Line #100 Anime/BattleSpiritsShonenGekihaDan


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/battle_spirits_shounen_gekiha_dan_2395.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:The First Series]]
3
4
5	The second anime inspired by Bandai's ''TabletopGame/BattleSpirits'' [[CollectibleCardGame trading card game]], following ''Anime/BattleSpiritsShonenToppaBashin''. The series recycled certain concepts and character types from the first series, but focuses on an entirely separate cast, and has a much more serious storyline.
6
7	The protagonist, Dan Bashin, is a red-headed hero who uses the red attribute, just like Toppa of the first series. However, rather than going through a normal life, he's taken from Earth to the world of Grand Rolo, where he learns he's one of the chosen core soldiers. With the help of his friends and comrades, Zungurii, Magisa, Clackey, Mai and Suzuri, he battles to stop the evil Otherworld King.
8
9	The series was followed up by another 50-episode series, ''Battle Spirits Brave'' (named after the newest type of card at the time), wherein Dan and some of his old allies travel to the future. Because it is a direct sequel with many of the same characters, tropes for Brave are included on this page.
10
11	Nine years after ''Brave'' aired, a three-episode sequel called ''Battle Spirits Saga Brave'' was announced, taking place 10 years after the end of ''Brave''.
12
13	Following the finale of ''Saga Brave'', a new series called ''Battle Spirits: Gallett's Revolution'' was announced. It is set in the same universe as the previous three series, albeit farther into the future and features a new protagonist named Gallett Revolt and involving a new species called Mauve.
14
15	Also see ''Anime/BattleSpiritsHeroes'', for the 4th series in the franchise.
16
17	----
18	!!This show provides examples of:
19	* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: Most of the spirits are rendered in CG. The Great Angelia Sophia is a notable exception, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that Clackey is in love with her.
20	* AccidentalMisnaming:
21	** Magisa regularly calls Kenzo anything but his name, making him crazy.
22	** Stella continues the trend in Brave, though this time it's more likely a case of MaliciousMisnaming.
23	* ActionGirl: Mai. She loves to battle, and is good at it too.
24	** In Brave, she becomes more of a FauxActionGirl. The fact that she can battle is mentioned several times, but she’s never seen actually playing. [[spoiler: However, once she parted ways with Dan and the rest, returning to the mazoku capital with Barone, she regained full ActionGirl status.]]
25	** Brave also introduce Flora. She does get several battles, and has quite a powerful deck. Though she always loses, it’s more due to the sheer level of her opponents. And she’s shown to be quite good at physical combat as well.
26	* AdaptationDyeJob: Galaxy, the one character to appear in both Toppa Bashin and Gekiha Dan (albeit an entirely different version of him) has blond hair in the first series, but it's white in this one.
27	* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Kenzo. Especially in Brave, where he becomes one of the planet's most significant scientists (at the age of 11) and stops playing Battle Spirits to focus more on his work.
28	* AllLovingHero: Dan. He's willing to give everyone a chance. He'll jump to save anyone, even if he hardly knows them [[spoiler: or they're an enemy. He even tried to take in Mother Core, which his body couldn't physically handle]]. And his friends adore him.
29	* AloofAlly: Suzuri. He'll help the others, but isn't interested in joining them.
30	* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler: Mai gives one to Dan during their battle, afraid that he's going to die soon.]]
31	* ArtShift: Regular anime-style to CG during battles.
32	* AscendedMeme: It's been a bit of a joke on Japanese sites that Dan is near abusive of Bladra, due to regularly summoning it just to use it for cost reduction. Cue episode 13 of the unrelated ''Anime/BattleSpiritsHeroes'', which features a whack-a-mole machine with the "moles" being Bladras terrified of having their cores taken away.
33	* BaitAndSwitchCredits: Dan never uses The [=DarkDragonEmperor=] Siegfried.
34	* BattleButler: Serge is one to Mai.
