shun-zam

[shun-zam]

Okay so I talked about this at length before but bakugan is really ambitious with the story it is telling in the length of time that it has.

In 52 episodes we meet our 6 main character, 5 main bakugan. But that’s not all. You have the masquerade and his bakugan, the rival crew and their bakugan (five more human and bakugan pairs to meet and learn the dynamics of) Christopher, Joe and Wavern. It’s a very bloated cast. And with a cast that size it’s amazing that so many characters got to shine and have arcs/character growth in the time that they had. They were very efficient and I’m still amazed.

However if I may fly close to the sun. As we are in the land scape of reboots let us look at a retelling instead. Because the main problem with Bakugan season 1 is it’s two short.

“But 52 episode isn’t short” you’re right. But think of what we could do if we had more time.

Like I said I’ve talked about this before but allow me to go again.

Take episodes 1-25 and expand them to be a full 52 episode season 1.

1-13 is fine this introduces our cast and their dynamics.

Episodes 14 - 18 is where the expansion happens. This is the segment where Billy, Chan-Lee, Klause, Julio, and Komba are working for Masquarde. Expand this. Have them be evil longer. And take down time (yes I know they didn’t have this because the goal isn’t sell toys but let me house on substance)

We end 18 like normal. Preyus is gone. Marucho is big sad. Let the Brawlers split up. But instead of Julie instantly going after Billy and freeing him, milk it.

Things to accomplish in no order.

Runo and Marucho centered episode (no Dan to the rescue) Runo trying to comfort Marucho when they are attacked by let’s say Chan-Lee and they have to work together to win. Bonus points if Alice is with them helping them strategize. Marucho is brawling for the first time in a long time without Preyus, he will need the help and support. Let them be friends supporting each other.

That brings up another part, as soon as Alice is present she is tagging along for Brawls. I mean from the airport episode onward. They say she is the team’s strategist, show me. Have her helping them with strategy and as the show goes onward the Brawlers need her help less and less. This shows the growth of the Brawlers as Characters while also make Alice an integral member of the team.

Dan and Shun’s fight. Make it last longer. Dan and Julie go off and face Komba.

Shun and Alice go off and get attacked by Julio. (We never see these match ups in the show and it would be fun to put their styles against each other)

Dan and Shun reunite and apologize (both were jerks) just in time for Billy and Klause to show up. Julie tries to get Billy to Brawl her/talk to her but Klause has no interest in collecting Gorem (yet) and Billy is still under the negative influence. Maybe Billy says something about his and Julie’s friendship being meaningless. Julie is obviously upset and Dan and Shun step in. The duel allows the two of them to parallel their own childhood friendship with Julie and Billy’s and that even though they went through a rough patch/circumstances changed (Shun’s mom died) their friendship still means a lot to them. Just line Billy’s friendship means a lot to Julie. It’s not enough to get through to Billy but it helps Julie feel less alone.

We met Julie’s sister. This does not have to be a Brawl. This can be as simple at her calling to check in on Julie and the Audience seeing how inferior Julie feels compared to her sister. (This can also be shown by her parent checking in and comparing the two girls, or by Billy being up Julie’s “perfect sister” as a way to taunt her) either way I want her brought up and stationed as this impossible standard that Julie feels she can never reach.

I also want Marucho’s parents to check in and for Marucho to struggle between pleasing them and being a Brawler. This is especially hard as he does not currently have Preyus.

Let this happen in the same episode. Let Julie and Marucho bond over having impossible standards thrusted upon them. Let them brawl together (I don’t think we ever see them tag battle)

Runo is still upset with Dan or something and her and Julie get into an argument. The two later get into a tag team brawl. Use this as a chance to show how Runo’s stubbornness can get them into trouble but also as a way to show the girls bonding as they work together. (Let them talk about something besides Dan)

Just more character interactions. More emphasis on their friendships. Dan and Shun’s childhood. Marucho getting support. Bring up the focus of Julie and Marucho’s trials earlier so that they hit harder later. INCLUDE ALICE MORE. Let Runo shine in more than just her relationship with Dan.

Also show their ranks going up (make it a big deal like the bounties in one piece)

(Again I know why the show moves so fast (toys) but let character relationships and dynamics matter)

Episode 19-22 is when the brawlers beat the rival crew for the last time. These match ups remain the same. And just think how much harder the Preyus reveal will hit if their is more time to see how his absence effects not only Marucho but the whole team (Runo’s fears about losing Tigrerra). Julie still saves Billy with the power of friendship. Shun still (unwillingly) gains a student in Komba. Dan, Runo and Marucho still fight in the triple battle.

