya plays along and feigns interest in Dinohumon's offer, while Junpei also slips away.

In the Beast Digimon city, while Izumi and Bearmon are moping, Kouji watches a propaganda speech that Hippogriffomon delivers to the Beast Digimon army, in which he demands justice and vengeance for their slain comrades. Kouji is disdainful, and when Gryzmon attempts to recruit him into the army, he is bluntly disinterested. However, when he looks down into the lake and sees Junpei right below him, he feigns interest to distract Gryzmon, over Izumi's objections. Once Kouji has led Gryzmon away, Junpei approaches Izumi and Bearmon.

Junpei, Izumi, Tomoki, Bearmon, Kotemon and the Baby Digimon all gather back in the ruins, and Izumi and Bearmon are brought up to speed on Tomoki's discovery. Tomoki and Kotemon have decided that completing the mural, specifically the inscription, might lead to a way to stop the fighting. Izumi and Bearmon excitedly join the effort, and they start gathering pieces of the mural with text on them. Bokomon and Neamon arrive to warn them of the starting battle, and join in their efforts. They complete the inscription portion of the picture, but before Bokomon can translate it, one of the tanks fires a blast that that shakes the ruins, destroying the entire mural. Nonetheless, the group gets to work reconstructing it.

Outside the ruins, Dinohumon and Gryzmon signal to their respective armies to commence the attack, and both sides swarm into the exterior corridors of the ruins and begin fighting each other, while the tanks bombard the battleground from afar. Darcmon observes the violence with a sinister smile.

Takuya and Kouji cannot bring themselves to condone the violence. Takuya silently deserts and runs away, while Kouji abandons Gryzmon after a heated argument over the latter's inability to understand Bearmon's feelings. Before they get far, they witness the tank Tortoise smash through the ruins' outer wall and unleash a masive bombardment upon the ruins. They both cry out for the battle to stop, and their D-Scanners react.

Takuya and Kouji Spirit Evolve into, respectively, Vritramon and Wolfmon. As the dust settles on Tortoise's attack, Takuya/Vritramon seizes Tortoise and begins to heave it away, while Kouji/Wolfmon disarms the soldiers. The sight of Vritramon causes the Human Digimon soldiers to halt, until Darcmon rallies them back into battle. However, Gryzmon begins calling out for Hippogriffomon to come and aid them.

Inside the ruins, Izumi's group succeeds in piecing together the entire mural, and they all hold it in place while Bokomon reads the inscription. They are all horrified to learn that the complete text paints an entirely different picture of Ornismon:


 * Let the bloodstained Digicode of hatred fill the, and thus we shall be revived.

Bokomon and Neamon conclude that Ornismon is not a Digimon of peace, but an ancient threat to the island, and that if the inscription is to be believed, the current battle could bring about its resurrection. Kotemon and Bearmon point out that the mural is still not complete, and that perhaps there will be hope if they can finish the Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon portions. Junpei points out a distinctively shaped hole in the mural, which they all recognize as precisely matching the shape of Darcmon's staff and Hippogriffomon's pendant, and theorizes that it could be the, while Izumi points out how bizarre it is that both Digimon would possess an identical artifact.

Junpei and Izumi depart to warn Takuya and Kouji, while Tomoki, Kotemon and Bearmon continue to work on the mural. Bokomon sees little hope, considering that as members of the Warrior Ten, Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon have been deceased for eons.

Act 3
Outside the ruins, Takuya and Kouji begin to struggle when the tanks turn their fire on them. Mere meters away from Kouji, near the entrance to the mural chamber, Darcmon runs through the passages and, without noticing, passes Izumi and Junpei. As the two observe, Darcmon transforms into Hippogriffomon, confirming their suspicions. The next volley of fire from the tanks shakes the Wandering Island, so Izumi and Junpei Spirit Evolve into Fairimon and Blitzmon.

As the Beast Digimon begin to lose heart witnessing the tanks' attacks, Hippogriffomon appears atop Yūbō to rally them back into battle.

Junpei/Blitzmon uses to summon a massive bolt of lightning, stopping the battle cold and drawing everyone's attention to himself and Izumi/Fairimon atop the ruins. The two present their findings and, although both Dinohumon and Gryzmon are initially skeptical, Takuya points out that Darcmon is nowhere to be seen, to which Dinohumon has no answer. Izumi and Junpei recite the inscription, highlighting to the armies, Takuya and Kouji that the true purpose of the battle is to fulfill its message and revive Ornismon.