35	* BigBad: Otherworld King, as the King of Otherworld, who is behind everything that's gone on since the beginning.
36	** In Brave [[spoiler: Zazie is revealed to be the one manipulating all the conflict behind the scenes. While the last major opponent Dan has to face, the true final boss is in fact the earth itself, which will reset itself.]]
37	* BigEater: En and Fant must be bottomless vacuums when it comes to food.
38	* BishieSparkle: Clackey and Belga are both prone to generating sparkles.
39	* BitingTheHandkerchief: Flora tends to do this.
40	* BittersweetEnding:
41	** To Gekiha Dan. [[spoiler: Otherworld King is defeated, but the core soldiers have to return to the real world, leaving their comrades from Otherworld behind. Also, Kajitsu is unable to be saved.]]
42	** [[spoiler: During Brave, it's revealed that there were even more negative side effects. In particular, mazoku remaining in the real world and reshaping the Earth, which will eventually reset itself.]]
43	** Then there's the actual Brave ending, which is even worse. [[spoiler: The world is saved from being reset, but Dan may not have survived.]]
44	* BlandNameProduct: Anymate, rather than the anime retailer Animate.
45	* BloodlessCarnage: When [[spoiler: Lucretia is fatally stabbed]] there's no blood to be seen.
46	* BlushSticker: Kenzo's are permanent.
47	* BodyDouble: [[spoiler: Otherworld King used a Pantera body in place of himself to fight Yuuki and Kajitsu.]]
48	* BrotherSisterIncest: Yuuki and Kajitsu, [[spoiler: who are reincarnated lovers who still very much love each other.]] Somehow, this show airs on a Sunday morning kids block.
49	* ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth: [[spoiler: Butterflies are extremely symbolic to Kajitsu. Of course, that's because she's a reincarnation, and she dies again and is reborn as Flora.]]
50	* CallingYourAttacks: But they’re playing a TCG, so…
51	* CatGirl: Anyone from the Mimi Tribe
52	* CheerfulChild: Zungurii. Most of the time, he's cheery and adorable.
53	* ChickMagnet: Clackey. Even he had more girls than he could probably handle in the Mimi village.
54	* ChivalrousPervert: Clackey. He loves to pick up girls, but he will make sure to treat them right.
55	%%* CollectibleCardGame:
56	* ColorCodedCharacters: Apparently, all major characters must use the type of card their hair color indicates. Exceptions include Kazan, who’s blonde but uses purple (but he wears purple), and Yuuki, who has light blue hair but uses white. Still, his is close enough.
57	** Not the case at all in Brave, as Youth uses red rather than blue, Plym uses white rather than red, etc.
58	* CoolAirship: The Violet and The Beautiful Sophia, among others.
59	* CoolShades: Galaxy wears them, per the mascot character he’s based on. Jin as well, who is the leader of a gang with a tough-guy appearance.
60	* CuteClumsyGirl: Flora. She's prone to breaking things and making a mess.
61	* CuteGhostGirl: Mira, a one-shot character who can even play Battle Spirits despite being... well, dead.
62	* CuteMonsterGirl: Flora. Aside from her tail, she could pass for an adorable human girl.
63	* DamselInDistress: Kajitsu in the manga version is constantly kidnapped.
64	* DarkerAndEdgier: Battle Spirits Shonen Gekiha Dan is significantly darker than the first series, ''Anime/BattleSpiritsShonenToppaBashin''. Including elements such as major character death and BrotherSisterIncest, in a story which is much more serious.
65	** Then it's sequel season Brave takes things even further, beginning with the revelation that everything the heroes did in the previous series actually screwed up the future, and now the world will be destroyed within months. On top of that, the heroes [[spoiler: have essentially been disowned by their families and the world at large, after being put up on such a pedestal that they just failed to live up to expectations]]. The series has even more character death, ranging from [[spoiler: some characters being used as human sacrifices to create a card, one person being impaled to death, and even the main character himself making a HeroicSacrifice in the finale]]. There's also the main antagonist's backstory, which has been likened to [[spoiler: child prostitution]]. Yes, this was a Sunday morning kids' show.
