Beyblade, which is known as Bakuten Shoot Beyblade in Japan, began in 1999 as a manga and a series of toys. The anime aired on Japan’s TV Tokyo from January 8, 2001-December 29, 2003. The series was comprised of three seasons, which were titled Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002, and Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G-Revolution. A film, titled Beyblade: Fierce Battle, was released on August 17, 2004 in Japan. The film is set between Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 and Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G-Force. Beyblade is a shonen anime that is geared toward younger elementary school aged children.

Nelvana released all three seasons in the United States, although under some slightly different names: Beyblade, Beyblade: V-Force, and Beyblade G-Revolution. The film was released directly to DVD in the United States on March 22, 2005.

The main premise of Beyblade is that groups of children participate in a battling game that uses spinning tops. The tops are enchanted with Holy Beasts or spirits of mythical and powerful creatures. There are several teams that appear in the series: Bladebreakers, White Tigers, All Starz, Dark Bladers, Majestics, Demolition Boys, Team Psykick, Saint Shields, King & Queen, Barthez Battalion, F-Dynasty, and BEGA League.

The protagonist of Beyblade is named Takao Kinomiya; in the American version, his name is Tyson Granger. He’s a strong-willed boy who isn’t afraid to speak his mind. However, his big mouth tends to get him into trouble. When he’s in a Beyblade battle, he relies on his skill and talent to win the day. He battles with the Bladebreakers team, and his Beyblade is Dragoon. Takao/Tyson is aided in his battling by Kyonuju (Kenny in the American version). Kyonuju/Kenny is the “brain” of the group, and he carries a laptop around with him. The laptop contains all the information Kyonuju/Kenny has gathered on other Beyblade and their owners.

When Beyblade was dubbed into English, several changes were made. The phrase “Go shoot” was replaced with “Let it Rip.” Several characters’ names were changed, and many of the team names were also changed. All of the sound effects from the original Japanese version are gone, as is the soundtrack from the original Japanese version. The soundtrack was replaced with music that’s in more of a punk or rock style. The opening sequences for the seasons were also changed.

There have been several soundtracks released for Beyblade: four in Japan, two in Canada, and one in the United Kingdom. There have also been several Beyblade videogames.

In Japan, an attempt is being made to revive the Beyblade franchise during the summer of 2008, with new toys and a new season of the anime.