Written by: Kevin Berge
Tea and Tristan are a part of almost every episode in the series, but they will never be featured on any posters. This is because they are the two most useless characters in all of anime. (Image Courtesy of: shipping.wikia.com)
Through the years, I have watched many anime, but only a few were at the center of my childhood. It began with Pokemon and Digimon and even Dragon Ball Z on and off, but the series that I watched whole heartedly from first episode to the last was Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Airing each week on Saturday morning as a part of the 4Kids TV lineup, I waited with baited breath every week to see each card game battle and what challenges awaited Yugi and his friends along the way. While I only ever had a few people to play with and competed in only a few local tournaments, I hoarded the cards, trying to get the best and the coolest to add to my collection.
I made decks but also tried to build the decks of my favorite characters. If any show was my childhood above all else, it was Yu-Gi-Oh, and I remained a fan of the series long after my other friends had grown past it. I even spent the time to see every episode of the spinoff Yu-Gi-Oh GX (well, at least the ones that actually aired in America).
Looking back on the series now is an interesting dilemma as I must fight off a hoard of nostalgia while also not being overly critical just for the sake of being critical. I can only promise to try my best on that front as this is a series I may never see completely clearly with unbiased eyes.
Airing each week on Saturday morning as a part of the 4Kids TV lineup, I waited with baited breath every week to see each card game battle and what challenges awaited Yugi and his friends along the way. While I only ever had a few people to play with and competed in only a few local tournaments, I hoarded the cards, trying to get the best and the coolest to add to my collection.
I made decks but also tried to build the decks of my favorite characters. If any show was my childhood above all else, it was Yu-Gi-Oh, and I remained a fan of the series long after my other friends had grown past it. I even spent the time to see every episode of the spinoff Yu-Gi-Oh GX (well, at least the ones that actually aired in America).
Looking back on the series now is an interesting dilemma as I must fight off a hoard of nostalgia while also not being overly critical just for the sake of being critical. I can only promise to try my best on that front as this is a series I may never see completely clearly with unbiased eyes.
Synopsis
Yugi Motoh is just a regular high school student who likes to play games who solves the unsolvable Millennium Puzzle, unlocking the mind of an ancient, mysterious being known as The Pharaoh who takes over for Yugi in times where he is needed as an undefeatable game player particularly at Duel Monsters.
When Yugi's grandfather is attacked and his most precious card Blues Eye White Dragon is stolen, Yugi along with his friends Joey Wheeler, Téa Gardner, and Tristan Taylor go to confront Seto Kaiba with Yugi (with The Pharaoh's help - but for consistency sake we'll just call them both Yugi) winning the duel.
Defeating a world class talent like Kaiba though causes some unforeseen consequences as Yugi becomes famous and begins to attract the attention of many unwanted adversaries who he and his friends must defeat using their growing skill in Duel Monsters.
When Yugi's grandfather is attacked and his most precious card Blues Eye White Dragon is stolen, Yugi along with his friends Joey Wheeler, Téa Gardner, and Tristan Taylor go to confront Seto Kaiba with Yugi (with The Pharaoh's help - but for consistency sake we'll just call them both Yugi) winning the duel.
Defeating a world class talent like Kaiba though causes some unforeseen consequences as Yugi becomes famous and begins to attract the attention of many unwanted adversaries who he and his friends must defeat using their growing skill in Duel Monsters.
Meet your emotional core of the series. (Image Courtesy of: kotaku.com)
Story Arc Analysis
***This whole section is spoiler intensive with each section not even making much sense without experience with the anime. If you have not seen the arcs being discussed, you should skip them for now if you plan to eventually watch them.***
Yu-Gi-Oh is a series that spans 224 episodes, but it does not have a whole lot of filler and keeps its story focused on each arc. Therefore, the breakdown this time is rather simple but does mean a large amount of the series will be skimmed over in discussing an expansive series.
Duelist Kingdom (Episodes 1-40): The story's opening chapter is both its most whimsical and also its most lazy. Breaking rules left and right, making sure the limited number of cards feel strong, even making up cards that never were printed in any form, this was the show at its best and worst because of the way it made each episode interesting if by sacrificing any complexity.
The set up is fairly simple. Seto Kaiba is a greedy duelist with one goal: to become the best. He plans to do so by buying the best cards he can. He ends up targeting the main character Yugi's grandfather who has one of the four copies of Blue Eyes White Dragon in existence and steals it to make sure no one else can have it when the grandfather won't sell.