66	** The sequel web series ''Saga Brave'' as well, which opens with [[spoiler: an assassination attempt on one of the main heroes by a radical hate group]]. To be fair, this season wasn't aimed at kids, instead being aimed at the grown-up original audience.
67	** ''Gallet's Revolution'' takes it even further with FantasticRacism and on screen deaths.
68	* DarkIsNotEvil: Mai uses purple, which is themed around demons and the occult. She’s one of the main heroes.
69	* DeathCourse: Dan and Suzuri end up in one in episode 8.
70	* ADeathInTheLimelight: [[spoiler: Leon. Although he doesn't actually die, once he gets his backstory explained, Otherworld King [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness sends him back where he came from]], and he's never heard from again.]]
71	* DefeatMeansFriendship: Mainly with Dan and Kenzo, the latter of which quickly allied with the former after losing to him in battle.
72	* DemotedToExtra: Kenzo in the manga. He's a minor villain.
73	* {{Determinator}}: Dan, especially in Brave. [[spoiler:r. Even with a doomed fate, he is going to carry out his mission until the end.]]
74	* DistressBall: Mai goes to take on Pantera by herself, in order to protect everyone else, with no one but Serge knowing. This leads her to getting captured and spending several episodes locked in a cage. She makes up for it as soon as possible.
75	* TheDragon: Kazan (Yuuki's dragon) in the early episodes, Leon (Otherworld King's dragon) later on.
76	** In Brave [[spoiler: Duc]] takes this role after being brainwashed.
77	* DuelsDecideEverything: As expected in a card game anime, a game can decide the fate of the world, or be used for anything much more mundane.
78	* EmptyShell: After losing to Otherworld King. [[spoiler: This happens to Dan temporarily.]]
79	* EmotionlessGirl: Kajitsu at first.
80	* EverybodyWasKungFuFighting: A couple times. Everyone seems to have amazing martial arts skills.
81	* EvilOldFolks: The Otherworld King. [[spoiler: Until he has his youth restored.]]
82	* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: In Brave, Mai has long hair, and has also changed a lot since the last time Dan saw her. [[spoiler: She changes her hairstyle again once she decides to fight for the mazoku, and then cuts it at the end of the series, after losing Dan.]]
83	* ExpressiveMask: Zazie wears one.
84	* {{Expy}}: While an alternate continuity to the original series, Gekiha Dan took a clear, deliberate effort to remake certain characters from Shonen Toppa Bashin.
85	** Dan Bashin is one to Toppa Bashin. Both are red-using redheads, and chosen ones who are magnetic heroes. Even their last name is the same. However, in the sequel Brave season, Dan's personality changes sharply enough to make the two less comparable.
86	** Mai Viole is to Suiren. Aside from aesthetic similarities, they're both idols, and both purple-using Action Girls with a tendency to come off as scary even to their allies.
87	** Yuuki Momose is one to J Sawaragi. They are both The Rival, both use white, and both have a little sister they're protective of. Both spend some time working with the villains, but only to further their own objectives.
88	** In the first episode of Brave, look-alikes of Jun and Maaya from the spin off manga, Batosupi! appear. Those two characters are already gender-bent expys of J and Bashin from the original series, respectively.
89	** At first glance, Flora seemed to be an expy to Kajitsu, down to having flower motifs, a similar deck and the same seiyuu. This is actually explained when she's revealed to be so similar [[spoiler:because she's Kajitsu's Reincarnation]].
90	* EyeCatch: A shot of one or two of the main characters. Dan has several. Clackey, Mai, Suzuri, Kenzo, Zungurii and Magisa have one, while Yuuki and Kajitsu share one. There’s also a group eyecatch. It changes based on who the episode’s main character is.
