Beyblade

This article is about the manga. For the toy, see Beyblade (toy).

Beyblade
爆転シュート ベイブレード (Bakuten Shūto Beiburēdo)
Genre	Science fantasy, comedy-drama, sports
Manga
Written by	Takao Aoki
Published by	Shogakukan
English publisher	Viz Media Nelvana Limited
Demographic	Children of the night
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	2000 – 2012
Volumes	14
TV anime
Directed by	Toshifumi Kawase
Music by	Yoshihisa Hirano
Studio	Madhouse
Licensed by	Pioneer Entertainment
Network	TV Tokyo
English network	Network Ten, Cartoon Network YTV, Télétoon Cartoon Network, Toonami Five, POP!, S4C, Kix! Cartoon Network
Original run	January 8, 2001 – December 24, 2001
Episodes	51
TV anime
Beyblade: V-Force
Directed by	Yoshio Takeuchi
Studio	Nihon Animedia
Network	TV Tokyo
English network	Network Ten, Cartoon Network
Original run	January 7, 2002 – December 30, 2002
Episodes	51
TV anime
Beyblade: G-Revolution
Directed by	Mitsuo Hashimoto
Studio	Nihon Animedia
Licensed by	Funimation Entertainment
Network	TV Tokyo
English network	Network Ten, Cartoon Network
Original run	January 6, 2003 – December 29, 2003
Episodes	52
TV anime
Beyblade: Metal Fusion
Network	TV Tokyo
English network	Network Ten, Eleven, Cartoon Network
Original run	April 5, 2009 – March 28, 2010
Episodes	51
TV anime
Beyblade: Metal Masters
Network	TV Tokyo
English network	Network Ten, Cartoon Network
Original run	April 4, 2010 – March 27, 2011
Episodes	51
TV anime
Beyblade Metal Fury
Network	TV Tokyo
Original run	April 3, 2011 – April 1, 2012
Episodes	52

Beyblade (爆転シュート ベイブレード, Bakuten Shūto Beiburēdo) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Aoki. Originally serialized in CoroCoro Comic from 2000 to 2002, 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 highly powerful spinning tops called "Beyblades". The manga was adapted into three different anime series that aired from 2001 until 2003 on TV Tokyo. The series returned to TV Tokyo in 2009 with the launch of Beyblade: Metal Fusion, a new series featuring a new cast and Beyblade system.

Anime

The series originally began as one continuous manga series under the title Explosive Shoot Beyblade (爆転シュート ベイブレード, Bakuten Shūto Beiburēdo) in 2000. An anime series was commissioned in 2001 and aired under the same title for one year, this was followed by two sequels, Explosive Shoot Beyblade 2002 and Explosive Shoot Beyblade G-Revolution, each running for a year. The anime's story is unique to the manga as a major character who appears early on does not appear until the third anime series, leading to a change in various story points.

Beyblade

The main focus of the series is a young boy named Tyson Granger, known as Takao Kinomiya in the original Japanese, encountering powerful Beyblade players, known as Bladers from around the world. The series follows Tyson's journey along with his fellow teammates, Ray Kon, Kai Hiwatari, and Max Tate, who form the Bladebreakers Beyblade team. The team travels around the world competing in different national tournaments until facing the final world tournament in Moscow, Russia against the BIOVOLT Corporation, a nefarious group lead by a man named Voltaire, Kai's grandfather.

Beyblade: V-Force

The series begins with the Bladebreakers having gone their separate ways after winning the world championships in the previous series. The focus in V-Force revolves around the Bit Beast portion of the Beyblade series. Bit Beasts are incredible spirits of power hidden within the Bit Chip portion of a Beyblade that have the capability of going out of control. The mysterious Saint Shields team appears, hoping to seal away all of the world's Bit Beasts to stop a catastrophic event in which the Bit Beasts became too powerful to control as once happened in the past. Team Psykick also appears, bearing Cyber Bit Beast, artificial Bit Beasts created by a man named Dr. Zagart, who hopes to capture the real Bit Beasts and use their powers to turn Zeo, a robot modeled after his dead son, into a real boy.

Beyblade: G-Revolution

The third and final series in the original saga of Beyblade is split into two distinct story arcs. The first arc deals with a new world championship whose rules require that no former teammates can participate in the same team again. Tyson stays on as a member of the Japanese team while Kai, Ray, and Max each go home to their respective countries and join their country's team as they all challenge each other in the world championships. A young boy named Daichi appears and joins Tyson as a member of the Japanese team while a mysterious masked man appears to guide Tyson in his time of need.

The second half of the series focuses on Boris, a member of the BIOVOLT corporation, returning as he once again hopes to conquer the world through a strange tournament that monopolizes Beyblade for his BEGA team.

