The anime/anime Website is reporting (via the Anime News Network) that Takara/Tomy is re-launching the toy-based Beyblade property in Japan.  The new version of the"fighting tops" game will feature metal tops rather than plastic one and will also be accompanied by an anime series, the fourth inspired by the property. The first three anime series, which were all produced by Madhouse, were released in successive years starting in 2001, while the fourth series will be broadcast in Japan this summer after a four-year hiatus.  

Although it has been eclipsed in recent years, back in 2003 Beyblade was a major multi-faceted worldwide property.  All three of the previous Beyblade anime series were broadcast in the U.S. on the ABC Family and Toon Disney cable channels, and the Beyblade tops and Beyblade videogames were also released in North America.

Viz Media has published English editions of all 14 volumes of Takao Aoki's Beyblade manga, which actually predates the Beyblade anime -- the manga was launched along with the Beyblade tops in Japan in 1999 -- and in 2003 Decipher even launched a short-lived Beyblade Collectible Card Game (see "Decipher's New Beyblade CCG").