Digimon Tamers, or Season/Series 3, as it’s also called, is a very unique season of the show, and I think, even without nostalgia glasses is one of the best seasons. It takes a new spin on the show that no other season did or has done since: this would be the fact that Digimon Tamers takes place in OUR world.

Just as in our world, in the Tamer’s universe, Digimon is a franchise . It has video games, TV shows, toys, and even a card game, which the characters play and use when battling Digimon. One of the Digimon human pairs even meet through the video game. It’s one of my favorite things about this series, since you can really picture yourself in this world, as the characters make jokes and references to shows you’ve seem. It adds something special to the show that the other seasons don’t have. Another thing I love about this season are the Digimon partners.
The previous 2 seasons had the kids ASSIGNED partners, they were destined for each other, and paired to counter or compliment the personalities of the kids. For instance, Joe is very cautious, while Gomamon is more relaxed and go-with-the-flow. Neither is bad, but they compliment each other well. What I like, with this change, in Tamers is that, instead of being destined partners must agree to work together. This means 2 things: 1 their personalities might not mesh as well, and 2, this may (and does) cause antics and issues between the partner. I love this, because it adds more character conflict in the story, and also gives the characters more diverse personalities.

My favorite pair is definitely Henry and Terriermon. I love how Terriermon’s want to fight pushes the passive Henry into learning that, sometimes, you have to fight to protect what you love. Along with this, in smaller ways, Terriermon and Henry spat with each other, usually with the former being snarky and not knowing when to shut up. There is also Rika and Renamon, who have to learn the opposite lesson. Another really fun pair is Takato and Geomon. They have a special case, because Takato created his partner by drawing him. However, this means Geomon, not having actually LIVED, has to learn how the world works, and only works of instinct. For a good part of the beginning, he even thinks Takato is a Digimon.

The pacing of the show, especially first time through, is something that may take some getting used to. Tamers takes its time introducing the characters, and world. However, in a rewatch, you realize how everything is connected, which makes it seem a lot faster. Regardless, though the show is differently-paced than the other seasons, it doesn’t make it bad.
Another difference between this series and all the others is the overall seriousness of the show. Though the others seasons dealt with serious topics, their overall tone was upbeat and happy. Tamers on the other hand has a lot more seriousness in it compared to its brother series. One of the characters even suffers from depression through the latter half! Previous characters had suffered from depressive moments but not for this long, nor did they show imagery this dark. I love it!

So, if you like a different take oar Digimon, and want something more serious, but a bit slower-paced, I highly recommend watching Digimon Tamers. It may not do as much with the characters as first season, but it’s still very entertaining and definitely a watch for anyone who is already into, or is getting into Digimon.