i was outside with nothing better to do, so i started researching some of the character's birthday dates to see if i can find what inspired the writers to give them those Specific birthday dates. came across a lot of interesting / silly references and here's what i have so far:
valt - 3/21, self-explanatory on a surface level, mr beyblade was born on world beyblade day. 3/21 is also the start of spring equinox. this is gonna become important after you get to our next guy
shu - 9/23, the date of the autumnal equinox. throwback to shu's full name meaning "crimson autumn" (紅秋). spring/autumn bfs is an immaculate concept thank you hiro 🫶
wakiya - 9/8, mulberry day. fits right in with how purple he is
daina - 1/17, konodai tsujikiri festival in which evil spirits and plagues are warded off
ken - 6/20, peppermint day. self-explanatory for he is Green
aiga - 8/11, first ascent of the mountain peak "eiger" (probably what led to his name being localized as aiger) + mountain day in japan. he comes from the mountainous island of hokkaido so here's another win for research
fubuki - 12/22, birthday of the youngest emperor of japan (antoku). coming up right after shu's autumn equinox, december 22nd is the beginning of winter solstice
suoh - 9/9, chrysanthemun festival. the chrysantehemun is the symbol of the imperial family and japan itself. mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the most traditionally japanese of them all? /j
free - 11/11, there's…..too many holidays present to properly match one w him. 11/11 is just That popular of a date for events and holidays. i guess that was the whole point of choosing that as free's birthday as he's also Incredibly popular
rantaro - 4/30, library day? i guess? he's shown to be incredibly skilled w his kanjis (cooked up advanced calligraphy that his friends couldn't read) and has books/manga on his outfits all the time
drum - 6/10, melon day. melon boy 🥹🥹
delta - 7/27, watermelon day. matching with his boyfriend. makes sense since he's red/green-ish
amane - 4/29, showa day. dedicated to giving blessings to nature. seeing as his surname is related to plants (kusaba (草葉) - blades of grass) this fits right in 🌱
pot - 7/6, the birthday of the 14th (and current) dalai lama. I CALLED IT, I KNEW IT-
blindt - 10/25, the birthday of pablo picasso. welcome back picasso i guess 😭
fumiya - 8/8, matching with free there's Way too many anniversaries on this day to pinpoint the perfect one for him. let's say pachinko / gachanko day as he's as obnoxious and flashy as them /j
hikaru - 6/22, the start of summer solstice. we finally have all four major solar terms!!
hyuga - 3/20, his birthday fits right at the start of the spring equinox alongside valt's + international day of happiness
bell - 7/1, celebrated as a "phantom day" all thanks to the watershield (junsei) plant. lemme know if you want the details im too lazy to type all that out LMAO
OKAY SO APPARENTLY THERE'S A 30 TAG LIMIT SO UH- moving everything i said in the tags onto the post itself.... i love doing the most random bullshit ever i Swear. me researching this: RANDOM BULLSHIT GO 💥💥💥 (jkjk ofc i do my best to look into things as much as possible) there's probably a lot of Niche references flying over my head at this time but i've accepted that i'll be figuring them out some other time
ALSO EVERYONE STAND UP FOR EMPERORBUKI BECOMING MORE N MORE REAL AS THE DAYS GO BY-
Having a Beyblade Burst AU where all the plot important characters are mfs who have NEVER interacted is like, the funniest shit ever
Bc gang WHY do Fumiya and Nightfell genuinely have beef?? WDYM FUMIYA IS WINNING SAID BEEF???
Why did Delta bitch slap Evel like that??? I mean tbf Evel is highkey evil (whoever gave him that name deserves a Nobel Prize) he probably deserved it but then you turn around and Delta's also hating on KIT (the AU protag) so you just go??? Okay buddy which side are you on here???
EVERYBODY wants Joe's head on the stick, inlcuding Beyeen, hell she might want it the most
Actually circling back to Kit and Evel for a bit, what the fuck do you mean those 2 have PARRALELS??? WHERE TF COULD I POSSIBLY PULL THE PARRALELS FROM???