End the season in one of two ways.

1) the Joe episodes.

Durning everything about they should still be suspicious of Joe.

The reveal of Hoe as a good guy and the reveal of Wavern powers should be a big moment.

End the season wondering who the Spy is and make it super dramatic that it is one of the Brawlers. One of the characters we just spent 52 episodes with.

2) end it on cannon episode 27

The second to last episode shows all the rivals being beaten by Masquerade

The last episode is Dan throwing himself into the doom dimension.

Let me know if you want the second half of this nonsense. I’ve talked about it a bit already, but I currently am on the last part of my Battle Brawlers rewatch and will be able to add more detail later

[shun-zam]

Oh I know I’m being very generous to Dan. (He is 11 and an idiot)

And I agree with you that Billy and Julie are absolutely the better versions of the childhood friends trope.

While I still think Dan and Shun friendship and past inform many of the decisions they make in the show. But I would also argue that the reason their friendship seems a lot more hallow and there for needs to be more read into is because of the length of season one.

It’s only 52 episode. Which seems like a lot. But when you look at all the show tries to accomplish…

Episodes 1-13 is them introducing the main cast AND the mechanics of the game/world. We are learning the dynamics of not just the human characters but also the humans and Bakugan.

Dan and Drago’s relationship- the backbone of the show. Both grow a lot throughout the series but they get a lot of focus in the first few episodes as they should.

Dan and Runo - setting up the friendship and love interest of the show

Runo and Tigrerra - a very different dynamic than Dan and Drago.

Dan, Runo and Marucho - with Marucho moving into younger brother role very quickly.

Marucho and Preyas - the comedian that gets the shy kid out of his shell.

Julie and Billy - while we see Julie is friends with the other brawlers the relationship that is most focused on is he and Billy. He pushes a lot of her character development. (And accomplish a lot in one episode, but that episode has no distractions from the other main cast or Masquerade)

Julie and Gorem - the little lady and her supportive guardian. Peppy cheerleader and strong and silent.

And finally Shun and Dan - childhood friends part 2

Shun and Skyress - the last gift from his mother and a surrogate mother

This is all established in 13 episodes. It is a bloated cast. 6 main characters (counting Alice/Masquerade) and 5 Bakugan. There are a lot of dynamics at work here and a LOT of room for character growth.

However episodes 14-22 introduce a second set of characters. This segment is all about fighting the top rank players (once to establish and once to ‘free’ them from masquerade)

This segment really lets Julie and Billy shine. The work they put in to set up the relationship between the two really pays off and is the emotional backbone of not only Julie’s character arc but also this arc in general.

The others are just people brawling strangers

Shun’s second brawl with Komba does a little bit with Dan and Shun’s relationship as well as Shun and Alice (definitely could have been done better, but again Shin and Dan are not the center of the episode like Julie and Billy are. While they are having disagreements and it gets resolved, it could have been handled better or differently.)

There is an emotional arc of Marucho losing and regaining Preyas. Forcing Marucho, Runo, and Dan to all learn and grow.

Then you have episodes 23 - 25 this is them trying to find the trader. And what do you know we introduce another main character in Joe.

Episodes 26 - 33 is the doom dimension arc.

Oh boy here is where the show is awesome but also struggles

Love seeing the main cast being willing to follow Dan and Drago to the Doom Dimension

Julie’s trial… her sister? I think I’ve seen one shot of a picture of her and her sister together before this episode. It feels really out of left field. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great episode, but Billy has been her main relationship and I’ve barely knew she had a sister. This might be a dub problem. Again great episode but could have been set up better.

Marucho’s trial is another that feels a little out of left field. Marucho’s parents seem like the least strict when we met them in the show. Crazy wealthy yes. But they also allow so many of Marucho’s friends to just crash over and they let them just take the plane out for a float traveling tour. (Again these are 11-12 year olds) the fact that Marucho hates how obedient he is to his parents is a great episode. It also could have been set up better if we spent more time with Marucho.

Shun’s trial. This feels needlessly cruel compared to the others. He’s battleing against his dead mother, I’ve already delved into my thoughts on this in detail so I won’t hear. But his trial feels emotional because we as an audience have been able to see his struggles with his mother’s death.

Runo’s trial is to be less ‘stubborn’ and accept her feelings for Dan. (I wish we got something more Runo focused. Her and Dan’s relationship is one of the more fleshed out so it’s a great character movement.)

Dan’s is realizing he has to beat all of his friends. (Dan’s will be the only trial that focuses on the maj. cast relationship. All other trails were character growth, which is wonderful, but they don’t show the cast relationships)

Episode 34 - 40 Dan and friends duking it out.