Yugi ends up avenging his father by showing the most powerful combination of cards in existence, Exodia, defeating Kaiba and becoming an overnight sensation in the dueling world which gets him an invite to compete in the largest card game tournament ever, Duelist Kingdom, set up by the mysterious Pegasus, the creator of the card game. Oh and Yugi must compete because Pegasus has stolen his grandfather's soul.
Through these adventures, Yugi defeats some of the best in the world and must deal with the fact that he has a split personality who is the true man doing the dueling. The card games are fast and wild with most dealing with strange themed duelists. Ultimately, Yugi wins it all, beating his friend Joey who made it all the way to the finals and beats Pegasus to become King of Games.
It's the only time in the series where everything feels like it's moving quickly. The characters are introduced and have some great interactions. Joey quickly becomes the series' most endearing character, and Kaiba goes from villain to anti-hero while never losing his vicious edge.
The highlights of the arc include Yugi and Joey teaming up in a one off labyrinth duel, the introduction of Bakura, the series' most interesting villain, Yugi losing to Kaiba at the doorstep of the duelist castle, Yugi and Joey facing off one on one in the finals, and of course the full duel between Yugi and Pegasus with weird Egyptian magic in the mix.
Battle City (Episodes 50-97, 122-144): After ten episodes just used to set up a couple new characters in Rebecca and Duke who are joined by Joey's sister Serenity as part of the Yugi friend crew, the series gets into its most comprehensive and exciting arc, even though it mirrors the first arc as another tournament setting. It's a card game, so you have to excuse the writers only having so many ways of setting up conflicts.
This time, the tournament is Battle City set up by Seto Kaiba to take Yugi's King of Games crown. There are a ton of action packed duels even if not all of them are all that interesting with the use of a new mysterious villain in Marik who is set on taking over the world with Yugi the only one who can stop him.
In the mix are three legendary cards called the Egyptian Gods which have more overwhelming force than anything that the series has shown so far. Yugi, Kaiba, and Marik each end up having one with the use of those God cards crucial to the biggest duels of the arc.
The card games in general become stronger in this arc as the rule change to more closely resemble the actual game. The cards also become more varied with more real cards that make sense. The battles before the Battle City Finals do not have great stakes besides when Marik takes over Joey's mind, but everything with the final eight competitors in the Finals is fantastic.
In fact, the only weak episodes once the Battle City Finals begin are the ones that have no dueling at all in them. The show gives us battles between Yugi and Bakura, Yugi and Kaiba, Joey and Marik, Joey and Kaiba, the best battle between Yugi and Kaiba, and ultimately a wild final duel between Marik and Yugi.
Cyber Space Takeover (Episodes 98-121): This may be the series' most randomly set up interlude of all the arcs. Instead of letting their most expansive arc finish, they create a massive detour with the characters being trapped in a virtual world and forced to duel for their survival. That said, it has enough relevance to character development that it can be considered a main story arc.
The duels in this section are mixed with the decision to actually have Yugi's other friends Tristan and Téa both have duels alongside the main characters. The final battles of Noah Kaiba vs. Seto Kaiba and Yugi are intense and include some of the series' surprisingly most dangerous and emotional moments.
What ultimately matters in the story is Seto and his brother Mokuba facing their childhood and history which developed Seto in particular as a stronger character.
Yu-Gi-Oh is a series that spans 224 episodes, but it does not have a whole lot of filler and keeps its story focused on each arc. Therefore, the breakdown this time is rather simple but does mean a large amount of the series will be skimmed over in discussing an expansive series.
Duelist Kingdom (Episodes 1-40): The story's opening chapter is both its most whimsical and also its most lazy. Breaking rules left and right, making sure the limited number of cards feel strong, even making up cards that never were printed in any form, this was the show at its best and worst because of the way it made each episode interesting if by sacrificing any complexity.
The set up is fairly simple. Seto Kaiba is a greedy duelist with one goal: to become the best. He plans to do so by buying the best cards he can. He ends up targeting the main character Yugi's grandfather who has one of the four copies of Blue Eyes White Dragon in existence and steals it to make sure no one else can have it when the grandfather won't sell.
Yugi ends up avenging his father by showing the most powerful combination of cards in existence, Exodia, defeating Kaiba and becoming an overnight sensation in the dueling world which gets him an invite to compete in the largest card game tournament ever, Duelist Kingdom, set up by the mysterious Pegasus, the creator of the card game. Oh and Yugi must compete because Pegasus has stolen his grandfather's soul.
