(Aug. 23, 2016 3:05 PM)Sakyo X2! Wrote: Beyblade Burst is the most realistic!
I could deal with the bad parts of Burst's realism (lack of drama, boring battles) at least involved the
good parts of actually playing Beyblade Burst tournaments in real life: the strategies, the skill, the wins
and defeats.
The Beyblade anime managed to get away previously with having nothing to do with the real game's gameplay or strategies because it was a straight-up fantasy show. Sure, you wouldn't learn much about how to play, but you'd at least get intense character drama and get to see some crazy stuff happen, like an evil Russian Beyblade monastery housing an evil Beyblade invented by "the evil monk, Rasputin," or Max jumping out of a helicopter or even just the apocalypse.
I actually always hoped for a more down-to-earth, school-like nature for Beyblade because I really love the first few episodes of each series dearly because they're so down to earth. Episode 1 of Bakuten Shoot is totally schoolyard/neighbourhood drama, but it still feels legit high-stakes to watch and the battles are quick and action-packed, with the focus being on character interactions.
The Burst anime's battles are
slooooow, and they all look pretty much the same, except for "this one go fast" and "this one stay kinda still." (Admittedly, I saw Storm Spriggan use its Unite tip in a way that made me rewind the episode. That was cool.) They're extremely predictable, and because the stadiums are always identical there are no variables ever introduced into the show. Different parts and strategies could fill this space in instead, but the fact is there's no way there's enough actual gameplay in real-world Beyblade to support a 52-episode season of anime. Maybe an OVA, though.
The characters are mostly straight-up idiots, except for Shuu, who is Nice & Kind. Who am I supposed to root against in this show? A few mild rivalries don't make for antagonists. I also wish it was funnier than it is; it's a comedy series, but the earlier Beyblade series were way funnier, especially in retrospect. Again, Max jumping out of a helicopter. (Max in Japanese is especially incredible and would make him The Best Character in the Show if not for Rei being such a great guy. Actually, Shu basically feels like a defanged and blander version of Rei.) I guess we'll get a villain sometime this winter, but it feels very late.
I did not write this post with the intent of it being this long and I'm not sure where to take it from here. But basically, I actually
wanted Burst to be more of a schoolyard drama, so I was initially really hyped for it. But it's more of a schoolyard
meandering about, which I guess makes it more of a slice-of-life and I get that people like that stuff. It's just not for me, and I'm wondering if it will really be a wide-reaching hit with kids the way the previous two series were internationally.