Beyblade
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- This article is about the anime and manga. For the toy, see Beyblade (toy).
Beyblade is an anime and manga series about a group of children battling with highly powerful spinning tops enchanted with sacred bit-beasts or spirits of mythical and powerful creatures. The show focuses on the battles between Beyblading teams as they compete to become the world champions.
The Beyblade anime is licensed by Nelvana in North America. The Beyblade manga, made by Takao Aoki, is published in English in North America by VIZ Media and keeps its original right to left format, though names are changed to match the English anime version. In Singapore, it is published in English by Chuang Yi.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
- First season (Beyblade (爆転シュート ベイブレード Bakuten Shoot Beyblade?))
- The first season's plot was very linear. The Bladebreakers were mostly concerned with winning the world beyblading championships. Towards the end of the season, they learn about Voltaire, Boris and their criminal organisation, which plans to use beyblading as a means to take control of the world.
- Second season (Beyblade V-Force (爆転シュートベイブレード2002 Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002?))
- The second season focused on a completely different criminal organisation, which attempted numerous times to capture the Bladebreakers' bit-beasts, while another group, the Saint Shields, tried to stop them and seal away the bit-beasts so that nobody could use them. The championships in this season are very short and mostly unimportant to the storyline, taking place in only the last eight episodes.
- In the second season, better animation and character design is used. Beyblades and some other features are animated using CGI.
- Third season (Beyblade G-Revolution (爆転シュート ベイブレード Gレボリューション Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G-Revolution?))
- The third and final season started with next year's beyblading tournament. In the second half, Boris reappears for a second attempt at taking over the world through beyblading.Animation has upgraded once again. The use of computer animation is much more obvious in some parts (compared to first season). Also "Dizzy" and other previous characters aren't mentioned at all.
[edit] Media
[edit] Movie
Beyblade: The Movie - Fierce Battle ((爆転シュートベイブレード THE MOVIE 激闘!!タカオVS大地 - Bakuten Shoot Beyblade The Movie: Gekitou!! Takao vs Daichi) is chronologically between second and third seasons, but Daichi appeared in the movie. A new Beyblade team named Shadow Bladers (consisting of new beybladers Steven, Ashley, Daniel, and Henry) was introduced.
After Tyson won Japan BBA tournament, Daichi challenges Tyson inside the stadium. Meanwhile, Professor Tengai discovers an ancient warning of the dark spirits inside a cave in the island. When Daichi's Beyblade starts glowing during the beybattle, the dark bit beast from the Demon Rock Island starts possessing Tengai's students. The Shadow Bladers seek Daichi's bit beast, Strata Dragoon, in order to release the bit beasts from the ruins. After the Shadow Bladers captured Daichi and Strata Dragoon, the dark bit beasts possess Daichi and intent on reunite with the 4 sacred beasts that are partnering with none other than the Bladebreakers!
[edit] Episode releases
The whole of season 1 of Beyblade has been released on VHS and DVD . Beyblade G-Revolution has been released on DVD by Funimation. Due to fan outcry, Volume five onwards will contain the original Japanese episodes as well as the dubbed version. Volume 5 and 6 were released but no new releases have been confirmed. So far, Australia has got the first 12 episodes of the second season (dubbed).
[edit] Manga
The Beyblade manga is VERY different from the anime.The English version is poorly translated by Viz and has some Engrish in it.
Chapter 1:Special:The King Introduces Tyson,Cheif,Hurricane Jin,and the Blade Shark member along with Tyson's first blade:Dragoon Megaro Arm and his Holy Monster:Seiryuu Blue Dragon
Chapter 2:Let it Rip! Tyson enters the Beyblade community Battle Tournament and fights the second Blade Shark,Carlos.
Chapter 3:Never Give Up! The Cheif runs off with Tyson's Megaro Arm to find out the secret of Seiryuu's power which he used to defeat Carlos.When the Blade Shark four(including Carlos)take the Cheif hostage for the Megaro Arm,Tyson must rescue the Cheif from the Blade Shark's hideout in the Hiwatari Construction Yard and face Carlos once again!
Chapter 4:Legendary! The Blade Shark's boss is introduced:Kai Hiwatari.When the mysterious shinobi Huricane Jin appears,Tyson and Kai must battle for control of Megaro Arm.Megaro Arm has trouble dealing with Kai's Ultimate Frostic Dranzer and it's Fire Bomb Spin attack.
Chapter 5:Secret of the Blue Dragon After Kai and Tyson's fight,Tyson came out victorious but with his Megaro Arm shattered.Tyson tries to repair his Megaro Arm with a new beyblade his older brother Hitoshi hid when he was younger,but Hurricane Jin arrives to say that the new blade is still no match for Ultimate Frostic Dranzer.Jin tells Tyson and Cheif about the Holy Monster's and their power.Tyson's Holy Monster is Seiryuu of the East and Kai's Holy Monster is Suzaku of the South.Soon Tyson's Megaro Arm evolve's into Dragoon Grip Attacker.
Chapter 6:Max-imum! Tyson and the Cheif meet a foriegn blader from the U.S.A named Max who's father owns a Spinning Top Hobby Store.
Chapter 7:Tyson versus Max Tyson and Max face off with Tyson losing.Max tells Tyson that his strategy is too obvious and Tyson developes a Super Attack called the Vanishing Attack just in time for the beyblade Super Battle tournament.
[edit] Video games
There have been several video games based on the show, spanning the Game Boy Advance, PlayStation and GameCube. However, as is the case with many video games based on licensed properties these games have been critically panned.