I get that everyone is annoyed that Dan has to beat them to complete his test. But also remeber that the goal is to “make the ultimate bakugan” which can only be done by battling high level bakugan.

Julie I love. Her standing on Gorem’s shoulder to push Dan to the limit. It definitely shows their relationship. (But it’s also so short. Not even half an episode dedicated to it)

The second half of the episode is about Marucho vs Dan. And while this shows off the new Preyus (Diablo and Angelo). It also shows off Marucho’s growth.

The next episode starts with the history between Wavern and Drago (wonderful I love an lore dump)

The second half is Dan/Drago vs Runo/tigrerra. This is a wonderful showcase of Runo and Dan’s growth as characters. It’s also the first time we see these two face off. They have always worked together up until now.

At the same time Masquerade is fighting Alice in the doom dimension. (This is so interesting. Why isn’t it its own episode???)

The Shun vs Dan battle is a rematch. It’s been built up. Shun’s the only one on the team that is above Dan in rank. As they go they are pushing each other. When it looks like Dan will lose Shun is the one calling out to him to keep going. Not the rest of the Brawlers who are there (and just had a whole conversation about who to cheer for)

Also side tangent but Skyress says to Drago “you used to be ferocious but now you’ve been tamed by your human” Drago denies this but it’s true. In the moment you think “well fair but is t that also true for Skyress and Shun?” It isn’t until NV that this line truly shows the difference between Dan/Drago and Shun/Skyress as when given the opportunity to return with there human partners to Earth, Drago is over joyed that he gets to stay with Dan. Skyress leaves Shun. (This is not saying she is a bad partner, she was just never tamed in the same way Drago was)

Then you have Dan vs Madqurade.

The. You have the Reveal(tm) and the consequences of this which is wonderfully handled.

We are right back to the races 41-45 the race through Vestroia.

Yes we get some fun moments between Shun and Marucho, Runo and Julie, and Dan and Masqurade/Alice.

Then we enter the final stretch. 46-52

Most of these episodes have the Brawlers teaming up with friends they have met along the way. Shun and Komba, Julie and Billy (the best duo), Alice and Christopher, etc.

And there are great moments sprinkled in. But the main focus of the final is Drago, Wavern, Dan, Naga, and Joe.

There are actually very few episodes that focus on the main cast inner relationships. It’s sprinkled in but there is very little down time. Which I love that we keep moving, but they honestly could have split this into two seasons. Give the cast time to breathe and show those relationships. The show does a great job with character development and the relationships between Brawler and Bakugan, but the relationships between the Brawlers could use more time.

I’m not saying they aren’t friends or that they are stagnant. But when you compare to let’s say the first two seasons of yugioh the characters were given plenty of time to grow and show off their friendships.

Julie and Billy shine because they have full episodes dedicated to just them. They also have an arc in which that friendship in integral to saving Billy.

Shun and Dan are childhood friends but outside of Shun’s introduction their relationship is background. It is brought up in moments but very rarely gets the opportunity to shine. You have to look for it and read into actions. They are in the same side, they push each other. And while I wish there was more, I also see why there isn’t. Julie and Billy already hit that trope really hard (not to mention they have the childhood crush aspect) and it is hard to do the same thing twice and keep it fresh.

Again if they had more time to show off the relationships between all the brawlers I think everyone would have benefited.

Make episodes 1-25 be the first 52 episodes.

Once have Billy, Chan, Klaus, Julio, and Komba stay bad for longer. Have them Brawl more often/be a bigger threat. (Maybe have them attacking other people besides the brawlers)

extend the time that they suspect Joe.

Take episodes for down time.

Let Shun and Dan have a double battle against Komba and Chan, or have Billy say something mean to Julie and have their friendship parallel Julie and Billy’s.

Let Marucho sit in the lost of Preyus. Let the lost of his bakugan make him question the new version of himself. Introduce that conflict of him wanting to be perfect for his parents vs being a Brawler. Show how his relationships with Preyus and the others effect him (don’t just tell me it does in his trial)

Introduce Julie’s sister. Maybe we meet her. Maybe Billy brings her up in one of their Brawls.

Runo and Dan are both hotheads show how that can get them both into trouble and how the OTHERS respond. We see Dan and Runo argue and make up. But how about an episode centered on Julie and Runo where Runo’s stubbornness gets them into trouble and Julie has to get them out. Same for Dan and Shun/Marucho/Alice.

Show Alice as an internal part of the team. Have her tag along more in the early brawls as a strategies and have them need her help less and less as they come into their own as Brawlers.