91	** Brave is following the trend of unique character eyecatches, with Dan having the most.
92	* {{Fanservice}}: Not much, but mostly courtesy of Magisa in Shounen Gekiha Dan, and Gilfam in Brave. And Barone provides a bit of fanserve for female viewers.
93	* FingerSuckHealing: Yuuki does this to Kajitsu when she cuts her finger on a thorn.
94	* FlowerMotifs: Roses are very significant to Yuuki and Kajitsu. And then of course, there's [[MeaningfulName Flora]] [[spoiler:Kajitsu’s reincarnation]].
95	* GlowingEyesofDoom: Leon gets these.
96	* GoodCostumeSwitch: [[spoiler: Yuuki and Kajitsu each get one around the time where they switch sides.]]
97	* GoodScarsEvilScars: Zolder. His is a line over his eye, marking him as a good guy and a tough guy.
98	* GratuitousEnglish: A lot during battles.
99	** Also, Clackey tends to throw in bad Engrish a lot
100	* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Magisa is shown to frequent bars and gets chided for her drinking habits. Downplayed on that the show is for kids.
101	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Kenzo, Kajitsu, Yuuki and Kazan eventually all ally with Dan in the fight against Otherworld King.]]
102	** [[spoiler: In Brave, Barone, Flora, Eolus and Rugain are the first Mazoku to take Dan’s side. By the end, virtually all Mazoku become allies.]]
103	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: From Dan and the end of both Gekiha Dan and Brave. The first time he's saved, but the second time is left up in the air.]]
104	* HotBlooded: Everyone. Especially Dan and Zolder.
105	* HotWitch: Magisa, despite the fact that she can never keep a steady boyfriend.
106	* IKissYourHand: Belga tends to do this.
107	* InMediasRes: A few times such as episodes 25 and 39 of Gekiha Dan.
108	* InconsistentSpelling: While Clackey seems to be the official spelling, according to Sunrise's Brave website, Krakki, Kurakkii and Cracky have been seen on official sites and in the anime, and numerous other spellings of his name have popped up on assorted fansites. Fortunately, said website has released official spellings for most characters.
109	* InterspeciesRomance: Clackey has a harem of cat girls from Grand Rolo when he first meets Dan. Well, at least they're more humanoid than some other inhabitants.
110	* {{Jerkass}}: Julian can certainly come off as one, especially in his introduction episode. It's more a facade, though.
111	* JumpedAtTheCall: Subverted. Although Dan jumped to protect Zungurii's village in the first episode, when told of his purpose in Grand Rolo, he wasn't interested at first.
112	* KidHero: All the main characters.
113	* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Dan is reduced to this whenever he gets a new red dragon into play. At least, in the first season.
114	** Suzuri goes crazy over X-rares, even if it's his opponent using them.
115	* KnightTemplarBigBrother: Yuuki. And his sister Kajitsu is probably a gender reversed version.
116	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler: Duc gets this, erasing parts of his former identity. It’s all a part of his being BrainwashedAndCrazy.]]
117	* LightIsGood: Clackey, as a yellow user. His deck is centered around angels. Also, this could apply to core's light in general.
118	* LightningGlare: Kenzo and Stella have done this during their constant arguing.
119	* LotusEaterMachine: Episode 42 involves one [[spoiler: where Dan, Mai and Clackey are trapped, and start to forget their role, until Kajitsu interferes]].
120	* LoveMakesYouEvil: Yuuki’s entire motivation is pretty much for Kajitsu’s sake.
121	* MagicalLand: Grand Rolo
122	* MagicSkirt: Mai’s, though it’s actually a dress. See ep. 12 and watch logic be defied.
123	* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Both Zungurii's family and Rugain's are like this.
124	* MeaningfulName: Kajitsu’s name, probably, since it means “fruit.” She’s a green card battler, and one of her signature green cards is The Fruit of Wise Tree.
