The entirety of Season 1 and the first 35 episodes of season 2 were purely leadup to the Reqiuem Project.
First of all, yes, this is how stories work. I understand that.
The thing is, I think we've all forgotten just how horrifying Red Eye was.
Let me set the scene for you:
You're...let's say thirteen watching this new show that's just come out. It's a pretty basic sports story, albeit based around some kind of fantasy top thing. But there's not too much to suggest that it's anything but the norm. Sure, there's some discussion of beys having spirits, but it's vague enough that it's probably just Valt being a kid. Maybe there's this one guy who can talk to ghosts, but it's played in a way that its very unclear if he can actually see spirits or if its just the show joshing with you.
The plot is pretty basic, with a few twists and turns in there, but by no means bad. The show goes out of its way to show you how these characters care for each other. They really are built up to feel like people, and that's what makes it so darn good. No one is static, the main character is allowed to be wrong, but there's this feeling of security and happiness to the whole show, assuring you that it's all going to end with a message of friendship.
Especially Shu and Valt's friendship. Those two would go to the ends of the earth for each other, for good or ill.
(There's one line about something being wrong with the giant guy's eyes, when menacing music plays. But it's so quick and so much other stuff is going on, that it goes over your head)
And, wow, maybe you weren't expecting Shu to lose that battle against Lui - after all you've been counting on seeing Shu and Valt battle this whole time! And when Valt loses to Lui you're really surprised, especially because there's just enough plausible deniability for you to be like: dude it's a spinning top it doesn't have emotions, don't forfeit because of it.
But there's another season coming and you're really excited to see what happens, because Valt and Shu are finally going to get that battle!
Season two starts and something is definitely different. Maybe it's the fact that you've gotten so used to a cast of characters that really like Valt - the Bey club are his best friends, Xander and his crew are really sweet, Zac was fascinated with him, and it was really only the antagonists who didn't like him - so you're not expecting BC Sol to be this antagonistic.
That's definitely it. And you're wondering about where Shu is, but he's been brought up a few times so you're sure they're just saving him for later.
The plot is still about what you would expect. Maybe a little harder to predict once Free leaves, and maybe it feels a bit more mature, but the team is going to the World Cup! Wahoo!
(There's a few more scenes about the bond between Blader and bey. Yet again, nothing definitive, nothing that can't be taken as metaphor.)
And then Wakiya bursts in.
Well this is definitely different than you've expected. this Red Eye guy is weird (maybe you suspect he's Shu. Maybe you don't.) but the Snake Pit is fundamentally a very silly arc. After all, you've got the annoying heat guy, the fortuneteller guy, the acrobat guy, and the amazing dog guy who Valt always forgets the name of. Sure, Violet eye is a bit mean, but Red Eye comes and cleans up before anything bad happens.
It's a weird arc for a pretty basic sports show to take, but ultimately really cool. You're actually excited about the "mystery" of where Shu is, and the next episode is back to your regularly scheduled antics. And you're not fundamentally worried or really expecting too much angst here. It's a kids show! And you're getting to the age where you can predict how these things go, the power of friendship will save the day.
Plus, things are looking up for our protagonists! They're doing really well in the world cup, and it's clear they'll be facing the Raging Bulls in the finals! Look, there's a funny vampire guy who is probably not a vampire because he's drinking tomato juice.
(Red Eye keeps showing up, on his tour around the world. That bit where he screams in tandem with Spryzen is weird but the show doesn't give you time to think through the implications of the Big Ben exploding before its on to the next episode.)
And, that's weird, what's Yellow Eye doing on the Bulls. But, you know what, no time to think about that because Silas won that battle and it's time to Celebrate!!! That scene where Kris eats the cake is so cute!
And then Wakiya bursts in, again.
Before you've got time to think, the music is serious again and all our favorites are in the middle of nowhere, watching Red Eye and Lui battle.
By now, you're pretty sure Red Eye is actually Shu, and you're hyped for how this goes down. It's pretty hard to say what you're predicting. You probably guess that Red Eye will lose. You're probably going to get an explanation of what's going on. Maybe, if you're really hopeful, you're betting Valt and Shu will team up to take Lui down again. Maybe, you've come up with some wild theory as to why Red Eye is even Red Eye including dragons or those metaphorical bey spirits.
And then Shu shoves Valt away.
For the first time this episode, really in the entire show, the tone armor has broken. This is not what's supposed to happen in this sports anime about brightly colored kids.
This is the first time you've really seen Valt upset. Sure he cried about Shu's hurt shoulder. Sure he was really frustrated about Wakiya taunting him and sad about Ken moving away. But he looks genuinely furious, and genuinely hopeless standing there as Shu walks away. And you're just struck by how intense this all is. This is not what you were expecting from todays episode, as you watch Valt angrily battle Lui for Shu's honor, not surprised at all by the fact he loses, even as you're in shock.
At least there's no way it can get worse.
You finally get your explanation of what's going on, though. If you take a moment to think through the implications, you realize that Theodore drugged Shu to get him to Mexico.
At least it can't get worse, you think because this episode is already really dark for the standards of this show. When Theodore tells Shu to throw away Legend Spryzen, you're probably annoyed and telling him not to do it, but ultimately think this is a weird scene to put focus on. If you know enough, you might see this as the manipulation attempt that it is, for Theodore to get Shu back under his control at his worst. But there's no way that's intended to be the implication to this scene, right? This is a kids show!
And then Shu's in that tube and you realize everything is going sharply downhill. Because I don't need to tell you how genuinely horrifying the entire Requiem Project is to watch. But right now you're sitting there, watching a human get thrown around onscreen for the first time in this show's history, and the music is all intense, and Shu is wielding an axe?
And then Spryzen shows up.
Maybe you're still holding onto some hope that this is all metaphor. Maybe you're thinking that this is a trick of the experiment or Ashtem. Most likely, you're listening to Shu and Spryzen scream and you're realizing something:
That guy who could see spirits? He could actually see spirits. The vampire really was a vampire. And all that stuff about bey spirits and partners and bonds? All of that was to be taken literally.
Oh crap, you realize, Shu just got possessed.
From then on, you realize things have changed. That this show you've been watching thinking: "wow this is fun but not really full of stakes" has stakes.
It's darker now, and plays with dramatic irony a lot.
Because you know what's wrong with Shu, as you watch Valt go through his ten minutes depression arc and the whole team deal with Free coming back. You know why Spryzen showed up at Kurt's battleground, you know what was about to happen to Kurt if Cuza didn't interfere. You know what the real purpose of the International Blader's Cup is, you know who Theodore is.
And all throughout it, you're screaming at Valt to realize that his friend is in trouble. But there's no real release of the tension, no one but you and Shu know what's really going on until Spryzen snaps at Theodore.
And then, finally, Shu is free. You're relieved as the characters finally talk about what's going on, you're happy for them and all of it.
And then another season is coming.
Well, you think, at least this one won't be so dark.
tldr: Beyblade uses tone armor to the best of its ability to make the Red Eye arc hit you like a truck
