Full Moon Rising: Mangetsu Brings Classic Daiwa Style to Modern Performance
Introduction: Fishing trends, much like the tides, tend to move in cycles. While today’s reels chase lighter weights and tighter tolerances, there’s still something undeniably appealing about the solid, deliberate feel of classic Daiwa platforms - aluminum or magnesium frames, brass gearing, and that connected sensation under load. The Mangetsu baitcaster was born from that appreciation. A collaboration between Daiwa and Tackle Warehouse, it isn’t about chasing the newest spec-sheet headline. Instead, it revisits a familiar formula and refines it for the present. Named after the Japanese word for “full moon,” the Mangetsu represents a return to something timeless - classic in spirit, modern in execution.
The review states that the older tatulas had a composite frame and that the Mangetsu uses aluminum as an upgrade. The original Tatula has always has an aluminum frame and handle side plate. Also both reels use brass and the Mangetsu gets unique hyperdrive gears according to the marketing. Sounds like someone at TW was glazing the Mangetsu by putting out false info about the original Tatula and some of that found it's way into the review.
Also, square Tatula had always been the best looking Tatula and the frame milling on the Type R and Mangetsu looks cool.