125	** Dan’s last name is Bashin, most likely a tribute to Toppa Bashin of the original series, as the two characters are quite similar, both in appearance and personality.
126	** Magisa uses magic.
127	** Barone and Duc, to sound like baron and duke.
128	** Plym Machina, because she's a mechanic of course.
129	** Youth, probably, because he's young and immature compared to the returning characters.
130	** En and Fant, which together make enfant, are baby Mazoku.
131	** Flora is associated with flowers.
132	** The 'Ray' in Clackey Ray is probably a reference to rays of light.
133	** Mai's name is spelled with the kanji for demon, in reference to the type of cards she uses.
134	** Kenzo's name is written with the kanji for blade, in reference to The [=BladeKingBeast=] Byak-Garo, his signature spirit.
135	* MerchandiseDriven: As with the entire franchise, the show was made to sell trading cards.
136	* {{Mon}}s: The spirits.
137	* MoodWhiplash: Some episodes in this show are about Suzuri being possessed by the ghost of an onmyouji, or a monster trying to marry Magisa. Both of which were played for pure comedy. [[spoiler:Others involve characters dying depressing deaths.]]
138	* MoralityPet: Kajitsu to Yuuki. He treats her much kinder than he does anyone else and after realizing he had been hurting her more than helping her [[spoiler: leaves her in the care of the Bearers of Cores Light. He later leaves Otherworld King and joins with them as well for her sake]].
139	* NeverMessWithGranny: Magisa is thousands of years old and a very powerful witch.
140	* NoblewomansLaugh: Gilfam, the Mazoku Queen, tends to do this.
141	* NonHumanSidekick: Zungurii, who is part of a monkey-like race and an ally to the Bearers of Cores Light
142	* NonUniformUniform: Mai states that she customized her battle form (including adding little devil horns) because it wasn't cute enough.
143	%%* OddlyVisibleEyebrows
144	* OfficialCouple: Naturally, Duc and Shima, who are married. [[spoiler: Also, Dan/Mai, Yuuki/Kajitsu and Clackey/Angers. The latter of these are revealed to have two children in Saga Brave.]]
145
146	* OnTheNextEpisodeOfCatchPhrase: Some variation of "Let's go! Attack step!"
147	** When Galaxy does it, he uses "Galaxy Step."
148	* {{Otaku}}: Suzuri is a card collector otaku to creepy levels.
149	* ParentalSubstitute: Dan basically becomes this for En and Fant.
150	* PetTheDog: Barone, when he helps a human child.
151	* PersonalityPowers: Several of the characters main attributes fit with their personalities.
152	* PlayingWithFire: Most red cards are fire based.
153	* PortmanteauSeriesNickname: Like the first series, Batosupi, and it’s used as an in-universe example for the TCG, likewise.
154	* PowerGivesYouWings: [[spoiler:Dan's]] 2nd battle form and [[spoiler:Otherworld King]]
155	* PowerGlows: Due to Cores Light being the main power source in this series, a radiating glow is often seen when that power activates.
156	* PromotionToOpeningTitles: The OP animation to the first season is modified later into the series, adding Kenzo, Leon, Pantera and Otherworld King.
157	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Magisa is really 4029 years old. Also the Mazoku as a whole age far slower than humans, making all of them far older than they appear. Even En and Fant, who still appear to be infants following the 10-year time skip.
158	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler: Pantera. Dan was right in believing that there was good in him. However, the last thing he can do before Otherworld King blows him to bits is provide Dan with a new key card.]]
159	* RedIsHeroic: The protagonist Dan is the red core soldier, and he uses red too.
160	* RedOniBlueOni: Dan is the red. Yuuki and Barone take the role of blue in their respective series.
161	* {{Reincarnation}}: [[spoiler: Firstly, Yuuki and Kajitsu are reincarnated royals of Otherworld. Then, in the future timeline, they're reborn again as Zolder and Flora, respectively.]]
