A manga and anime series based on both the Bomberman videogame franchise and the B-Daman toy franchise (which was originally Bomberman-based to begin with). It is the first standalone series to incorporate "B-Daman" into its name, the first being a sub-line of toys in the larger Super Bomberman brand. despite having only five manga volumes (the anime adapting the latest three), each volume followed its own continuity, though based on the same group of archetipal characters (Shirobon, Aobon, Akabon, Kiirobon, Kurobon and Doctor Graybon).
Series III was about Prince Shirobon, who found his father was possessed by an evil spirit and had created the evilNolArc empire, so he joins the Nereid rebel army. A failed attempt of Dr Graybon to send a secret weapon, the Planet Energy Circuit, ends transmitting the planet energy on Shirobon, rebellion members Akabon and Aobon, space cabbie Kiirobon and three other bombers they must find to complete the circuit and defeat the empire.
Series IV is about Shirobon, who has the dream of flight. He meets Dr Graybon and his grandson Aobon, who have come to the town in order to stop evil beings who will soon to be freed from their imprisonment. They are also joined by Kiirobon and Akabon, and Shirobon gets a mecha that allows him to fly.
Series V is about cops Shirobon and Aobon, who rescue Princess Akabon and make her join them. Their mission is to stop the evil Devilvader from getting powerful jewels called Crysmonds, that are scattered in time. King Vader, the Devilvader leader, gives to the Three Devil Musketeers Akumanto, Dokudandy and Gestra the mission to retrieve the Crysmonds. There's aso a delivery guy, Kiirobon, who wants to join Shirobon's team, to no avail.
While the characters are cosmetically Bombermen, that's about the only link to the actual Bomberman franchise. Bakugaiden shares far less other aspects with the games than the later Bomberman Jetters, to the point of the Cartoon Bomb being eschewed in favor of energy blasts from the blue marbles in their bodies!
This anime provides examples of:
- Butt-Monkey: The IV series has an old Bomber named Rou, whose only function seems to be where something bad can happen to him. Near the end he gets some dignity being the one who knows the heroes' legend.
- Don't Come A-Knockin': To release Sildork, Dark Baaya turns into a younger attractive form and goes to the guards; the door is closed and we just see hearts coming from the door until the key is thrown outside so Dark Jigoro can release Sildork.
- Generation Xerox: The anime shows the III series as something that happened a long time ago in the IV series universe, which means that each of the ensemble had an identical (both appearance and personality) counterpart in the other era.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Most of the time, Kiirobon is just interested on making a profit for himself. However, there are some times when he shows he isn't just self-interest: When he lost Aobon's Baseball ball, he didn't care at first, but later made the effort of searching the ball in the mud. Also, he showed genuine care for a kid bomber he accidentally hurt in a crash.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Inverted as "Son, I am the Big Bad", referring to Shirobon's father, King Goldenbon, in the III series.
- Monster of the Week: Each series had its own way to use this trope:
- In Bakugaiden IV, each of the Dark Beings has some as minions, so after defeating a row of these throughout the episodes, they are followed by some episodes facing the respective Dark Being, and after that Dark Being's defeat the cycle starts anew.
- In Bakugaiden V, the Crysmonds tend to be in the hands of some kind of monster. After retrieving the Crysmond, comes a mecha battle agains Akumanto who uses his "fire scan" to get what could be described as a Power Of The Week from his surroundings.
- Verbal Tic: In the V series, Akumanto ends all his sentences with "manto"
- Your Heart's Desire: One V series episode about mirrors that have anybody seeing a handsome form in the reflection. One of these is used to distract a guard who sees himself as a woman wearing a feather boa.