End the season with the reveal that Joe isn’t the bad guy and the question of who is.

Or better yet end it with Dan going to the Doom Dimension.

What I want is more episode like the one where Alice helps Christopher. And not as a ‘remeber that Alice is useful’ but as character growth across the board.

Season 2 is 26-52

Let them take their time with their trials. Now that we have more set up Julie and Marucho’s trials will hit harder.

Also the absence of Alice should be felt everywhere. She’s their friend why isn’t she there.

You can have a few episodes of the characters surviving in the Doom Dimension. It’s not a friendly place. We’ve built it up to be the place “Bakugan fear the most. Show me.

Once the trials are done we move on to Dan battling it out with the others.

Let them each have their own episode to shine. Focus on just one the characters showing off how strong they’ve gotten but also their relationships (Julie and Shun do this well but show me more)

Also let’s focus a bit on Joe and Wavern and integrate them into this team.

Once we reveal Alice is Masquerade sit in it. Let all the characters be effected by this. Show me how it hurts. If she was around more and more useful to the team both the Brawlers and the Audience would be more effected.

When it’s time to go to Vestroia maybe we can take some more time. Show off the dynamics of not just Shun and Marucho but Preyus and Skyress. Same for everyone else.

I love the final 10ish episodes and think they are really well done. But they will hit harder if we had more time with these characters and got to flesh them out.

The show is amazing and accomplishes a lot with the time they have. But everything that they do accomplish feels wasted when New Vestroia ditches over half the cast.

Runo and Julie are regulated to cheerleaders

We barely see Alice.

Billy and a select few others pop in.

There is no Joe.

And while Dan, Shun, and Marucho grow a lot of time is spent with the new character (as it should be) and I love them. I love New Vestroia and the story it tells. I just wish we didn’t cut so many characters to get there.

There’s a lot of great character dynamics that are never explored or have limited exploration.

Dan and Shun are childhood friends. This affects them. But it is never front and center. Marucho is the little brother of the group, very rarely does this proved any impact to the story.

It doesn’t help that even though the bakugan can come back to earth we don’t see any of the Brawlers from this era in Bakugan interspace (either in season 3 or 4) like it wouldn’t hurt to show Chan and Fortress battleing in interspace as we pan to whatever the brawlers are doing. It doesn’t have to be an episode but it be nice to see them again (even nicer if she was tag teaming with Joe)

I love Bakugan for what it is. I agree with you Julie and Billy are the superior childhood friends.

But as a whole I think Bakugan has a lot of missed character opportunities. I love Dan and Shun and the limited relationship we get. I want more. Just like I want more of Marucho and everyone. Alice and Everyone, etc.

Okay I know this fandom is like dead dead. But my dog passed away and I’m on a nostalgia kick

So I’ve been rewatching Bakugan Battle Brawlers. And I have many thoughts.

I restarted in season one and oh boy do these characters grow a lot over the series. And while I love the series for what it is there are some cha gens I would make.

Season one is solid but I see a lot of post on here saying that the show doesn’t do anything with the Dan and Shun’s childhood friendship. First your wrong, that fact very much effects both characters and how they interact with each other.

Shun is obviously processing the loss of his mother and pulling in ward. Dan has no idea how to support his friend in this. (He’s like 11 and has never listed anyone.) so he tells the other brawlers that Shun “left the game” or is a “Flake” which you can ready as Dan being insensitive, or as Dan knowing Shun a) wants to be alone (he’s shut Dan out) and b) shouldn’t or can’t deal with this right now (the bakugan being taken by Masquerade) Dan saying that Shun’s a quitter might be his way of trying to get the others to leave Shun out of it and give the kid time to grieve.

Of course Runo and Marucho go to see Shun anyway and get their buts handed to them.

When Dan finds out he’s angry with them. Why? Because they didn’t listen to you? Or because you didn’t want them dragging Shun into this?

When Dan goes to see Shun he sneaks past all the ninja traps no problem. I saw someone else on here point out that it’s a great detail to show how often Dan has been over to Shun’s grandfather’s dojo. And it is a lovely way of driving home that they are friends.

Season one does a lot of character work and while all the character bonds are important the standouts (besides each Brawlers bond with their Bakugan) is Dan and Shun and Dan and Runo. They have the most focus as individual bonds (the next closest would be Julie and Billy or Alice and everyone)

One moment though that I wish that they did to really drive home that Dan and Shun are/have always been best friends is in episode 28? Shun makes the decision to lose to Masquerade so he can follow Dan into the Doom Dimension.

