One of the biggest things I noticed was how this episode fixed a fairly big misstep from "Digimon 02", namely the portrayal of Azulongmon. Here, he is appropriately serious and just an overall more deified presence. While the animation quality is MUCH better than in the previous episode (especially concerning the clash between the two big guys), the first half tends to feel drawn out. From the awkward scene of Zhuqiaomon chasing the force-field encased group, to the arguing between the two Sovereign digimon, to the kids taking an inexplicably long time to figure out Azulongmon's intentions, it all just hurts the pacing. The fact that the same shots of Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon's faces are shown multiple times with different dialogue doesn't help. Also, the former's outlook is unconvincing, as he clearly only trusts these kids because the plot requires it; if he's level-headed enough to recognize that the Devas struck first, you'd think he would have ordered some of them to be more diplomatic in their efforts.
The second half is much more interesting, with Azulongmon revealing the truth behind the history of the Digital World and the nature of the crisis at hand. In fact, the history of the D-Reaper is one of the cleverest bits of writing in this show, providing a credible reason for the usual "final enemy dormant until now" plot point. The bare minimum concerning this final enemy is revealed by none other than Shibumi, who has apparently been in a coma all this time; how exactly he managed to project his consciousness into the Digital World is unclear. Additionally, it's funny to note that this whole ordeal may have been circumvented if the Sovereign, who are supposed to share the responsibility of guarding the Digital World, would have had actual correspondence before one of them made a decision as crucial as hiding the POWER OF EVOLUTION and somehow losing it into the human world. Why Azulongmon doesn't show more remorse over this decision is beyond me.
Overall, with the exception of the secrets behind some really unsettling behavior from Jeri later on, this episode pretty much clarifies everything. The final scene of Calumon climbing the ravine, with the gelatinous chaos "bubbles" floating, is very foreboding, getting the ball rolling for the arrival of the D-Reaper.
The second half is much more interesting, with Azulongmon revealing the truth behind the history of the Digital World and the nature of the crisis at hand. In fact, the history of the D-Reaper is one of the cleverest bits of writing in this show, providing a credible reason for the usual "final enemy dormant until now" plot point. The bare minimum concerning this final enemy is revealed by none other than Shibumi, who has apparently been in a coma all this time; how exactly he managed to project his consciousness into the Digital World is unclear. Additionally, it's funny to note that this whole ordeal may have been circumvented if the Sovereign, who are supposed to share the responsibility of guarding the Digital World, would have had actual correspondence before one of them made a decision as crucial as hiding the POWER OF EVOLUTION and somehow losing it into the human world. Why Azulongmon doesn't show more remorse over this decision is beyond me.
Overall, with the exception of the secrets behind some really unsettling behavior from Jeri later on, this episode pretty much clarifies everything. The final scene of Calumon climbing the ravine, with the gelatinous chaos "bubbles" floating, is very foreboding, getting the ball rolling for the arrival of the D-Reaper.
