Proserpina

STORY: 7/10 Though it begins as a team of boys merely wanting to be the champions of the Beyblading world, the story of Bakuten Shoot Beyblade soon branches out into various "arcs" that give you insight into a particular character, and through each of their individual ordeals the group as a whole become closer to one another. While there's also the somewhat cliche issue of global takeover to deal with, it seems primarily to be a tale of friendship and, discreetly, cultural diversity. Though the main protagonists all band together to represent Japan, each comes from a different corner of the globe, and the friends theymake during their travels also originate from various countries and socioeconomic backgrounds. So if nothing else, the themes certainly make this a good anime to watch. There's also a little bit of supernatural awesomeness in the form of "bit beasts," for those who love their fantasy and enjoy a hats-off to mythology. ART: 6/10 I'm not much of an art or animation guru within the anime industry, but I thought the animation was decent enough. The style made for some cute and funny expressions on occasion, and it was somewhat amusing for me to watch the cat-like eyes of the entire White Tigers team adjust in moments of anger or annoyance. SOUND: 2/10 I sincerely wish I could get my hands on a Japanese sub, so I could really judge the music of the original untouched anime for what it is. But as I'm stuck with the dub, I'll say this: the music is nothing interesting. In fact, it can be irritating on occasion, as the same songs are constantly on repeat through different battles. The score is also severely underdeveloped, and barely even noticeable. Doesn't do much for the show at all. CHARACTER: 8/10 For a "sport" anime directed toward a younger audience, the characters have an unexpected level of depth and story. None of them are as one-sided as they seem to be at first glance, and the majority have to cope with issues that are by no means light; divorce and betrayal being just a few. Most of the characters go through some form of change, becoming either more mature or more accepting of the differences between themselves and other people. While I think that the central character Tyson and his friend Kenny should have been expanded on a little more like their teammates, it seems that their primary development was saved for a later instalment, so I supposed I can't be too dissatisfied. ENJOYMENT/OVERALL: 8/10 While it may not be some grandose tale of hardship or an action-packed epic like most other anime (but then, "most other" anime usually means viewing for mature watchers), Beyblade is good for what it is: a fun comedy with the occasional 'touch of darkness.' I'd definitely recommend it to your kid sister or brother.

Todesengel

When it comes to kiddie anime, I usually do not give out tens. And msot of what I say is opinion, not fact. So don't take it too personal just because I perfer this season over the other two. Story: Spinning tops has never been this badass before! And I love how they made it into an extreme professional sport. If you were to explain the story to someone who has never seen the anime, it would come off as silly to them. Art: The art style is pretty unique. I didn't like how the style was altered to look OMFG KAWAII ^__^ and like your typicalkiddie anime. Sound: It was pretty great. And for once English dubbers picked the right voice actors. Characters: The BladeBreakers are pretty much the most memorable characters I've noticed in anime. They're the only protagonists that I never got annoyed with. You can say that Takao is the main character, but in a way, him, Kai, Rei and Max are all the main characters and aren't there for just support. It's a good thing that you are led to hate the despicable Boris and you're led to root for Takao and friends. Enjoyment: This season holds my most cherished childhood memories that I had between grade 5-7. How could anyone not enjoy this?