Through these adventures, Yugi defeats some of the best in the world and must deal with the fact that he has a split personality who is the true man doing the dueling. The card games are fast and wild with most dealing with strange themed duelists. Ultimately, Yugi wins it all, beating his friend Joey who made it all the way to the finals and beats Pegasus to become King of Games.
It's the only time in the series where everything feels like it's moving quickly. The characters are introduced and have some great interactions. Joey quickly becomes the series' most endearing character, and Kaiba goes from villain to anti-hero while never losing his vicious edge.
The highlights of the arc include Yugi and Joey teaming up in a one off labyrinth duel, the introduction of Bakura, the series' most interesting villain, Yugi losing to Kaiba at the doorstep of the duelist castle, Yugi and Joey facing off one on one in the finals, and of course the full duel between Yugi and Pegasus with weird Egyptian magic in the mix.
Battle City (Episodes 50-97, 122-144): After ten episodes just used to set up a couple new characters in Rebecca and Duke who are joined by Joey's sister Serenity as part of the Yugi friend crew, the series gets into its most comprehensive and exciting arc, even though it mirrors the first arc as another tournament setting. It's a card game, so you have to excuse the writers only having so many ways of setting up conflicts.
This time, the tournament is Battle City set up by Seto Kaiba to take Yugi's King of Games crown. There are a ton of action packed duels even if not all of them are all that interesting with the use of a new mysterious villain in Marik who is set on taking over the world with Yugi the only one who can stop him.
In the mix are three legendary cards called the Egyptian Gods which have more overwhelming force than anything that the series has shown so far. Yugi, Kaiba, and Marik each end up having one with the use of those God cards crucial to the biggest duels of the arc.
The card games in general become stronger in this arc as the rule change to more closely resemble the actual game. The cards also become more varied with more real cards that make sense. The battles before the Battle City Finals do not have great stakes besides when Marik takes over Joey's mind, but everything with the final eight competitors in the Finals is fantastic.
In fact, the only weak episodes once the Battle City Finals begin are the ones that have no dueling at all in them. The show gives us battles between Yugi and Bakura, Yugi and Kaiba, Joey and Marik, Joey and Kaiba, the best battle between Yugi and Kaiba, and ultimately a wild final duel between Marik and Yugi.
Cyber Space Takeover (Episodes 98-121): This may be the series' most randomly set up interlude of all the arcs. Instead of letting their most expansive arc finish, they create a massive detour with the characters being trapped in a virtual world and forced to duel for their survival. That said, it has enough relevance to character development that it can be considered a main story arc.
The duels in this section are mixed with the decision to actually have Yugi's other friends Tristan and Téa both have duels alongside the main characters. The final battles of Noah Kaiba vs. Seto Kaiba and Yugi are intense and include some of the series' surprisingly most dangerous and emotional moments.
What ultimately matters in the story is Seto and his brother Mokuba facing their childhood and history which developed Seto in particular as a stronger character.
All the money in the world and Kaiba has still never found better minions than Blues Eyes White Dragon. (Image Courtesy of: youtube.com)
Waking the Dragons (Episodes 145-184): This is a rather unique, darker arc for the series that shows the dark side of many of the characters. Instead of shoehorning in another tournament, the threat becomes far more dangerous as the villains here actively challenge and attack the heroes, making them face their own faults.
In this arc, the Egyptian God cards are sapped of their power by a mysterious group who use the Seal of Orichalcos to take souls to strength the power of an ancient immortal being. The group manages to truly make an impact on the crew by turning Mai Valentine and actually taking the soul of Yugi, leaving The Pharaoh the only man left standing for the two personalities.
The Pharaoh must face the darkness in himself in order to defeat the group, leading to Yugi returning and teaming up with Kaiba to face the head villain of the crew, Dartz, in a battle with beings of infinite power. The final fight is ridiculous but also a lot of fun as it truly takes the dark tone over the top as the world seems to collapsing as the battle wages.
The series also includes the introduction of three dragons, similar to the Egyptian Gods given to Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey, which are again beyond ridiculous cards but lead to some cool moments in the duels that shape the story. This also allows the story to randomly add Atlantis to the lore/mythology which just adds to the ridiculous factor.
Perhaps the best part of the whole arc and one of Joey's best moments in the show is his lengthy battle with one member of the group Valon then immediately fighting Mai as well. The threat feels real as Joey seems constantly on the edge of collapsing in the battles, showing his resolve to help Mai above all else.
