Ep 14. Memories of Ryo

In the episode "Memories of Ryo" of Beyblade Metal Fusion season 1, we delve deeper into the past of Ryo, the former Blader DJ and the current coach of Gingka and his friends. The episode kicks off with Kenta reminiscing about his first meeting with Ryuga, which leads to Madoka informing him about Ryo's tragic past.

We then see a flashback of Ryo when he was young, where he is seen living in an orphanage with his best friend named Hikaru. Even though life wasn't kind to them, they still lived their life to the fullest, especially through Beyblade battles. We see a young Ryo develop a profound passion for Beyblading after he borrows a Beyblade from his classmate and a self-proclaimed Beyblade master. Ryo's story about becoming a passionate Blader and his struggles inspires Kenta immensely, as he had just lost his Beyblade in an earlier episode.

Despite their passion for Beyblading, Ryo and Hikaru are separated, and they vow to meet when they are reunited. Ryo then leaves for America in pursuit of his dream to become a Beyblade champion and find out about his family, who he has no memory of. There, he meets DJ, the renowned Blader, and is intrigued by his unique style of Beyblading. He begins training under him, and they become great friends. DJ, seeing Ryo's potential, decides to take him to Metal Tower, the stadium where the world championships are held.

Metal Tower proves to be not what Ryo was expecting, as it is run by the Dark Nebula, who are notorious for their ruthless tactics. Ryo is given a Beyblade to battle with, but he soon realizes that it is fixed. DJ tries to intervene, but he is beaten up by a group of henchmen. This leads to Ryo's first encounter with the Metal Beyblade L-Drago and its owner, Ryuga. In an effort to protect his friend, Ryo agrees to a rematch with Ryuga, not realizing what the consequences of his actions might be.

The match between Ryo and Ryuga is intense, and Ryo ultimately loses the match after being dominated by Ryuga's L-Drago. Ryo is left devastated, not only from losing the match but also because his childhood friend Hikaru is no longer in his life. He returns to Japan, where he reunites with DJ and becomes the coach of Gingka and his friends. It was at that moment that Ryo decides to form their own team, the Legendary Bladers, to combat the Dark Nebula and their plan of world domination.

The episode ends with Kenta and the rest of the gang feeling grateful for having Ryo as their coach and friend. They begin to understand how much Ryo has given up and how much he has sacrificed to bring them all together as a team. The episode touches on the importance of relationships and the need for perseverance to overcome life's challenges. It leaves the viewers with a sense of hope and the belief that one day, they might overcome their struggles and reach their goals.