Zoobles

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Zoobles! (Japanese: ズーブルズ! Zūburuzu!)/(Korean: 쥬블스) is a cute toyline created by Spin Master in August 2010. They consist of a wide variety of sphere shaped characters that roll up into a ball to travel from place to place. Each Zoobles lives in a unique Happitat. Once a Zooble comes in contact with the ‘hot spot’ on its Happitat, it pops open transforming into a unique character. The Happitat acts as an activation point to make Zoobles "spring to life" and also houses them for when they sleep at night. Each Happitat is unique to the particular Zooble who occupies it, but functions universally for all Zoobles. Zoobles have multiple points of articulation for playability, and even blink their eyes while you pet them. Each one possesses a unique set of characteristics based on their individual personality and location within Zooble Isle. To distinguish each Zooble (aside from visual differences) they have all been individually named and numbered so children are able to keep an inventory of their collection.

The entire toyline is later released in Japan by Sega Toys in March 17, 2011. The Japanese release has a bit of changes in the original version, while incorporating both candy and sweets themes into the characters and toys. In addition, Recipe Cards, special cards which had the same purpose as the Happitats were also included in each release. However, some of the playsets that were released in Japan weren't available in the American versions.

The toyline received a Japanese/Korean Anime adaptation produced by Dong Woo Animation in Korea with Japanese producer Mitsuko Oya in charge of the anime's production and both Kazuya Hayashi and Nam Jong-Sik in charge of the character designs. The series began airing on Korean broadcasting station SBS in May 18, 2011, with an official Japanese dub version will begin airing in Japan in TV Tokyo in February 5, 2012, replacing Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Gundalian Invaders in it's initial timeslot.

Not to be confused with Zoobilee Zoo. No, seriously.

Tropes used in Zoobles include:
  • Adaptation Distillation: Well, this depends if you have either the Japanese Version or the Western Version of the toys. Your mileage will vary.
  • Animated Adaptation: As stated above, the only animated series based on the toys were done by both Koreans and Japanese. Dong Woo Animation released the series first in SBS before landing onto the toy's official Japanese Website and soon in TV Tokyo on February 2012.
  • Art Evolution: Compare both versions, then you'll see the major difference. Good Luck not getting Epileptic Trees though.
  • Art Shift: Well this is present to both versions. Since the original art of the Western Version may not appeal to Japanese kids, Sega twist things a bit and made it cuter and more appealing. They get merits for once.
  • Be the Ball: The Zoobles themselves can actually curl up into their ball forms whenever if they travel in long distances, expressing their emotions or anything else in between.
  • Born Unlucky: Coope
  • Canon Discontinuity: In the Western Version, the Zoobles live in a tropical island called Zooble Isle, while in the Japanese Version, the Zoobles live in Candy Land. I sense a lot of confusion here.
  • Freak-Out: Pupu in episode 16. Also Pom applies this trope.
  • Fun Size: The Zoobles themselves.
  • Gotta Catch Em All: There are 70 Zoobles to buy and collect....and they're still growing in numbers!
  • Jerkass / Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Blacky, and also Sunsan in Episode 6.
  • Kawaiiko: Again, the Zoobles themselves.
  • Merchandise-Driven: The Animated series is driven by the toys more than anything else, similar to another Sega/Spin Master toy franchise
  • Mon
  • No Export for You: Some of the Playsets in the Japanese version were not released in America. Same goes to some American Zooble playsets not released in Japan since it will have conflicts with the toy canon.
    • The Anime itself gets the same treatment on not being released stateside. Same reason as above I guess.
  • Not So Different: Usually, both this and Bakugan were created by the same company. It's the Japanese version that adds a bit of Bakugan touch (The Recipe Cards were somehow similar to the Gate Cards of Bakugan). I bet they have a lot of explaining.
  • Shout-Out: The whole toyline itself is a cutesy, cute-critter version of Bakugan. The Japanese version just blatantly makes everything sense.
  • Sphere Factor
  • Sugar Bowl: The Anime and the Japanese toys speaks for itself.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: The Japanese version of the toys.
  • Team Mom / Team Dad: Em, well obviously being Lou's big brother and babysitter at the same time.
  • Theme Naming: Only in the Japanese Version of the franchise. Each of the Zoobles were based on candies and sweets as opposed to the Western version of the franchise
  • Three-Man Band:
  • X Meets Y: Its Bakugan meets Jewelpet meets Happy Happy Clover. Only themed with sweets.
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