#mfb scene analysis

[sky-of-dusk]

Hello! Have you ever noticed the parallels between Kenta saving Benkei in Episode 9 and Ginga saving Kenta in Episode 1?

Hello!

More than a parallel, it's (for me) the highlight of Kenta's evolution between the episode 1 and 9.

He and Benkei (who are mirrors in the first episodes) are characterized by an impressive growth in the first arc of Beyblade Metal Fusion.

About Ginga saving Kenta (episode 1)

This scene has for purpose to introduce the hero of the show. Kenta is a normal kid, with a passion for Beyblade, a couple of friends and big dreams. He's easy to identify with for viewers, or at least to watch fondly (contrary to Ginga, at this point, who keeps his distances with the other characters as well as the audience).

Kenta is attacked by the Face Hunters on his way home. He's forced to accept their challenge, knowing he'll lose, and is afraid the whole time (which is normal, one little kid cornered and mocked by a bunch of teenagers is bound to be afraid).

Kenta is good at Beyblade, since he won a tournament (as small as it is), but not strong enough to defend himself.

Ginga is a whole different category as a blader. He defeats easily Benkei and five Face Hunters, who are said to terrify the whole city. Him saving Kenta is followed by a victory even more impressive: the one against 100 Face Hunters.

About Kenta saving Benkei (episode 9)

Kenta does swoop in to save Benkei, as Ginga did for him. It not only highlights the fact Kenta evolved quickly in a short amount of time, but it also puts forward his courage (that showed for the first time to defend Ginga from Hikaru) and his forgiveness. Not so long ago, Benkei was the one bullying him like this and yet he does not hesitate to come to his help.

His entrance shows he's one step closer to his goal: becoming a blader like Ginga.

Closer... but not here yet. And he's aware of his limitations. It shows when he moves Bull away from Leone's path instead of trying to attack Leone directly. He knows he's no match for Kyouya.

For a matter of fact, Kenta and Benkei lose. This defeat, however, doesn't point out their weakness, but Kyouya's progress as a blader after working with Daidouji and overcoming the Wolf Canyon.

But thanks to Kenta's intervention, Bull isn't destroyed by Leone. Then, thanks to Benkei, Bull and Sagittario aren't crushed by Kyouya. Their teamwork and support allow them to avoid the worst for a blader: losing their beys.

[stormyrainyday]

How to Read MFB Like a Professor: Chapter 1

Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It's Not), ft. The Silver Pegasus

Key Concept: When a character goes on a trip, pay attention to what they learn about themselves.

What's this? Read the series intro post.

A seemingly innocuous trip in media can, if analyzed through this lens, reveal insight about a character's growth and motivations. In order to see how, you have to understand that every quest has 5 defined components:

The person going on the quest (obviously)

What they hope to achieve (May or may not be a tangible object. Think of it as their "Holy Grail" so to speak)

Their stated reason for going on the quest.

Obstacles that make the quest difficult (terrain, other characters, personal flaws, etc)

The most important part: The real reason for going on the quest. This must be different from the stated reason, and is the thing that grants your desired insight on the character.

In the episode The Silver Pegasus, Gingka returns to Koma Village after losing a battle with Ryuga at the Dark Nebula Headquarters. Hokuto then tells him of a shrine in the village which may have an upgrade for Pegasus and might thus help him gain the power needed to defeat Ryuga. Gingka goes on a fairly obvious quest in this episode, but for the purposes of recap and the analysis, let's break it down into its components.

The Quester: Gingka himself

The Holy Grail: A sacred text, which may upgrade Pegasus's strength

Stated Reason: Get more power to defeat Ryuga

Obstacles: Snow, ice, avalanches, and Gingka's shattered self confidence

The real reason: I'll get to this in a second

As 1-3 are pretty straightforward, I'll start by discussing the obstacles on Gingka's quest. These obstacles can be internal or external, but as you will see as we go along, dividing them is pretty arbitrary.