162	* RetCanon: While it continues in the same universe, due to taking place ten years later, ''Saga Brave'' incorporates most of the modern rules and mechanics from later series, such as the Soul Core.
163	* TheRival: Dan vs. Yuuki.
164	** Belga vs. Yuuki, in a one-sided way from Belga.
165	** In Brave, it's Dan vs. Barone and more comically, Kenzo vs. Stella.
166	** Youth also has a one-sided rivalry with Dan.
167	* RunningGag: Magisa can never say Kenzo's name correctly.
168	** Neither can Stella, who happens to have the same seiyuu as Magisa.
169	** Clackey falling in love with every girl he meets probably counts.
170	** Also, Suzuri obsessing whenever he sees an X-rare card.
171	** En and Fant are rarely seen without food. If they are, they're usually begging for food.
172	* SerialRomeo: Clackey. Most of his girls (ie: Sophia, Mira, Seiru) don't last for long.
173	* SiblingsInCrime: Yuuki and Kajitsu in the beginning.
174	* ShipperOnDeck: Clackey wants Zolder and Flora to get together.
175	* ShipTease: Dan and Mai in Brave.
176	** They have a little in the first season too, but not to the same level, and there's also a bit with Mai and Serge.
177	** Zolder and Flora get ship tease too.
178	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Mai is the only female core soldier. [[spoiler: Kajitsu isn't really the green soldier. She's a special case, actually bearing Mother Core, which the others have to protect.]]
179	* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler: Kajitsu and Geraid both live in the manga versions.]]
180	** DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler: Zazie in the Kerokero Ace Brave manga.]]
181	* SpikesOfVillainy: Leon. Flora's battle form has these too.
182	* SpoilerOpening: Both the OP and ED show that Suzuri will join the main group. He doesn’t until episode 36.
183	** Additionally, the Italian dub includes the 2nd version of the OP theme from the start of the show, which reveals [[spoiler: That Kenzo is the green soldier, and also shows Dan's 2nd battle form, and the identity of Otherworld King.]]
184	* StalkerWithACrush: Kousuke to Mai. He followed her all the way to Grand Lolo.
185	* StarCrossedLovers: [[spoiler: Yuuki and Kajitsu, or at least who they were in past lives.]]
186	* TagalongKid: En and Fant in Brave, who are infants that ride along with the heroes in their airship
187	* TakeMyHand: Happens a few times, such as Yuuki saving Kajitsu after her powers cause the ground below her to crumble.
188	* TeamChef: Zungurii. He makes curry all the time.
189	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Dan and Curry
190	** Revolver and Green Curry
191	* TransformationSequence: Most characters undergo one to get into their battle form
192	* TrueCompanions: The Bearers of Cores Light and their team, made up of Dan, Zungurii, Magisa, Clackey, Mai, and eventually [[spoiler: Kenzo, Kajitsu, Yuuki and Suzuri]]
193	* {{Tsundere}}: Mai is type B towards Dan. At least in the first series.
194	** Suzuri is a male example.
195	* UnusualEars: Most inhabitants of Grand Rolo
196	* WesternZodiac: Plays a major role in Brave, where X-rares representing each sign of the zodiac have to be collected.
197	* WhamLine: From ''Brave's'' final episode:
198	-->'''Dan''': [[spoiler: I am the trigger. I don't have to pull anything. [[HeroicSacrifice I become it.]]]]
199	* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Zazie, [[spoiler: the BigBad in Brave]].
200	* WingedHumanoid: Kajitsu appears to be this, but the wings aren't real.
201	* WolverineClaws: Gilfam has them. They give her the appearance of having FemmeFatalons, but they're actually just gloves.
202	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Otherworld King basically does this to Leon.]]
203	* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler: Youth has a moment like this with Geraid, who led the attack that killed both his parents. Though, he can't actually bring himself to take revenge.]]

Context Anime / BattleSpiritsShonenGekihaDan