Beyblade: The Movie - Fierce Battle

The story begins with the Blade Breakers enjoying their vacation with Tyson, Hilary and Kenny's teacher Ms. Kincaid, but are followed by an annoying kid named Daichi who wants a rematch from a humiliating defeat earlier in a tournament final against Tyson. Tyson Granger decides to ignore Daichi, but they finally have their rematch on a boat after he learns Daichi's reason he beyblades (His father gave him his beyblade and told him to become the best.). Meanwhile, an organization called the Shadow Bladers are intent on destroying the world using their Dark Bit-Beasts. After they capture Daichi and his bit-beast Strata Dragoon, the Dark Bit-Beast possess Daichi and use him for world domination. Tyson tries to save Daichi but ends up getting his bit-beast Dragoon sealed into stone where the dark bit-beasts were sealed away before, and the Shadow Bladers trap Tyson in a cave with Dragoon. Shortly after this, the Shadow Bladers start to attack Japan, where Kai is (Since he didn't come with the Bladebreakers on their vacation.). Dragoon, inspired by Tyson's will to escape, manages to free itself and Tyson from the cave. Meanwhile, Kai tries to fight off the Shadow Bladers but is quickly overwhelmed. The rest of the Bladebreakers come to Kai's aid and fight the Shadow Bladers, finding that the dark bit-beasts are shadow versions of their own bit-beasts. It should be an even match, but with a possessed Daichi on the Shadow Bladers side, the Bladerbreakers are outnumbered. Kai, Ray and Max charge the Shadow Bladers and defeat two of the five, but are knocked out in the process. Tyson manages to free Daichi from the Shadow Bladers, but seeing as Daichi was possessed at the time, he can't summon Strata Dragoon. Tyson tells him to talk to Strata Dragoon and Daichi manages to summon it. When Tyson was fighting Dark Dragoon, Dark Dragoon tempted Dragoon into joining with the Dark Side, but Tyson says that Dragoon was already complete when he was with him. Strata Dragoon and pesci manage to defeat the Shadow Bladers by using each others strength and the dark bit-beasts are sealed into stone once again, unable to cause any danger.

Merchandise

Main article: Beyblade (toy)

Beyblade had a cult following in 2002 and 2003 when the series' popular spinning top toy was released. Now with the released sixth season, Beyblade 4d [metal fury] a toy line which consists of Beyblades from the anime including 4d Cosmic[big bang] Pegasus, Fang Leone, Flash Sagittario, scythe kronos, Blitz unicorno, diablo nemesis and many more have been released.

Video games

There have been several video games based on the show, spanning multiple consoles. Most of them have been critically panned.^{[citation needed]}

Jisedai Bēgoma Battle Beyblade July 23, 1999 (1999-07-23) – Game Boy Color
Beyblade Fighting Tournament August 11, 2000 (2000-08-11) – Game Boy Color
Bakuten Shoot Beyblade July 27, 2001 (2001-07-27) – Game Boy Color
Beyblade: Let it Rip! December 5, 2002 (2002-12-05) – PlayStation
Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002: Beybattle Tournament 2 August 1, 2002 (2002-08-01) – PlayStation
BeyBlade VForce: Super Tournament Battle September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23) – GameCube
Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 Team Battle! Kiryū no Akira Daichi / Takao Hen December 6, 2002 (2002-12-06) – Game Boy Advance
Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 Ikuze! Gekitō! Chō Jiryoku Battle!! June 27, 2002 (2002-06-27) – Game Boy Advance
Beyblade G-Revolution November 18, 2004 (2004-11-18) – Game Boy Advance
Beyblade VForce: Ultimate Blader Jam November 18, 2003 (2003-11-18) – Game Boy Advance
Beyblade: Metal Fusion November 9, 2010 (2010-11-09) – Nintendo DS
Beyblade: Metal Masters November 15, 2011 (2011-11-15) – Nintendo DS
Metal Fight Beyblade March 26, 2009 (2009-03-26) – Nintendo DS
Beyblade Metal Fusion: Cyber Pegasus November 11, 2010 (2010-11-11) – Nintendo DS
Metal Fight Beyblade Portable: Chōzetsu Tensei Vulcan Horses October 21, 2010 (2010-10-21) – PSP
Beyblade: Metal Fusion - Battle Fortress November 9, 2010 (2010-11-09) – Wii
Metal Fight Beyblade: Gachinko Stadium November 19, 2009 (2009-11-19) – Wii

Reception

Beyblade was popular among children and younger adolescents, especially due to its toys and accessories. It gained notoriety in school playgrounds all across Australia, 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. 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. Similar to how the WBBA is the company that hosts Beyblade tournaments in the anime.

There is a very popular Beyblade site called the World Beyblade Organization (WBO), where fans around the world can host their own tournaments. It has hosted more tournaments than Hasbro, and it's the leader in finding the latest information on Beyblade. [1]