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[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.