Ay at least Hae-jin and Pheng are besties now (ignore the assassination-ish plot line in the bg)
Okay its been MONTHS since I’ve written an analysis so like, IDK IM SO HAPPY TO GET BACK TO THIS
Before we get into the nitty gritty analysis section, I would like to say how wonderful this season was made. Aside from Arthur - a very lacklustre villain - a lot of the bonds and dynamics were handled very well in my book. While I do believe that each character could be more fleshed out, it was mainly due to time constraints to 15 episodes.
Truly a shame.
Warning, this is lowkey hella fucking long so be prepared. Now for the real deal,
I remember being super annoyed with Hiro making Gachi's main message being friendship. While, it is a pretty decent message, it was already there in any other season. Hell, it was already explained in every bloody season. Having one season, especially after a banger that was SuperKing, would make it fall flat. Moreover, after watching the season again it didn’t feel like it was exactly friendship either. As if there was more to be said than just friendship itself. I even tried rewriting it to twist friendships into growth, where the friends you’ll make will one day leave you. However, once more it didn’t feel exactly right. Then, by some stroke of genius as I was talking with someone on call, I realised the meaning on the spot.
PASSIONS!
For clarification, I’m not saying that the previous seasons didn’t tackle this, hell it was first introduced with Valt having so much passion towards the sport. But that was it, the introduction. In Valt’s journey, he was meant to see past the joy and control his impulses to become stronger. In other words, he needed to take the sport seriously and not just for the haha and giggles. It’s why Free criticised his way of thinking when he first arrived. It’s perfectly fine to enjoy the sport, but you need to fight to win, not just for fun. In other words, you can’t enter a fight and expect to lose. That’s how you start thinking second best options, rather than the best.
Compared to the story of sportsmanship and trauma then, this tells the tale of how someone so full of passion could help and guide others to take a hold of their own goals, realising what they truly want in beyblade for their own good. To no one’s surprise, this beloved guide is Drum!
Drum was introduced to be this big nerd toward beyblade - analysing and snatching beys from others to read into their designs, cheering his peers whenever they win or take another step in their journey, asking others to a battle consistently mostly into their faces, etc etc. This lack of space is what truly differentiates him from Valt. He isn’t afraid to talk about his likes and he isn’t as sensitive as Valt in the beginning to be easily swayed by negativity. He is always happy, constantly excited that he’s blading. Beyblade is something that can bring joy, essentially. It’s why he rejected Fumiya’s offer, simply because his ways of playing doesn’t align with those ideas.
I lowkey hate when certain fans just call Drum a copycat or Valt’s replacement or whatever. Like no, not every happy go lucky character are the same type. It’s just a stereotype they fall into, but their details differ so much.
With that out the way, let’s head onto the passions Drum awakened.
FIRST UP IS DELTA. Delta is our flipped side to Drum’s. I would say polar, but there’s another contender for that. Plus, they do share the same values, but it’s just redirected differently. Compared to Drum, Delta is more quiet towards Beyblade. He certainly is passionate towards the sport, but it was never for the friendship aspect. This is why Drum and Delta did get along, in their own way. They held a similar love to Beyblade as well to their partners, but how they extended differs. As Delta aimed for perfection, Drum aimed for connection. I won’t say that Drum didn’t also aim to improve his blading skills, but he also balanced that with his friendships, while Delta sacrificed that to max his skills.
As we’ve seen from the past three seasons, friends are just as important in skills. Enabling a blader to become stronger and provide more legroom to relax and ease themselves from the stress to reach the top. While Drum wasn’t afraid to lean against his friends for help, Delta believed that he needed to hoard the pain to himself. That he was the only one who can feed Diabolos's hunger.
That’s why Valt was so hung up on setting him up with Drum. He knew that Delta needed a friend and knew that Drum would be the only person determined and passionate enough to show Delta the true meaning of Beyblade.
So, when Diabolos broke, it was a symbolic reflection of how Delta would gradually feel overwhelmed and drained under his problems. This is indicated right after the shattering, where he doesn't show any emotion but emptiness. He felt numb knowing that all the hard work he endured, all the emotions and pain he suppressed, all of that turned useless in the end. After everything, he was still not good enough.