The harsh terrain poses a challenge physically but isn't the primary thing that is hindering Gingka in his journey to get to the mountain shrine; the wind and snow are merely representatives of the internal struggle taking place. His preoccupation with defeating Ryuga gives him motivation to keep going in the beginning of his quest. Note that this is his stated reason for going, and this makes sense. The reason he is consciously aware of is what provides him with the fuel to persist through these initial challenges.

Of the first of these dangerous obstacles in his quest are icicles which fall from above. These don't seem to faze him at all, though. With a cry of rage, he unleashes Pegasus and shatters them all mid air.

However, when the ice is gone and the danger is passed, Gingka realizes he is still screaming. His face softens into a look of deep sadness. To me, this foreshadows how using his pain to drive him forward is only going to hurt him in the end, leaving him hollow. The prolonged screaming shows that if this is how he chooses to drive himself forward, he will only continue to struggle and feel pain even after he has no reason to.

Driving this point home is the next shot: Gingka proceeds into a dark cave, seeming very small against the backdrop and very notably alone. If you listen carefully, you can even hear the echo of his footsteps before the scene cuts away

Though this scene is short and the obstacle is, at the end of the day, pretty trivial (he had no issues getting past it after all), it's the first sign of the emotional backdrop of this quest and the feelings weighing heavily on Gingka at this point in time. Remember that during the battle with Ryuga, we see Gingka in a rage unlike any we've seen before, and any we see again in the future

As we see in this part of The Silver Pegasus, though, this rage isn't good for him. In L-Drago Awakens it directly leads to his defeat, and similarly, The Silver Pegasus shows that it only leads to isolation and continuation of his grief.

Not only that, after losing and telling Kenta about the death of his father, Gingka disappeared to Koma Village without any notice. He abandons his friends and can't bear to share the burden he is carrying. It's only emphasized further by his small frame against the gaping, empty mouth of the cave.

Still, though, Gingka moves forward. His journey isn't complete yet.

The next obstacle he faces is a wall of ice in his way. He deals with it similarly (launching Pegasus at it, as one does in Beyblade), but notably, on his first attempt he isn't able to break it. Gingka is visibly irritated, and when he tries again, he tells Pegasus to "crush it to pieces".

Again I feel this drives home the rage currently fueling him, and while this allows him to brute force his way through this tougher obstacle, it doesn't come without consequences. Immediately following this, an avalanche threatens to crush him.

It's not explicitly stated that the avalanche is caused by the force used against the ice block, but given that it occurs without a break to show what his friends are up to in Koma Village (as all the other obstacles in this episode do), I think it's fair to read it that way.

The show does tell us that the avalanche represents Gingka's feelings about Ryuga, though. You could say the floodgates have opened, and Gingka is forced to confront what is driving him forward.

He remains steadfast in his stated goal, though; above all, he is concerned about beating Ryuga. Nothing else is on his mind.

When he clears the avalanche, though, it is quiet once more, and Gingka is once again painfully reminded that he failed to beat Ryuga when it mattered. He even questions whether the upgrade to Pegasus is waiting for him at the end at all, demonstrating the doubt that plagues him the further along he goes.

The final obstacle in Gingka's path is a snowstorm, weather that reduces his visibility down to zero. Gingka's confidence now has deteriorated fully, and he is at the hardest part of his journey to the top. This is represented by the low visibility in the storm: Gingka has quite literally lost sight of himself and the path before him. In the snow, he imagines Ryuga laughing at him and insulting his father, and though this fills him with just as much rage as before. He raises his launcher in bitter retaliation, but his spirit is broken: he is unable to launch Pegasus, and it falls uselessly from the launcher just as it did when he attempted to battle Osamu a few days prior.

Gingka sinks into the snow, defeated, his confidence in himself truly shattered. Ryuga's laugh still rings out in his ears and he apologizes once more to his father, but this isn't enough to get him back on his feet. His rage and grief were never enough to sustain him, and he is forced to reckon with that fact now, at the final obstacle of his quest.

Importantly, Gingka is only able to get back up and continue onward once his motivations shift away from grief and revenge.

