Digimon Data Squad

Digimon Data Squad, known in Japan as Digimon Savers, is the fifth anime television series in the Digimon franchise, produced by Toei Animation. The series aired in Japan on Fuji TV from April 2006 to March 2007. A standalone film based on the series was released on December 9, 2006.
An English-language version was produced by Studiopolis, in conjunction with Toei Animation USA and Disney Enterprises, Inc., and aired in North America on Toon Disney's Jetix block from October 2007 to November 2008.

Plot

The Digital Accident Tactics Squad is a government organization established to maintain the peace between the Real World and the Digital World, transporting any Digimon back to the Digital World. Marcus, a junior high school student, becomes one of the members for the organization. He learns that the Digimon Merukimon is opposing mankind. However, the past is revealed that the scientist Akihiro Kurata was responsible for invading the Digital World. He gained the support of the government to oppose all Digimon species, claiming they were a threat to mankind. When Kurata uses Belphemon, Marcus defeats them. Before dying, Kurata uses a bomb to make the Digital World merge with the human world. While the Digimon BanchoLeomon prevents the collision, Marcus meets King Drasil, the supreme ruler who attempts to protect the Digital World by destroying mankind, since they cannot exist in both dimensions. Marcus learns that his father, Spencer, was trapped in the Digital World for ten years, because Drasil possessed Spencer's body and BanchoLeomon kept the latter's soul. After Marcus defeats Drasil, Spencer's soul returns to his body. With both worlds restored, all Digimon partners return to their own world. Five years later, Marcus and his friends embrace their future.

Characters

Main characters

;Marcus Damon
;Agumon
;Thomas H. Norstein
;Gaomon
;Yoshino Fujieda
;Lalamon
;Keenan Crier
;Falcomon

Recurring characters

DATS

;Richard Sampson
;Kudamon
;Miki Kurosaki
;PawnChessmon Black
;Megumi Shirakawa
;PawnChessmon White
;Homer Yushima

Family members

;Sarah Damon
;Kristy Damon
;Biyomon
;Spencer Damon
;BanchoLeomon
;Franz Norstein
;Relena Nortstein
;Thomas's grandmother
;Kevin Crier and Michelle Crier
;Ruka Crier

Other recurring characters

;Hashima

Antagonists

;King Drasil

Merukimon's group

;Merukimon
;Gotsumon
;SaberLeomon

Akihiro Kurata's Army

;Akihiro Kurata
;Gizumon
;Belphemon
;Kouki Tsubasa
;Nanami
;Ivan

Royal Knights

The Royal Knights are the minions of King Drasil. Besides Kentaurosmon, they consist of:
;Craniamon
;Dynasmon
;Gallantmon
;Leopardmon
;LoadKnightmon
;Magnamon
;Omnimon
;UlforceVeedramon

Episodes

Production

The series was announced during the December 2005 Jump Festa convention in Japan with advertisements showing a remolded Agumon as the lead Digimon. The name of the series was later revealed in January 2006 with the character designs coming a month later. The characters were designed by Sayo Aoi. It is the final Digimon series to be produced in 4:3.

Media

Anime

The series aired 48 episodes on Fuji TV in Japan from April 2, 2006, to March 25, 2007. On April 25, 2007, Disney's ABC Network announced that it had signed an agreement with Toei Animation to license the show. Much of the staff that worked on Digimon: Digital Monsters, including director Jeff Nimoy, returned to work on Data Squad. The series finished airing in the US on Jetix on November 1, 2008, thirteen months after it premiered on October 1, 2007.
It was announced on February 12, 2009 that Toei Animation has signed Well Go USA with the DVD rights to Digimon Data Squad, and the first thirteen US edited English dub episodes were made available on May 26, 2009. The release of the third DVD set was canceled.
Madman Entertainment have released all episodes across four sets on Region 4 DVD in Australia and New Zealand with only the US English Edited TV dub by Studiopolis. Brazil had released several DVDs of the show. In 2014, Cinedigm Entertainment obtained the rights to the release of the season. A Complete Collection was released on March 11, 2014, in the US.

Theme songs

;Opening themes

"Gōing! Going! My soul!!" by Dynamite SHU
*Episodes: 1-29
"Hirari" by Kōji Wada
*Episodes 30-48

;Ending themes

"One Star" by Yousuke Itou
*Episodes: 1-24
"Ryūsei" by MiyuMiyu
*Episodes: 25-47

;Insert song:

"Believer" by Ikuo
Film

Video games

The anime received five related video games.

Digimon World DS features several Digimon Data Squad characters, but does not focus on them. As the game was released internationally before Data Squad was dubbed into different languages, it retains the original Japanese names of the DATS team, who appear in certain quests.
Digimon World Data Squad focuses on the primary characters of the anime, but tells a different story from it. It involves the members of DATS coming into conflict with the Seven Great Demon Lords.
Digimon World: Dawn and Dusk are sequels to Digimon World DS with slightly different stories from each other. At the end of the game, the four main characters from Data Squad appear to battle the main character.
Digimon Masters is an MMORPG where players assume the roles of the DATS team members.