Bakugan: Battle Brawlers, Vol. 1

Filled with fighting action, fantasy monsters, action figures and collectible cards, Bakugan has it all, rendered in the stylized (and dubbed) anime method of animation that the Japanese have been exporting to the world since Speed Racer in the ’60s. Based on the popular strategic card-and-marbles game from Sega Toys and Spin Master, veteran cartoon writers Terry Klassen and Ward Perry create a universe where Dan—a mop-headed boy who is very brave but easy to panic—invents a game involving small marbles that explode into full-size dragons and demons that battle other players’ creatures. Using Special Ability cards, the human combatants give their fighters, well, special abilities to take on the enemy. The stories keep the excitement level high, but it’s the only emotional note in the whole show. Things never slow down for character development, but who cares? As it is, the first season’s five episodes are just what the primary 6-11 audience ordered.

Shelf Talk: Director Mitsuo Hashimoto, who had a hand in the ultra popular Dragon Ball Z, and Sega and Spin Master are investing a lot of energy into the somewhat dormant market exploited by the likes of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh. The field is wide open, and Dan and his marbles are beginning to rock the toy world.