Beyblade

Beyblade, known in Japan as Explosive Shoot Beyblade (爆転シュートベイブレード, Bakuten ShÅ«to BeiburÄ"do), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Aoki to promote sales of spinning tops called "Beyblades." Originally serialized in CoroCoro Comic from January 2000 to December 2003, the individual chapters were collected and published in 14 tankōbon by Shogakukan. The series focuses on a group of kids who form teams with which they battle one another using Beyblades.

The manga is licensed for English language release in North America by Viz Media. An anime adaptation, also titled Beyblade and spanning 51 episodes, aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from January 8, 2001 to December 24, 2001. The second, Beyblade V-Force, ran for another 51 episodes from January 7, 2002 until December 30, 2002. Beyblade G-Revolution, the third and final adaptation, also spanned 52 episodes (the last two episodes were released together as a double-length special in Japan) and aired from January 6, 2003, until its conclusion on December 28, 2003. Hasbro Studios and Nelvana Limited licensed the anime for an English-language release. Takara Tomy developed the Beyblade toy line.

Plot

Beyblade

A young boy named Tyson (Takao Kinomiya) enters the Japan Regional Beyblade Qualifying Tournament. Tyson encounters Ray Kon (Rei Kon) and Kai Hiwatari. After defeating them, they organize a team, known as the Bladebreakers, along with Max Tate (Max Mizuhara). Kenny tags along as their manager. The Bladebreakers tour China to register for the championships, while confronting the White Tigers, Ray's former team. It is seen that Ray's old team holds a grudge against him for leaving them. Toward the end of the Chinese tournament, Ray and his ex-teammates make amends, and the Bladebreakers win the tournament.

After this, Tyson and his friends arrive in the United States to fight the All Starz, who are coached by Max's mother. After winning the American league, the team find themselves stranded in Europe. They tour Europe and meet Oliver, Enrique, Johnny and Robert, who go by the name Majestics. Bladebreakers beat them and qualify for the world championship in Russia. In Russia, they meet a criminal, Baron, who is running an organization to capture all the bit-beasts in the world. The Bladebreakers have to stop them from stealing all the bit-beasts.

Beyblade V-Force

The Bladebreakers have gone their separate ways. But when Team Psykick and the Saint Shields attack the Bladebreakers and try to steal their bit-beasts, the Bladebreakers reassemble to defeat the new enemies. Tyson's classmate Hilary Tachibana (Hiromi Tachibana) joins the Bladebreakers but takes time to learn that Beyblade isn't just the stupid game she thinks it is.

In an attempt to steal the four bit-beasts from the Bladebreakers, Team Psykick creates four cyborg copies of the Bladebreakers' bit-beasts and recruit four skilled bladers named Kane, Salima, Goki and Jim to control the bit-beasts and their respective blades. These teenagers were pure-hearted and innocent bladers with high ambitions, but the dark power of the cyborg bit-beasts gradually take over their minds and turn them evil. The first half of the second season ends with the Bladebreakers defeating Team Psykick. Tyson, Ray, Kai and Max battle Kane, Salima, Goki and Jim respectively and defeat them. After the cyborg beasts are destroyed Team Psykick come back to their normal selves and regain consciousness. The second half of Season 2 deals with the truth of why the Saint Shields and Team Psykick are after Bladebreakers' bit-beasts and about a rock that Max's mother found that contains bit-beasts, which is stolen by Team Psykick.

The Saint Shields' reason behind attempting to steal the bit-beasts is because they wish to seal them in a rock because they fear that the bit-beasts could get out of control like they did in the past. The Saint Shields battle the Bladebreakers and manage to seal off Ray's bit-beast Driger in a rock. Later Ray reclaims Driger and defeats all the Saint Shields in a team face-off. The Psykick's leader, Dr. Zagart, wants the bit-beasts to turn his android son Zeo (an exact replica of his son who died in an accident) into a real human.

After defeating the Saint Shields, Tyson and meets Zeo and befriends him without knowing that he is the son of Team Psykick's leader. Zeo is unaware that he is a cyborg and that his father is behind all of Team Psykick's plans. Later Zeo finds out about his past and decides to help his father in his plans. Dr. Zagart gives Zeo a bit beast named Cerberus, the strongest bit-beast sealed in the rock. Zeo enters the world Beyblade tournament with the motive of defeating all the Bladebreakers members and stealing their bit-beasts. In the tournament Zeo defeats Kai and Max and steals their bit-beasts Dranzer and Draciel. But in the final battle Tyson and Dragoon (Tyson's bit beast) defeat Zeo and Cerberus. In the process Tyson and Max's team win the world tournament. Dranzer and Draciel come back to their original bladers, Kai and Max.