Only the thought of his friends gets him to reopen his eyes and face Pegasus again after his failure. This is his reminder that he isn't fighting alone, and is the first step in understanding what the real purpose of Gingka's quest is.

Pegasus glows in response to Gingka's words, as if in agreement.

This is where he realizes that his friends are behind him, and that Pegasus is beside him. He was never in this journey alone, despite what he may have believed. He pleads with Pegasus for its strength, and sharing the burden with his partner, his bey, is what allows him to get up and continue on.

Here we see the path to his goal open before him amidst the snow, symbolizing the beginning of his understanding. Of course, change isn't instantaneous; the persistent snowstorm represents the continued struggle against the emotions that have been holding him back up to this point. Now, though, Gingka has found it within himself to move forward, and he is willing and able to take that path.

Now, all that is left for Gingka to do is retrieve the upgrade to Pegasus, and go challenge Ryuga again. Right?

Except there is no upgrade. There is no sacred text. There is no easy way out for Gingka.

I almost forgot to mention. More often than not in a quest, the character will fail to achieve their stated goal. Whether they fail on the path or, in this case, the Holy Grail simply doesn't exist, there will usually be something that causes the initial reasons for the quest to be a failure.

This doesn't mean the quest is a failure, though. In fact, the inability to achieve the desired goal is what causes the self reflection necessary to move forward. The character's action when confronted with this failure is what reveals the true reason for the quest at all.

The Silver Pegasus actually tells us this point explicitly:

In fact, the true reasons for Gingka's quest are told to the audience as well: Reaching the shrine shows that he was never as weak as he believed himself to be, and that so long as he believes in himself and his bey, he can persevere through any challenges. He is then able to see his loss to Ryuga for what it is-- a setback, not an abject failure or a reflection of his ability.

Gingka exits the shrine to light shining on his face and the snowstorm gone. This is symbolic of his restored confidence and the hope he now has going forward. He smiles, and declares his belief in himself.

At the bottom of the shrine, his friends are waiting for him. They could not follow him on his quest, but this is confirmation to him that when he needs them, they will always support him. They have been there for him all along, even when he fled from the promise of their comfort.

Again they are all bathed in light and Gingka holds Pegasus up to the sun, another declaration of hope, confidence, and belief in himself and the people (and bey!) who support him.

Gingka concludes the quest then, having restored his spirit and grown as a person. From the beginning, the show hammers in again and again that one's spirit is what determines the outcome of a battle. This episode is Gingka's first recovery from a major setback, and the quest he goes on foreshadows how he will overcome similar setbacks later in the series. It puts into play this core principle of the show in a way that is easily digestible, and one that will resonate with the audience even if they don't consciously realize when it comes up again later on. In essence, Gingka's quest here encapsulates his future character arcs and is even mirrored by others' in the series (such as Kyoya a few episodes prior, when he realizes Leone was by his side all along; he fails to defeat Gingka that episode, but is able to let go of the bitter resentment he held toward Gingka as well as the relentless need to solve everything alone-- but that's an essay for another time). You could go as far to say that it spoils the rest of the show.

For how cut-and-dry this episode is, it provides a lot of insight into Gingka as a character, both now and in future arcs. Quite frankly I wasn't expecting to glean that much from this; I thought the concept of the quest was shallow until I tried applying it for myself; only after I started writing did I realize just how much was going on underneath the hood.

It was a lot of fun! I look forward to doing more of these as I keep reading the book. The next chapter is about communion, so I'll have to review which episodes have characters eating together.

Thank you for reading!!

[hoperays-song]

what are your top 5 favorite medias/fandoms that you're in atm?

Thanks so much for the ask!! My answers are probably not surprising lol. -<3 Gooseless

MFB!!!! Everyone is so so nice!! I grew up in this fandom and genuinely consider several people in it to be like family to me at this point. Seriously, some of the sweetest people on the planet and I absolutely love them. Also, I just genuinely love Beyblade so much. In particular, I really love making original beys!

Pokémon! I've always loved Pokémon, especially dark and ghost types. The bits of the fandom I've been in have been nice as well. I really enjoy making fan teams for non-pokémon characters too!

