Digimon Producer Opens Up on Where Pokémon Failed Kids

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While the Pokémon series is far more financially successful than the Bandai and Toei Animation franchise, Hiromi Seki, the original producer of the Digimon anime, believes Digimon excels in a key way that Pokémon doesn’t.

The hit documentary series “Anime Manga Explosion” recently featured an episode about the popularity of Digimon in Japan. During the program, producer Seki explained that the Pokémon anime, which first aired in 1997, provided a blueprint for how her team approached adapting Digimon for television. Seki observed that when she asked children what they thought of Pokémon, many felt the series prioritized being cute over being powerful. As one child put it, “Pikachu is cute, but it could be so much stronger if they let it!” Seki realized the show seemed intentionally focused on maintaining that adorable image.

Pokémon’s Pikachu Became Model for What Not to Do for Digimon Anime

Similar to Pokémon, Digimon began as a virtual pet game where players raised and cared for digital monsters. When the first Digimon TV show was being created, the developers aimed for cooler designs to attract kids who were starting to move past Pokémon. A key part of Digimon‘s move into animation was the work of monster designer Watanabe Kenji, who took the initial 14 pixelated Digimon and developed them into detailed creatures that were featured in things like encyclopedias and art books.

The appealing, ‘cute’ image of Pokémon has both helped and hindered the franchise. When considering how to bring the anime to American viewers, Haim Saban, co-founder of Saban Entertainment, predicted it wouldn’t succeed. However, that prediction proved incorrect. The creators of Digimon, Seki and Kenji, intentionally took a different route with their monster designs. “I made sure to show muscles and veins,” Kenji said, displaying a drawing of the dinosaur-like Agumon. “I could have made them cute, but they’re monsters, after all.”

The first season centers on eight children who find themselves stuck inside a digital world. They quickly each partner with a Digimon, a creature that evolves and changes form as the children overcome obstacles, grow as people, and learn important life lessons. As the show goes on, the Digimon designs become even more impressive, with some inspired by classic giant robot shows. According to creator Kenji, he doesn’t just want to create cute characters; he wants to add a unique, slightly unsettling edge. He strives for a balance between adorable and a little bit creepy, aiming to create a feeling of unease.

The Digimon franchise remains incredibly successful 30 years after it first launched, boasting a net worth of $2 billion. The latest installment, which premiered in October 2025, has earned rave reviews from critics and dedicated fans alike. Digimon Story: Time Stranger, the seventh game in the popular Digimon Story series, was released globally on October 3, 2025, and is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S as of October 29th.

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2025-10-30 16:37