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crafty705 · 1 month ago

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Hello mfb tag it is Monday. I could’ve tried to refine this block of text more but it’s a Blorbo Essay and I’m posting it on tumblr (the piss on the poor website) so whatever I type may be misinterpreted anyways. I did try to maintain a formal tone and punctuation throughout writing (which is probably unnecessary when all you’re doing is arguing that your gay ship is gay) so this might just end up coming off as pretentious but oh well. It’s for the bit trust.

Anyways, it’s been a little over a year since I’ve tried jotting down the way I perceive the masaking dynamic, so what better time to will these thoughts into being coherent? Mostly, I would like to expound a bit on the appeal of their dynamic and trace back what drew me to them in the first place.

When I first rewatched Metal Fury, particularly the scenes these two had together, the thing that struck me from the get-go (though it doesn’t technically fall far from the other rivalries introduced in this show) was their near-instant evolution from strangers to friendly rivals. So what allows them to get along so well?

They antagonize each other throughout the first time they meet, yet are quick to band together to talk smack to a common enemy (jigsaw lmao). They tend to draw the same conclusions in most situations, even when they’re competing. They are so inexplicably on the same wavelength certain characters have wondered if they are innately related to each other.

Trope-wise, they’re pretty much your average sports anime-esque meatheads. At a glance, the lack of mental bandwidth they exert on a daily basis for anything other than their “sport” of choice (beyblade, in this case), combined with their untenable egos, archetypes them as goofy side characters that play off of each other and are rarely seen apart. As a viewer, you wouldn’t expect them to be emotionally mature or exhibit awareness of their surroundings. In fact, this assessment is true almost all of the time. They fire off petty insults at each other and can’t seem to agree on the littlest of things, and they often cause a scene others around them then have to contend with (re: destroyer dome property damage, their dialogue before the start of the beyster island championship).

Yet, their banter, though pointedly irritating to other characters in-show, is charming because it shows care for the voice of another person from characters who appear to focus on themselves a majority of the time. They constantly question and act judgey to each other’s opinions without it ever affecting their friendship negatively, even gaining understanding of each other in the process.

For a character like King, who had been outcast by those who misunderstood him in the past, a relationship where he has the opportunity to express himself without consequence is undeniably relieving. To phrase this in the most dramatic way possible, having a person who you are able to bare your honest self to and still have them want to remain beside you is the essence of human connection. Besides the two of them being notedly inseparable (hilariously, practically every appearance they have after their meeting involves them both in the same frame), how well they get along is definitely an appeal of their dynamic.

Additionally, it becomes clear King more than reciprocates the acceptance he receives.

To bring up how similar Masamune and King are to each other again, this similarity may also work against them. While it has become common for fans who enjoy one character to also enjoy the other, there are key differences that may not be immediately obvious that causes the audience to perceive one as the “worse version” of the other. It could be argued King hasn’t developed Masamune’s sportsmanship (having lacked the opportunity to do so), or that Masamune lacks wins in noteworthy battles (let’s think critically about the common thread in this particular case). Indeed, one such point of contention is that while they are both outspoken about their abilities, only one is really able to “back it up”.

From an audience or outsider’s perspective, there is nothing besides their similar personalities “tying” King to Masamune as a rival or equal. It could be said, in a sense, that they achieve such different results with equitable levels of raw power (due to the star fragment, from a meta standpoint) that Masamune could not or even should not be considered King’s equal in the first place.

Yet, what we as viewers learn from their interactions is that talent isn’t everything. Results aren’t everything. Yes, Masamune often bites off more than he can chew, and at times aspires to goals that he can’t quite reach. Yes, it is important to back up your yapping every once in a while. However, even if victory itself is validating, failing still isn’t the be-all end-all because what defines one’s character is not the end result, but their efforts and their sportsmanship. Yes, you may not be able to control fate, you may fail even if you try your best, but you can control how you react to it, and continue to work towards bettering yourself each day.

I believe such a philosophy aligns beautifully with both their character arcs as well as the entire season of Metal Fury/4D. Despite how some may perceive Masamune’s overbearing ego, he does still train, he does still work towards being the best that he can be, and he does extend a hand to his fellow bladers and is capable of acknowledging and celebrating their achievements (re: among others, the literal instance from episode 119). As a result, Masamune is given reassurance of his value to those who have already bonded with him through beyblade, assuaging his guilt over not being able to contribute in a critical moment.

Going off on a tangent here because as you can imagine, I also have many thoughts on how the infamous episode 128 “sunrise scene” plays out in particular.

King’s defense of Masamune after his loss on beyster island stands out both because it is at a moment where no one else sees Masamune’s hurt feelings as a priority (and in the greater scheme of things, it really isn’t), and because it is completely justifiable. Even if Chris is strong, and his victory was fair, and most importantly, they kind of need him so the world doesn’t end, King cannot seem to find it in him to ally with this stranger who blatantly condescends the earnestness that preceded the first bond he made with a fellow blader.

In the aftermath of Ryuga’s departure, the group is debating on how to proceed with the loss of another potential ally, and Masamune is visibly pretending to be fine due to his own contribution to that loss.

King, who cares single-mindedly about the experience gained from a battle after being deprived for so long, who was finally able to meet like-minded individuals through the activity he is most passionate about, takes evident notice of this moment of vulnerability, and understandably takes it upon himself to uplift Masamune. He assures Masamune that because of their common goal, because of their shared identity as bladers, because of how fun it is to compete with an opponent like him who gives it their all, he hasn’t stopped viewing Masamune as a rival and equal. He accepts Masamune, imperfect though he is, and never stops believing in his ability to be greater than he currently is.

Interestingly, though King believes himself to be “the best”, he never lets that stop himself from wholeheartedly competing with Masamune. He wants Masamune to believe in himself just as much so they can keep beyblading with their all, together. Perhaps this is in part due to ego as well, that any opponent he has deemed worthy must therefore meet such an expectation (lest his judgment be proved wrong). However, this sense that he wants Masamune there with him, striving for the top, to be “better than” him, shows that he isn’t expressing his ego maliciously—he does not want Masamune to second-guess blading beside him. It is a drastic shift from the self-sufficiency and loneliness pushed upon him by his talent in the first place. Esoterically, because bladers historically have communicated through blading, King has found someone worth getting to know.

Masamune’s ultimately positive reaction to this assurance of their rivaldom is appealing as well. He accepts King’s belief in him and the proposal to continue being his rival as he previously accepted (and reflected) King’s overbearing attitude and strength as a blader. And really, what more can anyone ask for?

#mfb #masaking #i wrote most of this on a 3 hour bus ride #excuse the messy analysis #ship infodump who else cheered #craftys_fics #<- so I can find this later lmao

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