Sing!! Obviously, this is my Sing based blog so no one should be surprised by this addition. I've actually made several close friends through this fandom and I really enjoy being in it! I love being able to do scene analysis on the movies as well and creating backstories is tons of fun!

The Dragon Prince!!! Everyone I've talked to in this fandom has been so nice and welcoming. I love the differences in the different types of elves (looking forward to seeing Tidebound elves). I also love the world-building and it's really fun to build characters off of such a fleshed out world.

The Owl House!! Seriously super sweet people and super welcoming. I love the magic system and working with it a lot to apply it to non-owl house characters as well. It's super fun content and super interesting! It's super cool and easy to build character since there is so much information and world building, it's amazing!

[a-bored-writer]

Question:

What the actual fuck is the timeline from Metal Fusion to Metal Masters to Metal Fury? It’s stated that Shogun Steel is set 7 years after the Nemesis Crisis, but the passage of time within the MFB series is still a little fuzzy.

Firstly, Fusion to Fury is at least a couple of years. This is obvious by a few things.

when Doji appears in Metal Fusion, he looks as if he’s in...his early thirties, let’s say, maybe a little older, but by the time we get to Metal Fury, his hair is grey and his very thin, almost sick-looking.

When Tsubasa visits the US to go see Masamune in Dungeon Gym, it’s made very clear that they haven’t talked/seen each other in A While, but it’s never stated how long that is. (I believe Masamune even says “I haven’t seen you in a while.” Or something along those lines.

This might just be me, but Kyoya definitely looks older in Fury. I know, ew, Fury Kyoya, but still, he’s taller and the way he dresses is just more mature-looking in my opinion

Kenta is obviously much older. I’m going to go ahead and assume he’s 8 in Fusion, and about 10-11 in Fury

That, particularly, is important here. The passage of time with the series’s youngest characters: Kenta and Yu. With Yu, we don’t see it physically, although I think the “older brother” role he takes on with Tithi was an emotional maturing/development of sorts. But with Kenta, he’s definitely gotten older: both physically and emotionally.

He’s distinctly made out to be a very small child in Fusion, hanging around his much-weaker friends and being altogether clueless (the first scene that comes to mind is the one where he begs Ginka to train him). Then we hop over to Masters, where some time has definitely passed, but this might just be a few months. He’s definitely gained a spine by that point, and he even had a few genuinely funny moments. He points out the facts, and stops sounding like a whiny child. As far as Fury is concerned, Kenta is definitely aged. It’s blatantly obvious on so many levels.

Fusion/Masters Kenta would’ve never even thought to follow Ryuga. Even if it did cross his mind, he never was a very brave character pre-Fury, he would’ve rejected the very thought of it. Along with that, he looks physically older and doesn’t dress as much like what the audience would consider a “little boy”.

But this isn’t a character analysis on Kenta’s wardrobe change, although I’d be happy to write that one. That change in Kenta makes it very obvious that the time passage goes:

End of Fusion -> Beginning of Masters: somewhere between 6 months and a year.

Not a major difference in the characters’ ages, although it was enough time for Hikaru to not only be hired by the WBBA, but get settled enough in the new position to be trusted dealing with the World Championships. And again, the differences in Kenta mentioned above.

End of Masters -> Begninning of Fury: Between two and three years.

It was enough time for Team Dungeon to be established and for the three of them to get into a fluid and constant routine of training. The second world championship announced at the end of Masters hasn’t happened yet, and those things definitely take a long time to plan, between scheduling, choosing teams, organizing venues for the matches, etc. etc. And again, it was stated to be a long time that Tsubasa and Masamune hasn’t seen each other, and for two people who used to be constantly together, they definitely would see this time period as a long time, even if they were in communication. This is assuming that the last time they spoke in person was at the end of Masters. And again, Kenta went from the ages of 7-8 to 10-11, which would make that time jump plausible.

