Sora Takenouchi
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character in the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 series Digimon Adventure
Digimon Adventure
is a Japanese animated television series created in 1999 by Toei Animation based on the Digimon virtual pet made by Bandai. It is the first series of the Digimon anime "metaseries"...

and Digimon Adventure 02
Digimon Adventure 02
, also commonly referred as Digimon Zero Two, is the direct sequel to the previous series and takes place three years after the original series. With most of the original characters now in junior high school, the Digital World was supposedly secure and peaceful. However, a new evil has appeared in...

. First appearing in the film Digimon Adventure (1999), Sora has made regular appearances in the television series as a main character and also in other supplementary medias.

As one of the DigiDestined, Sora is partnered with Biyomon
Biyomon
Biyomon is a Digimon creature from the Japanese Digimon media franchise that comprises anime, manga, toys, video games, trading card games and other media. Her name derived from the onomatopoeia for , Biyomon is a small bird with much curiosity whose wings double as arms that she uses to grip objects...

 and is also the rightful holder of the .

Description

Sora is Tai Kamiya's best friend and was on the same soccer team as him and Izzy. Despite being somewhat of a tomboy, she takes caution in the Digital World because of Tai's recklessness. She is the mother figure of the DigiDestined. Sora is the daughter of a famous ikebana
Ikebana
is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as .-Etymology:"Ikebana" is from the Japanese and . Possible translations include "giving life to flowers" and "arranging flowers".- Approach :...

 artist and an anthropology professor at Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...

.

In the sequel, Digimon Adventure 02
Digimon Adventure 02
, also commonly referred as Digimon Zero Two, is the direct sequel to the previous series and takes place three years after the original series. With most of the original characters now in junior high school, the Digital World was supposedly secure and peaceful. However, a new evil has appeared in...

, Sora has a more feminine appearance. She has taken upon tennis instead of soccer after receiving a leg injury, causing her mother to request her to quit. At the same time, Sora begins learning flower arranging from her mother. She adores the younger DigiDestined as an older sister, but worries about her relationship with Tai.

Pilot film

Sora first appeared in the short pilot film Digimon Adventure (1999), which was combined as the first part of Digimon: The Movie
Digimon: The Movie
Digimon: The Movie is a 2000 American film adaptation of the first three Japanese Digimon films distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film used footage from the films Digimon Adventure , Our War Game!! , and Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!! / Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals .In comparison to...

(2000) was localized. The film depicts her first encounter with a Digimon as a young child.

In the television series

Succeeding the film, Sora is a main character in the television series Digimon Adventure
Digimon Adventure
is a Japanese animated television series created in 1999 by Toei Animation based on the Digimon virtual pet made by Bandai. It is the first series of the Digimon anime "metaseries"...

(1999). In this series, Sora is in fifth grade and is eleven years old.

In the sequel, Digimon Adventure 02
Digimon Adventure 02
, also commonly referred as Digimon Zero Two, is the direct sequel to the previous series and takes place three years after the original series. With most of the original characters now in junior high school, the Digital World was supposedly secure and peaceful. However, a new evil has appeared in...

, Sora appears less frequently due to relinquishing her abilities to Yolei Inoue
Yolei Inoue
Yolei Inoue, known in Japan as , is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Digimon Adventure 02. Yolei made a brief cameo in the film Our War Game! before debuting as one of the regular characters in Digimon Adventure 02....

, but still volunteers when needed. Taking place roughly four years after Digimon Adventure (three years in the original version), Sora is now in tenth grade and fifteen years old (eighth grade and fourteen years old in the original version). Near the end of the series, Sora falls in love with Matt
Yamato "Matt" Ishida
Yamato "Matt" Ishida, known as simply in Japan, is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02. Although his first name is "Yamato", in the English version, he primarily goes by his dub-given nickname, Matt...

, and in the epilogue they are married with a daughter and a son, both of whom are partnered with a Yokomon and Tsunomon respectively. She has also become a famous fashion designer.

In the video games

Sora makes a cameo as a non-playable character in the WonderSwan
WonderSwan
was a line of handheld game consoles produced in Japan by Bandai between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai...

 game Digimon Adventure: Anode/Cathode Tamer
Digimon Adventure: Anode/Cathode Tamer
Digimon: Anode/Cathode Tamer is one of two Digimon WonderSwan games that are available in English. It combines two separate Japanese games, Digimon Adventure: Anode Tamer, and Digimon Adventure: Cathode Tamer, into one...