Beyblade G-Revolution

Kai, Ray and Max left Tyson and went their separate ways to rejoin their old teams so that they have a chance to beat each other at the World Championship. This leaves only Tyson, Hilary, and Kenny on the team. A new character, Daichi Sumeragi, and Tyson's brother, Hiro Granger, join them. One week after the results of the World Championships, Boris, the secondary villain from the first season, says things will return to the way they were before. But he declares that all the Beyblade shops must sell Beyblades and their parts to BEGA associated Beybladers only, otherwise they will not be allowed to run the shops.

Tyson and the team find some parts at Max's father's store, which are insufficient. Then after sometime Kenny comes with the solution, he makes new type of Beyblades, using different type of parts. But they still needed one more blader, that's when Kai, who tried to join BEGA but lost severely to Brooklyn, rejoins the team. Daichi and Ray lose the first two matches to Ming-Ming and Crusher. Max ends the third match with Mystel in a draw. Then it is Kai's turn to face the unbeaten Brooklyn. Kai defeats Brooklyn in a match. Then Tyson beats Garland. Brooklyn becomes insane due to his loss to Kai and confronts Tyson. In the ensuing match, Tyson and Brooklyn battle it out in the tie-breaker match. As the final fight rages on, Tyson is able to absorb the powers of every single bit-beast and with a final attack defeats Brooklyn's Beyblade Zeus. And the BEGA corporation had fallen thanks to the efforts of the Bladebreakers (G-Revolutions). The episode ends with Tyson and Kai about to have one final match.

In the Japanese version the episode ends with a special ending showing every major character from the series.

Characters

Media

Manga

The chapters of the Beyblade manga were written and illustrated by Takao Aoki. It was serialized in CoroCoro Comic from 2000 to 2004. The manga was licensed for an English-language release by Viz Media.

Anime

A three-season anime television adaptation was adapted from the series. The first season, spanning 51 episodes, was produced by Madhouse and aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from January 8, 2001 to December 24, 2001. The second season, produced by Nihon Animedia and titled Beyblade V-Force, ran for another 51 episodes from January 7, 2002 until December 30, 2002. The third season, Beyblade G Revolution was also produced by Nihon Animedia. It spanned 52 episodes and ran from January 6, 2003 until its conclusion on December 29, 2003. All three seasons are licensed for English adaptation, broadcast, and release in North America by Nelvana.

A new Beyblade anime series entitled Metal Fight Beyblade was produced by Tatsunoko and Synergy SP, and is based on the aforementioned Metal Fight Beyblade manga. It premiered on April 5, 2009. Nelvana has licensed the series, which was released in North America as Beyblade: Metal Fusion. It premiered on Cartoon Network in June 2010 with showings on Saturdays and Sundays, and has lasted four seasons, including Metal Fusion, Metal Fury, Metal Masters, and Shogun Steel.

Spin-offs

Beyblade inspired two spin-off series: BeyWheelz and BeyWarriors.

Merchandise

Beyblade developed a cult following when the series' popular spinning top toy was launched worldwide. Now with the released fourth season of the Metal Fight Beyblade series, Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G, aka Beyblade Shogun Steel, a toy line which consists of Beyblades from the anime including Samurai Ifraid W145CF, MSF Shinobi Saramanda SW145SD, MSF Pirates Orojya 145D, Thief Phoenic E230GCF, Guardian Reviser 160SB, MSF Archer Gryph C145S, Pirates Killerken A230JSB, and many more are being released in Asia.

Beyblade, Let It Rip! The Official Album was released in the UK to coincide with the show's popularity. It featured the anime's opening theme, as well as songs by artists including Nickleback and Busted.

Toys

Originally developed and manufactured by Takara Tomy, first released in 2000. The toys include a 'launcher' â€" a device for bringing the spinning top up to speed in a plastic arena known as a Beystadium, with a slightly dished base, where they subsequently strike each other. The last top still spinning wins. Beyblade is largely a game of power and angle, although many players believe a particular launch style can influence the outcome of a game.

Reception

Beyblade became popular due to its toys and accessories. It gained notoriety in school playgrounds all across Australia, Israel, North America, Latin America and the United Kingdom during the early 2000s and in Pakistan during 2004-2006 and its popularity was replaced by Blazing Teens. It was popular in India between 2004 and 2007; its toys were liked by many.

The show was aired by Jetix and Cartoon Network in America as well as in parts of Asia, Europe, and Australia. It has had renewed popularity in the last two years.

There have been many official Beyblade tournaments held across the world, just like in the anime. At official tournaments hosted by Tomy, Sonokong, Mani, or Hasbro, their companies advertise themselves as the World Beyblade Battle Association (WBBA) instead of their company name, similarly to how the BBA and WBBA handle Beyblade tournaments in the anime.

The show was criticized for being one long, repetitive commercial.

References

External links

• Official Website
• Beyblade at Internet Movie Database
• Beyblade (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Beyblade blog
• Author of the BeyBlade logo - George Peter Gatsis