When Valt helps Delta, the first thing he does is ask about his passion. What keeps him going? What do you aspire? You know the drill. When Delta figures out its Drum, we see him act significantly happier. Thanks to Valt’s advice, he doesn’t need to hold himself in any high regard. He can finally relax knowing he doesn't need to rely on himself for everything anymore. With Drum by his side, the one who never ran away no matter how hard he tried to push off, he can finally embrace a new side he couldn’t accept before.
Second is Amane. Although he is certainly passionate, he mainly fights to protect his friends and family - an opposite to our gluttonous Delta. He stays in Victories because he is loyal to Tango and goes out of his way to help and defend his peers from those who harm them. However, his bond to beyblade is still very... empty. Hell, its implied that before Drum came along, he didn’t really strive to grow stronger. It was enough to stay with them, no matter what rich and fancy facilities Fumiya could provide. Even if he doesn’t grow as strong, he’d rather take his time training with Tango than spread his wings.
Furthermore, unlike most bladers, Amane doesn't speak or communicate with Ashura, generally just having him there as a bey to fulfil his blader persona. This season was a particularly spiritual one thanks with all the spirits we get to see. Amane clearly has a big role in the season, but he was nearly falling back as that sidekick in the story.
However, that starts to change when he sees Drum. He was some random kid that suddenly came to their clubhouse, wrecking around with his bubbly attitude. Rivalled by his strength, he decides to pick up the pace and train harder as well. At that moment, he finally had someone who he can rely on, because let’s be real Ichika and Taka weren’t so strong compared to those two. Amane, similarly to Delta, can ease on the expectations to carry the Victories himself and share it with the others as well. Then, we finally have his last arc as he confronts Drum’s and Delta’s progress at the finale. He acknowledges that skill gap and aims for a higher goal than he usually wants, triggering his bond with Ashura. Although Delta was the main push that Amane needed to finally speak with Ashura, Drum was another big factor for him to naturally seek out strength.
Next is Pheng - if you couldn't tell, yes we are going through everyone here, kinda. From the moment he was introduced, he was mentioned to be this high, perfect individual. While this aspect highly contrasts his teasing personality, this fact holds up. From contextual and dialogue clues, he was a genius at birth that became the youngest member to be the head leader of his sanctuary/temple. With so much responsibility at a young age, he barely had enough time to sought out anything he enjoys. It is why he acts so rebellious. He wants to reject the role that was unfairly given to him.
When he found a sport that was highly related to his role, he took no hesitation to pursuit. However, before he could finally enjoy himself, he soon realised he was simply too perfect. Before he could even find a rival, everyone around him were too weak to handle him. Moreover, with him being on that pedestal of superiority again, suddenly he was back at that temple being regarded as someone perfect who intimidated others to approach. With that barrier up, he cannot find any genuine joy in any hobby without having the thought of "When will I be too perfect to rival?"
It's why all his related hobbies are pranks. No matter how good he gets, there's no point unless people are involved. Alternatively, as it is a task that involves more mechanics and creativity, there's always room for improvement. A task that's perfect for him. All in all, Pheng was a lonely kid who wanted to feel normal. To have friends that saw him for who he is. That was until he met Drum. While he dismissed him as someone below him, as he got closer to him, he finally regrew that intrigue he once had for the sport again. When he finally loses, he feels relieved, knowing that there's still people who can rival him, that he isn't alone anymore. Without that fear of loneliness, he can finally aim to grow stronger, to finally catch up with someone rather than wait.
Next up is a dual analyst: Fumiya and Ichika. As their arcs influence one another, they kinda need to be spoken together in order for this to make sense. Before we actually go into the analysis though, I must say that the hate towards this guy is lowkey overrated. Yes, he wasn't perfect and he isn't the most likeable or memorable character there is, but he did have a character arc and I wish people would still acknowledge that. With that out the way, lets get back into it.
Compared to many characters, Fumiya isn't a strong blader. Yes he has intelligence, but that also falls short compared to others who are smarter. However, what keeps him so high is his way of manipulation. To overcome his lack of talent, he uses mental tricks to gain the upper hand. Generally evening the battle grounds for both parties. This is probably due to the annoying tone Fumiya had in the dub, but this is a fact that a lot of people tend to dismiss. After getting rejected by Drum, he purposely inflates his reputation, exclaiming how strong he is to attract a wider audience. With everyone’s eyes on him, he aims to provoke fear or stage fright into Drum to doubt himself. If Drum weren't so dense or simple-minded, this would've easily worked in his favour.
