Bakugan is finally moving in Japan and New vestroia (Season 2) bakugan are now available to our Japanese friends. With the Season 2 release, Japan is also getting a special bakugan series called "BakuTech" which feature Bakugan that have parts that you can remove and connect with other Bakugan from the same series. So far 2 Bakugan from this series have been released which is the Flare Dragonoid and Death Munikis that has stirred quite an interest from the Bakugan community because of it exclusivity to Japan and the new concept of removable parts. We've managed to get a hold of both of these Bakugan (a prototype/unofficial version) from Ebay as we were curious about the differences with the north american bakugan and what made this Bakugan exclusive to the Japanese Market.

Pyrus Flare Dragonoid - First Impressions

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Flare Dragonoid is one impressive Bakugan. The Japanese are known for their keen attention to detail and love for robotics and this Bakugan which is exclusive to Japan is combined proof of this. The detailing on this Bakugan is amazing and the paint markings are top notch which is very rare to see on a mass produced product. From the videos we've seen, the prototype that we got seem to use the same paint quality as the official product. We are not sure about the markings if they are 100% correct and we might be a missing a few paint markings. The plastic material used for the mold is also different and is also one reason why we decided to import this Bakugan. The final product has an overall glossy finish on both the base plastic and the paint markings. The added sheen is very welcome as almost all released Bakugan have the dull and flat look. The detailing also appears to be more sharper and refined as the plastic masterial used could be a bit more harder and can easily retain better detail during the molding process. The only downside to a harder material is this Bakugan is probably more prone to breaking and cracking while we all know we can drop our american marbles from a considerable height without any worry.

The color scheme is also different and paint markings also cover or appear more on the Bakugan which is a little uncommon. The white color chosen as the dominant paint marking color is also way better than the tan color used with the North American Pyrus marbles. The glossy finish on the yellow paint is also nice and it makes the color stand out even if it was only applied to few parts on the Bakugan like the horns and the eyebrows.

Better G-Power Text and Amazing Detail

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Again the quality and the detailing on this Bakugan is amazing. The diamond pattern on the top of the head is usually just a paint marking for any Bakugan but this Bakugan uses an actual part sandwiched between the 2 parts that make up the head piece. The other detailing on this bakugan feel more balanced compared to the "all-out" style that we are seeing with most of the new Gundalian Invaders series. With the exception of the diamond pattern on the top of it's head, almost all of the parts create a pretty solid marble form. Some Gundalian Invaders Bakugan feature parts that stick out and could potentially affect your roll but this was not the case here. Whoever designed this Bakugan had good understanding on how it was to be used and was able to apply a fair amount of of detail.

The G-Power text is also different and they decided to use a taller and more lighter font which makes it more readable. We all know how hard it is to read the G-power on almost all of our Bakugan. The Gundalian Invaders Bakugan also share the G-power problem and while we've seen different font styles, they are still too small to read compared to the G-Power on this Bakugan. The G-power value is however on the lower end of the G-power range that is suppose to be available with Season 2 Bakugan. We have no idea if the Japanese Season 2 Bakugan have a modified G-power range but this special series, which is equivalent to the North American Special Attack series, should have mid range G-powers of 600-650 G. FYI This is also a possible prototype so the G-power might not be the official one.

Removable Parts

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The unique feature of this Bakugan and the Death Munikis are the removable parts. Both legs and the 2 arm coverings can be removed and can be reattached to Death Munikis and vice-versa. A rubber part is used where the removable parts are attached to and they are tight enough to hold the parts in place. However, we are curious on how much wear and tear the rubber components can take as the last thing you want are the removable parts falling off while actually using them in a brawl. The arm coverings are made out of metal and are probably using the same metal material used for the Heavy Metal series Special Attack Bakugan. The metal parts add some weight to the Bakugan which usually makes it easier to control and the placement and position was also a good choice.

Although no gameplay benefits are provded by the interchangeable parts, the idea does keeps the toy aspect of this Bakugan more interesting. We could probably spend an hour actually playing with the Bakugan and posing it with different part positions and combinations. Younger fans will surely enjoy "playing" with this type of Bakugan.

Conclusion

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Flare Draognoid and Death Munikis are a sure must-have for any collector! The design and treatment used for these two Bakugan are way better than any North American version that we've seen. The concept of removable parts is pretty interesting too but would have been better if they affected the gamplay in some way. We are hoping that Spin Master will consider making a US version of these two Bakugan even if it turns up without the fancy glossy finish.

Notice : We are not importing and will never be selling this Bakugan on our store unless a North American version is officially released or locally available. You'd have to purchase this Bakugan from ebay, another store or a reseller to get this Bakugan. Also the seller of this Bakugan has informed us by email that the listing for this item was removed from eBay due to unclear reasons.