How Japan’s Baku Myth Became Drowzee, and Then a Metal Figure

Drowzee Pokémon Metal Collection Figure

A Figure That Stands Apart From the Plastic Crowd

The Pokémon Metal Collection is a series of miniature figures produced in Japan, distinguished by their material: metal — most likely diecast — finished in a single metallic tone. Gold and bronze hues are characteristic of the line, with the color coming from the metal itself rather than applied paint. The result is noticeably heavier and more tactile than the soft vinyl or PVC pieces that filled convenience store shelves during the same era. That weight and finish were the deliberate selling point, setting these figures apart from the vast ocean of plastic Pokémon merchandise produced at the time.

This particular figure features Drowzee, Pokémon No. 096, the Psychic-type known in Japan as Suriipu. It follows the compact format of the Metal Collection line — a small but solid rendering of the character in durable metallic form.

Drowzee and the Dream-Eating Legend Behind the Design

Drowzee is one of the original 151 Pokémon introduced in the Game Boy RPGs Pocket Monsters Red and Green, released in Japan in February 1996. A first-generation Psychic type from the Kanto region, it evolves into Hypno (No. 097) and carries a defining piece of lore: it feeds on the dreams of sleeping people.

That concept draws directly from the baku (獏), a creature from Japanese and Chinese legend long believed to devour bad dreams. Drowzee’s design reflects this clearly — the elongated nose, the rounded silhouette, the dream-eating ability. It’s a piece of genuine mythology translated into a video game character, and the connection gives Drowzee a depth that goes beyond its in-game stats. Among collectors with serious knowledge of the original 151, that folkloric grounding is part of what makes it a recognized, if understated, presence in the lineup. In recent years, a broader revival of interest in first-generation Pokémon in Western markets has brought characters like Drowzee — those with roots in real cultural tradition — into renewed focus.

Japan’s Late-1990s Pokémon Collectible Boom

Pokémon’s 1996 debut was followed by the 1997 launch of the anime series, and the licensed merchandise market expanded rapidly in its wake. Two formats dominated the small-figure segment: shokugan, figures bundled with candy and sold at convenience stores and dagashi shops, and gashapon, capsule toys dispensed randomly from coin-operated vending machines. Metal figures fit naturally into both formats — the compact size suited capsule or candy packaging, while the material itself justified a step up from the cheaper plastic alternatives on adjacent shelves.

The Metal Collection line is believed to span the late 1990s into the early 2000s, covering the height of the first-generation merchandise wave. It was produced for the Japanese domestic market, and official overseas distribution was limited at the time, which kept these pieces largely within Japan. Whether this specific figure was sold as a shokugan or through a gashapon machine is not determinable without seeing the base markings directly — the same markings that would confirm the manufacturer, with Bandai being a well-documented producer of similar lines, though other makers were also active in this space during the same period.