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Beyblade: Metal Fusion to Debut in U.S. in Fall 2010

The North American production company Nelvana Enterprises has announced at the Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas on Tuesday that Beyblade: Metal Fusion, the newest anime series based on the Beyblade spinning top game and manga franchise, will premiere in North America in Fall 2010. The 51-episode series, which already premiered in Japan in April under the name Metal Fight Beyblade, will tie into the relaunch of the toy line. According to Nelvana, the anime's story follows a new cast of "characters competing for dominance with their Beyblade tops, battling with an evil organization, Dark Nebula." The "Metal" in the new anime and toy line's name is a reference to the use of metal in the new tops, instead of just plastic as in the earlier incarnations.

Nelvana is co-producing the anime with Japan's d-rights. In fact, Martin Kucaj, the composer of the music in the English versions of the previous Beyblade projects and Medabots, already wrote the opening theme song for Japanese version. Takara Tomy is producing the toys which Hasbro will sell worldwide except in the Middle East and Asia. Nelvana, d-rights, Takara Tomy, and Hasbro had partnered on all the previous Beyblade incarnations. The Beyblade Battle Association is planning new tournaments in North America.

The Nihon Keizai (Nikkei) Shimbun newspaper reported in April of 2008 that Takara Tomy is reviving the franchise after four years. Takara Tomy launched the original game franchise in 1999, and sponsored three anime series between 2001 and 2003: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 (Beyblade: V-Force), and Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G-Revolution. New Beyblade episodes have not aired in the United States since 2005. Viz Media released Takao Aoki's original Beyblade manga, and Takafumi Adachi launched his new Metal Fight Beyblade manga in Shogakukan's Coro-Coro Comic magazine last September.

Thank you to John And for the news tip.

Image © Takafumi Adachi, MFBB Project, TV Tokyo