Beyblade
By Emily Ashby,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Formulaic toy-inspired series has some good messages, too.
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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
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What's the Story?
BEYBLADE is the story of Tyson Granger (voiced by Marlowe Gardiner Heslin), an up-and-coming Beyblader who assembles a competitive team called the Bladebreakers. They travel the world entering Beyblade contests, whereby they duel with other players using their spinning tops as weapons. Often they encounter ruthless opponents and familiar faces from their amateur days, and their continued success keeps Tyson, Max (Gage Knox), Kai (David Reale), Kenny (Alex Hood), and Ray (Daniel DeSanto) on the other players' radars.
Is It Any Good?
This was the original series in the Beyblade franchise that inspired follow-ups like Beyblade: Metal Fusion and BeyWheelz. If you're familiar with the others or the popular toys themselves, there will be no surprises here, as the show pretty much exists to showcase the excitement of the match-ups, thus ramping up kids' desire to have their own. Add a touch of fantasy in each Beyblade's link to a unique beast spirit, and you've got the makings of a hot collectible kids (especially boys) will want to own.
That said, Beyblade isn't all bad. The match-ups between the "good" Bladebreakers and the "bad," well, everybody else, does a good job of illustrating the difference between healthy competition and obsession. What's more, the outcomes aren't always predictable, and the underdogs' success usually hinges on their use of strategy and creative problem solving rather than on brute strength, reminding kids that winners come in all different shapes and sizes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about competition. What can you learn from being part of a team? From taking part in contests? What does it mean to be good winner?
Kids: Do you like this manga-style animation? Would the show make more or less of an impression on you if was done in CGI or another style?
Why are shows with strong product tie-ins like this one and Pokemon so popular? Do you think their popularity would be the same if they weren't paired with toys or games you can buy?
TV Details
- Premiere date: January 8, 2001
- Cast: Alex Hood, Gage Knox, Marlowe Gardiner Heslin
- Network: Syndicated
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: March 15, 2023
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