I'm starting this thread because I have a friend whose son loves Pokemon and has recently developed a fascination with Bakugan. From what I understand they are both animated cartoons that broadcast on the Cartoon Network and they both have collectible cards that kids can trade and play games with.

Though I haven't really watched either show I did recently attempt to find additional information about Bakugan because my friend has a nagging feeling that the subject matter of the cartoon and related toys are for lack of better words "evil". So I told her I would try to see what I could find. So far I haven't been able to find much on either, however I did recently watch Bakugan on Cartoon Network, and I can't help but say that I get the same feeling that something is not right about the show. I told her maybe she shouldn't let the kids watch it if she's really getting bad vibes from the show.

I just find it really strange that the concept of the cartoon is about cards one day falling out of the sky for children to battle each other with in order to save creatures in another dimension (the Doom Dimension I believe) with the help of these little creatures that can become little magnetic balls. It just so happens that the same cards and little magnetic creatures in the cartoon are available for sale in the stores. The part that really gets me is that the cartoon more or less teaches kids how to battle with the Bakugans just like the characters in the cartoon do. Who ever heard of a cartoon primarily about roleplaying card battles that can actually be imitated or played in real life. Does anyone else find this rather odd?

At first I asked myself if I'm reading too much into it, but I really don't think so. I actually found the cartoon rather dull and boring, but these Bakugan are like the greatest thing since PS3, kids love them and their sold out whenever I go to the store. My question is what is the attraction. I would love to hear what other people have to say about this.

It's the same reason people in their 30s loved Transformers and people my age loved Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh. When you are a kid, the stories are great. The characters are relatable. It's not until you are older that you realize that alot of the plots didn't make much sense. But it's also when you are older that you remember "It may not have been very good, but it had some redeeming values." Children do not see the series as being their to sell toys- a spokeswoman for 4Kids once admitted that they take shows based on their advertsiers/marketability. Rather children love these characters because they seem real.
When Optimus Prime died, the people at Hasbro believed they were just getting rid of a toyline.
The children believed they murdered a hero and an icon.

Ummm...Actually, I still like Pokemon, and Digimon.
The characters were never really so relatable to me, and I've always pointed out the stupidity of much of the plot. But for some reason I still like it.
Maybe I'm just a very rare case?

its a plot to get more and more and more money.
think of how much money was spent on stupid pokemon cards.. ha.

an episode was banned for giving 700+ kids seizures in japan. wtf was so subliminal it made kids have seizures? they say it was a strobe light effect being projected through one of the pokemons eyes or something like that. psh. mind f*ck for sure.

http://animefan25.tripod.com/seizures.htm
http://www.virtualpet.com/vp/farm/pm...es/pmnews1.htm
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/17/japan.cartoon/

there are many different stories and versions of this seizure incident, but i do remember hearing it on the news.

Well here on IS I've seen many talk about manipulating energy, astral travelling and engaging in various other phenomena. So is it that farfetched to comtemplate the notion that the Bakugan cartoon series could be showing children how to tap into another dimension or another realm? Any takers on this question.

mmm pikachu....
the observed thought in my head.