Was Bakugan Really for Kids? The Saddest Episode
Was Bakugan Really Meant for Kids? A Deep Dive into Its Saddest Episode I remember watching Bakugan on TV when I was younger. I tried watching a few episodes, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t really get into it, so I gave up.
Imagine my surprise when, in JUNE 2024, I stumbled upon a discussion on social media questioning whether Bakugan was truly for kids, all because of an incredibly sad episode.
Was Bakugan Really for Kids? The Saddest Episode
Bakugan premiered in Japan in 2007 and consisted of 52 episodes. After that, it spawned multiple seasons and ONA series. From what I could gather, the most recent series was Bakugan Legends in 2023, but I might be wrong.
Here, we’ll focus on the original 2007 anime, specifically Episode 12 of the first season, which revolves around Shun’s mother, one of the main characters in the series.
The episode focuses on Shun and his mother. Shun challenges the series’ protagonist, Dan, to battle nonstop because, apparently, when a Bakugan battle starts, time either stops or slows down significantly.
Shun did this because he knew his mother was going to die. Yes, in a children’s anime, one of the protagonists keeps battling just to slow down time and delay his mother’s death!
This led many to question: Was Bakugan truly an anime meant for kids?
US Version changed Shun’s Mon destiny
It seems that even when the anime was set to air in the West, those behind its distribution noticed this storyline and completely altered Shun’s mother’s fate.
Below, you can check out a video comparing the original Japanese version with the American version:
In the Japanese version, Shun’s mother DIES, and everyone in the room is left heartbroken. However, in the American version, Shun’s mother simply asks, “Why did you take so long?” and the doctors tell him, “Your mother will be fine.” In the Western version, she doesn’t die.
I don’t think it’s uncommon to see such serious, even deeply sad, plots in “kids’ anime.” I remember watching plenty of sad episodes as a child that surprised me when I rewatched them as an adult.
via Você Sabia Anime