Similar to her brother, Ichika is a normal girl who loves beyblade. However, after seeing what happened to her brother, she begins to fear that any other blader - who aren't the Victories - would eventually grow to be like him. As her older brother, Fumiya was her role model and admiration of sorts, essentially the standard she sets up towards others. Thus, she also loses her passion for beyblade by secluding herself to the clubhouse. This was vaguely shown in the anime, but if you pay attention to the beginning, she was a tad hostile towards Drum initially. Distrusting his words and believing that he'd eventually betray them for Fumiya later on.
But that never happened. When Drum saw how Fumiya harmed his team, he rejects. He knows how strong Fumiya is, and already saw how much better their equipment was. There was really no reason for him to reject. But he did. He stayed loyal to the team and chooses to stay with them. (I genuinely can't remember how it exactly happnened tbh. I feel like Fumiya scouted Drum and we have the whole miscommunication ordeal with the entire team later one, but I can't be certain so take my words with a grain of salt.) Since that event, she started to become more expressive, allowing herself to grow stronger and more interactive with her surroundings.
Back with Fumiya, we later realise his original goal in the anime. In summary, he bladed for Ichika. He picked her favourite bey as his main and made a team to help her grow stronger. The fame and glory was never the purpose, but because of the attention he gained, he slowly came to forget. It is why he also gave up on making her join the team. As she kept rejecting him, despising his new identity, he saw that goal too troublesome to deal with. A hit against his ego in a send. However, that all came apart when Ichika finally reached back. Now with Drum's influence, she doesn't run away from her problems anymore. No matter how hurt or betrayed she felt towards him, she still loves him, and with that realisation, she helps him regain the past he forgot.
Now for the minor characters, because they do also have their little arcs. Unlike the others, they'll be simplified.
1. Joe: A nomad blader who lets fate determine his career. While he is shown to have some passion towards blading, he doesn't take any initiative to control his victories. For a minor character, he has the most relatable quality here. He uses the excuse of 'It's just luck' or 'It was never meant to be' that a lot of people use when they can't reach their goals. When he meets Drum, specifically after their battle, Drum encourages Joe to take the initiative himself. He should be assertive and he shouldn't stand back while opportunities pass him.
2. Blind : A blader who doesn't see past the power of an individual. Immediately from his introduction, he a boy who battles to see the strength of a blader and nothing else. Somewhat similar to Delta, but without the geniusee to back it up. He doesn't see the passion and friendships a blader must have, implied by his lonesome environment and foggy mansion. However, after the final tournament, he realises his mistake admits the strengths friendships can give.
3. Lodin: An overpowered boy who in search for a sport that can match his strength. Like Pheng, he is a genius at strength who lacked any peers to lean against. Beyblade was essentially a hobby to see if he'd like it or not. But when he meets Drum, he realises that there's more to beyblade and continues fighting with that passion now gained.
4. Arthur: While he is the representation of power at its core, he is the representation of a common obstacle one in athletics confronts - the sole focus on strength. In an interesting sense, he is the pinnacle of how a sport career can influence an individual. In his fight with Delta, his essence can symbolise how training without peers can drain a person, or how this close-mindedness can come for anyone anywhere through his random appearance between Delta's and Aiga's fight. Do I like Arthur? No, I still fucking hate him, but it'd be foolish of me as a character analyst to simply ignore that because he looks absolutely ugly.
Now for the final character, the boss monster as you will, Gwyn! To cut is short, he is a blader with nothing. Not just towards beyblade, but with everything in general. This is our Drum’s opposite. He never had passion towards anything - no goals, no dreams, nothing. Rather than make friends, he would lock himself in his room doing mathematics. Unlike people, maths was predictable. There was always an answer. A final equation. A fitting representation of his life. In turn, he also believes his and everyone's lives fit into that mould. There is only one solution to life, no matter how passionate you may feel to change it - no matter what happens, you still die in the end, right?