But during this episode a big plot is Dan’s mom trying to find out where Dan went. She goes and she talks to Runo. Understandable. Runo lives in town. Dan is always over that the restaurant. It makes sense to ask her.

But I wish she called Shun. And I can excuse this. Maybe she didn’t know Shun was in town (hard to imagine Dan didn’t mention it) or maybe it was easier to find Runo. So I can forgive Dan’s mom reaching out to Runo.

But if you really want to drive home the childhood friend’s thing, have Shun be the one to call her. Their moms were obviously acquaintances if not friends. It makes sense that if Shun heard Dan’s mom was looking for him, he would reach out and tell her not to worry that he would bring her son back soon.

This also mirrors the idea of loss. Shun lost his mom. Mrs. Kuso lost her son (temporarily) I just think it could have made a nice parallel.

[shun-zam]

So as I rewatch Bakugan Battle Brawlers

I’m on episode 31. This feels like emotional torture. Like I get that it is a trial, but this one feels needlessly cruel.

Maybe it’s a dub thing but Julie’s problems with her sister (while wonderfully done and adds a lot of depth to Julie’s character) feels kinda of sudden.

Marucho’s relationship with his parent and his distain for his past-self is in the show but not in your face. (Again might be a dub thing)

But Shun’s mom!!! Like yes the dub tries to play off the fact that she dies but like you can tell. This trauma has followed Shun the whole show. And now it’s time for his trial, let make him face a younger version of his mom who just wants to spend time with him. Oh let’s also make her say these little comments that will reminded Shun of the mother he just lost.

Top it all off with the fact that the trial takes place in a world where time is frozen. The sun won’t go down. As long as it doesn’t set Shun can stay with his mom.

This is a direct parallel to what he tried to accomplish when battling Dan while his mom was dying. If he could keep playing forever then his mom wouldn’t die. She couldn’t leave him, because time was frozen.

Like his trial seems so much crueler and emotionally raw than the other Brawlers.

[shun-zam]

Okay I know this fandom is like dead dead. But my dog passed away and I’m on a nostalgia kick

So I’ve been rewatching Bakugan Battle Brawlers. And I have many thoughts.

I restarted in season one and oh boy do these characters grow a lot over the series. And while I love the series for what it is there are some cha gens I would make.

Season one is solid but I see a lot of post on here saying that the show doesn’t do anything with the Dan and Shun’s childhood friendship. First your wrong, that fact very much effects both characters and how they interact with each other.

Shun is obviously processing the loss of his mother and pulling in ward. Dan has no idea how to support his friend in this. (He’s like 11 and has never listed anyone.) so he tells the other brawlers that Shun “left the game” or is a “Flake” which you can ready as Dan being insensitive, or as Dan knowing Shun a) wants to be alone (he’s shut Dan out) and b) shouldn’t or can’t deal with this right now (the bakugan being taken by Masquerade) Dan saying that Shun’s a quitter might be his way of trying to get the others to leave Shun out of it and give the kid time to grieve.

Of course Runo and Marucho go to see Shun anyway and get their buts handed to them.

When Dan finds out he’s angry with them. Why? Because they didn’t listen to you? Or because you didn’t want them dragging Shun into this?

When Dan goes to see Shun he sneaks past all the ninja traps no problem. I saw someone else on here point out that it’s a great detail to show how often Dan has been over to Shun’s grandfather’s dojo. And it is a lovely way of driving home that they are friends.

Season one does a lot of character work and while all the character bonds are important the standouts (besides each Brawlers bond with their Bakugan) is Dan and Shun and Dan and Runo. They have the most focus as individual bonds (the next closest would be Julie and Billy or Alice and everyone)

One moment though that I wish that they did to really drive home that Dan and Shun are/have always been best friends is in episode 28? Shun makes the decision to lose to Masquerade so he can follow Dan into the Doom Dimension.

But during this episode a big plot is Dan’s mom trying to find out where Dan went. She goes and she talks to Runo. Understandable. Runo lives in town. Dan is always over that the restaurant. It makes sense to ask her.

But I wish she called Shun. And I can excuse this. Maybe she didn’t know Shun was in town (hard to imagine Dan didn’t mention it) or maybe it was easier to find Runo. So I can forgive Dan’s mom reaching out to Runo.

But if you really want to drive home the childhood friend’s thing, have Shun be the one to call her. Their moms were obviously acquaintances if not friends. It makes sense that if Shun heard Dan’s mom was looking for him, he would reach out and tell her not to worry that he would bring her son back soon.

This also mirrors the idea of loss. Shun lost his mom. Mrs. Kuso lost her son (temporarily) I just think it could have made a nice parallel.