Schoolboys battle each other in gyroscope tournaments to become the top Beyblader. In the series-and in real life-the gyroscopes are spun using a launching device comprising a small connector unit and a plastic "blade," which releases the spinning gyroscope onto the playing surface. The object of the game is for Beybladers to knock each other's gyroscopes, which are about an inch and a half in diameter, off a plastic playing surface. The loser of the match has to forfeit his or her gyroscope to the victor.
Categories
Action Action anime usually involve a fairly straightforward story of good guys versus bad guys, where most disputes are resolved by using physical force. It often contains a lot of shooting, explosions and fighting. Alternative Present Anime that fit in the alternative present category usually have technology and society that is very similar to ours, but with differences in both, history and culture, which sometimes are blatantly obvious, but sometimes harder to place; this one can at times be very subjective. Earth That big mud ball that most of us live on. Human Enhancement The enhancement of humans can take various forms: It can be something comparatively non-intrusive as a power-up drug, a form of machine implantation or cyberization ("SAC Solid State Society"), or outright - possibly atrocious - genetic manipulation ("Ao no 6-gou"). Plot-wise enhanced protagonists in anime usually have to pay a price for their enhancements, be it physical or mental. Proxy Battles In our terms, a proxy battle is a battle where humans use creatures/robots to do the fighting for them, either by commanding those creatures/robots or by simply evolving them/changing them into battle mode. Often the training aspect is also involved, or in some cases the proxies are nothing more than holographic representatives of some other variation of competition (like for example a card game). While many popular shounen anime fit under this category, it`s not limited to shounen anime. Sci-Fi Science fiction stories usually focus on how situations could be different in the future when we are more technologically advanced; due to either our own achievements or having met with other civilizations whom we have learned from. Shounen A style of anime and manga intended for boys, characterized by high-action, often humorous plots featuring male protagonists. The camaraderie between boys or men on sports teams, fighting squads, etc. is often emphasized. Unrealistically attractive female characters are also common (see fanservice), but are not a requirement. The art style of shounen also tends to be less flowery than that of shoujo. Stereotypes Then there is the question of the character set presentation. Is it completely original, or is it your usual stereotypical character cast. Both choices have their merit, for example it would not really make much sense to reinvent the wheel for a harem anime. Fans of that genre come to expect their favourite stereotype protagonists. Time: Present Somewhere between past and future