When he started blading, he was prepared to accept its end. It was a hobby after all. Something to busy himself with until it got boring again- until he solved everything there is to solve. After gaining Genesis, however, Gwyn started seeing the flaws in his theory.
The first being Delta. To his eyes, Delta should've gotten all the components to determine his life. He was a boy who sought out power, who trained himself to the brink of exhaustion, and who later drained himself in the process. While he may anticipate his change of tone later on, he would've never expected him to change that rapidly. Especially with his relationship with Drum. He never liked him, didn't he? Why did he suddenly change? It was an oddity that shouldn't have existed. Then it came to Amane. He, by no right, was capable of growing stronger. He simply wasn't gifted enough like him. Yet for friendship of all reasons, he started to grow.
Friends shouldn't give you that much strength. It shouldn't give meaning to what's already stated. You can't grow stronger because there's a new variable involved. You already have your answer, it can only extend the equation, and if the equation is different to the answer, was it really the same anymore? No, that wouldn't make sense. It’d be imbalanced. Impossible. Therefore it's meaningless, it's nothing. This is the process that Gwyn thinks throughout the finale. He falls into confusion because he spent all his life believing it doesn't have meaning. Then, as the last kick, Genesis comes in, asking and prodding him with more questions that are too emotional.
"Why do you blade?"
"Why are you upset?"
"Why do you stay?"
Gwyn can't answer, because there is no answer. None that was correct, of course. If he were to speak, then he would sound too personal. There was no emotion in maths, after all. So all there is to say is, "I don't know." He goes through a spiral of confusion and denial, unable to tell what's true and false anymore. Then, in the darkness, he meets Drum again. The very variable that brought all this to him. The first who made him second guess the logic the world brought. The first to ever reach out to him, and the first who made him feel more emotion than he thought to deserve.
To each and every character that Drum encounters, he is introduced with problems that occurs in everyone’s careers. However, unlike a lot of characters in this position, he never directly addresses them. Rather, he just shows his undying love to Beyblade and lets them slowly encourage themselves to improve. He stands as a pillar to remind them who they once were, or who they aspired to be.
The most strongest example would be in Gwyn’s and Drum’s final match. In Gwyn’s perspective, we see Drum reaching out to him, however that isn’t happening in real life. Drum isn’t out here extending his arms to Gwyn mid battle. However, his passion and joy for beyblade is enough to reach Gwyn’s heart.
Drum is simply, well Drum. In a symbolic way, he helps the heart beat, and that isn’t something you can fake. This is why the season is better known for its friendships, rather than the story itself. It’s because that is the goal of the season.
NOW HOLY THIS WAS SO MUCH LONGER THAN I EXPECTED. While I must say that Drum and Valt do share a lot in terms of their strong charisma, Valt was out here purposely trying to help people out, Drum lowkey was just wandering about most of the time being a lil nerd. Gosh I love him so much ya’ll don’t understand. ANYWAYY that is all for my not so lil analysis and I will be back, but definitely not as long as this. LATER!!!
My character design enjoyer side avidly enjoyed my favs' designs from this au. Their colours and concepts are genuinely devine.
I started with Blindt, then Rurikawa and then the list increasing to 5 more with every design and character I wanted to draw, which I can't complete right now.
Just an example of why I'm late for deadlines, my goals aren't fixed lol, it keeps expanding inbetween the process.