[stormyrainyday]

How to Read MFB Like a Professor: Introduction

One of the assigned readings in the AP literature class in my high school was Thomas C. Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor; I'd read a chapter of it for 10th grade English, and for a novice analyst it opened my eyes to a new way to read the book we were reading at the time (Fahrenheit 451 if you're curious). Unfortunately though, due to scheduling reasons, I didn't take the class in which HTRLLAP was read.

Lately, though, I've been dipping my toes back into media analysis for fun in my free time, and I ordered the book in hopes of getting similar insight as I did in that earlier English course. The thing about HTRLLAP is that it doesn't tell you necessarily how to interpret a scene; rather, it provides knowledge of common symbolism and where it is usually used, and encourages you to further analyze with that knowledge in your arsenal. For example, the introduction of the book suggests that, in literature, any trade or deal could be analyzed with the perspective of a "deal with the devil". Of course, not every book will have a devil, but that's not the point. The point is to pay closer attention to the items up for barter, and what those items could represent to each character. In the book's given example from A Raisin in the Sun, the item for sale is the family home, a symbol of the main character's pride, history, and soul. That is not what every trade deal in a story would represent; however, it teaches you that when something is being traded, to look closer at what the components mean to each character and how they fit into the overarching themes of the story.

All that being said, reading a book on how to read analysis may teach me the theory, but if I want to hone my own skills, I need to put them into practice. Which brings me to this post-series, How to Read Metal Fight Beyblade Like a Professor. I've decided that for each chapter of HTRLLAP, I'll do a short analysis of the relevant symbolism in MFB. Hopefully by the end of it, I'll be a little better at analyzing media.

(Most of the posts will be related to Metal Fusion. It's my favorite season, I'm the most familiar with it, and the characters that I like the most appear in this season. I also find the plot to be the most grounded of all the series. It is, at the end of the day, about Gingka growing strong enough to get L Drago back-- most of the arcs serve that narrative. While I like Masters, I feel the focus of the season shifts quite dramatically when the Hades plotline is introduces, and I don't remember enough of Fury to speak much on it.)

Each post will be titled similarly to this one, and will reference the chapters of HTRLLAP. Post 1 will be chapter one, and titled How to Read MFB Like a Professor: Chapter 1, with the subtitle Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It's Not) to coincide with the chapter subheading. I'll be tagging the posts HTRMFBLAP and linking chapters at the end of each post. Expect varying lengths for the posts, as well as inconsistent times between them. I am not a literature students and I am really just doing this for love of the game, but that means that a lot of the time life will get in the way.

Quite frankly if anyone reads any of the analysis, I'll be elated. I love MFB and I love analysis and I've been filled with indescribable excitement at the thought of doing this.

[sky-of-dusk]

I have to resume my MFB rewatch (things got into the way). I'll start being back slow, with one post a week.

My AO3 (Dusk Sky)

(I also have a SPN side blog, stanning Destiel and Dean Winchester, a little precision for anyone wondering why this single-minded anime blog follows and likes so many SPN stuff.)

Some of my tags for an easier navigation below:

💫 General stuff 💫

Character analysis | Comparison of characters | Scene analysis

The manga | Names | Beys

Astronomy | Japan | Myths | Facts | Animals | Sky

🎥 Searching by episode 🎬

There's two tagging systems for the episodes: the number of the episode in the whole series or the number of the episode according to the season.

For exemple: mfb episode 1 / mfb 1x01 ; mfb episode 52 / mfb 2x01 ; episode 103 / mfb 3x01…

🦁 Kyouya Stuff 🌪

All Kyouya posts

Character analysis | Character's growth

Rich kid Kyouya | Dramatic Kyouya Tategami | TC | Lone lion

Being carefree | Being smart | 🐴 Ginga Stuff 🌠

All Ginga posts

Character analysis |

Sense of humor

💙 All Kyouya and Ginga posts 💚

KyoGin evidences | Them being alike as bladers

⭐ Some other characters ⭐

(The characters not present here this list can be found with their whole name or #mfb [character first name] ; the team with the tag #team [team name])

Nero Konzern (I don't post as much as I'd like about him)

Kakeru Tategami | Gaou Tategami | Yuu Tendou | Nile

Madoka Amano | Hikaru Hasama

✨ Meme 🍔

🎭 Incorrect quotes 🎭

🎨 Drawing 🧩

🌌 Comic Strip ✨

MFB sum-up in two cases | MFB scenes in school AU

The Challenging Ginga Saga | Wild Fang comics | KyoGin comics

[sky-of-dusk]

Episode 108 - Calming down Kyouya

Can we talk about Ginga succeeding of calming down Kyouya? Just by talking to him?