Grand Championship (Episodes 185-198): This is absolutely the most unnecessary section of the whole anime and its most forgettable with a villain that is so unbearably cheesy he's hard to take seriously. Instead of developing threats, the series detours to its third tournament arc where Yugi again wins to continue holding his crown.
Kaiba sets up another tournament to find an opponent to challenge Yugi for the World Championship. The tournament gets sabotaged by an old adversary from Kaiba's past, Zigfried, who manages to almost win but is found out and gets disqualified then beaten personally by Kaiba. Then in a surprise twist, Yugi faces Zigfried's younger brother who is forced against his will to try and complete his brother's plan.
Ultimately, Yugi wins and retains his crown with the threat rather easily squashed. The main thing that is a bit cool about this arc is that Yugi does not duel much in it, giving others a chance with Joey getting a bit more spotlight.
Dawn of the Duel (Episode 199-224): The series' Egyptian lore is largely underused in this series until it's all on full display in this final arc as the series tries to explain everything it hinted at before but only scratches the surface. The full backstory of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle infused alter ego, The Pharaoh, is the heavy emphasis.
Yugi and friends head to Egypt, and The Pharaoh is sent into his past to defeat Bakura and, in particular, the being that Bakura worships, Zorc. Meanwhile, the crew finally find out the true name of The Pharaoh, Atem. When everything comes together and Zorc is defeated, Yugi and Atem have one final battle to determine the true King of Games.
Yugi wins the battle, and Atem passes on, taking the seven Millennium Items with him. The final battle is great, and there are some solid moments in this arc. However, this is overall a rushed and somewhat lackluster final chapter to the anime. The whole story of Atem's history and the legend behind the Seven Millennium Items is wildly pushed through to get to the end.
The many episodes here without any kind of duel also feel slow and unaffecting. The heart of the series is the card game, and the series does not do a great job holding onto that while quickly exploring its lore. Ultimately, this section is forgettable even though it is important because it does not feel like the rest of the anime enough.
The Extras: Besides this series, the popularity of Yu-Gi-Oh spawned multiple new series, likely also set up to help keep selling the new card releases. Yu-Gi-Oh GX is fairly similar to the original series but with a new cast at a dueling school with stories that are largely middle of the road. I have seen only a few episodes of 5D's (adds motorcycles and a futuristic world) and can say nothing of Zexal or Arc-V.
There is also an official movie that was aired in theaters about Kaiba challenges Yugi again with a new powerful card as Anubis, an ancient god, arrives to try and destroy the Pharaoh. It is quite terrible with writing far below the series' usual par, but I saw it in theaters, own the DVD, and have seen it at least ten times with no regrets.
In this arc, the Egyptian God cards are sapped of their power by a mysterious group who use the Seal of Orichalcos to take souls to strength the power of an ancient immortal being. The group manages to truly make an impact on the crew by turning Mai Valentine and actually taking the soul of Yugi, leaving The Pharaoh the only man left standing for the two personalities.
The Pharaoh must face the darkness in himself in order to defeat the group, leading to Yugi returning and teaming up with Kaiba to face the head villain of the crew, Dartz, in a battle with beings of infinite power. The final fight is ridiculous but also a lot of fun as it truly takes the dark tone over the top as the world seems to collapsing as the battle wages.
The series also includes the introduction of three dragons, similar to the Egyptian Gods given to Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey, which are again beyond ridiculous cards but lead to some cool moments in the duels that shape the story. This also allows the story to randomly add Atlantis to the lore/mythology which just adds to the ridiculous factor.
Perhaps the best part of the whole arc and one of Joey's best moments in the show is his lengthy battle with one member of the group Valon then immediately fighting Mai as well. The threat feels real as Joey seems constantly on the edge of collapsing in the battles, showing his resolve to help Mai above all else.
Grand Championship (Episodes 185-198): This is absolutely the most unnecessary section of the whole anime and its most forgettable with a villain that is so unbearably cheesy he's hard to take seriously. Instead of developing threats, the series detours to its third tournament arc where Yugi again wins to continue holding his crown.
Kaiba sets up another tournament to find an opponent to challenge Yugi for the World Championship. The tournament gets sabotaged by an old adversary from Kaiba's past, Zigfried, who manages to almost win but is found out and gets disqualified then beaten personally by Kaiba. Then in a surprise twist, Yugi faces Zigfried's younger brother who is forced against his will to try and complete his brother's plan.
Ultimately, Yugi wins and retains his crown with the threat rather easily squashed. The main thing that is a bit cool about this arc is that Yugi does not duel much in it, giving others a chance with Joey getting a bit more spotlight.