Hippogriffomon drops the pretense and Slide Evolves into Darcmon, confirming Izumi and Junpei's accusations. Darcmon begins absorbing the Digitamas of the slain Digimon into the, initiating the process of reviving Ornismon, and as he does so he tells the assembled Digimon of Ornismon's origins, his original discovery of the ruins, and how he intends to use Ornismon to conquer the Digital World.

Tendrils erupt from the ground and form a cage above the Wandering Island, tearing the ceiling off of the mural chamber. Tomoki Spirit Evolves into Chackmon to protect the others from falling debris, but is overwhelmed. A glowing Digitama appears in the center of the cage and, in a flash of light, Ornismon emerges.

Junpei, Izumi and Tomoki all jump into battle to face Ornismon. Darcmon mounts Ornismon and Slide Evolves into his true form, which Bokomon, reading from his, identifies as Murmukusmon: a shapeshifting magician Digimon who was once exiled for his malice against the Digital World.

Takuya/Vritramon, Kouji/Wolfmon, Tomoki/Chackmon, Izumi/Fairimon, and Junpei/Blitzmon all attack Ornismon and Murmuksumon, but their attacks have no effect at all and they are knocked aside. Dinohumon commands his soldiers to assist the Chosen Children, while Gryzmon sends his soldiers to protect the children.

Bokomon, Neamon, Kotemon and Bearmon witness the violence, and Kotemon, crying, begs for Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon to intercede, refusing to accept that they are long dead. The images of Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon on the mural begin to glow, but as they do, Murmukusmon interrupts them and unleashes a blast at the mural. Kotemon intercepts the blast and is killed, and his Digitama plummets down to the Wandering Island as his last words "We're all friends..." echo all around.

Bearmon cries out for Kotemon, and Kotemon's Digitama reacts as Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon appear. The Baby Digimon bring Bearmon, who is distraught at Kotemon's death, over to witness the sight, which inspires him.

However, Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon do not yet move, and the Chosen Children leap back into the battle and bombard Murmukusmon and Ornismon. They are joined by the five tanks, who concentrate all of their fire on Murmukusmon and Ornismon. Ornismon lashes out with its which, when deflected by Takuya/Agnimon's, tears the cage apart. Takuya's keeps going and takes Murmukusmon by surprise, destroying him.

Takuya calls out for Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon, triggering them to begin moving. The two dodge Ornismon's attacks, Ancient Garurumon pierces Ornismon's wings with its greatswords, and Ancient Greymon unleashes a point-blank blast of fire that obliterates Ornismon in a colossal explosion. Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon fade away.

In the aftermath on the battle, Dinohumon and Gryzmon apologize to the Chosen Children for their complicity and thank them for ending it all. Takuya demurs at their gratitude, and credits their victory to Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon, as well as Kotemon and Bearmon's faith. Bokomon and Neemon glide in on Trailmon Ball's parasol and rejoin the group, pointing out that they have returned to the Digital World. Takuya surmises that with Ornismon gone, the Wandering Island no longer needs to wander and can simply exist in the Digital World.

Some time later, Bearmon is tending to a new mural commemorating the battle, which depicts the Chosen Children, Dinohumon, Gryzmon, the Baby Digimon and himself, alongside Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon. He is approached by Kotemon, who has been reborn, and the two are reunited.

=Screenshots=

=Gallery=

Miscellaneous
=Credits=

Soundtrack
=Production= The official website for Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! includes character bios for the five tanks which claim that each tank "fights alongside" a particular Chosen Child: Pinocchi with Kanbara Takuya, Āka with Minamoto Kouji, Yūbō with Orimoto Izumi, Takosu with Shibayama Junpei, and Tortoise with Himi Tomoki. Since the the tanks only play an extremely minor role in the film's narrative and no attention is ever drawn to their individual identities, this may have been a discarded concept from an earlier version of the script.

A synopsis of Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! that was published on Toei Animation's official English website in the 2000s mentions a character called "Generamon" in the same role that Darcmon holds in the released version of the film; this synopsis, and the "Generamon" reference, is still present on the English version of Toei Animation's "Production Lineup" website. No Japanese version of this particular synopsis is known to exist (the Japanese version of the website has an entirely different synopsis that has no such mention of Darcmon or "Generamon"), so there is currently no known evidence whether Generamon was ever connected to this role in Japanese material. A Digimon concept by the name of Generamon had won second place in a Digimon design contest two years prior, but had not (and to date, still has not) ever appeared in any official Digimon media. Whether this synopsis means that the Generamon from the contest (who, unlike Darcmon, is a Perfect Digimon with no obvious visual connection to angels or feminine traits) was considered to appear in the film, that the concept of Generamon was reworked into Darcmon whether the "Generamon" referred to here is even the same Generamon from the contest, or whether it was simply a mistake, is unknown.