First, Kyouya rage against their whole environment, destroying everything around him. The others are staying back, explaining his behavior, not ready to intervene. They just want to stay aside and wait for Kyouya’s anger to go out itself.

Then, zoom on Ginga.

Unlike the others, he doesn’t care about explaining Kyouya’s reaction. He just cares about him. His whole attention is on Kyouya. And he does what no one else can:

he intervenes.

Just watch this part in video. Ginga doesn’t hold Kyouya’s wrist: he’s gripping it. He clings it so tight his hand is shaking. It’s not a “let’s happily chat!” it’s “we have to talk, now, and don’t think you’re escaping this” xD

And right away, Ginga starts lecturing Kyouya about the uselessness of his reaction. Who else would have dared to tell this face to face.

I like how he’s shocked 2 seconds flat by Kyouya’s fierceness, and then annoyed. Usually, Kyouya just raise his voice and people start cowering, even those who know him for long like Benkei (Yuu is a whole different problem, because he knows Kyouya isn’t really serious when he roars on him). While Ginga’s first reaction is a mere surprise. He isn’t afraid of Kyouya, he isn’t impressed by his temper. He just didn’t expect him to react like this and when he understands what happens it gets on his nerves.

He starts answering angrily but then calms down. And... Miracle!

Kyouya is suddenly calm.

Ginga talks to Kyouya calmly, as if they are just standing face-to-face. Nothing strange in the current situation, everything’s normal.

And Kyouya lets go of him so gently, especially compared to the way he grabbed him in the scene’s beginning.

I have to point it out again: Ginga just talked and he succeeds to calm Kyouya down. With words (I believe this point can’t be stressed on too much). And Kyouya listens. He listens intently.

(The way Kyouya follows Ginga’s movements, before looking at him again, is so cute)

Then Ginga resumes talking and they stare at each other. In fact, the whole scene is them facing each other. They are in their own world, without the other characters, even without the spectators (they are turned toward each other all along, not facing or glancing at the camera once).

And then, suddenly, the mood changes. It’s not solemn anymore. Kyouya lightens it up with a challenge, that Ginga understands right away. They run away playfully...

...while the others (who still exist, apparently xD) don’t understand what happened. There isn’t even a zoom on their reaction, they stay in the background as one set, because the scene was about Ginga and Kyouya and they have no impact on it.

[sky-of-dusk]

Episode 132 : Kyouya’s return

Did you see how the whole scene is made ? Tension is at its peak: our bladers are fighting their enemies, there are unknown opponents preventing them to reach their goal, Dynamis is inexplicably on the other side... Our bladers are worry, anxious, angry, panicking...

And Kyouya arrives.

(And Ginga forgets about Dynamis, lol)

Kyouya just appears and he becomes the centre of attention. Every beybattle stops for a moment. It’s his scene, and even their enemies don’t ruin it. Everyone waits to see what he’ll do.

Of course, Kyouya talks to Ginga, ignoring every one else.He asks for an explanation. Despite arriving lately, he finds them too slow. He feels the situation is stagnating.

(Moment of silence communication, helping Kyouya spotting the main problem.)

Kyouya walks slowly, calmly, because it’s his scene. Earlier, he had urged Ginga to hurry up and get rid off his opponents, but it doesn’t apply to him. Everything follows his rhythm.

Another thing distinguish with from the others : he’s smiling. On these pictures, it’s a visible detail.

...and just acts as his usual positive self, seeing the fun of beybattling before their importance for the world’s fate.

Ginga is the only one who plays an active role, except Kyouya, in the scene : he tries to warn him about Dynamis and the strangeness of his behavior.