btw Happy birthday Pheng (6) and Rurikawa (7) and Count Night (15) in advance lol, this month is full of birthdays of my fav characters why
Zac, despite his public persona of cheery pop star, is ruthless when it comes to other people. Specifically, people that he percieves as threats (Akira being the main example). So, I hereby present characters that Zac would feel extremely threatened by
1. Akira Yamatoga: This one happens in canon. Akira is a rising star in both the music and blading worlds, both of which Zac currently dominates. Akira is one of the few people that can challenge Zac in both fields. Zac is still more experienced however, and manages to convincingly defeat Akira in a battle (as far as music goes, we are never shown, but Zac probably stayed on top)
2. Orochi Ginba: I know they get along well in canon, but we are never shown how they met. Orochi is known for his hearing, being able to tell how close a bey is to bursting while in the crowd. Logically, he should be able to sense people’s heartbeats and breathing patterns. Zac puts up a fake personality because he cannot let people know his true intentions. Orochi senses his heartbeat accelerating and breathing getting faster when Zac feels threatened, but Zac might be able to play it off as excitement rather than fear
3. Valt Aoi: Another one that’s canon. Like Akira, Valt is a rising star that can take Zac on in a battle, but Zac can handle that. What makes Valt a threat is the exact opposite reason Orochi is a threat. Valt is oblivious to other people’s emotions. Zac needs to get rid of the threat without letting the public know he means to get rid of the threat, and Valt is simply too dense for Zac to do that. By the time Valt realizes what Zac is doing, everyone else already figured it out. Zac cannot get rid of Valt without letting his true intentions show very clearly
4. Joshua Burns: Joshua, like Zac, craves fame. Unlike Zac, Joshua is willing to sacrifice effectiveness for spectacle. Joshua throws the first round to up the tension so that when he wins, it’s more satisfying. If he faced Zac, Zac may or may not see through Joshua. If Zac does not, then Joshua loses the first round and Zac is caught off guard in the second. If Zac does see through Joshua however, Zac would freak out. Joshua is so confident he’s basically going “I can beat you with my eyes closed, and to prove it, I’ll put on this blindfold.” Zac would not be able to intimidate Joshua because Joshua’s ego is just that big. And to Zac, this means that Joshua is powerful enough that he can fight Zac while handicapped
5. Laban Vanot: Like Orochi, he’s too perceptive. Laban can look into people’s souls, and would be able to tell Zac’s not as pure as he presents himself. But since Zac is at worst, a massive dick, Laban probably wouldn’t care much. Laban doesn’t care about Kyle for example, despite Kyle being extremely shady. He only cares about Phi because Phi is downright evil and possibly not even human. I see Zac and Laban getting along after a while since Laban doesn’t want the spotlight
6. Hyde: Hyde is a showman, just like Zac and Joshua. Zac would see some guy that’s good at getting the crowd excited and would percieve him as a threat. Hyde and Zac have the same goal: Being the strongest while having fans because of it. Zac can handle losing if his image stays intact (look at his loss to Valt), but Hyde ridicules his opponents. Zac could not handle losing to Hyde because if he does, Hyde will taunt him on TV until Zac shuts him up in a rematch
7. Fumiya Kindo: Fumiya wants fame. That alone makes him a threat to Zac. Fumiya and Zac both tell the audience “look at how awesome I am,” albeit Zac is more subtle. Zac would probably deal with Fumiya like he dealt with Akira
8. Pheng Hope: Pheng, like Laban, can look into people’s souls. Laban can tell what kind of person someone is, while Pheng can tell what their current state is. This means that Pheng is more similar to Orochi, but replace “heartbeat and breathing” with “chi.” And ulike with Orochi, Zac cannot play it off as anything because Pheng’s perception of people’s states is even deepter than Orochi’s. But like Orochi and Laban, Pheng doesn’t care about fame so when Zac realizes that, he’ll stop worrying
9. Blindt DeVoy: Like Laban, Blindt can tell what your soul looks like. Like Laban, he does not care for fame. This would play out very similarly to how it would with Pheng since Blindt prefers to be away from crowds of fans
10. Arthur Peregrine: Zac’s worst nightmare. A guy whose only goal is “sway public opinion to believe that I am a god amongst men.” Zac has 2 options. He either opposes Arthur or sides with him. Zac would never side with Arthur for multiple reasons (Arthur is obviously evil. Zac would be a “servant” of Arthur). If Zac opposed Arthur, Arthur would simply physically obliterate him while streaming the battle online. Zac can recover from physical defeat if his image is intact, but Arthur goes out of his way to paint his opponents as fools who dared defy a god. And the fact that Arthur livestreams his battles is, like Joshua, saying that he is confident he will win. The only way Zac can beat Arthur is defeating him in battle, like with Hyde. Arthur embodies the most dangeroud traits of several of Zac’s biggest threats all combined into one. I wish Zac was in Rise just so I could see his reaction to Arthur, because I’m sure it’d be priceless