=Reception= In May 2020, in an informal Digimon Web poll in which users were asked to vote for their favorite Digimon film, Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! placed eighth, earning 3% of the vote.

=Extra=

Evolutions

 * Kanbara Takuya
 * ... + Human Spirit of Fire → Agnimon
 * ... + Beast Spirit of Fire → Vritramon
 * Minamoto Kouji
 * ... + Human Spirit of Light → Wolfmon
 * ... + Beast Spirit of Light → Garummon
 * Orimoto Izumi + Human Spirit of Wind → Fairimon
 * Shibayama Junpei + Human Spirit of Thunder → Blitzmon
 * Himi Tomoki + Human Spirit of Ice → Chackmon
 * Darcmon ↔ Hippogriffomon ↔ Murmukusmon

In Other Media
Version 4.0 of the Southeast Asian D-Tector toy includes quest content that loosely adapts the events of Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! After making a certain amount of progress, the player's party is sent to Map 5, a floating island, in which Dinohyumon (Dinohumon), Grizzlymon (Gryzmon), Darukumon (Darcmon) and Hipo Gryphonmon (Hippogriffomon) appear as area bosses, and Kotemon and Bearmon can appear as random enemy encounters. A unique challenge involves entering ruins to reassemble the Digi-Digits of the Warrior Ten to acquire them as allies. Map 5 culminates in a two-part boss battle against Murumukusumon (Murmukusmon) and Onisumon (Ornismon); once the player has depleted Onisumon's HP by 2000, a cutscene is played in which the Warrior Ten appear to destroy it on the player's behalf, then the player is returned to the main Digital World maps.

A screenshot from the ending of Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, depicting Bearmon surrounded by Dinohumon, Gryzmon and the Baby Digimon, is used as card art on Bo-144t Let's Stop Fighting in the Digital Monster Card Game's Frontier-themed Expansion Board 6.

Home Media Releases
=Edits=

American English
The American English dub of Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, re-titled Digimon: Island of Lost Digimon, was produced by on behalf of  in 2005 (several years after production on the dub of Frontier itself concluded), alongside dubs of the preceding three films for Digimon Adventure 02 and Digimon Tamers. It aired on 's "Big Movie Show" programming block.

Since its original airing, the Island of Lost Digimon dub has never been issued on home media or streaming services.