Dawn of the Duel (Episode 199-224): The series' Egyptian lore is largely underused in this series until it's all on full display in this final arc as the series tries to explain everything it hinted at before but only scratches the surface. The full backstory of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle infused alter ego, The Pharaoh, is the heavy emphasis.
Yugi and friends head to Egypt, and The Pharaoh is sent into his past to defeat Bakura and, in particular, the being that Bakura worships, Zorc. Meanwhile, the crew finally find out the true name of The Pharaoh, Atem. When everything comes together and Zorc is defeated, Yugi and Atem have one final battle to determine the true King of Games.
Yugi wins the battle, and Atem passes on, taking the seven Millennium Items with him. The final battle is great, and there are some solid moments in this arc. However, this is overall a rushed and somewhat lackluster final chapter to the anime. The whole story of Atem's history and the legend behind the Seven Millennium Items is wildly pushed through to get to the end.
The many episodes here without any kind of duel also feel slow and unaffecting. The heart of the series is the card game, and the series does not do a great job holding onto that while quickly exploring its lore. Ultimately, this section is forgettable even though it is important because it does not feel like the rest of the anime enough.
The Extras: Besides this series, the popularity of Yu-Gi-Oh spawned multiple new series, likely also set up to help keep selling the new card releases. Yu-Gi-Oh GX is fairly similar to the original series but with a new cast at a dueling school with stories that are largely middle of the road. I have seen only a few episodes of 5D's (adds motorcycles and a futuristic world) and can say nothing of Zexal or Arc-V.
There is also an official movie that was aired in theaters about Kaiba challenges Yugi again with a new powerful card as Anubis, an ancient god, arrives to try and destroy the Pharaoh. It is quite terrible with writing far below the series' usual par, but I saw it in theaters, own the DVD, and have seen it at least ten times with no regrets.
This guy is almost pure intimidation, but it's hard to stop wondering why he's the series' ultimate porcupine. (Image Courtesy of: yugioh.wikia.com)
Impact and Art Style
This is clearly a kid's anime with the flair and silliness that comes with that focus. The stakes are often made outrageously high with very little actual follow through. You won't see much actual physical action at any point, and the only real violence comes from the threat of soul stealing. Brutality was an original part of the manga of the series, but it clearly was not an emphasis that the writers felt would lead to success.
The card games themselves are often weirdly paced with "the heart of the cards" being a plot device to make sure the main characters always get what they need when they need it even if what they need isn't actually a card or the way the card should work. Duels can also drag on with a lot of staring and silly back and forth dialogue.
Still, there is so much charm to the proceedings. The characters are easy to get behind with the themes easy going but also affecting. The shōnen anime style always has these pluses and minuses with Yu-Gi-Oh not the best or worst example of the genre. It is unlikely that an adult with no experience with this show though could get into it with even kids likely finding it a bit silly for a while before it kicks into gear.
The main disappointment is that the story creates a mythology which it frequently builds up but never wholly delivers on the promises it lays down. It almost feels like the set up and hints are given merely to be forgotten down the line.
The art style is surprisingly distinctive though the characters within that style do not drastically differ. The hair styles are meant to be the greatest distinctive quality, and they're all so outrageous without any comments about it from a show that becomes more self aware with time.
The characters all have long, pointed faces and sharply pointed bodies with women who are few and far between in the stories all drawn with certain emphasis for fan service as anime often does.
The card games themselves are often weirdly paced with "the heart of the cards" being a plot device to make sure the main characters always get what they need when they need it even if what they need isn't actually a card or the way the card should work. Duels can also drag on with a lot of staring and silly back and forth dialogue.
Still, there is so much charm to the proceedings. The characters are easy to get behind with the themes easy going but also affecting. The shōnen anime style always has these pluses and minuses with Yu-Gi-Oh not the best or worst example of the genre. It is unlikely that an adult with no experience with this show though could get into it with even kids likely finding it a bit silly for a while before it kicks into gear.
The main disappointment is that the story creates a mythology which it frequently builds up but never wholly delivers on the promises it lays down. It almost feels like the set up and hints are given merely to be forgotten down the line.
The art style is surprisingly distinctive though the characters within that style do not drastically differ. The hair styles are meant to be the greatest distinctive quality, and they're all so outrageous without any comments about it from a show that becomes more self aware with time.
The characters all have long, pointed faces and sharply pointed bodies with women who are few and far between in the stories all drawn with certain emphasis for fan service as anime often does.
