Digimon (Franchise)

Digimon is a Japanese media franchise created in 1997, originally beginning as digital pet toys and later expanding into anime, manga, video games, films, and trading cards. The franchise follows digital creatures living in a parallel “Digital World” and became especially popular after the release of *Digimon World* and its anime adaptations. By 2000, *Digimon* had already generated more than $500 million in sales and grown into a major global entertainment franchise.