Kyouya challenges Dynamis. First thing, he pushes Ginga and Pegasus outside this battle. He wants it to be a duel.

We all know Leone’s power, and how devastating it can be, so the way its gusts push slowly, almost gently, Pegasus outside the stadium is eye-catching. Ginga gets back his bey more gently than after victories.

Dynamis tries to remind him he had left the gang, not caring about the world’s fate, and Kyouya admits it. He shows no guilt or regret. He takes responsability for his actions, but he doesn’t let himself being weight down by them. Besides, his words and movements show he doesn’t take seriously Dynamis’ reproach.

Then, Kyouya acts seriously again. The whole attention is still on him, both from enemies and allies. And the last picture of the episode shows he’s on the legendary bladers side.

In the following episode, we see the battles. Kyouya is alternatively serious and happy, like usually when he fights.

His battle, and Dynamis’ reaction, helps Ginga understands how they can win against Nemesis so he goes on, letting Kyouya taking care of this part.

Ginga steps down as the main character, literally moving into the background, to let the place to Kyouya.

I like how smoothly Ginga hand over to Kyouya

[sky-of-dusk]

Kyouya vs Ryuuga: the decisive battle

The duel between Kyouya and Ryuuga is one of the most important of Beyblade Metal Fusion. It is as decisive in the anime and the manga, though not for the same reason.

Beyblade Metal Fusion - episode 49

The whole point of Kyouya's and Ryuuga's battle is reminder of the blader’s spirit.

“But I have the blader’s spirit. This is how Leone and I fight and win!”

Kyouya encourages Ryuuga to give up the Dark Power's tricks and to fight as a true blader. He succeeds and, for a time, they have a duel spirit against spirit.

Watching their battle, Ginga realizes Ryuuga is a blader too. He didn't have this thought before, and is somewhat puzzled by it (we can't blame him since the past he shares with Ryuuga).

“Bladers spirits splashing until they are burned out. Well that is a true blader like Kyouya and even Ryuuga.”

He certainly wouldn't have understood it without Kyouya. Consequently, he wouldn't have tried to save Ryuuga from the Dark Power and everyone would have lost in the end.

"If I fight force with force, I cannot win. They save me in order to give me that message. Save... That's it! (...) I'm no gonna abandon a fellow blader. That's exactly what the Dark bey has been doing."

- Ginga Hagane, episode 51

Beyblade Metal Fusion, volume 4

In the manga, the duel between Kyouya and Ryuuga is fierce too. It isn’t about the blader’s spirit but about stopping Ryuuga no matter what. Kyouya succeeds to damage L-Drago (he’s the only blader who achieves this feat). He weakens L-Drago attacks, allowing Pegasus in the next fight to survive its special moves (it’s in black and white in the manga), and lowers its defence/stamina, so Pegasus' attacks are able to affect it.

To conclude

Basically, it is Ginga and Kyouya who wins against Ryuuga.

[sky-of-dusk]

Kyouya: It was hell.

Benkei: Hell?

Kyouya: I can still hear it. The wind blowing from the valley. The bloodthirsty growls of the wolves. I took a look at Hell on Earth you couldn’t even imagine !

Benkei: Hell on Earth...

Kyouya: To live or to die... To kill or to be killed... In the end, you can only depend on your own strenght.

- Beyblade Metal Fusion, episode 9 (japanese dub)

Kyouya: Go back and tell this to Hagane Ginga: “Tategami Kyouya had come back from Hell just to defeat you!”

-  Beyblade Metal Fusion, episode 9 (japanese dub)

(I quoted the japanese dub, because I read something in a book and it made me think about Kyouya’s first crossing of the Wolf Canyon. I wanted to check if I was thinking too much into this or if I could be a little right)

The meido is the first step to reach underworld/paradise in Buddhism. It’s for the souls who had a nuanced life, who did nothing extraordinarily good or evil. It is described as a place of non-stop howling wind and harassing animals (normally, birds). It has cliffs so high one would be able to reach their top only with huge efforts, determination and overcoming moments of discouragement. But they have to climb these cliffs if they want to reach the next step, usually the hereafter (though it was the contrary for Kyouya : he had to climb them to come back to life).