- Beyblade (Game Boy Color, Japan Only)
- Beyblade (PlayStation)
- Beyblade 2 (PlayStation, Japan Only)
- BeyBlade: Super Tournament Battle (GameCube)
- Beyblade: GRevolution (Game Boy Advance)
- Beyblade Ultimate Blader Jam (Game Boy Advance)
- Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002: Takao Version (Game Boy Advance, Japan Only)
- Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002: Daichi Version (Game Boy Advance, Japan Only)
[edit] Broadcasting Blocking Issues
- Brazil: Jetix (and some time ago, Globo(TV Xuxa's block), but not any more.)
- Denmark: Cartoon Network (Toonami block)
- India: Cartoon Network (Toonami block)
- Ireland: RTÉ Two (The Den block)
- Poland: Jetix (and some time ago, Polsat, but not any more.)
- United Kingdom: Toonami and Five (and from 2002-2004, Cartoon Network)
- United States: ABC Family (JETIX block) and Toon Disney
[edit] Changes in the English version
Beyblade was significantly changed to make it more palatable for a western audience. The most notable of the changes include:
- The phrase "Go Shoot" was replaced with "Let it Rip", possibly to avoid references to gun violence, but the official reasoning is unknown.
- New intro/opening sequences.
- Several characters' names were changed, many characters having their Japanese names changed to English alternatives.
- Instrumental soundtracks were changed to pop-punk style music, with lyrics. There wasn't any original Japanese soundtrack remaining.
- Logos originally displayed in Japanese were redesigned in English.
- In V-Force dubbing, the name of Ray's new beyblade Driger-V was mistakenly(?) called "Driger 5". However, the "V" actually stands for "Vulcan". But seeing as "V" is the Roman numeral for "5", it's almost understandable how this mix-up occurred.
- AJ Topper and Brad Best were added to make comments about the tournaments. They did not exist in the original instead, Blader DJ filled this role.
- Kenny's bitbeast, Dizzara (aka "Dizzi"), was added for comic relief during the first two seasons. It was said in the dub version that she accidentally entered his laptop causing her to speak. Dizzi did not appear in the third season.
- Before every official fight, a small scene talking about the bladers and the stadium appears. First, it shows the stadium, in different angles, with its name. Then it shows an image of the blader, his/her attack, defense and endurance points, name and special attack. An image and name of the bit beast also appears.
- Elements of the dialogue were also changed.
- Every episode and season had its title changed from its Japanese counterpart, except for the third season's title (G-Revolution).
- In the conclusion of G-Revolution, Beyblade's last season, the original version contained some images showing all the characters that ever made an important appearance, like those in V-Force and those who didn't return in G-Revolution. For some reason, Nelvana censored the images, although they were nothing but images showing all the characters. A similar thing was done for the conclusion of Cardcaptors
- Many team names were changed in the English dub. (e.g. Team BBA was changed to Bladebreakers). The only two teams to not have their names changed were the BBA Revolution and BEGA (also known as Justice 5), both of which come from the third season Beyblade G-Revolution
- Originally the Beyblade name and the bit-beast name was different; for example, instead of Dragoon for both the blade and the bit-beast, it was Dragoon for the blade and Seiryuu for the bit-beast.
- The characters were younger in the original with Tyson starting the series at 10 instead of twelve, with the rest of the team aged accordingly.
Fan reaction to these changes were mixed. Hardcore fans disliked the dubbed version of Beyblade and used the original Japanese versions as references instead. It should be noted that in the pilot, Tyson says winder, the original name of the tool, rather than ripcord. It should also be noted that in V-Force, whenever a bit-beasts' data was shown, it's original name is shown (e.g. Seiryu rather than Dragoon).
[edit] Trivia
- Tyson's original Japanese first name, Takao, is the same first name as the creator of the Beyblade manga, Takao Aoki.
- In the movie, during the final battle of the Japan tournament, look in the background. One of the signs says "Go Shoot" instead of "Let it Rip".
- The show's English intro theme song is sung by Rock Star Supernova's vocalist, Lukas Rossi.
- The song "Always Be In The Game" from the Let it Rip soundtrack is sung by current INXS singer JD Fortune.
- In the first season, a pattern can be seen with every major team in the names of their blades. All the Bladebreakers' beyblades names start with Dr, the White Tigers' beyblades start with Gal, the All Starz' beyblades start with Try, the Majestics' beyblades' end with lyon and the Demolition Boys' beyblades end with borg.
- At the end of the manga series, Tyson has a son named Makoto, Kai has a son named Gou, and Ray and Mariah have a daughter named Ling (Rin in Japanese version).
- It should be noted that in the very first episode of Beyblade, Tyson refers to the ripcord as a launcher and winder, the original name for the two parts.
[edit] External links
[edit] English
[edit] Japanese
- (Japanese) Official d-rights homepage
- (Japanese) Takara Toys' Beyblade website
| Beyblade | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Hiro Granger | Tyson Granger | Kai Hiwatari | Kenny | Ray Kon | Ming-Ming | Daichi Sumeragi | Hilary Tachibana | Max Tate | Others |
| Teams | Bladebreakers | Blade Sharks | White Tigers | All Starz | Dark Bladers | Majestics | Demolition Boys | Team Psykick | Saint Shields | King & Queen | Barthez Battalion | F-Dynasty | BEGA League |
| Seasons | Season 1 | Season 2 - V-Force | Season 3 - G-Revolution |
| Games | Beyblade (GBC) | Beyblade (PS) | Beyblade 2 | BeyBlade: Super Tournament Battle | Beyblade: GRevolution | Beyblade Ultimate Blader Jam | Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002: Takao Version, Daichi Version |
| Other | Timeline | Bit-beast | Toys | Trading card game |
