Beyblades

The excitement of yanking the ripcord out of the launcher. The thud of the rubber tip of the top striking the plastic stadium. The sound of the beys clinking and clanking against each other. These are all typical aspects associated with a past childhood craze: Beyblades. Revived in the 2010s due to the anime series Metal Fight, Beyblade first emerged in 1999, crafted by the Japanese company Takara.

The origins of the toy date back to 17th century Japan, where spiral shelled tops called beigoma were wrapped in a cord of string that would be rapidly unfurled to produce the spinning effect, much like their modern-day counterparts. Originally, Beyblades were manufactured using plastic but transitioned to metal in 2008. The introduction of the metal finish came with another feature: interchangeable, customizable parts which permitted endless experimenting. Along with the anime series and innovative design choices, aggressive marketing strategies including the use of engaging commercials and social media posts, thrust Beyblade into the limelight in the early and mid-2010s.

Beyblade, at its core, is easy to understand. At a cue of “3, 2, 1, rip,” players would launch their tops simultaneously into a stadium shaped like a bowl. Due to the slopes of the stadium, the Beyblades would inevitably careen towards each other and clash, losing more and more spin with each collision. The last one left spinning would be declared the victor. The simple rules and low skill floor, along with the unique mold of the toy, made Beyblades easy to pick up and hard to put down for many children in the early 2010s.