The cliffs are a symbol of the soul’s sins.

So, Kyouya in the Wolf Canyon was literally Kyouya crossing Hell... and he didn’t escape it safe and sound.

[sky-of-dusk]

Episode 25 - who knows Kyouya best

When Kyouya is fighting Captain Capri, we are entitled with Ginga’s and Madoka’s remarks. Of course, it incites to compare their reactions.

When they notice Kyouya is taking part in the  tournament

Madoka is shown in the B-Pit, fixing beys and half-listening to tournaments. She draws her attention back on the screen and we see her surprise.

Ginga isn't shown right away. We see first a public screen, showing the participants and Kyouya among them. Ginga stops, turning his back to us, and looks at Kyouya. The perspective gives the impression the rivals are facing each other. Then we see Ginga's face.

1. Kyouya wins easily against his opponent

Madoka, happily : Well done. There just aren't a lot of bladers that are at Kyouya's level in the competition. So this tournament should definitively be a cakewalk.

We don't see or hear Ginga.

2. Captain Capri's appearance

Madoka : He's opposite to the wild Kyouya because he calculates things so we better be careful with him.

Ginga : Wow. He's interesting. Just keep your head up Kyouya.

Madoka worries because of the difference between Tobio's and Kyouya's way to battle. Ginga, otherwise, sees right away the same thing that Kyouya : Tobio is an interesting challenger. He's happy for his rival.

3. Captain Capri's new moves

Madoka : It'll be near impossible for Kyouya to guess Capricorn's moves now !

Ginga : So what are you gonna do ?

Madoka becomes anxious, not even able to remain seated while Ginga is perfectly calm and only wonder how Kyouya will win, because he doesn't doubt it.

4. Kyouya lets Tobio attacks him

Madoka  : Why doesn't he attack ? Kyouya never gives up no matter what is going on.

Ginga : Kyouya... you're up to something. You've planned this all along...

Madoka has the impression Kyouya is giving up but, on the other side, she knows it's not in his character. The opposite impressions confuse her. Contrary to her, Ginga is smiling. He understands right away that Kyouya has something in mind, despite not knowing exactly what. Still more important, he understands Kyouya had led Tobio exactly where he wanted.

5. After the fight

Ginga : Pushing himself right to the edge. That's Kyouya all over.

Madoka : Wouah ! I'm exhausted just from watching.

There, we have Ginga’s reaction first, then Madoka’s (the reverse order of their interventions during the whole episode). Ginga's smiling and relaxed because he didn't doubt once Kyouya risked to lose. He's even telling this behavior is pure Kyouya way. Madoka is worn out because she didn't stop worrying during Kyouya's and Tobio's duel.

The usefulness of the remarks

Ginga's and Madoka's remarks aren’t useful for the scenario’s progression. They are only useful for character relationship. They show to the spectator that Ginga understands Kyouya and his way of thinking. He translates his actions into words, believe in his skills to beat his opponent. Madoka doesn’t know Kyouya as much : she's worried about him because he is a part of her inner circle, but she doesn't succeed to guess his thoughts or understands his actions.

These scenes highlight something hinted since the Wolf Canyon episodes : how easily Ginga and Kyouya understand each other. Ginga succeeds to reach out to Kyouya during their fight (episode 10). Kyouya guesses how they should treat Ginga after his defeat against Ryuuga (episode 14). Ginga understands what Kyouya implies when he lectures Benkei and Kenta, while Benkei (though he knows Kyouya for longer) doesn’t (episode 19)... All of this leading to Ginga saying he knows Kyouya better than anyone during Fury (episode 105).

In this episode, there is another big difference between Ginga and Madoka : Ginga talks to Kyouya, like his rival could hear him (knowing them, it's perfectly possible xD), while Madoka talks about him. It shows there is less emotional distance between Ginga and Kyouya than between Madoka and Kyouya.