Sub vs. Dub
I'll be honest. I only very recently watched episodes of the subbed version of this show. Before that, my whole experience was dubbed given I only watched the show as it aired on television. Still, despite the dub being what I know best, I cannot easily recommend the dub.
4Kids is notoriously inconsistent with its voice actor casting with some truly uninspired choices in every series. That said, the cast is solid overall here. Dan Green (Sonic X) is perfect as the Pharaoh though less so as the younger Yugi. Wayne Grayson (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) has a distinctive voice that makes Joey memorable, and it's hard to hear anyone ever do Seto Kaiba besides Eric Stuart (Pokemon).
The lesser the characters become in the story, the less strong the voice acting with many outright terrible jobs from recurring voice actors for side characters. You would be forgiven from cringing at much of the work with anyone who isn't in the story for more than a single arc. As a special dishonorable mention, Mai Valentine's voice actor changes late in the show to perhaps the series' worst voice acting from Erica Schroeder.
The translation here is largely solid. Joey has all the best lines with some really funny ones along the way. The lines in general are memorable which is more than can be said of many dubs. The main issue as a whole is 4Kids edits and takes out sections from the original Japanese which takes away from the overall experience.
Recommendation: Sub
4Kids is notoriously inconsistent with its voice actor casting with some truly uninspired choices in every series. That said, the cast is solid overall here. Dan Green (Sonic X) is perfect as the Pharaoh though less so as the younger Yugi. Wayne Grayson (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) has a distinctive voice that makes Joey memorable, and it's hard to hear anyone ever do Seto Kaiba besides Eric Stuart (Pokemon).
The lesser the characters become in the story, the less strong the voice acting with many outright terrible jobs from recurring voice actors for side characters. You would be forgiven from cringing at much of the work with anyone who isn't in the story for more than a single arc. As a special dishonorable mention, Mai Valentine's voice actor changes late in the show to perhaps the series' worst voice acting from Erica Schroeder.
The translation here is largely solid. Joey has all the best lines with some really funny ones along the way. The lines in general are memorable which is more than can be said of many dubs. The main issue as a whole is 4Kids edits and takes out sections from the original Japanese which takes away from the overall experience.
Recommendation: Sub
No, I'm not going to mention that Capsule Monsters was the thing. Well, sure, it was a thing, but that's all it was. (Image Courtesy of: watchcartoononline.com)
Conclusion
Ultimately, Yu-Gi-Oh! is a ridiculous wild ride of an anime that perhaps takes itself too seriously at times and never really elevates itself beyond being a kid's show. However, it also never loses the fun adventure that it brings to its card game story. Without having wild action, the card game action makes the series memorable.
The story arc change up wildly over time with some quite strong and others not holding interest particularly when too much time is spent on action not involving dueling or working with characters that have no real unique personality.
I wouldn't recommend the show to an older audience, but there is a lot here for younger kids who just want a wild ride with friendship and inner strength at the heart of the tale. As an adult, I still enjoy going back to the series, but that is mainly because of how much nostalgia it holds for me.
The characters are solid. The stories keep up a strong pace. The art style is easy on the eyes. The themes are simple but effective. The music is even quite memorable even beyond the main opening theme. Everything about the show is delightfully fun.
Of all the anime I have ever seen, this is the one that is closest to my heart. I still go back to it now and then with most of the episodes recorded either on old VHS or DVDs. I still have far too many cards and have a few decks still constructed that I occasionally look over.
This is good honest anime fun, and I wouldn't trade it for any other series. I can't rate it too highly for quality of the show, but I can heartily say it will likely always be my personal favorite anime.
The story arc change up wildly over time with some quite strong and others not holding interest particularly when too much time is spent on action not involving dueling or working with characters that have no real unique personality.
I wouldn't recommend the show to an older audience, but there is a lot here for younger kids who just want a wild ride with friendship and inner strength at the heart of the tale. As an adult, I still enjoy going back to the series, but that is mainly because of how much nostalgia it holds for me.
The characters are solid. The stories keep up a strong pace. The art style is easy on the eyes. The themes are simple but effective. The music is even quite memorable even beyond the main opening theme. Everything about the show is delightfully fun.
Of all the anime I have ever seen, this is the one that is closest to my heart. I still go back to it now and then with most of the episodes recorded either on old VHS or DVDs. I still have far too many cards and have a few decks still constructed that I occasionally look over.
This is good honest anime fun, and I wouldn't trade it for any other series. I can't rate it too highly for quality of the show, but I can heartily say it will likely always be my personal favorite anime.