, where she is captured by Milleniummon and jailed with T.K. until Ryo Akiyama comes to their rescue.

In the game Digimon Tamers: Brave Tamer, Sora and Biyomon are attacked by Meramon, and Ryo has the option to save her over Yolei
Yolei Inoue
Yolei Inoue, known in Japan as , is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Digimon Adventure 02. Yolei made a brief cameo in the film Our War Game! before debuting as one of the regular characters in Digimon Adventure 02....

 and Rika. Following the end of the battle, he allows Biyomon to join his party.

In other films

In the film Our War Game! (2000), the second part of the localized Digimon: The Movie, which takes place on the spring break after Digimon Adventure, Sora appears but does not participate in the battle due to an argument with Tai.

When the film featurette release of Digimon Hurricane Landing! and its second part, Supreme Evolution! The Golden Digimentals, which also made the third part of Digimon: The Movie, Sora is captured by Wendigomon during his search for Willis and is de-aged until Davis and Willis defeat him. Due to Digimon Hurricane Landing!/Supreme Evolution! The Golden Digimentals being heavily cut when the movie was localized for Digimon: The Movie, this subplot was removed in the English version.

The sequel of Our War Game!, Revenge of Diaboromon (2001), takes place on the spring break after Digimon Adventure 02. Again, Sora is unable to participate in the battle due to her train being halted at tennis camp.

In the CD dramas

Sora is featured in supplementary audio dramas released on CD during the television series' run, most of which consist of miscellaneous adventures with the other DigiDestined that do not relate to the overall plot of the show. These include Sora having her own radio show.

In an audio drama released years after the end of Digimon Adventure 02, which takes place between Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02, Sora is heard getting closer to her mother and learning how to play tennis.

Development

Sora's character was designed for the pilot movie storyboard by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. In an exclusive interview released with the Digimon Adventure DVD box on December 21, 2007, producer Satoru Nishizono revealed that as the staff had agreed on deciding Tai's name, he had tried to name the other characters similarly with kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...

 that related to "luck."

In Japan, excluding the pilot film Digimon Adventure, all of Sora's appearances were voiced by Yūko Mizutani
Yuko Mizutani
is a Japanese voice actress working for Production Baobab.-Notable voice roles:*Alfimi, Katana & Byakuya in Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier EXCEED*Andrea Zuckerman in Beverly Hills, 90210*Anri in Bubblegum Crisis*Apple in Zillion...

. Ai Maeda  and Umi Tenjin
Umi Tenjin
is a Japanese voice actor.-TV:*Battle B-Daman *Cojicoji *Digimon Adventure *Digimon Adventure 02 *Digimon Frontier *Digimon Savers *Digimon Xros Wars...

  had also auditioned for Sora, but were casted as Mimi
Mimi Tachikawa
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02. First appearing in the film Digimon Adventure , Mimi has made regular appearances in the television series as a main character and also in other supplementary medias.As one of the DigiDestined, Mimi...

 and Izzy respectively.

In the English dub, Colleen O'Shaughnessey
Colleen O'Shaughnessey
Colleen Ann O'Shaughnessey is an American voice actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Sora from the first and second seasons of Digimon , Jazz Fenton in Danny Phantom, Ino Yamanaka and Konohamaru in Naruto.She has also worked in the video game industry where she voiced Genis Sage in...

 provides her voice, although she did audition for other roles in the show.

Merchandise

During the run of the television series Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02, Sora was included in merchandise such as trading cards. In Japan, her character was also given three theme songs: , "Shiny Days", and . All songs were performed by her voice actress, Yūko Mizutani
Yuko Mizutani
is a Japanese voice actress working for Production Baobab.-Notable voice roles:*Alfimi, Katana & Byakuya in Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier EXCEED*Andrea Zuckerman in Beverly Hills, 90210*Anri in Bubblegum Crisis*Apple in Zillion...

. Her character CD single, , which also included Biyomon's (Atori Shigematsu) solo and their duet , was released on July 26, 2000. It failed to chart on the Oricon Weekly Charts
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

.

Reception

In a series of online polls conducted on Toei Animation's
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...

Digimon website, Sora was ranked 5th by Japanese voters as Favorite DigiDestined . When the same question was asked two more times, her rank remained at 5th but fell to 8th. . In addition to this, Sora is ranked 1st as whom the voters would want as an older sister and as the best-looking DigiDestined in the summer.
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