Ahead of Digimon’s 30th anniversary in 2027, Toei Animation has launched Digimon: World’s Best Picks, a special programming event featuring Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers, and Digimon Frontier. Popular episodes from all four anime are returning to television based on votes from fans around the world.
New creditless opening and ending videos were also recently released, with the opening theme “SHAKARIKI!!,” performed by Ayumi Miyazaki and Takayoshi Tanimoto, quickly becoming a major talking point.
Beyond bringing together characters from all four series, the new opening saves its biggest surprise for the Digivolution sequence just before the chorus. Tai Kamiya, Davis Motomiya, Takato Matsuki, and Takuya Kanbara ditch their usual transformation routines and swap in iconic sequences from other generations instead.
Tai performs the Card Slash from Digimon Tamers, while Davis tries out Digimon Frontier’s Spirit Evolution. Takato and Guilmon borrow the DNA Digivolution sequence from Digimon Adventure 02, and Takuya gets the classic spinning Digivolution treatment from the original Digimon Adventure.
The deep-cut gag immediately sparked conversation on X, formerly Twitter. Fans praised the moment for letting each hero use another generation’s Digivolution sequence. Others joked that Takato and Guilmon suddenly pull off a DNA Digivolution, Tai starts slashing cards, and even Davis—who would normally command Veemon in battle—simply decides to Digivolve himself.
Takuya, meanwhile, is the only one of the four without a partner Digimon, since he already transforms and fights personally in his own series. That led fans to joke that “Takuya is basically the only one who hasn’t changed.” Ironically, that also makes him the most logical participant in this giant Digivolution swap—and a clever detail many longtime fans only caught on a second viewing.
Digimon: World’s Best Picks began airing on Fuji TV and other Japanese networks on October 4, 2026. Its first phase focuses on Digimon Adventure, rebroadcasting popular episodes selected by fans worldwide.