 * Since it was originally produced for theatrical release, Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! is in a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. Island of Lost Digimon, however, was intended to air on the 4:3 aspect ratio televisions of the era, so it is presented.
 * As usual for American English dubbed Digimon productions, the score is almost totally replaced in Island of Lost Digimon, which instead reuses music from the Disney dub of the Frontier series.
 * There is one exception: both versions have Orimoto Izumi/Zoe Orimoto hum over the opening credits, although it is re-recorded for Island of Lost Digimon.
 * In Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, insert songs for evolution scenes are used only once: when Kanbara Takuya and Minamoto Kouji Spirit Evolve into Vritramon and Wolfmon in the final battle between the armies, "With The Will" plays and continues to play throughout the fight scene until the end of Shibayama Junpei and Orimoto Izumi's own evolution sequences. Otherwise, the currently-playing instrumental score is not interrupted at any time that anyone evolves. In Island of Lost Digimon, all instances of the DigiDestined (Chosen Children) Spirit Evolving interrupt the score with the Frontier series' dub's instrumental Spirit Evolution themes. These reflect common practices of each version of the rest of the anime: the Japanese version does not exclusively use its evolution insert songs every time that evolutions occur, and only chooses to do so when it fits the tone, context and plot beats of a given scene; while American English dubbed versions almost exclusively use their designated theme songs or leitmotifs for evolution scenes, regardless of tone.
 * One major deviation from the Frontier series' dub is in the selection of the instrumental Spirit Evolution themes. Originally, one theme was composed for each type of Spirit Evolution (Human Form, Beast Form, Fusion Form, Transcendent Form, Susanoomon) and would only be used when that type of Spirit Evolution occurred. In Island of Lost Digimon, however, they instead play a different one each time regardless of its originally intended context or what type of Spirit Evolution is being performed:
 * When Zoe and J.P. (Junpei) Spirit Evolve into Kazemon (Fairimon) and Beetlemon (Blitzmon), they use the Transcendent Form evolution theme.
 * When Tommy Himi (Himi Tomoki) Spirit Evolves into Kumamon (Chackmon), he uses the Susanoomon evolution theme.
 * As usual for contemporary American English Digimon dubs, dialogue is generally somewhat longer-winded, previously nonexistent jokes are often added, and previously nonexistent dialog is often added over what were originally moments of silence. It is also common for extra screaming and yelling to be added for Takuya and Koji (Kouji) in particular.
 * In Island of Lost Digimon, the ruins mural's inscription is rewritten as follows: "For the ultimate power, if you wish to be heard, . Fill this Code with anger and fear, and I shall once again appear."
 * Digicode is still called "Digicode" in Island of Lost Digimon. This is inconsistent with the Frontier series' dub, which renamed the substance "Fractal Code".
 * In the opening of Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, there is no dialog at all over Izumi's humming until Trailmon Ball passes the and Tomoki almost slips off Junpei's back. Within seconds of the start of Island of Lost Digimon, Neemon (Neamon) repeatedly interrupts the silence by asking "Are we there yet?" over and over, to the increasing hostility of the other characters. Although most of the dialog occurs over footage of the environment, Neemon's last line is dubbed over footage where his mouth is clearly not moving.
 * In Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, Kotemon and Bearmon ask the Chosen Children not to tell Dinohumon or Gryzmon about their friendship. They do not do so in Island of Lost Digimon.
 * In Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, when Gryzmon and Dinohumon's forces clash at the ruins over Bearmon and Kotemon being together, there is an extended sequence with no dialog as the fight plays out over shots of Takuya and Kouji emotionally grappling into the situation, leading into the two Spirit Evolving. Island of Lost Digimon adds dialog over all of this, including voiceover of Takuya and Koji's thoughts.
 * At the start of the final battle at the ruins, Island of Lost Digimon adds dialog over what was originally a silent shot: after Dinohyumon (Dinohumon) and Nohemon discuss the absence of D'Arcmon (Darcmon), in which Dinohyumon suggests that if D'Arcmon does not show up, then Takuya, as Agunimon (Agnimon), can lead them instead.
 * In Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, when Kouji and Gryzmon butt heads early in the final battle before Kouji runs off, Gryzmon accuses Kouji of not understanding the feelings of the Beast Digimon in response to Kouji asking him to end the battle, and Kouji shoots back that Gryzmon does not understand Bearmon's feelings. In Island of Lost Digimon, Grizzlymon (Gryzmon) instead responds to Koji's request to an end for the battle by telling him to keep his opinions to himself, and Koji tells him that it is Grizzlymon's fault if "any more of [his] people get hurt".
 * Several shots of minor skirmishes between Human and Beast Digimon during the final battle at the ruins are cut from Island of Lost Digimon.
 * In Island of Lost Digimon, when D'Arcmon (Darcmon) performs the revival of Onismon, she no longer repeats the inscription. Instead, she taunts the group about her plan being completed, although her statement still references snippets of the inscription.
 * In Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, Bokomon reads in his that Murmukusmon was exiled. In Island of Lost Digimon, the book instead says that Murmuxmon (Murmukusmon) is "thought to be extinct".
 * Several seconds of footage of Fairimon attacking Murmukusmon are cut from Island of Lost Digimon, removing the close-ups of Fairimon's abdominal regions when she initiates her and  attacks.
 * Island of Lost Digimon also removes two instances of Kazemon (Fairimon) shouting her attack technique names during this sequence. She no longer announces (which would be  in Frontier dub terminology) or . This is extremely unusual for a dubbed Digimon anime production, as they have historically exhibited a very strong preference for ensuring that all attacks are accompanied by a shout of their name, and insert such shouts in cases where the Japanese version does not do so.
 * In Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, Takuya credits the group's victory to Ancient Greymon and Ancient Garurumon, and to Bearmon and Kotemon's faith. In Island of Lost Digimon, Takuya instead credits their victory to the fact that they learned to cooperate.
 * In Revival of the Ancient Digimon!!, when Bokomon and Neamon return to the group following the battle, Bokomon points out that they are back in the Digital World. In Island of Lost Digimon, he instead suggests that they take a vacation.
 * Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! 's closing credits are cut entirely, in favor of a split-screen setup in which credits roll over black next to clips from the movie. The footage that plays in the background of the original credits—Bearmon with the mural commemorating the events of the film, followed by Kotemon's return—is not repurposed anywhere.
 * As a consequence of this, the rebirth and return of Kotemon is never depicted at all in Island of Lost Digimon.

=Additional Information=

=External links =
 * 2002 Summer Toei Anime Fair official website (Archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
 * Digimon Frontier: Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! on the Toei Animation Production Lineup website