What Is Digimon? The Franchise That Began With a Digital Pet, Explained by Marine

Article

Before it was an anime, Digimon was a digital pet you carried in your pocket.

From Virtual Pet to Media Franchise

Digimon began with the 1997 Digital Monster virtual pet, created by Akiyoshi Hongo. Digimon Adventure (1999), the franchise's first anime series, was produced by Toei Animation, and the franchise has since expanded across anime, manga, games, and trading cards.

Still Going at 30

A brand-new TV anime series was announced August 1, 2026, airing in 2027 to mark the franchise's 30th anniversary.

What To Know

Digimon's origin as a virtual pet — rather than a manga or game first — makes it a genuinely distinct case among major anime franchises, and its consistent stream of new anime series (ten so far) shows an unusually sustained, decades-long creative output.

Digimon Adventure was produced by Toei Animation — see TBM's Toei Animation guide for how this franchise connects to the studio's wider portfolio, alongside Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Sailor Moon.

What Fans Are Saying

• "Starting as a virtual pet is such a unique origin for a franchise this big."
• "Ten anime series over the years is a serious track record."
• "Excited for a real new series for the 30th anniversary."

Original Japanese

• 「デジタルペットから始まったというのは本当にユニークな出発点ですね」
• 「これまで10作品ものアニメが作られているのはすごい実績です」
• 「30周年に完全新作というのは楽しみです」

Easy Japanese

デジモンは、1997年のデジタルペットから始まったフランチャイズです。アニメやゲームなどで展開しています。