Bandai has been releasing their weekly installments of Digimon Seekers, and it’s fine for what it is. There is still much room for growth, but I will sit here being hopeful.
Digimon Seekers is the companion story for their Vital Bracelet fitness tracker game. The Vital bracelet is a basic fitness tracker that lets you train and level up your favorite character from one of Bandai’s popular IPs. I will be focusing on Digimon, but you can also have characters from shows like My Hero Academia or Ultra Man.
The Digimon Vital bracelets have a vast selection you can choose from to level and take on adventures with you. You train your Digimon by staying active. Your Digimon earns XP based on the steps you take or exercises you complete. It isn’t a particularly advanced tracker like you would get with a Fitbit, but it has the added benefit of having a cute little character to motivate you to stay active. Once your Digimon is leveled up, you can transfer it to the official companion app where you can battle other players, join tournaments, or participate in special events. If you are thinking of getting a Vital Bracelet, the Vital Bracelet BE is the latest edition and the best place to start.
UPDATE: Didn’t think this was going to blow up so I wanted to amend my statement. I chose to link the VV bracelet because it comes with a dim. If you are a fan of the Ghost Game anime, this is the newest generation of the watch on the show. This version still runs BE memories, but it may be too loud for some. The Vital Be is available in Black and White as seen on top. These won’t come with BE memory chips (where the Digimon are stored). You can get some of the older dims for cheap or get them imported from a retailer that you trust. I saw a few on Amazon, but they were kind of expensive. Older chips aren’t as strong, but they’re nice if you’re starting a collection.
To sell more of this toy, Bandai has Digimon Seekers to give the toy some meaningful lore to go with it. As of writing this post, the first eight chapters of this web novel are available on the official website with a new one coming out every Sunday. So far, the story is okay. There are some syntax errors and some poor translation, but it is fine for what it is. It is written for a younger audience, so expect the language and imagery to be on the simpler side. The story does a solid job of introducing the conflicting factions, building the world, and showing off its cute mascots. There isn’t enough for a proper critique, but it is a promising start.
I am excited about this project, and I hope it gets the traction it needs to grow into something worth reading. It is too early to tell for sure, but I can be hopeful. I love the idea of different mediums collaborating to make a unique experience. Fans will be able to get the lore from the novel and videos, carry their Digimon while they go about their day, and even connect with people from around the world who also love the hobby. I am always fascinated by the idea of people from different walks of life communicating through a single hobby.
I love Digimon, so there is a clear bias. I will follow it until it isn’t worth it, but until then, I am all in. So far, I love the neo-Tokyo aesthetic and the tone the story is starting to take. Make sure you go check it out if you want some more Digimon in your life. Don’t forget to watch the trailers, and listen to the audiobook if you understand Japanese.
Edit 2: I have since started revising the published chapters. The story will be the same, I just fixed some of the issues I had with the translation to make it sound nicer. Go check it out and let me know what you think!
Images taken from the official Bandai website. I don’t own them.