#keithgus

What doesn’t help is that Shun is the most consistent cast member other than Marucho. It’s really easy to be like BAKUGAY y’know? Their dynamic is nuanced in a way that not every dynamic is in this show is, it’s interesting. Especially the way they take care of each other. They aren’t even really rivals anymore, that’s his best friend. The break to his gas pedal. Shun’s always giving him the disapproving wife ass looks and I love it soooo much. Their dynamic is pointedly significant given their status as equals in brawling and aforementioned importance to one another in S1 (hey if I’m wrong I’m wrong it’s been a minute.) I do like the their dynamic no matter the way it leans.

Generally Dan’s got special relationships with a lot of the cast as MC. The same can’t be said for Shun. I stg he either likes that boy or he’s living the aspec life of barely/never being attracted to anyone. He’s either having his demiromantic moment or not. This is not counting the original Brawlers he’s got a dynamic with each of them. Shun’s got good relations to a chunk of the new cast but I cannot think of a single unique thing about his dynamic with Jake, y’know what I mean? But I know he was friends with Ace. It’s different than Dan.

I think if Runo was actually there more I could be about them being together idk. I like her and honestly her dynamic with Dan goes hard but that’s if they let her be around more.

In New Vestroia I felt no ShunDan in the studio. New Vestroia and Gundalian Invaders is less about the Brawlers and more about the people they’re involved with. Maybe that’s why I feel this way? The ShunDan is never strong in this series because it isn’t about their relationship. So you either gotta interpret or die. Which is perfect and lends to multishipling. Major plus! I feel this way about most ships in this fandom other than Spectra and Gus cause like….what did you think was happening there. They were together the whole time dude.

What’s epic about writing this all down is that I realized the Bakugan writers succeeded at making everyone such realistic friends that no dynamic feels like it’s that much more important than the others. This isn’t Sasunaru where like…your only option is to call them gay cause otherwise what was that. I think Shun and Dan’s dynamic is a bit more pronounced than most but not by a lot.

Does any of this matter? No I just love interpreting queer dynamics in my media.