The background stories of Battle Spirits TCG

　Not only a TCG, Battle Spirits has developed several contents simultaneously in Japan.
　As the Battle Spirits project started as an anniversary products line, its media contents were supported by partnership between Bandai and SUNRISE Inc.「サンライズ」 (it is told that the early product codename "BS" came from initials of each companies), one of leading anime companies in Japan. Currently animated TV series "Battle Spirits: Bashin, the breakthrough boy"「バトルスピリッツ 少年突破バシン」 has been on air for a half year. And its monthly serial comics is running on Kerokero Ace Magazine「ケロケロエース」, a kids comic magazine.

　Animated series is directed by Mitsuru Hongou 「本郷みつる」, an experienced kids anime director from 90's who have also showed unique talent for robot animes in recent works like "IGPX" or "REIDEEN". United with animators from SUNRISE Inc,　Battle Spirits animated series pays attention relatively heavily on daily school life of kid characters/players in the story. Though they play the card game, attend to tournaments or conventions, or fight villain players some times, their dramas in the show are merged with everyday episodes of youth and friendship.
　As for a summery of the show, the story follows on a 6th grade elementary school boy named Bashin Toppa 「馬神トッパ」. Although started playing Battle Spirits TCG as an inexperienced beginner player, he occasionally awakens the gift within himself to summon spirits and nexuses in his command during the game. From then Bashin achieves cards, skills, and knowledge of the card game rapidly, not only for his talent but with many helps and experiences from friends, other awakened players, and powerful rivals.
　As these kids aware of their powers and natures behind the card game, a mysterious society of game players starts challenging them. "The League of Thousands Spirits", and its member players or minions each called by distinct numbers. Bashin and kids learn that spirits in the Battle Sprits card game were originally inhabited in other dimensional plane, but separated and commanded by the cards somehow according to the League's secret scheme.
　Bashin and friends vowed finding the way to liberate spirits and their planes in last winter episodes, and they enters junior high school in this spring (we start new school years form April in Japan.) Divided in separate schools and classes, there will be new characters and encounters among them, awaited by new foes and players from the League.

　On the other hand, the comics adaptation series on Kerokero Ace Magazine features more on fights between spirits and players. Both sharing same stories and backgrounds in general, those two Battle Spirits storylines are making an interesting contrast.

　The Battle Spirits comics are written and illustrated by Hideaki Fujii 「藤異秀明」, the comic book artist renowned with energizing and acrobatic battle scenes and monster portrayals. like his run on several kids magazine comics (such as "D-Children" 「真・女神転生デビルチルドレン」 adaptation comics from a computer game/TCG product) in the past did, Fujii shows dynamic and thrilling battles of players and spirit forces in otherworldly planes.
　About a half of past Kerokero Ace Magazine issues have contained an exclusive promo card in a volume so far, and so is an each volumes of comic trade paperbacks (whose promos features a card illustration by Hideaki Fujii). Roughly once in a year the Magazine has appended a beginner’s starter deck as a supplement each copy, advertising to and assisting newcomer players. I'm not sure if things will work like this in U.S. just same as in Japan here, considering there are no information about the Battle Spirits media business in overseas right now. But I think Bandai will find chances to provide you anime shows or comics somehow, or promo cards supplement for believers around the world at least.