Bomber Man & Marbleman's Explosive Side Story

Don't let the cute art fool you — young B-Daman Shirobon carries a big dream of flying and an even bigger sense of justice, which is unfortunate timing, because an ancient evil called the Dark B-Da just woke up after a thousand-year nap and decided the entire Blue Solar System looks nice enough to conquer. Now Shirobon, his buddy Aobon, and a brilliant old inventor named Dr. Graybon are suiting up in custom-built mecha called B-Da Armors to push back against the invasion before things get worse. It's a 48-episode TV series from Madhouse, and it leans hard into comedy alongside the action — this isn't a grim war story, it's closer to a bunch of friends fumbling their way through saving the universe and occasionally making it look cool. The world is this retro-futuristic sci-fi setting that feels genuinely distinct, built on the Bomberman and B-Daman game franchises fused together, which gives it a quirky charm you don't really get elsewhere. If you grew up watching Medabots or Beyblade and miss that era of kids-with-gear-fighting-evil energy, this scratches that itch. It also has a similar warm group dynamic to early Digimon Adventure, where the friendships feel like the actual point rather than just background noise. The mecha designs have transformation and combination gimmicks that hold up as fun concepts. A relaxed, comedic adventure from 1998 that doesn't take itself too seriously.